I’ve really gotten used to taking cold showers. It’s so hot here that a cold shower is so refreshing. I just can’t even imagine taking a hot shower here.
Today the Cheng family and I went to Yingge, Taiwan’s number one pottery town. When I was first at the National Palace Museum I was telling some of the students how much I loved the porcelain exhibits. Nelly, one of the students on the trip, recommended I go to Yingge. I am so glad he recommended it to me. It is such a beautiful town with many ceramics shops and small streets. First, we stopped at the Yingge Ceramics Museum. Yingge was and still is the center of the ceramics industry in Taiwan. I really enjoyed seeing the history of Yingge and impact of China and Japan on the ceramics industry in Taiwan.
Before heading to the ceramics “Old Street,” we stopped at a small lunch spot for some Taiwanese meatballs. Taiwanese meatballs are not what Americans think of meatballs. There is meat in the middle, but it covered with a sweet potato gelatin glaze. It looks more like a jelly fish, but tastes delicious. I wish I would have gotten a picture of it, because my description does not do it justice.
Jianshan Pu Road or “Old Street” has cobblestone streets that border the railroad tracks. There were so many beautiful ceramics stores and I was on the lookout for some dragon tea cups. The Chengs are so kind. As soon as I mentioned I was looking for dragon tea cups, the whole family was on a mission to find them for me. Fortunately, I was able find a beautiful red dragon teapot and set of cups. I would have bought more ceramics and pottery but I just don’t think they would make it back home in one piece, nor could I carry them all.
Jocelin and I then made our own pottery. We had a great time and Mrs. Cheng even started singing the song from Ghost! She is so funny. I made a bowl and Mr. Cheng even got in the act and added a miniature turtle to the bowl. I really enjoyed spending the day with the Cheng’s. They treated to me to a wonderful day at Yingge and Mr. Cheng even bought me a ceramic happy Buddha to take home as a souvenir.
We finished off our day at the Westin Yi Yuan Peking Cuisine restaurant which has the best Peking duck in Taiwan. It was delicious!
Every time I have dinner I am amazed. The food never stops coming out to your table. I try everything, one because I am interested in trying all the various foods and two because most of the time it is placed on my plate before it even hits the table, but you have to pace yourself. You also feel like you have to eat fast so you can clear some room on the table for the next dish. It’s fast and furious at dinner time!
I am so thankfully for my time with the Chengs. They brought me into their home and made me feel like family. I really am going to miss them and hope that we see each other before I leave Taiwan and that they come visit Washington, D.C.
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