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