Honestly, I haven't left my house in three whole days after returning from Taipei. Maybe I'm going through Taiwan withdrawals, unable to believe that my trip has already ended. I'm no longer surrounded by little street food carts, night markets, sketchy salesmen selling out of suitcases, or my fellow group members!! I'm finally back home, in middle of nowhere, Fresno, California!! But being home has gave me some time to reflect on my trip! So I've decided to dedicate this last post to my feelings from this trip. I know... "talking about feelings" sounds so cliche! But I believe this is necessary because this trip has really changed my life for the better and I would like to share this experience, to inspire others to go on this trip too!
Not only has this trip helped me reconnect with my own Taiwanese identity, it allowed me to explore parts of Taiwan culture and life that I never experienced. For example, I grew up listening to my parents talk about the NHI (which started after they had left Taiwan), Taiwan culture, and even Taiwan education (my dad went to college in Taipei, while my mom left for the states during high school!). During this trip, I had the opportunity to learn about all three!!! Now, I feel like I have so much to contribute during conversations with my parents regarding Taiwan! Now, I can say, "Yes, Dad, I have sat in a Taiwanese lecture hall!" From this trip, I got to witness the differences between Taiwan education and American education- something that is definitely worth noting!
In addition, this trip has taught me more about the NHI. Especially during this crucial time when America is prepping its first steps into nationalized health care, I believe that it is extremely important to see all sides of national health care, from patients to physicians to administrators! On this trip, I got to see all three sides! And boy! Now I know that there is no perfect system. In America, I always heard of the benefits of Taiwan's NHI, but I never heard of the failures!! Now, I know all sides, allowing me to think more critically of national health care!
Lastly, this trip has allowed me to grow as a person. Being the youngest member of the group in terms of age, grade, and status in the GM program, I learned so much from my fellow peers. Because they were much more experienced in terms of both life and academically, I feel like I learned to be more mature around them and to think with a more adult mindset about life. From this trip, I made friendships with amazing people that I never would have thought that I could be friends with! To be honest, initially I thought I had to pretend to be older in order to be accepted by them... But in the end, I realized that these people were truly wonderful people who told me that at this point, age shouldn't matter! Instead, they taught me that it was important to be true to myself and just be a good person so that people will accept me for who I am!
I am so fortunate to have been able to go on this trip. The people I have met, the experiences that I had, the feelings that I possessed- all of this will keep with me forever!
Thank you USC and TMU for giving this experience to me! I am more than blessed to have been able to have my life touched by everything and everyone that has helped make this trip so wonderful!
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Day 13! Last Day in Taipei! Farewell TMU!
Ahh! Today was our last official day in Taiwan! Oh how the time has passed!
I remember just arriving to Taipei not too long ago, struggling to read the Chinese street signs, learning to take the MRT, and trying to communicate with taxi drivers so they don't drop us off in the middle of nowhere. But now, our last day has come! We were finally veterans now when it comes to navigating from Howard Hotel to TMU!
We were treated to a farewell party by TMU, during which each of us presented feelings from the trip. Personally, this trip has touched me in a way that I could have never imagined! Because this was my first GM class, I not only got to experience the wonders of Taiwan, learn about the success and blunders of Taiwan's health care system, and enjoy the amazing Taiwan culture, but I also got to feel the love of the GM family and bond with many of my fellow students. This experience also reminded me why I chose global medicine in the first place. Hearing from doctors, patients, and administrators in a different country has opened my perspective of the world. I believe that this course truly embodied the global medicine program and has been such a memorable personal, academic, and cultural experience for me!
After all the warm speeches and the sad goodbyes, we were ready to begin our presentations!!! I haven't blogged about our presentations before... but basically, we designated our own groups and chose our own topics to present in front of the class. My group consisted of Barsegh and James and we were presenting on Chinese medicine and its affect on health, specifically depression. I focused mostly on the spiritual side of Chinese medicine, such as feng shui. Barsegh focused on the mental side of Chinese medicine, such as meditation and James focused on the more biomedical side of Chinese medicine, such as herbal medicine. Together, we evaluated how each of the different types of Chinese medicine was viewed by both Eastern and Western society and how each were believed to have positive health effects.
In addition to presenting, we also listened to other groups' presentations and evaluated them based off of which grade we believed that they deserved. I, personally, thought that everyone did a great job considering the small amount of time we had to actually meet and research! All of the topics were very interesting and all of them tied into the different lectures, meetings, and experiences that we had during this trip.
After the presentations, most students ventured out to buy gifts for families. I, however, met up with my grandmother and uncle to say goodbye to them! I rarely see my family in Taiwan, so this trip gave me a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with my family!!!
After visiting them, I returned to the hotel for a goodbye party hosted by our hotel's manager, C.K. Leong! What a character! We got to chat with C.K. and with his hospitality employees and learn a little more about their lives. This was such a relaxing and enjoyable social experience that I'm glad we got to experience. Afterwards, most of the group decided to hit up some Taiwan night life for the very last time! Let's just end it here by saying that it was a very good night, indeed!
Day 12! From Taroko to Taipei!
The day has come!!!! It was finally time to visit Taroko, one of the eight national parks in Taiwan!! I've grown up hearing from my parents how beautiful the Taroko Gorge was, but never had the chance to experience its beauty due to poor timing and unfortunate typhoons! But the time has now come and I was more than excited to visit this beautiful park!
We packed all our things, checked out of our hotel, and hopped on the bus to Taroko! Like most of the bus rides so far, I passed out on the bus, missing the scenic drive up to Taroko. But I didn't miss too much because once we got there, I got to take in all the beauty from the top of the mountain area!
