Lisas Flaschenpost

On this blog you can follow my thoughts and adventures around the world.

[lisasflaschenpost]

Bye, Bye Taiwan

I am back in Hamburg after 5 months of travel, adventure and new experiences.   I am very thankful for all the things I got to experience and the people I got to meet. It really was a most extraordinary and wonderful semester!   

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Starbucks in the Clouds Another way of enjoying the view over Taipei without hiking up stairs or paying the entrance fee for the Top Floor of Taipei 101 is the Starbucks in the 35th floor of Taipei 101. Indeed it has become so popular that you can only in if you have reserved a table over the phone and you cannot stay longer than 1 1/2 hours. You can make a reservation under this number: [phone], but be warned, because the person on the other side usually only speaks Chinese. Once you have your reservation you need to make sure that you get to Taipei 101 at least 10min before, because you will be picked up on the ground floor by the Starbucks staff. Use the Xin Yi Road, Sec.5, door 7 entrance. When we were there we noticed a sign that said you are not supposed to wear hot pants or sandals (which we were) but luckily and perhaps because it was Sunday it was not a problem. I would not suggest taking the risk though, they might be stricter on weekdays. The minimum spending is 200NT$, but the view is definitely worth it. ☕️ Eine weitere Möglichkeit den Blick auf Taipei von oben zu bestaunen ohne auf Berge zu klettern oder den Eintritt für die Aussichtsplattform des Taipei 101 zu zahlen ist der Stabucks im 35c Stockwerk des Taipei 101. in letzter Zeit ist er tatsächlich so beliebt geworden, dass man nur noch hinaufgelassen wir, wenn man mindestens einen Tag im Voraus einen Tisch reserviert hat und selbst dann darf man nicht länger als 1 1/2 Stunden bleiben. Reservierungen werden unter folgender Nummer entgegengenommen: [phone]. Allerdings spricht die Person am Anderen Ende der Leitung oft nur Chinesisch. Sobald man die Reservierung hat, sollte man darauf achten mindestens 10min vorher da zu sein, da man im Erdgeschoss voneinander Starbucksmitarbeiter abgeholt und nach oben begleitet wird. Der Abholpunkt ist am Eingang Xin Yi Road, Sec.5, door 7 des Taipei 101. Als wir dort warteten viel uns ein Schild auf, auf dem Stand, dass es nicht erlaubt sei Hotpants oder Sandalen zu tragen (was wir natürlich taten) aber zum Glück (vielleicht weil es Sonntag war) war es kein Problem. Ich würde aber nicht empfehlen das Risiko einzugehen. Man muss mindestens 200NT$ ausgeben, aber das ist der Blick auf jeden Fall wert!

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Elephant Mountain at Night!

Remember my last post from Elephant Mountain? When we got up at 4am  to see the sunrise only to realize that it was too cloudy to do so? Back then we said we’d come back to try and catch the sunset and I am SO glad we did!  I think the pictures speak for themselves. We took some amazing salads up and had a little picknick on the mountain top. It really was amazing!  Sunset at Elephant Mountain is definitely one of the best things to do while you’re in Taipei!  Three tips for all adventurers: N°1: Bring mosquito spray! Regardless whether you hike in the morning or in the evening there are many of them but the spray does keep them away quite effectively. N°2: Come early! As you can see on the pictures it does get pretty full up there on a clear night, so be sure to hike up early (maybe take a little bid of food and have  a picnic like we did) to make sure that you get the best view.   N°3: No need to panic, but be observant! On the way down we saw a snake crossing our way. So watch out and (if the heat is bearable) wear closed shoes.   Erinnert ihr euch noch an meinen letzten Post vom Elephant Mountain? Als wir um 4Uhr morgens aufgestanden sind um den Sonnenaufgang vom Berg aus zu sehen, dann aber doch nichts als grauer Himmel zu sehen war? Damals hatten wir beschlossen noch einmal hinaufzusteigen um den Sonnenuntergang zu sehen und das war genau die richtige Entscheidung! Ich denke die Bilder sprechen für sich. Wir hatten ein paar Salate dabei und veranstalteten auf der Spitze ein kleines Picknick. Es war großartig! Definitiv eine der besten Aktivitäten, die man in Taipei machen kann!  Drei Tipps für alle Abenteurer:  N°1: Bringt Mosquitospray! Egal ob ihr morgens oder abends den Berg hochlauft, es gibt viele Mücken, die sich aber mit dem Spray ganz gut abwehren lassen.  N°2: Kommt früh! Wie ihr auf den Bildern sehen könnt wird es oben ganz schön voll an einem klaren Abend. Seid also am besten früh dran um euch den besten Ausblick zu sichern. Wenn ihr Lust könnt ihr es wir wir machen und euer Abendessen mit auf den Berg bringen! N°3: Kein Grund zur Panik, aber seid wachsam! Auf dem Weg nach unten kreuzte eine Schlang unseren Weg. Also aufmerksam sein und (wenn die Hitze es zulässt) festes Schuhwerk tragen. 

