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 ^^

Stay with Family and Friends at Shin Fong Guess House

Written by Meidiana
Purnamasari, edited by TLAA

After picking the fruit, you may feel tired but do not want to go home early. We has recommended place for you to stay longer in Malipu and enjoy more scenery. It’s shin Fong Guess House. This guess house is organized by Shin Fong family. If you see from the picture all decorations is very interesting, they use Japanese stile. The wall made from woods, so you will feel cold even in the summer season. It is feel likes home sweet home, isn’t it?

If we see from the living room, the decoration is very cute. They has a big teddy bear in the corner. You can play and take picture with him as much as you want. He will always obey it, lol.  It’s will be a harm and comfortable room for family and friends to chats together. And also, it’s quite romantics for a couple ^0^.

In the bedroom they have some facilities likes, television, desk, chair, AC, and fan. You will feel more and more Japanese style here. Every bedroom has a window to enjoy the scenery outside the guess house. They have 2 clean and comfortable bath rooms besides the living room.

It’s really warm environment to chat and enjoy with your friends and family right? So no need to think more, just come to Shin Fong Guess House and say “cheers” in every picture that u will take. See ya in next story of Malibu ^__^ Holla.

Malipu Recreational District : Mu Tian Hsuan B&B

Written by Meidiana
Purnamasari, edited by TLAA

Mu Tian Hsuan is one of bed and breakfast (B&B) Resort in the Malipu. The tropical garden and woody furniture make this home stay more exotic and warm. You will feel that you stay in beautiful jungle house and good for relaxation.

You also will feel Balinese include in the design of this homestay. The gracious lady, as the owner will greet you kindly. Mu Tian Shuan is a family homestay, so all the things was manage by family members of the owner. Is just for hobby for her, and she design the room by herself.

They have many kind of room, but the one that interesting for me was honeymoon room. ^__^. They said many couple stay there for spend their honeymoon. But when I see it more like a princess room for me.lol. The cute toys, a hanging chair, a lounge chair and a warm snugly bed will make you want to stay in this room all days. In the bathroom you will see a Victorian bathtub and an automated toilet bowl, we also be able to see the green scenery when you lay in bathtub. You can spend wine time with your mate to do foot relaxation in bathroom (so romantic right)^^.

In the front of this homestay there is an ecology park. It’s was owned and manage by Mu Tian Hsuan. This make produce fresh air and beautiful scenery. Especially in winter. The color of tree changes become red, they said its pretty, but I cam on summer so it’s green and fresh.^^

Malipu Recreational District: Coffee Time ^^

Written by Meidiana
Purnamasari, edited by TLAA

Coffee is the second commodity traded in the world, and a lot people drink it every day. America is the one of biggest coffee importer, and my country, Indonesia in the third exporter. However, here in Taiwan we also be able to find some coffee plantation areas. One of the places that I ever visited is coffee plantation located in Malipu.

This coffee area located in the mountain nearby Malipu, around 1 hours by car. In this area they are planting Arabica coffee. Arabica coffee has a better taste than Robusta, so that the price more expensive.

In this place you can be able to do vacation and study more about coffee. The owner is very kind and will tell you anything about their coffee cultivation. Beside the coffee tree, they also planting betel, or in Taiwan they call it pinlang, Taiwanese like to eat betel nut. So, when the coffee still not harvest yet, they can have another income from harvest betel nut.

This place has other beautiful scenery. If you come by car you will see much kind of fruits on the way. You can be able to see all scenery of Taichung city. They also has water fall. The water fall still nature, so if you like an adventure, come and try new experience here. However, it will be better if you came when summer, because it have to be very cold in winter season, and a little bit dangerous when rainy. ^___^

Beautiful firefly in the night

Written by Jennifer,
 edited by TLAA

     Remember watching fireflies light up your yard on hot summer nights? Fireflies are beautiful, mysterious, and magical-and for many of us, catching and spotting them is an important part of summer. 

    But firefly Populations is dwindling all over the country-and all over the world. But in bae shi leisure farm if you come at March to July, you can find a lot of fireflies at here. That is because the maintenance of this farm is combined with "green, health, and drug-free" concept.

     Lightning bugs, also called fireflies, get their name because they create light through a chemical reaction in their abdomens. This process is called bioluminescence. Breathing in oxygen triggers the flashes of light. The more oxygen breathed in, the brighter the light.

     You may think these flashy showoffs are calling to you, "Catch me if you can, “when actually they are not interested in you at all! Sometimes lighting up is a firefly's way of signaling for help. But usually lightning bugs are flashing their lights to attract a mate. The female waits in bushes, weeds, or on the ground and flashes her signal. The males fly around looking for the females. When they spot the flashing of a female, they respond with their own flashing to get her attention. So keep in mind that when you are observing the lights of these beetles on a humid, warm summer evening, you may really be intruding on their love wooing!