One of the larger challenges when traveling and being so outward focused during that time is that I struggle to internalize and process the events and my thoughts. Doing so in retrospective, like I am now this early morning in mid-January, presents problems of recall and separation. "What happened that day? How'd I feel? What did I perceive that triggered those feelings?"; all of those questions are harder to answer, harder to tease into more meaningful reflections. The lesson, of course, is to be deliberate in reserving time and energy to perform those important elements of, say, SQ3R that apply outside of studying — survey (the day), question (my feelings and reactions), recall (what happened and, more importantly, what it meant), and review (with distillation into writing).

Later in our trip, my fiancé mentioned that it felt like the itinerary had morphed from a "visit Taiwan before something bad happens" to an interesting overlap with Republic of China (ROC) history, spread across two historically important cities. Taiwan is where the Republic of China government (via the Kuomintang) retreated/relocated to after the loss of mainland China to the Chinese Communist Party during the Chinese Civil War. The National Palace Museum is part of the legacy of the ROC under Chiang Kai-shek and we visited the National Palace Museum on the second day of our time in Taiwan. 

The National Palace Museum is not directly accessible on the MRT, Taipei's metro subway system, but via convenient (and very busy) bus routes from a couple key stations. We found it easy to navigate from Shilin Station on the Red/Tamsui-Xinyi Line to the correct bus stop, with the way clearly identified by signs and anthropomorphic cabbage statues. (This probably demands an explanation: one of the most popular attractions at the National Palace Museum is the Jadeite Cabbage. This beautiful piece of jadeite was carved into the shape of a napa cabbage head prior to 1889. At Shilin there is an information display for the National Palace Museum and part of its wayfinding is a humanoid statue of the Jadeite Cabbage, anthropomorphized and cutely pointing the way to the bus stop.) 

Went to National Palace Museum, which is exploding with thousands of years of historical artifacts. Incredible book collection from Song dynasty and later. An absolute wealth of former Forbidden City hoarded items, now available for all to see.

Fried egg scallion pancake from street seller at XXXX. Balloon of pancake, deflating and carrying a complex layering of egg, scallion, sweetness, and a hot-sauce punch.

Visited Do Bar 獨角落 at the end of a Shiling Night Market exploration. Drinks made well, good conversation, karaoke was fun, bartender was attentive.