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Taroko Day 2

On our second day in Taroko we took two short hikes in the National Park.  The first one was the beautiful Shakadang Trail. It starts from the first bus stop after the visitor center and is about 45min long and follows one of the rivers of the National Park. Technically you could go on to another trail after that, but like many of the hikes in Taroko this one was still closed due to Taifun damage. Generally it is always worth taking a look at the website of the park or asking in the visitor center about the state of a trail before deciding. For some of them, you also need to get a special permit at the police station at least one day in advance (the station is right behind the visitor center).  After Shakadang Trail we hurried back the way we had come and took the bus to Swallow Grotto, which is a second trail (actually it is a road, but you can walk on the side and the view is still pretty nice).This trail is even shorter - you will need about 15min there and then 15min back the same way to the bus station. Both trails, were pretty short, but considering the heat it was exactly the right thing for that day.  Afterwards we took the train to Hualien and had a look around the city before we went to Dongdamen Night Market, which is fantastic! Definitely one of the best ones I have been to so far and also the only one that has a seating area so you don’t have to eat your food standing. From there we took a taxi to the train station and then the train back to Taipei.  An unserem 2. Tag in Taroko entschieden wir uns zwei recht kurze Wanderungen zu machen. Die erste, der wunderschöne Shakadang Trail führt etwa 45min einen Fluss entlang. Der Anfang liegt direkt an der ersten Bushaltestelle nach dem Visitor Center. Technisch gesehen kann man auch noch weiter wandern, allerdings war der Rest des Weges (wie viele der Wanderwege in Taroko) wegen Taifun-Schäden gesperrt. Generell lohnt es sich immer sich auf der Website des Parks oder im Visitor Center nach dem Zustand eines Weges zu erkundigen, bevor man sich für eine Wanderung entscheidet. Für einige der Wege braucht man außerdem ein Permit von der lokalen Polizeistation (direkt hinter dem Visitor Center), dass man mindesten einen Tag vorher beantragen muss.   Nach dem Shakadang Trail nahmen wir den Bus weiter zur “Swallow Grotto” (’Schwalben Grotte’), einem anderen kurzen Pfad (eigentlich ist es eine Straße an deren Seite man laufen kann, aber der Blick ist trotzdem beeindruckend). Dieser Weg ist sogar noch kürzer, nur etwa 15min hin und dann 15min zurück zum Bus. Insgesamt waren wir nicht lange unterwegs, für die Hitze war es aber genau die richtige Länge. Im Anschluss nahmen wir den Zug nach Hualien und wanderten etwas durch die Stadt bevor wir uns dem Dongdamen Nachtmarkt zuwandten. Der Nachtmarkt in Hualien ist der wohl beste den ich bisher gesehen habe - er ist auch der einzige, der Sitzgelegenheiten für die Besucher hat, so dass man nicht im stehen essen muss. Von dort aus ging es mit dem Taxi zurück zum Bahnhof und vor dort aus mit dem Zug wieder nach Taipei.   

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Taroko Day 1

Taroko Gorge National Park is another highlight and must visit in Taiwan.  When we were traveling to Taichung at the beginning of the semester we met a couple of Germans who had been traveling Taiwan for a few weeks. When asking them for the highlight of their trip they told us that we had to go to Taroko. And even though it took us some time we finally came around to it. Booking the train tickets from Taipei turned out to be much more of a challenge than we expected. Tickets get released 2 weeks before the travel date, however the big tourist companies usually buy them right after the release which makes it virtually impossible to buy a ticket in advance. Luckily there are always some tickets that go on sale that very day, so no need to panic. We got to the train station early on Saturday morning and managed to get our hands on two sitting and one standing ticket (luckily though we found another spare seat on the train, so that we could all sit all the time ;).  There are a few hotels of in the National Park, most of them however have rather bad reviews online, except for a five star hotel at the end of the Gorge. If you have the possibility, I guess that would be the best choice. We however opted for the cheaper version, meaning Susie’s Hostel in nearby Xingsheng.  The hostel was everything we could have wished for, very clean and with a nice and helpful host, however if I would go again, I think I would prefer staying in Hualien. Xingsheng might be closer to the Gorge, but you will still have to take the bus and unfortunately there is barley anything there besides a 7/11 and a Family Markt. Hualien not only offers some sights of its own, but also has a great night market, restaurants, bars and more! Moving on to the National Park itself: At a beginning there is a Visitor Center which offers some information about the history and possible hikes. From the visitor center you can take a public bus (you can also take it from Hualien or Xingsheng train station) to explore the National Park. It stops at numerous sights and ends at Tiansiang. This is what we did the first day. From Tiansiang we took a short hike up to a beautiful pagoda before taking the bus back.  Other options for exploring the Park are cars or rental scooters and bikes. If you do want to rent a bike or scooter it is a good ides to research places in advance and call or email them to let them know when you are coming.  Whichever option you choose: Coming to Taroko is absolutely great! The gorge with its green walls, waterfalls and beautiful temples and pagodas is absolutely stunning!  One thing I have to warn you about however are the sand fleas. Unfortunately they are everywhere in Taroko and Xingsheng and although they are much smaller than mosquitos their bites are just as bad if not worse. After two days there I had more than 80 (!) bites. My legs looked so bad they I got offered creams and sprays from random people on the street (yes, the Taiwanese are possibly the friendliest people on earth). We tried a bunch of different insect repellents but none of then seemed to have any effect. The only advice I can offer is to bring some “Tiger cream” - it is available in most stores in Taiwan (eg. ‘Watsons’) and helps much better than anything we brought from Europe.  Despite the sandfleas and the heat (it was 35°C on both days) Taroko was absolutely worth visiting and I wish I had the time to go there a again!   Der Taroko Gorge National Park ist ein weiteres Highlight und “Must-Visit” in Taiwan.  Als wir am Anfang des Semesters in Taichung waren, trafen wir einige Deutsche Touristen, die  bereits für zwei Wochen durch Taiwan gereist waren.  Als wir sie nach dem Highlight ihre Reise fragten, waren sie sich einig, dass wir unbedingt nach Taroko reisen sollten und obwohl es doch etwas gedauert hat, haben wir es nun endlich dort hin geschafft.  Die Zugtickets von Taipei aus zu kaufen stellte sich als unerwartet schwierig heraus. Normalerweise werden die Tickets 2 Wochen vor dem Reisezeitpunkt in den Verkauf gegeben, aber die großen Reiseunternehmen kaufen sie meist sofort auf, so dass es praktisch unmöglich ist Tickets im voraus zu kaufen. Glücklicherweise gibt es immer auch ein Kontingent von Tickets das erst am Reisetag in den Verkauf geht, also kein Grund zur Panik.  Wir kamen früh am Samstagmorgen in die Taipei Mainstation und bekamen noch 2 Sitz- und ein Stehticket (im Zug gab es dann aber doch noch einige leere Plätze, so dass wir alle die gesamte Zeit sitzen konnten ;).  Im National Park selbst gibt es wenige Übernachtungsmöglichkeiten und die meisten haben relativ schlechte Online Bewertungen. Eine Ausnahme ist das einzige 5-Sterne Hotel im Park - wer sich weniger um das Geld kümmert, für denn ist das sicherlich die beste Wahl. Wir entschieden uns aber für die günstigere Alternative - Susie’s Hostel im nahe gelegenen Xingsheng District.  Das Hostel was alles, was wir uns wünsche konnten - sauber und mit einer freundlichen und hilfsbereiten Gastgeberin. Wenn ich noch einmal nach Taroko fahren würde, würde ich allerdings lieber im etwas weiter entfernten Hualien übernachten. Abgesehen von der Nähe zum Park (und man muss trotzdem den Bus nehmen) hat Xinsheng außer einem 7/11 und einem Family Markt so gut wie gar nichts zu bieten, während es in Hualien neben einigen Sehenswürdigkeiten auch noch einen wunderbaren Nachtmarkt, Restaurants, Bars und mehr gibt! Zum National Park selbst: Direkt am Eingang gibt es ein Visitor Center, dass Informationen über Taroko Gorge (Taroko Schlucht) und seine Geschichte ausstellt. Außerdem geht von dort aus (und vom Bahnhof in Hualien und Xingsheng) ein Bus mit dem man die Schlucht erkennen kann. Er hält an verschiedenen Sehenswürdigkeiten im Park und endet in Tiansiang. Diesen Bus nahmen wir am ersten Tag und machten von Tiansiang aus eine kurze Wanderung zu einer wunderschönen Pagoda und einem Tempel bevor wir den Bus wieder zurück nahmen. Andere Möglichkeiten um den Park zu erkunden sind entweder per Auto, Mietfahrrad oder -scooter. Wenn ihr ein Fahrrad oder einen Scooter mieten wollt lohnt es sich allerdings auf jeden Fall vorher etwas zu recherchieren und die Läden entweder anzurufen oder per Email wissen zu lassen wann man kommt. Für welches Transportmittel man sich letztendlich dann auch entscheidet: Nach Taroko zu kommen ist auf jeden Fall eine gute Idee. Die tiefgrünen Wände der Schlucht, die Wasserfälle und wunderschönen Tempel und Pagodas sollte kein Taiwan-Reisender verpassen!   Eine Warnung muss ich aber doch noch aussprechen: Vorsicht vor den Sandflöhen! Leider gibt es sie überall in Taroko und Xingsheng und obwohl sie viel kleiner als Mücken sind, sind ihre Stiche doch genauso unangenehm, wenn nicht unangenehmer. Nach 2 Tagen hatte ich mehr als 80(!) davon und meine Beine sahen so schlimm aus, dass mir Unbekannte auf der Straße Salbe und Cremes anboten (ja, die Taiwaner sind möglicherweise das freundlichste Volk dieser Erde). Leider lassen sich die Flöhe auch durch verschiedene Insektensprays nicht abschrecken. Der einzige Ratschlag, den ich geben kann, ist sich vor einer Reise nach Taroko eine Dose “Tiger Cream” in einem der lokalen Geschäfte zu kaufen (zB. “Watsons”) - die hilft viel besser gegen die Stiche als alles, was wir aus Europa mitgebracht hatten.  Trotz Sandflöhen und Hitze (an beiden Tagen 35°C) war unser Besuch in Taroko die Leiden auf jeden Fall wert und ich wünschte ich hätte zeit dort noch einmal hinzufahren!

