day #5. there are no starving people in china.

the food here is amazing, when i get to choose it.  if i had my way, i would go to street vendors every day and hand-pick everything that i want to eat.  as it is, i have to eat cafeteria food for half the lunchtimes that we are here.  and cafeteria food is terrible everywhere.

sidenote: there are no starving people in china.

{maybe some, but people really like to eat here, and eat a lot.}

my cultural experience was interrupted today by a buttload of homework.  i spent about five hours doing cultural modules instead of out experiencing taiwan.  but, i digress.

what is this fruit?  i have yet to try it, but i want to.  there are several fruits that i have tried here that don't taste or look like anything we have in america.  also, they have yellow watermelon.  

haha.  this shirt perfectly represents some of the english sentences we see over here. essentially, they make no sense. 

four people. the record number i have seen on a scooter here in taiwan.  i am hoping to catch four people and a dog - because i think that's about the max that could fit....

i had delicious papaya milk today.  twice actually, because i liked it so much.  it's called "mu gua niu nai"

and then.... night market for dinner.  probably one of the most mind-blowing cultural experiences i have had so far....

the goal of the night was basically to try everything you can and not throw up.

octupus and chicken feet.

me trying chicken feet.  my assessment: not too bad, but definitely not my favorite.

squid.  i definitely ate this.  the squid itself wasn't bad, i just didn't love the sauce they poured all over it.

this is fried sweet potato and i really liked it.

the snails i ate.

and this is my progression through eating blood pudding.  i go from thinking, "oh this actually tastes good!" to almost throwing up because i am psyching myself out so badly.  it did taste good.  just the thought of eating cooked blood really got to me.

pretty exciting.

fish egg.

this is straight up milk and sugar with boba.  and it is delicious.

stinky tofu.  it literally smells and tastes like a barn.

all in all i ate chicken feet, stinky tofu, snails, squid, blood pudding, fish egg, duck liver, oyster omlet, popcorn chicken,  dumplings, black sugar milk, and sweet potato balls.   

i love taiwan.