Blossoming Beauty: Embrace the Daylilies Season in Changhua

Travel Date: 2023/05/27

Hushan Daylilies (虎山巖金針花)

Hualien and Taidong are the most famous places to see daylilies blooming, but they are not the only places where you can find these flowers. Small fields can also be found in the west of Taiwan, such as Miaoli, Taichung, Changhua, or Nantou. Although the view may not be as stunning as in the high mountains of the East, it's still a nice trip if you're in the vicinity.

Today, we had a meeting with a Polish woman in Taichung as my husband wanted to gather more job-related information. It was actually our first time meeting her. We met at Taichung Art Museum, which has plenty of outdoor space. The museum is free to visit. While it may be a nice place for those interested in art, it didn't particularly captivate me. However, the outdoor areas were great, and our son had fun playing with other kids. There is also a restaurant and a beverage shop. The prices for drinks range from 150NT and up, which I suppose is quite normal for the city.

We also drove to Changhua to see the daylilies. We went to Hushan (虎山), a famous place to visit during the flowering season. We didn't know that there was a car park (free of charge), so we parked about half a kilometer away in the village. The car park was not small, and there was still plenty of space when we arrived. Perhaps because we went around noon on a hot day, there were slightly fewer people.

There is an old temple (虎山巖觀音佛祖), plenty of street food and other products, as well as restaurants. The hill is not very big (though it's still larger than the one in Dahu, Miaoli), but overall, it's a decent place for a walk. Daylilies bloom here from April to June. We've been to Taidong and Hualien before, so compared to those places, Changhua is not that special. I highly recommend visiting the mountains in the East of Taiwan, where the blooming season is from July to September. If you want to know more about Taidong or Hualien, feel free to check out my previous posts.

Daylilies are native to Asia, and there are more than 80,000 cultivars of these flowers. They thrive in low temperatures with high humidity. The Liliaceae family, to which they belong, is known for its adaptability to the environment. The golden needle flower is grown and cultivated at altitudes of 700 to 1000 meters. Aside from the coastal plains, most of them are found in mountainous areas.

Due to their beautiful flower patterns and vibrant colors, daylilies have earned the reputation of being the "beauty of the day" in Europe and America. In Chinese, they are also called "Mother Flower." The finished product, with its golden yellow color and needle-like shape, is named "Golden Needle" and "Yellow Cabbage" based on its color, shape, and use. Daylilies are planted for culinary purposes, especially in soups, and are sold to many restaurants throughout Taiwan. Almost all parts of the daylily plant are edible. They can be eaten raw, cooked, or deep-fried. The flowers can also be made into dried vegetables by steaming and drying.

Daylilies are also used as a natural dye. This plant is rich in protein, fat, and carbohydrates. It contains vitamin C, carotene, calcium, and potassium. The roots of daylilies contain compounds with anti-tumor properties. They can also help relieve pain, prevent vomiting, relax muscle spasms and cramps, reduce fever, and promote sleep.

Interestingly, it's quite common to see daylilies in Poland. I had several plants in my garden. In Poland, we often call them "smolinosy," which translates to "something that will make your nose dirty." This's because when we try to smell them, our noses become orange from the pollen.

See also: Daylilies in Jinzhen Shan (金針山), Taidong

See also: Daylilies in Liushidan Shan (六十石山), Hualien

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Address:

Car parking: 503彰化縣花壇鄉503

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Journey of Living Abroad: Reflections on Six Years in Taiwan

June 2017 was the first time I came to Taiwan. It started as a 3-month stay and turned into 6 years. So much has happened throughout the years. I got married, had a child, and started my cake business. Living abroad has its good and bad parts.

1. Leaving everything behind is definitely difficult. I left my family, friends, and pets, and it completely changed my life. Was it worth it? At some point, yes, but I do wish I had more time to spend with family members and my beloved cat who sadly isn't around anymore. It's challenging to keep in touch with family due to the distance and time difference. I miss out on a lot of things, such as weddings or other events. I feel like life goes on without me.

2. Being away from family and my country has taught me to appreciate them more. Now when I go back, I see Poland in a different light. I think it's a beautiful country, I love the architecture in most Polish cities, and I miss the countryside. I hate to say it, but I don't find Taiwan as aesthetically pleasing. People here don't seem to care much about renovating houses or even about cleanliness.

3. Moving here has allowed me to see different places, experience different lives, and immerse myself in a different culture. Before I moved to Taiwan, I didn't really travel, but now I enjoy visiting new places, witnessing different festivals, and learning about religions I had never heard of before.

4. Living in a different country can open up new opportunities. For example, in Poland, I would have never thought about starting my own business. It feels like there are too many rules and regulations, especially when it comes to selling food. But in Taiwan, it feels much simpler. All you need is a product to sell, and you're good to go!

In the past 6 years, I've noticed that especially in the countryside, people don't seem to care much. I've seen cockroaches or rats in restaurants while eating out. Here, it doesn't seem like a big deal, but in Poland, the place would definitely be closed.

