Taiwan Tech Trek: Group 12

For the past six days I toured around Taiwan as part of the Taiwan Tech Trek orientation. After meeting people on my bus and in my group at the registration place, and after an awkward dinner, Group 12 felt more comfortable together. We had a very diverse group, with people from the States, France and the Netherlands. 

The first two days of orientation consisted of speeches by CEOs of large technology companies and tours of different manufacturing factories. It was the boring parts of orientation. I felt like it was at Feng Jia Night Market where most of our group really bonded. We walked the night market together and shared the food we ordered. Of all the groups I saw, we were the only group that stuck together in the night market. The second half of orientation was mostly visiting touristy locations around Taiwan. We visited Lu Gang and watched Neon Gods danced to Techno music in front of a temple and walked through a historical street. We stayed at Xi Tou Youth Center and took over all the cabins in the area. A few of us stayed up till 2 or 3 in the morning playing Monopoly Deal and watching TV. The next day we toured around the ecological trail around our cabins, made wooden baskets, and visited a pottery factory and made our own cups. At night we had a farewell party event, where all 298 of us and counselors attended a campfire-like event and danced to group dances. We also got glow sticks and had a mini dance party, for like three songs. On the last full day, we visited Sun Moon Lake, but literally just took the ferry across the lake and left and didn't really explore the towns much. At night we had our farewell dinner, and each group presented a 3-minute skit. It was really bittersweet at the end when we all shared candles and shared our thoughts on orientation. We took group photos, celebrated by eating the watermelon we won on the first day, and stayed up till 3:30 in the morning playing games and chatting. All of us were exhausted the next morning, but it was well worth it for the last night. 

I'm glad to meet all the new people in Group 12 and Bus D. It was really nice spending a week with all of them and now I can finally hang out with people my own age in Taiwan. I really look forward to a Group 12 reunion some time in the future and hang out with all of them again. 

Group 12 at West Lake Resortopia with the watermelon we won.

Monopoly Deal gang!

Candle light gathering.

Orientation

Tomorrow morning I will be taking a train from Taipei to Zhongli for Taiwan Tech Trek's orientation. It'll be six days of traveling and touring around Taiwan, visiting popular attractions and listening to speeches by different companies along the way. I'm not really sure what to prepare for or exactly what the logistics of orientation and the internship are, but I'm sure I'll figure it out when I get there tomorrow. Everyone else is probably as confused as I am, so it should all work out in the end. 

I wonder how college life will be like in Taiwan. I heard that there are curfews in college dorms and if I don't get back by a certain time I'll be locked out of the dorm. That sucks; I hope my dorm is different. Keelung should have a lot of places to visit and tour during my free time. I've heard from a lot of people that the night market there has really good food and the view around National Taiwan Ocean University should be pretty nice. I'm still not sure what I'm going to do about food and laundry... It should be an interesting two months living in Taiwan college dorm.

Taiwan At Last

I landed in Taipei yesterday morning. My flight from San Francisco went very well and I met a few people on the plane. While waiting on line to board, a few of us got bored and started talking a little. The guy behind me was going to Singapore to visit his father-in-law and transferring at Taiwan. The girl in front of me was my age, going to Vietnam to visit family. I chatted with the girl in front of me and we talked about college, majors, summer plans, etc... It was like meeting someone for the first time in college. On the plane, I got an aisle seat by the emergency exit. I talked to the Taiwanese dad next to me about the typhoon hitting Taiwan, and our conversation turned into talking about what I'm studying, college, plans after graduation and why I'm in Taiwan. His son is a year younger than I am at Brown. The dad was a pretty cool guy and we talked up till the take off, and then each watched our own movies.

Yesterday, I met up with Kelvin at Taipei Train Station and we hung out around the area, looking at small stores and in shopping malls. We then took the bus to another less high-end mall and then walked to Rao He Night Market. Because it was rainy and right after the typhoon, so many stores did not open and the night market was pretty empty. We still got to eat typical night market food and shopped around the stores along the street.

I got two more days until my orientation begins on Sunday. Tonight some relatives are coming over for dinner, and tomorrow I'm eating lunch with my uncles at this supposedly really good restaurant.

Rao He Night Market.

蝦仁煎. Kind of like omelette with shrimps?

Delicious mango Taiwanese ice!

