My thoughts on Iceland

Like many, growing up I had known practically nothing about the country of Iceland.  The only memory I recall was learning in school, "why is Iceland called Iceland?"  answer: because the settlers liked it there so much that they called it Iceland, and the giant mass of glacial land next door Greenland so that people will think Greenland is better and move there instead.
Other than that I never gave the country much thought.

Fast forward a decade or so, I met my first and only Icelandic friend while attending graduate school at the University of Maryland.  I, along with my fellow classmates were very curious to meet someone from this Nordic country and bombarded him with odd questions the first few weeks.  Through this friendship, I for the first time wanted to visit Iceland, but I never really thought that would be possible in the near future.

Since I am currently based in Paris for a while, it is only a 2 hour plane ride away from Iceland.  And with bargain airlines like Icelandic Express, I took my opportunity.

June is an interesting time to go to Iceland.  The sun pretty much never sets; while it's setting, it's also getting ready to rise again.  On the car ride into the city, I remember being amazed by the formations of the cloud.  Maybe it's because there are hardly any trees around, but I have never seen clouds like that before. 

I have had many "first times" in Iceland.  Below are some thoughts and interesting facts.

1. Q. What do you do when you get lost in a forest in Iceland? A. stand up!
2. Iceland only has one national highway... highway number 1 that circles around the island with one lane in each direction.
3. The water quality of this country is probably the best in the world; you're an idiot if you're buying bottled water there.
   

    
4. Because of its many glaciers, Iceland has many waterfalls.  In the summer time they are the perfect sight at around 10pm.
   
    
5. The Blue Lagoon was probably the biggest disappointment.  It's pretty no doubt, but it's become too commercialized and hyped, not to mention the expensive entrance AND transportation fee.
   
    
6. It's best to travel in Iceland by renting a car.  There is no train system, and the buses have very limited schedules and high ticket prices.
7. Sadly, only low percentage alcoholic drinks can be sold in supermarkets, the rest has to be purchased from a state owned store, where they are heavily taxed (and I thought Utah was bad!).
8. Which is why at the duty free store in the airport, Icelanders were literally stocking up big time on their alcohol.  I even asked, is it really that much cheaper?  Answer: yes and almost by half!
9. There are a lot of sheep in Iceland.  And they roam everywhere (careful when driving on the highway) eating fresh grass and breath in fresh air!  Because of this, they taste very very yummy.
10. Horses are another common sight while driving on the highway.  And these are a breed specific only to Iceland.
11. Despite their "icy" look, Icelanders are actually very nice and humorous.
12. Some food specialities:

• Skyr, a thick yogurt like dairy product.  I was addicted!
• Dried fish
• Smoked fish (including smoked whale)
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• lots and lots of lamb (smoked, roasted, liver, testicles, hot dogs, its head, you name it!)
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• Type of flat bread made with rye flour, very good with smoked lamb meat or lamb pate
• Fermented shark meat (which I just realized that I brought a packet back with me but haven't yet tried it)
• Icelandic Schnapps a.k.a. black death.  Apparently this is what you wash down fermented shark with.

First time experiences:

• Eating whale meat.  People have asked me what it tastes like, but it's really hard to describe.  It's probably like an in between of tuna and good lean red meat.
• hitch-hiking: when the bus driver informed me that my connection bus would arrive in 3 hours, I decided to take my chances in one of the safest countries in the world.  A semi-truck transporting trash picked me up!
• Seeing a dead whale (our guide insisted on showing this to us on our trip to Snaefellsness.
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• Holding a 2 month old baby, yes I have never ever held a baby that small!
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• Going to bed when it's still light outside, trust me it's not easy.

Iceland is definitely worth another trip back!  This small country has much more to offer than what I have seen!

