1. 迷失在台北

Chapter 1 - Getting lost in Taipei

Something I can learn very quickly, the skill of getting lost. Immediately upon arrival, I already picked up the skill! I took over 2 hours to get to my hostel, I would think if I hadn't lost my way, I would arrive in an hour and a half. It was situated at one of the small alleys, and I swore it was no joke walking under that freaking scorching weather!

By the way, I applied for a youth pass at the airport , it's eligible for any travellers between age 18 to 30. It gives really good deals for admission fees, accomodation stays and also train passes. I also changed some money at the airport, the rate was not bad really.

Fortunately, I had a Taiwanese mobile number and it really helped me when I got lost! I managed to get to the hostel near to 3pm (after landing at 1130am). The hostel is named Eight Elephants, they hanged a pink elephant on the lamp post outside but it was useless for me as I couldn't find it still... After settling in, and paying a 1000NTD deposit (that's a shocking amount), I made my way to the National Palace Museum 國立故宮博物院 where they displayed lots of old gems and treasures from the early Chinese dynasties. You can visit the website for very good examples of what to see to decide if you like to make the trip down. I went down as I was given a free admission ticket... and also to have a look at their renowned jade cabbage and meat-shaped stone! Pretty impressive but no pictures allowed! I was overwhelmed by the size of the museum, it was too huge and I was pretty exhausted by the early morning flight and all the getting lost. I love the Ming & Qing Dynasties' porcelain design best, that blue and white dragon and the floral prints, so pretty! I had a quick browse around, took me about 2 hours before I decided to call it an end to pay Shilin night market a visit.

Shilin night market is huge! So big that I almost had a headache after all that browsing! As it was my first day and I had a round the island trip to do, I couldn't buy anything! I looked around, checked out the stuff... It was my lucky night as there was an outdoor bazaar right outside the food centre, and I got my 冰糖葫芦! They are actually skewers of fruits coated in caramalized sugar. I bought them mainly because I only saw them on TV and I really wanted to take a picture of me eating it! LOL. They were too sweet for my liking, but I loved the fruits inside. I did have a lemonade there though and it became my favourite drink in Taiwan, it's so refreshing!

So the night ended with me getting lost on the way back again. Not surprising. I decided to stay at another hostel on my return at the end of the trip (I heard this place was full anyway), so I went to look up at the other place. It took me a while to find it but eventually I did! That night, I heard some people watching World Cup outside my room, as the lounge was just right outside. I woke up to use the ladies and then decided to sit with them to finish the game :) But I was a little sleepy and feeling anti-social, so I decided to join again the following night as Germany was going to play!

Next morning, I planned a daytrip to Wulai. It's actually a very serene place, I really enjoyed it. Wulai is famous for the waterfall, also hot springs (not in this hot weather!! it was something like 35 or 36 degrees!). There's also this little train I took to get to the gondola station, the gondola goes right to the peak where there's the waterfall and a man-made park. I met a Taiwanese mum and her teenager daughter whom travelled from Kaohsiung and we spent the time together at Wulai. My friend saw my picture of Wulai (similar to above) and commented that it looks like its flooded! That's what I called Venice style! This is also where I ate a stick of chicken backside unknowingly :S They named it such a nice name in Chinese called 七里香！

After Wulai, I got back to Taipei to meet my sister's friend, Grace. She's living in Taipei as her husband has been moved there for work. Grace and I visited the Taiwan Storyland which was great for photo taking and seeing the old Taiwan, the place is set up nicely to depict the olden days. Then we headed to 龙山寺 temple which is really touristy. Many people were there even at night... and it was spectacular. I went around to snap a few pictures and then headed to the nearby night market for food. It was really nice to have Grace around as she introduced me to many local delicacies that evening. We had BBQ cuttlefish， 甜不辣 (like yong tou foo stuff)，爱玉冰 (like Singapore's ice jelly without the fruit bits) and 葱抓饼 (like chinese version of roti-prata). I was stuffed!

Then it was time to go back and yes I got lost again!!! I sorted myself out and rejected a partying invite as I had to wake up for World Cup match at 230am! Kevin, a Canadian-chinese bloke, in the hostel was my World Cup companion, so I woke him up and we watched the match with 5 other people. I also enjoyed my last stick of 冰糖葫芦 during the show :)

Time to leave Taipei the next day...