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Cat Village!

As soon as I heard that there is a “Cat Village” I knew I had to go there. My taiwanese friend Celia, kindly took me a few weeks ago and there were SO MANY CATS! The village that is just a short train ride away from Taipei, is actually called Houtong. It used to be a mining village but when the mines closed down the villagers were looking for a new source of work and money and they found: cats! There are many cats in the village, all make a very well fed, healthy and generally good impression and the tourists (especially those from Japan) love them. The village is small but aside from the Cats there are many nice cafés and rather kitschy souvenir shops. Also you can have a look at the ruins of the old mining factory and a little museum about the mining history of Taiwan. It pays off to be there earlyish (though not too early because nothing will be open before 10am). We took a train from the main station at 9.20am and were in the village shortly after 10am, which was the perfect time, because we could look around for about 2 hours and then have lunch in one of the cafes and head back to Taipei when it was just getting crowded. So bald ich hörte, dass es in Taiwan ein “Cat Village” gab wusste ich, dass ich unbedingt dort hin wollte. Meine Taiwanesische Freundin Celia erbarmte sich schließlich und begleitete mich und es gab SO VIELE KATZEN! Das Dorf, das nur eine kurze Zugfahrt von Taipei entfernt lieg, heißt eigentlich Houtong. Im 20. Jahrhundert war es eine Bergbauregion, doch als der Bergbau in Taiwan langsam zurückging suchten die Bewohner nach einer alternativen Quelle für Jobs und Geld und fanden: Katzen! Heute gibt es sehr viele Katzen in Houtong. Sie alle machen einen gepflegten und gesunden Eindruck und die Touristen (besonders die aus Japan) lieben sie. Das Dorf ist ziemlich klein, aber neben den Katzen gibt es noch eine Menge netter kleiner Cafés und ziemlich kitschiger Souvenirshops. Außerdem kann man sich die Ruinen der alten Bergbaufabrik und ein kleines Museum über die Geschichte des Bergbaus in Taiwan ansehen. Es lohnt sich (relativ) früh zu kommen (aber eben nur relativ, die Geschäfte machen nicht vor 10Uhr auf). Wir nahmen den Zug von der Taipei Main Station um 9:20 Uhr und waren kurz nach 10 Uhr da, was sich als perfektes Timing herausstellte, denn so konnten wir uns das Dorf und das Museum in aller Ruhe ansehen, in einem der Cafés zu Mittag essen und dann zurück nach Taipei fahren, als er gerade Anfing wirklich voll zu werden.   

