There’s been one big development this week for Greta.

Our intrepid traveler was finally released from Covid quarantine. After 168 hours. Or 7 long, boring days.

She immediately left to find a laundromat and grab her favorite Thai food.

She actually managed to get lost. She thought she remembered how to find the Thai restaurant and was too stubborn to look at her phone for help. Thankfully, her Chinese is good enough to navigate travel snafus.

But, first, let’s go back to those final days of quarantine.

The remaining days were long and there were many updates to our family group chat. Greta posted some stickers from Line, the Taiwanese chat app. These are images based off the Taiwanese president Cai Yingwen. Political culture is obviously a bit different. Perhaps the American political landscape would be more palatable if depicted in cartoon.

When you are locked in a hotel room, food becomes an almost obssesive thought. Many of the meals were unpalatable. One dinner was fried rice coated in sweet melted cheese. Or how about this offering: a hot dog with hot sauce, eggs, and bean sprouts. For breakfast.

Apparently, it was as inedible as it sounds. So Greta splurged for a to go order of dumplings. Which made her much happier. She ate this while watching a Chinese film about a high school tug of war team.

The advertisements on Taiwanese food packages are as interesting as the offerings inside. Honestly, I think I would stick with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. And leave the pork intestine thin noodles with oysters to someone else.

Luckily, Greta’s host family stopped by the hotel and brought some of her favorites: guava, apples, and a tall mountain gold lily tea with white tapioca from Macu. She went to their home as soon as she was released from quarantine.

They are the most gracious people. They made Greta’s favorite dinner and also gave her a key to their home. They offered to host her on the weekends when the American students depart to stay with local families.

Greta often finds fantastic and unusual t-shirt offerings while overseas. Here’s the find of the week:

I have no idea what that means. But it sounds like a noble cause.