Lemongrass, special plant in Shan Ban Ciao

Written by Nannakorn Santita,
 Edited by TLAA

Do you know Lemon grass?

Lemon grass has long been used in natural insect repellents and sometimes called mosquito grass. It is a clumping grass that grows quickly. It contains citronella and gives off a strong citrus odor that is offensive to mosquitoes. There are two kind of Lemon grass as I learn from there, the first can use in cooking as an herb recipe and second is for insect repellents especially mosquitoes.

During my volunteering, I found that kind of plant grows around Shan Ban Ciao. Actually, I know Lemon glass, but different kind of what I saw at Shan Ban Ciao. Lemon grass in my home country, Thailand uses this plant as a recipe’s ingredient or herb and also different smell.

Because of the locations, mountains, canals, and forests everyone knows it is such a good resources of mosquitoes.

During volunteering, everyday my friends and I will cut the Lemon grass leafs to put into our bed room to protect the mosquitoes, just have to crush it until smelling and you know it is really work!

Besides, Shan Ban Ciao also has the products from Lemon grass for selling. What I can notice from Taiwan is very support the locally made and marketed products of their local products. Taiwan can improve the local products' quality and marketing which seems provides both a local and national. Like I can see form Sanyi for example wood crafts, souvenirs from wood, and others.

This is one of what I learn from this volunteering, totally impressed and I absolutely glad to be there.

Sanyi, the provincial of highway

Written by Nannakorn Santita,
Edited by TLAA

If you want to travel, and one of the things you consider is whether your destination will have the scenery of nature, simply of local people’s life. I am talking about the “Tales of a Small Town”, a movie made in 1979 which taking a place in Sanyi related to the story about loving between a young wood sculptor and a mute girl the place that I had a volunteering.

During volunteering, I had a chance to go out to paint and ride a motorbike along the way to somewhere. I found that I do love the amazing scenery of mountain and nature there. My friends and I together paint fences on the sideway to make them more beautiful.

 What I impressed on that day is when people saw us they came; greeting us and more over they gave us waters and helped us. People are very kind to each other that are what I experienced from countryside lifestyle; not only nice atmosphere, but also people are so nice.

Cycling is very suitable for traveling around Sanyi due to the highway lay down the mountain line which very interesting. Not only for cycling for traveling, but also a good opportunity to exercise and follow the concept of energy conservation. Also, there many places that the tourists can drop in or enter during on the travelling way. For example Tung Flower Bike trail, Fruit farms, fishing port even Leisure Agricultural farm and others attractive places.

Do you get ready to take your whole family to cycling?

The Classic Wood Sculpture Town

                                                                                                       Written by Nannakorn Santita, Edited by TLAA

What is the first impression when I visited Sanyi? My first impression when I arrived at Sanyi was there are many shop selling wood stuff. 8 of 10 sculpture shop shows the wood craft thought the clear glass windows and doors along the streets. Actually Sanyi is well known as internationally that the place annually will be held International Woodcarving Art Festival which is one of Taiwan's most important cultural events and highlighting works of masters from around the world.

Sanyi’s wood sculpture originated from 1989, as using dead wood decorated and the unique technique and skill have been taught generation by generation and rapid development as a wood sculpture of Sanyi. Furthermore, thay also have Sanyi Wood Sculpture Museum provided for people who are interested.

The main materials of Shan Ban Ciao’s souvenirs, the place that I had volunteering also made from wood for example the key rings, wood mask for painting, comb, flame of picture, hairpins and some others souvenirs. Moreover, the tables, desks, chairs, and other furniture and decorations were made by wood. I think products which made from wood are really kind with natural much more than plastic or something made by chemical. Especially, this is simply becomes very unique nowadays.

Sanyi is the town of tourists’ attraction which shows the set in a modern building, the museum features an exhibition on the history of woodcarving as well as a vast collection of sculptures. Besides, visitors can enjoy the nature scenery of Sanyi and you will know why wood became important in this area.

A Day at The Railway’s Old Mountain Line

Written by Nannakorn Santita,
Edited by TLAA

I had a chance to visit Shengsing Old Train Station on a holiday during my internship. The farmer was so kind and he took us there. This Old Train Station is located at the highest point of the western railway trunk line above the sea level in Miaoli city. It was entirely built from wood in the Japanese style from the Japanese occupational period, but nowadays it can still be seen.

 This Railway’s Old Mountain Line was completed in 1908 which considered as a grand construction in a very long time. There is the magnificent scenery of mountains and forests, enriched of cultural tribes with long history.

