First Time Alone In Asia ~ Taiwan Part 1

  Recently, as some of you might know, I went to Hong Kong for a month to visit my relatives and friends.  It was such a good time away to be spent with loved ones, but I also felt that I needed to spend sometime by myself, to find that peacefulness in my heart and spend sometime with God...where there would be no other noises but just God and myself.  Even though some people say that I'm a peoples person, but I really do need a large amount of time to myself and I've found that in the past year, that's something I haven't had enough of and was really yearning for some.  So I'm extremely thankful to God for this opportunity!

  So...the next question was: where to go? You might say duh... but it was a pretty big question for me! I've never gone away by myself before (except for Honkyland, but that doesn't count because almost all my relos live there hehe) and as exciting an idea as it was, it was also a pretty daunting idea! So really, my criteria was somewhere that was relatively safe and somewhere where I can kinda speak the language...ooohh and also relatively cheap haha So that only left one option:

Taiwan!

  For some reason, every friend I have in HK seems to have been to Taiwan at some stage and some were quite surprised that I haven't been yet.  That motivated me to go even MORE!

  SO with the help of a few friends, I booked tickets, accommodation, handy dandy guidebook and away I went!  Below is my rough schedule + travel rants, hopefully through this you'll be able to see, breathe, taste as much as what I tasted as I walked the roads of Taipei ^^

(And if you ever want to go to Taipei, at least here's a rough idea of a schedule for you hehe)

Morning: Up up and away with EVA Air to Taiwan from HK's Kingsford Smith International Airport! I've never travelled with this airline before but I would most definitely recommend it!!!

Mid-morning: Arrived at airport and tried my best to follow the instructions on the website at the hotel I was staying at to get to the hotel.  Basically I had to take this bus there... but before that, I had to attempt to buy a ticket using my Mandarin skills! I seriously haven't conversed properly in Mandarin for two years!!! At the end of this first contact with Taiwanese people, the guy wished me well and said ADD OIL (try your best!) in learning while I'm here! Then he gave me a cool smile.  (haha)

Waiting waiting waiting for the bus...

Arrived at the hotel around mid-afternoon after being dropped off at this road and holding a map trying to figure which direction to go and which road to take.  Thankfully it wasn't too complicated, only had to make a few turns hehe It's kinda fun though trying to find my way...if only I didn't have my luggage as well >.<

The hotel is this really slick modern-looking one, I love it's interior! What caught my eyes first of all is definitely its interior! I was also super impressed at how nice the staff is! Anyway I'll rave on more about this hotel I stayed at in another post, it probably needs a whole post to itself hehe

Afternoon: I made my way to the subway station...on the way, I passed by this primary school with really cool and cute murals and pinwheels shining in the sun...made me smile =)

Cute artwork on the wall ^^

These pinwheels make me feel so calm...I stood to watch them spin for a bit hehe

From the subway, I headed to this other part of town called 忠孝復興 (zhong xiao fu xing), where I was incredibly hungry when I got there XD


First Stop: Hello Kitty Cafe - Hello Kitty Sweets

Yes...you've read it correctly...it's a Hello Kitty Cafe! Where if you're a Hello Kitty fan, your dreams have truly come true! The place is not only covered in pink, but as soon as you stepped into the cafe, no matter where you turned, all you would see is Hello Kitty!

A corner where you can have your private sitting with a Hello Kitty backdrop!

Tables, walls, chairs, menus - all filled with Hello Kitty's face haha

Her face pretty much embedded into the wall XD

Hello Kitty placemat, so you can look at her while you eat haha

Following such a wonder of this Hello Kitty environment, I was astounded by the extravagant choices in the menu - for afternoon tea, almost everything is a  tea set that comes with a drink of your choice (with fancy names all list of course hehe) and a plate of cake of your choice as well! Though what caught my eyes were not so much the amount of choices in the menu, but rather that they managed to include Hello Kitty in everything that they have! I seriously spent a good amount of time trying to decide what to eat, thinking ooohh I should eat this because it sounds yummy, but no that other cake seems to have a bigger hello kitty face on it and if I don't eat a bigger face I'm making a waste of this experience! Oh choices!
In the end, I went with a custard card that sounded nice, looked nice and had a good proportion of Hello Kitty on it so that I wouldn't feel jeeped hehe

With a glass of nicely decorated Latte...

