Toucheng Farm Stay
Toronto had a harsh winter, and Ray is trying to make up for ultraviolet and heat loss in the summer. After a trip to Spain in June, I decided to visit Taiwan during its hottest month. The marginal utility of sunshine dropped drastically after the temperature in Taiwan hit 38°C. In contrast, the marginal utility of seeing Megan rose exponentially with every visit, rain or shine.
A visit to Tou Cheng Farm in Ilan during the weekend was the highlight of our Taiwan trip. It’s very popular with Taiwanese; we were on the waiting list until only 2 days before we set off.
We stayed in a 4-person room, at least that’s what they claimed. The room is so small that there wasn’t even enough space to lay out all 4 mattresses. We have to sleep like sardines during the night. The only consolation we had was a working air-conditioner.
The first activity we did was baking sweet potatoes using a stone stove. I wasn’t too keen getting my hands dirty, but it was fun building the stone stove together as a family. I’ve passed the stage of my life where hanging out with parents is considered "uncool"; being able to spend time with my family is one of the main reasons why I come back Singapore every summer.
The stove setup was not as difficult as it seemed, after the guide demonstrated how to us. It made use fundamental physics but a university student like me didn’t know how to put simple theories to practical uses in a real-life scenario.
I did a better job starting the fire. The stove was then dismantled after we put in the sweet potatoes. Everything was then covered with newspapers and a layer of dirt to prevent heat from escaping.
The most interesting activity during our 2-day farm stay was making sky lanterns. Those familiar with Romance Of The Three Kingdom would definitely know the inventor: Zhuge Liang (Kong Ming). He was the greatest strategist during his time, and he used sky lanterns to relay messages to troops at the frontline.
Using waxed rice papers, glue and a little creativity, we created our very own sky lantern. It was said that any wish written on the lantern would come true if the lantern rise up high. All went well and our lantern joined others’ in the night sky. It was a sign that I’ll attain invincibility soon.
It would have been an enjoyable stay if not for the hot weather and the crappy room we stayed in. Nevertheless, it was quite a memorable experience and time well-spent with Megan. It’s not where you go to, but who you go with that matters more.