Every corner of Taichung City

I'm gonna miss every corner of Taichung city.
This is where I meet Kurt, May, Poconz, Dettya and Rizki.
"Ninja", "like ka", "bi zui", "zhen de jia de" they say the most daily.
Wherever we go, always like a family.

I'm gonna miss every corner of Taichung city.
Lin, Jeff and the temple aunties.
Lin gives us orders and Jeff gives us money.
The aunties serve us food and we feel so happy.

I'm gonna miss every corner of Taichung city.
Johnson, Janet and Jia Yi are our temple buddies.
Sticking the coins and eating the piggies.
Sun Moon Lake trip is our most precious memory.

I'm gonna miss every corner of Taichung city.
THU, Keiko and Nancy.
We chat we laugh whenever we meet.
We jump high to get closer to our dreams.

I'm gonna miss every corner of Taichung city.
Kevin Temple or Kevin Tunghai comes whenever we need.
Soon, getting around in Taichung becomes easy.
No problem taking bus, train or BRT.

I'm gonna miss every corner of Taichung city.
I wanna thank AIESEC for giving me this opportunity.
Especially Ann yheen, Daryl, Josh and Wendy.
Without them, without the current me.

I'm gonna miss every corner of Taichung city.
Because I don't know when will I visit here again as I'm busy.
I love the people, food and hospitality.
When I come again, the first stop will be Yuanbao Temple in Taichung city.

Chinese New Year

   Before Chinese New Year, I and my friend had a dinner with the owner of Yuan Bao Temple in restaurant because one day before Chinese New Year it's too hard to looking for restaurant. Many restaurant in Taiwan would be close because they have to celebrate with their family like having dinner together. On 19 February, it was a precious day for Taiwanese people because there's a Chinese New Year in Taiwan. So, everybody would come to the temple to celebrate this day and it would make crowded at Yuan Bao Temple but before people come to here I have to help temple's staff such as sweeping the floors, cleaning table and many more. In here, Yuan Bao Temple served like group musical special for Chinese New Year and free food for everbody who would come to here. Otherwise, I and other EP (exchange participant) sold our souvenir from our country to every prayer in here and then we had to say Gong Xi Fat Cai and happy New Year to them. They're purpose in here is like to thanks to the god for healthy and wealthy. And i asked to my friend about "do you celebrate new year eve too?" He said Chinese people just celebrated Chinese New Year not another new year. And it made me like I had to proud of my country's culture too.

    Chinese New Year is an important Chinese festival celebrated at the turn of the Chinese calendar. In China, it is also known as the Spring Festival, the literal translation of the modern Chinese name. Chinese New Year celebrations traditionally run from Chinese New Year's Eve, the last day of the last month of the Chinese calendar, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month, making the festival the longest in the Chinese calendar. The first day of the New Year falls between January 21 and February 20.

    Chinese New Year is centuries old and gains significance because of several myths and traditions. Traditionally, the festival was a time to honour deities as well as ancestors. Chinese New Year is celebrated in countries and territories with significant Chinese populations, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Philippines, and also in Chinatowns elsewhere. Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for the Chinese and has had influence on the lunar New Year celebrations of its geographic neighbours.

Chinese New Year 2015

The Spring Festival has a history of more than 4,000 years. This Festival, widely known as Chinese New Year in the West, is the most important traditional festival, and most important celebration for families in Taiwan. It is an official public holiday, during which most Taiwanese have 6 days off work. 

This year, is the year of the “Goat”, begins on Thursday the 19^th of February, and end on the 5^th of March.Taiwanese will be off work from the 18th of February (New Year's Eve). All of the families gather together to have a special dinner. It is called reunion dinner. They believe it to be the most important meal of the year. Big families – families of several generations sit around round tables and enjoy the food and time together. Most families always cook the foods in their house, but some families go to have dinner in the restaurant. I also joined going to dinner with one family who is working in the Yuan Bao Temple. This family, they cooked the meal in their house. They prepared many special recipes such as Soy-Braised Pork Leg, Alaska Crab soup and Abalone shell, etc. I really enjoyed those foods. Moreover, one guy who is the member of that family made one kind of alcohol for everyone. The taste is spicy and bitter. This is the first time I tried that kind of taste. For me, it is very special. That day, I am very full and grateful.

0n 19^th February, it was very crowded in Yuan Bao Temple, because during the Chinese New Year people go to the temple. They believed that it is blessed, and will lead to a smooth coming year. Thus, this day the temple prepares special activities not only for praying to the gods for good fortune, and also other activities for people. The activities are such as giving the red envelopes, showing lion dance and traditional drumming, hanging lanterns, selling amulets, showing traditional live music, etc.

For the giving the red envelopes activity, one high positioned person in the Temple came to give them to the people in the morning. People went to the temple and lined up very early. Moreover in the evening, The Mayor of Taichung state came to Yuan Bao Temple to give red envelopes also. Many people lined up to get the red envelopes and took a picture with him. People are really delighted to see him.

For hanging lanterns, the temple had many colorful lanterns hung around. That temple is different from others accounting for the lanterns are not only the normal red lanterns, and also have the colorful lanterns they got from a student painting competition.  And my lantern that I painted when I just reached here few days was hung in the same place with the champion.

For showing traditional live music,the temple prepared the traditional band for 2 days to show in the temple. Although all of musician is elder ,they really good at playing.They used Taiwanese folk musical instruments such as Fiddle, Fulte,Chinese Cymbaloc.They dressed up the red Chinese style shirt. The music that they shown is about celebrating.This activity added color to the temple very much.

Traditional Chinese Medical in Yuan Bao Temple

    On Sunday, there're no ceremony or festival in Yuan Bao Temple, because we got visitor from china medical university hospital. They were in here to give free traditional Chinese medical check up for us and people who want to check up in here.

   Traditional Chinese medicine is a broad range of medicine practices sharing common concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage (Tui na), exercise (qigong), and dietary therapy. It is primarily used as a complementary alternative medicine approach. TCM is widely used in China and it is also used in the West. But before they start the traditional medical check up, there's a speech by old man (maybe he works in yuan bao temple). And then, he gave them cerficates for some students. After that, the students from china medical university hospital opened the examination directly. And their purpose were to get some practice and experience for students.

    And then, when time showed at 9 am o'clock, they began to open the examination for people who want to check their healthy. After that, many people came to here to check their body including Yuan Bao's staff and us. Although, I was scare about that but I have to try it because I really curious about it too. I got number 10 for this examination and I should wait until they call my number. Finally, they called me to come and get some form for traditional medical check up. They gave a lot of questions to me such as "did you feel cold when you arrived in Taiwan for first time? And how about now? What do you feel?". And I answer their questions like this "yes, I felt cold when i arrived in Taiwan for first time especially my hands because I didn't wear gloves. After that, they suggested me to check my weight and height but I thought the different or special between traditional Chinese medical and modern medical are Chinese medical don't use technology they just use their hand to touch patient's hand and they will know the patients disease. And then, they gave me order to move to another counter because 1 counter is different specialist doctor than another counter in there so, I have to move. Lastly, they said I must change my habit like I have to reduce drinking cold water, so the conclusion is I'm healthy and I don't get medicine.