Hiromi Usagi!

I went through my camper shoe box in which I put a guide book, maps, and a museum catalogue of my Taiwan trip. I didn’t realize that I didn’t write anything about my last day in Taiwan, probably because I was busy for tea shopping and nervous about taking a bus to the airport by myself. When I arrived Taipei, Chad came to the airport to pick me up, and we took a bus and subway to his place near by Taiwan University, but on my last day, both Chad and Chris were working, and Ella and Selena went to their parents’ houses for Chinese New Year. I left a day before the Chinese new year’s day. I wanted to stay longer, but I want to spend more time in Japan too, so I guess I had to compromise.

I am usually good at direction, so I learned the subway system and rode a bus by myself next day to go to the Palace Museum. I had a my first “official” tea at the museum tea room. Of course, I had a cup of to-go green tea by Chad’s house on the way to the subway station which is 3 min away from his place. How convenient!

At the museum tea room, I had Taiwanese Oolong called, ??????I don’t know how to say in Chinese or English, but Japanese–TOH CHOH OOLONG CHA) Japanese people use Chinese characters but pronounce them very different, and some of the words mean different, and the grammer is very different. I can understand or guess each character individually, but a whole sentence doesn’t make sense to me. Any way, I think a Taiwanese oolong is lighter then other oolong from main land China. I have had it before in NYC, but it was very nice to have a cup of Taiwanese oolong with a great view and in a great tea room in Taiwan. It came with a tea candy which is dark green and tastes like a green tea. The taste and the wrapping paper, both are so classic, like something my grand mother gave me when I was little. It was very nostalgic…weird, it was my first time to be here in Taiwan.

After the museum, I went to a tea house located behind Sheraton hotel. It is called ???? I don’t know how to pronouce it. I could do it in Japanese way, but it doesn’t sound right. I had a high mountain tea. It was floral, but very elegant. There is no flower petal in the tea, but it has a floral fragrance like orchid. It is very light, but slightly sweet like a pear. It is very refreshing. Taiwanese tea in general is very light and taste and texture get richer in 2nd and 3rd blew. At this tea house, a server lady was so nice and spoke English, but I was not sure we communicated well. I think that complimentary sweet comes with a pot of tea, and during afternoon tea hour, which I assume between 2-5 ish, you can get as mush sweet as you want. I had 3 different kinds of sweets: a yellow bean cake?????a white and black swirl bean cake, and a rice cake covered with roasted soybean powder. They were not so sweet and just so delicate and yummy and beautiful. Everything was so tiny like two bites. The server asked me which one I liked the most, so I said the yellow one, and she gave me another one. She was super sweet. I had to ask which one doesn’t have egg and dairy because I am allergic to them. She was very patient and understanding, and picked those sweets for me. This place is a hidden house in the middle of the big city. so quiet and comfortable. While I was sipping my tea, I looked though the museum catalogue and decided to go back to the museum one more time for sure. And I did next day. I wish there were a Taiwanese tea house in Chicago too. Ten ren tea in Chicago doesn’t have a tea room, but the one in NYC does, but very different from the tea houses in Taiwan. There are several Chinese tea houses in NYC. Jimmy and I went to the one, not Ten Ren, but I forgot the name! Saint something…. I had a ginger black tea with black tapioca pearls. He had a coffee with tapioca pearls. very unique! and very good! NYC is fun…

Okay, I think I have to write Taiwan trip and tea III then….. who wants to read this? I guess at least me.