On Saturday, July 30, the American teachers traveled with Helen Lee, Mr. Shih, and Jerry and Ellie Fussell, and the Teaching Assistants to the Sandimen Artistic Village in Pingtung County. The first stop was the Dragonfly Bead Art Studio, where glass bead making and glazing was demonstrated. Several native aboriginal women produce the glazed beads, selecting designs designated for each month of the year, each having a different philosophical meaning. The teachers and their students learned the steps involved in bead-making, including heating the glass, refining and decorating the bead shape, and adding color designs to the glass surface. Some made a bead bracelet and others made a necklace. They were very proud of the finished product!
Next stop: the Taiwan Indigenous Peoples Culture Park. A large and spacious park, it is located in a mountainous area of 145-220 meters above sea level. The park provides historical information, traditional houses, and artifacts about fourteen of Taiwan's native aboriginal tribes, including the Amis, the Puyama, the Yami, the Sakizaya, and others. The group watched the elegant singing and dancing of the Indigenous tribe members in the 2000-seat Naluwan Theater, and took pictures with the performers afterwards.
On Sunday, July 30, the American teachers were treated to a trip to the Shou Shan Zoo in Kaohsiung by a number of San Sin students. Shou Shan is the largest public zoo in southern Taiwan, and is home to lions, tigers, elephants, and a variety of other animal and bird species. Willy, Lulu, Bella, Steve, Basil, and others put up with the hot weather to escort their teachers! They enjoyed riding the mechanical animals in the children's area. Then, the group enjoyed lunch at the Subway restaurant, an American chain restaurant that is now found in several locations in Kaohsiung!
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