Lessons from a Atayal tribe hunter

As I've noted already, I am making my stay in Taiwan this time around to be as culturally engaging as possible. Needless to say the possibilities are endless. Many people might not know this, but Taiwan if actually a very ethnically and culturally diverse country. As of right now there are a total of 14 recognized aboriginal tribes in Taiwan, with a few more still in dispute. Last weekend, I joined a day trip with the Society of Wilderness (荒野保護協會) to visit a village populated with the Atayal aboriginal tribe located in the township of Tatung, Yilan County. I was really excited to have this opportunity, because I have never been to an aboriginal village before. I am on my way to slowly learning one of the most well known aboriginal tribes of Taiwan.
The Atayal tribe is the second-largest tribe in Taiwan. They are probably most well-known for their tradition of facial tattoos. This tradition, however, was banned soon after the Japanese occupation in Taiwan. Fortunately, there are talks of a movement to bring back this unique practice.

Yilan County is located roughly an hour away from Taipei, making it a popular tourist destination on the weekends. The area we visited was called "九寮溪", located in a mountainous area.
We were to meet our guide, the hunter "Ashong". Apparently, Ashong used to be a truck driver; one day he took a few people around the mountains in his village, and they were amazed how knowledgeable he was. Thus they recommended that he be a tour guide and representative of his village. And voila! luckily for us, we get to learn about the tribe and their nature with one of the specialist. Traditionally the tribe lived by hunting, fishing, and gathering roots, vegetables, fruits, etc. in the mountains. To be considered a "hunter" one needs to have a special set of skills and knowledge.


Lesson 1: which one can I eat?

Edible

Not Edible

Ashong, cracking open a bamboo steamed rice with his "man-only" knife

Every time the tree peels, it means it's aged one year

山蔬 A mountain plant, found in TW
The roots are edible, really sour, increases saliva.

Yes this creepy furry plant is edible too. Peel off the outside and the inside is similar to that of yam, with a bit of a sweet taste to it.

A black fungus, it's the first time I've seen it in the wild. I was tempted to take it home and make stir-fry with it. If only there were more...

It was quite extraordinary to see Ashong show us what is edible, what cures diarrhea, what plants stop bleeding, etc. etc. I felt like I was walking into a natural buffet and pharmacy. During the tour, it was hard not to admire the beauty of the mountains. This little trail, which had been closed due to a flood has just re-opened. Luckily for us, this means less people.

Ashong also showed us how to set traps to catch wild boar, rats, squirrels and birds. As always, things are easier than it looks...

Wild Boar Trap
Trap for rats and squirrels. Ashong proudly said that his grandmother taught him this. He showed us about 5 times, and no one was able to replicate the process!

How to trap a bird, much easier than the previous one.

After a few hours in the mountains, we headed back to Ashong's house, where he showed us a few traditional tools, crafts, and materials that are rarely made in the modern times. We entered the house and was greeted by....

This is made out of a goat skin. It is used as a raincoat. It can also be used as a mat to sleep on when the hunter is out in the mountains.

A chair where the groom carries the bride on their wedding day. The groom has to carry his bride around to greet the entire village. Rumor has it that if the groom grows tired, then the marriage will not end happily...

This is used to carry chopped wood. It is very heavy just by itself.

Fish trap

Yes, I am holding a dead squirrel. The one of the left is frozen, not yet de-furred (is that a word?) On the right I am holding one with the fur removed. I am holding a sweet potato on the other hand because someone commented on how similar they look... I love the look of that girl in the background.

It's interesting to hear people comment on how "disgusting" it is to eat squirrels, rats, random birds, etc. But if you really think about it, how is it any more disgusting than eating a chicken or beef? It's simply that in our culture we are used to eating what is considered "normal" for us. And when we see things that we tend to associate "cuteness" with, we find it unbearable that people in other cultures actually eat them.

A traditional Atayal building. The picture on the right shows a very clever construction in order to prevent rats from crawling into the building!

I wish I had more time to spend in this village as well as the mountains. I find that there is still so much more to discover regarding the Atayal tribe and their environment. I can only wish that the people in Taiwan will take the time and effort to learn the people and culture that first inhabited this beautiful island. I am only at the tip of 14 giant icebergs, hoping to dig my way through all of them.