On a prolonged delay....

Been really itching to keep writing posts about Taiwan, I just have this strong desire to share with you all that I've experienced during those last few days there...

But alas, my CA study has taken over and I just have to wait...( and apologies for anyone who does read my blog, you will have to wait with me...>< but hopefully when I get the chance to write again, it'll be even more full of magic n smiles!)

Meanwhile, I have found somewhere I feel very happy to be settling down and type my assignment away on the laptop^^ Little joys blessed by God through this testing time^^

First Time Alone in Asia ~ Taiwan Part 3

  As the story has progressed so far, I have only travelled around Taipei city and it was already nearly half-way through my trip... one of my aims was to actually see some of the country towns, because in Taiwanese dramas they always seem so serene and pretty.  So, it was definitely time to move a bit further from my comfort zone and venture out a bit more!

  To be honest, besides having my guidebook with me, I wasn't too sure what to do.  I didn't know how to look up train timetables on the internet (I tried!), I had no idea how long the waiting times between changing from one train to the other was and things like that that made for a lot of uncertainties.  Plus there was also the security issue, in the end, I was there by myself as a girl for the first time in my life, I didn't know how isolated these places were and how I was going to get around from one place to another (places are more dispersed in these areas)...so I was a bit scared.  Somehow though, I convinced myself to just go anyway, go to the train station and see what would happen, I was there anyway so why not take a chance!? I'm really really glad that I did, because this day proved to be one of the most memorable days during the trip.  If I had exchanged it for shopping or stayed within Taipei city, I might not feel the same way about Taiwan now.

  Ok ok so after rambling for so long, you guys might ask where was I really going? Almost being so mysterious and all... well, this place is called 十份! (I was originally going to go to 九份 as well, but I really didn't have enough time...and I'm really glad I didn't try to rush it so I could go to both places, but I'll explain more later!)  What is so special about this place? For those of you who have seen movies such as Tangled, you might remember this scene:

Excuse the blurry-ness...

 Ever since I've seen Tangled, I've always been mesmerised by how magical this was.  I always thought someone clever and romantic just thought this up for the movie, but then my friend told me that it was actually a tradition in some countries and that included Taiwan.  In 十份 annually around new year time, the whole village would write their wishes on a big paper lantern, then the whole village would light the lantern up at once and let them float into the sky, lighting up the whole evening sky with hopes and dreams.  (Even though this is an annual event in the village, the village has shops opened that allow tourists to perform this whenever they want to since this tradition has become well-known and attracted many people to this village.)

  A word of advice for if you ever want to travel to places like 十份 though...make sure you check the train timetable at 台北車站 (Taipei Main Station) the day before.  I just went there on the day at like 10am-ish, thinking that I'll be early and make the most of the day, only to find out that I've just missed a train and the next was was at 12pm... >.< PLUS don't ask the counter people about trains, they confused me so much, because what they said didn't match up to the timetable I saw.  So best policy would be to get the train time from the written-out timetables at the station (they list out stations and times...the times are pretty set and there aren't too frequent), buy your ticket at the self-service machines (the directions are pretty good and self-explanatory), you should be alright to go =) I was lucky too...in the sense that there were hong kong tourists at the station (holding the same guidebook)...so seeing what they were doing gave me more confidence to go ahead with my plans hehe

  With nearly 2 hours to do whatever I could before the train came, the best thing to do was of course to fill up my stomach ^^ The station had lots of choices that made my eyes @___@ But since I've been stuffing myself with Chinese food, it was time to get in touch with my Western self as well!

Brunch Stop: New York Bagels Cafe

Slick-looking store design attracted me ^^

Wood-themed interior is modern yet comfortable!

  There were many choices regarding to the way you want your eggs cooked, the content of your omelette, the combination that would become your set meal, the type of juice... and of course, the star of the meal - bagels.  There were blueberry, original, raisin, wholemeal...you name it! I went for my favourite ingredients - omelette mushroom with blueberry bagel mmmmmm ^^

It came with milk tea and juice (of your choices - you can mix it up as well!), as well as potatoes mmmmmm Perfect start to the day while planning ^^

   That meal filled me up real good and prepared me for the hour train ride ahead!

Train Stops: 台北 － 瑞芳 － 十份

In order to head to 十份, you would catch the train from 台北車站 (Taipei Main Station) to 瑞芳 station, then from 瑞芳, you catch a special small train to 十份.  From eavesdropping on this honky couple, I was glad to hear that once I got to 瑞芳, a train to 十份 would come within 20 minutes.  Another suggestion, good to look up when the trains to 十份 are, because it only comes every hour...haha

The train seats were surprisingly comfortable!

Arrived safely at 瑞芳 station!

   After getting here, it was slightly confusing...because I knew I had to change trains, but wasn't sure where, so I just kinda followed the crowd (especially the couple I've been eavesdropping on hehe).  Thankfully, there was also an information center at the entrance of the station, otherwise I was a bit overwhelmed by the names and numbers that were displaying on the board.  The lady asked me whether I was only going to 十份... I was a bit confused as to why she would ask that...but I said yes anyway (I didn't know what the alternative was...and didn't really know how to ask haha).  So I followed her instructions and bought a ticket to 十份... then I pretty much went back up to the platform I was on for the next train (apparently several different trains to different places could arrive on the same platform, you just got to look out for the electronic sign hanging from the ceiling, which should give you an indicator as to where the train was heading).