We decided to take the Shakadang Trail, one of the easier and more leveled trails that followed the path of the water!
The entire hike was mesmerizing! The water was so crystal blue, almost like the water you would imagine in paradise. The trees and the greenery was so lush, almost as if I was in some kind of forest or tropical region. I couldn't believe that I was still in Taiwan, only a few hours from Taipei- a mega city with tall buildings, lots of cars, and crowds of people! The entire hike was so beautiful that I was silent for most of it- absorbing in the nature and breathing in the fresh air!
After our long hike, we stopped at a rest stop and ate some traditional Taiwanese food from a small restaurant. We were all too tired to continue on another trail so we boarded the bus and went home!!
However, the day was not over yet!! We still had our banquet hosted by TMU! After we showered and got dressed up, we walked over to Hung Kan Restaurant, located across the street from Howard Hotel. We were treated to a huge banquet consisting of many dishes!! My personal favorite dish was the chicken broth!! Unlike American soups, this one consisted of a whole chicken, accompanied by some goji berries and some other herbs. Yum!!
We packed all our things, checked out of our hotel, and hopped on the bus to Taroko! Like most of the bus rides so far, I passed out on the bus, missing the scenic drive up to Taroko. But I didn't miss too much because once we got there, I got to take in all the beauty from the top of the mountain area!
However, the day was not over yet!! We still had our banquet hosted by TMU! After we showered and got dressed up, we walked over to Hung Kan Restaurant, located across the street from Howard Hotel. We were treated to a huge banquet consisting of many dishes!! My personal favorite dish was the chicken broth!! Unlike American soups, this one consisted of a whole chicken, accompanied by some goji berries and some other herbs. Yum!!
Our whole group!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Day 11! Hualien!!!!
Ahh! Waking up to Hualien's fresh air!! What a nice change of scenery from Taipei!!!
In addition, I stayed at the C'est Jeune Hotel in Hualien (No.122 Jungfu Road, Hualien City Hualien, 970, Taiwan), a really cute and modern hotel/inn located in a quiet neighborhood! This was definitely much different from Howard Hotel (a luxurious hotel with both retail and restaurants) in Taipei!!
I knew from the start that today was going to be a good day! To start off the day, we had some Taiwanese breakfast provided by the hotel! I got the porridge, while Rama got the fruit salad. Yummy!! We then boarded the bus and went to an Aborigine Hospital in Hualien (花蓮縣豐濱鄉豐濱村光豐路41 號). The hospital was very different from both the hospitals in Taipei and the hospitals in the U.S. Even though I had previously visited Taiwan, I've never been to Hualien, nor experienced the Aborigine culture there! It was amazing to see the signs written in Aborigines and seeing Aborigine patients! At the hospital, we met the sole doctor of the day!!! It was amazing to learn that there was only one main doctor in the entire hospital, catering to almost every department! This poor guy was probably worked to the extreme!
After viewing the hospital, we went to a rural clinic that was an offshoot of the main hospital! There we really got to see how rural medicine was done! Again, there was only one doctor and one administrative person. The clinic was a small shack with the most minimal resources provided. However, there was a pink trailer parked outside that had all the basic medications, acting as a mini-pharmacy for the clinic! This was very interesting to view because of the huge contrast between health care in rural Taiwan and health care in Taipei!!
Of all the things I have seen so far in Taipei, by far, the most memorable of all, was the Tzu Chi hospital! The hospital was so grandiose, having traditional style architecture, located in a field of green, and placed in front of a beautiful and eerie landscape of mountains. The hospital looked heavenly as the clouds dipped over the mountain tops, slightly covering the buildings, but leaving a feeling of calmness and gratitude in the air! Looking around, I even saw some stray dogs that seemed so calm and peaceful, roaming the Tzu Chi grounds without intimidating anyone! This entire environment was amazingly peaceful and serene!!
We ate lunch around the Tzu Chi hospital before we had our tour of the hospital and the university! While most people went to eat dumplings, Patty and I ventured out and tried a small Taiwanese seafood noodle soup shack! The shack was run by one grandmother, while the rest of the family was inside eating lunch. The minute we placed our order and went inside the home to eat, the kids all hurried out to help grandma cook for us! They were all so kind and helpful- very different from the rushed sales people in Taipei!
After lunch, we went inside the Tzu Chi hospital and toured the inside! The hospital was very lovely on the inside, with a pianist playing live, just like the TMU hospital. In addition, there were lots of artwork painted by patients and families of patients that were on display to bring the viewers comfort and hope! What I liked best about the hospital was that everyone there was so efficient and kind! All the volunteers seemed so grateful and joyful to be there, rather than many of the volunteers in U.S. hospitals who only go for service hours!! In addition, the hospital recycles old devices into things with useful functions! For example, old x-ray light boxes are now used to display artwork and words of wisdom around the hospital!! Another thing that I loved about the hospital was the free Taiwanese style rooms that they provided for the family members of the ill. It was amazing to see that families of patients could stay in the hospital for no charge!! This sort of thing would never be found in America!!
After viewing the hospital, we moved on to the university. Visiting the university has changed my life in so many ways!! I feel so touched and inspired to further pursue medicine after learning about the medicine program at Tzu Chi (if only the U.S had a Tzu Chi medical school too!!). What struck me most about the Tzu Chi medical school was their 'Silent Mentors Program.' This program was truly phenomenal. While most medical schools used unnamed cadavers for their anatomy labs, Tzu Chi's school used donated bodies of Tzu Chi members. These bodies were called 'Silent Mentors' because each group of students was assigned to each body to learn about the human body. Before the students studied these bodies, the students had to go to the families of the 'mentors' in order to learn more about them. By doing so, this allows the students to have compassion when dissecting the mentors' bodies. I really loved this concept because rather than letting students view the cadavers as just another 'meat on the chopping block,' they would learn to value life and respect the body before them. I was brought to tears when I saw the video of the students paying their respects to their 'mentors.' To me, I really respect the dead and hope to learn more from them one day as a pathologist. This experience reassured my desire to become a pathologist!!!! I was so grateful to see that there were people out there who still respected the human body and soul!
