Day 31 (Aug 8): Father's Day

In Chinese cultures, the number 8 is lucky, as its pronunciation in Cantonese is similar to the pronunciation of wealth and prosperity. By association, August 8 tends to be a lucky day. There's even a dim sum / sushi buffet in Hamilton called August 8. In Taiwan, August 8 is also known as Father's Day, because the number 8, is also pronounced like the word for dad. To celebrate, I joined my second aunt's family, including cousin Mark, his wife Sophia, and his grandfather, for a lunch at a vegetarian buffet.

Vegetarian food is very popular in Taiwan, often from religion reasons but also due to health purposes, and this restaurant proved it. The incredibly large room was packed, and there was plenty of food to choose from. Besides the regular trays of food, a salad and dessert bar, and lots of various soup items, you could also create your own hotpot and choose a plate of vegetables that they could fry for you. 

What I appreciated most was the fruit juices they made right in front of you, with fresh watermelon, guava, and lemonade drinks. I also thoroughly enjoyed the warm almond tea, which, along with a high consumption of Vitamin C and other nutrients at the vegetarian buffet, was probably a good idea as I coped with a worsening sore throat and a growing cough, but unfortunately, not enough. The sudden onset of sickness was a bit too much, and by mid-afternoon, I was in bed at my second aunt's home with a fever, perhaps a relapse from the Loveboat sickness, and would stay at their house until the night before leaving Tainan.