The train ticket was pretty tiny...I was so scared of losing it >.<

   After a while, as I looked around me, I realised why the lady asked me whether I was only going to 十份 XD Apparently the station to this village was one of the stations along the railway of different places that were visiting-worthy...so for tourists' sake, there was a special ticket which allowed you to get on the train along this line as many times back and fro as you liked -___-" (You can go to places like 平溪, which attracts a lot of tourists too! But from reading stuff on this village, it sounds like what you can see in 平溪 can mostly be seen in 十份 as well) No wonder most people were holding this big green ticket while I was holding this tiny one...but you know what, it actually worked out better for me because the train for this railway came only once every hour and I only had enough time to visit 十份, so if I had bought the other ticket, it would've wasted me money! Yaaaay, way too go ^^ But I guess if you were more prepared than I was and decided to catch earlier trains and get to these places earlier, maybe it would be worth the price for you =)

  The train to 十份 is easily recognisable, because unlike the other trains, each carriage is covered in different kinds of paintings, as though it promises to take you somewhere special ^^

The train is here!

Colourful paintings on the carriages ^^

Key-hole designed seperation inside the train

   The ride was about half an hour, but it didn't really feel like a long trip, because I personally love nature and to see scene after scene of the following made me smile so much! 

Passing through mountains and streams, for some reason, this kind of scenery reminds me of Chinese poetry XD

 Before I knew it, there I was!

Filled with people eager for the day ahead!

The station is decorated with pictures from the Lantern Festival ^^

 I love how obviously village-like this place is, in order to get to the shops/the other side, you have to cross the railway crossing (see the people in the photo above)! I don't know why, but I loved that feeling! People were even standing on the railway crossing taking photos! Of course, I did the same hehe Somehow I felt so daring!!! (Yes, I get excited over little things like this hehe)

Couple standing on train track - actually some guy from this shop told me to take the photo because he said the view from this angle was really pretty (note the flowers ^^)

My turn to stand on the train track haha

  As soon as I crossed over to the other side of the station, I was welcomed by a street of small shops deemed as 'The Old Town'.  The early part of the street was filled with shops selling wooden boards where you can write your wishes, or a letter to yourself and send it back home.  There were also lots of food stalls to choose from if you were hungry!

'The Old Town'

Lots of people write their wishes on these wooden looking scrolls and hang them up for good luck! OR you could choose to mail it back to yourself!

All the stores have a corner where you can get stamps with different designs! Very handy if you have a travel book where you keep everything with you =) You can also write a message on the white piece of paper!

Lots of different food stalls like this one along the street as well!

   Perhaps it's the fact that this village is removed from city life, the breath of fresh air and people's genuineness made me feel very much at peace.  Even though it started drizzling, I didn't feel annoyed or anything, but that...it was kinda cool!? It was a very strange feeling (nice though!) and I haven't felt it for a very long time it seemed...hehe

Speaking of peacefulness, maybe that was someone's intention when they set up this place - to make people feel at peace.  Because believe it or not, there's a bridge here called the Peaceful Bridge!

The Peaceful Bridge is decorated in such a way to say that it is a historical monument of the village.  I like how the guy pushing the rocks is connected to the wire of the bridge =)

It's a loooonnng bridge and I think I felt it sway a bit due to the wind...@___@ I'm alive though!

   If you want to know what's on the other side...there's actually nothing on the other side... haha You see the guy in the photo above? His friend and him walked ahead and sussed out whether there was anything...they quickly turned around and walked back to the side of the bridge we came from XD But I thought it was cool we got to see some of the residential area, which differed alot from the normal skyscraper and apartments in the city.

Old looking terrace-looking houses... it's a bit run-down but I've noticed how the doors weren't locked, it's as though they know and trust their neighbours...which is something we don't see much in the city any more =(

   Past this bridge began a series of shops which sell the main product of the town - lanterns! Here the tourists gathered, talking with the owners and trying to pick their desired colours and wrote thier wishes on the lanterns! Apparently the different colours meant different things, I can't really remember what was what...but the most popular one was the mult-coloured lantern, who wouldn't want to put in as many wishes in as many areas as they wanted!? Hehe

The main aim for most people who come to 十份, to have their wishes written on the lanterns and set them off into the sky!

Shop displaying the meaning of the different colours, letting people choose their lanterns as they wished

Look at that smile on that girl's face - that's what the lanterns do to people haha

A group of young people braving the rain to have their wishes let into the sky!

Up up up and away it goes!

