DAY ONE
Kaohsiung Airport, 十鼓文化村
We arrived really late in Taiwan. When we landed, 正心中学's Principal and a few teachers came to welcome us. It was really late when we arrived but they still took up their time to come to the airport just so they could welcome us. This was my first experience of the Taiwanese people's great hospitality as they might have came a long way to arrive at the airport and they might really need the sleep but they sacrificed it for us. I was really touched by their actions.That night, we checked into 十鼓文化村 , which I personally think is a really really nice hotel and representation of a village.
DAY TWO
Meinong Hakka Cultural Museum, Kaohsiung Museum Of History, Kaohsiung Hakka Culture Museum, Meinong Folk Village, Former British Consulate, Liuhe Night Market
Day two was definitely the day of museum visiting. We visited a total of four museums and really got to learn a lot from this visits. We went to the Kaohsiung Museum Of History, the Kaohsiung Hakka Cultural Museum, Former British Consulate , Meinong Halka Culture Museum and also the Meinong Folk Village.
During the bus rides, the tour guide enlightened us on the importance of plantations In Taiwan and the worth.
The Meinong Folk Village was the most memorable because it was a great representation of a Taiwan village and it was filled with cool souvenirs like the oil paper umbrella and the tops. Other than these, it also sold the 擂茶 which most of us tried. It wasn't the best drink out there but it definitely wasn't the worse. Maybe it was because of the unfamiliar taste , but It wasn't quite to my liking even thought it was okay. Over there, we got to play some children games and toys. Honestly ,after visiting the Meinong Folk Village I felt that living in a village could possibly be much better and relaxed than the city life.
That night, we were brought to Luihe night market. It was smaller than I expected but there were still a variety of food and stuff there. As it was really messy and crowded, it was easy to get lost and almost half the time was spent looking around for our friends. However, I really enjoyed that night as it was a break from visiting the museums.
DAY THREE
Tainan Confucius Temple, Anping Fort And Old Street, Chihkan Tower, Eternal Golden Castle, Douliu City(Yunlin County)
This is the day we finally went to Tainan. Before that , we had drum lessons and also got to enjoy a fantastic drum performance in 十鼓文化村. It was really interesting and a great new experience.
After that we headed off to Tainan. It was a long journey there and some of us fell asleep on the bus. We visited the Tainan Confucius Temple, Anping Fort and Old street, Chihkan Tower and the Eternal Golden Castle. 
It was the most tiring day for me as there were really a lot of bus rides and I fell asleep on most of them. At the Tainan Confucius Temple, there was a table set near the entrance where we got to write down our names and wishes on a piece of yellow paper. I learnt that the place has been renovated 30 times since it was built. Part of it have been destroyed by wars and natural disasters. From these museums, I have realised the importance of preserving the cultures of the early Manchu dynasty. At the Anping Old Street, we got to try out some really nice Hakka food and got to shop around. One of the most memorable thing from there is the 弹珠汽水, which I think is really cool and interesting.
We then checked in to the other hotel afterwards.
DAY FOUR
Sacred Hearts High School(正心中学), Legend Of Coffee Mountain, Hua Shan Public School
This was our first day in 正心中学. I was really excited to meet my buddy for the first time after chatting with her over the Internet beforehand. When we met, it was really awkward and really different from chatting over the Internet. We didn't know what to say and stuck to our own friends who sat at the same table. After awhile, we started to talk to each other a little more. We found out a bit about each other and our schools. After chatting a little while, we had to go separate ways. Her going to attend her own lessons and us getting to experience some of the lessons they have decided to let us attend. I went to the English class with some of my other classmates. It was a really new experience as the way of teaching is really different. They were seated in a lecture theater and the way they learn is asking each other questions and answering them in English. It was definitely more interactive and interesting then a normal classroom session with worksheets and PowerPoint slides. We then got into groups and played a matching game where you had to match the English words to the Chinese words of the same meaning and the group with the most number of matches wins. As it was hands on, we got to interact with the Taiwanese students. After that we got to have lunch with our buddies and talk to each other more before we had to leave to the Legend Of Coffee Mountain where we got to make our own pineapple tarts. Basically we put the pineapple paste into the dough and pressed it into the mould. Then we were allowed to bring it back with us to eat. The guide there showed us around and also showed us the pineapple farm there. The planted pineapples are covered with a cloth like thing which protects it from the sun like a hat.
