Blog Post #5

The past few days in Tainan have been packed with both work and exploring the city. On Friday, my classmates and I were focused on our project, preparing to present our early concept ideas in class. After that, we did some brainstorming exercises, which involved us each coming up with several more ideas and then sharing them with our team for additional feedback and reflection.

Once class was over, I decided to unwind by myself at a nearby café. I grabbed some coffee and food and spent some time catching up on work. I really value these quiet moments to recharge since most days we all spend together going from one activity to another. After a while, I felt ready to meet up with my friends, so I headed back to get ready, and we went out to explore more of Tainan that evening. The city’s nightlife is slower than I expected and usually requires a reservation, but we eventually found a busy outdoor Korean BBQ spot. The atmosphere was lively, and we had a great time just relaxing and enjoying the food.

Saturday morning came, and we had to be up early for a boat tour to a wetland national park. The weather wasn’t on our side as it was pouring rain, but the tour was still fascinating. Even better, they gave us all ponchos, which made it feel like an adventure and fun photo opportunity. We learned about the local clam fishing industry and the wetlands. Despite getting rained on, being out on the water, hearing the rain hit the boat’s roof, and learning about the area’s history was really peaceful.

For lunch, we found a popular street food stall and had beef noodle soup, which was perfect after a rainy morning. After that, we visited Anping Tree House, one of the coolest spots we’ve seen so far. It’s an old building that giant trees have grown through, creating an amazing blend of nature and architecture. Walking through it felt like stepping into a different world, and it was fascinating to see how the trees took over the space. After a full morning of walking and exploring, we were all exhausted and headed back to the hotel to rest.

On Monday, we had another busy day exploring Taiwanese culture and crafts. We visited an embroidery shop that makes intricate temple banners. Each banner takes months to complete, and it was incredible to see the level of detail involved. The glittery threads they use were beautiful, and they let us try our hand at stitching. It was much harder than it looked, and I gained a lot of appreciation for the craftsmanship involved. I spent a few minutes attempting just a couple stitches since it was pretty tricky to find the right spot to push the needle through from beneath the fabric. 

Later, we visited an incense shop and grabbed some bubble tea from a nearby café. For lunch, I had Japanese curry with friends, and it was delicious. After lunch, we spent the rest of the day shopping, walking around, and exploring the city until our legs were tired. Before heading back, we caught the sunset from the roof of a shop where we all found great souvenirs to take home. We finished the day with dinner at a mall and condensed milk over shaved ice near our hotel, a great way to end a few busy days in Tainan. 

Overall, these past few days have been a mix of hard work,exploration, and some much-needed downtime. I’m really enjoying the slower pace of Tainan, and each day offers something new to experience and appreciate!