   I stood there watching quite a few groups/couples let their lanterns up into the sky... I felt really happy for them as I watched the smiles on their faces became bigger as they watched the lanterns went up.  I couldn't help but wonder what kind of wishes, hopes and dreams these people might have...and how funny a little ritual like this could bring such happiness to people.  Perhaps everyone does want to put their hope in something, because life can be hard...and to watch their own wishes go up into the sky, it's as though the wishes might reach someone/something and their fates could be turned around.  To this, I'm even more thankful for what Jesus has done, because of Him, we are able to be reconciled to God, so that we might have a real close relationship with Him, which includes the fact that no matter where we are and when it is, God is willing to hear our prayers, willing to take actions as He sees as good =)

  Watching these people, for the first time during this trip, I felt slightly lonely...Perhaps it is because everyone was sharing this experience with somebody else and I guess it also came from the fact that I wanted to try doing this whole lantern thing as well...but being by myself, it felt a bit silly and embarrassing, to the point I didn't really know how to approach the different shopowners...so I decided to walk on by.  But what I didn't know was that even as I've passed all these lantern stores and thought I've gone passed all of it, at the end of The Old Town, one last lantern shop stood there and caught my eye - Grandma's Flying Lanterns.

It appears to be more colourful than the other shops and has cute drawings on the shopfront...I'm a real sucker for all things cute >.<

 Oh I told myself to just keep walking...first of all, no one was there and when no one is at a shop, it always raises a warning bell right? Second of all, what was I going to do? Since I wasn't going to light a lantern at all...but this always always happens (but only while I'm travelling it seems...), even if my head is telling me one thing, my body seems to do something else and before I knew it, I was heading towards the front door and stepped into the shop.

  I was greeted by a guy, whose first greeting wasn't 'welcome', but 'come in, come in, you're going to get soaked if you keep standing there'.  Haha in my mind, I wasn't sure if he was trying to be nice or trying to get business (because I would imagine that business could be quite fierce in this area).  Regardless of which, he was really accommodating and I couldn't help but feel that even if he was trying to get business, it was more than acceptable because I felt really looked after.   We talked a bit and then he told me that if I wanted to light the lantern, that it wasn't quite the time to do so yet... because evening hasn't come and the atmosphere wouldn't be the same...actually nowhere near the same (he even called the people silly for lighting the lantern now, the experience just wasn't the same!).  Before I knew it, I was telling him how it would be silly to do this on my own, it seems more like a group/couple thing to do.. it would be weird... 

He pretty much stopped me from babbling on about it, waved his hand around and told me not to be silly to miss out on this experience, there are plenty of people who would come by themselves and light up the lantern by themselves.  There was nothing silly in this, what would be silly would be to come to 十份, a village famous for this tradition, and NOT have a go at it.  After he has said that, I felt really comforted (maybe I'm just easily persuaded haha)...and the idea of it being silly immediately left me.  He kept insisting on me giving it a go around evening, that it was still too early and that I should explore more of the place, then come back and the time would be right.  He suggested a few places that I could check out and if I'd like to, I could hang around a bit more for the rain to die down before making my way.

  I was really thankful and really appreciated his efforts.  The embarrassment, loneliness and silliness that I had felt earlier on suddenly disappeared.  Perhaps I just needed a bit of reassurance that it was ok to do this, even if I was alone!? A friend of mine, CW, once said to me that if I wanted to, there was a lot of things that I would be capable of doing.  But the times I've thrived the most is when there's someone encouraging me, giving me positive reactions and feedbacks, supporting me, this somehow reassures me and push me to further heights.  (Although he kinda said this in the context of what kind of guy would suit me...lol)

   Anyway, I stayed in the store a bit and browsed around...they had collections of small lanterns that people could buy as souvenirs...so I sat there for quite a while picking out little lanterns hehe

Kinda like these... (this photo wasn't from that store...but I didn't take any from that store >.<)

   On the wall, the store also displayed the different famous people who have gone to the shop, as well as other people from different countries who have written back to the shopowner lady, thanking her for their experiences (which reminds me, I need to write!).  At this, the shopowner lady came out and greeted me...she was this tiny, cute lady who is very smiley, seeing her makes me feel a kind of warmth and tenderness.  She slowly took out the different souvenir lanterns and stock them on the shelf, while talking to me about the weather and about 十份.  I realised after a while that the guy who was talking to me before was her son, and there was another dude sitting at the counter who was her other son... something struck inside me at the thought of her sons helping her out at her shop, there was a particular warmth about it.  Yes, they might have been forced haha but having talked to them, they seemed genuinely happy to be there.  Later when I would come back to actually light the lantern, I would find out that the son (the one sitting at the counter) had gone off into the city before, but realised that the city life wasn't for him, so he moved back here and have been enjoying the village life since.   I really think it is so valuable to know where you belong, where you should at a certain point in time...I guess this is something I do struggle with sometimes - to be at a place where I feel this is where I'm meant to be.  Haha it is a difficult life an emotional being has >.<  

  Anyhow, there was still plenty of time to kill before evening (by this stage, I've completely killed off the idea of going to 九份), so I bid them farewell, assuring them that I would come back and proceeded to the famous waterfall. 

