Woody day

Finally, our morning was greeted with a western-style breakfast comprising toast and bacon, after a string of porridge for the past few days. After breakfast, Manager Jason gave a brief introduction to Shueili Wood Utilization Centre. Thereafter, it was time to proceed for hands-on work. Due to the bulkiness of a wooden bench which presented difficulties in packing into the luggage, Jason decided that it was better to make a tissue box instead. Practical idea indeed! I realized that after this trip, I will have a few hand-made souvenirs to bring home. First, it was the ceramics, then yesterday's Rubin Lock, followed by today's masterpiece. I remember sharing that I used to detest woodwork when I was in high school. Today's session started off rather well actually. Using sandpaper to make the surfaces and edges smoother not only requires patience and precision, but trains your biceps as well. I was covered with dust and sweating profusely by the time I was done with the process, and the buzzing mosquitoes only added to the discomfort. Then came the turning point - I inadvertently applied glue to the sliding lid, which meant that I could no longer slide open the bottom lid to place tissue paper within. Furthermore, I wasn't able to appreciate the rationale behind coating the box with lacquer. And I wasn't prepared to join the long queue just to make it a little shinier. Then came an idea which I thought was ingenious - the box became a pillow instead. I guess the others were puzzled by how I could sleep so soundly on such a hard surface, but I told them that after serving in the military, I have had experiences sleeping in the most awkward of positions and circumstances, hence this was nothing new for me. I fell prey to the mosquitoes as fatigue wore over me, while the others were still awaiting their turn to coat their boxes. About half an hour passed before I heard Jack's announcement for lunch. YAY! I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THAT MOMENT!!! Lunch was again fantastic, with the crunchy fried shrimps and chicken drumsticks. After lunch, we were tasked to continue with our work. Already missing the coating step, I opted for an alternative - to apply Vaseline on the box instead. It at least produced a decent piece of work; not that I'm really going to use it as a tissue box anyway... I'm probably lacking in aesthetic appreciation and aptitude, for I told Jessica that it wasn't necessary to coat the interior since no one is even going to look into the box when retrieving a piece of tissue paper. I guess after 8 years, I still cannot appreciate and accept the beauty of woodwork; it is just not my cup of tea.

Next up was a guided tour of the wood factory, coupled with some mechanic demonstrations of the various methods of wood processing. The technicians were clearly adroit and experienced. I cannot imagine myself engaging in this nature of work as its repetitive nature will induce too much boredom. But at least the staff are not working under sweatshop conditions; I can tell that Jason is a fair manager who has the welfare of his subordinates at heart. There was a gigantic sign in the factory which read '安全第一', meaning 'Safety First'. From this, one can tell that Jason emphasizes safety of his workers as the priority, and the technicians seem happy and contented working under him. Master Lai, for instance, has been here for 30 years! He wouldn't have stayed so long if not for favourable treatment and working conditions. This tour has enlightened me on the origins of our home furniture which we take for granted everyday. Thanks to this, I can now better appreciate the operations of the timber industry.

Light moment: Harry Potter jump-shot during tissue-box making

Wood-cutting technology

Wood-cutting/smoothing technology

Interior of wood factory

Wood Utilization and Product Exhibition Centre

Owl mimicry

Descending the mountains

The first activity of the day was an introduction to Saideke tribe and hunting traps. Finally, I got to see the tribal men and their costumes up close. The video brought back memories of television series and movies, but having to witness them or even remnants of them in real life was clearly unthinkable. I was disgusted by how malicious and vicious the tribes were, yet admired their teamwork and eagerness to protect their territory. It was fascinating listening to the guides communicating between themselves in their own tribal language, which sounded quirky yet forceful. We had a light moment trying on the traditional costumes, exercising our creativity by establishing different combinations. Next up, they demonstrated the usage of various traps that the tribes used to hunt in the past. Sorry for the birds, mice, wild boars and monkeys, but the fact is, humans have to eat. These employed strategies are very ingenious indeed, because they save hunters the time and effort laying patiently in wait for their prey with bows and arrows. I remember coming across numerous wild boars during my time in the military; if only I had access to these traps then… Hahaha…

