TAIWAN TRIP ADVISORY:D

During our trip to Taiwan, we visited many places of interests. Let us share some of our views of the different places:

RF Pretty Hotel 4/5

Good points: 

The toilet was relatively clean

The hotel was rather spacious

There were only a few rooms on each level to reduce the noise level

The service is good and they even kept our hotel cards for us 

Neutral point: 

The walls were thin and not sound-proof

The breakfast is repeated and it was a bit boring to eat the same thing everyday, they should have variations

Room for improvement: 

There was limited space in the hotel for us to gather to do our reflection. 

Taipei 101 3.5/5

Good points: 

The "phone" was a great way of introducing their landmarks

We had a great night view of Taiwan from the top 

Many shops to produce higher income

Room for improvement:

The wait for the lift was extremely long, they could have more lifts 

There was a demonstration or a mini riot outside Taipei 101 and there was no security to ensure safety

National palace museum 3/5

Good points: 

The advanced technology aided in our learning (Tour guide's speaker linked to our headphones) 

Room for improvement: 

There could have been more order, they should control the groups of tourists entering the museum to avoid congestion

Shung Ye museum 1.5/5

Good points: 

Different themes were split to be showcased on different levels for easier understanding of what was going on

Room for improvement:

The guide could have made the introduction more interesting so we can pay better attention 

They should have a small hole so we can put our hands through the holes and touch the less fragile artefacts like the gold museum

There could have been more vibrant displays to attract our attention 

The service for the guides could have been more efficient

Shifen 4/5

Good points: 

There was a huge variety of good food to taste 

The releasing of sky lanterns was an interesting activity

There were different routes to explore

Room for improvement: 

The roads could have been more even 

We should be given more space and different coloured inks to write our wishes

We should be given a larger space. 

Jian Guo 4/5

Good points: 

Students were very welcoming and passionate in their performance for us

We should be given a chance to try their canteen food 

We should stay there longer to experience their CCAs

Room for improvement:

The building is old, which doesn't give a good overall impression. 

Chiang Kai Shek & Sun Yat Sen memorial hall (3/5)

Good points: 

Informative and showed us a side of the two forefathers that we've never studied in history.

Room for improvement:

There could have been more order by having barriers that will force us to stand properly in rows and columns so that everyone can have a better view

We could have spent less time there and not re-watch the changing of guards again

Xi Men Ding (4.5/5)

Good points: 

They have trendy things that are sold at cheaper prices compared to bugis and orchard

The atmosphere of the place is very high, making shoppers get into the mood for shopping

Room for improvement: 

Clean toilets should be available for shoppers

They should categorise the type of shops so that the street becomes more accesible

Martys shrine (1/5)

Room for improvement:

There could have been a guide to give us a short introduction to the place such as the history behind the war etc.

We should spend less time there and not re-watch the changing of guards again

There wa nothing to learn or observe at the place excluding the change of guards

Eslite bookstore (3/5)

Good points: 

The bookstore was huge and quiet, making it a very nice area to rest and enjoy the books

They sold different items there, not only books, such as specific areas which sold bags, soft toys, albums and illusional and magical items.

Room for improvement:

They should introduce some books in simplified chinese as well

We should be given less time there because there wasn't much variety of books there 

Wulai (4/5)

Good points:

The students were all very friendly

Their lessons were very hands-on, a different kind of learning experience.

Room for improvement:

They should have cleaner toilets

They should provide us soaps as we are supposed to wash our utensils after our meals

Raohe Night Market (4/5)

Good points: 

The food was affordable and delicious

There was a wide variety of food for tourists to enjoy

Room for improvement: 

The streets could have been longer as we took a very short time to finish walking the whole street

They should have a better backup plan if it rains besides just using canvas for sheltering 

Most stalls are unhygienic. 

Confuscius temple(2/5)

Good points: 

4-D movie screening to allow us to learn more about confucius was very informative

Room for improvement:

They should put up boards for description of each building

Gold museum(2/5)

Good points: 

There were many different types of gold showcased with a detailed description for each item.

We were able to touch the biggest gold 

Room for improvement: 

There should be a guide to introduce the history of the place 

The place where the videos have been played should have more seats 

Jiufen (3/5)

Good points: 

The food there is affordable and are great for souvenirs 

Room for improvement: 

There should be more variety of food.

