This day we slept in and took an afternoon train to Hualien, where my grandparents are staying. Before, we popped over to 7eleven and grabbed some food.
left: blueberry & cheese sandwich ; the cheese was a sweet type of cream cheese but still different than western cream cheese. This was my first time having it but it wasn’t too bad 6/10.
right: three-sided rice ball, pork floss filling ; This is a classic style of rice ball. The packaging is designed in a way so that the seaweed won’t get soggy. Pork floss is pork that has been cooked till floss like. It is usuallly sweet and savory and often paired with rice, in many different forms. 6.5/10
Grabbed an ice coffee and headed to the train station. In Taiwan, you aren’t allow to eat or drink on public transport, expect long distance trains. This means that every station and metro/bus is very clean. They are also regularly cleaned. On the long distance trains, they sell snacks and bento boxes. There will also be someone asking is you have trash, regularly.
train snack
tofu snack ; This form of tofu is more solid and stiff. This specific one is original flavor, which means a sweet soy sauce. The texture is kinda like like dry fruit, bouncy and a little chewy. 7.5/10
The train ride was about 2hr 30min. I think the max speed was about 125 km/h. One we arrived, we got picked up by one of my uncles and headed home. I met one of my cousins for the first time!
Then, per usual, we got fed.
This style of eaten is very typical in Taiwan. Everyone gets their own bowl and the dishes are put in the middle and shared. Everyone grabs what they want. That evening my grandmother prepared a variety of dishes. Every day, she goes to her singing clubs then to the market to buy fresh fruits and veg for the day. Today includes: fish, some type of long bean, bamboo in soup, water spinach, bitter melon stuffed with pork, and sliced smoked duck.
In Taiwan, many shops are still open after 8pm, so my mother and I headed out to walk around. Many things have changed since we were here 5/6 years ago, but many are still the same. People are still around and streets are filled with scooters. Scooters and mopeds are everywhere. With many street being narrow, this is the best way to get around. Majority of people have them as they are quick and easy to use.
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