We were offered an opportunity to make our lunch dessert, the delicious Manto. I have been munching on Manto since young but have never gotten the chance to make one myself. The main raw materials were spinach and beetroot. We had lots of fun beating the dough and rolling them into shape. Suddenly, I had an idea – to combine both spinach and beetroot juices into a single common dough. Even the instructors agreed that it will taste better. However, the truth is, it backfired terribly, probably due to the addition of too much flour, which made its texture dry and rough.

After lunch, it was time to check out. Meifeng Farm and Hehuanshan have provided me with sweet memories; I couldn’t bear to leave. The next stop was Chuenyang Sub-farm, where we engaged in tomato-harvesting, in addition to an introduction to tomato planting. The tomatoes were bright, fresh and juicy. I was tempted to take more than the two we were instructed to do so. We were also introduced to the Saideke tribe’s houses and a dagger.

Then came a long bus journey to Shueili Wood Utilization Centre, where we were to spend two nights. Jack brought us to the 7-11 convenience store and it was like we were released from captivity! Everyone went about grabbing food and beverage items to supplement the main meals. Guess we have really been away from civilization for too long, although it has been just a mere few days. The last activity for the day is a puzzle game called Rubin Lock. It tickles your mind so much I would recommend it for occupational therapy. I recall having bad experiences with wood work during my earlier years in school, as I was disinterested and inattentive. However, it had a different feel to it this time round. The competition segment really brought the nerves out of me. I made it to the final round, but lost marginally to Vico and Andria – congratulations to them, they were deserved winners. I’m now looking forward to more activities with wood the following day!

 Tribal costume

 Animal trap

 Mantou

 Tomato

Tribal house

Orientation to Meifeng Farm

We had to wake up even earlier than the previous day. The first activity was bird watching. I was very impressed with how the guides manage to distinguish different bird calls when they all sound the same to me. I feel that one attribute of a talented ornithologist is acuteness. They could even spot a moth pupa hanging from the top of a tree (which by the way, is so minuscule relative to the size of the tree)! With binoculars in hand, we went for a short hike, in the process checking out various species of birds. However, they were most often flying too quickly for me to catch sight of them. Therefore, it was a little disappointing as I was not able to relate to the video and guidebook images. Nonetheless, the guides were really generous with their sharing of information about bird behaviour, mating and reproduction. Along the trail, the guides also did a fantastic job in explaining the characteristics of some interesting plant species.

Upon our return from the hike, we participated in a short morning exercise session with the people there. I have to compliment their efforts in making that practice a routine. It really rejuvenates one from the morning slumber and works out your muscles too. After breakfast (which we have been dreadfully awaiting since the start of the morning hike), we were introduced to anything and everything about Meifeng Farm. We played a game before we commenced and it was interesting to know what our first impression of our fellow participants was. The flowers that I came across were probably the most beautiful I've ever seen in my life. They were blooming and healthy. The highlight was when we were told that certain species had edible parts. We were like throngs of kids lining up to get a taste of them. Besides flowers, we observed other things like cacti, lavender, dried flowers, cultivation of spinach, and of course not forgetting navigation of a maze. It was through this session that I realized how comprehensive the farm was in terms of varieties of crops and plants, hence justifying it as a professional and established education and research institute.

The afternoon segment began with a lecture on table waste composting and organic vegetables. Here, I learnt the Taiwanese usage of the term 'pwun', a colloquial for food waste. With one of the highest population densities in the world, it is thus necessary for the nation to employ effective strategies to deal with food wastes, and I think Taiwan is doing very well in this aspect. I also learnt of the healthy aspects of organic food. The lecturer used himself as a good example: He is a regular drinker with a beer belly, yet is still strong and fit at 73 years of age, which he attributed to the consumption of organic food.

