Got up and got ready to go catch the 10:15am 9015 Taichung Bus as I got up too late for the 9:15am one. 二叔 dropped me off on his motorbike. The bus was late. The ticket cost $140. I was prepared this time and managed to film the Huwei roundabout. Yus.
When I arrived I headed straight into the Puppet Museum. They have a new exhibition called 出外景 which is about Hsin Hsing Kuo's troupe and his life story in regards to potehi. A shame I wasn't able to read the Mandarin properly, but I hope the photos I took is clear enough for me to google translate at a later date (if ever). There was a volunteer auntie who started talking to me and then asked me where I was from etc, and then told me cause her daughter works in Eva Air she's able to get free tickets and have been to NZ's south island, Brisbane, Sydney, most larger European countries, Vancouver, etc. She was so talkative lol. But it was past lunch time cause we chat for like over an hour (I arrived around 11:30am, went to the loo and then ate my mandarins as snacks before going into the building). I asked her for any recs and she pointed me to a shop called 阿世肉羹.
Off I go. It's about 1pm now. Oh this area is a 菜市場. I saw a 雞蛋糕 at an intersection that had such a long queue. Wow! I found the shop and they had the door aprtially open, but a lot of fans inside so I felt OK to eat there. I still still ate pretty fast. I had a Ru Rou Fan, Rou Gen Tan, and a plate of sausages. It was pretty good. Their 肉羹 was really nice. They added mushrooms and some dried fish or squid? Yellowish in colour. And then the sausages are home made, said the volunteer lady. Righto, done and mask back up, let's go.
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| The long queue for 雞蛋糕 |
There's a potehi live performance at 2:30pm, and I still had about half an hour at least. I had a look in the eslite building which I missed out last time. It's also a Starbucks. It used to be a police station and fire brigade in the Japanese colonial period, and a rare building of its kinda to be preserved. They even have the fire pole which firemen would slide down on (but like I didn't find this lol). They had stamps but the inkpad was so dry...
Back I go to the Potehi musuem. The live has been set up outdoors. The anticipation before it starts is always exciting. It's just such a shame I can't understand anything and it's still pretty warm so I started getting drowsy in the last 5-10 mins or so. The show ran about 35 mins. The troupe leader came out with toy swords and asked questions of kids that put their hands up, and help them answer if they can't, and they get a prize toy sword. Hahah. The sword has a gold handle and like the shiny shimmery sheath colour - blue, green, or pink.
The performance had smoke going and dancing lions at one stage. Also a police officer head and regular officers (Japanese cause they said "NANI" like twice lol). Two regular people (up to no good kidnappers?), kids, kidnapped kids and their mum, a gentlemen who saved kids from being kidnapped, and a man who carried a deity statue in a basket. Wish I knew what was going on!
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| The troupe leader in pink, forgot to get a photo when he was questioning the kids |
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| I sneaked a look backstage after the show |
After the show I went into the permanent exhibit and had a look. The Selfie machine was broken. TToTT They added curtains to the little theatre stand where you can try perform your own potehi. I made sure to stamp the stamps before going to lunch. I watched some of the documentaries on the TV, but due to lack of seating I got sore and only watched 2. The next one had no subtitles and since there was no audio I dunno what was going on, so I went to visit the gift shop and the sweets shop (this is new). The sweets shop had some tatami seating. I bought a mug from the gift shop for $200 as my usual one cracked last month.
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| A landmark outside the museum |
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| When potehi first went on TV |
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| Lots of Pili fanclubs here, wow xD |
Then I visited the volunteer auntie and had a quick few chats as I told her I went to her suggestion, and asked about the 雞蛋糕 stall. She said she had it years ago but can't remember, and it's popular due to net fame. Said goodbye and headed to the other historical building which used to be a warehouse and was used as an Earthquake monitoring Dept building? before, which is across from the Story House. I also said I didn't see the firemen pole at the Eslite building and she said it's on the Starbucks side. They put acrylic up around it for safety. I'll go find it later!
But the one across from the story house is a restaurant, also a Japanese style building. So I went to the Story House ($50 entry for non-locals) to get my stamps and ask the workers there. One of the volunteers at the entry was super nice and introduced a bunch of other places I could go - maybe next time! And then I went inside to had a look and see if there was anything different. The little nooks/exhibit areas had new stories. They had a Dai'yu story book one this time. There's another lady who just finished their uni study, and was also from Taichung! who introduced a map stamp rally. She did say the map is a few years old so some places on there may have lost the stamp.