The prank toys there was special and unique

Dustbins and toilets were hard to find-- inconvenient

Place rather dirty and unhygienic 

C) personal reflection

Hi ppl!!! Well, this post is here to put an end to the OELP trip to Taiwan:( *cries*

Well, even though it is over, I am here to give some thoughts and reflections for you guys to learn....well, what leaves the deepest impression in me is the exchange programme with Jian Guo High School....it is a all boys school and is one of the top school in Taiwan.(I feel like I need to add this every time I write about this school, it is becoming a habit!!!)

During my time there, I really enjoyed myself. The lessons, the weird yet interesting English debate, the students there ( which are not really 'shuai' tbh) and of course,the lunchbox.mThroughout the lesson I attended, I have see a huge differences between river valley and there. The most obvious point will be them able to sleep, eat, use phone in class without getting scolded. Unlike in River valley or Singapore, we are not supposed to do any of that in class or we may get detention, warning or just a punishment. We then went to ask the principal and were told that they believe in the students. If they are able to get into this school, they must be clever and will definitely know when to study, sleep or just relax. For example, if they feel tired in class, they can take a nap and the teacher will still go on with her lesson. LIKE WHAT? Such a different environment....* sobs sobs* I want it too!!!

Despite the differences, I actually learn something from it. In life, we must know when to relax and when to be serious. Don't always be serious. Laugh, joke or even a smile. Your mood will defintely be liften. So start right now, wear a smile and continue to spread the joy!

Your smile buddy, 

Kelly

Jiufen:

It was our last day in Taiwan and i was looking forward for our last tourist destination, Jiu Fen. I had high expectations for it for i had heard of good remarks of the place from friends and relatives. I intended to spent all of my money here, buying souvenirs and food of all kinds to bring home to Singapore. From what i had heard, Jiu Fen was filled with good food to taste and was a rather good shopping venue. 

As i entered the little street, pineapple cakes, mochi and typical taiwan jellies caught my eye. The smell of smelly toufu was strong and pungent, and the smell of herbal eggs, herbal soup and pancakes wafted into my nostrils. As we ventured deeper into the street, i caught sight of a stall selling ice creams wrapped in popiah skin, completed with tons of peanuts spread around on the inside. My mouth started watering as i couldn't wait to purchase it and start savouring my ice cream. I felt a wave of excitement as though i had entered a food haven where one could help themselves to unlimited amount of food. 

There was also a variety of shops selling different souvenirs, ranging from taiwan's famous sky lanterns in miniature versions to purses and bags of different interesting designs. A shop had caught my attention, selling prank toys such as cameras that squirt water on the faces of peole upon the push of a button or chewing gum wrappings which caused a fake cockroach to land on your hand upon pulling a gum out. It was something unique, something i have not yet seen in Singapore. 

Despite the many variety of shops to walk and shop, there were some points which disappointed me greatly. I realised that there were hardly any dustbins along the street for people to dispose their waste and furthermore, there was only 1 restroom along the whole of Jiu Fen, at a rather secluded part of the street. I feel that the layout of Jiu Fen was planned rather poorly, for the lack of dustbins would result in a higher number of littering cases and the limited toilets were inconvenient for visitors. Furthermore, the place was rather dirty and messy, and appeared rather unhygienic. 

Done by: Jin Hui^^

My all-time favorite attraction: Sky Lanterns! 🎐🎐🎐((at Shih-fen))

________________________________________________________________________________________

Forever etched in my memories, I still can remember vividly the moment our hands let go of the sky lantern, with hope only a little bit of regret as the sky lantern floated strongly away. It was a mixed feeling, because I didn't want to let go of the sky lantern which we had spent almost half an hour writing our wishes on. The sight of sky lanterns soaring in the skies were not a common sight in Singapore, for fear that it might catch fire and burn any of our tall HDBs hat seemed to be taking over our country.

It was great when we finally got a chance to touch the sky lantern, I had been itching in my seat and chattering absentmindedly at Laet as we neared our destination: Shih-fen. When we finally made it out of the flight of stairs we had to climb, we were greeted with an amazing scene: the beautiful mountains which seemed to be enveloped by fog and clouds mixed together 🌁, and the beaten tracks of the cute Pingxi station🚉, the trees that provided us with shelter from the light pelting of the raindrops ☔️. There isn't a better time to visit Shih-fen, just as the sun was visible above the mountains 🌄, basking us in a soft sunlight and the drizzle cooling us down at the same time. It just got us in the mood for the sky lanterns.