0. 台湾背包旅行

Chapter 0 - Backpacking Taiwan

5 years ago, I did a similar solo trip starting off from Germany. It was only 11 days to London, York, Edinburgh & parts of Scotland and ended at Cologne. Finally, I could do it all over again. This time, 13 days to Taiwan, it was originally booked for 14 days but Jetstar had made too many flight changes to my timings and so I decided to shift my return to a Sunday (1 day earlier).

Dates: 6 - 18th July 2010

Airline: Jetstar

Itinerary: Taipei - Hualien - Pingtung (Kenting) - Tainan - Taichung - Cingjing - Taipei

Companion: Domo

The flight was booked months ago during a promotion, and there wasn't really any excitement. I had always wondered about Taiwan and seen lots about it on television. There was no anticipation even when I was on the 4.5 hours flight.... Until the plane landed at Taoyuan airport, my face suddenly lit up! As I peered out of the window, I smiled to myself... The adventure was about to start!

I hope you'll enjoy reading my travel diary, it might be a bit long (I'll only know when I start writing)! I'll try to leave out the details and post some photos to share with all of you whom are not on my Facebook where I have 5 photo albums on there.

New bangs

Finally after almost 20 years, a hairstylist gathered the courage to cut me bangs... As I always have natural curl, almost all stylists I had tell me it's not advisable to cut my fringe. They gave me all the reasons that I shouldn't have it too short... But the thing is I want it short!

I had my haircut at Kim Robinson, one of the upper class salons where a cleanse, cut and finish would cost a minimum of S$128. Well, the thing is I didn't pay for it... Thanks to a magazine I bought few months back, I had the voucher to be utilised at Kim Robinson with a stylist named Sha Sha. I googled her and realised she's korean, someone happened to have the free cut by her. As the review was not bad, I decided to book my appointment with Sha Sha not long after I returned.

So there I went on a nice Tuesday afternoon after a stroll down Orchard Road and spending an hour in Prologue bookstore. I'm fascinated by everything in a bookstore. I arrived shortly before my scheduled time, it was very busy inside. From the entrance, it looked very grand. Near the cashier of the salon were a variety of posh hair accessorises selling at very steep prices, my heart skipped a beat as I waited to be served.

Soon someone led me in to an empty corner after verifying if I was using any voucher. I settled down and Sha Sha came. She had an assistant, supposedly to be the shampoo girl too. They both stood behind me and then I was asked about what kind of hairstyle I was looking at. I took out this magazine where I had my eyes on this cut for the longest time ever and asked her if it suited me. I wasn't sure if I understood her but she told me I needed to perm my fringe for that (pretty weird as it resembled more of nicely curved bangs). I ended up flipping her book of hairstyles and settled for one. But in the end I think I still got the cut I wanted from my magazine, except that they blew my hair straight after... it was curly in the magazine. Amusing.

The shampoo was good accompanied with a neck massage, I almost fell asleep - so comfortable. I was also served a complimentary drink during the cut. Then Sha Sha came, the assistant stood besides her all the time and was holding up my hair while she cut. I was not used to this. I made some small talk with her and found out she was here for only 5 months, very new. So I guess the salon was trying her out and giving away some free cuts with their new stylists. Very smart idea...! Basically it's similar to free cuts at Toni & Guys hair school except that Sha Sha is probably already well-trained! She also recommended ways to maintain my new hairstyle and some styling tips (but I think I'm a bit too old for the very adorable style).

All in all, I'm quite pleased with the service and Sha Sha did seem pretty courageous to be the first to give me bangs ;) I was given a stack of coupons after that I can use for future or recommend a friend. The discounted prices are, of course, still higher than the normal salons, but if you're interested, drop me a message :)

p.s: Sha Sha actually wanted to cut me Amelie's hairstyle... but I didn't have the guts to chop it all off!

Taiwan 感想

Caught a sneezing bug today... ahhhhhhh chooooo... nevertheless, I'd like to share my thoughts after 13 days in Taiwan.

台湾帅哥不多，但是好多酷哥！

What I said in Chinese above, is that Taiwanese boys aren't the best looking lots but they are full of style and character. I noticed many of them fancy black plastic frames with cool hairstyle...

