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Hey everyone,

Welcome to our website! My name is Rachael and I can’t wait to travel the world with you. I have always loved learning and experiencing new things, which is why each and every trip will be packed with new cultural lessons and encounters. Please take a look around the website, see some pictures of me and my friends around the world, look at our episode guide to find out where I am traveling next, learn about the Chef’s I’ve met along the way, and even book your own trip to one of our locations.

I am preparing for our fist trip, Taiwan. Taiwan is an island nation located 100 miles off the coast of China and is a treasure trove of asian culture, having been claimed by China and Japan for many years. Taiwan was occupied by the Japanese between 1895-1945, and in 1949 the Sun Yat-Sen’s Nationalist party was embroiled in a civil war with Mao Zedong’s communist party, and were forced to retreated to the Island of formosa. General Chiang Kai-Shek led 2 million Chinese to the island of Taiwan, where the Republic of China was establish. While the Republic of China still exists in a contested form today, it remains the only stable democracy in the region. This revolution is a very strong sense of pride for the nation of Taiwan, and because of this, there is a new budding culture that mixes ancient Chinese traditions with Japanese customs, to create a unique culture that can only be found in Taiwan. I look forward to exploring this beautiful country with you... one bite at a time!

TEMPLES

June 19, 2008

Here is the alter in the first Temple we visited.

Today was my first day in Taiwan, and I just love it here! I want to share the first of many new things I am learning. Today, I was taught how to pray in a Taoist Temple located in the hills of Taipei. Their prayer process has many steps and requires the participant to be very involved, physically and spiritually. You start by taking the Bei or divining blocks, which are two pieces of wood carved in the shape of a crescent moon with one flat side which symbolized the Yang, and one convex side which symbolized the Yin.You hold the flat sides together in your hand and kneel at the alter, where you say a prayer and ask if you may select a number. Then you drop the Bei, if both of the flat sides are facing up, they are called “Laughing Blocks” and the gods are laughing at you. In this case, you would ask again, with more sincerity. If both convex sides are facing up, they are called “Angry Blocks” and the gods are irritated with the way your are asking. If this happens, you ask again, also with more sincerity. If one flat side is up and one convex side is up, they are called “Holy Blocks” and this means the gods have accepted your request. If you get the “Holy Blocks,” then you go and pull out a fortune stick, which will have a number on it. With Simon’s help, I was able to tell which number this was, then you go back and ask the gods if this is the right number. If you receive the “Holy Blocks” again, then you go the the correct drawer with your number on it and pull out a fortune. These fortuned are very detailed and from my experience seem to be creepily on the spot. Ok, I have has such a busy day, and I better get some rest for tomorrow!

THE GRAND HOTEL

	Looking across the gardens of the Grand Hotel toward the magnificent entry gate. Right in the center of Taipei these grounds are an oasis of calm.
The ornate fixtures throughout the Grand Hotel are almost beyond belief. This ceiling panel is in the unbelievably decorated entry hall.
	Using classic Chinese decorations and room dividers the hotel is filled with mysterious semi-private spaces.
The dramatic exterior gives a sense of the size and grandeur of Taipei's historic Grand Hotel.

A view of the interior of the Entry Hall of the Grand Hotel. A central staircase is a focal point and draws the visitor in. Meeting rooms where important local events take place are on the 2nd floor. Steeped in traditional Chinese and Taiwanese imagery this 5 star hotel is one of the finest luxury hotels in the world.

SUN CAKES

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