San Francisco: Day 6

I spent the last day at San Francisco on Angel Island, the so-called "Ellis Island of the West." Unfortunately, the Angel Island Immigration Station museum is closed on Monday and Tuesday, so I was only able to walk around the immigration area and read the signs explaining the significance of certain areas. After that, I walked along the Perimeter Road, a 5-mile path going around the island. The next landmark I came upon was Fort McDowell, an abandoned military fort now in ruins. The island is not very crowded to begin with, and the military ruins area was very deserted; I only saw two bikers bike pass the ruins. The further I walked into the military area, the creepier it got. Buildings were completely empty and there were no doors or windows at all. The buildings were not structurally safe, so I didn't enter and just took photos from outside. As I walked around one of the larger buildings, I came upon a sign saying it was the military hospital which housed many soldiers during the war. It freaked me out and gave me the chills. Other buildings included Guard Houses, Administrative Building, Post Market and a Visitor Center with a "Closed" sign nailed on its door. After I left Fort McDowell, I just followed the Perimeter Road and enjoyed the view of the Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito and the towns across the bay (Tiburon, I think?). It was a nice hike and the weather was very comfortable.

In five hours I will be leaving for SFO and take a 13-hour plane ride to Taiwan. I hope my flight won't be delayed because of the two typhoons hitting Taiwan.

Angel Island

Beautiful view across the bay.

Angel Island Immigration Station.

Words etched into the ledges of the immigration station.

Abandoned military building at Fort McDowell.

Picture perfect?

The bridge.

San Francisco: Day 5

Last night when I checked tickets to Alcatraz Island the next available tour was on Sunday, but I read that if I show up early enough I can get standby tickets and still be able to go on the island. So that's what I did this morning, and I just happened to under dress on the coldest day here so far, and on the day that I take the ferry. The island has so much history with the short amount of time it served as a prison. I saw the buildings inmates worked at, heard stories of several inmate's escape attempts, and walked through the cell blocks in the main cell house. It's hard to imagine what it's like when it was an active prison with inmates in every cell. Like the audio tour said, it's torture to be locked up so close to a large city, but yet so far from freedom.

After Alcatraz, I found the bush man at Fisherman's Wharf and watched him scare people who walk by. It was funny seeing people's reactions and embarrassment after. If this were in New York City, people on the streets would complain and the cops would definitely do something about it. After Fisherman's Wharf, I wandered to Crissy Field and to the Palace of Fine Arts. Today wasn't a very event-packed day, but it was still a fun day in San Francisco.

Alcatraz sign with Indian vandalization.

View of the laundry work room through a broken glass window.

Guard tower over the docks, the only exit besides swimming.

Inside the cell house.

British acrobat performing at Fisherman's Wharf.

San Francisco: Day 3 & 4

Yesterday was Genentech's Give Back Concert at AT&T Ballpark. It was amazing. The performers were kept a secret until minutes before they came one, so it was a day full of surprises. First up was Lifehouse. They were really good, except I forgot most of their lyrics from their hit songs years ago. The second performer was introduced as a singer from American Idol. Ankai and I jumped up from the stadium seats to get to the front, expecting it to be Kelly Clarkson. Instead, a singer we didn't recognize showed up and we found out her name only after it was projected on the screen: Jennifer Hudson. Lastly, after waiting in the scorching heat, Bruno Mars ran out singing The Lazy Song. He was amazing. His sense of humor, singing, dancing, and the whole performance was great. By far the best performer so far.

At night, we went to Ankai's friend's apartment for a party. San Francisco is so chill; there seems to be no laws and no one cares. We played pong in the garage, with the door open and music blasting, and hung out on the rooftops sipping on beer. It felt like house parties depicted in movies.

Today, we borrowed Ankai's friend's car and got lunch at Chinatown. Sweet and sour chicken and soup dumplings! Next, we drove to Fort Point, right below the Golden Gate Bridge. The sight was breathtaking, and the fog made it even more picturesque, but it was extremely windy and cold. We then drove over the bridge to Sausalito, a small town along the shore. It's beautiful. The view of the houses on the hills and bay were very different compared to the city views of San Francisco. Also, the weather was amazing on the other side of the bridge: sunny and warm as opposed to the cold and windy weather of San Francisco. Along the shore there was this Asian man piling rocks sturdy enough to withstand the wind and him whacking it with a stick. It was ridiculous how skilled he was and how stable the rocks were. By the time we left Sausalito, the fog had covered the entire tower of the Golden Gate Bridge and the weather was freezing on the San Francisco side.

Time to make some frozen pizza and watch TV!

View of houses on hills from Sausalito.

The crazy Asian man piling rocks.

Golden Gate Bridge from Fort Point.

Adventure time!

Golden Gate Bridge from the toll plaza, on the San Francisco side. 