On April 16, 1999, the Miaoli County Government designated Chengxing (Shengxing) Station to offer visitors as a county-level historic site and developed this track as a local industry.

At this unoccupied train station, I found a small town; tiny wooden building where tickets used to be sold, old-style shops and restaurants perched on the mountainside, and tunnel that you can walk through. I took around 2-3 hours to take a walk around there.

Besides, I really impress with a little postcard and souvenir shops over there. They sell souvenirs, local fruits like strawberry farm, foods, and some herbs that I had never known before.

To visit Shengxing station is not really taking a long time, but should have a private car. You can make a pin as the drop in places during your journey and you will see this place is worthwhile for a visit.

Volunteering

Written by Nannakorn Santita,
Edited by TLAA

I am one of many people who want to experience my own life as much as I can, and volunteering is the way that I selected to. Volunteering is one of the best ways to contribute community to do something that you are passionate about, and I am interested in farming and ecological, so volunteering at the farm is the right thing for me.

Shan Ban Ciao isthe place that I went to be a volunteer for 2 weeks. Shan Ban Ciao is a kind of Face painting Cultural museum which is not really about farming, but very inspired me in the different way. It is surrounded by mountains, farmland of local people, contribution canal and forests. The tourist can visit the museum, painting mask even take a look around Shan Ban Ciao. 

There are 3-4 little houses provided for the guests who want to stay.

My duties over there were preparing, cleaning materials for the tourists who joining the activities that we provided, welcoming, taking care of tourists. There was some holiday that we can went out to others place with new friends like a local market, sightseeing around the town even going out to eat something together.

Not only I got interact with many people, but also learn about how do they live their life in each day, what makes them live their life like that, making new friends and improve some Chinese.

It is so fun and rewarding experience. If you are looking for the best ways to volunteer, find something that fits your interested in, what are you favorite places to volunteer at?  I hope you will find useful and then start your volunteering!

The Mushroom Street

Written by Meidiana 
Purnamasari, edited by TLAA

Hey guys, I back again. Now I would like to explain more about Malipu recreational District. As what I explained to you in my last article, Malibu is one of the Sin-She Township (新社區) areas. Sin-she is taiwan’s major mushroom production area and 70% of taiwan’s mushroom production in Shinshe.
If you visit Malipu, u will find many of mushroom gardens. The farmers usually harvest the mushroom in the early morning every day, and the interesting thing that we can do is picking the mushroom ^__^. They will teach you how to pick. Nearby Malipu, there is a street, mushroom-street, in here you finds a lot of mushroom products from the farmers around this areas. Most of them do the production in their own garden.

In the mushroom street you will find many foods made by mushroom, and if you like fried chicken, you have to try fried mushroom, they change the chicken with mushroom, but this much healthier. They also have mushroom beef, its like a beef but made from mushroom (Nyummie…^__^). So, if you vegetarian, this is the place that you have to visit. For girls, we also have a special thing to do, what else except “shopping”, because they also sold a lot of mushroom stuff, like bunny, sock, key chains, bag and other. All are so cute. No need to think more to come guys, just go and enjoy your vacation in Mushroom-street.

Upss,,, I almost forget, they also have go-kard!!! Yey,,, let’s start our vacation soon ^___^.

See you in the next story,

Meme^^

Taste the home made Arabica Coffee from Malipu

Written by Meidiana 
Purnamasari, edited by TLAA

Do you like a coffee? Where usually you buy your coffee from? In the busy city, people usually buy a coffee from coffee shop like starbuck or just buy instant coffee in supermarket. The young people usually like to visit many kind of café to try a cup of coffee. However, do you ever try a cup of coffee directly from the plantation area? You can see all the process since plantation, harvesting, processing until become a tasty coffee.  One of the Arabica coffee plantation areas in Malipu Recreational District offers this kind of service.

In this coffee plantation, they have two kinds of Arabica coffee product. You can see in the picture below, that there are girls and boys coffee. However it doesn’t mean that if you are a girls can’t drink boys coffee. The differences between these coffee just in the shape of bean. The price of boy coffee is more expensive than girls coffee.

To make a tasty coffee, we can use a lot of kind method. From the picture below you can see that using a different coffee make will give a different result of coffee, even they come from the same bean. The coffee was made by automatic coffee maker the color will become brown, however, if we make it manually it will become dark. For the taste the second one is better. Taiwanese like a black coffee without sugar, but it’s too bitter for me, lol.

It is really nice experience if you want to try visits this place. The owner is very kind. So come and try it. see ya ^^