Day 5: First Day in Taichung

 你们好！Cavon and Anara reporting for duty

“Bring. Bring. Bring.” 

Our classic “Taiwan wake-up call” had arrived. It was time to rise and shine 😎. I (Cavon)
got out of what I currently consider to be the comfiest bed of the trip and prepared myself for what would be one of the best days yet. We headed down, and all met up for a breakfast filled with Taichung classics. Pork buns, Taiwanese poached eggs, and the delicious kumquat lemonade were just a few items we enjoyed before heading to the legendary Lin estate garden in the center of the city. 

Upon arrival, we were greeted with a beautiful mansion filled with looming arches, carriage rooms, and beautiful plants There, we learned about the tiered structure of ancient Chinese mansions and fascinating traditions and beliefs. Did you know that a three legged frog brings you enormous fortune? Or that bats bring good luck? We didn’t. But Wu老师 taught us. The Lin estate was fascinating, but what made the garden most memorable wasn’t the flowers, architecture, or even the culture. It was the people we met there. Unbeknownst to us, a group of students from a local school were visiting the estate at the same time as us, and we ran into them at the final room in the mansion: an outdoor auditorium decorated with authentic furniture.

A few of us noticed the students playing a popular mobile game that we recognized and asked them about it out of curiosity. Soon, we were exchanging Instagram's—promising to follow them back once we got our phones—and chatting about the similarities and differences between our everyday lives. As we communicated using a combination of Mandarin, English, and the occasional hand-signal, we slowly learned each other's hobbies, interests, and even favorite basketball teams. We even sang a few songs together and exchanged national anthems. But what brought us together wasn’t just what we had in common; it was our curiosity to learn about each other and willingness to inquire. Soon, it was time to leave, and we took our final photos together. We gave each other hugs and fist bumps before leaving to barter at the fruit market. 

We walked single-file to the local market in search of fresh Taiwanese fruit, and we found a stall selling fresh lychees, mangoes, pineapples, and watermelon. After trying our hand at bargaining and haggling, Ms. Chung bought us all ripe mangoes, juicy watermelon, and sweet lychees. We thanked her and proceeded to board the bus for a short ride over to our lunch spot.

After a delicious and refreshing dessert of the mangoes, we boarded the bus once again to travel to our next destination: The Indigo Dyeing House. As we approached our remote destination, we marveled at the skill of our bus driver, who maneuvered through the narrow, windy mountain roads with ease. A little out of breath and a little more tired, we had finally made it to the top of the hill! After we learned about the unique, traditional method of creating the indigo dye, we listened eagerly to the instructor’s teachings. Using rubber bands and wooden sticks, we created shapes, patterns, and ties to make beautiful indigo products. We truly let our creativity shine through! 

However, there was one rule in the little cabin: Do NOT let the dye get on your skin, clothes, shoes, or accessories! Skeptically, we looked around at each other. What could be so bad about getting a little dye on yourself or your clothes? Wouldn’t it wash out anyways? The answer, as it turns out, was a glaring “NO!” As our token science teacher, Mr. Lu explained that the indigo dye was incredibly basic, and if it got on your clothes, it wouldn’t wash out for a whole week, at least!. After adorning ourselves in the extremely fashionable rubber gloves and cloth aprons, we began the long process of hand dying. We all sat or stood around the large vats of indigo and began to massage the dye into our crafts. After two rounds of washing, dying, rinsing, and repeating, we finally, FINALLY, had award-winning handkerchiefs deserving of all prizes, and we each proudly held up our craft for a solo picture.

After packing up our creations and washing our hands clean of all traces of indigo, we went back on to our trusty bus to go to a new place, unbeknownst to all of us. The bus pulled over on the side of the street, and we all deboarded slowly, confused as to why we had stopped at such a random place. I (Anara) looked at the new place, colorful and bright, and smiled to myself, seeing such vibrant paintings and artistry. However, once we all circled up, Ms. Chung described the sad and tumultuous past of this new place, the Rainbow Village. She told us about how, when the Kuomintang and their families arrived in Taiwan, the Rainbow Village became a military community for the families of soldiers. Already a solemn story, she then told us that a military veteran, who never remarried in Taiwan nor fathered any new children, used his loneliness as motivation for painting. Ms. Chung gave us 30 minutes to look around, and after a few minutes of exploring, I happened upon a chicken-wire fence lined with wishes, notes, and letters from past visitors. Most of us sat down, ripped paper out of our journals, and wrote down our wishes and dreams for the future. Love, happiness, wealth, college, all such big dreams written on such small pieces of paper. After I tied my wishes to the wall, I began reading other wishes tied by people who had come before. I saw the different types of dreams from people that had all come to the same place to do the same thing. It was beautiful. But like all experiences, it had to come to an end. So, after our 30 minutes was up, we got back on our bus and traveled to our last (and definitely tastiest) destination: our dinner, 茶六(Cha liu) BBQ.

                          

After a long drive packed with Wavelength and 21 questions, we arrived at our long awaited destination and were immediately greeted by the wafting scent of fresh meat (my favorite 😋). The aroma was only matched by the delicious flavor of the food. At first, we were worried that they couldn’t handle our appetite, but instead of our stomachs challenging their pantry, their pantry challenged us. Chicken, duck, beef, pork, abalone. One after another, the plates just kept coming. And we just kept eating. Our stove was filled with meat but the tenderness and texture of the food encouraged us to keep up. We gave each other shouts of encouragement to not quit eating, and I (Cavon) think our table alone ate more than 20 steaks. After finally finishing the last strip of meat, we celebrated with a round of peach juice—just a bit too soon. That was when they brought out the ice cream, and we finally couldn’t eat anymore. Filled to the brim, we ended the day feeling full not just from food, but a wonderful day of experiences.