The last few days have been spent exploring local Taipei and hanging out with good friends. My daily yoga practice at the Poetree has been a pleasant start to the mornings and Glee episodes+ cheesecake nibbles have been wishing me good night. The hours in between have been spent eating at local hot spots which included Fung Tien (that’s not the right name but it was delicious- yummy dumplings filled with fresh meats and seafood), and then having shaved ice desserts, tarot ice cream, and of course tea with pearls! The sun has continued to shine bright with no signs of rains must be a special weather report for the Californians. It’s almost beginning to feel like home here but the week is winding down. I have spent a lot of time soaking in the local culture but haven’t seen any major sights so I dedicate today to sightseeing starting with the Museum which is home to some of the OLDEST treasures dating back to prehistoric, dinosaur, caveman days… its old and very very interesting. The museum included calligraphy books, mural arts depicting old Asian regimes, beautiful Buddha statues, and precious stones. Museums are interesting and overwhelming with the wealth of knowledge they house, however I managed to walk away with some new insight into the Jade Pi. I always knew friends that would wear a jade stone around their neck and remember my mom even wanting one because it symbolizes good luck, but the flip side is if it breaks then you are S-O-L, bad luck! Anyways, jade is the most noble of all stones but what was more interesting to me was the symbolism of the common circle shape with a hold in the center (kinda like a donut). The shape is called “bi or pi” and an entire room was dedicated to it in all sizes and styles. In one presentation the circular shape is overlayed on a picture of 12 suns which are also related to the zodiac and was commonly used as a representation of the heavens! Powerful stuff!
The next stop was a famous tomb which had an amazing surrounding landscape and a cute tea shop where the teas were served in huge mugs and goblets. The tomb viewing took 5 minutes and was followed by a 15 minute photo-shoot of us girls and then an hour at the tea shop… laughing and reminiscing about the days. It’s amazing how tea can bring close friends even closer.