((Wished I could share the picture....... I can remember every single detail because the scenery was really so perfect💘)) 

When we were given the colorful sky lanterns, I dove in with my other friends and hovered over the four sides before choosing the pale pink side of the paper. I picked up the brush excitedly: but what was I going to write? I realized that I hadn't thought about what I would write before jumping straight into grabbing the brush. Shrugging, I passed the brush over to xin and retreated into a corner while I watched them write their wishes confidently. Whatever was I going to write? 

Being bilingual and a bit desperate by the promptings of my classmates, I penned down: "让一切都值得", and proceeded to decorate the border with messy doodles and scrawling ➰➰ last minute illegible wishes. Then we were good to go!

At first I was reluctant in stepping unto the train tracks: if we had dared to jump unto the tracks of the mrt in Singapore 🚇, we would risk being squashed or decapitated by the high speed trains. But seeing all my other classmates climb over the tracks and standing in the dead centre of the tracks, you could say I was 'peer pressured' into steeping in. Besides, it would make a cool photo. 💁

The releasing of the sky lanterns were done in a short span of time, but I still had to resist the urge to grab on to the sky lanterns tightly and not let it go. Posing for a photo that would be the only proof of the event and a constant memory, the heat 🔥 soon warmed our hands and got all puffy from the heated air, as if a mischievous child wanting to break free. But it had to reach the skies ☁️ before the diving being could read them and grant them right? 

I glanced at the shrinking figure, before it joined its fellow brothers and sisters excitedly in the journey to reach the skies, before burning out and landing somewhere. Speaking of which, where do all the iced sky lanterns usually end up? Wouldn't it be embarrassing to have a stranger read your wishes?

Ps. Germany won yay~🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪

-juen who had to redemn herself 🌈

Through my Taiwan trip, the visit to Wulai left me with the deepest impression. I felt relaxed and at ease there. The lessons were at a slow and leisure pace and with the hospitality I was treated with,  I didn't feel pressurized at all! Their teachers taught the class by just speaking with the help of visual representations on the projector. In contrast to what I thought originally, they were just as mordernised as us to use technical devices, except that they do not use iPads and they don't have a proper science lab or computer lab. However, year after year, students who graduated from the school still managed to go to university or get a job. I feel that advanced technology and the fast paced school life that come along with it is not important and that we can do well without them. Technology is here to aid us but the more advanced ones aren't exactly necessary. My main takeaway from the trip is that sometimes we do not have to worry too much about our results or get too stressed out over our studies because after all, we go to school to learn new knowledge for future use. Instead of getting stressed about something that is supposed to bring us fun and develop our interest in a particular area, why not take things slowly and enjoy the process every student has to go through? 

Qing

The world changes, so do us, and sometimes we forget about the simplest things in life. Due to different reasons, we don't share love with strangers, not even just a smile, or any of those beggars out there, we choose not to see them. 

I believe that goodness still lies in everyone, and it's an instinct for all of us to be nice and kind. And it's all because of the circumstances, we don't get the chance to be nice or good to anyone, because we can't stop in this fast-paced society. 

There was this stall at Raohe that caught my eye. Not only was it the only stall that sold pork-belly rice, the stall holder was friendly, talking to us in a light hearted, yet polite tone. Because of the food wrapper that i always holding on to, i looked around for rubbish bins, but to no avail. Just then, the stall holder politely asked me to pass him my food wrapper so he could throw it in the bij for me. I was stunned for a moment, but passed him the wrapper directly after. 

Nowadays, where would you see this? Who would notice such little details? You won't remember what your mum wore to work this morning, how can you be able to pick out this small detail from your customer? 

From noticing these details to lending a helping hand, it's a rare sight these days, as we live in a far-too-fast-paced society. Many times it isn't that we don't want to stop to help, to notice, but time doesn't allow us to do that. We are always rushing for events, our minds wondering to the things we have to tend to instead of spending a little more time to look out for our peers or opening our eyes a little bigger to see differences. Yes, we would stop to donate a few coins to the old auntie selling tissues down the road, but who would notice that the old auntie's plastic bag is actually slowly slipping down, and who would help? Sometimes, it isn't the "big" things we do that are commendable, but the unnoticeable things, that are really the ones that deserve some attention and recognition. 

