Returning to Hualien has been a breath of fresh air both mentally and physically, taking some time away from the hustle and bustle of Taipei City is giving me time to think about my time spent here in Taiwan, a chance to reflect and wind down. These last few days spent with friends enjoying excellent meals and seeing more of what Hualien has to offer have been beneficial for me, I believe that I needed some change of perspective, I found myself growing tired of the city and my daily struggles were causing me not to enjoy myself, leading to the decision to bid farewell to the city and its daily struggles was driven by a desire to rediscover joy in my surroundings. As my time draws to a close, my focus is on savouring the remaining weeks with an enriched perspective, intent on immersing myself in the diverse offerings of this captivating island.
It is my aim to explore more of Taiwan and take part in a number of activities along the way. Hualien is the first location on the list so that is where I’ll begin, the first few days have been pleasant with the weather cooling down slightly towards the mid-20s instead of the low 30s, this is a welcome change as it means I'm much less exhausted by days compared to a month or so ago when exposure to the sun was relentless. As I knew well from my last trip to Hualien, the food here is amazing, boasting a huge supply of fresh seafood and bountiful choices of succulent fruit and vegetables. As for my first activities, today I took a trip a little way down the coast to go on an ATV experience, speeding down the rocky beach I got to witness the immense power of the sea on Taiwan's eastern coast, I had been told before by a friend that here in Hualien it was too dangerous to swim in the sea and I certainly discovered why when I saw first hand the huge waves crashing onto the beach, some must have been at least six or seven feet high, maybe even more.
After an exhilarating few hours of enjoyment, our stomachs made clear it was time for dinner, leading us to a local restaurant specializing in traditional Taiwanese aboriginal cuisine. The food was excellent as always in Hualien but this time there was a special feature, unique glutinous rice that is cooked inside a stick of bamboo, in order to liberate the rice from its hard shell and enjoy it you must first crack open the bamboo case by cracking it on a rock that was placed directly next to the table. Beyond the culinary adventure, however, the restaurant unfolded as a captivating gallery of indigenous art, the abstract and thought-provoking style resonated with me, slightly mirroring some facets of my own art. The vivid array of aboriginal artwork proved to be not just a visual pleasure but also a source of inspiration. I couldn't help but envision weaving elements of this distinctive aesthetic into my future projects, potentially adding a touch of indigenous flair to my creative style.
Shortly after a delightful dinner, our adventure took us to the Chihsinng Tan Katsuo Museum, where we delved into the art of crafting Takoyaki balls. These small Japanese delicacies, pancake balls filled with squid, are a popular delight in night markets across Taiwan. As we relished the final product, the fruits of our labour, I couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. It was my inaugural attempt at Takoyaki-making, and I must say, I believe I nailed it!
To cap off the day, we engaged in a unique activity that could only be described as "shaving a fish." Each of us was handed a cooked fish and a grater, and the process was straightforward—slide the blade down the fish to create long, thin flakes. These are the same flakes used to top the Takoyaki balls we crafted earlier and can be enjoyed as a snack on their own. While I must confess that this was my least favourite activity of the day, I'm still glad I participated. Despite my slight reservations, there were still plenty of laughs and shared enjoyment in the friendly competition of creating the most impressive fish flakes.
Author
Ethan Turner