Endless Adventures

My Study Abroad experience in Taiwan August 2018-July 2019 PART 1 I arrived back in the United States a few weeks ago after my study abroad program ended this past June. I studied abroad in Taipei, Taiwan for an academic year so I did not eat food on Thanksgiving day with my family nor did I spend Easter day with my paternal grandparents. I calculated that I spend about ten months abroad. I was not used to the fact that I had to attend classes on Christmas day, but I know that Taiwan is not a Christian country. I chose to study abroad in Taiwan because I wanted to spend more time in Taiwan. I felt that my vacation period in Taiwan with my parents and relatives is too short and that I want to do more things, see more places, and eat more food in restaurants. Also, I was feeling bored in my hometown so I wanted to experience living in a different country. I applied online (my home university's study abroad website in March 2018 and I departed San Francisco in August 2018. I had

Certain aromas that bring me back to my childhood: -Mint leaves growing in the front yard that my dad would collect and put in iced tea -strong smell of Basil leaves -white lilies brought from the grocery store I am currently sitting outside and enjoying nature. I marvel at God's beautiful creation. The birds. The shades of green surrounding me. I see the tall bamboo...lush trees' leaves moving slightly in the breeze. I love the warm weather and I feel at peace on this fine day of July. The nature and sounds brings me back to my childhood memories. I used to go to the countryside of my county or go to wild West Virginia and read books or play outside with my companions. My tan chihuahua would walk around and I would pet it. Now I see a dark black squirrel walking across on the branch and I am astonished at how that squirrel is not afraid of heights. Yet I am intimidated of heights. I think we all should be more like squirrels, not afraid despite high risk of falling. It is

This past summer, I enjoyed eating at a upscale restaurant located at  Far Eastern Mall located in Da'An District. Although the bill is expensive, it's nice to splurge every once in a while! Here is the link where it shows you a video of the 5-Star hotel and fine dining: http://www.shangri-la.com/taipei/fareasternplazashangrila/  If you stand near the railing, you can see the stores and people milling about! I decided to order a pasta so I was in a short line and the chef told me to choose any ingredient and he cooked it in front of me! The restaurant was not crowded when we arrived mid-afternoon. There's water flowing on the wall! This building also has a spa upstairs. This macaron reminds me of Sailor Moon one of my favorite animes! Passion fruit, a popular fruit in Taiwan So many options, so little time! Cheese and cracker, anyone? There were many desserts to choose from! You can select a soda can from the bucket. The shell-l

Hello everyone! About a year ago this month, I went sightseeing for one day to NYC. What I liked about NY is the tall Christmas tree decorated every year with beautiful lights and colorful ornaments bigger than my head! I just adore Christmas, the bright colors, decorations, and cozy slippers. Christmas always make me feel joyful.  I went to the  Rockefeller Center to see the lights and also went to Bryant Park to see the tall tree with a small outdoor market. The walking distance between these two locations is not that far. Keep in mind that the Rockefeller Center is crowded at night. Photo credit to Mei Mackleer. This photo was taken a year ago. This is my dog wearing the string lights before we started decorating the tree! (Dec 2017) I went to Downtown Holiday Market in Washington D.C. At the end of the walk in the market, I enjoyed the authentic German drink from a company called The Taste of Germany: German Foods. It tasted like hot apple cider and I am not sure what

Hello everyone.. H a p p y H a l l o w e e n ! I'm feeling a bit spooky! By the way, I recently just finished watching  Practical Magic ! I never get tired of watching it! The theme is sisterly love . A famous line from the movie (credit to GIPHY) 1.  Pillsbury 's ghost shape sugar cookies: The company also sells sugar cookies with Christmas tree symbol printed on them. The box comes with 24 cookies and is fun to eat them! 2. I never tried Pumpkin Pie Spice snap cookies before so I was excited to see that my dad purchased them from the local grocery store. I ate ginger snap cookies before; I was surprised that Stauffer's company made a pumpkin version of it! I thought it tasted slightly similar to a ginger snap cookie, but you can taste the distinct familiar taste of pumpkin spice! 3. A new delicacy that I never tasted before is Pillsbury 's pumpkin spice  cinnamon buns ! You can purchase it at the grocery store. My initial thought was that it was go

I can't believe this summer flew by quick, but I am excited for Autumn. Autumn equinox makes me happy because I get to see colorful leaves, drink warm apple cider, the arrival of pumpkin pie and Fall seasonal decorations at Target and the local grocery store, and Hallmark's adorable seasonal cards, orange and brown wreath to put on the wall, fake pumpkins to place in front of your home, hayrides, pumpkin picking, the smell in the air of "fresh and light breeze" and many more! Here is a list of what you should do for Fall! After all, the year is almost over so why not? 1. Change your iPhone's wallpaper to a wallpaper of bright orange leaves falling or bright white and orange pumpkins with the slogan "Hello Fall!" or "It's Fall, y'all!" 2. Read lifestyle or fashion bloggers' articles about recipes, outfits, bucket lists, book lists, etc. that are related to Fall. 3. Find a recipe online to learn how to make pumpkin pie or peca