My Weekend at Sun Moon Lake

A pic of me in traditional Ami tribe(Hualien) dress


Wow!!! What a weekend!!!!

Ok, I have a VERY busy week so I won't be able to type a lot in this post, but I had a wonderful weekend!

So after teaching, met up with my colleagues for the company trip to Sun Moon Lake and the Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village. We took those comfy tour buses that have ugly decor, but so comfy!

So first on the list was the Puli Shaosing Winery where I had a taro flavored rice popsicle which is one of the things they are famous for! I also got to try some Taiwanese liquor, wine and these yummy red wine plums which I bought a package of for myself ;)

Rice Popsicles they are known for: this one is taro flavored...YUM :)

I also bought a bottle of cheap plum liquor for when I have friends(or dates if that ever happens) over.

Then we went to our lodging whch was the Sun Moon Lake Youth Activity Center....We were a 5-10 minute walk to Sun Moon Lake and the scenery was breathtaking! I had to room with 3 girls who I didn't know very well at all and we had to share beds which made me uncomfortable(I am oan only child-I like being alone) but the rooms were nice! Here's a link:
http://sun.cyh.org.tw/eng/

So then after we got settled in, I met some of the male colleagues and one who I was in training with and is from South Africa so we walked down to the lake and took pictures and I met some more people! Then we had dinner and then got lanterns(because by then it was dark) and walked down to a part of the lake where there was a big outdoor dance performance with aboriginal dances going on...BUT...there was also SHOPPING there so needless to say I didnt watch the performance long! Too many cool aboriginal things and food stands!!



Hot Aboriginal Guys dancing at Sun Moon Lake :)


My one colleague was impressed that I could speak Chinese and ask questions to the salespeople as well as know what half of the food and drink was that most of us westerners wouldnt have a clue about...and after only being here for 6 months...I have give my ex part of the credit because he always took me to places where there were almost NO foreigners as to immerse me in the culture so that helped, plus my awesome chinese classes ;)

So after that, I did some gift shopping (for others AND myself of course) :) Then while I was waiting for everyone to meet up I walked by this Thao(A Sun Moon Lake aboriginal tribe) Restaurant where a man there told me a brief history of the tribe and encouraged me to take pics of the authentic paintings and craftwork of the restaurant!

Then I met up with some colleagues and went to a cafe, and then walked back where we met up at someones cabin and drank and was taught how to play a drinking game called Zuma Zuma. It was ok, but I am not into that anymore. After living in Amsterdam where a night of drinking includes, going to a pub and talking "grown-up"things with people older than me and then going out dancing...it was a little digressing to be playing a drinking game at a cabin-I wasn't really enjoying it really. But it was nice to get out and socialize :)

Then today, we went to the Formosan Abroginal Cultural Village and it was amazing!! It is an amusement park with amusement park rides but above it is a whole GIANT area dedicated to different aboriginal tribes of Taiwan with the houses, craft-making, aboriginal dance shows and etc. It was so great! I learned so much and even got to wear a costume and have my picture taken wearing it!!

Some Aboriginal food I had for lunch: sticky rice in bamboo, sweet potato, stickyrice with taro wrapped in a leaf...It was VERY good!!

It was so funny because before I was putting it on there was no one really around(although the park was crowded today) and doesn't it figure? As soon as I was ready to go out and have my picture taken, there was a CROWD of people in the area and once I did ALL these girls were saying in Chinese "OH! Beautiful!" "Beautiful!" "Can I have a picture with you?!" It was HILARIOUS!!!! I was the only westerner in the area and the only one (well, at that time) willing to try on an aboriginal costume! My colleagues were quite bored so I had to hurry it up, but I did like the attention ;)

It was just nice to do some walking (well, I did a LOT of walking this weekend HAHA!) see soem things, lear a LOT and do some shopping!!!!!!!! :)

I would write more, but I have 75 more pics to upload and 3 videos, 3, YES 3 lessons to plan, one pile of homework to grade, unpack my suitcase, check out my gifts etc etc etc...!

If you want to look at pics, go to my photobucket page ;)

Or look at the slideshow here :)