[taidajournal]

Brexit: Vote of a Lifetime

by Lisa Herbers

 In 2012 the EU received the Nobel Peace Prize to honor its role in the development of a peaceful Europe. The Union had experienced a unparalleled era of peace - 70 years without war - the longest time in the entire history of its member states. This year, however, on the 23rd of June the citizens of the United Kingdom will take a public vote to decide whether they want to stay.

 After the Nobel committee had announced its decision, politicians from all over the world praised the EU and its achievements for peace and prosperity. But politicians in the EU started arguing about who would get to go to Oslo and accept the prize. In many ways this could be seen as typical for the EU. Agreeing on the basics was easy: peace, democracy, a flourishing economy, and a good position in the global market. But they argued about the details for so long that sometimes they lost sight of what the real goals were.

 The idea of the European Union was born out of the horrors of two World Wars which shook the world in the first half of the 20th century. Many, like the legendary British prime minister Winston Churchill, thought that a Union of European countries could bring them closer together and give them a forum to discuss their problems. In a speech he held at the University of Zurich in 1946 he called for a “United States of Europe”.

 Indeed, in 1948 most of the European countries that had been financially supported by the US came together to form the Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC). Its official aim was for countries to assist each other in restoring the European infrastructure and bringing about economic prosperity. The idea behind it was securing peace and the unity of Europe through trade, which might produce continuous dialogue and a certain form of economic dependence that would prevent countries from waging war on each other.

 Out of the OEEC the European Union was born in 1992. Today it has 28 member states, most of which share a common currency, the Euro, and participate in the Schengen agreement, which allows goods and people to travel freely without border controls and tariffs.

 So why would anyone want to leave the EU? To understand the roots of the Brexit movement, one has to realize that the EU has been going through a number of crises in recent years. First the near-bankruptcy of Greece forced the Union to lend huge sums while most member states were still recovering from the financial crisis themselves. Now, a refugee crisis has caused the biggest division within the EU. It has become so serious that British Prime Minister and EU-supporter David Cameron called a public vote on whether or not to remain in the EU.

 When following discussions about the Brexit, it is often hard to know which arguments are true and which are just propaganda. A good example is the Brexit supporters’ claim that the EU has destroyed England’s fishing industry by introducing fishing quotas, while in fact the industry has ruined itself by overfishing and the EU regulations are meant to save what is left.

 The problem with the arguments from Brexit opponents is that they are mostly based on what might happen if Britain leaves the EU. But the only example of a country doing so is Greenland over 30 years ago and that is hardly comparable, which is why we can only guess what the outcome of Brexit will be.

 The most popular arguments for leaving the EU are a lack of democracy and transparency, national sovereignty, and border controls. Many Brexit-supporters point out that the European Commission which proposes and enforces EU law is not a democratically elected organization. The only organization that is staffed by a direct election is the EU Parliament which has to approve the laws proposed by the Commission but cannot draw up laws by themselves. Critics say that by following laws made by the Commission, EU states have essentially abolished their democracies.

 Another popular argument is control over immigration. Here it is important to understand that the UK, because it is not part of the Schengen zone, has its own immigration policy when it comes to immigrants from outside the EU (like the refugees in the current crisis), however they cannot prohibit citizens from other EU countries to live and work in the UK. This leads to another argument about lack of sovereignty. Many Brexit supporters are of the opinion that the United Kingdom should only make their own laws and not follow laws and regulations made in Brussels.

 Regarding the main goal of the EU, that of assuring peace, many believe that there can be peace without a Union, just like countries outside the EU. It might even be more peaceful in Europe when there are no EU regulations to fight about. Popular supporters of Brexit range from Donald Trump, London’s former Mayer Boris Johnson, and actor Michael Caine.

 On the other side, those who advocate staying in the EU warn against the financial and economic risks of leaving. 50% of UK exports go to the EU, so far without tariffs, but that would change if a Brexit happens. While it is true that new trade agreements could be drawn up, it is also clear that this would take a long time, possibly leading to decades of economic uncertainty. US President Obama has already made it clear that priority lies with drawing up trade agreements with the EU and not with Great Britain. Additionally Britain’s negotiating power as a single country is much smaller than as part of the EU, meaning that even if they managed to draw up new agreements they would probably be on more unfavorable terms.

 Hundreds of popular British entertainers, such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Emma Thompson, and Keira Knightly, have also signed a letter stating that “Britain is not just stronger in Europe, it is more imaginative and more creative, and our global creative success would be severely weakened by walking away”. Moreover, representatives from science like Professor Stephen Hawking are worried about the effect that the Brexit would have on universities in the UK. Another reason to stay is security, since all European countries work closely together in preventing and detecting crimes and terrorism. But the most important argument is probably the peace that the EU has so far managed to install in Europe. After all, it was nationalism that caused previous World Wars, and isn’t nationalism behind the idea of a Brexit? Although the EU is far from perfect, arguing about who gets to accept the Nobel Peace prize is preferable to returning to the state of Europe a century ago. In the end, every citizen will have to make his or her own decision. The latest polls suggest it might be a close call. We can only hope that the British will carefully consider their vote. It might well be the most important decision that any of them will make, and potentially it has the power to reshape the world as we know it.  

[lisasflaschenpost]

My latest article for Taida Journal. I tried to keep it fairly neutral, after all it is not my vote to take. I can only hope that those who can vote, do and do so thoughtfully.   