Golden Gate Bridge from the bridge deck.

San Francisco: Day 2

Yesterday I visited mostly park areas in San Francisco. Today I went to the piers and walked through the busier streets of San Francisco. I started at Fort Mason, filled with morning joggers making me look very out of place, and headed to Lombard Street. Honestly, the turns weren't as dramatic as I had imagined, but it was nice to finally see the world's most crooked street. I went back to the piers to Hyde Street Piers and saw inactive navy ships and tugboats. The piers also had a nice view of Alcatraz Island to the north and the Golden Gate Bridge to the west. After Hyde Street Piers, I walked east to Fishermen's Wharf and Pier 39. The view of the bay wasn't that amazing, but the mood at the piers was very lively and cheerful. I wandered through Pier 39 and looked through several interesting stores. I also saw sea lions bumming on the docks next to the pier. For lunch, I ordered clam chowder in a bread bowl at Sally's Famous Fishwich. Afterwards, I spent a while looking for the Bushman Hannah kept talking about, but couldn't find him. Oh well. Then I took the cable car from Mason Station to Powell Station. Definitely one of the coolest things about this city. How the cable car operates is really interesting and it felt great riding on such an ancient kind of transportation. The Cable Car Museum shows how the cars operate and how the cables run throughout the city. Next, I walked through Union Square and Chinatown to Ina Coolbrith Park, Vallejo Steps and Macondray Street. The hills of San Francisco are so steep and they are endless. I was so exhausted after climbing a huge flight of stairs, just to go back down on the other side of the hill. The peaks, however, offered unobstructed views of other parts of the city. I then walked west up the Filbert Steps to Coit Tower, where I got a good shot of downtown and Lombard Street. From that high up, I was able to capture how crooked Lombard Street is. After taking a break, I walked towards downtown and west to the Ferry Building. By then, my feet were very sore and I just sat by the piers until I took the Muni back home.

Tonight Ankai and I bought grocery and made lemon chicken, mashed potatoes, and sauteed mushrooms, onions and green beans.

View of Ghirardelli Square from the coast.

Lombard Street.

Me!

Fishermen's Wharf.

Fruit stand at Pier 39. 

Sea lions at Pier 39.

Clam chowder in bread bowl from Sally's Famous Fishwich at Fishermen's Wharf.

I almost hit a parked van while hanging off of the cable car.

Me at Powell Station.

View of downtown from Coit Tower.

View of Lombard Street from Coit Tower.

Coit Tower sitting on top of Telegraph Hill.

See's is so delicious!

After an hour of preparation and cooking, this was our dinner for two.

San Francisco: Day 1

My first day of exploring San Francisco today.

Started the day early at 6:00 in the morning. I left the apartment with Ankai and caught a bus to China Beach, near the eastern end of Land's End Park. The streets were very quiet that early in the morning, and it was a bit scary walking down to the beach area all alone. But I saw this guy and a girl swimming in the water; I can't imagine swimming in that temperature. Next, I followed the Coastal Trail and Land's End Trail in the park and stopped at the viewpoints along the way. It was a nice hike along the shore with glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge and historical landmarks along the way. I got to the California Palace of Legion of Honor at 9:30 right when it opened and stayed for about an hour. Afterwards, I headed west and reached the Sutro Baths, Seal Rocks and Cliff House. It was a nice view of the coast and watching the waves from the Pacific Ocean crash into the rocks along the shore. I also stopped by Ocean Beach after I left Land's End Park. For lunch, I ate at a deli and ordered a lamb gyro; it was actually pretty good.