They looked soooooooooooooooooo pretty to the point where I sat there taking photos for ages, and then I just looked at it not knowing what to do because I didn't want to destroy her face(s) hahahaha BUT eventually, my stomach gave way and I couldn't help but devoured everything...slowly (of course I have to enjoy every moment!!! Plus...since my trip is so spontaneous, I had to plan the next step!)

The cake wasn't too bad, it wasn't the best but it wasn't bad either! AND it was much bigger and much more filling than I thought...>.< The Kitty face itself is made out of chocolate, but maybe because I had too much tart already before I had the chocolate...it didn't really have much of a taste on my tongue haha  The mocha was nice and went very nicely with the tart!  
Despite my somewhat sarcastic amusement at the whole place being Hello Kitty, I actually really enjoyed my time being there.  It was quite a nice environment to settle for a bit and just enjoy some moments by yourself (or with your friends) - the staff won't bother you too much, the sofas/chairs were comfy and you can take your time nomming away at your meal and sipping your drink.  PLUS they give you a free jelly thing as well, which didn't taste too bad hehe Overall, I had a really nice time there ^^
Though it is here that I realised I really need to brush up my Mando skills! I thought I was ok, but when the staff started talking to me, I needed them to repeat most of the time (sometimes I could only catch some words so I had to somehow guess what they were saying) because they were speaking somewhat fast for me to understand totally >.< But thankfully, still got by okay hehe
Some more Hello Kitty loveliness below:

Sitting area downstairs (I was upstairs) - I thought this had even more of a Hello Kitty feel haha

Cake selection at the front of the shop - see what I mean by EVERYTHING having Hello Kitty on them? XD

AND the lovely staff who let me take a photo with her...such a cute uniform hehe I like her shoes!

Second Stop: Wonton Noodle Soup (高雄五福鮮蝦扁食）


Yeah...I decided to eat more because I wanted something savoury...haha According to my guidebook, there was a recommended wonton noodle place really close to this Hello Kitty place anyway.  So I thought I might as well haha


Ssssooooo with my map-reading skills, I was on my way! To be honest, this is one of my favourite part of travelling.  Not really knowing where you are and all you have is your map and your skills in reading it.  Honestly, I'm not that good at it, but being in a different country it's like it doesn't matter where you go to, even if you make the wrong turn, you might just be hit with some sort of surprise along the way!  I actually made a few wrong turns trying to find this place (in the end I found out it was literally down the street....-___-"), but I'm actually glad I did because I got to observe the different buildings and people and shops...and absorb a little bit more of what Taiwan is like =) Loved it!


Anyway, after some time, finally ended up at the Noodle place! Might as well, got to walk off some of that tart I had not long ago haha

Apparently Jackie Chan (yeah, the actor haha) really loves this place!?

  I stopped to have a look, I don't know for some reason I always feel a bit awkward before I walk into a shop by myself haha But the owner lady welcomed me warmly and when she realised I could speak Canto, she burst into Canto haha I was pretty impressed!

I love this kinda food places, I feel like I'm at home or somewhere local hehe Love this kinda feeling!

I told her I just wanted the wonton noodle soup...but she recommended this vegie thingy that you dip into this special kind of mayonnaise (seriously to this day, I still don't know what they really are haha)

They actually tasted really nice! The vegie is super refreshing and very juicy...with a touch of sweetness that come from the mayonnaise-y sauce mmmmm

I nommed away as I wait for the wonton noodle to come hehe She was pretty quick, it really came in no time at all! (Thank goodness I got lost before...otherwise I might not have been able to eat any more... >.<)

This is Jackie Chan's favourite dish!

  I particularly loved the wrapping, it's so thin and just the right touch that compliments the meat on the inside.  This bowl is seriously made for every person who orders it to slowly enjoy each bite of the wontons.  Each bite allows the meat and the herbs in it to fill your mouth, topped off by the different texture that the wrapping gives.  Mmmmmm
Oooohh and see the tea on the side, it was some sort of herbal tea, totally the right mix with the wontons! No wonder Jackie Chan loves this place!


