What happened to Taipei

410202073

英美三吳晟華

What Happened to Taipei

In my childhood memory, Taipei was a dream land for those who wants to do something with their lives, a city one can chase dreams and there was no restriction to anybody. I lived in SHE-ZI, one of the places that were known for warm hospitality.

By the time, I lived with my father and his two sibling’s families, that is, a total of 15 people in a three storey house. One step out of the door and it was the middle of the local market. I was able to find everything the whole family need for daily life in the community.

Just a few years later, those who chased dreams had succeeded, those who seek opportunities had seized them, as a result, all the wealth they gathered in Taipei stuck the traffic. So the government pave new roads and new plan for the city. The market was wiped from the map because wider streets were necessary, and the grocery I used to buy daily necessities reinvested into café. The one family I used to live in, split into three.

Now I can hardly recognize my home, dreams are only for those who have degree of famous University and colorful portfolio, and what’s even worse is that those who already lived in have to spend their life only on surviving.

The blind worship of success and money developed a culture that worship money as success, and success as the only value of life. This culture not only cause the life style of Taipeiness to become tensive and restless, but pitiless. Everything must be effective and productive, those who can keep up are simply not working hard enough. Furthermore, living in the so called “sick” society, people in Taipei are more likely to have a mental issue above all other provinces, and that had caused innocent people to lose their life.

Perhaps in this age of changing it is time to make a difference, to make a balance between “Lifeing” and actually living before it is too late. Last time I checked, the toy shop I spend my childhood life is still to be found in the alley. 

Buffets Nowadays

410202073

英美三吳晟華

Buffets Nowadays

One type of restaurant sprung up in 21th century, a type of restaurant that rise with the capitalism – Buffet. A buffet serves food in a way that people could seldom imagine in old times – massive amount of food, massive amount of costumers, and of course, great benefit.

  The foods in a buffet are different from regular foods. Instead of relying on a menu, foods that are already on the table must sell themselves directly on their true appearances and fragrance; what’s more than that, these foods will not be consumed immediately, which means they must be able to stand a long time and still preserved its taste and freshness. Through the strategy of massive production, they successfully reduce the cost of providing these delicate foods.

  Many people, including myself, grow fond of these kind of “All-you-can-eat” restaurants, since we can enjoy lots of different styles of dishes, drinks and snacks whatever and however we want with only one charge. Some would describe it as “locusts crossing”; actually, they do have some point.

  The custom of buffet can reach back to 8th century, when Viking pirates had a “bumper harvest”, they hold grand fest after they went home, and then they share the ecstasy of plunder with their fellow in their homeland by inviting them to “raven” their dining table.

   

  Traveling with time and space, Buffets are now usually served in high class hotel. Dealing with the problem quality, these hotels came up with a method to serve foods in long time and preserve its quality simultaneously; that is, make the waiters frequently replace their product with fresh ones; and it has been proven quite acceptable by their customers these days. However, this common method created tons of wasted foods.

  Therefore, buffets restaurants are going through a series of upgrade. Instead of feeding the costumers as much as they can, now they are trying to encourage the customers to eat just enough. Moreover, with chefs serving in the counter, the combination and sometimes even cooking method are all capable of customizing, which result in better eating experience and less food waste.

  To sum up, buffet is a highly developed type of restaurant, it mirrors many feature of modern society; besides all that, it is appetizing to see whole bunch of food on the table, isn’t it?

Image Resource: Google Pic

  

410202073

英美三吳晟華

My Favorite Sights

  Smooth sands, turquoise sea - that is the scene you will always get in Seven Star Lake. The Seven Star Lake is located on the northeast shore of Hualien, whenever it comes to holiday, people will come visit the gorgeous shore. As you may have noticed, it wasn’t a lake, but a boundless sea.

When you step on the soft sands and feel the gentle sunlight warming your body, you feel that there’s nothing you can’t take easy in the world. And then all of a sudden, the sea breach out on the surface, hitting the beach like snow dropping from the sky, like flowers blossoming in winter, and like a mother soothing her child.

  One thing you can never forget to mention about Hualien is the night scene in Seven Star Lake. It’s said that the origin of its name is that you can easily see the “Big Dipper” here, in Chinese is “The Northern Seven Star”. At night the Seven Star Lake has a completely different view. It is all quiet, all peaceful, and all mysterious.

  Without the urban light pollution, thousands of stars are spread all over the sky. The stars are so clear and shine, that the sea is thus illuminated. The stars are so mysteriously beautiful, that you found yourself merge into the whole universe.

Surrounding the Seven Star Lake is a long bike trail which people can leisurely ride their bike while seeing the magnificent sight of the shore, or maybe even tasting a cup of delicious ice-cream or sausages that are popular in the place. In summer times there are also music or sport events held in the area that people can come and enjoy.

Beside the shore is a white light tower standing on a flat upland covered by grass, where you can see the whole view of the bay, the vast ocean, and the mountains on the northern side. Among the mountains is the railroad that connects Hualien with Ilan, the railroad that many have to take from time to time, but worthy, for that kind of view.

  The Seven Star Lake is a place that you must visit, it has the best sight day and night, summer and winter, a place that will always welcome you with its wonderful beauty. The Seven Star Lake is my favorite sight in Hualien.