5. The biggest challenge of living abroad is the language barrier. I know that after 6 years, I should be more proficient in Chinese, but I'm a shy person. I find it difficult to strike up conversations with strangers, and I even struggle to make friends here. So, learning the language hasn't been easy for me.

6. Moving to a different country can result in a huge culture shock and homesickness. During the first year here, I felt really down. I hated everything, I cried a lot, and I just wanted to go back home. However, as time went by, I adapted to life and the food here. I've even come to love stinky tofu, so I guess it's not that bad anymore.

7. It's challenging to make friends here. While I do know some other foreigners, due to our frequent moves, sometimes over 200km away, it's difficult to maintain long-lasting friendships unless they're online. I also find it challenging to form close friendships with Taiwanese people due to the cultural differences.

What's your experience with living abroad? Let me know in the comments!

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A trip to South - Tainan, Chiayi, Yunlin

Travel date: 20/05/2023

Due to my husband getting his teeth straightened, we have to drive back to Tainan every 2-3 months. After visiting the dentist, we usually have a few hours to spare. However, it's challenging to find parking in the city on weekends, so even if we plan to go somewhere or eat, we end up spending a lot of time driving around looking for an empty parking spot, often giving up.

During this visit to Tainan, we went to eat at DanDan Hamburger, which I had missed a lot. This fast-food chain can only be found in the south of Taiwan, with several stores in Tainan and Kaohsiung. It's different from McDonald's or KFC because they also offer soup options. They have vermicelli or corn soup (my favorite), and what's even better is that it's super cheap compared to other fast-food chains. For example, the set I usually choose costs less than 100NT.

Baihe Lotus Park (白河蓮花公園)

We also visited Baihe District, which is well-known for its lotus farms. Baihe produces 2/3 of all lotus seeds in Taiwan. Every year from June to September, the Lotus Festival is held there to promote tourism. The town offers lotus picking, lotus tea ceremonies, painting activities, lotus-based meals, and ice creams. The only other place that organizes the Lotus Festival is Taoyuan, the second-largest producer of lotus in the country. Since we had already visited the park several times in the past, we didn't find it as interesting. However, in addition to viewing the flowers, visitors can also buy various lotus-infused products such as ice cream, puffed rice, lotus seeds (whole or powdered), and dried flowers for making tea.

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National Chung Cheng University (國立中正大學)

Afterwards, we drove to Chiayi to see the Flame trees in bloom. The most famous place to see them is in National Chung Cheng University. The flowering period for these trees is from the middle of May to June. Flame trees are native to Madagascar and are known for their fern-like leaves and flamboyant display of orange-red flowers during the summer. In many tropical parts of the world, they are grown as ornamental trees and are known by several names, including royal poinciana, flamboyant, flame of the forest, or flame tree.

As it was getting late, we also stopped by the newly opened IKEA in Chiayi City. Feeling hungry, we then started to drive back to my parents-in-law's place. While passing by Dounan in Yunlin County, we saw a night market and decided to stop there for dinner. After finishing our meal, it was already 7:30 PM. We knew my parents-in-law weren't home, but they were supposed to be back between 8-9 PM.

Here's something I can't quite understand. They went to a Buddhist place (as they call it) for religious activities, but I'm not exactly sure what they do there. The place doesn't allow the use of phones, so we had absolutely no contact with them the whole day. I find it hard to grasp why people aren't allowed to keep their phones turned on. What if there's an emergency? It felt abnormal to me, as we grew up having phones, and being in touch is quite normal for us.

Anyway, we waited at the park while my husband tried to contact them a few times. It was already past 9 PM, and their phones were still off. He contacted another person who might have had more information, and we found out that their activities could last until 10 PM or even later. We had already been waiting for over an hour, and not knowing how much longer it would take, we decided to drive back home. Another peculiar thing about Taiwanese homes is that people not only close their regular house doors but also use garage doors. If not for that, we could have waited inside their home since we have keys. However, because the entire house was inaccessible, we had no choice. We started driving back at around 9 PM. The drive from Yunlin to Miaoli is 40 km, and it usually takes around 2 hours or even longer if there's heavy traffic. Fortunately, the highway wasn't too busy at night, so we arrived at 10:30 PM.

In retrospect, it felt like wasted time. We could have at least found a hotel in Tainan to stay for the night or, had we known they wouldn't be back until after 10 PM, we could have driven back home much earlier instead of at night.

I was raised as a Christian-Catholic, but I'm not particularly interested in religion. I also don't want our son to grow up following any specific religion. I dislike restrictions, although I don't recall having so many rules in Christianity. While I understand that people won't answer calls during prayers, the idea of having phones turned off, especially when staying somewhere for over 24 hours, is something I can't quite imagine. Perhaps others have different experiences with religion, but these are just my thoughts.