Third Stop: Mot Art Space


  Certainly have eaten enough by then haha! I really needed to walk everything off, to let my stomach digest, so I decided to find this art space/gallery that I've read about.  It was a hard find to be honest, not only because it was in a different part of 忠孝復興.  This gallery was located in this part of town where there's boutiques all along the side, so I got distracted a bit.  Along the way I saw this:

Yeah! Meet Fresh! Its origin haha

Anyway, I nearly missed the gallery because it really isn't obvious at all.  It also has another part of it which sells furnitures and stuff...so at first I thought it was in there...but thankfully I didn't walk in and realised it was actually located a few shops down! 

The gallery has a cafe attached to it, so after visiting an exhibition, people have the option to chill out a bit more hehe I love that!

The exhibition that was on was of this green dog, basically the artist based his ideas on Freud's theory of 'libido' (you can wiki it if you want to know what it is all about) and he wants to express all the difficulties/struggles of 'libido' through a green dog.  In the exhibition, there's a display of the dog with 36 different expressions and positions to express the struggles.  It was pretty interesting.  The girl there was so nice, she spent the time to explain to me the process of the art works, how the artists based it on his own dogs.  She also talked to me about my interests in art and things like that.  We were cut short though by people wanting to interview and take photo from this newspaper called Apple Daily (pretty big in Asia)!


I don't really have any pictures of the exhibition because we weren't allowed to take it...sorry! But if you are ever in Taiwan, it's worth going to this place, because you might find yourself in some crazy interesting exhibition that just make you go wow =D


Fourth Stop: Shilin Night Market （士林夜市）

I was still really full from the afternoon meal... but it was like...almost 8pm XD And I knew if I didn't eat a bit, I would be really hungry later on in the night and would not be able to sleep haha So I decided to go to the night market that night! I wasn't originally going to, but I guess that's the best thing about travel and travelling alone, you can make and change decisions at your liking and it'll be perfectly fine ^^

I took the subway to another area called 劍潭 (Jian Tan), after you get to that station, you pretty much follow the signs and you'll get to the night market! Easy!

As soon as you arrive at the station, there's a HUGE sign pointing you where to go.  Then there are signs along the way, so good!

  Though I had to walk through this white tunnel...for some reason there weren't that many people walking through the tunnel, so I was slightly freaked out haha BUT there were cameras situated all along it, so I guess I felt a bit better!?


  Once I arrived, it was packed with people! Even though by this time, a bit of rain was drizzling down, it didn't stop people from going there (didn't stop me either!).  Along the streets, there were clothing stalls, random merchandise stalls...and food stalls!

The street was buzzing with excitement and bounciness! Really missed and love this hehe

  
I browsed through the stalls a bit before heading heading down the streets of food! The part that I went to (there were a few parts that were infested with food... it's THAT huge!) had different types of food stalls all lined up on either side of you, so you can't help but swing your head around constantly trying to catch everything that they had to offer!  For example, you will see:

Pepper Biscuits

A selection of food that's cooked on the spot for you =D

Fried Milk ^^ (One of my favourites and I love the cow on the cart hehe)

Fried Stinky Tofu...hmmmmmm

The famous Rockmelon Milk!!!! YUM!

  It was such a shame that I was still so full from the afternoon, so I only managed to try a few things >.< I particularly liked the Pepper Biscuits, they pretty much made it on the spot for me and when they handed it to me, it was steaming hot.  When I bit into it, the meat was so juicy, topped with a pepper-ness that was just right! I loved loved loved just how steaming and juicy it was mmmmmmm

Yum yum yum yum yum!!! (Yeh..it's more like a bread than a biscuit, but I just translated it literally haha)

  
Another thing that amused me was they put everything in a plastic bag! I think it's because the street was pretty cramped so there wasn't much room to sit down, so to make it easy for people to eat, people just walk and eat from the plastic bag! It's not just here, it's everywhere! I guess this is one cool tradition of Taiwan!

Inside the bag are chopsticks and my stinky tofus! Hehe the feeling that I got from eating from the bag was pretty local, which made it awesome because I love immersing in the culture haha  Above the bag is my rockmelon milk ^^

  I really like the stinky tofu as well, the guy mixed it with some chilly sauce (love love chilly sauce!) and other spices that made it extra tasty! When you open the bag it's like really STINKY (which didn't surprise me, because even before seeing the stall I could smell the tofu haha), strangely enough though when you eat it, it has no stinkiness whatsoever to it but just pure yummy-ness! 


