Weekend with Katy

My friend Katy and I have known each other for close to 12 years now.  We were only neighbors for a year in Alaska, and never even went to the same school. I feel so lucky we remained this close for so many years!  Katy and I had first talked about her coming to visit back in April, but the timing just didn't work out.  I had given up on the idea, but then she was given the opportunity to travel to Japan for work.   She then extended her trip, and was able to spend the weekend in Taipei!

I was so excited for her to visit, and although the weekend went fast we had a blast!  I actually had a job interview on Friday night (which I passed!) so Katy was stuck spending her first night as my moral support.  The next day we tried to beat the rain and hit up some of the local sights.  We then went on to get a manicure, which ended up being the most meticulous manicure we both had have.  They did a good job, but we almost missed our dinner reservations it took so long.  That night we had every intention of experiencing local nightlife: meant to take a power nap,  and then slept through our alarm.  Oops!  The next day we saw a few more sights, then continued on to the night market and shrimp fishing.   Katy had to leave the next morning, but it meant so much to me that she was able to squeeze in a visit!

Traditional Tea Tasting

Living in Taiwan, I have became quite the tea drinker.  Between my morning cup of tea and the local tea stands around the city, it has become a daily ritual.  With this new found love, I was eager to visit a traditional tea house.  My friend Judith and I discovered Wisteria Tea House, and were excited when we walked in and saw the large Japanese style room.  With low tables and cushions, everyone sits on the floor while enjoying their tea.  Taking a few minutes to read about the different teas, we decided on two and it was time for the demonstration.  They brought over the tea set, our cups, and the loose leaf tea.  I learned different parts of properly enjoying tea, such as seeping times and using a separate cup just to smell the tea before drinking it.  Here are some photos from this unique experience.