Here We Go! Zhongli District

Every day off, we will go Daxi for visiting and purchasing our daily necessities. We are familiar with Daxi as we always go there. Thus, this week, we decide to have an adventure in another place where is located near Hsia-Yun, Zhongli District.

Not as usual, it is our first time to travel to an urban area since we are in Taiwan. It is quite different from Daxi, let alone Hsia-yun. There are many different kinds of stores, vehicles, restaurants, which totally not exist in Hsia-yun.

We are waiting for the bus in front of a supermarket. We love selfie HAHA!

We arrive at Daxi in the afternoon, there are only very few stores open at that time. We first go to Chung Yuan Market, although the stores are still unavailable, it is still observable that it is a popular shopping and eating destination with vendors selling local snacks, and trendy clothing. 

The entrance of Xinming Night Market

Then, we go to Zhongli Xinming Night Market. It is not uncommon to see night market in Taiwan, yet, each of them is one of a kind, so as Zhongli Xinming Night Market. The most attractive focus of it is its bridge, it crosses both sides of the night market. When you stand on it, you can see the view of the night market, people walking through the night market, hanging their smiley face when enjoying the snacks, it is the point this night market outstands the others.

The bridge of Xinming Night Market

In another morning, as what happened in the previous afternoon, there were no stores open. However, there is a wet market near where the hotel locates. It is a very local market, which sells vegetables, fruits, and fresh meats. We grab a breakfast in a traditional breakfast restaurant and get an egg cake, it’s really delicious.

The first meal of night market in Taiwan! It is a bowl of ba-wan.

Zhongli is an interesting district, not only its large variety of stores but also the opening hours of the stores. Most of the stores open at night, unlike Hong Kong, where the stores open from morning to midnight, some even open around the clock. We used to travel to Taipei, which is similar to Hong Kong, having stores of long opening hours, this tour really reveals another side of Taiwan.

The Graduation Ceremony and Birthday Party

The graduation day of Xiayun in 2018 held on Wednesday afternoon. This was special for the eight graduates, their proud parents, and teachers. Also, there had a birthday party in the morning, students had their talent shows and tasted the chocolate celebration cakes. It was a fantastic day which we accomplished a lot and felt fulfilled.

Yixuan is one of the graduates and the archer queen of Xiayun. She brought her bow and arrow so to hold the opening ceremony on that day. Before the performance, she was very nervous. After successfully hit the balloon, the smile finally appeared.

We helped to clean and decorate the venues, balloons and students’ artworks were the central decoration of the ceremony. Actually, rather than a service, it better called as a graduation party. The atmosphere was joyful, and it was more casual than the graduation ceremony at catholic schools.

Students were playing the flute in the ‘graduation party'. The flute teacher also came, and as one of the guests, she is warm-hearted who has a good relationship with her students.\

Crying tears of joy responded to students’ days with happiness. Saying goodbye to the school and unsure of what the future holds, graduation may be bittersweet for them. Moreover, it was grateful to thank the teachers for the advisors.

Those photos were taken at the birthday party in the morning. Students from different grades prepared their performance items, most of them chosen to dance. The MC that day were two boys from P.5, they did an excellent job of making the party came alive.

The day after graduation, the P.6 students came back to school and picked up their personal belongings.

The eight graduates, I wish that all of you would continue to try your best in learning with perseverance and enjoyment. Keep going and walk your way in the future!

To be continued.

Our Tour to Hong Kong Part 2

After a thrilling day in Disneyland, the students go to The Salvation Army Tin Ka Ping School（救世軍田家炳學校）in ShaTin for cultural exchange on the following day. It is quite different between the campus of Hsia-Yun and that of Hong Kong schools. Hsia-yun has only 3 floors, but it extends horizontally as we even have a track. As for Hong Kong schools, they extend vertically with 6 floors usually. Students of both schools perform their talents. Hsia-yun students perform singing Atayal traditional songs, playing with flute and dancing, which they have practiced these items for so long. They really have done a good show, everyone enjoys their performance! 

Hsia-yun students is performing their talents-flute! Wonderful!

