7/16 7/17 earthquake museum , 插秧, dumping

   I hoped now I still in 溪頭. It was so hot. We stayed at earthquake museum in whole morning. We played some puzzles. It was quite fun. I loved the engineering education part very much. I learned how 101 built to resist earthquake and wind. Later, we visited soil museum and the guide there was so cute. I don't know Taiwan has great diversity in soil utill now. Only one kind out of 12 soil that we don't have and that is 凍土. Finally we reached Taipei at 7:00.

     On 7/17 we had 插秧in the morning and still another hot day. The mud was really stinky actually. The feeling of putting your bear foot into mud was interesting but also kind of weird. We experienced rice culture in the lunch time and this meaned we tasted lots of rice food during the lunch. I had a lot of mung bean soup. However, I don't like t June lecture very much. Maybe it just because I already knew it or the teacher's English was not really good. Never mind we had a good lunch time. 

7/14 free day

      This morning we all woke up late. After the same breakfast, Nathan, Judy, Gloria, Peggy and I went to bird watching trial and to giant tree trial. It was really tired. We didn't get back on time for our lunch on time because we were dedicated in playground challenging the forest facilities. In order to fill our empty stomach, we had lunch at 森林巷九號 and though I knew a waitress there so I got some special service. We really had a goog time there. After dinner, we I mean each of us went to one of the places. The result was not really bad but it was not as good as I expected. We will analyze our data tomorrow.

7/13 溪頭 project

Project time !!! Actually, we already had outline of our project yesterday. Everything went smoothly. Today determined our topic. We were going to do how manmade smells will affect the insects behavior and we also designed the traps to catch the insects. So, this afternoon after discussing with professor we so making traps with paper cap. It needed skill to make it fast and high quality. Then, we went to place our traps in four areas, bamboo forest, conifer forest, river side and along the road. There were lots of mosquitos in the forests. Even bug spray was not useful. We put two sets in each area and six for one set. We got five different man-made scents including bug spray, sun block, detergent, shave cream and lotion. The only hope wad that I hope tomorrow afternoon all the cups can still exist and remain in good condition. It was really tired work but we got a good teamwork. Besides, Cotton was so funny!

7/11 鳳凰茶園

      We had a full day schedule about tea. In the morning, we had field introduction and I learned that tea and coffee tree must be played in this special climate which had sunshine in the morning and fog in the afternoon. In addition, the teas price is related to the height of the mountain. Later, we had indoor lecture and we taste four kind of treasure teas which were 烏龍茶, 包種茶, 彭風茶, 紅玉紅茶. We also learned how to turn fresh tea leaves into real tea. The most common processing were
1.solar withering
2.indoor withering
3.tumbling
4.set oxidation
5.tumble dryer heat
6.tea rolling
7.primary drying
8.mass rolling 
9.final drying
The six step was really important. Rolling tea can that the extra water come out (by breaking the cells ) and the sugar will come out and stay at the surface of tea that why the first brew tea is always sweat than second brew.
     In the afternoon, we learned how to brew the tea by ourselves. It was an art. Every moments and steps had the spirit inside.

7/9 台大實驗林 魯班 lock

  It was another sunny day. We went to looked different kind of wooden machines in experimental forest. It was quite fun but I hope we can use it by ourselves. Later, we went to make stool. However, it already was cut in size. All we need to do was assembling them up and vanished it. The most interesting thing was the razor sculpture. It was really incredible. We spent nearly all day finished our work.
        At night, we had a competition about how fast can you finish the 魯班 lock. Fortunately, I won the competition and got a baseball bat which was made by the craft this afternoon as the prize. It was great. I hope we can have another good day tomorrow. 