After learning about this program, we got to see other aspects of the medical school, such as the flower arranging room and the tea pouring room. It was interesting to learn that those classes were offered to medical students. In the past, I've always thought of these practices to be traditional- something the old practiced. However, I thought it was intriguing to know that many students sign up for this class!! Personally, I think these classes are great because they bring in artistry and appreciation of nature- something I believe that everyone should have!!!
When we arrived back to Hualien, most people were exhausted and wanted to work on group presentations. However, Adam, Andrew, Rama, and I left to go explore the Hualien night markets!!!! The night market was much smaller than Taipei's night market and had almost no clothing being sold!! Instead, there were lots of games and lots of FOOD!! We bought some fireworks that we lit up near the beach. We almost had ourselves killed before some locals came over and told us that we were lighting the fireworks totally wrong! Woops... I guess the incense that the shop owner gave us wasn't meant to use to pray for our safety! Instead, the incense is supposed to light the firecrackers rather than the lighter itself!! I guess the locals were right when they remarked later, "Silly Americans!!"
In addition, I stayed at the C'est Jeune Hotel in Hualien (No.122 Jungfu Road, Hualien City Hualien, 970, Taiwan), a really cute and modern hotel/inn located in a quiet neighborhood! This was definitely much different from Howard Hotel (a luxurious hotel with both retail and restaurants) in Taipei!!
I knew from the start that today was going to be a good day! To start off the day, we had some Taiwanese breakfast provided by the hotel! I got the porridge, while Rama got the fruit salad. Yummy!! We then boarded the bus and went to an Aborigine Hospital in Hualien (花蓮縣豐濱鄉豐濱村光豐路41 號). The hospital was very different from both the hospitals in Taipei and the hospitals in the U.S. Even though I had previously visited Taiwan, I've never been to Hualien, nor experienced the Aborigine culture there! It was amazing to see the signs written in Aborigines and seeing Aborigine patients! At the hospital, we met the sole doctor of the day!!! It was amazing to learn that there was only one main doctor in the entire hospital, catering to almost every department! This poor guy was probably worked to the extreme!
After viewing the hospital, we went to a rural clinic that was an offshoot of the main hospital! There we really got to see how rural medicine was done! Again, there was only one doctor and one administrative person. The clinic was a small shack with the most minimal resources provided. However, there was a pink trailer parked outside that had all the basic medications, acting as a mini-pharmacy for the clinic! This was very interesting to view because of the huge contrast between health care in rural Taiwan and health care in Taipei!!
Of all the things I have seen so far in Taipei, by far, the most memorable of all, was the Tzu Chi hospital! The hospital was so grandiose, having traditional style architecture, located in a field of green, and placed in front of a beautiful and eerie landscape of mountains. The hospital looked heavenly as the clouds dipped over the mountain tops, slightly covering the buildings, but leaving a feeling of calmness and gratitude in the air! Looking around, I even saw some stray dogs that seemed so calm and peaceful, roaming the Tzu Chi grounds without intimidating anyone! This entire environment was amazingly peaceful and serene!!
We ate lunch around the Tzu Chi hospital before we had our tour of the hospital and the university! While most people went to eat dumplings, Patty and I ventured out and tried a small Taiwanese seafood noodle soup shack! The shack was run by one grandmother, while the rest of the family was inside eating lunch. The minute we placed our order and went inside the home to eat, the kids all hurried out to help grandma cook for us! They were all so kind and helpful- very different from the rushed sales people in Taipei!
After lunch, we went inside the Tzu Chi hospital and toured the inside! The hospital was very lovely on the inside, with a pianist playing live, just like the TMU hospital. In addition, there were lots of artwork painted by patients and families of patients that were on display to bring the viewers comfort and hope! What I liked best about the hospital was that everyone there was so efficient and kind! All the volunteers seemed so grateful and joyful to be there, rather than many of the volunteers in U.S. hospitals who only go for service hours!! In addition, the hospital recycles old devices into things with useful functions! For example, old x-ray light boxes are now used to display artwork and words of wisdom around the hospital!! Another thing that I loved about the hospital was the free Taiwanese style rooms that they provided for the family members of the ill. It was amazing to see that families of patients could stay in the hospital for no charge!! This sort of thing would never be found in America!!
After viewing the hospital, we moved on to the university. Visiting the university has changed my life in so many ways!! I feel so touched and inspired to further pursue medicine after learning about the medicine program at Tzu Chi (if only the U.S had a Tzu Chi medical school too!!). What struck me most about the Tzu Chi medical school was their 'Silent Mentors Program.' This program was truly phenomenal. While most medical schools used unnamed cadavers for their anatomy labs, Tzu Chi's school used donated bodies of Tzu Chi members. These bodies were called 'Silent Mentors' because each group of students was assigned to each body to learn about the human body. Before the students studied these bodies, the students had to go to the families of the 'mentors' in order to learn more about them. By doing so, this allows the students to have compassion when dissecting the mentors' bodies. I really loved this concept because rather than letting students view the cadavers as just another 'meat on the chopping block,' they would learn to value life and respect the body before them. I was brought to tears when I saw the video of the students paying their respects to their 'mentors.' To me, I really respect the dead and hope to learn more from them one day as a pathologist. This experience reassured my desire to become a pathologist!!!! I was so grateful to see that there were people out there who still respected the human body and soul!