[lisasflaschenpost]

May 2016 Highs and Lows

When I was studying in NewZealand my host family had a ritual we performed every evening: 
Everyone would tell their highlights ans lowlights of the day. Although the answer to highlight was usually “lunch” I still thought that this was a nice way of letting others take part in your life. So I thought I will tell you the things I absolutely loved this month - from places I visited to articles I read. And, because, as we say in German “life is not a pony farm” I will also tell you about the bad things, be it simply a rainy day or something more serious.


Lowlights

When I applied for the exchange to Taiwan I didn't know much about the country. I knew that if you asked a Chinese and a Taiwanese person whether Taiwan was part of the People's Republik of China you would get different answers. I knew that the capital was Taipei, that the Taipei 101 used to be the highest building in the world, with a  cunning technology to make it earth quake proof - a gigantic silver mass damper (thank you, Eoin Colfer) and, most importantly, I knew that is had tropical climate, meaning sunshine, coconuts and palm trees all year long. 
I was wrong - first of all, the mass damper in the Taipei 101 is golden, not silver (which absolutely destroys the plot of "Artemis Fowl and the lost Colony ") and second of all tropical climate in Taiwan doesn't mean sunshine, coconuts and palm trees, mostly it is a lot of tropical rain, unbearable heat, mosquitos and sand fleas. Nature might be beautiful but do you really feel like hiking in 35°C? And if you do, do you really want to wear shorts if that means that you will have about 80 terribly itching bites afterwards (I am not exaggerating, I counted them).

Highlights

1) Watched Every year, for the past 5 years May means "Game of Thrones"- time for me. Usually I watch the episodes alone but here I prefer going to the public viewing in "Beer and Cheese". The atmosphere is great and so are the beers and the cheese. I have to say I am always amazed at how great this show is. The characters are  complex, the storyline gripping with many unexpected turns and twists and the sets simply look amazing!

Just like Captain America, the X-MEN movies seem to get a little better every time. I hated the first ones, I somewhat liked the newer ones, I really liked the last one and I absolutely love X-Men Apocalypse! I have to admit I was a little skeptical about the casting of Sophie Turner as Jean Grey but after seeing her I think she was the right choice. And you have to love the Quicksilver scenes!

This month I visited the Taiwan International Documentary Film Festival. I didn't use to watch many documentaries but I think this is going to change now. The festival in Taipei is pretty big, over the course of two weeks they show what feels like hundreds of films. I went to only two screenings, as most of them sadly overlapped with my courses at university. Thank you very much to my friend Zoe for taking me there! I am already looking forward to going to the Documentary Film Festival in Hamburg!  

2) Read Did I tell you I wanted to read for 30min each evening before going to bed - yeah, well that didn't work out. I'm afraid my books will have to wait until the semester is over. Until then I restrict myself to news articles and blogs. Also I get a digital copy of the "Zeit" (a german weekly newspaper) that I love to read in when I find the time.

3) App The memory of my iPhone is full again, so instead of trying new apps I tried to delete as many as possible this month.  At least now I can take pictures again ;)

4) Ate My favorite this month has definitely been the Pineapple and Shrimp Fried Rice of the Pirate House. 

But I also find myself going to Starbucks quite often lately. Of course there are cheaper alternatives but the music is good, it has the perfect atmosphere for me to study, the staff is friendly (just look at the cute stuff they write on the cups!) and most importantly they have awesome discounts for students. If you're lucky you might even go there on a "two-for-one"-day and guess what - then you'll get two for one!  

5) Gone My favorite trip within Taipei was definitely hiking up Elephant Mountain. Although we didn't get to see the sunrise the view was still spectacular!  

My favorite weekend trip this month (and, to tell you the truth, the only weekend trip) was our weekend at the Taroko Gorge. The other pictures will go up sometime soon, but I can tell you that it was absolutely gorgeous. Only downside: the sand fleas (there are so many and they don't seem to mind the mosquito spray) and the heat!

6) Listened

Foy Vance, in case you don't know him: he is the second singer after Jamie Lawson that signed on to Ed Sheeran's label Gingerbread Man Records. This May he released his album "The Wild Swan" and I absolutely love it (I say that often, do I? Is there another way to put it?) I adore it! If you hate country music it might not be the right thing for you, but I can barely wait for his concert in Hamburg in November!

Usually I never go on a long journey without bringing a few of my favorite DVDs. This time, because of Netflix, I didn't and I am bitterly regretting it. One movie I always bring with me and that unfortunately is not on Netflix Taiwan is "Easy A". So until I can watch it again in July I have to  bridge the time by listening to the credit song "Change of Seasons" by Sweet Thing.

The next two months are going to be pretty crazy, I have final exams, presentations to hold and papers to hand in and on top of that I will travel to Hong Kong, Korea, Japan and Thailand before flying home mid-June. Time is flying by like crazy! I cant believe my time in Taipei is almost over. But until then there are many more adventures to come!

[lisasflaschenpost]