Off to 十份 Waterfall!!!
The waterfall was about 20 minutes walk from the shop, but the whole way, the rain didn't stop, splitter splatter splitter splatter they kept falling down.  I must say though it was quite an experience walking in the rain, with a somewhat small umbrella (even though the son back at the shop offered me a bigger one...I felt bad taking it >.<) and completely drenched shoes... somehow I have trained myself to forget about how wet my feet were and just enjoy the feeling of not having a care in the world even if my feet were wet! I mean... who was it that came up with the idea that it was bad to have your feet wet? Perhaps annoying yes, but it really didn't concern me at the time.  See, this is the magic of travelling! Things that usually mattered somehow becomes quite minimal ^^

  I actually quite enjoyed the walk, from people's houses, small shops to the picturesque green mountains! Oh the village life - the freshness of it is endless for a citygirl like me!

Colourful lanterns hanging off the roof of this store at the front, playful yet mesmerising <3 (hehe look at those people in the rain..like myself haha)

Tower noting this is the place for the Lantern Festival

A resort for people who wish to prolong their stay in 十份

十份is surrounded by greeneries - has such a refreshing feeling ^^

Abandoned place along the way...it looked pretty spooky actually...reminds me of certain scary movies *shudder*

Crossing a bridge filled with circular lanterns to the other side...lalala (that guy on the phone is a Japanese tour guide...I should've befriended him keke)

Overlooking the bridge is the endless green lake against green mountains...so beautiful ^^

The circular lanterns led me from the bridge to a pavement path right next to the train tracks...this scene kind of reminded me of one of my favourite movies 'Stand By Me'

   Yeh... looking back now, it was a pretty long walk.  But like I said earlier, how often do I get to do this right? Surprisingly I was really happy! ^^ Anyway, some of the village people are so smart and decided to make money out of the fame of the waterfall and built a 'garden' around it, so that when tourists come, they have to pay about 80TWD to enter - they called it the 十份山水遊樂園 (Literally translated would be Mountain and Water Playground)!

Entrance to the playground!

 To my surprise, inside was quite nicely decorated.  There were fancy swings, picnic tables and chairs, different sculptures...too bad it was raining, couldn't really sit around enjoying it.  Thankfully though, there was a eatery inside the place and you could just sit there admiring the mountain and the waterfall.. ^^

It was nicely structured and as you walk along the wooden plank, you walk alongside the green waters =)

Horse sculptures that you can sit on and you see the orange tents, they are actually swings! Too bad they were all wet =( Also note the stones on the ground, they are those therapeutic stones for your feet, supposedly massage them hehe

Eatery (and possibly the only place under cover in the park XD) where you can sit, eat and watch the waterfall...so good!

Stairs leading down to another area where you can be closer to the waterfall

 Ok ok, so all these talk about trekking to see the waterfall and exploring the garden... so what's all these fuss about the waterfall? Well...without delaying any further...here it is!

十份waterfall

View from the bottom of the stairs

   I sat at the eatery for ages, gazing out at the mountain, with the heavy water thundering downwards.  Yet it was an alarming sound, but strong and comforting.  I couldn't help but be amazed at God's creation, how He could create something so full of power, yet able to calm a person's heart.  I closed my eyes, the splitter splatter of the rain became one with the rush of the waterfall, two sounds becoming one.  The wonders of nature.

Psalm 104

Bless the Lord, O my soul!
    O Lord my God, you are very great!
You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
²     covering yourself with light as with a garment,
     stretching out the heavens like a tent.
³ He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters;
he makes the clouds his chariot;
    he rides on the wings of the wind;
⁴ he makes his messengers winds,
    his ministers a flaming fire.

⁵ He set the earth on its foundations,
    so that it should never be moved.
⁶ You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
    the waters stood above the mountains.
⁷ At your rebuke they fled;
    at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.
⁸ The mountains rose, the valleys sank down
    to the place that you appointed for them.
⁹ You set a boundary that they may not pass,
    so that they might not again cover the earth.

Seeing this, I couldn't help but be amazed again at how mighty God is! My Lord God is almighty! Seeing this, my heart and my mouth burst into songs in worship of the Lord, who is worthy of all praise ^^


I really thank God for this time to just sit, to be amazed at His creation and be in awe of Him.  There was so much to reflect upon... even this trip, how He has brought me here, how He has allowed this to happen, to bring me away, just Him and me.  My often clouded heart was becoming clearer day by day, remembering that the best place to be is right next to Him.  As I reflect on that now, I'm astonished at how quickly I forget that - being distracted by the things in my daily life.  May I look more to the cross, all that I have and all that I am in Him, that even when I'm not looking at mountains and waterfalls as great as this, even when it's troubles and uncertainties all around me, may I seek to live for Him always, for He is majestic, loving, merciful and every bit worth my whole heart and my whole soul.


Psalm 73


Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
    you hold my right hand.
²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
    and afterward you will receive me to glory.
²⁵  Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
²⁶  My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength^[b] of my heart and my portion forever.

²⁷ For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
    you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
²⁸ But for me it is good to be near God;
    I have made the Lord God my refuge,
    that I may tell of all your works.