After learning about this program, we got to see other aspects of the medical school, such as the flower arranging room and the tea pouring room. It was interesting to learn that those classes were offered to medical students. In the past, I've always thought of these practices to be traditional- something the old practiced. However, I thought it was intriguing to know that many students sign up for this class!! Personally, I think these classes are great because they bring in artistry and appreciation of nature- something I believe that everyone should have!!!
When we arrived back to Hualien, most people were exhausted and wanted to work on group presentations. However, Adam, Andrew, Rama, and I left to go explore the Hualien night markets!!!! The night market was much smaller than Taipei's night market and had almost no clothing being sold!! Instead, there were lots of games and lots of FOOD!! We bought some fireworks that we lit up near the beach. We almost had ourselves killed before some locals came over and told us that we were lighting the fireworks totally wrong! Woops... I guess the incense that the shop owner gave us wasn't meant to use to pray for our safety! Instead, the incense is supposed to light the firecrackers rather than the lighter itself!! I guess the locals were right when they remarked later, "Silly Americans!!"
Day 10!! On our way to Hualien!!!
Tuesday, July, 17th!
We woke up super early, packed our bags, and checked out of our rooms. We were all ready to go to Hualien, located in central Taiwan and considered to be one of the most beautiful- and touristy- parts of Taiwan!!! As we boarded the bus, we were all very excited to leave Taipei and experience a whole different side of Taiwan. Before we headed to Hualien, we stopped in LoTung to observe an ophthalmology clinic and blind school started by the Albert Schweitzer of Taiwan, Dr. Chen Wu Fu.
The clinic's history was so interesting and inspiring!!!! Dr. Chen Wu Fu started this ophthalmology clinic early after World War II, when Japan finally left Taiwan. He treated not only eye problems, but also general health problems for the people in Lotung for free of charge! To this day, Dr. Chen's son-in-law, Dr. Lin, continues on with this legacy! We got to meet Dr. Lin, a very amiable man who spoke very good English! We found out that he received his education at great institutions in the U.S and had even lived in the states for many years!! It was finally great to communicate with someone who has very good English and doesn't need a translator!!
After the clinic, we drove to see the blind rehab school, located further up a mountain. There, we got a tour of the school and viewed the gallery dedicated to Dr. Chen. We saw many gifts that Albert Schweitzer, himself, had given Dr. Chen!!!! The artifacts were truly amazing to look at!!! We also saw many of Dr. Chen's inventions!
During the tour, we saw how the bind rehab school used certain colors and textures to help its students get around the school! I was amazed to see how every little texture matters to these students! What struck me the most, though, was the slide that they had in case of emergencies! Rather than using emergency stairs, the school had an emergency slide! How fun!!
After touring the school, we sat down and ate a traditional Taiwanese boxed lunch consisting of Taiwanese sausage, cabbage, side dishes, and rice! The food was very tasty and seemed pretty nutritious! I enjoyed lunch time the most because we got to finally sit down and talk to Dr. Lin. We listened to Dr. Lin talk about his experiences as a doctor in Taiwan and his dissatisfaction of Taiwan's healthcare system. It was interesting to finally hear the physician's side in regards to the NHI.
After lunch, we headed off to Hualien! A few more hours later, we were finally there! I was so car sick and tired that I missed a lot of the drive there.... but I heard it was a truly beautiful drive (despite the rain!). We got to Dr. Nezami's hotel, dropped off our luggage, and walked around town. Hualien looked like a much more rural Taipei. There were still many stores, but nothing compared to the number of stores in Taipei. For dinner, we had Japanese style BBQ (similar to Gyu-kaku in Los Angeles!!). The food was good, the company good, and overall, it was a good end to a long day!
However, I was not done for the night!! I thought I would be exhausted, but I still had some energy left to explore. I met up with Adam at my hotel and we rode the hotel's courtesy bikes to a night market far away!! It was fun riding a bike through the breeze, a refreshing feeling that I never would've gotten in Taipei!! At the night market, I had the best stinky tofu of the trip... Boy was it stinky!!!!! After getting the tofu, I was content and ready to bike back home to the hotel. The bike ride sucked almost every last life force I had and the minute I returned to the hotel, I passed out!
We woke up super early, packed our bags, and checked out of our rooms. We were all ready to go to Hualien, located in central Taiwan and considered to be one of the most beautiful- and touristy- parts of Taiwan!!! As we boarded the bus, we were all very excited to leave Taipei and experience a whole different side of Taiwan. Before we headed to Hualien, we stopped in LoTung to observe an ophthalmology clinic and blind school started by the Albert Schweitzer of Taiwan, Dr. Chen Wu Fu.
After the clinic, we drove to see the blind rehab school, located further up a mountain. There, we got a tour of the school and viewed the gallery dedicated to Dr. Chen. We saw many gifts that Albert Schweitzer, himself, had given Dr. Chen!!!! The artifacts were truly amazing to look at!!! We also saw many of Dr. Chen's inventions!
After touring the school, we sat down and ate a traditional Taiwanese boxed lunch consisting of Taiwanese sausage, cabbage, side dishes, and rice! The food was very tasty and seemed pretty nutritious! I enjoyed lunch time the most because we got to finally sit down and talk to Dr. Lin. We listened to Dr. Lin talk about his experiences as a doctor in Taiwan and his dissatisfaction of Taiwan's healthcare system. It was interesting to finally hear the physician's side in regards to the NHI.