The trip has definitely made me realized many things. Travelling alone is awesome, I enjoyed the freedom I had, I never had to report to someone when I was coming back, there wasn't any sort of compromise needed! There are so many advantages, except for the fact that I don't get many photographs of myself (which doesn't really matter). I brought Domo along and he was my replacement in many of the pictures.

Besides that, I also challenged myself in many situations. Things that I fear, I stepped out of my comfort zone and saw myself overcoming them. I feel so proud! One evening, a roommate in my hostel suggested cycling to the beach and night market. I haven't cycled for years in Singapore or anywhere else, even when I was in Germany, I had the phobia as I was a terrible cyclist. I have fallen down a few times which could have seriously injured myself, but I escaped unhurt. But that evening, I agreed and off we went... 4 hours of cycling on the road!! I was actually warming up quite fast till I had to go down a tunnel with the scooters on a narrow lane to get to the other side, it freaked me out. I crashed my bike but fortunately the scooters didn't run over me. My hands were smeared with black soot from the wall, and a blue-black bruise on one of my legs. I survived the few more hours and also the return journey via the tunnel which was such a nightmare! I really want to thank God that night for looking out for me :)

The rest of the journey was easy, especially as I could speak Mandarin, it certainly helped! Taiwanese are generally friendly and approachable but do not expect them to go out of the way for you. My 19 year old roommate expected a lot, she was complaining about the people, the hostel and the tour that she became such a nuisance. I was so glad we weren't on the same journey after that one fateful night :p

On the last few nights in Taipei, I had another freak incident. So from now on, I swear that I shall keep a distance from all Finnish men! During my stay in Taipei, there was always one or two of them in my hostel. During the last days in Taipei, I casually spoke to one twice briefly. The next thing I knew, he jumped onto my bed in the middle of the night! Both of us were on the upper bunk. I was shocked and frightened, and didn't manage much sleep that night, that freak actually tried to come over a few times. Needless to say, I requested for a change of room, as the following day we would be alone in that room as the rest had checked out! How freaky! It's hard to believe such things will happen in a dormitory, but indeed it has... I forgot my alarm this time but the next time I will carry one with me!

... 妈呀，我回来了！

I am back.

Rested for a week, finally got rid of the dirty laundry, put away my backpack... almost finishing the goodies I brought home. I shall start to sort out the final bits i.e. putting away the rest of the stuff. It is time to do some stuff... get a hair cut, find some work or money making ways, meet some friends, watch a movie, go to Universal Studios again! And not forgetting, I have lots to write about Taiwan... I also need to take part in a contest as well (Thanks Cyn for looking out for me)!!

See you 2 weeks later

I feel such an intensity to write today, which probably explained the excessive blogging. Maybe it's because I will be travelling for 2 weeks and I won't have the time or probably resources to do this easily!

Even for the next few days, I am still thinking about what I should do. I don't feel the urgency, excitement or fear. Somewhat numbed. I'm still sitting in my comfort zone and when Monday comes, I know it will hit me again. I want to write so much more, but I can't anymore... It's going to eat up all my energy. So I shall leave those food reviews to later... Hopefully my memory will not fail me!

Tomorrow will be fun. I will see one of my good friends at her kid's birthday party, probably do some convenient shopping and catch up with another friend. Then there is the Germany vs Argentina match to catch... when will I really have time to sit down and do some homework about Taiwan. Sigh.

I can be such a procrastinator.

Go Holland Go!

Oranje won! Impressive.

I couldn't watch it online, my internet connection has been lagging for the whole day and the slow streaming definitely didn't help! Thanks to Fifa live updates, I was trying to picture the words. LOL.

Best combi

Friends + Beer = Good Time

Recently, Beerfest Asia was here in Singapore. The tickets were going cheap (S$12 inclusive of handling fee) for OCBC card holders, so a bunch of us decided to go ahead. It was my first time, so was it for many of my friends. The ticket included 2 free beers.

It was a Sunday, apparently the last day of the event. They have shortened the starting time from 12 noon to 6pm, which wasn't very nice of them. They didn't even informed us till pretty late. But for the cheap price, what can we bargain for? Friday and Saturday would have been better as they were open till wee hours in the morning, but the advance tickets for OCBC card holders were sold out already on the first day (suspicious!).