7/9 trap teaching, 湯圓DIY, flower picking and 水里 introduction

     The most interesting part of today's schedule was trap field lesson. We learned four types of aboriginal trap today. The theory behind those traps were quite similar. However, the experience of setting traps were important as well. Though I believe I can set up traps by myself, I couldn't make sure I can catch the pray by it. Because I don't know the behavior of pray. For example, I don't know wild pigs will test the ground before step in and I don't know how they run neither. The trees is important as well. If you choose wrong tree which is not flexible enough, you might break the tree before trap is done or don't have enough strength to hold the prey.
      After the lesson, we went to make 湯圓. This is not the original 湯圓. We add 艾草 and 甜菜 into 湯圓 and cooked with the black sugar. It sound wier at the instance but I like the 艾草 favor one. What's more, I found out that if you add the sugar into the dull first, after it cooked, it will softer than the original one.
       We went to be a free labor in the afternoon helping them picking flowers which cannot be sales. Then, we spent about two or three hours driving to the 水里實驗場.
        Before the introduction, several people went to 7-11 including Alex, Yao, Nathan and me. We didn't went back to class immediately after 7-11. We went to buy traditional ice bar which only 7 dollars per each. On the way back, we got lost and barked by dogs in the dark alley. That was really a special experience. We still got to the class on time XD.

7/8 梅峰 farm

     Today we woke up at 5:40 and started our bird-watching at 6:00. We didn't see a lot birds in this morning but I heard different bird's sound. The guide said that this probably because typhoon is coming. I saw 紅頭山雀 and the blue appearance bird. I don't really like the bird-watching not because we need to wake so early.
    Later we had introducing tour for two hours. We saw lots of green houses and lots of different kind of plants such as native kiwi fruit and blue berry ( I ate two of it XD).
     Then we had a really interesting lesson today. It was about how to make a organic compost and how plants defand pests. I will not describe in detail but I'll put my note to here.
     At evening, Nathan, I and some voluteer students went to see the fire flies. It was awesome. They were just around us and l found they fly so slow you can catch them easily. However, when beatles come they were retreating back to the forest. I'm happy that I can have chance to have this kind of experience.
     Before watching the fire flies, we went to make a vegetable juice and peach slushie. The ingredients include 車前草 水梨（not fruit ) 魚腥草 and a sour stain plant. The both things were tasty.
      After dinner, we had insects watching. They used light to attract bugs, moths, bees, beatles and etc. The guide said that the light was not the only reason to attract insects but time. Different period at night will attract different insects. 
       We went back to dorm and took a rest. At 10:30 Alex and I went to star watching. We tried to find milk way but unfortunately we failed. However, I saw the satellite and three meteors that was awesome. The sky in the mountain was so beautiful.
       I played a awesome game from Coton. You stare one star and spin 15 round quickly. Suddenly, make someone look directly into flashlight. Then he or she will can not control themselves and fall backwards. 

7/6 合歡山

Yeah ~~~ We went to hike 合歡山 today. The weather was not so chill. The scenery there was so awesome. We went into a secret tunnel on the way to the top of the 合歡山. I guess it used to military use. It was like a puzzle inside. It was so fun to explore the room and tunnel.
       When we got to the top of the moutain I found another trial down to the other side of the mountain. What was I found there was a high mountain plant called 冷杉. I also climbed up to the weather observing towel.
       Besides, there were lots of flying bugs and flies. They just flow to and climbed up our shirt especially the white one. 
       Latter we went to hike another hill which wasn't taking to long to get to the t op.
       It really easy to get tired when hiking on the high mountain so I slowed down my speed. Fortunately, I didn't got 高山症.
       After having a great dinner at the parking lot, we went to 梅峰 farm and had some brief introduction and lecture there.
       Still I had a good night with Nathan and Alex and my roommates as well.

7/5

We went to hike some more trial this morning in Taroko national park. The trail was called 白楊步道. This trail had lots of tunnel. Alex found several bats in one of the tunnel we went through. I guess bats love dark and dry tunnel because not bats in other wet tunnel. I'll find the answer few days latter. In the and of the trail, there was a waterfall and water curtain tunnel. The waterfall was not really magnificent but the water curtain was awesome. We had lots of fun and the water was much cooler than any other place. There was some accident happened on the way back to the bus. A caterpillar drop on my neck and it was the furry one. I hope it won't hurt latter. 