Apologies🎐

I haven't posted the OELP reflections because I didn't realize that Blogger deleted my post!! Careless me forgot to check the success of the post, so I ended up not posting. Also sorry for the lack of pictures, the pictures haven't been transferred from the camera to the computer, so most pictures are 'stolen' 😅 Apologies for the lack of learning points and the numerous rants about small things ☕️☕️☕️

-juen

OELP'14 BECAUSE ONE WEEK ISNT ENOUGH- juen

第一天，美好的开始

Can I not blog today :,,,,,,( I very tired leh, and i believe at 11.30 one would be as well !!! 

((JUSTICE FOR THE POOR STUDENTS WHO HAVE TO BLOG LATE AT NIGHT))

Anywayyyyy we started he day with a great human invention: the aeroplane. It was a typical flight, nicely taken off, nicely landed. Airport food was acceptable (beef with mashed potato mm) and xin who  had to eat a no beef meal (eww) and she didn't have the slice of cake :P

The sandwich thingy is the cake mm

On the airplane, since it's a five hour flight, I watched a really sad movie :,,,,,,,,( {miracles in cell no. 7}

trying to get rid of the horrible ear pain cuz of the air pressure by letting my tears out hard and feel angry at the antagonists >:( 

Awestruck Moment:

Back to the main attractions of the day, Taipei 101! I never knew we had to pay to go up and that we can't go to the 101th floor.. :( however, we did make it to the observatory platforms at 91st floor, so I'm rather proud! The view there is beautiful, and especially so when the sky begins to darken and the lights illuminate the city 💕 warning: professional photos by photographer juen 

The sky quickly faded into grayness soon, since the sun sets quickly~~

The traffic there was easy on us, and everything was relaxed and enjoyable, but Singaporeans gotta be Singaporeans and walk like WHOOSH~ 

Heartwarming Moments:

We were walking past a deserted street, all of us, I repeat, the whole class, noticed a homeless beggar on the streets. He wasn't begging, and in the few glances I saw a vacant look. Like he's already given up. I know adults always tell us to ignore them, to not soften your heart, but it's always a little too hard to handle when we see a sight when we never see often in Singapore. But in reality, we might just give them enough to have a few meals, then they're back to begging again? What good does that do them? 

On the bus Laet and I were discussing how we react to these situations, especially when she was from Shanghai and saw these beggars as well. :(

Best Moments:

At around 9.30 we reached the RF Pretty hotel. Since it was rather late already, the neighborhood was rather quiet and sleepy. Night debrief was a time for reflection and again a mad scramble of confirmation from anything to room numbers to tomorrow's breakfast. We got room 303, but nothing prepared us for the shock. we climbed the stairs, but couldn't fing our room amongst the "neighborhood" of people occupying the right side of the corridor. Scared, we realized that the room was at some creepy place, so we asked minghan to find the room. He did, and disappeared after opening the door. Not rid of the initial scary feeling, we went to the toilet together and heard some VERY CREEPY ANIMAL NOISE (we then realized that it was the birdy doorbell -.-) We were totally freaked out so we called 307, shirong and kahleong's room. Before long xin broke down and shirong was at the door, and we begin to make plans on where we should sleep, because we sure as hell ain't going back to that room. 

In the end the guys, being guys, had to make do with the room that was equally scary on the 6th floor. Once we settled down we called them again, partially thankful for their arrival and partially worried for their lives (rooms *03 - *01are in a deserted corner) 

After the whirlwind of activities that left us breathless, we finally got a chance to relax, and hopped into the bed at promptly 12.30am. 

Secret Mission: >:)

since we were bored we joined liqing, jinhui, minghan and tzehyuan to prank call the rooms. It was around 12 midnight, and we were debating heavily whether to do it or not. In the end it was a quick one, I went with the two guys to knock on 203's door (yantong and szemin) and we ran upstairs again. Although it was just a lame prank, a midnight secret mission had sure made the tiredness go away. We plopped down in the bed to sink into the bed sheets and logged in to the dream world......

