Endless Adventures

Hello everyone! Who's excited that it's Autumn season!? Can you believe that it's the first day of October? With midterm exams coming up and the cold weather approaching, it seems like there is so much to do yet so little time. I am excited for October because I am a fan of horror movies and Halloween decor.  Almost every year, we bake delicious sugar cookies with colorful print of a pumpkin or ghost on the cookies. I still haven't purchased the pumpkin spice candles so I must go to the mall ASAP! I created a Fall bucket list last week and I already accomplished some of the fun tasks. For instance, I purchased a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks  with whipped cream. I must admit it tasted a bit too sweet for me. I like coffee with french vanilla or caramel. Still, it was fun to try it! I will share my Fall bucket list with y'all soon! Photo credit to Mei Mackleer If you want a romantic movie that takes place in October (hint: it's about two witches!)...

Hello everyone! Happy Autumn Equinox! I can't wait to drink warm apple cider and smell delicious pumpkin pie candle. I am so ready to go to the pumpkin patch! I love seeing the leaves changing colors, feel a light breeze, Halloween, and cute Autumn seasonal home decor at Target or Hallmark !  Today I will talk about Mama Inca , a Peruvian restaurant owned by a Taiwanese woman and her Peruvian husband. Everyone in Taiwan loves good food and there are many restaurants in Taiwan that offer not just Taiwanese meals, but also Italian pasta, French pastry, and even Swedish breakfast! Some of these restaurants are owned by foreigners who moved to Taiwan.  The couple of Mama Inca have a young son who carries the plates to customers. He is fluent in Spanish and Chinese. I tried talking to him in English and he replied in Spanish. In translation, he said "We don't know English." I was the first customer to arrive just as the restaurant opened and I saw the little boy's ...

When I was on vacation in Taiwan, I went to a tea house/restaurant in Miaoli County, Taiwan (about 1 hour from Taipei by car). I never thought that I would ever eat tea leaves in my life, but I actually did! The plate comes with what I think is matcha powder. It tasted slightly bitter, but interesting!  This is perfect for those adventurers who want to try this and for vegans. The waitress gave us cups of tea which of course tasted just right. The tea helps you digest the food. Taken from my Snapchat album I also ordered waffles with matcha ice cream and strawberry ice cream that come with apple slices and kiwi slices. On the plate is strawberry jam. I loved it and I think the matcha ice cream is the best matcha ice cream I have tasted in my life. If you go to Taiwan, definitely try the waffles! Picture taken from Mei Mackleer's iPhone 6 Last, but not least, you can't leave the restaurant without desserts! There were a lot of options to choose from ...

7.) Taiwan is known for its natural beauty such as foggy mountains in the distance despite that you are in the city and vast green rice fields which can be seen if you go to the countryside. If you go hiking, you will smell the sulfur coming from the volcanoes and see a gorgeous sunrise if you are on the top of the mountain. Here is a rice field in Miaoli County, Taiwan 8.) Then I went on an electric four persons surrey bike ride with my family to see the scenery. You have to rent it at a local bike store. Basic Chinese phrases are necessary to communicate with the owner. There are two Rainbow Bridges that I went under while sitting in the surrey bike; I regretted that I did not get a chance to take a picture with the Rainbow Bridge in the background.  However, I did get a chance to pose next to the word "Love" with the beach in the background. It was a relaxing day. This is a beach located in  Hsinchu City, North District, Taiwan . It is a lo...

大家好！Hello everyone! I just arrived home from the airport last night and my eyes were red due to lack of sleep. For three weeks, I went to Taiwan to see my relatives and to explore the city.  Taipei is the capital of Taiwan and Taiwan is also known as "Formosa" meaning beautiful island in Portuguese. The Portuguese explorers came to Taiwan centuries ago.  Taiwan is near Japan (3 hours by plane). I did not realize how fast time flies by until my great grandmother mentioned that last time I was in Taiwan was 3 YEARS AGO! I should have come last summer to see my aging relatives :(  Still, I feel blessed to visit and to enjoy my time in Taiwan! My flight lasted approx. 12 hours. I watched movies and I was pleased that United Airlines provided closed captioning on the screen. I will share with you my list of places that I went to in Taiwan and my personal opinions of the restaurants I ate at. I went to New Taipei City, Taipei City, Ximen Ding, Hsinchu County, Miaoli Co...

I recently finished reading the non-fiction book about Leslie's mother, Mary and Mary's friends growing up during the Communist Revolution and then becoming adults in America, the land of the American Dream. Due to the division between the Nationalists and the Communists, they fled to Taiwan located near China. Leslie also included Mary's friends' families such as being sons and daughters of immigrant parents. Leslie revealed how she felt growing up in Connecticut dominated by Caucasian middle class citizens. However, Lesile was curious to how her mother felt in America unlike her homelands where beliefs and traditions differ. Thus she started interviewing Mary's friends who attended the same school for girls in Taiwan. From there, Leslie learned many perspectives from getting to know them and why her mother is determined to work dedicatedly for her family. I especially enjoyed the chapter where Leslie, her boyfriend, and her mother went to China to go sightseeing b...

I had my breakfast at La Madeleine , a French restaurant founded by a French American immigrant who was longing for authentic and fresh food from his childhood in France. You can read more about this on the poster wall with a picture of him in the restaurant. I enjoyed the fruit tarts, but I was hungry for more. I ordered (and highly recommended) the Country French Breakfast: two sunny side up eggs, bacon, a Potato Galette, and a warm buttery croissant. I loved the breakfast especially when I covered the potato galette with runny yolk! I usually dip my cinnamon raisin bread brought at Costco with orange yolk, but this tasted delicious. Even thinking about it got me wanting to go there again! I did not have to wait too long for the servers to bring my plate to my table so the service was satisfactory. Here is the picture below: Even though this plate has simple ingredients, I was pleased after eating the meal. :) Go there and order it for yourself! What are some of your favori...