Next up was some farm-work experience, including plug seedling planting, clearing of weeds, sugar-beet and spinach harvesting, and lastly, juice-making. Now, I sincerely appreciate the diligence of farmers in removing weeds, because it is no easy task. It takes tremendous strain on the back when you bend over to pull out the weeds, which have virtually overrun the entire plantation. Kudos to them for their hard work, perseverance and patience.

At night, we had a session to observe insects, which included moths, caterpillars and my favourite rhinoceros beetle. The way insects perform techniques of camouflage and mimicry is truly ingenious. We also took some time to appreciate the glistening stars in the night sky. It was really a 'creepy' and 'silent' night.

 Elegant flowers

 Edible petals

 Tai chi symbol

 Dried flowers

 Me engulfed by lavender

 Cacti

 Clearing weeds

 Rhinoceros beetle

Harvesting of spinach

Mountain hiking!

Oh man! Today was the day when we had to rise the earliest, but I can say that it was my favourite day thus far. I felt rejuvenated this morning, probably because the absence of internet forced us to turn in early the previous night. It was a cold morning, yet it was a strange feeling because the sun was warming up our bodies as well. As we munched on our breakfast, the minibus took us to a higher elevation to commence our hike. The air was really thin and everyone was taking more effort to breathe. We were instructed to avoid trampling on the vegetation, which exuded a feeling of serenity and tranquility. I felt like I was at the top of the world and could literally look down at everyone at sea level. As usual, a galore of photos were added to my collection as we trudged on to the respective peaks. Huff and puff, panting and with calf muscles feeling the strain of continuous exertion, there were a few moments when I had felt like giving up. Nevertheless, everyone encouraged each other, and I can assure you, it was all worth the effort. The gratification achieved upon reaching the summit was the sweetest one can get. It was a pity that I hadn't brought my country and university flag along, otherwise I would have posed with them and do them proud. Having ascended two peaks above 3000 m, I've now added another milestone to my life; I felt a great sense of accomplishment. One interesting fact that I observed when scaling the mountain ranges was that there were many locals (both young and old) doing it as well. A group of retirees particularly impressed me and spurred me to push on. With a plethora of food choices in Taiwan, it's puzzling why I haven't seen many obese people thus far. This must be the reason. Back in Singapore, most people, especially the working population, are merely interested in mainstream activities like shopping, movies etc. I feel that this spirit is totally not adventurous at all! As such, I admire the locals for their efforts in maintaining a healthy lifestyle even as they approach senescence. I was just telling Andria that it was really unfortunate that time did not permit the scaling of more peaks. I strongly feel that in next year's edition, more time should be set aside for this segment. The optimal is to scale 9 peaks, so that you can put them together in a grid collage representing 9 different altitudes - how cool is that!!! She totally saw eye to eye with me. Lunch today was awesome, probably the best thus far. It was so delicious that I ate two boxes. Vico was telling me that he was worried lunch would be bread again, due to our previous experience at Yangmingshan, when it was probably cumbersome to transport lunch boxes up high elevation. I shared the same worries, but thankfully, it was not to be. I feel that for this programme, lunch boxes should be provided more frequently as they are cheap and good, and most importantly, are provided in excess and high quantity. I have to confess that I did not feel full most of the time when we ate at restaurants. It was expensive and the quantity was little, so I'm not very keen on that.

The early afternoon segment was a napping session. Everyone was so overwhelmed with fatigue that we crashed into our beds immediately upon reaching our rooms. That was the moment when I realized that the WiFi in the room was working! I yelped for joy, which meant that I can now post my daily blog entries! Thereafter, we had a lecture on 'Introduction to Meifeng Farm'. I'm truly impressed by how well the farm has done to juggle the financial, education, commercial, and subsistence aspects. The infrastructure of NTU towards education and research in agriculture is really comprehensive, equipping students with practical skills necessary for the working world. For that, I wish to credit the faculty for their job well done.

