Winter Solstice

I hope everyone is having a lovely festive season. Being in Asia means that I'm still working, but we'll be having our break soon enough. On the 18th January our holidays begin and we'll be off for about a month. I'm looking forward to it.

My students (or at least their parents) have decided to make this a happy month for me. I have been receiving gifts all month, the latest being a big box of mini satsumas that range between two and five centimetres in diameter. They are very sweet. I've also got a mug emblazoned with the immortal presence of Xmas trees. Seem odd using it on 364 days of the year, but I may get used to it.

Here are a few things I was gifted with before Xmas, though with the festive season in mind:

A selection of wrapped chocolates complete with bells and a model Rudolf glued onto a clothes peg, a box of dark and really rich chocolate squares, a packet of imported tea (you know, because I'm a foreigner) and the jacket hanging over the chair. That last one was actually a gift from a friend, not a student.

This chocolate is handmade by "locals" (and by that I mean the aboriginal people of Taiwan). They probably add that line to increase its sales, but to be honest it's one of the best chocolates I've ever eaten. It's almost too rich.

Being a foreigner who speaks English of course the parents decided to buy me imported English tea. At least I'm guessing that's the reason. No complaints from me, I love tea; though if they wanted to tickle my English side they could just have got me Earl Grey. There's really nothing better.

This needs a special mention. Some of the teachers at my school took part in a Secret Santa. It was a delightful event and I got to learn a lot more about my colleagues. One of the gifts that someone got was two boxes of plasters (or band aids). Only they weren't. They were wrapped up to look that way, but were actually small individually wrapped chocolates. There's a novelty I would have completely missed on the shelf at the shops. I think the strangest part about them is their name. I'm wondering if there was a foreign influence in it.

This was my gift - a delightful bottle of instant coffee which now sits in my cupboard at school, behind the aforementioned Xmas tree mug. What I really enjoy about it is the blurb on the front:

Mocca Great Coffee is like a fascinating

book-you will appreciate its long

lasting meaning; and is just a like

wonderful melody-the pleasure will

stay with you forever.

great.

SUN MOON LAKE (Part 3)

OF TEMPLES AND BANANAS

Traversing the northern edge of the lake, we came upon a fantastic sight - one massive stairway stretching from the lake to the top of a hill. This is the Steps of the Year Trail. The stairs are broken into sets with each set representing a different month and having a number of steps equal to that month's days. We met it roughly halfway, so we got this view:

Stretching down to the lake

Going up to the temple, after taking a small left turn near the top.

There are also small lantern-like ornaments attached along the railings. Each one represents prayers for a person on the temple's behalf (similar to the candles they have lit in temples) and they are placed next to the step that marks the person's birthday. Not only that, but they're organised into ages as well.

You can clearly see these lanterns are prayers for people who are quinquagenarians and sexagenarians.

The volume does alter in areas, but there are simply masses of these lanterns along the pathway.

The step for 2nd December, the date we were on the walk.

When you reach the top you'll encounter two wonderful things, but the temple can wait as you first take in the view. It's a wonderful present after a long climb beneath the tree canopy.

The second thing you'll notice is the temple itself. I am not religious, but I do appreciate the beauty and wonders of the world. Whilst I like to keep my thoughts planted in logic and reasoning, I admit I was taken aback by this place.

There is an idea of situational religion, where people feel drawn to religion in certain places. The old Catholic Church used this effectively. They made churches to be the grandest buildings in a city (save for maybe a palace) and had all their sermons in Latin, keeping an air of mystery locked with ritual. The Temple here does it differently. While there is no doubting the creativity and dedication in making the temple what it is (and I'll take a look at that in a bit), I cannot help but feel the place is what makes it great. The cool weather, the beautiful hilltop view, the lake stretching below, the greener-than-green trees surrounding the temple - they all speak of grandeur surpassing humanity. Nature makes this temple a marvel.

