Jackies go on a field trip.....We can be cultural!

Today was an unusual day for us! We actually got up early (7am) and did something cultural....Shock, horror and amazement!
A lady I tutor invited us to go to a Taoist temple, so off we went with Harriet, her husband Jimmy and her parents to a temple on a mountain. It was a perfect morning, the weather was gorgeous, sunny and warm. The service started at 9am and involved quite a bit of chanting and then offerings to the gods. The whole temple was filled with burning incense and despite the fact we had no idea what was being said or done it was very relaxing and peaceful. We were slightly confused by all the burping that seemed be going on by certain people but, Harriet told us afterwards that the people were special mediums with the gods and that the burping was them releasing the bad chi. Apparently, as mediums, they absorb the bad chi around the room and then the burping is them releasing it again. We sat in on the ceremony for about an hour, crossed-legged on the floor with little low bamboo seats. The mediums deliver the messages from the gods via a dragon stick which, is a very heavy wooden tool that spells out the messages. It was a great day, something I'm sure we will never see again. We feel very lucky to have been invited. After the service we sat around drinking tea with some of the people at the temple. Then at about 12.30pm we all had lunch together. We tried some local food, something we haven't been good at since we arrived. It was delicious and all veggie! We have included some of the pictures we took, including the view of Taipei. Thanks again to Harriet, Jimmy, Harriets parents and all the lovely, kind and welcoming people we met today.