Hi the name is John-Louis and I'm curently on a Rotary Youth Exchange in Taiwan. It has always been one of my lifelong dreams. I aspire to return with understanding of Taiwanese culture and the Mandarin Language both spoken and writen. Without a doubt I will return as a more mature and self-dependent individual.





"Go then. There are other worlds than these"

John "Jake" Chambers

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

On to the Next one

Milk tower stacked to represent Taipei 101. 

Tofu at a traditional Taiwanese market. 

Pig head anyone? 

Fruit stands are in abundance. They offer cheap prices and fruits only grown in Taiwan. The fruits pictured behind the apples are litchi and are in season now. 

This box was bought from a roadside vendor. The round balls are made from "little rice" that is smashed together  until it forms a jelly like consistency. Afterwards these balls are rolled in ground peanuts. 

Take notice to the jade peanut hanging of the side of the phone. Charms like these are  more than common in Taiwan. Most phones look naked without some sort of charm. 

Monday, May 23, 2011

Pictures Worth A Million Words

A pig leg rests on the back of a motorcycle. The 95 degree heat didn't deter  anyone from setting down though. Who knows maybe they were trying to cook it. 

After eating curry for lunch for one week, my friends and I decided  咖哩 had the best curry. So I made him a certificate that is currently hanging in his shop. My stomach was strongly opposed to a weeks worth of curry and I haven't had the chance to go see it since. 

Red Bean Cake's are delicious.  Two pieces of cake with a thick layer of Red Bean paste in-between is one of my favorite delicacies. 

The variations of fruit here in Taiwan are incredible. Local fruit stands and fruit vendors selling from trucks offer incredibly low prices. Pictured here is a "Korean Apple" which tastes something like a mix in-between a pear and an apple. 

The ever popular drink stands offer a wide selection of teas mixed with different milks, fruits, and extracts. Pictured is  the fruit tea. 

Another famous drink from the drink stands. Pearl Milk Tea. One of my favorites.  Tea, Milk, and tapioca balls, all mixed together for a unique experience. Usually everyone's first impression of Pearl Milk Tea is negative. The entire drinking and chewing thing turns people off. Then after a week or so the consumer usually starts to crave it. After the second round there is no stopping them.  

This is "small rice" mashed in a bowl. I had the opportunity to make this special dish. The process includes mashing "small rice" until it become sticky and almost liquid. In the end it changes colors. Then it is rolled into small bite size pieces and served with ground peanuts and honey. 

The award winning vegetable curry. If my mom found out that I eat  eggplant and broccoli she would either jump for joy or smack me because I put up such a fuss eating those veggies back in the States.