Travelog for: Mandy Sheep

Some months ago I started to think about going on a longer trip too, but after I saw Cassiopeia winning the classic category award, I knew, that now is my time to start the journey.

First of all I will see a little bit of my home town and then go to see the world


shui
Mosuha
hksusanita
Thitirat
plueonigiri
raydance
judygreeneyes
Pixiedustlady
vickyp
RikeH
sirkku-susanna
ETVT with:marcie08, egn, babyamy, TaisAfinskaja and Delenna

home

hanachan - March / April

TaisAfinskaja August ? or end November/December if possible

Germany September - trip to Croatia

Germany end October/ November - trip to New York

Wow, the first update with photos!!! My mum only writes today- 28th February- because she had been so busy with school (her working place) and her kids learning for school too. And she told me, that she also is busy with something called household, but I don't exactly know, what she means by that. Of course my mum says, this would be nothing new, because the word household would be a really foreign word for children and I am a kind of child for her.

Sabrina took me and my toyvoyager friends out to her girlfriend Cara. It was the first time for me, that I had been outside of the house and of course I had been very very excited. I saw the sun, the wooden play equipment on the playground and I saw sand. Of course I first didn't know, how to name that, but I'm learning really quickly.

We all had a great time there.

On my way home I saw a little part of the palace garden, but it was too late to take great photos, so you only see me in the darkness.

I had been on a short trip to Mannheim today and saw the Planetarium.

It's my last day in Bruchsal and my mum wanted to show me a part of the palace garden and the backside of the palace. The weather was too bad to see more of it.

Then we drove away to fetch Sabrina from her school. On our way I saw the jailhouse, which is a really interesting building, but it made me feel scared, because mum told me, that there are dangerous murderers in it.

The last photo shows a private catholic grammar school, which was founded by patres of the Pallotti order. In the far we saw the baroque church St. Peter.

Today I finally arrived in Taiwan!! It's so hot here (in comparison with Germany). I'm now in a city called Tainan which you can see it is in the south of Taiwan. My host told me that the "nan" in Tainan just means south in Chinese--this is the first Chinese word I learned. ^^

I'm now getting a little bit nervous to get to my host's house...


Wow...who's that? She is a sheep, too! Her name is Cotton Candy.
My host told me she is from New Zealand. I suddenly feel a little bit relieved cause I soon to know that she is a really kind sheep.


Cotton Candy showed me a little bit around their house, and ask me if I'd like to take a photo with her because she never
met another sheep for many years.


As my host took a photo of us, somebody brown suddenly showed up and gave me a fright...............


Actually he is another member in my host's family. He said sorry that he did not think that he might frighten me. He just wanted to give me a surprise because he looks forward to seeing me a lot for that I'm the first ToyVoyager came to their house. I told him it's OK!


To offer an apology, he showed me the little tiny garden he likes most in this house.
It is just outside the window in my host's room.

I was so suprised that I'll go to Hsin-chu now. My host told me that she studies there so every week she will spend a day or so and attend a regular meeting there.

People there said that ToyVoyager don't need to buy a ticket to take the bus! How lucky am I! 


It is because today is Wednesday, so there are not many people taking bus today. That's why I can take a whole seat waiting for the bus, even for such a small me.


Look! That's the bus we're going to take. I'm so exicited! This is my first time taking a bus--sitting in a big car with so many people. My host told me that it will take three hours to arrive in Hsin-chu so...see you tomorrow! (It will be late when we arrive.)

I'm now in Hsin-chu which is usually called the city of wind since the wind here is quite large as the temperature lowers down. However, it's lucky me that today there is only warm breeze around us.

Since we would not stay here for a long time, my host only took three photos of me. The following shows the entrance of the university where my host goes to. I was wondering what is that strange small room for? There are always people in there watching cars passing by.


This one is my favorite! This artificial lake located in this campus is called Chu which means bamboo in Chinese. Chu is the represented plant of this university. My host told me that there is another university nearby and its represented plant is plum blossom. She also told me that if we have more time in the future, we can take a walk around these two campuses.


It is sad that we have so limited time in Hsin-chu....it's time to go back to Tainan. I think we'll also have a lot of fun in Tainan since Tainan is still a completely strange city for me. There is still much to explore!

Tonight my host let me listen to some music she loves...I was shocked that there are sounds coming from those black stuff in my ears. Though I don't really understand what that person sings, I love the melody! ^^

This morning my host took me to a historic place called Yen Ping Chun Wang Temple where is just 5 minutes far from the place we live by walking.

Before that, we went to eat breakfast...They are some milkfish balls in the soup. My host told me that Tainan is one of the milkfish main production region.


Here is a model of cannons people used about two to three hundreds years ago. Actually I still don't know what it is...but the traditional Chinese style building behind is beautiful...