After lunch, we headed off to Hualien! A few more hours later, we were finally there! I was so car sick and tired that I missed a lot of the drive there.... but I heard it was a truly beautiful drive (despite the rain!). We got to Dr. Nezami's hotel, dropped off our luggage, and walked around town. Hualien looked like a much more rural Taipei. There were still many stores, but nothing compared to the number of stores in Taipei. For dinner, we had Japanese style BBQ (similar to Gyu-kaku in Los Angeles!!). The food was good, the company good, and overall, it was a good end to a long day!
However, I was not done for the night!! I thought I would be exhausted, but I still had some energy left to explore. I met up with Adam at my hotel and we rode the hotel's courtesy bikes to a night market far away!! It was fun riding a bike through the breeze, a refreshing feeling that I never would've gotten in Taipei!! At the night market, I had the best stinky tofu of the trip... Boy was it stinky!!!!! After getting the tofu, I was content and ready to bike back home to the hotel. The bike ride sucked almost every last life force I had and the minute I returned to the hotel, I passed out!
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Day 9! Back to TMU!
After a weekend of fun, I was ready to start off a brand new work week! Today was a very important day because we were invited to visit the Taiwan Department of Health! This meant that we all needed to look our best, act our best, and be our best! To top it all off, Dr. Nezami was finally here!!!!!
The department of health meeting was very interesting! Personally, I have never been to such an official government building before... not even in the U.S! The meeting was very professional and all of the officials that we met were very good at English! They treated us to a presentation and then continued to discuss the fundamentals of the NHI program and the future direction of Taiwan health care! I definitely learned a lot more of the Taiwan health system through the perspective of the administrators in charge of this system
After the meeting, we went back to TMU for lunch and then lecture! While some people went to eat dumplings, a few of us decided to go to a famous cold noodle place- introduced to us by the Taiwanese girls who had visited USC! The sesame cold noodles were really good- especially the noodles, which were very QQ!!
After lunch, we had a lecture in the College of Public Health and learned about the health within the Xinyi district. We learned that the Xinyi district has its own program for the elderly, something that many U.S cities lack! It was interesting to learn the different health problems that were specific for Xinyi district and how different programs were made to address these problems!
By the time the lecture was over, it was pouring outside as we rushed to the Xinyi District Health Center to learn more!! At the Xinyi Health Center, we got to see the different health services provided, such as the BMI chart, blood pressure monitors, elderly walking classes, etc. What interested me the most were the sample rooms that they had provided to teach families which precautions to take when caring for children and the elderly. The sample rooms had childproof walls and tables, light strips on the floors, and other safety precautions that I believe will help prevent a lot of household injuries that children and the elderly encounter. If only all families had this kind of household protection, then less children and elderly will experience traumatizing falls or even life-threatening injuries in their own home!
After the health center, we returned back home, to Howard Hotel, to pack and prepare for our Hualien excursion!!!! That night, a few of us went to Ximending to get some gifts for our friends and families!! We also went to a restaurant called Modern Toilet, a personal hot pot place that served all its food in toilets!! Ahh! The types of restaurants that can only be found in Taiwan! So exotic... and so fun!!!!! After dinner, we all did some light gift shopping and then returned back to Howard hotel, exhausted and ready for the next day to start!
The department of health meeting was very interesting! Personally, I have never been to such an official government building before... not even in the U.S! The meeting was very professional and all of the officials that we met were very good at English! They treated us to a presentation and then continued to discuss the fundamentals of the NHI program and the future direction of Taiwan health care! I definitely learned a lot more of the Taiwan health system through the perspective of the administrators in charge of this system
After the meeting, we went back to TMU for lunch and then lecture! While some people went to eat dumplings, a few of us decided to go to a famous cold noodle place- introduced to us by the Taiwanese girls who had visited USC! The sesame cold noodles were really good- especially the noodles, which were very QQ!!
After lunch, we had a lecture in the College of Public Health and learned about the health within the Xinyi district. We learned that the Xinyi district has its own program for the elderly, something that many U.S cities lack! It was interesting to learn the different health problems that were specific for Xinyi district and how different programs were made to address these problems!
By the time the lecture was over, it was pouring outside as we rushed to the Xinyi District Health Center to learn more!! At the Xinyi Health Center, we got to see the different health services provided, such as the BMI chart, blood pressure monitors, elderly walking classes, etc. What interested me the most were the sample rooms that they had provided to teach families which precautions to take when caring for children and the elderly. The sample rooms had childproof walls and tables, light strips on the floors, and other safety precautions that I believe will help prevent a lot of household injuries that children and the elderly encounter. If only all families had this kind of household protection, then less children and elderly will experience traumatizing falls or even life-threatening injuries in their own home!
After the health center, we returned back home, to Howard Hotel, to pack and prepare for our Hualien excursion!!!! That night, a few of us went to Ximending to get some gifts for our friends and families!! We also went to a restaurant called Modern Toilet, a personal hot pot place that served all its food in toilets!! Ahh! The types of restaurants that can only be found in Taiwan! So exotic... and so fun!!!!! After dinner, we all did some light gift shopping and then returned back to Howard hotel, exhausted and ready for the next day to start!
Day 8! Sunday, Temple Day!!
Temple day, indeed!! Today we went to visit many temples in the Shilin area!!!
To begin, we went to the Dalongdong Baoan Temple, a Daoist temple in the Datong District. The temple was very large and elaborate, reminding me of the Longsan Temple we had visited earlier!
