Days 18 & 19 ~ China Medical University, Tea, and Calligraphy

Day 18 began with a visit to China Medical University (CMU) about an hour bus ride from Tungahi University in Taichung.  We were introduced to the instructors and graduate students we would be doing research with, as well as were given an introduction into Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) through both one of the professors at the university and through the TCM museum on the campus.  After an extensive tour of the museum, we had dim sum dinner with the professors from CMU.  Dim sum is a meal style involving many small dishes and finger foods served with tea.  Everything from meat buns to chicken feet were placed on our table.  With excellent service and savory dishes, my first dim sum experience was a very pleasant one.  The next day began with tea and calligraphy classes taught by an instructor at Tunghai U.  Our instructor made the whole experience a very calming and relaxing one with both his quiet demeanor and deliberate actions as well as the incense burning and music playing in the room.  We tried three different varieties of Oolong tea grown in Taiwan all steeped and poured in the traditional style.  After we drank the tea, the calligraphy demonstration began.  Our instructor started by demonstrating how to hold the brush and create the different brush strokes.  He then set us free to try it on our own.  Calligraphy was very difficult for all of us, our writings looking like a child's first attempt.  The brush was surprisingly difficult to use, and the different stroke styles were difficult to create.  None of us had the spatial awareness required to write a balanced character.  The entire afternoon and evening was spent in the labs at CMU working on chemistry experiments.  We worked with Linda, a student studying cosmetic chemistry.