After it, they participate in a treasure hunt on the campus, students of both schools introduce themselves and cooperate to find the clues and get the treasure- ice lolly! It is a really a great treasure in the summer time! It is also a precious chance for Hsia-yun students to communicate with Hong Kong students to know each other and compare the difference between their learning environment, so as to know more about the world. 

Hsia-yun students cooperate with Hong Kong students so as to find the treasure.

Next, we went to Victoria Peak. Nevertheless, the weather turns bad as there are two typhoons approaching, we cannot take a look at the beautiful views of both sides of the Victoria Harbor from the Peak.

On the third day, the Hsia-yun students go to Hong Kong Baptist University, where Holly and I are studying in Hong Kong. Students perform their singing again to our professor. Afterward, we visit the learning common, Dr. & Mrs. Hung Hin Shiu Museum of Chinese Medicine（孔憲紹博士伉儷中醫藥博物館）, and the dormitory. They also have lunch on the campus too. We are surprised to hear some of the students aim HKBU as their university in the future. Setting an aim and strive for it is a good for a student, especially in Hsia-yun, where the competition is not as acute as students in the city. After that, we go to Space Museum and Science Museum. As museums in Hong Kong are free to visit on Wednesdays, students may not enjoy every part of it, still, I believe they all have a great time there.

Principal and a Hsia-yun student is playing the game in the museum.

The last day of the tour, as time is limited, we sloppy visit to Sam Tung Uk Museum（三棟屋博物館）and go to the airport. However, as the weather is bad, our flight delays for around 3 hours, and we arrive home so late.

The bad weather disturbs many of our outdoor itineraries, but still, the children enjoy the tour in Hong Kong so much. It is precious chance for Hsia-yun students to study aboard. Although Hong Kong is small, it is an international city, there are a lot Hsia-yun students can learn from. On the contrary, as a Hong Kong student, Hsia-yun, which located in the rural-urban area, also brings me a different view of learning, far more than in Hong Kong. Cultural exchange tour is important for students to be independent and get better insight. Although the tour is short and not perfect, I believe everyone learns and grows up in the tour.

Our Tour to Hong Kong Part 1

In the second week, part of the Hsia-Yun students goes to Hong Kong for cultural exchange tour. There is not much chance for Hsia-Yun students to travel to other countries at their ages, many of them even apply for their passport simply for this Hong Kong tour. Students here seldom have a chance to explore their international view, but only in classes or through the internet, so this is a great chance for them to broaden their horizons.

Holly and I as Hongkongers, we are pleased to join the tour and go Hong Kong with them. Although we are not the one who plans the itinerary, we still hope to share the best part of Hong Kong with them.

Before the trip, teachers are curious about Hong Kong and they are quite interested in the tour. They always ask us to introduce some snacks or food in Hong Kong. Students comparatively show fewer interests in the tour and Hong Kong, but they are keen to Cantonese, which they keep asking how to speak in it. They always ask us how to say “你好美” in Cantonese, and they will use it to praise us. HAHA! But it is still a good start!

Hsia-yun students just arrived in Hong Kong.

On the first day of our tour, we go to Hong Kong Disneyland Park. It is a sunny day in Hong Kong. At the very first beginning, we watch the parade in the Disneyland. The Sun shines brightly on us and the parade is quite boring indeed, both students and teachers are not quite willing to stand on the street but to stand under the shadow. We are afraid that the parade brings a bad impression to the students about Hong Kong. But anyway, we start to discover the magic! (credit to Disney Slogan. HAHA!)

 Students, Holly and I are queueing up for the 3D movie in Disneyland with yellow 3D glasses.

We spend most of our time with P6 students in Disneyland. They are the one who is more mature and may not interested in childish things, so we start from bringing them to the exciting roller coasters as warm up, and we succeed! They enjoy riding the roller coasters there and after that, they even ask for more. HAHA! Some of them were afraid at first, but after seeing their friends are playing with joy, they try and get the ride too. We play lots of games in Disneyland. It is a thrilling day spending time with children in Disneyland, but we all share wonderful memories there, hope we will not forget it.