2008跨年的花蓮之旅

It's been a long time since I posted something on my blog... It's already 2009! Wow! Time flies when you're having fun...

After I came to Taiwan 3 1/2 years ago, I celebrated my new year's eve with different people...
Dec. 31, 2005~with Nicole羽喬+David博印+Cherry
Dec. 31, 2006~with Dan+Zen+Lee+Cherry+阿蕊+琴琴+Dan and Zen's classmates
Dec. 31, 2007~with Diana+Jerome+Nicholas+東穎
Dec. 31, 2008~with Cheru+Lool柏清+Jerome至穎

Although I enjoyed all the new year's eve celebrations I had in Taiwan, 2008 new year's eve was the greatest so far... what separates it from the other celebration, you ask? Well, all the other celebration were just dinner but in 2008, we went to Hualien 花蓮 (Jerome's hometown) for three days (Dec. 31~Jan. 2)... We had a great trip... It was fun... funny... and refreshing... The trip really helped not only me but also my friends recharge after a busy December to face a BUSIER January... This is what happened on our trip...

At first, I really don't have any plans for new year's eve. What do you know? Lool suddenly asked me if I have any plans for new year's eve. When I said that I have no plans, he asked me if I want to join him and visit Jerome's hometown: Hualien. I really wanted to go to Hualien for a very long time but didn't have the chance. I asked him if I can invite my sister and Natalie, he said okay but Natalie can't join us coz she still has lots of reports to do... At first, Sam浩鈞 and Adrian志忠 were joining us but in the end they backed out coz they still have some work to do at home (such a pity)... then Lool said that his friend is joining us AND at the end he also backed out coz he was called back to work due to an emergency... so in the end it was just me, my sis, Lool and Jerome who went to Hualien.

December 31, 2008: We left Kaohsiung at around 8:45 AM on Dec. 31... Lool drove and Jerome gave the directions. It took us 14 hours to drive from Kaohsiung to Hualien. Heck, a 5~6 hour drive turned to 14 hours drive! Why? Well, we stopped at so many places... Purpose: to take pictures, visit some scenic spots we see on the way and to go to the restrooms. First, we took a detour to 小野柳 to take some pictures. We also saw sunflowers that were as big as our hands and even as big as our faces on the sides of the road. We kept on stopping and took lots of pictures of the sunflowers... There was a really big one but there was a big canal that separates it from the road and only long-legged people, in short, tall people can go across the canal. So... only Jerome got to stand beside the big sunflower. We were so jealous but after a while, we saw another big one so we stopped again to take a picture of it (Yehey!). When we saw the sign of Hualien, we were so happy but after a while we realized that it is only a sign... there is still a long way to go before we can reach the borderline of Hualien (2 to 3 hour drive to be exact, sigh). On the way, we also visited 瑞穗, ate their 饅頭 and drank their milk. For dinner, we ate at 涂媽媽肉粽 and液香扁食 (扁食is actually what we usually called as wonton). Lool was missing this wonton store for 10 years so we visited the place to make him satisfied. The wonton of that store is really good, it is not too salty but tasty and its really suitable for cold nights. Then, we checked out the new year's eve concerts of Hualien and in the end we just left the place... we were too tired to party (after a 14 hour drive, who wouldn't?) We visited the kiosk of Jerome's parents before going back to Jerome's home. His mom and dad are so hardworking and friendly. They are so accommodating and warm... They actually remind me of my own parents (which I miss terribly, by the way). They treated us with their red bean soup紅豆湯... It was VERY DELICIOUS!!! They want us to try other stuff but we were too full already... Thanks, uncle and auntie! The red bean soup was really great!!! They add taro balls 芋圓and sweet potato balls 地瓜in it which made it better! The truth is I don't really like red beans much but I really liked his parents' red bean soup! If Lool goes back to Hualien because of the 扁食, I will go back to Hualien because of Jerome's parents' red bean soup. : ) Then... we went back to his home and rest because we want to see the first sunrise of 2009! We lie down around 11:45 pm thinking that we will stay awake until 12 and at the end we slept through the countdown and and the fireworks (sigh).

January 1, 2009: Together with Jerome, Lool and Cheru (my sis), we went to see the first sunrise of 2009. Afterwards, we went back to bed and woke up around 8 something AM, took a bath, ate an early lunch and went directly to Hualien Farglory-Ocean Park花蓮遠雄海洋公園, then to National Tong Hwa University 國立東華大學, Shin Kong Hualien Ranch 新光兆豐休閒農場 and ate dinner at 鯉魚潭. Jerome ordered shrimp cakes蝦餅, kangkong 炒空心菜, shrimp fried rice 蝦仁炒飯,
fried small shrimps 炸蝦, day lily soup 金針湯 and a special dish, which can only be found in Hualien, called 活跳蝦, the shrimps are actually small, alive and VERY fresh. It was mixed with soy sauce, vinegar and some chili sauce. It was alive when you put it in your mouth... At first, I was quite afraid to try it but after a little persuasion from Jerome (he said that there's no icky smell and you won't feel the rawness of the shrimp), I tried it. It's quite good but it won't be on the list of my favorite food. I actually ate 1/3 of the whole dish and Jerome ate the other 2/3. Afterwards, we went to the downtown of Hualien and checked out some stores and just walk around. I also met up with a friend whom I haven't seen for a while: Angela. We talked and catch up and before going our separate ways, we took a picture and I promised to visit her in Taipei. We also bought some midnight snack before going back to Jerome's place. His parents let us tried their 豆花 or what we called soybean pudding in English (not so sure of the English term). I feel that its quite different from the other 豆花 that I've tasted and because I had a cold, his parents were so thoughtful. They added 薑汁 juice extracted from the ginger to make my cough and cold better. What do you know? I was feeling a lot better by the time I left Hualien. Thanks again, auntie and uncle.

January 2, 2009: It is the last day of our trip. We plan to drive back before lunch and at the end we left Hualien around 11:45 AM (still before lunch). Before we left, we visited 知卡宣森林公園 to see the beautiful flowers. Afterwards, we went to buy some 手工麻糬 and packed 麻糬 at 曾記麻糬 and went back to Jerome's place to get his scooter so he can show us the way to the highway back to Kaohsiung. His mom packed some Zhongzi 肉粽 for us to eat on the way and grass jelly 仙草凍 for us to share with our friends in Kaohsiung. Both stuff are really good! It took us about 7 hours to reach Kaohsiung. We had fewer stop overs this time... Just took a picture at a plateau with a bed of flowers and two or three restroom breaks. Then, we went to 里港in 屏東for some pork knuckles and wonton soup. I haven't been to that place since April (our spring break) and misses it a lot actually. After dinner, Lool drove us back to the dorm and he went back home.

Thought on the trip: I felt more recharged after the trip and I felt closer to Jerome and Lool. It was a pity that Sam, Adrian and Natalie can't join us but the trip was still great without them (sorry guys). This trip will be on top of my list of great trips. The friends are great, the place is great, the foods are great... Everything is perfect for me! I did not regret one bit on going on this trip. I hope there will be more trips like this with Jerome, Lool and my other friends in the Electronic Engineering department.