EATING BREAKFAST RN, MISSING ALL OF YOU. 💕

-juen

明天，变成今天，变成昨天。第二天

Sleepy Day with a strong vintage feel 😎

Grand National Palace Museum 🏯

we managed a peek at the 翠玉白菜 after queuing up for so long with the amount of people squeezing into the small space around a small exibition of the precious artifact, just like how in Singapore we squeeze into the mrt during every peak hour... _|_ 🚇 

Of course, we did notice the Chinese especially gesturing and frowning at the 菜. 😅😅 I think we discussed that in CID before about how the Chinese tourist feel that the 翠玉白菜 should belong in China, and not in Taiwan, thus the different gaze towards these artifacts....... 🌚🌝

Countary to what I thought, the 菜 was actually smaller than I thought (:S) <欺骗了我的感情😤

I think I read the leaflet and description that the two insects 🐛🐛 were supposed to mean something about 早生贵子 and it was the 嫁妆 of some-wife-I-can't-remember-who-sorry (according to xin it's some lady in the palace) 

It's beauty comes from many angles, firstly, the superficial beauty. The 翠玉白菜 is a great lifelike beauty, just like a crispy 白菜 with all the veins complete. The translucency in the material, the jade, mystifies everyone on the high quality and near perfect replication of a 白菜. 💁 

Secondly is the history behind this 白菜. How did this artifact of China land in the hands of Taiwan? The answer: Chiang Kai Shek brought it over when escaping with the Communists. How did a mere lady in the palace get this precious artifact? ((This one I don't know sorry)) basically it's origins and rights are heavily debatable, thus its beauty.

Of course, other than the 翠玉白菜, there were also many other artifacts. I was too tired to listen to the guide and ended up almost falling asleep!

Cool Aborogines Display (which I can't spell right)

of course we had to learn about the life of the aborogines, which turned out to be quite the interesting trip ! 

according to Wulai (I wrote this blog after coming back to s'pore #honestyisthebestpolicy) there were 16 aboriginal tribes, the biggest being 阿美族. 👘⛺️

what I admired most about the aborogines is how they have such a rich culture and can survive even without the help of electronics, 🎮🎧📲📺📻 which I'm sure, most of us cannot live without. another thing is how they develop artistic skill and take pride in them, from sewing the best homemade cloths  to carving wood, they exel in these arts which most of us may not have attempted before. it all strikes me on how different aborogines group live, and dismisses the thought of everyone living a modernized lifestyle ✌️

Sweet Shih-fen 🎐

one of the activities I was looking forward to was to 放天灯 at Pingxi Station. I had never written and put a sky lantern before, and to have your wishes expressed and (maybe) granted. 🌚🌝 I'm sure all of us have our own wishes and dreams, (although some are shareable and some are.... not 😏) and we definitely wish to grant them and what's touching is that for a moment, we all showered our beliefs and most honest wishes, and in everyone's heart we found ourselves and our goals. 💞when we let the lantern go to reach to heavens, I really felt that everything was possible, and we could connect with each other's dreams 💭 my wish was : "让一切都值得"

our efforts are all going to be worth it one day right!

our lantern-love shared with many 💖

lantern haul 💕

走得慢點，看多一點，欣賞多一點。第三天

Jianguo Municipal High School

Kick starting the day was something everyone was looking forward to: meeting out 'sempais'! //sempai means senior// and getting to know 建中. On our first day in 建中, we didn't know what we were going to do, so naturally we were blasted away by the amazing performances they put up. Through the serious look they had when the displayed their astounding skills in not only performing arts such as violins and the flute,🎻🎷🎷🎺 they also blew us away with their amazing magic performance. 🃏🔮👻🎱

sweet melodies by sweet people

They were confident in their steps, and even as they did not succeed, they were cheered on by their teammates beside them. We know how easy it is to just give up and let the other performers cover up your loss and mistakes, but no, they picked up their equipment and continued to try it, over and over again, right in front of our eyes. We cheered them on as well, after a little prompting from the seniors, everytime a performer makes a mistake, all of us would still cheer and provide courage for the performers, because we know, if we were the ones performing right then, we would want the audience's support too!

Bye bye sweet people!!

Chiang Kai Shek Museum & Sun Yat Sen Museum 

We got to witness the 🎉guard change!🎉 I think they change every hour or so, the change lasting 20 minutes. At Chiang Kai Shek museum, we we brought to a big hall where there was a humongous statue of Chiang Kai Shek. It was a really grand place, and we walked right in to the guard change. There were many tourists around, and being short like I am, 🙋I had to squeeze past the crowds and managed to get a great view! Most of us ((our class)) were all very tired, so they didn't bother to squeeze in front. Anyway, that was my first time seeing the guard change, and it was a great experience! ((Other than the fact that it got old once we saw it too many times and my legs that hurt from all the walking and standing)) Once the guard change was over, we got a personal guide around the museum. ((She was a little bit soft and made me tired 😞)) We went over Chiang Kai Shek's history and significance, so we got to know him better! Good for extra knowledge for history!

