Saturday
2/13
I absolutely adore the fact that the public transport system runs well. It has been so easy and convenient jumping onto a bus to get to the capital city, Taipei.
There is also a shuttle bus in the city in which I live that runs from one point to the main mall, Big City. This is great for shopping as I don't have a scooter and having a car is not on the cards. The MRT also runs underground in Taipei so we caught it to get to Beitou and to the hot springs. The whole trip from Hsinchu to Beitou was a whopping NT$165 which is around R80. This is one way. So, R160 for a round trip.
I appreciate the family commitment and connection. Over Chinese New Year everyone heads home to spend time with their family. So, Taipei is really quiet which is nice as a foreigner.
Relationships as mentioned before are really important. I was reminded of this again when I went to the hot springs and younger children were told not to splash in the pools by elderly folk- not necessarily their parents. The Taiwanese way is that you do what they think you should and they won't stop telling you until you do as they say.
Respect! There is a lot of respect for the elderly folk which is tear jerking! I'm not joking- I actually found rain falling on my face when I saw a young man (well dressed) fixing his grandma's scarf which was maybe half a millimeter out of place.
The language barrier. Yes, this is something that has given me a mental break. I don't know what these beauties are talking about so my mind is free to think and focus on what is important.
The hot springs is a worthy mention as mentioned before but not given deserving credit. They were hot but ever so relaxing!
Lastly (for this post anyway) I appreciate the gentleness. The people here are generally gentle and sweet to foreigners- except when it comes to massages!
Once again these are a few of my favorite things and things that I want to show my mom, can't wait!
Hope you're embracing the day that you have been given.
Love,
Phoenix and Sarah
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