It was interesting to note the architecture behind this temple!!! Our tour guide told us that the statues in this temple represented different virtues and values that the Daoist believed in. For example, there was a dragon and a tiger statue to represent man and women, respectively. Each dragon in this temple was unique and represented a coagulation of all the animals (scales for fish, claws for bird, nostrils for horse, eyes like shrimp, etc). In addition, looking at the details closely, we were able to see the story of the god healing different creatures! At the temple, we not only saw many visitors, but we also saw people who came to pray. These people brought offerings and lit incense in order to beg the gods for a response.
Located next door to the Baoan Temple was the Confucius Temple, also known as the Confucius School. I was surprised at first to learn that Confucius had his own temple, since he was more a scholar than a god. Then I realized that this temple was more of a school, one where people could come and ask for his scholarly advice and wisdom. Unlike the Baoan Temple, the Confucius Temple was relatively plain. There were no statues or paintings revering Confucius. Rather, the Temple had a lot of free space, greenery, and even a pond! We had to cross through 4 main gates/doors in order to finally access the main Confucius Temple. At the gift shop, I bought a little charm that is supposed to bring the holder good luck and fortune when it comes to examinations!!
After the temple, we went to see the National Palace Museum!! I have been to this museum several times and the artifacts within the museum did not really change over the years. Before we went in, we stopped first at a Tainan style restaurant. There, I ordered a pork foot noodle soup, which was very refreshing and delicious!!!
Inside the museum, we paid 80 NT and then split up to view the museum artifacts in little groups! It was still intriguing to learn more about Chinese history by revisiting these ancient artifacts! I got to revisit the jadeite cabbage and the jasper pork- together, known to many as the Mona Lisa of Taiwan!!! I hit the gift store and bought many gifts for my friends and professors, including a handful of mini cabbages!! The joke behind the mini cabbages is that the cabbage represents fertility, and by presenting someone with a cabbage, you are basically wishing them luck in conceiving!!
Outside the Palace Museum, we witnessed a protest!! A few police members and a handful of protesters were demanding that the Chinese leave Taiwan alone. In other words, these people believed that Taiwan should be its own country- rather than being a satellite country of China. As it started raining, these protesters soon dispersed and we moved on to our final temple!!
I wasn't able to catch the name of the last temple, but it was very beautiful and different than the ones we've seen before. This temple looked more like the Chiang-Kai Shek Memorial Hall in terms of its architecture. We didn't stay very long here- just taking a few pictures and watching the guards change shift! We hurried off to the Shilin Night Market, ready to eat some good food!!!
The Shilin Night Market has changed a lot since the last time I visited! The food court is now underground and a lot smaller than before!! The shops were still the same, but the prices have definitely gone up in the years. I treated myself to some stinky tofu in all shapes, forms, and sizes!!!! First, I got the steamed hot and spicy stinky tofu at a little shop in the corner. This tofu was pretty good... but not so stinky!! :( Then I tried some fried stinky tofu and some shrimp pancake at a very popular place (even President Ma has been there)!! This time, the tofu was moderately stinky.... but not up to par with the tofu I had at Rao He Night Market in the past. Finally, I got some more boiled stinky tofu with duck blood... and found this one to be the worst of the night! No stink whatsoever! What is this!!!!! This was unreal. Disappointed, I left the food court to go shopping and ended up staying there for a couple of hours with Adam, playing various claw machine games and buying very few gifts.
To begin, we went to the Dalongdong Baoan Temple, a Daoist temple in the Datong District. The temple was very large and elaborate, reminding me of the Longsan Temple we had visited earlier!
Located next door to the Baoan Temple was the Confucius Temple, also known as the Confucius School. I was surprised at first to learn that Confucius had his own temple, since he was more a scholar than a god. Then I realized that this temple was more of a school, one where people could come and ask for his scholarly advice and wisdom. Unlike the Baoan Temple, the Confucius Temple was relatively plain. There were no statues or paintings revering Confucius. Rather, the Temple had a lot of free space, greenery, and even a pond! We had to cross through 4 main gates/doors in order to finally access the main Confucius Temple. At the gift shop, I bought a little charm that is supposed to bring the holder good luck and fortune when it comes to examinations!!
After the temple, we went to see the National Palace Museum!! I have been to this museum several times and the artifacts within the museum did not really change over the years. Before we went in, we stopped first at a Tainan style restaurant. There, I ordered a pork foot noodle soup, which was very refreshing and delicious!!!
Inside the museum, we paid 80 NT and then split up to view the museum artifacts in little groups! It was still intriguing to learn more about Chinese history by revisiting these ancient artifacts! I got to revisit the jadeite cabbage and the jasper pork- together, known to many as the Mona Lisa of Taiwan!!! I hit the gift store and bought many gifts for my friends and professors, including a handful of mini cabbages!! The joke behind the mini cabbages is that the cabbage represents fertility, and by presenting someone with a cabbage, you are basically wishing them luck in conceiving!!
Outside the Palace Museum, we witnessed a protest!! A few police members and a handful of protesters were demanding that the Chinese leave Taiwan alone. In other words, these people believed that Taiwan should be its own country- rather than being a satellite country of China. As it started raining, these protesters soon dispersed and we moved on to our final temple!!
I wasn't able to catch the name of the last temple, but it was very beautiful and different than the ones we've seen before. This temple looked more like the Chiang-Kai Shek Memorial Hall in terms of its architecture. We didn't stay very long here- just taking a few pictures and watching the guards change shift! We hurried off to the Shilin Night Market, ready to eat some good food!!!
