Finally, we are heading out of our dormitory rooms - for 2 weeks! To prepare myself for the long bus ride, I managed a bowl of instant noodles, a sandwich and 2 bananas for breakfast. Once full and satisfied, it was a routine of getting on board the bus and sleeping the entire journey to Gold Ecological Park, our first destination for the day. Despite the absence of a guided tour, we still found our way around pretty well. It was in fact beneficial as it gave us more opportunities to roam around freely and taking photographs at will. As usual, the gold sand extraction was my first experience. I'm impressed by how the technique capitalizes on differential densities among various minerals and hence produce different sedimentation effects. It required patience and expertise to eventually produce a fine yield of gold sand. It is really not an easy task to execute. Nevertheless, the instructors were detailed in their explanations and very generous with their assistance. The tunnel walk, though dark and spooky, gave me an insight on how mining procedures are carried out. It portrays the unfavourable conditions that these miners have to work in and I'm very fortunate that I do not belong to one of them. After that, Jessica and I embarked on our own 'Amazing Race' yet again when we were given half and hour to roam about freely. We made it to the edge of the sea and up the flight of steps to a pinnacle where the view of the ocean together with the mountains is simply fantastic. We proceeded to snap lots of photos and headed back to the entrance with great satisfaction.
Gold sand
Impersonating a miner
Beautiful scenery at Gold Ecological Park
The next stop was Jiufen Street, a bustling food and shopping arena typical of Taiwan, as we should already have known. A group of us practically went on a food rampage, trying many different varieties of food. However, this was not merely about eating and shopping alone, as much as they hold the greatest prominence. Every event has a learning point/outcome, and this was no exception. It struck me when Andria returned with a calligraphy brush that she purchased from one of the shops. I remember her mentioning about her intentions of getting one after the calligraphy class a few days earlier, and she meant her words! This has gone on to show how Asian culture is starting to infiltrate more extensively into the Western one. It has long been asserted that American culture had taken the lead in influencing many countries' culture, such that there is an 'Americanization' of many things all around us, with the most prominent example being: McDonald's and Coca Cola can be found all over the world. However, one cannot safely say that the entire world practices calligraphy without being rebuked for that. Her efforts in making the effects of American cultural imperialism less extensive is commendable. Taiwan can be proud to say that it has brought in such fantastic exchange students who are willing to make efforts to broadcast Taiwanese culture to the rest of the world. I'm sure that if there are sustained efforts to bring in more students like Andria, Chinese culture may be seen in a different light in the near future.
Me at Jiufen Street
After Jiufen, we arrived at Shifen, where we are to stay for the night. Activities were low-key; we just merely took some photos with the bridge and railway, subsequently proceeding for dinner. The room is more comfortable than I perceived, but unfortunately we are only staying for one night :( Anyway, it has been a tiring but fun-filled day. Have a good rest everyone and see you tomorrow! :)
Traveler's lodge
Stunt at railway track
没有评论:
发表评论