Wow...what is this...is this an entrance? It is in the round shape. How cute it is! XD


When I look into the round entrance, I saw a garden built in Chinese style...does that mean I complete one life mission?


Here comes a colser view. Did you notice that there are bamboos beside me? I finally saw how bamboo looks like! My host told me that in the past, bamboos usually used to described a person with noble character and integrity. That's why in Chinese style garden we can usually see bamboos in it.


Look! I'm now on the eaves....it's high...my host put me there in order to let me get closer to the tree behind, but now I don't know how to get off....other than this, my host told me that it is a flame tree. It will bloom all bright reddish orange in June and July, so it is a tree of graduation here is Taiwan. By the way, it is also the city tree of Tainan. It's a pity I came in the wrong season.


The last one shows me looking through a window.
This kind of window is usually used to decorate in the walls around the traditional style house.


I'm very happy in this "short" trip, and look forward to visiting more traditional Chinese gardens in the future!

This is what we ate this morning! I don't know exactly what name it is...but quite delicious! My host told me that Tainan is most famous for its delicious foods, so I think I may show more photos of what we eat during my trip in Tainan.


Today we went to the traditional market with my host's mother.


Look at this pineapple. I split it into two!!! XD OK...to be honest, it is just as the way you see when it grew. My host's mother told me that these unusual shaped pineapples are usually used to worship the ancestors, not to eat.


Guavas! It is said that they have richful vitamins C -- good for my skin!


SEE!!! I stacked those jujubes and stood on the top!


Handmade tofu! It doesn't smell good, but my host told me it is super delicious after cooking!


My host told me that this is a very old stand. There is a very old women cooking noodles for everybody here for breakfast!


Wow...fishes!!! This my first time seeing how people gilling fish.


After buying fishes, we left the market and ate some icecream. This kind of icecream is also one of famous local foods called sweet potato icecream. Sweet potato is its most famous flavor, and they always make this kind of icecream into cube.


Guess where am I?


Just beside the icecream shop, there is a store selling traditional leaf hat. My host said that when people need to work under sun, they will wear this kind of hat, like farmers. It is a pity that they don't have my size...

I'm now taking a train...guess where we are going?


Wow...the train moves so fast that I can hardly seeing the view clearly outside.
It's great to see some countryside scenes as taking the train.

After getting off the train, I ran very soon to the end of the train in order to take this photo.


That's it! We arrived in Taichung railroad station which is about two hours far from Tainan.

After taking a bus from Taichung railroad station to Chitou
in Nantou (1.5 hours), we finally arrive at the altitude of 1130m.


Seeing those foggy mountains...My host told me that these fogs are the key point
why so many good teas are produced here.


Bamboos are the most famous scene of Chitou. I never see SO many bamboos at one time.
Their scientific name is Phyllostachys pubescens Mazel.


People were there for visiting those bamboo forests, some other big trees,
and samll trees which are ready for growing big and flourishing! I was quite exciting for this trip!


Why they chopped those bamboos?? The narrator told us the life of those bamboos are only about 7~8 years, and between 4~5 years is the best time for making them into useful tools, like furnitures. That's why they chopped them down, and in the meantime the new coming up bamboos will also have more space to grow up.


Here it is! The little small tree! It will become a member of a big group for decreasing the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. My host told me that these trees will be in part of the project from United Nations Environment Programme called Plant for the planet. By the way, they also told me that this kind of tree is called Taiwania, and this name has been established for 100 years.


Little maildrop beside the forests! I was wodering to send a postcard telling mom
how great the place is, but they don't sell any postcard here. What a pity!


My host's sister took photo of me on the a blooming tree.
Though I never climbed on a tree before, I can't resist to get closer to those beautiful flowers...

After ending this happy trip bathing in fresh air and lush living things in Chistou, we arrived at Taichung City in the evening, and we had a nice meal in a local restaurant. Do you see a bamboo on the dish? XD

Today (the second day of February in lunar calendar) is the birthday of Tu Di Gong.
My host and her family also went to the shrine nearby to worship Tu Di Gong.

Here shows the sacrifice for worshipping Tu Di Gong.
Notice that there is a turtle (can be eat!) in the right side! XD I should show it to Cassiopeia!!


As I step inside the shrine...the atmosphere there is quite sacred.
I just can stand there quietly watching people telling their petitions.


This one shows some people there to ask Tu Di Gong for some little money (only NT$300). I felt quite strange as my host told me. She explained more : As some people got some problems in money affairs, some of them will turn to ask god for help. They first need to cast bamboo divination chips (That's what they do in the photo!) to see if the god is willing to lend them the so called "making-money fund". When they get the permission, they can use this little money on the place they need, and may get some improvement in thier financial affairs. In the next year, they need to return this money back, even give a little bit more to the shrine (god) if they think it works! This surprise me a lot! Very interesting!