One of the pair of Stone Lions (Guardian Lions) that flanks the temple, giving it its mystical protection. Unlike a conventional pair (male resting his paw upon the world, female restraining a playful cub) this temple has two males.

Temples like this are often (if not always) built in various levels or tiers. This picture is taken from the first tier. In front are stairs ascending to the second tier and a room in which gods are housed. Behind me is a similar building with different gods in it.

At the top of the stairs, above the warring dragons and beneath the two rows of prayer lanterns is a flat wall. Upon its surface are intricate relief carvings done in stone.These must have taken ages, each one done on numerous blocks of stone. However rather than be held up as the great works of art that they are, they simply cover the walls all over the temple. None of them appear in the gods' houses. Then again, being stone, they would fare far better against the elements than cloth or wood.

Getting to the gods' houses, we find a lot more attention placed on decoration. It is here where we find the Asian influence in these temples. Just like with Hindu temples there is an emphasis on over decorating. Whether it is a dedication to the complexity of life or the gods, there are too many things to truly witness all of them. Carved wood and stone with many shades of paint shining gloriously, row upon row. That's simply the ceiling.

Guan Yu was one of the 5 great generals of the warlord Liu Bei. His life has become largely fictionalised over the course of time and he is now viewed as an epitome of loyalty and righteousness. He was deified after his death. This is the story of the weapon he carried with him, along with a representation.

Behind the final gods' house I came upon this fountain.

Multiple small dragon heads constantly pour water from their mouths. Accompanying them is a larger dragon head, spouting water out from the great carving above.

This feature is a wonderful illusion. Whilst the spouts keep the sound of running water (along with splashing) the five dragon heads on the right occasionally exhale a kind of mist, which then blows back past them to the viewer standing before the fountain (on the right). This gives them the feeling that they're standing beneath a waterfall with the hiss and mist of the crashing water blowing over them.

I apologise in advance, but I cannot get this picture to right itself. This is one of the  fountain jars which people use as a wishing well. The rim of the jar is a series of small containers. These containers are what westerners would call Golden Ingots and they are synonymous with increased wealth.

A corner at the back of the temple. The small stone fence indicated the temple's boundary where other tourists are wandering.

The roof offers some great views.

A picture of me overlooking Sun Moon Lake with all its boats scooting people between the three piers.

I promised you bananas in the sub heading, so here they are in all their glory and varying colours. The Nantou area to have its farming rooted in bananas and betel nuts.

SUN MOON LAKE (Part 2)

OF COFFEE SHOPS AND WILDLIFE

When first exploring the shops around Shuishe pier you may come across this coffee shop. Do not be fooled by its wonderful location. In reality it's a poorly run place that preys upon the naivety of tourists.

Being tourists who had just arrived in town, my girlfriend and I decided to find somewhere to sit down, have a cup of coffee and plan the sights that we wanted to see (and which, given our lack of time, we'd eventually only be able to see some of).

The restaurant/coffee shop offer a nice view, but little else. Our coffee was cold when it arrived and had to be sent back for reheating, despite the fact that we were the only customers at the time. The food was decent, but in an average sort of way. I guess places that rely on tourists for income don't have to care about service as they don't depend upon repeat visits.

A place that is worth visiting is this one: Moon Tea & Café

They are close to the pier and have the decency to serve coffee in large mugs. Also, their coffee is of a temperature bordering on hot. They also have large, soft chairs one can flop in.

 

If I have to find fault with them (and I do) I'd say they have a tendency towards over-decorating. There are hundred of nicknacks and novelties covering various shelves, as well as magazines, ornaments, figurines and display key-ring. It's all a bit too much, really.

As I said before, there is a walkway that spans the circumference of the lake. Most of it is wooden and looks like  this:

There are parts of the walkway where the wood gives way to concrete and stone paths, but the majority of it is wooden. 

