Today was our last flute class. I will miss the attempted playing, our awesome teacher, and the frequent lightheadedness, but I won't miss the flute and accessories that we get to keep! Plus, we still need to perform for the final closing ceremonies. Anyways, for the last class, we split up into three groups and each performed four songs. There were three mandatory pieces from Eastern cultures: the Taiwanese folk songs 望春風 and 桃花過渡, as well as the kids song 小蜜蜂). The fourth was more centered around Western culture, as our group tried to play Row, Row, Row Your Boat in a round. Didn't work too well though, but it was enjoyable.
Our flute teacher also ordered bubble tea for us all. Again, delivered (third time getting bubble tea delivery in Taiwan - it's very popular). Apparently, she was tipped off that we were had approaching birthdays in the class, so she purchased a bottle of nail polish for one of the girls in the class, and a piece of cake for me =P. The cake was from "85*C", the same store that delivered the bubble tea!
mmmm. note: bubble tea started out with small pearls. the larger pearls that are now more common (and usually the only tapioca choice in North America) were developed later. But the small pearls are still available in Taiwan! and I like 'em more =)
After eating fruit in the morning, followed by cake and bubble tea, I wasn't too hungry for lunch, but I ate a bit of food, and got ready for today's events: exploring areas in both Eastern and Western Taipei. First, we headed eastward to the Discovery Center of Taipei, a modern museum showcasing the Taipei's history, culture, and famous sites.
A free museum that my travel guide suggests visiting the Discovery Centre as an introduction to Taipei. A revolving theatre with a 360 degree projector was a very welcoming video. Four floors of interactive exhibits to play around with (more pictures below).
Afterwards, we headed to Longshan Temple, located on Taipei's western side. Along with nearby Bopiliao, the Wanhua region was the set for the Taiwanese film Monga, or "艋舺", a gangster movie set in the1980's in Taipei. The movie was Taiwan's highest grossing film in this year. Longshan Temple is a great example of religion at the heart of the city, with the area crowded with people, incense and smoke filling the air, and the sound of chanting neverending. On the other hand, Bopiliao is a great example of a booming tourist site due to a movie being filmed there, with the area filled with pictures and shots from Monga. The site was just added to the list of destinations for our program this year, .
Longshan Temple, one of Taipei's largest and most famous
Bopiliao area: gangster alleys --> tourist sites.
Exhibits of violence and gambling were set up, showing the darker days in the area's history
We ended the day by watching the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre company at an outdoor performance. The group was started with the aim of combining Chinese dance traditions with modern day Western dance; international praise for the company indicates that they were successful. They performed five acts, from dances inspired by folk tales, Bach's cello suites, and Chinese calligraphy, to all kinds of traditional and classical music with a modern twist. (There was no photography allowed).
I've been in Taiwan for almost ten days now, but there's always more completely new sights to experience. Taiwan's unique culture is rich with both Western influence and Eastern tradition.
East Meets West. Those are Dutch Clogs on the left, and some type of embroidered Asian shoes (from Japan?) on the right. The Dutch set up a fort on Taiwan in 1642. [Photo taken at the Taipei Discovery Center]
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