The Shilin Night Market has changed a lot since the last time I visited! The food court is now underground and a lot smaller than before!! The shops were still the same, but the prices have definitely gone up in the years. I treated myself to some stinky tofu in all shapes, forms, and sizes!!!! First, I got the steamed hot and spicy stinky tofu at a little shop in the corner. This tofu was pretty good... but not so stinky!! :( Then I tried some fried stinky tofu and some shrimp pancake at a very popular place (even President Ma has been there)!! This time, the tofu was moderately stinky.... but not up to par with the tofu I had at Rao He Night Market in the past. Finally, I got some more boiled stinky tofu with duck blood... and found this one to be the worst of the night! No stink whatsoever! What is this!!!!! This was unreal. Disappointed, I left the food court to go shopping and ended up staying there for a couple of hours with Adam, playing various claw machine games and buying very few gifts.
Day 7! Free Day!!!
Saturday, July 14th!!
While most the group members went hiking, I decided to catch up with Cindy, one of the Taiwanese girls who had previously came to USC for the exchange program. We left for breakfast at 8:30am in order to go to this famous Taiwanese style breakfast place near Shandao Temple.
Shandao Temple!! So beautiful!
While most the group members went hiking, I decided to catch up with Cindy, one of the Taiwanese girls who had previously came to USC for the exchange program. We left for breakfast at 8:30am in order to go to this famous Taiwanese style breakfast place near Shandao Temple.
Long Line to get in!! Waited almost 30 minutes!
mmm!!! Best breakfast ever! Dou Jiang, sao bing you tiao, hou bing with egg!!
The breakfast was so much better than Young He Dou Jiang!!!
2樓之28
No. 108號, Section 1, Zhōngxiào East Road, Jhongjheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan 100
02-2392-2175
For lunch, we tried out a Japanese style, udon noodle place near Howard Hotel!! The place was called Dosan Kanroku Sanuki Udon! This noodle place is also very famous because the owner came from Japan and still practices the art of handmade udon noodles!!! The noodles were very QQ (Taiwanese slang for chewy) and the side agedashi tofu that we ordered was very flavorful and silky!!!
土三寒六讚歧烏龍麵 Dosan Kanroku Sanuki Udon
大安区復兴南路一段126巷6号
No. 6, Lane 126, Fuxing South Road Sec 1, Da-an District
Opening hours: Mon - Fri 1130 – 1430; 1700 - 2100 No credit cards. No service charge.
Transportation: 捷運忠孝復興站1号出口，往北
MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing Station Exit 1
大安区復兴南路一段126巷6号
No. 6, Lane 126, Fuxing South Road Sec 1, Da-an District
Opening hours: Mon - Fri 1130 – 1430; 1700 - 2100 No credit cards. No service charge.
Transportation: 捷運忠孝復興站1号出口，往北
MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing Station Exit 1
What I ordered: Cold udon noodles with cod roe, Parmesan cheese, crumbled fish cake (i think), raw egg, and scallions. Sounds unappetizing.. but it was really good!!!
Mix it all up!!
Cindy ordered a shrimp tempura + fish cake hot udon noodle soup!! So good!
When we headed back to the hotel, it was starting to get a bit gloomy outside. It looks like I was about to experience my first rain in Taiwan!!!! (Well at least for this trip!) Braving the weather, a group of us decided to hit the Jade Market to buy some goodies!! While I didn't get anything, it was really interesting to see all the jade items being sold there! It made me wonder how much of the merchandise was "real" jade!!!
After the jade market, we went to karaoke at Party World near Zhongxiao Fuxing!!! Ahh so much fun! It is surprising to find a culture so in love with karaoke! The food was great the karaoke place too! Those chicken wings... drool!! Such a fun way to celebrate the end of a long week with my fellow friends!
Monday, July 23, 2012
Day 6! A lovely day in Tamsui!!
Today was our trip to Tamsui, one of the major ports in Taiwan! This is my third time visiting Tamsui, but it is the only time I have seen Tamsui without a typhoon present! Thus, I finally got to enjoy the beautiful scenery!
At Tamsui, we met up with Lisa, her friend, and some of the Taiwan girls who had previously visited USC!!!! When we first arrived, Patty and I decided to buy some iron eggs to share with the group. Iron eggs are dehydrated eggs that had been marinated in soy sauce. The end result is a small, hard, chewy black egg with a gummy like consistency. Iron eggs have always been one of my favorite snacks so it was fun sharing it with other people!
In Tamsui, we went to La Cuisine (香料廚房) for a very delicious lunch! I ordered the set meal which came with amuse bouche (sparkling fruit wine), corn soup, salad, entree (braised pork knuckle), dessert, and milk tea! The portions were pretty generous and the food was great!
Later on, we walked around Tamsui and ate some super tall ice cream! I had this last time I came to Tamsui, but I didn't expect the ice cream to be as tall as it was!
The ice cream melted very fast and was very mild- more like an ice slush!!
To my dismay, we then boarded a small boat in order to cross to the pier! Personally, I get extremely seasick, especially on small motor boats.... and this one was no exception!! The entire ride was bumpy and miserable, but I guess it was a memorable experience!
At least I was able to force a smile before the boat rapidly took off!!!
I must say though, the pier was very beautiful and may have even been worth the awful boat ride there!!
After some epic picture taking on the pier, we took the bus back to the other side! Before we left, we decided to try the Tamsui specialty food- Ah-gei!!! I've had this dish before and remembered it to be both delicious and filling!!! The ah-gei that we tried this time did not disappoint!! The outer tofu skin was nice and chewy, but not overly rough! The vermicelli inside was pretty flavorful and the fish cake holding the ball of goodness all together was very mild and soft. Overall, this was a pretty good ah-gei! I would have expected no less since the place we went to seemed to be the most popular ah-gei shop around!!