Yangmingshan National Park

Yangmingshan National Park lies only half an hour bus ride north of Taipei. On a clear day (admittedly, there are few of them in Taiwan)  the view from the  mountains on the city must be spectacular.  But even on a (normal) rainy day, like the day we were there, the park is beautiful and there are many butterflies, birds and insects to gaze at. The website of the park offers an overview of all the trails. We decided to walk in the “Butterly Corridor”, however most of the trails are pretty short, which is why we decided to go on and on until we were somewhat lost. (Remember to always take a picture of the map at the beginning of the trail. Once you get deeper into the forest you might not have an internet connection). But the trail was still beautiful, the forest is thick and old, so that it almost looks magical. After walking downstairs for over an hour (if you have problems with your knees, be extra careful which trail you choose!) we eventually reached a village close to Beitu from where we could take the MRT home.    Der Yangmingshan National Park liegt nur etwa eine halbe Stunde Busfahrt nördlich von Taipeh. An einem klaren Tag (zugegeben, davon gibt es wenige in Taiwan) muss der Blick von den Bergen auf die Stadt beeindruckend sein, aber selbst an einem (normalen) regnerischen Tag, wie der, an dem wir dort waren, ist der Park wunderschön und es gibt viele Schmetterlinge (jetzt hätte ich fast “Butterfliegen” geschrieben, langsam geht mir das Deutsch abhanden), Vögel und Insekten zu bestaunen. Auf der Website des Parks gibt es einen Überblick aller Wanderwege. Wir entschieden uns für den “Butterfly Corridor”, allerdings sind die meisten Wege sehr kurz, weswegen wir noch etwas weiter gingen und weiter und weiter, bis wir uns etwas verirrt hatten (Immer dran denken am Anfang ein Foto von der Karte der Wanderwege zu machen, je tiefer man in den Wald kommt, desto schlechter ist die Internetverbindung!). Der Weg war allerdings immer noch wunderschön. Der Wald ist so dicht und alt, dass er einem beinahe magisch vorkommt. Nachdem wir über eine Stunde lang die Stufen an einem Berghang hinunter gestiegen waren (wer Probleme mit den Knien hat, der sollte besonders darauf achten, welchen Weg er sich aussucht) kamen wir in einem kleinem Dorf in der Nähe Beitus heraus, von wo aus wir die MRT nachhause nehmen konnten.  

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National Palace Museum 

The National Palace Museum is the hotspot for tourists in Taipei. The impressive complex was established in 1965 by the Kuomingtan government that had fled to Taiwan after loosing the Civil War against the Communists in Mainland China. It hosts an impressive collection  of almost 700 000 pieces of ancient Chinese imperial artifacts which were, depending on who you ask, stolen  or rescued from the Palace Museum in Beijing’s Forbidden City when the Koumingtan retreated to Taiwan. Walking through the museum I have to say almost as impressive as the artifacts displayed is how they managed to pack them all up so quickly and securely transport them to Taiwan.    The museum is truly gigantic! We were there for more than three hours and only managed to see the main building. Sadly it is forbidden to take pictures inside, so I guess you will have to see for yourself. Admission is free for students and cheap for adults but if you plan to come it is advisable to do so during the week when it is less crowded.  Das Nationale Palast Museum ist der Hotpot für Touristen in Taipei. Der beeindruckende Gebäudekomplex wurde 1965 von der Kuomingtan Regierung eröffnet nachdem diese nach ihrer Niederlage im Bürgerkrieg gegen die Kommunisten nach Taiwan geflohen waren. Es beherbergt beinahe 700 000 antike, imperiale, Chinesische Artefakte die, je nachdem wen man fragt, aus dem Palast Museum in Beijings Verbotener Stadt gestohlen oder gerettet wurden als die Kuomingtan sich nach Taiwan zurückzogen. Wer durch das Museum läuft, dem wird klar, dass beinahe eben so beeindruckend wie die Artifakte selbst die Tatsache ist, wie schnell sie es damals geschafft haben alles einzupacken und unversehrt nach Taiwan zu schiffen. Das Museum ist gigantisch! Obwohl wir über 3 Stunden dort waren schafften wir es nur das Hauptgebäude zu sehen.  Leider ist es verboten drinnen Fotos zu machen, deshalb werdet ihr es euch wohl selbst ansehen müssen. Der Eintritt ist für Studenten frei und für Erwachsene günstig, allerdings ist es ratsam unter der Woche zu kommen, wenn es weniger voll ist

[lisasflaschenpost]

Yehliu Geopark

Yehliu Geopark is one of the most popular tourist destinations around Taipei. It consists of a number of interestingly shaped rocks right by the shore on Yehliu Cape. We took the train from Taipei Mainstation to Keelung and caught a bus from there. Later we saw that you can also get a bus directly from Taipei, which might be more convenient as its faster, but you miss out on the scenic view onto the ocean from the road along the coast.  The Geopark itself was pretty full, which is no surprise as it was Saturday. However most tourists only come to take a view pictures with the rocks and don’t take the short hike along the Cape to Yehliu lighthouse. In fact as soon as we stepped up the steps to the hike we were almost alone. The views from the lighthouse are very nice and you can see a number of interesting plants and animals on the way. On the way back we had lunch in one of the restaurants right outside the Geopark and then took a bus that drives right along the coast to Tamsui from where you can take the MRT back into the city. On the way we were were able to see the TS Taipei, a container ship that grounded close to the shore of Taiwan and broke in two. It is quite the sight! And suddenly makes you very grateful to be living in 2016 and not having to go back to Europe on a ship.  Yehliu Geopark ist eine der beliebtesten Touristen Attraktionen um Taipei. Es besteht aus einer Menge interessant geformter Steine, die nah beim Ufer auf der Yehliu Halbinsel stehen. Wir nahmen den Zug von Taipei Hbf bis Keelung und von dort aus den Bus bis zum Geopark. Später fanden wir heraus, dass es offenbar auch einen Bus direkt von Taipei aus gibt, der ist zwar schneller, aber man verpasst den Blick aufs Meer von der Küstenstraße aus. Der Park selbst war ziemlich voll, was für einen Samstag wenig überraschend ist. Allerdings machen die meisten Touristen nur einige Fotos mit den Steinen und wandern nicht den kurzen Weg bis zur Spitze der Halbinsel. Tatsächlich war es, kaum dass wir die wenigen Stufen zum Wanderweg hinaufgestiegen waren, fast ausgestorben. Vom Yehliu Leuchtturm am Ende des Weges hat man einen schönen Blick auf das Meer hat außerdem kann man viele interessante Tiere und Pflanzen beobachten. Auf dem Rückweg aßen wir in einem der Restaurants direkt vor dem Park zu Mittag, bevor wir den Bus entlang der Küste nach Tamsui und von dort aus die MRT zurück nach Taipei nahmen. Auf dem Weg konnten wir auch einen Blick auf die TS Taipei werfen. Ein Containerschiff, dass direkt vor der Küste auf Grund gelaufen und entzwei gebrochen ist. Ein ziemliche beeindruckender Anblick! Da ist man doch dankbar, dass man im Jahr 2016 lebt und nicht mit dem Schiff zurück nach Europa fahren muss.    

