shifen!
AUGUST 25th, 2026
FEELING: ACTUALLY so sleepy right now (I just woke up)
I am in need of one day where I sleep in!!!!! I have been on the move recently. Yesterday I went to class and all was normal, I got to tell my Japanese and German friends about the wonders of the American healthcare system and how I haven’t seen a dentist since moving to NYC lol. Partially because my insurance doesn’t cover dental and partially because I haven’t gotten around to it. Apparently its like 7USD to see a dentist here in Taipei which makes me wonderfully jealous.
After class I got my nails done and then headed to Shifen! We got to see this really gorgeous waterfall which made me think about how many beautiful things we take for granted. Like the residents of the town had to pass all this stuff on the way to work and probably think nothing of it which is crazy to me. It was semi-rainy the whole time but it made the landscape a little foggy and I thought that made it look pretty neat. Then I walked around some shops with my friend Martin and bought a little ice cream popsicle thing in the shape of a lantern. Speaking of which……….
My friends and I got to light a lantern and send it off into the sky, it was so magical! On each side of the lantern you write different wishes, yellow = money, red = luck, green = health, blue = prosperity. Here’s a select few wishes that I made:
I want my friends to have good mental health
I want to maintain stable relationships
I want my mom to be happy and healthy
I want to meet Jerma985 and Tenna from Deltarune
I want to be on broadway
I want free healthcare to happen in the USA eventually
I want August to find his dream job!
There were other ones that the other girls and I made but I can’t remember them all. Anyways we got to stand on the train tracks and watch the lantern fly away which was super fun. After that I got mango shaved ice and fried ice cream for dinner with my friend Aoi because all the real food places were closed haha.
On the bus ride home Aoi and I talked about Japan’s culture and I taught her the fifty nifty states song. All around this field trip was my favorite one of the three. I did in fact get home pretty late though and I had to wake up early to finish some homework so I’m pretty wiped.
PICTURES SOON I PINKY PROMISE! I JUST HAVENT BEEN AWAKE AND AT HOME FOR MORE THAN LIKE 30 MINUTES THE PAST 3 DAYS
click to see more photos!