  The rockmelon tea was pretty cool too, especially since I thought Taiwan was mostly about their pearl milk teas hehe I realised they are actually pretty big on their milk as well and apparently this rockmelon milk is their pride and joy! It sounds so simple but I guess I've never seen it anywhere either! I liked it but I could use with a bit more of a rockmelon taste, I think it got a bit washed out by the milk haha


  I wanted to keep walking, because apparently there was a whole underground section as well! But I was too tired, literally wanting to just stop and fall asleep any moment haha So I thought it'd be best if I started heading back to the hotel.


  I still remember thinking that the day was just so surreal.  I was in Sydney not long ago, just that morning I was in HK and then suddenly I was in Taiwan up and about doing stuff! You know, even though I made the decision to go but deep down I had a lot of worries (because I guess I tend to be the paranoid type that imagine things could go horribly wrong).  With travelling, thing is, things can go wrong, you never know what will happen next really.  But that's one of the best parts.  Though the best part is because you are somewhere completely foreign, things might not go according to plan, so really the only thing you can do is rely on God.  I love that about this trip really, no one else really, just God and me.  Looking back and seeing the things that He allowed me to experience to see more of His grace that I don't deserve just amazed me! It taught me to trust Him and know that it's ok even when things don't go according to plan, He's there, so it's ok.  It's ok when things go slightly haywired, it might even lead to a better outcome in ways you never would've seen before.  AND the best of all, you know that it's Him doing all these and all you have to do really is relax and enjoy His presence and His work.  Enjoy His goodness.  Enjoy His grace.  Enjoy His love.  There were no other noises.


  Thank you God for that first day in Taiwan, just having that time with you, with no other noises =)

Close up

This is what it's like...to be next to the habour bridge and the opera house hehe.

Crazy yet beautiful idea!

Ooh now that I have blogger on
my phone, hopefully I will blog more frequently!

Today I did something crazy... I walked from Town Hall to Wynyard to get my netball Id rego'ed...then I decided that it was a good idea to walk across the harbour bridge with my heavy laptop on my back and completely exhausted from work...and oh what a great idea it was! ^^

Sydney sure is beautiful hehe

Malaysia ~ food Food FOOD edition =)

During the Xmas/New Year office shut-down period (yes, the company makes the employees take 3 weeks annual leave at the end of the year, otherwise known as the 'office shut-down period'), I decided to use my hard-earned money to cross the sea for 10 days and place myself outside of Australia, as I have dreamt many times during 2011.  And wow, what a trip it was! Full of crazy, funny, adventurous, sometimes peaceful, tiring yet every bit worth it moments!

There's just so so so much I can share with you, but then your eyes will go googly from reading about all the yays and woes during the trip - all the places we went, the people we met and of course, it's Asia, all the food we ate!

So I'm gonna start off (and perhaps will continue in a series) with a post listing the most salivating-worthy moments of food, which at the thought of even now, make my tongue tinge a little hehe

From Kuala Lumpur

Noodles mixed with sauce at Imbi Market.  Oh and THAT tea was AMAZING!

A selection of goodies from some lovely people we met at the market ^^

My first soursop juice - so very very refreshing!

This mango sticky rice at Jalan Alor was seriously something!

Yummy AND super-cheap banana and cheese roti mmmm will never look at Mamak the same way again >.<

BIG celebration meal at Petaling Street in Chinatown!

The famous Buk Kut Teh - a herbal essence. I quite liked it, though wasn't to my friend's taste >.< Nonetheless, it's a specialty!

From Penang

This city is famous for its endless types of food, which are usually sold by a particular stall owner who specialise in a particular type of food (and that's all they make!).  There was SO much I wanted to try, but my stomach wouldn't allow it *sigh*

Tek Tarik! The guy (behind the counter) made it with amazing skills!!!! It was like watching a show! And of course, it brought such sweetness to one's senses mmmmmm

Roti Tisu, so interesting how the roti itself didn't really have taste, BUT they poured condense milk all over it and it was just right ^^

Seriously the BEST Cendol I've ever had in my life! The taste still lingers in my memory... the guy pours the different syrup into the bowl with amazing speed! Also, I really liked the feeling of holding the bowl and just eating there with the other locals/tourists ^^ It's somewhere along Jalan Penang towards the intersection where there's a bridge...you can't miss it because there's a huge line (or crowd) just by the stall!

