What Kate Ate: Eggs, 7-Elevens and Other random thoughts

Eggs

Ok so who doesn’t love a nice boiled egg with a lil salt and pepper? Here in Taipei, eggs are given a litle bit more thought and a lot more preparation and often times come out tasting 100x better than you could have ever imagined. Yesterday, I ate an egg that was steamed with pork meat, so it turned a nice light brown and had a wonderful blend of egg and meat flavors all in one bite, like if pigs could only lay eggs, this is what it would taste like. I’ve also been enjoying the century eggs here which I never thought I would. Century eggs are boiled eggs that soak in a dark black brine of tea and other herbs and absorb this kind of musty exoctic flavor. Served with some noodles or tofu, a century egg can add just the perfect boost of flavor to many dishes. However, experimenting with eggs in Taiwan does not stop there. Often at temples and markets you’ll find even more kinds of eggs, from pidgeon and quail eggs to big ol’ duck eggs, all of which are served a number of ways and most of which I like. However, there are a few exceptions here. Number one, there are no normal breakfast sandwiches here that I’ve seen thus far (except mcdonalds) instead weird things are shoved into what looks like a normal ham, egg and cheese, but actually is an egg, indistinguishable meat, weird and excessive mayo, on an overly sweet bun sandwich. Also, this thing below that I took a bite of and blew my mind:

Yea, that’s an egg people. I don’t know how it became this way, but I believe it was done on purpose. And believing this, I opened her right up and took that big bite out of it, just to find out that the yolk inside had somehow become blacker than the outside and turned to an awful oozing goo. I don’t really know how to describe this egg’s taste per se, but I'll just say it was no fried egg over easy. I am told, these eggs marinate in something while buried underground for weeks. I have 8 more of these in my fridge thanks to a very sweet and generous Taiwanese friend. Any ideas on a fun way to dispose of them? Anyone want one mailed to them? If anything the week it’ll spend in the mail will only make it better. Lastly, I don’t believe that Taiwan has the worst ideas on how to eat eggs. I hear that the Philippines rivals any egg creation Taiwan could make. One dish there consists of fertilized duck eggs that are incubated to the point where the embryo becomes a partially formed little baby duck complete with skeleton and beak.

Yummy century eggs on a stick

Open-Chan! the 7-Eleven Mascot

7-Elevens
There are over 4,000 7-Eleven’s here in Taiwan. And it is my belief that 3,995 of them are in Taipei alone. You literally cannot look down a street, cross a road or leave a building without seeing a 7-Eleven within a block. In many ways, as a foreigner it is comforting to see something familiar all the time. If I just need a quick snack or a bottle of water, 7-Eleven is always there for me 7 days a week, 11 somethings a something. However, 7-Eleven here isn’t your typical gas station convenience store. It is the destination you go to, to refill your SIM card, get copies of a lease for you and your landlord, pay your bills for heat, electricity and cable, etc., buy the government mandated blue garbage bags you must use to toss your rubbish (don’t buy the pink ones! It’s a dirty trick) and 7-Elevens also offer 24hr access to hard liquor and beer (apparently this is the downfall of many a alcoholic ex-pat). With such ease and convenience I see no reason for any other store to exist ever. That is until I buy things that look like red bull, but taste like watery tang, and eat things that in retrospect are highly questionable to be buying and eating from a 7-Eleven, i.e. sushi and egg sandwiches. In the end though, they give me stickers with every purchase to put in a little sticker book that once I fill up I get a free hot dog or something, and I like that. So tang or no tang, I’m a loyal customer.

Other Random Thoughts
Smells
The smells here in Taipei are incredible. Not always in a good way but not entirely bad either. First off, there are scents here I have never smelled before and have no idea what they belong to. I often don’t even know if I like or dislike the smell, it’s so different. Then there are the obviously bad smells of exhaust fumes, stinky tofu, mothball old people, public bathrooms (which are better than most in NY) and the raw meat hanging on street vendor carts. Then there’s the good smells of the cooked meat at street vendor carts, the clean scent of the immaculate subway, food food and more food. Oh and no one here has body odor, at least not the locals as far as I can tell.
My kindy class
So I am lucky enough to be teaching 14 little tykes every morning. They are only 2 or 3 years old and they have never been taught English before, so I am their introduction to the Western world. The amazing thing about these little guys, is how well behaved they are for being only two years old. They literally ask “Teacher may I …” for everything. They’ll sit at their mini little table with their hands behind their backs while they stare at the bowl of food before them like starved puppies, yet they won’t take a bite without my permission. They just gaze up at me with such awe and adorableness, that I can’t even be mad that they just peed their pants during story time. Also, they do the funniest things, like drink entire thermoses of water and then completely barf in slow motion across the group of children participating in sharing time on the floor, yet no one cries. They’re so good. Next month I get to teach them an exercise routine to any song I want. I’m thinking it’d be great to see the kids act out the motions to something really gangsta like Biggie or Lil’ wheezy or perhaps some Lady Gaga, poker face. Again, any ideas for songs/exercise moves are appreciated. I’ll take pics and post for everyone!
Taiwanese people in general
Although I’ve always said after living in Sydney for 6 months that Australians are literally the nicest people alive, I think that the Taiwanese are the quiet underdogs from the north that could easily rival the Aussies in overall niceness. I don’t think there are many places in this world, where a group of people are so openly kind, welcoming and friendly. Each and every day someone makes my day a little nicer. It may help that I put myself in situations on a daily basis that cry out for help (wandering aimlessly lost down a street, looking hopelessly confused on a bus, attempting to speak bad broken Chinese to Taiwanese vendors), but without a doubt each day, someone will take me on as the sad lost little puppy that I am and go out of their way to help me out. Two days ago a nice man saw me struggling to ask directions in Chinese to an old man who had no clue what I was saying. Knowing English, he came up to me and pointed me in the right direction. He then waited, watched me walk the wrong way, and then jogged down the street to me and literally walked me to my destination. Even though it was 8:30am and I’m sure he was on his way to work, he made the extra effort to help me for no reason. I don’t think people in NY would ever, ever walk me anywhere unless they were trying to get my number or look at my butt. And then yesterday, while riding the bus, the bus driver called me forward. I immediately assumed I did something wrong, but he actually just wanted to say “Welcome to Taiwan” since he could tell I was not from here (probably because I’m about a foot taller and 3x wider than everyone here). He then told me that he loves the US. It was effing adorable. And lastly, a Taiwanese friend of my sister’s picked me up on Sunday and took me around all day. He drove an HOUR and a HALF to come pick up me, a stranger he's never met before, and took me out to lunch with his family. He taught me how to order some local Taiwanese fare and then he took me a temple, explaining all the different gods that are worshiped there. As if that was not enough, he snuck out of the temple at some point to buy me bags of food to take home with me. Looking at his wife, and then looking at me, I know that he didn't do this because he thought I needed more food, he just was being an excessively nice normal Taiwanese person.

Will and his ridiculously cute family