After this, we were brought to Hwa Shan Public School and were introduced with a musical piece played by little kids. They were really cute and talented. During the performance, everybody was taking photos and videos. When it ended, a loud applause was heard. We were then led to an art gallery where the kids introduced some pieces of art to us. There were also tables set up with colour pencils, stencils, stamps, and papers for us to appreciate the arts there hands on. This was a really fun experience and I truly enjoyed it.
At the end of the day, the schools organized a dinner with our buddies and their parents. During the dinner they were really hospitable and kept concerning if we were hungry, if we are enjoying our time in Taiwan. They are really nice people and I enjoyed interacting with them.
DAY FIVE
iiCake(蛋糕毛巾咖啡馆),云林布袋式馆, Sacred Hearts High School, 台湾故事馆
In the morning, we woke up early to attend lessons in sacred hearts. We attended the balloon folding/sculpting and magic classes in groups and went around the school observing the students having their CCAs. There were scouts, some flag throwing CCA, and concert band. The teachers were really clear in their instructions and I understood them really well. Even though I was afraid of the balloon popping I had to muster my courage to sculp it. The magic class teacher gave us our very own magic set that we could bring home. The students in the same class helped us when we didn't know what to do and they were really caring. We also went to iiCake, which was a "cake store" except they sold towels in the shape of cakes and other stuff instead of actual cakes. We had a chance to experience making our own DIY cake towels. The staffs there explained each and every step to us and also went around making sure that we were doing it correctly,which I think was really nice of them to do that.
We were also brought to 云林布袋式馆，which is a place about preserving the puppet history. Over there, we were brought around a museum before heading off to watch a puppet show. The guide there showed us the processes in a making a doll. While we were watching the puppet show, the guide talked about how this trade is dying out and how only a little people know how to do it. This made me realise the importance of preserving history and our older trades. That night, we went to a performance put up by the sacred hearts high school students. They showcased their great talent in the arts and truly awed me with their skills.
DAY SIX
Sacred Hearts High School, Janfusan Famcyworld(Amusement Park)
This was the day we finally got to go out with out buddies. Before that we had to attend Chinese, chemistry and home economics with the sacred hearts students.
After a few hours of school and classes at sacred hearts, we met up with our buddies and we were brought to different places in Taiwan. Being the fun person she was, our buddy decided to bring us to a amusement park somewhere near the school. As it started raining halfway when we were driving there, we were a little demoralized but I assured myself it will still be fun as I haven't visited an amusement park for a long time. When we first reached, we were only able to enjoy some indoor activities and rides until the rain stopped. This include a haunted house and a circus performance. After the sun decided to come out, we headed off to some roller coaster rides and Vikings, which was a horribly scary but fun experience for me. The amusement park was famous for its Ferris wheel as it's the largest in Taiwan. However, we did not manage to get to the Ferris wheel in time before it closed, which was a pity.
Our buddies then decided it was fine and brought us to a chicken store for dinner. The chicken there has to be one of the best I have tasted in a long time, and it was a truly filling dinner. We then to shop around before heading back to the hotel for our last night there.
DAY SEVEN
921 Earthquake Educational Park, Taoyuan Airport
it was our last day in Tainan and the days have passed so quickly. Everyone was sure that they would miss this place a whole lot when we return to Singapore. Before heading to the taoyuan airport, we were brought to the 921 earthquake educational park to spend our last day. The place was the actually scene of the earthquake and it was made into a museum to educate the people about earthquakes and their dangers. The whole place was really interactive with a chair like thing where you can experience the shaking during an actual earthquake. There were interactive exhibitions to widen our knowledge on earthquakes and even a 3D video. We were told by the guide that the earthquake in the school happened in the middle of the night after school hours, and luckily no one was hurt. However. The school has been destroyed quite badly and is not an environment for students to study in, thus ripping the students off a place to study. I feel bad for the people who were involved in the earthquake and hope that this would not happen again.
We then headed back to Singapore after that.
The whole trip had been an enriching experience with lots of chances to interact and bond with my classmates. I really hope I can go on another trip like that again as I really enjoyed my time here. As I have fun, I learnt many things and values that can be applied to daily life. It was truly memorable and will stay deep in my heart forever
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