We started off day 7 of our Taiwan trip with a visit to Professor Chen’s sister in law’s brother’s printing factory, where we learned about the printing process and how printing production works. It was really interesting to see how something so essential and common to our every day lives works. Large sheets of paper are folded and cut, and the binding part is outsourced to other companies, as dispersing work often proves to be more efficient. I also really enjoyed learning about the way that culture and religion plays into the way that the printing company operates — there was a shrine on one of the office walls, and the company prays to the god of places/real estate every 2nd and 16th of the month, preparing spirit money and incense. They also leave them offerings, which are also opportunities to give employees various benefits. Overall I had a great experience at the company and felt really welcome! After our visit we headed to Dihua Market, an area which primarily sold seeds, nuts, and dried fruit, among other various products. To be honest these aren’t foods that I necessarily eat, however it was quite enjoyable to wander the market and see all the different products that people were selling. At some point I got to a harbor nearby the market, which I had a fun time walking around in — there were good views and the waters had fish in them, something I’m not used to seeing as someone who’s lived most of their life in New York City. I spent some time later in Ximen but mostly relaxed to prepare for the following day, as we would be leaving Taipei for a week to travel to Hsinchu, Taichung, and Kaohsiung. As much as I love Taipei I’m really excited to explore these new cities and see all the things they have to offer!