By lunchtime, I was already tired from the whole morning's walk, but I had to walk across the entire Golden Gate Park. The park is huge. I walked to the Bison Paddock expecting to see Bison grazing, but instead I found an empty field with no Bison. After the disappointment, I walked for about 20 minutes until I reached Stow Lake and Strawberry Hill. The lake is in the shape of an "O" and Strawberry Hill lies on the island in the middle of Stow Lake. I think that was the best part about Golden Gate Park. I saw people paddle boating and rowing on the lake. Next, I walked to the Japanese Tea Garden. It's not very big, but everything inside was really pretty and neat. I'd definitely recommend going to Stow Lake and Japanese Tea Garden. The de Young Museum is right next to the Japanese Tea Garden so I went there, with free same-day admission with the Legion of Honor's ticket. The de Young museum is an art museum, and by that time I didn't have the energy and patience to go through every exhibit thoroughly, so I skimmed most of it besides the photo galleries. From the museum, it was a 15-minute walk to the east side of Golden Gate Park, and then I walked east on Haight Street. It's such a hippie neighborhood. I didn't go into any stores because it was mostly tattoo/piercing stores or stores I wouldn't go in to begin with. Next to the Haights is Buenos Vista Park, supposedly with a good city view from the peak. So I trekked up the hilly streets and steep slopes; it felt just like going up Libe Slope. At the top, I saw glimpse of certain angles of the city, and the rest were blocked by trees. It was a disappointment. By this time, my ankle was hurting from my high-tops rubbing against the back of my ankle, and I had to put a band-aid because it hurts with every step. I walked to Alamo Square to see the Painted Ladies. On the lawn across from the Painted Ladies, there were a bunch of people taking photos of it. I, like a typical tourist, blended in with them, but left right after I got a good shot. I didn't want to be affiliated with those typical Asians taking photos with weird poses. I walked to Japantown after, stopping along the way to fix the tissues that I stuffed in my shoe to replace my lost band-aid. Japantown was really nice and all the Japanese stores have such cool stuff. I got two animal mugs, a turtle and a hippo. One of them will be my mug for next semester, and the other one I haven't decided what to do with it yet.

After finishing my 13-mile route, I hopped on the bus and successfully made it back to Ankai's apartment without getting lost. Now I'm finally resting my feet. They're in so much pain.

China Beach statue with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.

A view of the Golden Gate Bridge from Land's End.

Lamb gyro for lunch!

Some fancy french mirror in the de Young Museum

The Painted Ladies at Alamo Square with the city skyline in the background. 

My 13-mile route.

Travel

I left JFK airport this morning and now I'm waiting at SFO for Ankai to pick me up after work. I'm surprised SFO airport has free WiFi; it's not the fastest internet but better than nothing. 

My three weeks in New York City flew by too quickly, especially the last few days where I was busy packing and finishing up chores. And now I'm already on the west coast, and before I know it I'll be on my way to Taiwan to start my internship. This summer has a more serious mood than last year's. Everyone is either doing research, taking summer courses or interning abroad. I guess this is just a little taste of what it'll be like after we graduate from college and find jobs in cities all over the world. 

I got a window seat from JFK to SFO! 

I think this is somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. 

I sat in row 12, towards the very front of the plane where the engine is. 

Longwood Garden

I went to Longwood Garden in Pennsylvania today, a 2-hour-45-minute drive from New York City. The place received positive reviews online and it was indeed a relaxing stroll through the garden, although a bit too big and tiring at the end. Founded by Pierre du Pont, Longwood Garden is part of the du Pont property and now serves as an exhibition and conservatory. There are many fountains in the park with 5-10 minute water hows at certain times of the day. I think the conservatory with the flowers was the most interesting part of the trip. It did get really humid and hot inside the conservatory, but the flowers had vibrant colors and there were so many different kinds of them.

Today was also the first time I tested the Manual mode on my D40. The photos came out a bit underexposed and overexposed at first, but eventually I was able to use the light meter to better adjust the aperture and shutter speed to produce photos with balanced lighting. I think I'm going to start using the Manual mode more. It gives me more freedom and control over the shot, such as if I want the photo to be darker or lighter.

The photo on the left is the du Pont House, taken in the conservatory that was added to the original house. The photo on the right is a gazebo near Large Lake.

Philly Race

Yesterday was an exhausting day at Philly racing in the Independence Dragonboat Regatta. I woke up at 4:50 AM to catch a ride and we hit the road by 6:00. As hard as I tried to stay awake because I sat in the front, I dozed off not long after we got onto the interstate. The Philly race venue didn't really have a festival; it was mainly dragonboat teams' tents and a few events sponsored by the U.S. Army. The day started out slow and cold. It was windy and cloudy until around noon and then it alternated between periods of sunshine and periods of cloudiness with wind. WSD raced in three races. First was the preliminary time trials and we placed first overall. Second was the A Division race splitting teams in A-Major and A-Minor (First 2 of 4 teams advanced to Major). And the third was the A-Major Final. We came in second place in the A-Major Final and received silver medals.

The best part of the race was dinner. One of the members own a Japanese restaurant in Downtown Philly and we feasted there. There were sushi, sashimi, steak, fish, and all sorts of authentic Japanese dishes. It was a delicious meal and ended with three huge plates of green tea, vanilla and mango ice cream and mochi ice cream. I was still full by the time I got home at 11:45 at night.

Philly is the only race I can participate in this season. I wish I could go to Toronto, Montreal and Ithaca this summer, but I'm leaving before then. If I'm around next season I'm definitely attending those races.