Some parts of it are also surrounded by trees or even have trees thrusting up through the planking. We came across this tree and thought it to be a telephone pole at first, considering how straight it is. We later found many more like it and have attributed its straightness to the fact that the walkway has supported and encouraged that shape to grow.

These parts of the path that are more closely surrounded by trees give one a more closed-in feel. This is great for people who love nature, but not so much for those who hate spiders.

This brings me to the second part of this post - the wildlife.

In Taibei (indeed, in any large city in Taiwan) people do their best to avoid wildlife, especially in the form of insects. It's understandable. Insects aren't always the friendliest of living creatures and many of them can be poisonous; more so in the tropics. When the people of Taiwan were first offered the technology for city-building they sprang at the idea of concreting over everything and reducing the insect population. It's only more recently with the rise of the green movement that they're thinking of reintroducing more plant-life to the cities.

If you're not a fan of spiders then do not fear. You can walk the circumference of the lake worry free. Whilst spiders will have their webs in the vicinity on the walkway, they'll be off to the sides in the trees and bushes. On occasion, when the trees close in, they'll be above you, but significantly so. For those of you who suffer from phobias of paranoia about arachnids, you'll also be safe. One can always retreat to the road and simply walk around the areas that are not as open as those in the pictures above.

This is the biggest one we found. It's black and yellow in colour, but we also came across more orange coloured ones:

Spiders, however, are not the only creatures that can cross your path. There are numerous species of butterfly that one can happen upon. On our short walk we also came across a bug that had a transparent disk on its back, almost like a shield or umbrella:

Then there are also slightly larger fellows who may cross your path or even your handrails:

 

Insects are not the only things you'll find. There are also many species of birds in the area, a welcome sight after very few in the city. Bird call is something one misses living in a built-up place. We saw these close to the walkway and for some reason they didn't take flight when we approached. I'm still not sure what species they are, but I think they're black-crowned night-herons.

Snakes also live in the area; yet another reason why I believe Winter is a better time to visit. Being reptiles, snakes will be seeking warmer places to stay. In Winter that means keeping out of your way. I think the only reason we came across this snake on our walk was because it was dead. If it had been alive it would have escaped the rain long before we ambled along the path.

A curious feature of the lake are the floating islands that feature all around its edge. At first we took them to be buffers for the waves that move across the lake's surface, used to help sustain the edge of the lake - and with it the walkway. However we came across one of the many typed blocks of information that are scattered around the lake. According to tradition, fishermen who lived in the area once angered a mermaid-like creature who lived in the lake by over fishing or something. She wager a war against them until they eventually agreed to compromise and help her. They made floating islands and filled them with soil to grow land upon the surface of the lake so that they would create spots where fish could breed and small fish could live in safety, thus increasing the number of fish in the lake.

SUN MOON LAKE (Part 1)

Travel and Accommodation

[Disclaimer to my friends: I have not taken leave of my spelling. Alternate spellings have been used as they are the names of places. I wish to be accurate so as not to confuse any who wish to travel there.]

Sun Moon Lake is the largest body of water in Taiwan. It is situated inland not far from Taichung in the Nantou region. I would recommend anyone staying in Taiwan for any length of time to take some time out to visit it, but with proper planning. I went there for only two days, which wasn't enough time for me to truly experience the place. I did, however, travel now (in "Winter", if it can be called that) which proved a treat as tourists were few and the weather acceptable.

The first part of any journey is working out how to get where you're going. The simplest route (from Taibei) is to take the High Speed Rail to Taichung. Once there head downstairs to exit 5. At the exit is a booth where one can buy tickets to Sun Moon Lake (Nantou). The people there can understand English and there is also a tourist info kiosk if you have questions or require maps/pamphlets/etc.

