Blog #3

 Here’s an update about the first days in Tainan! 

So far my Tainan experience has been so amazing. Since my parents are from Taipei, this is my first time traveling outside the city, and it's been fascinating to notice the subtle cultural and culinary differences. The food around the area so far has been so amazing and has definitely been a highlight of my visit so far. 

On the first day in Tainan, we got to meet the NCKU students and have a walking tour of the campus. I really appreciated the personal touch of having students show us around, giving us an inside look at the school from their perspective. After the initial meeting, a whole group of us went to go find something to eat and eventually landed on a Thai restaurant near the hotel. The 12 of us all really enjoyed the food and also had a great time chatting and eating together. It was a really fun experience getting to talk with everyone while sharing a meal. That night we also went to a listening lounge with a few drinks and live music. The interior was so nicely decorated and us design students really appreciated the attention to aesthetics. Again, it was a great time getting to chat with my cohort. 

The next day was a free day full of exciting events. A group of us went to a capybara cafe which was such a cool experience. We ordered a few pastries and made our way into the capybara pen to pet and take pictures. We then made our way over to ShenNong street for secondhand shopping and food. We were having such a great time stopping between stores and having a few snacks along the way. Eventually, it started to rain and we took shelter at a Japanese restaurant on the street. The food was also so amazing. After a break at the hotel, we then made our way to the HuaYuan night market. 

Up next we had our indigo dye day. This was such a fun workshop and I’m so excited to learn more about different crafts and materials moving forward. It was so much fun learning about the indigo plant, the dyeing process, and its different uses. The hands-on experience was both creative and collaborative, and the reveal of our work at the end was such a rewarding moment. After the workshop, we asked one of the mentors for a local restaurant recommendation, and they suggested a place called 1933. Every dish was so amazing and there was not one scrap when we left the table. One thing I’ve learned is to always ask the people around the area for food recommendations. 

Lastly, for today, we made our way to the NCKU campus and got to work. We spent the day brainstorming and ideating for our concepts presentation on Friday. It started off slow but picked up after getting lunch and inspiration along the way. The last few days have been so much fun to explore and experience. Next up, Nantou!!