 Even though I'm weak, at times sorrowful, yet may my heart sing because of Him =)

Note: Trip for 十份 hasn't ended yet! But this seems like an appropriate place to stop...to reflect on the amazingness of God! Please stay tuned for next edition - where I will finally light the lantern woohoo!!!!! I promise you it'll be good =D

 

First Time Alone in Asia ~ Part 2

  Day 2 of my Taiwan trip began with a late start, because I intended for this trip to be super relaxing! One thing I have lacked over the past year is sleep...so I was determined to get some good night sleep at least one of the days!

  I slept until 11:00am...plus I dawdled around for another hour or so, to the point the cleaning lady had to knock on my door and politely asked me whether I wanted room service that day >.< That was a sign for me to say: ok, you gotta get off your bum and get a move on! Otherwise, you'll miss out on wonderful things!

  By the time I actually got out of the hotel, it was probably around 1pm and I was sooooooooo hungry! With a grumbling stomach, I rushed to my destination for the day: 台北車站 （Taipei Main Station)

Once I got out of the subway, I see this grand looking train station.  FYI: Taiwan has three main public transport systems - buses, trains and subways.  The stations for trains and subways are different but at important stops like this one, they might be linked.

  As soon as I walked out of Taipei Main Station, my first and foremost focus was to find food! My grandpa told me that Taiwan is famous for beef noodle, that thought wouldn't leave my mind so I was all focused on searching for one of the best beef noodles in town as described in my guidebook!

  Even though my stomach was all grumbles, I couldn't help but notice the bustles of the Taipei city that sends excitement kind of chills up my spine! Every corner you go, you are met with some big sign or store of your interest! Plus there's a Mitsuko (新光三越百貨 - this is where the celebrities do their meet and greet apparently...I didn't see any >.<) right next to the station, so there's definitely at least one shopping complex you must go to!

Crazy crossing with shops on every corner! This initially reminded me of Japan hehe

First Stop: 良品牛肉麵 (Good Beef Noodle)
開封街一段10號

 I saw lots of stationary shops on the way, but I didn't stop (if you didn't know already, I'm a stationary fanatic!!! LOVE stationary!), I was that hungry and I wanted that beef noodle SO much! But I made a mental note to myself to go back to those shops once my stomach was filled!

  Perhaps it was my hunger that was distracting me, but no matter how many corners I turned, I still couldn't find the road that I was supposed to be on...>.< Hunger grew by the second... I felt like I could eat just almost anything! But it must have been the power of my imagination of this delicious, incomparable beef noodle that kept me going, I just had to have this beef noodle! So I told myself to calm down, go back to the big road, held the map in my hand and traced every single step and corner according to the map.  With each step I took, the closer I got and before I knew it, I arrived at the right street.  I started counting down the store numbers one by one...1, 2, 3...

Yaaaay finally found it! I must take a picture to commemorate this moment haha

The shopowner lady saw me standing in the corner, with my hands fidgeting in my bag for ages until I finally found my camera (yeh the inside of my bag was a mess due to the endless walking, hence bobbing up and down).  When I was about to take a photo of the shop, she looked at me and asked, ' don't you want to be in it too?' Haha so nice of this lady, for some crazy reason, I felt somewhat embarrassed XD

The noodle place is of a casual, local Taiwanese style.  To be honest, I wasn't too sure what I was meant to be doing, so I kind of just walked in, found a seat and sat down.  Thankfully I was quite adamant about having beef noodle, so I wasn't distracted by all the other seemingly delicious food on the menu. Though when I only ordered the beef noodle, the shop keeper kept asking me whether I wanted anything else, while recommending their shop's iced soy milk, I couldn't help but smile back and said yes please haha

The back of the store showcases just how good the beef noodle soup is and the people seem to be eagerly waiting? haha

Look at all the awards! And iced soy bean drink for 15TWD soooo cheap!

My lonely iced soy bean drink...waiting for the arrival of the beef noodle...ladida

Sauces and toppings for if you choose to add.  You get your own chopsticks as they are provided on the table!

  The people at the shop worked at a quick pace, so before I knew it, my very very much long awaited (my stomach felt like it shriveled down a few sizes by this stage) beef noodle appeared in front of me!

TADA!

Love the red bowl and love how the soup itself looks sooo flavoursome!!!

  The noodle itself is of a thick, flat cut - this is because it's been made, stretched and cut by the owners themselves.  Once put in my mouth the noodles that have been soaked in the soup, a never tasted before texture and flavour was absorbed.  The noodles had the right balance of softness and because of its size, it has absorbed a good amount of soup for the otherwise perhaps almost tasteless flour to explode with flavour.  To be, the noodle and the soup were the heroes! But of course, I must mention the beef itself as well, for without it, the dish wouldn't have been complete.  At the first bite of the beef, I couldn't help but notice how tender and juicy it was, it completely complimented the noodle and soup too well.  It took me no time to completely devour the whole bowl, trying to get every bit of remains I could at the end.

  The walk, the hunger, the tiredness was definitely worth it.  And you know what, this delicious meal cost me less than 10 AUD altogether...where in Sydney would you be able to find that!?

  And thankfully it didn't fill me, it gave me more of a chance to try other things on the streets! Thing is, in Taiwan, the street is filled with food and drinks of sorts, especially in this area! So I left this much searched for noodle soup place and ventured out for more.  I made my way back to the stationary shop I first saw, thinking that there must be something good along the way! Yes indeed, something caught my eye pretty much straight away.  Me being a lover of eggs, I couldn't help but be attracted to this store:

Literally translated: egg pancake!