For Sun Yat Sen's museum, it was comparably smaller than Chiang Kai Shek's museum. Again, we got to the main hall, with a astounding statue of Sun Yat Sen. This time we had to wait for the guard change, but luckily there were chairs there for us to sit and rest out swollen legs. 😌 The were given a tour for Dr. Sun Yat Sen. Personally, I liked the tour in Sun Yat Sen's museum better, maybe because of the tour guide. Sun Yat Sen had a strong aspiration, and it was remarkable of him to be able to bring Kuomintang to great lengths. 👍👌

After the tour, we went out of the museum and some groups did their secret missions. 😉 the view there was perfect, because directly opposite the museum we could see Taipei 101 and there was a beautiful water fountain. 💕

(( I shall find the picture soon))

Awesome Moments

Ximending

Not forgetting the Ximending which we got to shop and shop! We ((the girls, being girls)) was ecstatic to start shopping! We were there for about 2 hours, and shopped until we dropped! I was ready to buy things after so much time spent in the museums!!! 🎉☺️😍😘⭐️

Conclusion:

MY HAT!

We met up again, exhausted. Surprisingly, the guys bought much more random stuff then us. I remember our "2H Men" whom almost everyone got a soft toy of their own! So, with big bags and small bags everywhere, we went back to the hotel to rest!

Ps: Ms Tan GL got like nine pairs of shoes, which were unexpectedly really cheap and nice! Mrs Tan LY got a very cute pink bag with cute designs. Funny we got to see how our two teachers are such shopaholics! 😂

👧👛👦👛👧👛👦👛👧👛👦👛👧👛👦👛👧👛👦👛👧👛👦👛👧👛👦👛👧👛👦👛👧👛👦

Slept and slept like a pig *jk partied till 12 and passed out*🍻

可爱的第四天

Today we got up nice and late, so feeling much more energized than usual, we headed towards 建中! Today we got to participate in their classes with them, and with brand new buddy! One by one, we got to meet our buddies, and got separated into three different classes. I must say, their lessons are ((a heck load)) different from ours.

We had Chinese literature, which was a wee bit boring for me, because I couldn't understand that level of Chinese. 😅😅 but my buddy had been really nice and tried to explain as simply as possible the meaning behind the passage, and at least at that moment I kind of understood what was happening! ((But I forgot it afterwards anyway))

Then, we went had some weird life lessons (kinda like CCE) with a female teacher eerily similar to my Chinese teacher (not gonna reveal who :P) then a song by the students in Taipei were proudly flashed on the visualizer, and it was pretty great indeed! (Titled 风筝 or something)

Lunch!! We were promised chicken cutlet rice and bubble tea, but it was better than exepected! Yimeng tried to eat the chicken with a straw and one chopstick and he did it! 😂😂😂(takes skill you know) the bubble tea was not too sweet, so I managed to gulp down the entire big cup! Satisfied, I went for the next class.

Taking Japanese was easier than I thought. Although we didn't have to learn the Kanjis and wouldn't be tested, I read along with my buddy all the Japanese words for the upcoming test. The teacher was almost being bullied (friendly) by the students because she was a mild teacher, so it was fun listening to the students bargaining for the test scopes! 

Last but not least, we had music lessons. There was only one teacher involved in teaching music, so I presume she must be very experienced indeed! I rejoined some of my friends who were in the previous classes, those whom which I chose to take music when given the choice of either English or Music. (Of course I would choose music!!) During the lesson, we were introduced briefly to African drums, and had a great hands on session to get a feel of the authentic African drums, from the weight and learning how to beat the drums properly. 

Because of our visit, the English test that the class had was postponed 😁 lucky them!

After that we went to the shrine (can't remember the name) and witness three guard changes there.) 😒it was rather sian since we saw it twice already!

Eslite book store!

