Wangfujing's "Taiwan Great Food Street"//王府井的“台灣美食街

夜市招牌跟台灣地圖。
The night market sign with a map of Taiwan.

夜市大門口。
The night market main entrance.

我不知道誰決定王府井的夜市應該命名“台灣美食街”；王府井的食物跟在台灣夜市的不太一樣啊！好，說實在的，台灣美食街有一些在台灣可以找到的食物，但是大部分不是台灣式的。我2011年參觀王府井的夜市，所以從那時到現在應該改變了吧。

I don't know who decided Wangfujing's night market should be named "Taiwan Great Food Street". The food there and Taiwanese night market fare is not that similar! Granted, Taiwan Great Food Street has some of the same food you can find in Taiwan, but most of it isn't Taiwanese-style. However, I went there in 2011, so it must have changed since then.

烤肉
Kebab meat

去王府井不是我們班的實地考察之一，就是去過中國一次的同學陪我們去。王府井對我很有意思因為人觀看是我的興趣之一。因為王府井很有名，所以很熱鬧的地方。到了夜晚，商店仍然象白天一樣，非常熱鬧。到周末好像北京人都去王府井以的。

Going to Wangfujing wasn't a field trip arranged for our class, a classmate who had been to China before led some of us there. Before I went to Wangfujing, I didn't know what to expect. Wangfujing is interesting in my opinion because people-watching is one of my hobbies. Because Wangfujing is very famous, it's a bustling place. At night, the stores are still teeming with people as they are in the daytime. 

5 Ways Black Girls Can Cope While Traveling Abroad in Asia

(Edited; Cross-posted on The Blasian Narrative and ForHarriet).

In 2012, I moved to Taiwan as a childish, unassertive, somewhat immature bright-eyed 22-year-old with residual high school insecurities finally striking out on my own. Earlier this year, I left Taiwan mature with more confidence and many good, bad, and ugly experiences under my belt. I wouldn't trade my experiences for anything; however, I know several of my positive experiences would have been impossible for me to recognize or enjoy had I not changed my mindset and attitude toward certain situations while abroad. Therefore, I'd like to share some tips I believe will assist Black women love every minute of their time abroad whether they've moved or are on vacation. 

Sometimes I find Black women are reluctant to travel or live abroad—especially solo—because they already feel marginalized in their own countries. Nevertheless, I don't think anyone should ignore their desire to see the world because they are worried about how they'll be received. Granted, it will certainly require a thick skin, if you don't already have any. Three years ago I didn't, and boy did I learn. There comes a time where you either develop the strength to be yourself in a sea of homogeneity or shut down, a prisoner of your own mind. 

I have only been to three Asian countries for longer than a layover; I lived in New Taipei City, Taiwan for nearly three years, completed a summer semester in Beijing as an undergrad, and vacationed in Tokyo. Nevertheless, I feel these tips likely apply to any nation where there isn't a significant Black population. 

1. Do whatever you like

You shouldn't, either!

Seriously, I think I enjoyed my time abroad most when I simply didn't care. Being a Black girl in a place where there virtually are none isn't a crime. There's no point in feeling bad about having a moment or doing what you'd do at home unless it heavily clashes with the manners or culture of the country you're in. 

Want to sleep on the train during the ride home? Like to whistle while you walk? Want to wear your favorite neon-colored dress? Go ahead! As long as you're respectful, you shouldn't prevent yourself from doing whatever you want.

Oh, you're just having some juice at 7-11? Guess what, even a simple action like that is going to make you stand out, so you might as well do all those other normal things you "can't" do. 

Huwei Fort（滬尾砲台）

Huwei Fort's entrance.
滬尾砲台的門口。

滬尾砲台（英語：Hobe Fort）是在淡水的名勝古跡之一。去這砲台很簡單，從捷運淡水站坐紅26公車到 “滬尾砲台站”；從公車站不太遠。

Huwei Fort (also known as Hobe Fort) is one of the historical landmarks of Danshui. It is easy to access; just ride the R26 bus from Danshui Station to "Huwei Fort". It's a short walk from the bus stop.

中法戰爭（1884－1885）的時候，為了加強台灣的港口，清朝政府建了一些砲台。說到砲台的樣子，劉銘傳州長決定了德國式砲台是最好的因為他發現外國軍隊的砲台比較強。一開始有兩座砲台在淡水，但是別的被摧毀了。

Governor Liu Ming-Chuan
劉銘傳州長
Source

During the Sino-French War (1884-1885), the Qing Dynasty government built a number of forts to strengthen Taiwan's ports. Speaking of their design, Liu Ming-chuan - the governor of Taiwan - decided German-style forts would be the best because he noticed foreign forts were stronger. In the beginning, Danshui had two forts, but one was destroyed.

