Got up at 8am with for a day of hot spring with 1st uncle and 4th uncle. Oh, I went to bed at 3:30am hung out with my cousins Chen Chen and Chan Chan. As tired as I am, I still think it's all worth the fatigue. I can manage and work around it. During the car ride I put my head on my 1st aunty in law's shoulders and rested. She's really sweet and held my hand and hugged me the whole way. I felt quiet nurtured.
I soaked for a long time, taking my time. I have knots and pains in my body and the soaking was really good. Then we attempted to have lunch in 4 separate restaurants but they were all booked with weddings, it must have been an auspicious day for weddings. We ended up having take out from a local place by the apartment. After lunch, guess what we did? We sat around had tea and talked. Topics of conversation ranged from childhood to ghost stories. It was fun.
The tea culture of Taiwan is everyone is poured a tablespoon size of tea in a cup that is about a tablespoon size. It's small so it's one sipper. Plus the caffeine is strong. How is it done, drink one pour another and this goes on and on for hours. There is no rush, and tea is served boiling hot and sipped. When tea is cooled a bit it is dumped and a hot one is poured into your cup. It is often accompanied by lots of snacks like preserved fruits, seeds, nuts, etc.... goodies. And of course, you talk and talk for hours.