It's also possible to get there without the High Speed Rail. You can take the regular train to Taichung. You'll also catch a bus, but you'll be required to leave the train station and cross to Shuangshi Road.
The High Speed Rail takes about an hour with the bus trip taking 45mins. The return bus trip goes through the town/city to collect more passengers and if the traffic is bad it can take a while. I recommend going to the loo before getting on the bus.
When the bus arrives in Sun Moon Lake it will stop outside Shuishe Visitor Center. It is also from here that the buses leave to return to Taichung.

With regards to accommodation, there are various options. As you're dropped off the bus, with the Shuishe Visitor Center across the road to your left, behind you will be Min Ren Hotel:


It's just across the road from the "Vegtarian" Restaurant:


Min Ren Hotel is possibly the cheapest place, offering beds but no breakfast. The benefits of staying here are saving on cash. Location isn't too important (unless you want a good view) as everywhere is close. Here a double room can cost you around NT$1800/night.

This is the room my girlfriend and I stayed in:

 

As you can see we were put in a room on the end of the building (Room 21 if I remember correctly). The odd shape makes the room a little awkward, but not all of the rooms are like this. Here are pictures of another double-bed room and a room with singles: Room 1 and 4 (I think)

If you're not on a student budget and fancy a slightly more comfortable stay then here are a few options. There are various higher class places to stay, but here are a few of the mid-range ones I've seen.

Sun Moon Lake Hotel
When the bus drops you off, keep heading straight down the road. With the trees to your left and a hill to your right, it will almost seem as though you're leaving town again. The road will wind a little bit and a temple will appear on the hill to your right. A little further down the road you'll find a road turning off to your left. Take that road. You cannot miss the hotel. Seriously! It's huge and there are no other large buildings in the area.
There are also many small paths that lead down to the lake side which you can take and walk along if you'd prefer to walk with a view.
Tel:+886 49 2855 855

CoCo Tree
Upon disembarking from the bus, walk straight until you pass the visitor centre and take a left turn down the winding road. The road will curve back on itself whilst dropping into a dip. At the bottom of the dip one can continue straight or turn right into a car park. If you walk through the car park (staying to the right-hand side) you'll find a walkway going around a watery area with a few buildings on the right. The first is the CoCo Tree. I am unsure of its price range, but it appears to be a B&B of sorts as well as a restaurant.

Harbor Resort Hotel
As the name would imply, this hotel is right by the lake, close to the lake's edge. Sun Moon Lake has three piers: Shuishe Pier, Ita Thao Pier and Xuanguang Pier. The hotel is right by Shuishe Pier where you can book trips on the boats. One of the kiosks to buy tickets is directly outside the hotel - and possibly linked to the hotel.
Tel +886 49 2855 143

Lake side B&B
Surrounding the lake is a walkway mostly made of wood, but with a few stone sections. Starting at Shuishe Pier and walking clockwise around the lake I came across a house after a brisk 30min walk. There were business cards for the taking and I collected one.
The B&B has the advantage of being further away from the town and other tourists.
Tel: 049-2855108
Fax:049-2855211
Mob:0928-245855

Health and Ingredients

One of the many soups that Taiwan (and indeed the Chinese speaking world at large) is famous for is known in Chinese as "Health Soup". Containing coix seed, lycium (a member of the nightshade family, yet safe like potatoes) and the seeds of the lotus plant, this soup is very good for your body - especially your eyes. I am not partial to it, despite its goodness, as I am not entirely taken by its slightly bitter taste. I've been told that it's usually more salty than bitter, so perhaps I just had a particularly strong bowlful to try. Either way, I can be persuaded to try it again sometime.

By contrast, however, there is something I do relish which also has "health" in its title, and which is used to preserve one's body from the inside out. Known locally to some South Africans as "gesondheids drankie" (or "health drink"), it is a beautiful concoction of tonic water, dry lemon, a juice of your choosing (pear is usually the best) and gin - the stronger the better.

Whilst I would not expect my students to like my drink (nor would I offer it to them, their ages being between 6 and 7), I find the symmetry of the idea of them enjoying their health soup whilst I enjoyed my health drink most appealing - both consumable liquids aimed at the betterment of the consumer.