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| The restaurant across the road |
I figured out the Taisugar warehouse is just a bit futher down, so I went. The lady also said to go since closing time soon. Bye bye. The volunteers are all so nice. The volunteer at the entrance also mentioned from Dec to March they open up the railway and take groups to go harvest sugarcane, and see the production process at the actual still functioning sugar mill. During the months where the railway with the special Taisugar train isn't open, you can cycle along it and it's a bit weedy but got a different vibe.
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| Old baby's seat, that you can flip over to be a stool |
I found the place they were talking about. There was like no one, and there's some info about Taisugar and the history. I bought some postcards, and then asked the staff if they were still open - yes! It's 5pm now but they open till 6pm. So I went inside and had a look, the wooden archecture is so good and it's got a good atmosphere. I looked in teh warehouse room, the shelves are close together and it's just enought for 1 person to fit through. And then got a small fright because I turned into an aisle and saw a cat right at head height... is it real? Omg it's a real cat snoozing! Totally unexpected. Hello~ wow.
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| Entrance to the warehouse room |
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| A mini musuem, super hard to get a photo that shows all due to the tight space |
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| Snoozy kitty |
Finished looking around, wish I had more time to look at details though. And since I was thirsty I asked if I could order a drink and a small cake. Then realised I won't make it in time for the 5:40pm bus, so asked if they were still taking meal orders. They do meal orders here and have an outdoor area! Nice. The staff was new so she went off to ask someone else, and it was initially a no, and then a yes when I said I would like the cool noodles liangmian. I saw outside under the tree. Dusk now, and it was getting dark. They turned the lights on shortly after my food came, and it was so moody/atmospheric with the light bulbs across the trees. My food was good! The fruits tea was very nice, and the cake was a bit dry though. The noodles were nice. I forgot it's mozzy kingdom outside and I think I got bitten a few times from the same mozzy around the top of my ankles. I realised that it was 10 mins till 6pm, so tried to eat fast so I wouldn't hold the staff up from going home. I saw the cat that was sleeping in the warehouse shelf come out and sit on a scooter seat. One of the staff came out and closed the metal window cover on the warehouse side, and then the front door. A couple/an & woman walked in and had a look around after they closed the doors, and I let them know they are closed at 6pm (it's 5:55pm ish now). Managed to finish a few mins after 6pm, and took my dishes on the tray they served it on, back to the little kitchen window. Thanked them for the food, (there's like 3 staff), and got ready to mask up and go home on the bus.
Passed the Eslite and went into Starbucks to find the pole. Ohhh it's right at the corner near the inside entrance from front door lobby. Cool! I went upstairs and had a look from there too. They also had some sort of cabinet upstairs, which I took a photo to decipher later.
I went to go buy my bus ticket, and the 9015A bus was a bit late, like the morning. For some reason the bus driver looked at my ticket and then refunded me $30?? Uhhhhhhh I stalled for a wee bit and then realised I was holding up the line so I went to take a seat. I ended up sitting on the wrong side for the roundabout... for some reason I thought sitting on the other side to the side I saw when coming in was correct, but it should be the same side... Sit on the left next time. I missed the night light lit statue. TToTT Noooo.... thankfully the curtains were wide open on the other side so at least I got to see it.
Totally knocked out and fell asleep not long after. I woke up pretty much right on time, about 40 mins later. And then we were almost at Chaoma?? The bus didn't take long at all, just under an hour?!
二叔 was already waiting for me in his car. Thanks uncle. I realised that 三舅媽 had called me about 10 mins prior when I was knocked out asleep on the bus. I called her back and she sounded groggy. Turns out she needs help at the stall as they're 1 person down and super busy after the typhoon. Ideally 6:30am - 8am is the busiest. I'll try.... she wants me to fry egg, take the dirty dishes and wash them. I will try....
So I guess I am working part time tomorrow morning lol. 二叔 arrived at the car park entrance and I got off to buy some bakery from FM Station (my lemon cake!!!) for breakfast tomorrow, and the yoghurt drink. Need battle rations. Then went to Chunghwa Telecom to ask why I can't add money or buy a plan via their web portal. Turns out you can't purchase a new one until the current one runs out. And if you want to just add credit, you use "talk minutes" option. And if you want to use existing credit on your account, you call 123 to purchase a plan with it.
Pretty much showered ASAP when I got home and then do my blogging, as I need an early night to get up as early as I can.
So my blog today isn't as detailed as I'd like it to be. :') Early start tomorrow.
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