  This lady has owned this store for years! She is skilled and famous for making eggs pancake (as can be seen in the picture on the left of her store), with all sorts of different fillings you can choose from: vegies, ham, pork floss, cheese...you name it! Apparently alot of students would pass by this store after school hours and get an egg pancake to keep the stomach going before dinner.  Well, I love eggs and love following student trends, so why not! I chose the BBQ pork egg pancake and watched the shopowner perform:

Pancake being fried before adding in the meat

  She skillfully put everything together - into a box and plastic bag, completed with chopsticks and handed it to me (I'm still quite amused and amazed at this whole culture of putting food in plastic bag and you go on your way...trying to find somewhere to eat it haha)

Mmmmmmmmm!!! I stood by the side of the road and ate this...that kinda feeling is not usual here in Sydney...surprisingly as clumsy as it was, I like it =)

Second Stop: 站前地下街 (Underground Shopping Mall)


  After eating, of course I need to walk it off, otherwise I might not fit in any more in this city of food, which would be quite a shame >.<  I first went to the stationary shop that I first saw when I was trying to find the beef noodle shop.  This stationary shop was like 3 storey high, with each level with different types of things that they were selling.  This is one reason why I love Taiwan so much, me being a stationary fanatic, I'm attracted to all stationary that are cute and/or cool and/or useful.  This shop was seriously like paradise, every level there was something useful, something unique, something cool, something cute...plus it was all really cheap in Aussie terms! My eyes were going googly from looking at everything - from greeting cards (yeh I even considered buying a few for 'future' uses) to rulers, to pens, to notebooks, to things I have absolutely no use for like greeting business card thingies that only Asian countries have haha I seriously spent at least 2 hours there, browsing through everything, wanting to buy everything but basically buying nothing.  Because I couldn't shake off my mum's voice at the back of my mind telling me (before the trip) to not store up useless things because she'll end up having to store them away and clean up after me (ok...true...).  So with much effort and willpower, I held back =(

  I kinda just wandered around after that, actually trying to find a cafe to settle down, because my feet were aching...maybe the early afternoon search for beef noodle shop took more of a toll on me than I thought haha Along the way, I headed back to the station and it turned out there was whole street of boutiques and stalls underground just where the station was...awesome!

Different types of stalls being laid out  - clothing, accessories, skin care, books.  Plus there were different boutiques on the side.

  Even though there was LOTS to look at, to be honest, maybe because there was TOO much to look at, I felt a bit faint haha So I really just walked along the street for the sake of having seen everything instead of leaving to keep searching for 'that' cafe...but I'm really glad I did because I came to a different part of the underground shopping complex, which became like magic to me!

All lit up in a somewhat dimmed complex, it's like entering into another world - welcome!

  For someone like me who has recently rediscovered in arts and all that's pretty and colourful (ok maybe it doesn't look so colourful yet) and creative in this world, this brought a huge smile to my face!  Along the walls are decorations that make you stop and stare because it made you feel like you were in wonderland, or trigger an imagination to be elsewhere but here.  I was so impressed by whoever came up with this concept and so, let me take you through this strip of wonderland =)

Station pole having pure white paper leaves and flowers twirled around - as though you are being transported out of reality and into a storybook ^^ (So suitable for a whimsical being like myself haha)

Funky artwork displaying landmarks of different countries plastered on the wall, makes you want to go places too!

Taipei leads to different places it appears hehe I really love the artwork!

An amazing window display that takes your breath away!

This...made me stand still...

  'Are you bad enough to mess up the rules?' (This prompts for a little rant...feel free to skip!) The question jumped out at me as soon as it caught my eye.  In the past year, during my pondering and reflecting, I've noticed that I've always 'played it safe' and am a very risk adverse kind of person.  This led me to make certain choices in life and reject others.  Things like pursuing your dreams, give effort into playing out hobbies, to defy norms and securities were all unheard of, because I'm one to always obediently follow what is supposedly the 'right thing to do'.  I quite admire people who are daring, who can ignore the eyes of people and take off down the path for their own sake, knowing that what they are doing is worth it.  Not that I regret anything, but I wish I was more bold.  So I've made a goal to be more bold to step out of my comfort zone to do the things that I think are worth it! ( I sound so full of it...haha let's see if this can actually be achieved!)

This lampstand... is like a light towards the right direction! YOSH!

Third Stop: 明星咖啡館 （Cafe Astoria)
But if literally translated...it would be Superstar Cafe

  I don't know why, but I was really tired and my feet were aching (even though I slept in heaps that day), so I really needed somewhere to plop down.  Just as well, because one of the things I wanted to do in Taiwan was visit various cafes and spend good amount of time there just chilling and do whatever.  This is something I've discovered that I really love doing in the past year - spending numerous hours in a cosy corner over a freshly brewed cuppa doing your own thing - and Taiwan, with numerous creative corners and people with dreams of cafe-owning, its resources for places as such were astounding! If I lived in Taiwan, I might become a cafe hermit hehe

  In this area, one of the famous cafes is the Cafe Astoria (Superstar Cafe).  it was opened in 1959 and its name was originated from the fact that many famous writers and poets would gather at this place to enjoy afternoon tea while discussing their thoughts and works.  However, it closed down in 1989.  But in 1999, after the big earthquake in Taiwan, because most of the equipments miraculously survived due to them being stored away in a sturdy storage space, this guy who found them decided to reopen the cafe.  It's a cafe full of history!