- Being the nerd - It was literally like heaven. ((I'm not even kidding I spent like 500 NTD there for books)) especially because I was influenced by my parents, I loved Chinese books, and blessed with the skill to read traditional Chinese, It was almost dizzying to stay there for too long. I floated from one bookshelf to another, absorbing all the great storybooks there. ((Seriously, I have to go there again, I almost rioted when the tour guide signaled that it was time to go home ;-; )) but because I was too excited, I ended up losing my wallet there 😅 so it was a frantic search of the missing wallet with all my classmates, including reporting the loss of it. LUCKILY, after a while, someone found my wallet and pased it back to me! I was so relived, because I had around 1500 NTD leftover in my wallet. Blame the careless me for being too caught up in the books >~<

books that I thought for so long before seducing me to buy them :<

Without knowing, another day has ended, and I was so obsessed that I ended up sleeping with my books 😅

第四天，有些的后悔。

The day started great, spurred on by the wonderful scenery during the bus ride, we started belt out Taylor's songs and other latest hit songs. Even the guys joined in as we sang ((screamed)) the lyrics of the all-time favorites. It was a fantastic atmosphere indeed. Before long, the 1 1/2 hour ride was over and we were deposited at Wulai's street, where we had to walk a distance uphill before reaching the urban elementary school. Of course the walk was worth it, because we were greeted warmly by the Wulai students! Most of them were girls, but we didn't mind one bit because they were all so pretty!! 😍😍 apparently, the boys had went to a tug-of-war competition, so the majority of the older students were girls. After being settled down by an enthusiastic teacher, ((he reminded me of a over-zealous tv host)), we were introduced to our buddies, whom we shared with a table of four. It was rather awkward at first, because they spoke softly and smiled gracefully like a proper refined lady, and it contrasted deeply with my (over)enthusiasm to make friends with them, and I think I scared them... 😅

But once we had broken down the barrier, we started engaging with convasations, mainly about their tribes and lifestyles. We even took a selfie ! 😎😎😎

 

((Shy shy with all da chiobus 😎))

Lunch!! The meal that we all had been looking forward to, 牛肉面！we were already fidgeting in our seats when we saw the large pots of meat, noodles and soup being placed on the tables at the back of the classroom. The aroma from the specially-concocted soup was really no joke! ((😚< face of excitement hunger)) finally, we got to serve ourselves with the food, bananas and cookies placed generously on the side of the main dish. I was sooooooooo hungry that I dug in immediately after I got the food, and I wondered why no one else was eating. Turns out, the enthusiastic teacher told us to wait for everyone to serve themselves first before tucking in at the same time. Imagine the horror of embarrassment when I was the only one slurping happily away at my noodles! (0/////////0) but it was too late and I already finished off my food, so I did what was necessary: I queued again to get a second helping! :D there was more than enough, so I helped myself to another bowl of tasty noodles. ((No picture because I was too hungry and didn't care about a nice Instagram picture 😎))

After we finally finished our food, we had to go to the back kitchen to wash our dishes with the other elementary students. I reckon we were the tallest and oldest among them, as little kids scurried around win their washed bowls! 

After that was physical education ((they stuffed us full and expected us to play basketball? WHAT WITCHCRAFT IS THIS)) being the competitive students we are, we didn't want to lose face to them by losing, but you know what, we lost pathetically. 😅 I was the first one to try the lineup and shoot, but I failed time and time again while the other group of Wulai students effortlessly completed the tasks. I felt ashamed because there were some tiny kids (like 9-10 years old?) and they did it better than me! Sportsmanship was a must to display, so we congratulated the students after the match. It was raining pretty heavily and I indulged in the freedom to run in the rain, because of the spare clothes and the yolo spirit! 😎 but being the tofu students some of us were, we got sick in the end 😅

Bidding farewell with our welcoming hosts, we headed for the Wulai streets again, venturing further this time to find many businesses! After persuading the tour guide and our teachers that we should be allowed to go off to venture into the streets ourselves, we went into the shops. There were a lot if mochi, tidbits and sake there! I was confused by the striking bottles of liquid that wrote fruit names like 'Cherry' and 'Strawberry', so I wanted to buy one back to the hotel to drink. But as I raised it up to the shopowner,  he laughed and told me “那些是酒来的！”  I immediately put them back, feeling flustered. How was I to know that those pink bottles that had hardly any labels contained alcohol? They even disguised it as 'cherry'! >:( luckily I didn't buy them, if not I would've gotten into serious troubles with the teacher. 