A selection of food from the famous Gurney Drive, where tourists and locals (mainly tourists) gather to buy from each stall.  The Char Kway Teoh there is a MUST try =D

Seriously though, if you're in Penang and you don't have much time, I reckon you should ditch Gurney Drive and head straight to Jalan McAllister, where you're SPOILT for choice for food along the entire road! AND THIS is where the locals go, not Gurney Drive! Trust me, everytime we mentioned Gurney to a Taxi Driver, they kinda just laugh...and immediately point us to Jalan McAllister (also known as 'Wai Sek Gai' - Gluttony Street).  Well, my friend and I made the mistake of going to Gurney first... so we didn't have time nor the stomach space to try that much at Jalan McAllister >.< Below are the two delicious specialties that I did manage to try haha

 

Poh Peah is a mixture of different vegies and contents wrapped in pastry, it has a very special taste that I love and can't get enough of!

Ah Pong is a pancake kinda food with banana on the inside.  You also get to choose to have a pandan base...such a great nibbly or dessert for after meal =D

These are not even all that we were able to try, I've only picked and chose some out of my favourites to tickle your fancy! AND the experience of eating it there on the streets (although can be dangerously fatal if you have a weak stomach....) is just priceless! I guess having good food doesn't just involve the mouth and stomach hehe

Work Adventure? Grafton the city of Jacarandas~

  What my job sometimes does is send us off to places we've never ever dreamt of going to otherwise, because it's like some ridiculously small town that we would never give second thoughts to.  At first, the thought of going...actually to be more precise...FLYING to these places are a bit unbelievable! It was only in October this year did I first experience my first flight domestically, but I was still on a reasonable sized plane... it wasn't until this week did I see a plane so small I actually wondered how we were all going to fit into it! And you know how usually at the airport, you just go through this tunnel thingy and wah la, you're on the plane? Well, with the smaller domestic planes, you have to board an airport shuttle where it takes you to a totally different area where all the smaller planes are! I was so amused! AND to top it all off, I've never seen a pilot so young (who looked probably just in his early 20s) I couldn't believe I was putting my life in his hands hahaha

So, where was work sending me off to? Grafton.

You are probably thinking: come again? As this was most of my friends' reactions... and personally I didn't know where it was either and had to googlemap it haha  It's a town pretty much situated on the border of NSW and Queensland... it sounds really deserted and far away.  Far away, yes, but this little town somehow took my breath away!

The plane we were on! It's actually pretty cute hehe

Grafton airport! Nothing like the major city ones...so cosy and extra friendly!

  Anyway, not to bore anyone with the work details...and in fact, it's been a pretty tiring and tough week... but the town gave off this vibe that just calms your heart and mind... it makes you feel very...peaceful.  After work, my workmates and I always took walks near our motel, wanting to absorb the sun as much as possible! And oh man, were we glad we all took the effort to stroll away and explore Grafton with the few hours of daylight we were given!

Park nearby...wait till you see the view...

...so amazing!

You can go...or roll down the slope haha

You can take a stroll along the water... there are some really pretty lamps, I think it can get quite...romantic hehe

   In another part of town is this particularly road...and who would've thought even a road could be this amazing:

These were HUGE HUGE HUGE trees!

This was called The Fig Tree Avenue! It felt so incredible standing in the middle of the road in between these two rows of huge fig trees! It almost felt like something from the movie.  You know what, one moment you can see this magnificent view...and if you turn around, you are confronted with another breath-taking view:

Overlooking the bridge! Just imagine sitting on the grass on a nice sunny afternoon...pondering...or reading...or just breathing in the fresh air...*happysigh*

  The hero of Grafton though was not any of these, but a particular type of plant...that's right! Jacaranda trees! There were hundreds of them just on the side walk...and as you drive down long roads, they look so absolutely amazing and beautiful...and if you have your windows opened, the scent just waft through the air and into your nose...mmmm

Argh...I didn't quite capture it...but as you can see, the jacaranda trees just go on...so pretty ^^

  According to the client that we were working with, in November, they blossom to their fullest and the petals get blown off by the wind...so the roads can sometimes be filled with purple-ness...so want to see it >.<  In November, there is also a Jacaranda festival...and it's like the biggest thing in town where everyone celebrates (apparently everyone just gathers in the town centre on a Thursday - forgetting about work and just party away hehe Sounds good to me!)