Address:

1. Baihe Lotus Park: 732台南市白河區三民路465號
2. National Chung Cheng University: 62102嘉義縣民雄鄉大學路一段168號
3. Dounan Night Market: 630雲林縣斗南鎮中興路

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Fireflies viewing in Miaoli

Travel Date: 2023/05/02

It's currently firefly season in Taiwan, and Miaoli and Hsinchu are fortunate to have plenty of places where you can see them. All you have to do is drive to the mountains and find a location near water. We drove to Lion's Head Mountain and parked near the Shuilian Bridge Trail. We followed the trail to a cave, but it was too dark to see much except for the temple inside.

Although we couldn't see a lot, the fireflies we did see were really beautiful. It's a shame that capturing their beauty with an iPhone camera doesn't do them justice compared to using a professional camera.

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Enchanting Beauty of Miaoli's Tung Blossom

Travel Date: 2023/05/01

We drove to Sanwan in Miaoli to see the tung trees in bloom. Along the way, we passed by Yongheshan Water Reservoir, and we noticed that the water level was lower than it was a few months ago. The place we visited was not well-known, so there weren't many people there. However, driving a car on the narrow roads was a bit challenging.

The Hakka Tung Blossom Festival started in 2002 as a way to promote Hakka culture. Every April to May, many people travel to the mountains to enjoy the beautiful sight of the blooming flowers. There were two trails, but unfortunately, one of them, which seemed to have more trees, was closed.

Tung trees, also known as tung oil trees or China wood-oil trees, were originally grown in the Yangtze River region of China. They were brought to Taiwan during the Japanese occupation. The majority of tung trees can be found in the northern part of Taiwan, particularly in Miaoli, Hsinchu, and Taoyuan, where they were planted by the Hakka people.

The seeds of these trees are used to produce tung oil, which traditionally was used in lamps. Tung oil is also an ingredient in paint, varnish, and caulk. It is known for its ability to protect wood furniture and make it waterproof. Additionally, tung oil is used in the production of Meinong's oil-paper umbrellas, which is an enduring Hakka craft.

The use of tung oil can be traced back to 400 years B.C., and it was mentioned in the writings of Confucius. Although the demand for tung oil is declining, it still holds a significant place in Hakka culture as one of their popular trees.

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Address:

352苗栗縣三灣鄉20號神棹山

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Poland Travel 2023: Goodbye Poland! Time to fly back to Taiwan

Travel Date: 2023/03/24 ~ 04/12

We flew back to Taiwan on April 12, so we were in Poland for a little less than 3 weeks. It was a trip filled with both happiness and sadness. Unfortunately, a few days before Easter, my aunt passed away. We decided to fly back when I found out that her health was deteriorating rapidly. We bought the tickets in February and flew to Poland at the end of March. I am grateful that I got to see her, even though it was a very sad time. Before visiting her at home, I was quite nervous as I dislike seeing sick people (I mean, who likes it, right?). I'm glad she was out of the hospital, so at least we could spend time with her at home. I told myself not to show sadness in front of her. I tried to give her hope and make her smile.

My husband seems to have bad luck because this is the second time someone has passed away when he went to Poland. The first time was in 2017 when my mother passed away the day after he arrived. This time, during our stay of less than 2 weeks, my aunt passed away. Sadly, her funeral was on the day we flew back, so we were unable to attend.

Sometimes I hate living abroad. I feel like I miss out on a lot and don't get to spend time with my family. Especially in the past three years, we couldn't travel abroad due to COVID-19. During that time, I lost a few family members, and now I worry about who else I might lose while I'm away. It's not easy to keep in touch because of the 6-7 hours time difference, and most of them are busy with work when I have time to talk, which is usually when I'm ready to sleep.

Adrian really fell in love with Poland, and he cried many times because he didn't want to fly back to Taiwan. He enjoyed the countryside and visiting different family members, especially because they all have pets for him to play with. In Taiwan, we often move around, and it's difficult to find rentals that allow pets unless it's an old, unfurnished, and often dirty place that I wouldn't want to live in.

We visited several family members who live nearby, and we also traveled to four different cities. You can see several videos from our trip to Poland on my YouTube channel if you're interested (Hsu Family 波蘭x台灣).

The journey back to Taiwan took 30 hours. This time, we flew through London, which I feel is better than the Netherlands airport. It's also a very big airport, and we had to take a bus to our terminal. We had a 4-hour layover, but because our flight was at night, all the shops were already closed. And once again, we had an almost 16-hour flight to Taiwan, which was exhausting. After arriving, we had to take the MRT, HSR, and a train. Since it was already 10 PM, we didn't want to bother our friends to pick us up. My husband used a U-Bike and rode home to get the car and then came back to pick us up. Luckily, we live about 2.5km away from the train station, so it's not too far.

We experienced jet lag for a few days, and it was quite a nightmare. We would fall asleep in the morning and wake up in the afternoon, but my husband was actually supposed to be working that day. He mistakenly took one day off less, but luckily, his boss was understanding.

Our son can't wait for the next time we go back to Poland. He even wants to move there. It's difficult to explain to a 5-year-old that it's not so easy to move to another country. Hopefully, one day, my husband will find a job in Europe so that we can be closer to my family.

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