因為在滬尾砲台沒有戰鬥，所以現在它差不多跟以前一樣。墻，門，和房的好狀態把我迷住了。我有在19世紀的感覺！我覺得去滬尾砲台很像坐上時間機器。

Because Huwei Fort never saw battle, it looks almost the same now as it did when it was built. The walls, doors, and rooms fascinated me because they are is such great condition. I felt like I was in the 19th century! I think going to Huwei fort is like riding a time machine.

Brugge: My General Impressions

Brugge is absolutely picturesque.

Hanging out with some swans.

While I planned most of the Cologne leg of our trip, it was my friend's idea that we visit Brugge, Belgium. I admit - before she brought the idea up I had never heard of the town which is located in the Flemish region of Belgium. Like most folks, Brussels was the first city that came to mind when I thought of Belgium. However, my friend sent me information about the town when we were planning our trip, and as I looked at pictures of it, I was immediately hooked! Although it isn't as bustling as Brussels, Brugge is absolutely worth a visit as it's incredibly aesthetically pleasing. In fact, the city center is rightfully designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nearly every section of the town offers lovely views and architecture from a time before ours. Brugge is often compared to Venice due to it's large number of canals, and the old cobblestone streets in the city center give visitors ample opportunity to stroll along the waterways. 

Resturant Review: Bei Oma Klienmann

Bei Oma Klinemann's unassuming exterior.
Source

Our first round.
It was my first time drinking beer!

My friend and I were privileged to be in Cologne during the World Cup match between Ghana and Germany. I knew I wanted to watch the game at a nice bar or pub like most of the residents of the city. In fact, game day appeared to be a holiday. Shops closed early and people took the streets singing fight songs and enjoying beer hours before the match began.

Before we arrived in Germany, I planned ahead of time and looked for a good pub where we could enjoy the game. When browsing Google Maps, I came across Bei Oma Klinemann. Conveniently for us, I discovered the pub is also known for its schnitzel, the quintessential German comfort food. We definitely wanted to try schnitzel while in Germany, so going to Bei Oma Klinemann was a no-brainer. 

I made reservations for us through email on their website. When we arrived, we discovered our reservation was lost, but the issue was quickly resolved and we were seated at a table marked "reserved".

Tokyo Station Bento//東京站的飯盒

A typical Tokyo Station bentō shop.
典型的日式飯盒店。

(I want to write some of my posts in Chinese and English. If I write anything incorrectly, please tell me!)

(我想用中文跟英文寫一些我的博客文章。如果我寫錯的話，請告訴我！)

If you want to buy a lunchbox (bentō; 弁当) at Tokyo Station you have many choices! Do you love to eat beef? Are you vegetarian? Do you eat seafood, but not meat? Do you like a lot of rice in your lunchbox? No problem, you will definitely find a lunchbox that suits you at Tokyo Station. There are cheap and expensive ones, but they're all appetizing.

如果你想在東京站買飯盒（bentō; 弁当）你會有很多很多選擇！你是愛吃牛肉的人？吃素？吃海鮮可是沒喜歡吃肉？喜歡很多米飯在你的飯盒裡面？沒關係，你在東京站一定會找到合適你的飯盒。有便宜的，有貴的，但是都很開胃的。

Every time I see Japanese-style lunchboxes (especially the expensive ones) I think, "How special!" In my opinion, each lunchbox is like a work of art. According to Japanese custom, chefs have to consider which vegetables have beautiful colors because a traditional Japanese lunchbox must be colorful. Also, they have to carefully choose the right cooking method (grill, fry, boil, etc.) because after vegetables and meat are cooked they often change color. Chefs also have to consider which foods complement the lunchbox's shape. Naturally, chefs cannot messily put the food into the lunchboxes, they have to plan which placement of the food is the most beautiful. However, I think these guidelines only relate to expensive bentō boxes (1000 yen or so upwards).

每次看到日本式的飯盒（常常是不便宜的）我想，“好特別喔！” 在我的看法，每個飯盒跟藝術品一樣。說到做日式的飯盒，廚師們要想哪個青菜有美麗的顏色因為按日本的習俗，飯盒要包括幾种顏色。再說，他們要小心地選做法（烤，炒，熬，等等）因為做青菜和肉以後它們常常變得別的顏色。廚師們也要考慮哪個食物對飯盒的形狀最合適。當然，廚師不可以亂亂得放食物在飯盒，它們要計劃食物的放置讓飯盒很漂亮。但是，我覺得那些概念關於貴的飯盒（差不多1000日幣多）。

Lunchboxes from connivence stores aren't particularly made with color or organization in mind, but many connivence stores have their own special lunchboxes (e.g., healthy, made with local ingredients, seasonal, etc.)

便利店的飯盒不太管顏色和放置，可是很多便利店有它們自己的特別飯盒（健康的，有當地食品的，時令的，等等)。

Below is a video about Japanese lunchboxes.

下面有關於日式飯盒的視頻（英文的，沒有中文字幕）。