Day 43-44: Rainy Days and Crocodile Meat

It's been raining yesterday and today, and on rainy days, there is nothing to do at the farm. I took pictures of tea boxes and the b&b rooms for the blog and Facebook page I'm setting up for them. I also researched for my trip to Taipei this weekend - things to do, how to get around, and I looked for people who could host me. The rest of the time were spent bonding with the television - watching travel programs, talk shows, Korean dramas, and shopping channels.

Our little ice cream fest: Black Sesame Mochi + Matcha with Red Bean + Pearl Milk Tea

I've experienced a lot of "firsts" since I got here. First time to ride a motorcycle, bathe a dog, see a snake in the wild, help clean chickens, make tea, see certain fruits, etc. Today, it was my first time to eat crocodile meat. I never knew people ate crocodile meat until Auntie mentioned it! (I Googled it right before we left for the restaurant just to be safe. Haha) The one we had was cooked three-cup style, which was really good. The meat was cut thinly, and the texture was like fish but firmer, something like dried scallops. It also had a little fat in it, which made it juicier. It's not something I would crave for, but I would eat it again if I had the chance.

Crocodile Meat: NT600 for this order! >.<

Other dishes: Wine Soup with Pork, Glutinous Rice Balls Soup, Bamboo Shoots

The restaurant is located near 石門山 Shimen Mountain. The owner's kids are too cute!

Lately I've also noticed that Uncle and Auntie are fun to be with individually, but sometimes it's awkward when they're together. When Uncle lets me tag along to fetch little brother, he would talk a lot and seem easy to get along with. Aside from practicing English, he would say things like "you could be a tour guide since you love learning languages" and ask "would your parents allow you to marry a non-Chinese?". I told him "my mother probably won't agree to it" and I asked if the little brothers are allowed to marry non-Taiwanese girls. He just laughed and said that he has no opinion about it. He even told the little brother that it would be helpful if the girl can speak a foreign language, like English or Japanese. Oh, this country's fascination with Japan! :)

Auntie and I watched this talk show on TV where parents and their kids had some sort of debate and survey. The topic for that day was the children's schedule during vacation and helping out at home. Auntie talked about their family's situation with regards to the topic, but it felt like she was giving ME a lecture. But in a way, I did feel that I could relate to some of the things that she tells me. (In other words, I think I need to be a good girl when I go home.) Auntie also opened another bottle of red wine (and made me help her finish it), because she said it makes her sleep better at night. I thought this family doesn't drink?

Uncle also gave suggestions for changing my Chinese name~
Second character: 紫 采 沛
Third character: 婕 晴 妤
He says 紫晴 (ziqing) sounds nice. It's trickier to pronounce than my original name 碧芳 (bifang). Should I start changing my usernames in my online accounts?

It's almost time to go home! When I get back from my Taipei trip, I'll only be left with less than 2 weeks! :(

Finally, a group picture with little brother, Auntie and Uncle!