This August, I brought my mum on a trip to Taiwan. We had originally wanted to go to Hokkaido for the flower festival but my mother decided that it was not worth flying 9 hours to see “some plants” in her own words.
Mother is a very frugal, practical and logical woman. She is also an amazing cook and never fails to remind me whenever we are out in a restaurant or hawker centre that she can cook better than what we have just ordered. I have probably echoed the many voices of Asian children.
There you go, 2 lethal combinations there – the brains to raise us up and the skills to whip up amazing dishes to keep us full and satisfied at home. We never travelled much as kids as we did not have the spare cash. Hence, it was a challenge to bring my mum travelling as she strongly believed there is no place like home.
I want to document the key highlights of this trip as it is our first vacation with just the 2 of us. Hence, I planned the vacation around the gratification of all senses.
Highlight 1 – The nourishment of the heart and spirit
Fuelled by the numerous bookstores dotted around the city, the culture of reading is very much alive in Taipei. One of the most iconic bookstores is the 24 hours Eslite Dunnan branch where wee hours insomnia is synonymous with mental stimulation and knowledge expansion. Comfortably nestling ourselves on the benches between the bookshelves, we spent a lazy afternoon reading at the Eslite bookstore and left with a nourished soul and a bag full of books. One of the most impressionable books among my stash was the Korean novel: Kim Ji Young, Born 1982. The book uncovers the subtle sexism that goes beyond K-pop and Seoul-ful television dramas. It followed the life of a girl, Kim Ji Young from birth to marriage. Born in the same year as the female protagonist, I could relate to this novel and felt genuine empathy towards her plight and circumstances in a country where women grow up in a patriarchal society, suppressed by a bastion of male chauvinism.
I could have sipped tea with mummy anywhere in Singapore. However, it seemed more romantic to do so while watching the sunset at Maokong Tea Village up in the mountains while catching up on the good old times.
For the love of tea, we took a trip to “Stop by Tea House” for the immersive “Gongfu Cha” experience. Brewing tea using the “Gongfu Cha” technique is usually reserved for black and heavily oxidized tea. For this reason, we have chosen the Dongfang Meiren (also known as white tip Oolong Tea) to experiment with this brewing technique. The owner of the tea house was extremely friendly, knowledgeable and here, we reflected about life and priorities.
Highlight 2 – The fulfilment of the taste buds
Eating hot pot is comforting to me. No one can understands my obsession with hot pot and how it remains my first choice of food under all weather conditions. Just thinking about huddling around a hotpot at freezing temperature is enough to make any self-respecting Asian weep with joy. I attribute this infatuation to my childhood where I used to enjoy hot pot reunion dinners and how it remained a symbol of happiness and joy for me. We had an amazing meal at Ding Wang, my favourite hot pot place in Taipei. Ding Wang serves up one of the best soup base (especially spicy mala soup), fresh ingredients and consistent immaculate service.
Both my parents are of Hakka descent so naturally we have to try the authentic Hakka restaurant in Taipei. I selected Tung Hakka Cuisine because it boasted a modern take on traditional home-made dishes. We ordered a traditional Hakka dish, Steamed Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard Greens and Chicken Soup with Clams. While the traditional Hakka dish was a miss for me, the chicken soup was delectable! Whenever we want to eat Hakka dishes, my mother will have to spend hours in the kitchen preparing them with love. Hence, it felt really good to be able to enjoy a Hakka meal without her sweating and toiling away in the kitchen. The best part of the night was taking a stroll back to the hotel with mother hand in hand. This was the most heartwarming moment for me.
Highlight 3 – The contentment of the body and soul
Most travellers would have chosen Beitou for its hot spring, however, I decided to travel up to Yangmingshan Tien Lai open-air hot spring resort for a short half day trip. Dipping our bodies in the natural hot spring while soaking in the lushness of the green foliage around us and breathing in the clean air was very therapeutic for us. The hot and cold spring water was infused with plants extracts to rejuvenate our bodies. It was also the first time we soaked our feet into a fish spa where tiny little fish gnawed away the “dead skin cell” of our feet. We giggled like little girls and although my mother took this activity very seriously and told me to stop wiggling so the fish will approach us for the much needed pedicure. We later wrapped up the day with an excellent meal of Japanese ramen and grilled squid.
For the few nights we were together, we frequently bought snacks back to the hotel to eat and watch Taiwanese television shows together. Back in my young and single days, I would go home for dinner almost every day and watch Taiwanese television dramas with my mother. Those were the times where Taiwanese soap dramas reigned over Korean shows. Now that I am married and have a home of my own, I no longer have the time to sit down and watch the television programs with her. This simple act of enjoying food together and laughing alongside each other make me so grateful to have planned this trip.
This holiday helped me uncover more virtues of my mother and spending such intense time together has made me appreciate and love her so much more.
Now, my goal is to bring her to a different place every year! Just the 2 of us!
But before that, I am so glad to have bought the concert tickets for the both of us to enjoy Fei Yu Qing 2019 Farewell concert. I cannot wait!