Its sign surrounded by a lovely vine-like border

Staircase leading up to the cafe - along the way you might see photos of olden days hanging on the wall.  I would imagine for people who have lived here during that time, it would bring back lots of memories...=)

   Entering a new place always makes me feel excited, but quite nervous at the same time, especially when I don't really know what the etiquette should be.  For some reason, that day was especially the case.  The nervousness I felt before entering the beef noodle place came rushing back as I stood in front of the cafe door, but I thought if not now, then it would never be.  Maybe being alone is a bit weird, the waitress asked me again to confirm whether I was alone when I asked for a table haha But the staff was really nice...well to be more precise, the guy who served me was really nice.  When he realised I wasn't from Taiwan and that I was by myself, he really took the effort to explain to me what the tea sets involved, helped me decide what would be a good choice.  Also, two hours or so later, I would find myself bump into him on the streets as I left the cafe (and him coming back from a break), where he would bid me farewell and wished me a good journey instead of just ignoring me, thinking that I was just another customer who has already left the cafe and it was outside of his duty to be friendly or anything.  Hehe ^^

  The cafe gave off a very comfortable feeling, somehow as though transporting you back in time as well.  The olden day kind of decoration and interior is rarely seen anywhere, so I made sure I absorbed the atmosphere the setting of this cafe gave off and imagined myself to be in another time and space.

I love how the lights hang low from the ceiling, illuminating the brown sofas against the ivory curtains

Behind the pillars there is a gallery of items from back in the day

This setting evokes a somewhat romantic atmosphere - I can imagine a girl sitting there, waiting for her love...hehe

Hehe I love this toothpick holder...and how the booklet (that describes the cafe's history) reads love ^^

    There was a whole bunch of drinks and tea sets to choose from, there was even high tea! I personally would really have loved to try the high tea, because the selection of food were all made uniquely by the bakery (same brand - Astoria) that was situated downstairs from the cafe.  However, this is one of the disadvantages of travelling alone, there was no way I could finish three whole tiers of food... so I selected a lesser version of that, so that I could try as many varieties of lovely bites as possible ^^

A selection of both savory and sweet pastries mmmm ^^ (from top to bottom) Left: BBQ pork puff, curry puff, carrot puff.  Middle: egg tart, cream puff, walnut sweets.  Right: chocolate, vanilla and strawberry swiss rolls.

  I personally really enjoyed the walnut sweets, because it was quite unique (later I found out this was one of the signature desserts at the cafe!).  It's made of coconut milk, sugar, with walnuts inserted in the square-shaped sweet.  It was of a very soft texture and melts in your mouth as soon as you take a bite of it.  So yummy! (Especially for a such a sweet tooth like me... there was no way I wouldn't like this one hehe)

  It also came with complimentary coffee (or tea) that you could refill as many times as you'd like!!! ^^

All these for under 15 AUD!!!! ^^

  This place allowed me to really rest up after walking around during the day, it gave me space and peace to ponder, reflect, journal and plan, while enjoying every bite and sip of the food in front of me.  Some people love shopping, some people love to LAN, well...this is what I love hehe

Fourth Stop: Book Street

  After such a relaxing few hours, I headed back to the station for my next destination.  Along the way, I hit Book Street.  Well, the street is not actually called Book Street, but the whole street was lined up with one book store after another, some were even a few stories high.  I couldn't resist but make a temporary stop here.  For all you book lovers, this street would really suit you!

If you can read chinese...most of the signs in this photo pretty much has the words 'book' and 'store' in them!

Fifth Stop: Taipei 101(市政府站 － Taipei City Hall Station)

  I departed from Taipei Main Station and made my way via the subway to Taipei City Hall Station.  My aim? To go up the world's 2nd tallest tower - Taipei 101 - and enjoy some nice night view! On the way from the station, I took a whole heap of photos because the light was amazing! And being a tourist... I wanted photos of 101 from different distance as I drew near haha

Many people hanging out at night..seriously if this was Sydney, it would be dark and deserted haha

Large sign from Mitsuko Shopping Centre welcoming you!

Trees lit up in colours - this scene kind of remind me of Singapore ^^

101 from afar... (it seemed so close but there was still quite a fair way to walk...-__-")

  At this stage, I was pretty glad that 101 was so tall that I just needed to keep following my gaze to reach it and didn't really need to think much about where I was going.  Plus there was a crowd the whole way, which was obviously heading in the same direction with the same goal in mind hehe

Yaaaay entrance to Taipei 101! Talk about grand!