  Being in Grafton made me realise how rushed I've been as a city slicker, how my life is often filled with all these stresses, pressures, thoughts... and I really just don't know how to rest and slow down.  Maybe because the pace of everything is slower, there's no traffic, air seems to be fresher and there's just all these nature around me...I felt really at peace and relaxed (despite the fact that work was somewhat toiling during the week).  I could feel my heart beat slowed to a steadier and calmer pace and was just...calm.  It made me think...perhaps all these pressures/stresses are what I induce on myself...when there's so much more to life.  It seems like nowadays, I'm always re-evaluating what's important *sigh*

  Hmmm might blog about all the yummy food we ate as well in another post...for now I'll leave you with this image and hope it brings you a sense of calmness =)

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Lime Street ~ a secret place ;)

  I work in a job where it requires me to travel, sometimes it requires me to travel to the middle of nowhere... but sometimes, it might just bring inspirations! Though that kind of thought is something I wasn't too optimistic about...until the weekend! Somehow, I woke up pretty early (well, 9:30am...that's REALLY early for me on the weekend!) and the sun was shining, really didn't want to waste the day since weekends are SO precious!  But where to go WHERE TO GO??? I was even talking to a friend on Facebook about this...and suddenly it dawned on me!

  At this point, I must give many props and honorable mention to my friend JT for taking me there one lunchtime and sharing with me his strolling experiences.  If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to experience what I'm about to tell you guys! So a big thank you, JT =)

  So what is this place? Well, before I headed down to this 'secret' (which won't be so secret any more...) place, there was a place I must absolutely go to and stock up first!

Uh huh! Erskine Street in Wynyard! 

  There are SO many goodies along this street! Here's a few snaps of them =)

Yummy restaurants! I totally recommend Laksa King! It gets really busy during lunchtime on weekdays!

A series of food choices on the other side!

   But pick of the day (any day really!) HAS to be this one:


Central Baking Depot has to be one of the best bakeries in Sydney!



A wide and unique selection of bread, pastries and just yummy goodness! My favourite so far has to be the Orange Chocolate Cheesecake Brownie... mmmmmmm salivating in my memory hehe

Love the handwritten looking chalkboard at the top, gives it a homely and personal feel =)





You get to watch them make the bread too!!!



Love the interior - love the wooden round tables, gives the cafe a rustic yet homely feel <3

  I really really love this bakery/cafe! Apparently it's the sister-cafe of this big one called Bourke St, I'm making a mental note for myself to try! Not only are their pastries good, their coffee is quite a gem as well! And so, with a large mocha in my hand...I headed down to this secret place for some me and reflection time!

Walking along further down Erskine...crossing the road... can you kind of see where this is heading??? hehe

At night, this place is filled with party-goers, lighted up with people and music and just joyful sounds of fun and friends!

  This is indeed King St Wharf! Now, I've seen this side of King St Wharf many times, especially at night! But never have I ventured further down until that one lunch time with JT and GL...

Down the steps, peering through the trees...along the wharf is where I wanna be!



  As soon as you turn at the bottom of the steps, it clears out into one long strip of water and sunshine!

Love watching the boats and people by the wharf...but this isn't even the best yet! As you walk further along...

The wharf completely opens up to this bay walk! Now here's a fantastic view of water and perfect spot to absorb the sun!

  What I love love love about this place is that there's not that many people around...but it's not completely isolated either! So you feel like you're in touch with the world, yet you feel a sense of peace and away from the bustles of city life.  This is such a wonderful place to bring your book or your notepad or whatever you want to do to just chill and reflect on life while absorbing the much awaited for Vitamin D during the week!
  Another plus for me about this place is that you get to watch families stroll by with their kids... and maybe because of the serenity of the place as well, there's definitely a more than heart-felt warmth surging through me when I observe them hehe (ok...it's not supposed to sound stalkerish)

  So, I marked down my territory

settled down and began to enjoy every moment of it:

  =)


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