Before we left Tamsui, we turned to see the sunset- the perfect end to a beautiful day!
As we hopped back on the MRT, heading back to Taipei, I took one last look at the setting sunset and felt all the stress and tiredness from the past few days slowly lift off my shoulders! What a nice way to end the work week!
In Tamsui, we went to La Cuisine (香料廚房) for a very delicious lunch! I ordered the set meal which came with amuse bouche (sparkling fruit wine), corn soup, salad, entree (braised pork knuckle), dessert, and milk tea! The portions were pretty generous and the food was great!
Later on, we walked around Tamsui and ate some super tall ice cream! I had this last time I came to Tamsui, but I didn't expect the ice cream to be as tall as it was!
The ice cream melted very fast and was very mild- more like an ice slush!!
To my dismay, we then boarded a small boat in order to cross to the pier! Personally, I get extremely seasick, especially on small motor boats.... and this one was no exception!! The entire ride was bumpy and miserable, but I guess it was a memorable experience!
I must say though, the pier was very beautiful and may have even been worth the awful boat ride there!!
After we went home, I met up with Michelle, one of my friends from USC! While everyone decided to get some Momo paradise for dinner, I wandered around the Zhongxiao Fuxing area and shopped a little bit. I even got to try some of the original Ten Ren tea!! (Though it was quite disappointing...)
We ended our night by trying out some Taiwan nightlife!! Woot woot! Details will not be posted... but it was definitely quite the experience!
Day 5!
Today
we met at 11:30am and went to TMU. On the way, our taxi driver got lost and
drove us by NTU before realizing that he was at the wrong hospital. In the end,
we made it to TMU but our taxi fare was almost 30 NT more than usual! When we
arrived, we ate lunch in the hospital cafeteria, which was buffet style. I got
the 5 grain rice with wintermelon, mapo tofu, Taiwanese A vegetables, and a
chicken drumstick. The food was very tasty and looked pretty healthy as well!
During our break, before class, I went to WuXing Market and bought a UV
umbrella from one of the everyday goods shop for 30 NT. For our class, we
learned about a medical mission to Swaziland from Dr. Shih. He was a very
humorous man who gave us a very interesting presentation on his trip to
Swaziland.
We then went for a tour of TMU! This was definitely a highlight of the day!!! First stop, we got to see the Traditional Medicine section of the hospital. There, we were introduced to Dr. Lin, who performed acupuncture on both Neema and James. It was extremely interesting to learn that Chinese medicine doctors had to learn Western biomedicine before pursuing Eastern, Chinese medicine. It was also interesting to learn about the various herbs that the hospital and pharmacy sold!! Personally, I have always been interested in learning more about Chinese herbal medication and being able to see all the different herbs was both intriguing and exciting!
We then got to see the weight management department of the hospital. It was extremely shocking to learn that overweight and obesity are becoming major problems in Taiwan society. I have always thought that these problems were more exclusive to the U.S and China. However, we learned that many Taiwanese are getting more and more obese, causing hospitals to start weight management departments. The weight management departments offered diet plans, exercise rooms, and also gave the patients opportunities to choose certain operations, such as the lap band!
Moving on, we got to see the VIP wards of the hospital. It was interesting to see that in a country with national health care, there were still some aspects of unequal care. In this case, if you had money, you could pay for more comfort and bigger rooms in the VIP ward. This experience showed me a whole different side of Taiwan health care in a sense that those with money could still pay for better care, while those without money had to settle for equal, lesser care.
Overall, the hospital tour was very enlightening because not only did we get to see different parts of the hospital, we also learned about the different problems Taiwan healthcare and society have to deal with. For example, we learned that doctors are no longer specializing because of the high number of malpractice suits and the comparatively low salaries. Thus, hospitals are struggling to find doctors for their ob/gyn departments. However, Taiwan's fertility rate is extremely low; thus, not too many ob/gyn doctors are needed since not many babies are born!!
After the hospital, a few of us hit up the Hello Kitty Sweets Cafe. Let's just say... I was in heaven! I'll let the pictures do the talking!
Hello Kitty Love!!
We then went for a tour of TMU! This was definitely a highlight of the day!!! First stop, we got to see the Traditional Medicine section of the hospital. There, we were introduced to Dr. Lin, who performed acupuncture on both Neema and James. It was extremely interesting to learn that Chinese medicine doctors had to learn Western biomedicine before pursuing Eastern, Chinese medicine. It was also interesting to learn about the various herbs that the hospital and pharmacy sold!! Personally, I have always been interested in learning more about Chinese herbal medication and being able to see all the different herbs was both intriguing and exciting!
Moving on, we got to see the VIP wards of the hospital. It was interesting to see that in a country with national health care, there were still some aspects of unequal care. In this case, if you had money, you could pay for more comfort and bigger rooms in the VIP ward. This experience showed me a whole different side of Taiwan health care in a sense that those with money could still pay for better care, while those without money had to settle for equal, lesser care.
Overall, the hospital tour was very enlightening because not only did we get to see different parts of the hospital, we also learned about the different problems Taiwan healthcare and society have to deal with. For example, we learned that doctors are no longer specializing because of the high number of malpractice suits and the comparatively low salaries. Thus, hospitals are struggling to find doctors for their ob/gyn departments. However, Taiwan's fertility rate is extremely low; thus, not too many ob/gyn doctors are needed since not many babies are born!!
After the hospital, a few of us hit up the Hello Kitty Sweets Cafe. Let's just say... I was in heaven! I'll let the pictures do the talking!
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