I had a few groups of friends whom came at different timings. It was a shame everyone didn't get to talk much to everyone, but I had a fun time nevertheless since I know everyone ;) The free beers were a disappointment as we couldn't exchange it for most imported beers. Only locally brewed and the less popular ones, e.g. Tiger, Brewerkz (this is one of the better!), Archipelago, and some unknown names. We were also given no choice but to have one of the bottles named Super Bock given to us at admission, which tasted like Tiger... Ewww!

My sister and I ventured to the International Beer tent, where a lot of interestingly flavoured beers were but unfortunately many were sold out (being the last day!). Disappointing! I hope they have a quantity next time for each day so everyone gets a fair chance to try! Also, not to give us free crappy beer like Jaz. Haha. I'm not a sucker for free stuff if they are crap! We could buy the more popular beers at about S$10 each (I guess still not the cheapest, compared to beer in Europe!). p.s: I want to go Oktoberfest!!! Not that I'm very much a beer drinker but I think it would be fun attending!

Still, it was a nice first try. The ambience was great, and surrounding is beautiful. Situated right behind the Singapore Flyer, we also could watch live World Cup screening on the big projected screens or listen to the live band. There were food stalls but we didn't try, instead we went out to have Popeye instead! There were also F1 dummy cars on display for some photo-taking. The place was not overly crowded too.

My favourite of the night is a British cider named Green Goblin (the only cider I saw around!). And the most interesting has to be Taiwanese Honeydew melon beer one of my male friends was having and he loves it!

No bag is too many

Another wave of Kate Spade.

I know, this is bad. Bad for my wallet. Sigh, what to do? I'm a woman. That's not an excuse ;)

Okay, if you read my last entry in May, I was seriously going crazy about my last purchase. My initial Kate Spade diaper bag dream didn't materalize, and I thought that was the end of it. Until... I met Lenox Hill Noel Henry Poppy (that's the name of the bag). I like the sound of Poppy (that's the color).

Bright red with black Kate Spade label and trims, quilted, brown pokka dots roomy interior, many small compartments (which I really like!), huge, there is so much to love about it. Of course, being a diaper bag, it comes with a matching changing pad. How thoughtful! Misters, you should really get these stuff for your wives as a delivery gift ;)

Anyhow, I am keeping this short and sweet as I have tonnes to write about tonight!

Dollie

Thanks to my good friends I am able to get this doll named Baby from London at super cheap price (compared to the S$68 in Singapore). Love you all!!!!

By the way, this is Gwen Stefani Harajuku Lovers perfume, this is the original classic doll (one of the five). I have gotten the snow bunnies edition's Baby as well. I'm hoping to be able to get the new summer edition named sunshine cuties collection's Baby next. The latest one features a slightly different scent, the original and snow bunnies remain the same, it smells just like baby powder ;)

遇见怪脾的人 (15) - Ugliest buttface

UGLIEST BUTTFACE IN THE MRT

If you notice this man, give him a stamp on his foot! You'll be doing all of us good! Reap good karma :)

Seriously, this horrendous fart face is as ugly as his personality. That morning, I was carrying a shoulder bag, a laptop bag and another paper bag. I walked to the empty seat which this fart face is shown sitting, and this disgusting man actually blocked my way and sat down, there were more empty seats besides and I didn't understand why he had to do such an ungentlemanly act. Some kind people didn't rush for the seats, so I got the one next to this fart face. It is not over... I sat down, was self-engrossed in a game on my phone. This fart face decided to push his ELEPHANT thigh towards me. Gosh, I was so fed up, I pushed it back to him with my leg. There is an obvious line to separate us and I wasn't very pleased about someone intruding my space INTENTIONALLY. I sneaked a few shots of him which failed. Out of my desperation and revenge, when the train stopped at City Hall and the door opened, I stood up in front of him and deliberately pointed my phone camera at him. He looked up to see me openly taking a picture of his fart face! So did the others around me! I happily then walked out of the train door. EXTREMELY PLEASED! I hope that fart face has all the thoughts running over in his mind and perhaps goes for a mad search at STOMP for his ugly fart picture!

I'm so going to delete this disgusting photo off my computer, to prevent it from corrupting my files.