Representing Canada

I arrived at work today the way I usually do; by rolling out of bed, throwing some clothes on and making my way to the bus stop. I took a moment in the bathroom - more as a chance to wake up than anything else - and considered my complexion in the mirror.
There was the trimmed beard, my hair tied back, a pair of jeans and a collared, red and black checkered shirt. It was at this time that I realised that if my shirt had any more red in it I could pass for a lumberjack.... and I'm okay.

Videotapes and Sickness

I stepped with unwilling confidence into the classroom. Luckily, I thought, I’d have this lesson to practice before proceeding to my own class. The beauty of being the maths teacher is that I teach both classes of the bilingual programme the same lesson. It’s true that I was going to have about two dozen parents watching me teach, but they weren’t the parents of my class and so I allowed myself breathing space. Apparently that was my first mistake.

It dawned on me that I may have miscalculated the moment that one parent put a video camera to her eye; said moment being the second the bell rang for the lesson to begin. The camera ran the whole lesson.

While I must admit that I flawed them for most of the lesson, at the end I did begin to weaken. I usually prepare too much, but this time I had undercut my preparations. I was thumb-sucking eventually. That experience, combined with a quick chat in the break with my director, meant that the next lesson went much smoother.

That was yesterday. Today the students are being directed in writing short letters to one of the girls in the class. She has taken ill with inflammation of the lungs and has been admitted to hospital. It’s believed she’ll be there for a week.

This news has caused the realisation that my throat is a little sore and has been since I awoke this morning. I had brushed it off as a reaction to temperature change as the weather has finally begun catching up with the season. Perhaps there is more to it… (*begins scrounging for vitamins)

Worries and the Recurring Spider

So a large brown spider of the (looks vaguely like this) variety was found clinging to the side of a chair in my class the other morning. As you can imagine this caused quite a stir amongst the little six- and seven-year-olds. I rescued the poor thing and deposited it in the school gardens, which I have now come to view as a potentially silly thing. The gardens in question are situated in a quad surrounded by classrooms, meaning that if dear Mr Spider decides he's not entirely satisfied with his relocation, his only means of migration is down various passageways or through the classrooms themselves.

As you can imagine we found him again yesterday. Once again I had to rescue him. This time he was on the side of a bucket which the grade ones were using to clean the floor with. In the spider's defence, he wasn't really in need of saving. His mere presence was enough to keep even the most enthusiastic grade one at arm's length, their best efforts contained at little more than splashing water hopefully on the wrong side of the bucket.
Once again I deposited him back into the garden in the hope of future entertainment.

The spider, however, has nothing to do with the worry mentioned in the title. That came from a student, being rather talkative outside of lessons, who was trying to engage me in a discussion of whatever was on his mind at the time. His words were a little confusing and so I had phased out slightly, my attention more on the work on my computer. I was passively listening.
Whatever he was saying began catching my attention because it sounded wrong somehow. I started actually listening to discover what he was talking about. The boy had spoken of things sticking and how he found he had to remove them with his hands. It dawned on me that he was speaking about lavatory functions and I immediately began searching my memory for everything I had seen him touching.

The look I gave him must have registered, because he then began defending himself, saying it was the only way to get some of it off - or out, I forget which - while I told him that tissues and loo paper was better. In retrospect I don't believe I attacked his idea enough. My partial silence and confusion may have been seen by him as acceptance.

This incident worried me as hygiene is important, especially in a city as sickness can spread quickly. Today two of my students were at home sick and three left early to visit the doctor. From what I've witnessed my students tend to have very good habits in terms of health and hygiene (I reserve judgment on discipline and learning habits at this time). Some may think of bad hygiene habits as an Asian thing, but the boy who was talking to me was one of my students who'd spent a few years in the U.S.A. I think one of his parents may even be a citizen of the U.S.A.