 Scaling the first peak (3416m) - mission accomplished

 The first peak

The second peak (3237m)

 Floating in the mountains

 Fog/mist

 Meditation amidst clouds

Funky-looking toilet

Up the mountains - the air gets thinner...

Today represents the half-way mark of this summer programme. Due to the rate by which activities come and go, it hardly felt like two weeks has passed. Breakfast was again a similar style as the day before. I particularly enjoyed the minced pork rice. Thereafter, we headed over to Lyuchui Trail for more hiking. I groaned in dismay when we were required to put on our helmet; I detested that feeling of having my head ‘trapped’ in a confined space. As such, I removed it from time to time to wipe perspiration off my hair. On the right side of the helmet read three words: ‘Not Absolutely Safe’, which immediately got my attention. How reassuring and ironic was that! The main purpose of a helmet is to protect you from falling debris and yet they had to print those words, which kind of defeated the purpose of even putting on the helmet in the first place! We walked continuously, in the process taking photos and admiring the scenery. Then came the highlight of this segment of the trip – the waterfall cliff/tunnel. It was a pity because none of us brought a change of clothes, and this kept me from wading in the water. Nonetheless, I was still hit by falling water from the ceiling of the tunnel. Wet and sticky, I desperately tried to dry myself by sitting on a rock which was fully exposed to the full force of the sun.

 Jump shot in the tunnel

 On the bridge

 Water cliff

Lunch was fantastic. Randy and I were smart enough to take the table with only 4 people, simply because we were extremely hungry and wanted more food to ourselves. I practically performed a one-man job on the steamed fish!

Next up was a really long bus journey as we did a steep ascent to Bilu Sacred Tree and subsequently Hehuanshan Station, then to Meifeng Farm. Although this was not my first experience ascending a mountain range (two months ago, I was at an altitude of 1900m in Yunnan province, China), curiosity still arose in me as the external surrounding gradually became more foggy. I also witnessed the transformation of vegetation type from tropical species to alpine vegetation. The mountain roads look precarious as any slip of the vehicle would have led to a plunge down 3000m! My mood became better as the temperature dropped, because I’m one who thrives in cold weather. By the time it was time for dinner, I was unusually not hungry at all, probably because we merely sat on the bus right after lunch, and digestion was slow. The worst news to greet us was the breakdown of all forms of internet connection in the lodging, which meant that this was a night when we would likely all sleep early. On the bright sight, with all of us taken off our computers, it allowed more quality time for social interaction. Otherwise, we would have gone back to our ‘anti-social’ manner of befriending our technology and gadgets for the night. There’s going to be more hiking tomorrow, and the fact that we have to rise earlier than usual means that I will have to stop my diary here. Goodnight all, and have a good rest!

    Halfway up the mountains

A Day at Taroko

Breakfast was simply sumptuous this morning. I had expected another serving of toast and hot beverage, but it surprised me when breakfast took the form of a buffet, with a Chinese-style theme. I guess I had gone too used to the Western style breakfast of egg and ham, which explains why I was so taken aback.

Then came a bus journey to Taroko National Park. I had mixed feelings when Jack mentioned that we are about to leave the last trace of civilization. On one hand, I was excited because we are about to venture deep into the natural heritage of Taiwan, with many new discoveries to be made. On the other hand, it is expected that convenience stores will be almost impossible to come by once we embark on our expedition. Nevertheless, I couldn't wait anymore for the journey to Shakadang Trail. Over there, we hiked along one of the most popular trails (thank God it was a much easier route than the one at Yangmingshan). It was a truly mesmerizing river with boulders of various sizes. The speed and power of the current seemed to exude an intimidating effect. Of course, photo-taking has already become the default practice every time there's a scenic view, and this was no exception. Some of us couldn't resist the temptation to dive into the clear water and take a dip, partly due to the scorching weather. However, I did not join as I did not like the feeling of being wet and having no available change of clothes. As of before, Jessica and I embarked on our own swift-photo-snap act again. This time, we dragged Randy along with us. We persevered along the trail which culminated in a dam. On a side note, I am very sorry for the deer which died (for whatsoever reason which I do not know); may it rest in peace.