((didn't transfer the pictures from my camera yet ))

The highlights of the night:

Rather night market! Any exhaustion magically went away, and we strolled down the busy streets of Raohe. There isn't much to write about, but we had a superb time eating and shopping there, meeting our friends on the way occasionally stuffing their faces. As we walked and ate, I had to remember to not wander off by myself, because I did that once and nearly had a panic attack when I found the rest of them gone! Very soon we reached the end of the night market, so we had time to walk through the street twice and slowly savor the flashing lights and the busy streets of Raohe. Squeezing with thousands of sweaty people wasn't the best idea to end the day, so we escaped the hustle and bustle of the middle of Raohe and chilled inside a 7-11, which was our meeting place. We rested our feels at the tables while cracking jokes with each other was a great getaway from the busy streets. Not too sure how to get the ice-cream I wanted, I operated the machine on my own and brought it to the counter to pay for it, before receiving the shock faces: "你自己去压了呀？” I stared guiltily at the cashier, because I didn't know that I wasn't supposed to do that. Laughing it away, she topped up my clumsily topped ice-cream cone and we spent the rest of our time laughing at my honest mistake. 

I was in the mood to end the day slowly and get some sleep, but then I did something stupid, and had a "talk" with both Mrs Tan. Not sure if I can say it, but apparently xxx bought a bottle of sake from Wulai, and I drank it along with two other classmates. We were caught during one of our room checks, and talked until pass midnight with the teachers. They decide not the blow up the whole incident, but we had to inform our parents and live with a different gaze from our teacher. I wholeheartedly regreted it and the moment of folly that had spurred me to try it. 

最后一天的感想，第五天。

Basically today we went to Confucious Temple, Jinguashi and Jiufen. But I don't want to talk about all that.

It was a mad scramble to enjoy the last day here, and we wanted to thank Minghan for taking care of the regrettably sick people ⬇️

((Terrorists in making))

At Jiufen, we passes by Sofisca and compromised to share costs of a chocolate medic kit for Minghan. He has been a great person for me to turn to  when Xinyi was not feeling well, and when I needed a plaster. Every once in a while we would hear someone shouting "Minghan!!" And he would rush there to 'treat' the person. It was a miracle that he didn't contract a disease himself, accompanying each and everyone to the doctors for two nights. We bounded a lot through going in and out of his room to sneak some snacks or instant noodles when we were hungry, and he would check the wellbeing of everyone. Special thanks to Minghan for being the trusty doctor that provided relief for the sick!

Another two person that we had been interacting a lot with is the tour guide and bus driver. Although we did not know them before the trip and met them for a short span of a week, but they had been the best people, loading our heavy luggages and following us back until the hotel. We had someone to lead us for the trip and got to know better about Taipei. Special thanks for the considerate tour guide who would care about all of us and the bus driver who didn't mind waiting for us when we were late!

Jianguo and Wulai:

The students are so welcoming, and I appreciate the effort you all went through to welcome us, and forgive us for our mistakes. Special Thanks to my buddies who gave us soveiners and taking time off their busy scedule to entertain us! We hope to meet you again! 🌈

My heartfelt thanks go to Xinyi, my roommate. We've been through every night together, from the creepy room to the safe room. Funny how the housekeeper placed one bedsheet over both our combined beds and we were stuck together for the week 😂 sorry if I hadn't been extra careful of your health and kicking you at night, also for making a mess in the rooms and getting you in trouble with the drinking thing. I was very lucky to have you as my roommate, and don't you forget how we organized parties and had late night talks in the darkness. I love you ❤️((and your panda))

2H ❤️ we're a mix of different people, but we could see each and everyone of us sticking through the weariness and bonding even more. Every night was a ever-changing bonding time when we prank all of you, and sharing food during the hungry times. We are the best class in 2014! 💕☕️💘☀️

Special Thanks to the teachers who stuck with us through thick and thin, and the many nights we made you all regret the choice that you chose us for OELP. It's been wonderful and we feel safer with the protection of the teachers, and all of you were decent with the rules and let us have our parties even though you knew about them. Thank you Mrs Tan GL, for the wonderful shoe collection, Thank you Mrs Lim Lay Yen, for having informal conversations with us, Thank you Mr Chng for amusing us increasingly with your laughter! 

And thanks to my family who were super concerned and understanding of my mistakes during the trip!  Sorry I haven't updated you all as oftenly as you would have wished.❤️

飞机飞机飞机飞机飞机飞机飞机飞机飞机飞机飞机飞机飞机飞机飞机飞机飞机飞机飞机飞机飞机飞机

I felt sad that we had to leave so early, because other classes had more days, but we definitely had a one-of-a-kind OELP, because we formed stronger bonds with our class. I loved our class because we got to know each other better through the days and nights we've spent and put up with each other. 

Taiwan has so many places to be missed, and a week hasn't been enough for us. Piece of my heart is still being left in Taipei, my hotel, the restaurants, the schools, the museums.

I LOVE OELP'14!! 🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