[lisasflaschenpost]

Elephant Mountain

Climbing Elephant Mountain to see the sunrise has been on my to do list since I arrived in Taipei, but somehow I only now found the time. A mistake, because as we approach summer the sunrise is painfully early. We got up at 4 am, took a taxi to the  bottom of the mountain close to Taipei 101 and started our way up. The hike to the top takes roughly 20min and consists of a steep staircase. We were quite out of breath when we arrived at the top. To our surprise we weren’t the only ones up there at such an early hour. In fact there were quite a lot of senior citizens doing some early morning exercise. I have to say it is a little frustrating if you arrive in the top of a mountain, sweating and  panting, only to see a roughly 70 year old guy doing push ups.  Guess now I know how Sam Wilson feels now...  To our disappointment it also turned out too cloudy wo see the sunrise - guess we will have to return. Next time we will go for the sunset though. Auf den Elephant Mountain zu wandern um den Sonnenaufgang zu sehen stand auf meiner To-Do-List seit ich in Taipei angekommen bin, aber aus unbegreiflichen Gründen habe ich erst jetzt die Zeit dazu gefunden. Ein Fehler, wie sich herausstellt, denn je weiter wir uns dem Sommer nähern, desto früher ist natürlich auch der Sonnenaufgang. Wir standen um 4 Uhr morgens auf, fuhren mit dem Taxi zum Fuß des Berges, der unweit dem Taipei 101 gelegen ist, und begannen den Aufstieg. Der Weg nach oben dauert etwa 20min und besteht nur aus einer steilen Treppe. Als wir oben ankamen waren wir ziemlich außer Atem. Zu unserer Überraschung waren wir nicht die einzigen dort oben. Eine ganze Gruppe Senioren war schon vor uns hinauf gewandert um oben ihren Frühsport zu betreiben. Ich muss zugeben, es ist etwas frustrierend auf der Spitze des Berges schwitzend und keuchend anzukommen um dort einen etwa 70 Jahre alten Mann Liegestützen machen zu sehen. Ich schätze jetzt weiß ich, wie Sam Wilson sich fühlt.... Zu unserer Enttäuschung war es auch zu bedeckt um den Sonnenaufgang sehen zu können - wir werden also wohl noch einmal zurückkommen müssen. Nächstes Mal für den Sonnenuntergang.

[taidajournal]

by Lisa Herbers

[lisasflaschenpost]

As promised here my article about the Taipei InStyle in Taida Journal.

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April Highs and Lows

Lowlights

I'm sure every student says this, but I am sick of exams. While in the first semester I at least had some motivation to learn and achieve a good grade, this has gradually declined as the semesters passed and has now reached a level  close to zero. So my lowlights this month were definitely the midterms. I don't even want to think about the fact that the finals are less than two months away.

Highlights

1) Watched

I have started watching a lot more youtube videos lately. The first channel I fell in love with was Ingrid Nilsen. It is a great mixture of all kinds of lifestyle videos from makeup to cooking. Although I still watch each and every one of her videos I have a new favorite: the Fashion Mumblr aka Josie is a blogger and youtuber from London. I absolutely loved her South Africa Vlogs! I went there a year ago but watching her videos makes me want to go back there as soon as possible!

In the last days of April I watched the new Captain America: Civil War and then I watched it again in the first days of May. I don't usually go to the cinema to watch the same movie twice but the opportunity arose and since it is an amazing movie I knew that i could do nothing wrong with it. I liked the first Captain America, I loved the second one and I adore the third! It is a great mixture of action and clever dialogues and the underlying conflict is actually interesting and not easily resolved. Freedom or Security, could Marvel be more up to date?  

2) Read

To my shame I have to admit that I did not actually read much this month. I tried to make it a rule to read for half an hour before going to bed but I only stayed true to that for a few days until I fell back into my routine of late nights in which I am too tiered to concentrate on a single page. 
Maybe I will give it another try this week. The only thing I actually read regularly in the last month, except for news pages, were two blogs: C'est Christine and Hidden under the Covers. 
The first one I discovered years ago when I was looking for a decent sandy beach while doing my internship in Nice and even though I don't read every post I still love reading it. While it was a travel blog at first it has slowly graduated into more of a lifestyle one. Take a look at it if you're looking for a new blog to follow, she is very inspiring and I love her writing style! 
The second blog is that of one of my old classmates from my time in NewZealand. She writes about her life as a student in Auckland and, yes, about things that usually stay hidden under the covers. She only started the blog roughly a year ago and I'm very much looking forward to see where it is going in the future.

3) App

Traveling with friends is great but sooner or later you will come across the "money problem" and if there is one thing that can destroy friendships it is money. 
You pay for the taxi ride and buy the tickets at the museum, your friend gets you all lunch, someone booked the flights for everyone and you end up wondering who owes who what. In the best case you and your friend decide not to care and you just hope that it will even out somehow over the course of the trip. In the worst case everyone is left with the feeling that the others are taking advantage off them. But there is a solution: Tricount is an app that allows you to create accounts for everyone and write down who paid what. We used it a lot on our travels during Spring Break and the Trip to Sun Moon Lake and it really makes things easier - you only have to remember to write it down.  

4) Ate

Being a vegetarian exchange student in Taiwan is tough. Luckily I'm not. But still I don't like to eat meat every day, especially if I don't know where it comes from.There are many meals here that contain either meat or fish and often times you simply do not really know what you are being served. The answer are buddhist buffets, that you can find all over Taiwan. Most of them are completely vegetarian and offer a wide range of dishes for little money. You choose whatever you want, they weight it and if you want, you can add some rice to it. I have been there at least two or three times each week in the last month and I am pretty sure I will continue doing this until I go home

5) Gone

Although I have seen a lot of great things this month, the unchallenged champion was our Spring Break Trip to Tainan, Kaohsiung and Kenting. I especially loved Kaohsiung, the Lotus Pond and Buddha Memorial. If you haven't seen them yet, take a look at the pictures I took!  