 Dam

Dead deer

The highlight of lunch was this plate of frog stomach. I have eaten frog leg before, but never frog stomach. It's texture was smooth and chewy. Not my favourite dish but still, worth trying.

Frog stomach 

After lunch, we had a spin around Swallow Grotto Trail and Nine Turns Trail. Here, I witnessed for myself the towering gorge in this national park. However, I didn't enjoy this segment as the rain took some joy of it. I had to hold an umbrella in one hand and it was a really bad feeling since I only had one hand free. Furthermore, I had to keep on making adjustments to protect my camera from the rainwater. The helmet didn't help matters, as it made my head feel 'trapped'. As a result, I didn't manage to get as many pretty shots as I wanted, and it was truly disappointing.

 Nine Turns Trail

Nine Turns Trail

Now, we're at Tienhsiang Youth Activity Centre, our accommodation for the night. Finally, we have individual beds! Alright, now hungry and waiting for dinner! Hope everyone had fun today!

Journey to the east - a day of travels

It was a good night's rest, in a comfortable motel room. The morning was greeted by delicious toast and coffee aroma, which clearly boosted our morale. Once we're done, it was time to head to King Car Orchid Park, a place where an array of beautiful and elegant orchids were on display. Over there, we had a guided tour on Phalaenopsis production in Taiwan. This, together with the tour of the Orchid Green House, enlightened me on orchid diversity in Taiwan. I learnt that conditions in the greenhouse was established to mimic the optimal conditions for the growth of orchids in the natural environment. This has allowed me to realize how far Taiwan has progressed in the field of horticulture and cultivation of plants for aesthetic purposes. It is not only well endowed with natural biodiversity, but also shows rapid advancement in human technology for plant growth. I hopped for joy when we came across the Vanda Ms Joaquin, Singapore's national flower. I suddenly felt honoured to be a Singaporean, because even such a small country like us is capable of sending forth a noteworthy representative/identity of our nation. It may have been 'dwarfed' and trivialized by the myriad of other orchid varieties found mostly in Taiwan, India, Philippines, but the fact that it is still widely recognized in the world calls for true respect. Besides nurturing orchids, the industry is also responsible for churning out massive produce of the famous King Car coffee and Mr Brown's coffee, not forgetting whisky as well.

 Vanda Ms Joaquin, Singapore's national flower

Lunch was at a 'coffee shop'. Before that, when Jack mentioned the lunch venue, I was utterly amused because 'coffee shop' in Singapore refers to a non air-conditioned, poor-ambiance dining place. It is equivalent to an eatery one can find all around the streets of Taipei. Little did I know that 'coffee shop' in this circumstance referred to a restaurant that sells coffee as its main product. It was hilarious how the misconception came about.

With stomachs filled, it was time for a long bus journey yet again. However, the ride was made less monotonous by the endless scenic views that popped out periodically. The coastline from high elevation was simply mind-blowing! I managed to capture some beautiful shots with the awesome scenery.

Harbour

Cingshui cliff

It was then time to head to Hualien city in the eastern part of Taiwan. Unlike Taipei City, Hualien city is a small town which is impoverished in terms of variations in food and shopping. It is interesting to observe the gradation of development in different towns of the country, especially when Singapore is just one big city. Even the suburbs of the Central Business District in Singapore hardly deviates from the typical urban landscape found in most developed regions. After a long day of travelling, we are now finally in our room to rest for the night. If yesterday's room was awesome, this is even better as it is more spacious, eliminating the effects of claustrophobia. The subsequent days will involved lots of hiking and walking, so I hope everyone have a good and well-deserved rest tonight. Taroko National Park tomorrow, here I come!