9 December 2006: Shilin District

The NTUMUN delegates who had represented Russia at the recent conference invited both Bing and I to an outing with them in the Shilin District. We experienced superb Taiwanese hospitality (thanks!!), and they had played excellent host by introducing the best of their District. By the way, they are students of the Soochow University（东吴大学）, and the old residence of late historian Qian Mu（钱穆）is located just next to their campus.

Our first stop was the National Palace Museum, and the place had been flooded by Japanese and Korean tourists. Anyway, this visit shall serve as good revision for my impending History test on coming Monday.

Next we proceeded to The Lin Yutang House（林语堂故居）, and our admission fees were waivered because the "Russians" have a friend who is working there as a guide. Dr. Lin had been an accomplished linguist and writer in both the Chinese and English media. The House is designed in Mediterranean style, and lavishly furnished with shades of blue and white. The guide's narration of Mr. Lin's life was more interesting though, because Mr. Lin apparently had been a charismatic and humorous man of character. He staunchly believes that a life of relaxation and tranquility breeds inspiration and innovation, and had smoked his pipe relentlessly throughout his life of 82 years. Among many qualities, he is exceptionally clever, confident and creative. For instance, Mr. Lin had combined the surnames of him（林） and his wife（廖）to form a unique symbol of the Lin family:

Mr. Lin's artist of a friend had drawn him a horse using traditional Chinese paintbrush techniques. Having full faith in himself, and lacking any form of formal art training, Mr. Lin painted a horse to rival his friend. Mr. Lin's painted horse looks disproportionately fat, because he had always thought that being fat is a virtue in itself.

We watched the sunset on the balcony, sipping our tea in a cosy setting. Bing had remarked that The Lin Yutang House is the best place that he had ever been to in Taiwan, and hearing this from an American Thai-Chinese makes a difference to me indeed.

Last but not least, we went to the Shilin Night Market, gorging ourselves with local delights and playing at a games arcade; Peggy (who had started her day with a marathon followed by a trip to Jioufen) and Sunnie had joined us later in the evening. Claire had lost her phone in Shilin, and we sincerely hope that she can find it soon. Thanks, delegates of Russia, for all the coordination and planning! You all had truly made my day!