Halal Card for Muslims in Taiwan

Copy-paste this article below, save it as a document on your smartphone/tablet or simply print it out and you'll survive while living in Taiwan. Trust me :D.

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Halal Card from
NCTU's Prayer Room

你好，我是穆斯林（回教徒），因為我的宗教信印，所以

Nǐ hǎo, wǒ shì mùsīlín (huí jiàotú), yīnwèi wǒ de zōngjiào xìn yìn, suǒyǐ :

Hello! I'm a Muslim. Because of my religion :

◆ 我不吃豬肉及任何豬製品，如培根、火腿及含豬油食物，也不吃含血的食物，如豬血糕。

   Wǒ bù chī zhū ròu jí rènhé zhū zhìpǐn, rú péigēn, huǒtuǐ jí hán zhū yóu shíwù, yě bù chī hán xuè de shíwù, rú zhū xiě gāo.

I cannot eat pork and any kind of food ingredients with pork, for example bacon, ham and pork oil.  Besides that, I cannot eat blood-based foods such as pig’s blood cake.

.

◆    我不能吃含酒精的食物及飲料。

     Wǒ bùnéng chī hán jiǔjīng de shíwù jí yǐnliào.

I cannot eat any kind of foods or drinks that contain alcohol.

◆    如果您必須用炒過豬肉的鍋子來炒我的食物，麻煩請您將鍋子清洗乾淨後再炒。

    Rúguǒ nín bìxū yòng chǎoguò zhū ròu de guōzi lái chǎo wǒ de shíwù, máfan qǐng nín jiāng guōzi qīngxǐ gānjìng hòu zài chǎo.

If you have to use the pan that has been used to cook pork, please help me to clean up the pan before cooking (my order).

◆    我不能吃任何非伊斯蘭教屠宰方式的雞、鴨、鵝、牛、羊肉。

     Wǒ bùnéng chī rènhé fēi yīsīlán jiào túzǎi fāngshì de jī, yā, é, niú, yángròu.

I cannot eat any kind of animals' meats (chicken, duck, goose, beef, and mutton) which (animals) have been slaughtered with non-Islamic methods.


credits : Tina Chang for Chinese-English translation

TR-Pass, A Dirt-Poor Student's Savior in Taiwan

I forgot (to be exact) how many times I've been using TR-Pass in a habitual manner, this past few years. Too many times, I supposed XD~~~. Yes, this insanely cheap train ticket "destined" for students under age of 30 in Taiwan has always been my savior. Imagine you must continuously traveling in between cities, -not for leisure activities-, during a specific period of time. Well, it doesn't cost me an arm and a leg, though. But still, it's a pocket drainer. Hence, TR-Pass is such a win win solution for a dirt-poor student who doesn't mind spending hours of hours of their time in a local train, just like me :D. 

As I've ever posted before, Taiwan offers a tantalizing traveling options for students. The what so-called Youth Travel Card can always be a hocuspocus warrant to save your money. However, before can be categorized as an eligible TR-Pass buyer, you must register yourself at the "Information Visitor Center" (IVC) which can be spotted at some major train stations in Taiwan. After filling a form at IVC, you'll get a YTC (in a form of a key chain). Show your YTC, passport and student ID card to the ticket officer (in every train station here) and you'll be able to buy international students edition of TR-Pass (*shown on the image below, first row/above). Too lazy to bring passport and YTC ? Then, just buy a local students edition of TR-Pass (*shown on the image below, second row/below) by merely revealing your student ID card. Don't forget to tell the officer about which type of TR-Pass you want to buy; the 5-day, the 7-day, or the 10-day tickets. They cost NT$599, NT$799, and NT$1099, respectively. Trust me, the price is EXTREMELY CHEAP and REASONABLE. Okay, let me make an avouch comparison. A local train ticket price from Chiayi to Taipei is NT$390-something, thus, return ticket price will be nearly NT$800. Bus ticket is approx. NT$100 cheaper, but I hate to travel by bus. So, well...yeah...it's a personal preference. I usually go in between cities from Chiayi to Zhong Li and then Taipei, sometimes to Hualien and then head back to Taichung or directly to Chiayi, or sometimes to Tainan or Kaohsiung. Just count how much money I must spend if I don't buy TR-Pass @_@~~~. Counting money always makes me dizzy =)).

All in all, with your personally selected TR-Pass, you can travel all around Taiwan by three types of designated trains (*local train, local express train, and chu kuang train [see here for "trains in Taiwan"]) for unlimited times during the validity period of time (5, 7 or 10 days) of your TR-Pass. You can choose direct route by get on until get off on the same train or manipulate your route by changing trains. The second one is undeniably a lot more challenging and less boring. I usually choose this mode :D. So, for example, I want to go to Taipei. I'll get on from Chiayi train station and get off at Taichung train station, continue my journey to Miaoli, then Zhong Li and finally get off in Taipei. Fun isn't it^^? Ergo, have an earthy way of traveling in Taiwan ^^!

