Is Taiwan a Country?

Shuuuuu… No politics…

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One of the biggest tips we can give to you visitors is that avoid political topics at all time, if you can.  It’s a highly sensitive topic to locals. But we know you are curious. I’ve got asked about this question all the time. If you really .. I mean R-E-A-L-L-Y… want to know about the status quo, google or write us an email…  We will share our opinions with you offline…

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Friends in Taiwan Adventure

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Little Things about Taoism and Buddhism #1 : An Old Fable - A Blessing in Disguise

Zen in Practice

 There are many old, wise men in ancient China, with a long white beard, who can jump to the top of the roof or kill a fly with chopsticks. Today I would like to tell you a story about one particular wise old man that owns a horse.    This story is wide spread in the Mandarin speaking areas…  generations after generations…

This particular old, wise man is believed to live in 200 BC. As I said, he was OLD…. No one remembers his first name, but everyone knows his last name, Sai. He has a long white beard… just like other wise old men in ancient China…

As we said earlier, he had one horse, the one and only horse. One day, his horse ran away.

His neighbors said, “I'm so sorry, Mr. Sai. This is such bad news. You must be so upset.”

The man just said calmly, “We'll see.”

A few days later, his horse came back with twenty wild horses following. The man and his son corralled all 21 horses.

His neighbors said, “Congratulations, Mr. Sai! This is such good news. You must be so happy!”

The man just said calmly, “We'll see.”

A few days later, one of the wild horses kicked Mr. Sai's only son, breaking both his legs.

His neighbors said, “I'm so sorry, Mr. Sai. This is such bad news. You must be so upset.”

The man just said calmly, “We'll see.”

A few weeks later, the country went to war, and every able-bodied young man was drafted to fight. The war was terrible and killed every young man, but Mr. Sai’s son was spared, since his broken legs prevented him from being drafted.

His neighbors said, “Congratulations, Mr. Sai! This is such good news. You must be so happy!”

The man just said, “We'll see.”

That is the end of the story. Basically misfortune begets fortune, and fortune begets misfortune. This goes on without end, and thus we shall not oversad with misfortune and overhappy with fortune. And our mood could then be always at a neutral and balance state.  The philosophy is deeply rooted in the Taoism and Buddhism practiced by majority of Taiwanese people. We will discuss more common beliefs in upcoming posts.

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Friends in Taiwan Adventure

info@friendsintaiwan.net | FriendsInTaiwan.net

What is Boba? - A Must Try Food in Taiwan

What is Boba ?

Boba could be short for the Boba Tea. Boba also refers to the black little things in the tea. They are tapioca balls, made of the starch. It could be white too but most of the time it is black. The round shape of tapioca balls earns its name Boba, which means “big boobs” in Mandarin slang… For the sake of the clean look, we won’t be able to show you any visual illustrations... Please use your imagination to make sense of it…   A side note, you can also refer to a female with big boobs as “boba”. But it’s not the classiest compliment. I would probably just use it behind her back.

Back to the Boba Tea. It was invented in a tea house in the 80s in Taiwan. It wasn’t popular until the super sized straws were invented two years later. It has became a national beverage in Taiwan ever since. There are 8,000+ Boba tea cafes in Taiwan alone. You can buy it almost any time anywhere when you travel in Taiwan.

How to Order and Drink Boba Tea ?

The classic Boba Tea comes with black tea based milk tea. However you can pretty much add boba in anything you like. Green tea, fruit tea, juice, grass jelly, shaved ice, smoothies… etc.  Boba is usually covered with honey or syrup during the cooking process. Be sure to indicate a preferred sugar level when ordering your beverage. You can also replace milk with soy milk or no milk.  

Like all the food, it is the best when fresh. Drink your tea asap. Typically you would drink it with a big size straw.  Chew boba before swallow. 

What Makes Good Boba Tea?

The tea and Boba, duh.  Taiwan is famous for its tea. Many tea houses use quality tea leaves and fresh milk (not condensed or powered milk).  If you have a choice, go for it. It might cost a few dollars extra. It’s all worth it. Good Boba should be chewy, not hard (undercooked) or mushy (overcooked or left out for too long). If you are having it in its home town, the boba quality is very consistent throughout the island. 

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Friends in Taiwan Adventure

info@friendsintaiwan.net | FriendsInTaiwan.net