Before taking the lift up to the Ticket area, welcomed by this little guy.  He will continue to appear in different forms all throughout the 101, thankfully he's cute haha

  For the purposes of safety, after buying the tickets to 101, you have to lock pretty much all of your stuff in a locker provided.  I was there for ages making sure I had what I needed and made sure I remembered which locker was mine and my password! Worst nightmare would be to come back and have misplaced everything...-___-"

Lots of people lining up to go up the tower...

The backdrop of the area where you line up...has an outer-space kind of feel hehe

  Like most touristy places, they make you take a photo at this booth and then put a backdrop on it to make it look all nice and stuff, then you have to pay money to own one.  It was slightly awkward for me as I was by myself and the whole time I was lining up, I was trying not to look at that screen where the photo pops up (as shown in picture above) because I must have looked really awkward in the photo haha

  I went up this space like elevator where it went dark and the roof of it would light up as though you were in the sky.  Very techy.  Like most towers in the world, it went around 360 degrees, with windows all around so you could see the view outside from all different directions.  I actually took a lot of photos here...trying to get a good one of the night view.

I like how the lights on the main road made a circular shape, binding certain areas and seperating others.  Also, the building in pink/purple actually changes colours...so sometimes it was blue or green or like this - pink/purple.

I like this because of that rose shaped landmark at the bottom...I wonder if the designer did that on purpose for people on 101 to see...hmmm (I particularly love roses so was completely captured by this hehe)

  101 was quite accommodating, there were sofas all around the place, so if you got tired from viewing, you could take a seat and relaxed a bit (which I accepted the invitation of hehe).  There was also an ice-cream store, with my favourite animal as the theme, though I didn't know what to think of the staff who dressed up as cows as well...>.<

Very distinctively cow - quite my kind of place hehe

The cow prints seat covers are soooo cute! ^^

  There really wasn't much more in Taipei 101, except for the souvenir store and the gallery displaying these artworks made by corals.  Also, I guess I couldn't help but also absorb the space like atmosphere the design team has probably put into a lot of effort into making...soooo I thought I grace their effort with a few photo displays =)

Special effect made me felt like I was walking on clouds, with that little guy running around underneath me!?!? Plus it has some crazy glow in the dark effect that made that guy walking towards me look like an alien haha

This was soooo cool! The golden coloured ball thing plus the transformation of the little guy made it seemed like this was an alien spaceship!

I remembered going through this part, there was some weird space music haha

You can even take a photo with this little (now big) guy! But was a bit embarrassing if I took it by myself so I didn't...>.<

  After meeting this fellow here, I followed the EXIT sign and bid my farewell to Taipei 101.

Sixth Stop: Din Tai Fung

  Yes! You've read it correctly! It's Din Tai Fung, just like the one at World Square in Sydney! Since DTF is so famous in Sydney, I couldn't help but be drawn to this one here in Taiwan and experience for myself what it was like! (Note that at this stage, I actually still haven't been to DTF in Sydney...it was only recently that my work friends took me haha)

Din Tai Fung Taiwan welcomes you!!! =D

Xiao Long Bao says HELLO! hehe

   The staff here was extremely friendly, this girl who was serving me patiently answered my questions (mainly about whether there was an option to have smaller portions...and she would take the initiative thereafter to tell me what kind of food offered smaller portions too! I was so impressed!).  We even chit-chatted a bit, where she then found out that I was from Australia.  Whenever people realised that I was from Australia, their expressions/reactions always told me that they were extremely surprised or impressed or in disbelief! When I ask why, there always seem to be two factors involved:
1) I can speak Chinese even though I'm from an English speaking country
2) Australia is a far far away land for them, it's as though it is in another world haha

  Soooooo after some thoughts, I decided to give the following a go!!!

Sour and chilly soup!

And of course, Xiao Long Bao!!!

They even provided me and went through with me how you are supposed to eat xiao long bao properly! So thoughtful ^^

I also ordered some Tung Choi so I would feel healthier hahaha (Vegies has become something I love as I grow up...it's hard to imagine how I disliked it as a child >.<)

  It was already quite late by the time I had this meal, but this is what I love about Taiwan (or just Asian countries in general).  That no matter how late it was, there were still people around, eating with you! ^^ I quite enjoyed the non-crowdedness yet non-loneliness...!

Still buzzing with life!

The chefs starting to pack up - I love how you can see what they're doing, almost like interacting with them!

The other side of me! (These three photos have correctly shown my view from left, then behind, then to my right haha ok not that you might care...)

As I finish up my meal, as the crowd left, it also marked the ending of my 2nd day in Taiwan.  I remember I was thinking to myself... 2 days have passed by already...it almost felt like a dream already.  Yet there was still more to come, how good it is when a good dream hasn't ended and there's still more to look forward to! And praise God, because the next three days would become even more memorable than these two that have already happened.  The next three days would involve places and experiences that would leave a mark in my heart, that, is the magic of travelling =)

May I close this post with this one last snapshot I've captured just outside 101:

This reminds me of a very good friend of mine, who used to ask our group of friends: What is love?

This memory always bring a smile to my face =) What is love to you? What makes you love? What makes you smile like this ^___________________^ ???

This day also, most certainly made me smile hehe