For a little cash and a lot of glory [part 2]

Question : What are you going to do if you're no longer receive a scholarship?

1st answer : Immediately submit an application to FAM (Father And Mother) Foundation ("Hi Mom and Dad, dig deeper in your pockets, please. I need extra money")
2nd answer : Find a part-time job


Don't be shy if you could only depend on FAM Foundation. But for me, i really couldn't do that. I mean, i couldn't do that without any effort. Feels not right. Seems shameless. Family financial problem? Nope. RESPONSIBILITY and DIGNITY. That would be my answers. At first, i found it very hard to get a part-time job in Taiwan. Teaching English has always came to my mind, considering English course is abundant and being extremely commercialized here. But for this job, my limited period of residence becomes a major issue. We need at least a year left to be able to take this kind of teaching job. Hence, i figured out another way to get a part-time job opportunity.


Recently, i'm doing two part-time jobs. One of them can be categorized as "weird" for me. The first one is online part-time job as a writer, copywriter, proofreader, and such in this website. Read here to find the details of this what so-called "outsourcing marketplace" provider. It's not really that easy to find "the customer" on Freelance.com. Patience surely counts. In the end of this post, you can see my very first writing job. I got 1.25 bucks  [*Ooops...my mistake. I just checked on my invoice and apparently i got US$5 for this writing job. Ayeee^^V!] for that, btw. Earning money is not an easy thing, is it? My second "weird" part-time job is a reporter and video editor at NCYU's Language Center. I didn't see any interesting part of this job before. Me? Bunga Primasari? A REPORTER??? Heck, what would the world say? Hahaha. Suddenly i remember my father used to tell me this : "Papa rasa kemampuan berbahasamu yang cukup baik turunan dari Datukmu. Beliau dulu reporter di jaman perang". Whew, i don't think i'm as good as Datuk. I'm fine doing "behind the scene" job such as writing, proofreading or editing. But i always hate to be on the stage or to be clearly seen by others (*Yet, this past few years, i've been doing a lot of "public appearances" -it's not like i wanted that, anyway-). A reporter must have a direct "contact" with camera, right? *Sigh. Well, Father, let's see whether your daughter can wrap up this "weird" part-time job smoothly. 

Trains in Taiwan

The order indicates frequency in taking them as my transportation preferences.

Tips :
1. Choose local express train instead of local train. With the same price tag, you can save more time with it. For detail infos, check out here.
2. Check train schedule here before traveling anywhere. Be punctual ^^.
3. If you're between 15-30 years old, go get Youth Travel in Taiwan card/key holder at Visitor Information Center in Main Train Station located in some of the big cities in Taiwan, thus you can get bunch of traveling advantages.

1. Local Express (區間快車; qūjiānkuàichē)

  [Source : http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2345/2455871203_c1596da105.jpg?v=0]

2. Local Train (區間車; qūjiānchē), commonly known as màn màn chē (慢慢車; slow train)

 [Source : http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2475/3551164036_43577a3829.jpg] 

3. Chu-Kuang (莒光; jǔguāng)

 [Source : http://service.tra.gov.tw/Dajia/CP/12621/Images/632899422271510040.JPG]

4. Fu-hsing (復興; fùxīng)

 [Source : http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/TRA_Fu_Hsing_train_01.jpg]

5. Tzu-Chian (自強; zìqiánɡ)

[Source : http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2350/1854080889_12703b0f74.jpg]

6. THSR (台灣高速鐵路; Táiwān Gāosùtiělù)

 [Source : http://www.media.asia/DigitalMedia/images/articles/2009_02]/34241_story_images.jpg]

Taiwan Intercity Buses

The order indicates frequency in taking them as my transportation preferences.

1. Guo-Guang Bus (國光客運; guó guāng kèyùn)

 [Source : http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/KKBus_395FG_Front.jpg]

2. Ho-Hsin Bus (和欣客運; hé xīn kèyùn）

 [Source : http://eshop.culture.tw/public/data/0002411.jpg]

3. U-Bus/United Highway Bus (統聯客運; tǒng lián kèyùn)

 [Source : http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j96/f88026679/BUS/UBus_736FG_Front.jpg]

4. Free Go Bus (建明客運; jiàn míng kèyùn)

 [Source : http://lh3.ggpht.com/_9O-u0A1UB30/Sf7kenAmf5I/AAAAAAAACLk/gnAbks-Dm-8/s512/200905044.jpg]

For other type of buses, check out here.

P.S : I found that Guo-Guang is the most "just right" among all; the price, service and "stopping spot". What i meant "stopping spot" is Guo-Guang always stop precisely at the main train station of each city in Taiwan, which what i feel really convenient. Compare to U-Bus which usually stops quite far from the train station. Means, extra walking is certainly needed. But if you don't mind walking to safe a couple of NT$ [*U-Bus is the cheapest among all], go ahead.

