Today officially marks the halfway point of our trip! It's hard to believe it's been two weeks already since we last set foot in the states, but here we are. By now life has taken on a new sense of normal here at the farm, though the relentless heat and endless days of weeding are …
Finally, a lazy day. After our hectic week, we felt entitled to lounge around a bit this morning. We slept until nearly the time we would normally be taking our midday break, just enjoying our moments of rest. The rest of our house mates were all working at a farmer's market at the coffee farm …
Our "day off" was probably our most eventful day yet! After sleeping in to a luxurious 8 a.m., we got up and ready to attend a local festival with our housemates. Karen and Jean Paul were busy with work until later in the day, so our housemate Jeff and his friend Cindy got up to …
Continue reading Around Miaoli in a Day and a Night (Market)
Hey everyone, we're back! By now we've settled into more of a daily routine and we've learned to see morning weeding and fertilizing as a way of life. We were at it nearly all day yesterday, and all we could do during our break was walk back to the apartment and go to sleep. But …
We thought we had weeded gardens before, but never like this. First thing in the morning, Yi Mei took us out to the chamomile fields across from the farm to pull up weeds and fertilize the crops. She said that it had only been a month since the area was last weeded, but already you …
It's definitely typhoon season in Taiwan. From the moment the gong at the temple next door chimed the neighborhood awake at 5 a.m.–a custom apparently related to last night's chanting, but more on that later–we could FEEL the storm in the air. The usually clear sky was thick with clouds and the air was even …
Continue reading Hato Surprises: Dan Bing, Baseball, and Ghosts too!
We had our first taste of the fields today! First thing in the morning we got sent out to the jujube trees to start harvesting. We were excited to finally get started on the work we'd come out here for, but neither of us anticipated just how unprepared we were in our t-shirts, shorts, …
Me Jujube Nature Farm, we meet at last! Much to both of our surprise, we made it to Miaoli Station with hardly any confusion. A quick taxi ride from the station and we were in beautiful Stone Wall Village, nestled right up against the mountains. The whole town is farms as far as the eye …
Taiwan at last! On an impulse, after landing in Taipei, we figured we could put off the farm for one more day and stay a night in the city. This could be our last look at a real city for a few weeks, so we might as well make it count! The city scenery …
Oh boy, what a day. Since you last heard from us we took off from California, flew 11 hours to Japan, and toured Tokyo for an incredible (and exhausting) 13 hours! As layovers go, it wasn't especially restful, but we got to squeeze in some great views of the city and some delicious food, …