6) Listened

As usually my favorite songs this month come from movies. Earlier this month I rewatched one of my absolute favorites "Two weeks notice" and immediately set out to add some of the songs from the soundtrack to my playlist.

Big Yellow Taxi, by Counting Crows feat. Vanessa Carlton very much captures the spirit of the film and I've been listening to it nonstop since finding it in Spotify.

Another song from “Two Weeks Notice” (and many other movies) that I rediscovered was "Come Fly with Me" sang by Michale Buble. The perfect word to describe this song does not exist in English: "Fernweh" is basically the exact opposite of homesickness ("Heimweh") literally translated it would be "far-away-sickness" and it describes the longing for a place that is not your home.

I always need a song to wake me up in the morning and "Left Hand Free", from the latest Captain America Film has been my first choice ever since watching the movie for the first time. I can't believe I didn't know alt-J before! His other songs are just as amazing.  

[lisasflaschenpost]

Sun Moon Lake Part II

On our second and last day at Sun Moon Lake we climbed Mt. Maolan. The mountain at the northern side of the lake is famous for spotting the sunrise from there. Sadly we were a little late for that. The hike up the mountain takes about two hours (including picture-taking time) and is quite steep in parts, the way down took us less than an hour. The views were stunning although the weather wasn’t the best. It started raining when we were half way up the mountain, but at least that meant it wasn't to hot. On the top we met a Chinese travel group - a rather surreal experience as they suddenly started taking pictures of us instead of the view. We agreed to take pictures with some of them, until we realized, that now everyone wanted a picture and we had to escape. We met them a couple more times that day and everytime they all started cheering and waving and one guy would always scream “I love you” at the top of his lungs. Sometimes you do feel like an alien here. Time to grab a towl and hitchhike to the next planet soon...

An unserem zweiten Tag am Sonne Mond See erklommen wir Mt. Maolan. Der Berg auf der Nordseite des Sees ist bekannt dafür, dass man von dort einen wunderbaren Blick auf den Sonnenaufgang über dem See hat. Dafür waren wir aber leider etwas zu spät. Die Wanderung auf den Berg dauert etwa 2 Stunden (inklusive Zeit fürs Fotos-machen) und ist stellenweise doch sehr steil. Für den Rückweg brauchten wir dann weniger als eine Stunde. Der Ausblick von oben war fantastisch, obwohl das Wetter nicht das beste war. Auf halbem Weg nach oben fing es an zu Regnen, aber das bedeutete wenigstens, dass es nicht zu warm war. Oben angekommen trafen wir eine Chinesische Reisegruppe - ein ausgesprochen surreales Erlebnis, den plötzlich fingen alle an Bilder von uns anstelle des Ausblicks zu machen. Wir erklärten uns einverstanden ein paar Bilder mit Ihnen zu machen, bis wir realisierten, dass das bedeutete, dass plötzlich jeder ein Bild mit uns machen wollte und wir flüchteten mussten. Wir trafen die Gruppe noch ein paarmal an diesem Tag und jedesmal jubelten und winkten sie und einer rief jedesmal so laut er konnte “I love you!” Manchmal fühlt man sich hier doch ein bisschen wie ein Alien. Es wird langsam Zeit sich ein Handtuch zu schnappen und per Anhalten zum nächsten Planeten zu reisen...

[lisasflaschenpost]

Sun Moon Lake Part I 

Last weekend we spend at Sun Moon Lake. The lake in the center of Taiwan is a popular destination for tourists and honeymooners.  We rented some bikes to go around the lake. I wasn’t feeling too well, so I only did half and then took the ferry back to Shueishe. But I can still very much recommend the tour. Besides some spectacular views on the lake there are also four temples and an peacock garden to see.   Afterwards I realized that some of the bike rentals also offer electronic bikes - a very good alternative especially on hot days, since the road is a little steep in some parts. 

Letztes Wochenende waren wir am Sonne-Mond See. Der See im Zentrum Taiwans ist ein beliebtes Reise Ziel bei Touristen und Flitterwöchner.   Wir mieteten uns Fahrräder und machten uns auf zu einer Tour um den See. Da ich mich nicht übermäßig gut fühlte, bin ich nur die Hälfte gefahren und dann von dort aus mit der Fähre zurück nach Shueishe geschippert.  Trotzdem kann ich die Tour sehr empfehlen. Neben spektakulären Aussichten über den See gibt es auf der Route auch 4 Tempel und einen Pfauengarten zu sehen. Im Nachhinein habe ich auch mitbekommen, dass einige Fahrrad-Verleihe auch Elektroräder anbieten. An heißen Tagen eine sehr gute Alternative, teilweise ist die Straße nämlich doch recht Steil.  

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One of the things that Taiwan is most famous for is FOOD. Indeed there ate thousands of restaurants everywhere in which you can have very decent meals for only a few Euros and Nightmarkts that offer local specialities at an even cheaper price.   Because of its rather moved history there is a great variety of different national  cuisines available in Taiwan. And while most of it looks and tastes very delicious to someone who is used to European food, there are some things that I just can’t get myself to try.  Eines der Dinge, für die Taiwan berühmt ist, ist ESSEN. Tatsächlich gibt es Unmengen von Restaurants in denen man für ein paar Euro sehr gut essen kann und Nachtmärkte, die sogar noch günstige lokale Spezialitäten anbieten. Wegen seiner bewegten Geschichte hat Taiwan viele verschiedene Landesküchen zu bieten. Und während das meiste davon auch für Europäer genauso gut schmeckt, wie es aussieht, gibt es doch einige Dinge, die ich mich dann doch nicht zu probieren traue.