     In the afternoon, we went to see the 碧綠神木 and than went to the hotel. The hotel was so posh. And someone found beetle.

7/3 7/4 Taroko national park & 清水 cliff

       We woke up early this morning. We went to 清水 cliff and it was so humid there that I didn't do anything but I sweat a lot. We went to beach but I didn't enjoy a lot. I didn't mean that the view was not beautiful. I just don't like the beach really much.
       7/4 we headed to Taroko national park and we walked several trails this day. We went to 砂卡噹 trail in the morning and we spent lots of time playing in the river. I catch one fish but I never succeeded second time. The water was so cool and clean.
       "Also, Nathan hurt his finger and I was sad. I climbed big rocks but I didn't swim in the water. I had a lot of fun with Alex because I love Alex. I learned to whistle and I am better at it than Alex because Alex is bad. Also, Alex poked me in my hole, I punished him for that.
       Our lunch and dinner was the same, I love it so I got to enjoy it twice. At the hostel, I drank a lot of free  beer because July 4th is America's birthday!" typed Nathan. XD
       Alex was not happy about that Nathan typed diary for me so he tried to convince Nathan to type for him as well. In conclusion, Alex was a naughty boy.
       We had a good night, card game night which was "landlord"!!

7/2 Turtle island

Yeah~~~ We went to turtle island today! 7:00 am we left Taipei and headed to 宜蘭 taking the boat to turtle island. Before we ducking on the island, we went to dolphin-watching. You maybe wouldn't believe it that nearly hundred of dolphins swam around our boat and some of them were doing jump-rotating trick. It was just so incredible. I never saw so much dolphins at one time. They're so cut. Then, we went around the island having some introduction. There was some place where have brighter blue sea color and that was actually caused by the sulfur emitting from the volcano below the sea. I think this is really a fortune to visit turtle island ;however it doesn't inspire or surprise me alot. Beside, the mosquitos there bit me a lot that really make me uncomfortable and the weather there was just to hot actually. We had a good time though.

6/30,7/1 Tainan, 安平古堡, 台江national park, 中台禪寺

We had two days trip to Tainan and Taichung. The weather was really really hot that I only want to stay in the museum. Even though the weather was not comfortable, I still learned lots of things and saw many different staff. For example, there was a tunnel in the 安平 fort. Though some people still wonder this tunnel can go out to the sea or not, I believe that it can. We went up to the lookout and it was really high. Later we were moving to the tree house and again the view of the the tree house surprise me because I thought this kind of view could only be found in Cambodia. Tree house was the old warehouse for storing salt and now was cover by Banyan tree. The root of Banyan tree climbed everywhere and you can find a strange right angle shape which was used to be a wall there. In the afternoon we visited 台江 national park. Another beautiful place. I love it so much. We took the boat(flat) and went out to see the birds, mangroves(four species which were 海茄冬,五角梨 and other two I forgot) and some creatures. I don't like the birds very much I mean I'm not interesting in. However, I do have strong curiosity about the under water creatures. We got some shrimps, rabbit fish and 小土龍(really slippery) in the net. This night we had a "Happy Time"(somebody will know what it mean). We played love letter for about 2 hours. On the first day of July We went to 中台禪寺 and it was a really huge building. The first came into my mind is that how much money did they need to spend on this magnificent building. There was one room that the walls were covered by hundreds of sculptures which were costed craft man days to finish each piece. In the afternoon we visited 高美 wetland. In my point of view, it was not really appealing. However, the ecology there was quite unique in Taiwan.

The plant is called 五角梨. On the left side is twin. This shape of the seed is for when falling down they can just stick into the mud.

Aerial roots of 五角梨

The lookout of 安平古堡

台江 national park

rabbit fish

Secret tunnel

Smaller one is called 沙蝦 which is eatable and the other one is called 紅尾蝦