Yes, that date in the title is correct. I'm writing about a trip that we took over three months ago. We've gotten a bit behind on our blogging. After reading about Thomas and Elva's adventures I was shamed into action. Maybe a more positive way to put it would be Thomas and Elva's fantastic blog motivated me to get back to it. There is a link to their blog to the right. Anyway better late than never.
We took another overnight B&B trip sponsored by the ex-pat Community Center with our friend Amy acting once again as tour guide. The trip was short but fun and educational. We travelled with a group of about 4-5 families via bus to
BeiPu, a small town that is about 98% Hakka to learn about the culture. The
Hakka people originated in China and make up about 15% of the population in Taiwan. Mandarin, Taiwanese and Hakka are the three main languages spoken in Taiwan.
We stayed at a lovely, small B&B that was completely furnished with Chinese antiques. The "bed" in our room was a traditional Chinese bed. It was wide enough for the four of us to sleep comfortably. The B&B also had a hot springs and a fantastic restaurant. We went to a couple of local restaurants and sampled many Hakka dishes and made a special tea that had all the kids working hard. The tea is called Lai Cha and is made of green tea, sesame, peanuts, herbs, and other ingredients that are ground to a paste in a grooved ceramic bowl with a long wooden dowel then mixed with hot water, rice and sweet red beans. The grinding can take 10-30 minutes and requires muscle and stamina (or lots of kids whom you've convinced that this is really fun).
The tea was very thick, "green" and sweet. I thought it was pretty good. Somebody needs to introduce the Hakkas to a Cuisinart. My guess is that's how they do it at home and just pull out the giant bowl and dowel for the crazy tourists.
The Hakkas are considered to be extremely hard working and frugal. Many of the dishes are very vinegary, allowing them to be stored for long periods (frugal!) and salty allowing them to replenish salt lost to sweat (hard working!). To be honest there wasn't much food that I cared for but I enjoyed trying it all and learning about Hakka people. Our trip included plenty of hiking and exploring the beautiful countryside which is always a plus on road trips with a knowledgeable tour guide.
Check out a few more photos (misty mountains, temple, banana tree, and chicken feet!):
We had a fun weekend in Hong Kong. We travelled with several other Dell ex-pat families and did lots of sightseeing, shopping and eating. Thanksgiving dinner was room service in our hotel room. The kids enjoyed ferry rides across the harbor. I enjoyed the fantastic Indian food and the great shopping. I'm hoping we can make it back there for a long weekend sometime soon.
