Today, Group’s # 3 & 4 got in touch with their inner artists and creative sides!

After a good night’s sleep and a delicious buffet breakfast at our hotel, half of the Grade 9 students ventured out in Taipei to tap into their creative sides and to get more in tune with their inner artists. Our first stop was a Ceramics workshop in the quaint district of Yingge. We took part in two creative workshops in Yingge: Pottery Creation and Mosaic Making. The pottery workshop involved creating our very own cups and vases from clay, while the mosaic workshop included decorating either small vases or picture frames with beautiful tiles and vibrant beads. Unfortunately, due to drying time requirements, the pottery models we created had to be left behind (sadly), but thankfully students got to keep their lovely mosaic pieces as souvenirs!

After working up a fairly good appetite at the Ceramics workshop, we headed out to Houdao Restaurant for some delicious Taiwanese lunch. Please see the picture of the beef rice bowl below and try not to get too jealous or hungry! Saying that all the food in Taipei is absolutely delicious is an understatement!!

Post lunch, we arrived in Ceramics park to expend some of our recently consumed energy. This park is filled with unique statues and artwork as well as really fascinating local Taiwanese wildlife. Seeing clusters of Soapberry insects was definitely a highlight of Taipei thus far! We gathered in a pavilion and watched a local celebrity, one of the father’s or “foot masters” of pottery, Guo Xiang, spin his work round and round. The way he made his pottery come alive was truly majestic! He entertained us with his many anecdotes as he had quite the engaging/eccentric personality. What a treat to meet this local legend!

For the duration of our afternoon activities, we headed to Sanxia and participated in a Tie-Dye workshop at a local “coloring” house. Students took turns first crafting their selected patterns, dying their fabrics in various hues of blue, and then they watched as their designs came to life. Their work turned out so incredibly well! While the tie-dye masterpieces were air drying, we headed to Sanxia old street and temple. This stunning temple contained some of the most intricate and elaborate designs imaginable. Students explored Sanxia traditional street in groups and indulged in some local delicacies.

To finish off a truly creative and enjoyable day, we got to dine at a very popular local restaurant for some Lo Rou Fan or minced pork rice, another local favorite dish! This group is looking forward to having a very adventurous and action-packed day tomorrow as they will swap places with Group # 1 & 2. That pretty summarizes up all the wonderful activities from our first full day in Taipei. Goodnight 🙂