Recommended Places to Buy Daily Needs in Taiwan

The second episode of 'Survival Guide in Taiwan' will give you an information about places to buy your daily needs. Remember to shop wisely (*it's a reminder for myself too #tongue)!

1. RT-Mart (大潤發 ; dàrùnfā)

If you want to get a grocery-priced goods, do your deals here. RT-Mart is a good choice and it's definitely better than Carrefour. Trust me.

2. PX-Mart (全聯福利中心; quánliánfúlìzhōngxīn)

PX-Mart is not a grocery supermarket. Things a little bit pricey here, but lots of choice of its goods make people attracted to shop in this place. If you want to buy a variety of Taiwan-ish snacks such as mochi (莫基; mòjī), iron eggs (鐵蛋; tiědàn), etc, this place provides tons of them, in a quite affordable price.

3. Poya Living Mart (寶雅生活館; bǎoyǎshēnghuóguǎn)

Poya has its own uniqueness, that's why it's called "living mart". Almost every daily goods can be found here. And btw, it's Ming Chia Mei's huge competitor in providing variety of things. Note that almost everything being sold here comes out in a cute-and-irresistible forms. You'll tempted to buy this and that even though you ain't a shopaholic. Be careful when you go to this 'dangerously pocket drainer' place :D. It's a warning.

The Best Tea Shops in Taiwan

After living in this what so-called Formosa Island for 1.5 years, finally i dare myself to post something important (*will be called "survival guide in Taiwan" afterward), aside from my gloomy-curcol-misuh2 stories ;p.

For the first episode of Survival Guide in Taiwan, i'll share the most important stuff called...DRINKS. As we know that by mass, human cells consist of 65-90% water. It's OK not having something to eat, but it will be doomed without something to drink. That's why drinks/water considers IMPORTANT. Xixixi...OK2, let's skip the round and round explanations about drinks/water, whilst tea is what i meant.

Don't be surprised with Taiwanese addiction to tea. I think the same case works for Korean, Chinese and Japanese as well. Here, you'll find tea shops almost everywhere. Not all of the tea shops offer a great deal, though. That's why i'm betting my 1.5 year living experience to recommend the nice-great-deal tea at this following tea shops, hence you won't regret buying it ^^V.

1. Al Tea's; A New Tea Shop

This one is definitely THE BEST of all. The tea price is not really expensive (*starts from NT$15 (IDR 4500) for green tea (綠茶; lǜchá); NT$30 (IDR 9000) for milk green tea (奶綠茶; nǎilǜchá; nǎilǜ). I'll recommend pudding milk green tea (布丁奶綠; bùdīng nǎilǜ) which costs NT$40 (IDR 12000) or milk (black) tea with caramel (奶茶 與 焦糖; nǎichá yǔ jiāotáng) which costs NT$35 (IDR 10.500) or nata de coco milk green tea (椰果奶綠; yēguǒ nǎilǜ) for NT$40 (IDR 12000). Irresistible...*drooling*

2. 清心福全冷飯站 (qīngxīnfúquánlěngfànzhàn ; Ching Shin Fu Chuan Tea Station)

This tea shop is nice, actually. But the price is not worth it. Moreover, the taste and the place aren't as good as Al Tea's. For example, 500 ml's milk green tea in this shop costs NT$35-NT$40 while at Al Tea's costs NT$30 for 700 ml.  Hehehe..well, it's not much..but customer satisfaction is numero uno, right ;p? *especially for picky customer like me =))*

3. Julie

Julie is almost as great as Al Tea's. Very close. The shop's modern concept is good. The price is OK. But, it lacks of variety and its prix fixe is in Chinese. Hehehe...not so friendly for a foreigner.


4. 50 嵐 (50 lán)

50 嵐's tea is great, a little bit more expensive than Al Tea's, though. But, it's just not as addictive as Al Tea's tea. Xixixi...

5. 有間冰店 (yǒujiānbīngdiàn)

Hohohooo...有間冰店 is absolutely GREAT. I couldn't ask for more. Cheap, yet the teas there taste as great as Al Tea's teas. This tea shop is downhill my dormitory. I go there once in a while. Ssshhh..it's a secret ---> the fact is teas here aren't that cheap. About  the same with Al Tea's pricing. But that beautiful owner you can see on the picture keeps giving me (*me = us = Indonesian students) lower price. Hahahaa...awesome, eh?^^

6. Share Tea

 

Share tea claimed its store as a pioneer in founding pearl milk tea. But i doubt it. Since in some articles i've found noted that the very first pearl milk tea invention was on the late 80s, whereas Share Tea Shop mentioned that they were started their business on 1992. Xixixi..such a reckless failure ;p. Anyhow, i'm pretty much like the teas from this shop, outside of its a-little-bit-expensive price and too-milky flavor. The unique tea served here is taro milk tea (塔罗奶茶; tǎluó nǎichá) which costs NT$35-40. 

No worry, I still looking for another great deal tea shops. I'll remember to post it here whenever i find one^^.