Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Taiwan Day 4 - Free and Easy
6/12/06
I suggested taking a break from adventures today and relaxing. We headed for Ba Fang for our favourite guotie... It's only$0.20 a piece, you know? Good deal leh... And it's so good! You can trust me on that! *grin*
We were both tired and when YP waved the idea of returning to the hotel for a siesta in front of me. It was tempting, so we split. She headed for Ximending. But I changed my mind and headed to Taipei City Hall instead. I felt the cool cool wind and took comfort in it, even though there was a slight drizzle. Even Taipei 101 felt the effects! (It's the tallest building in Taiwan.) Look! It's as if it has only been constructed halfway, or that the top part has been burnt away! *touchwood*
I wanted to walk opposite the street from the station the last time, but didn't. So since I had the time, I went to explore. It was a fun experience. It turned out that there were many xiao3 chi1 stalls there, selling all sorts of food, from fusion to English afternoon tea places to beef noodles to shui3 jian1 bao1 to goose meat to Vietnamese. As i walked on and soaked in the atmosphere of it all as scooters and cars whizzed past me, I realised this was what I liked about travelling. The non-tourists places, the ones you just happen to stumble upon, the places which locals frequent, covering as many miles as possible into the unknown....
The one tangible reward I got from the gallivanting was a mixed mushroom pancake. I had bio-ed at t when I walked past it, and decided that I would try it out on my way back. It's like the guo-tie skin which was pan-fried, but it had a pocket-full of all kinds of mushrooms! Oh gosh! I was elated! It was incredibly mouthwatering!! Since I wanted a photo and not want people to deem me insane, I hid in a park and took a self-portrait. Hee.
Next stop was Sin Guang San Yue the shopping mall. I took a break and bought a red bean vampire-looking (cos it's white) muachi bread to sit at the classy food court for a rest. Heh.
As I was studying Lonely Planet for newer pastures, Linsen N Road sounded attractive as it is supposedly populated with Japanese stores. I took a train to Shandao Temple and started navigating my way around. I stumbled upon a roadside muachi stall, and so decided to try it. Indulgence in gastronomical tourism. Hee.
It's quite cool. He has a gigantic ball of muachi, which he makes tiny balls off. Next he cuts a slit into the tiny ball and stuffs sesame and sugar mixture into it. Finally he rolls it in peanut and sugar mixture, and sells them individually. Interesting.
And that's me tasting the muachi in my hotel room. A self-portrait. Hee.
As I walked on, I took in the sights, the sounds... all of it. Can you imagine a satisfied smile on my face with every step I take, every corner I turn, every shop I see? It was really an eye-opener and a satisfaction to just wander around. *Grin*
A huge building at a junction...
Silhouette of the road near where we stay...
A night market specialising in take-away food (veg rice) which I stumbled upon cos I had followed the locals and turned into some ulu-ated street which led into a dark alley, not knowing where it would lead me to. This discovery made me grin from ear to ear! The process mattered too lah...
It was too short a distance for me, even though I had covered a couple of streets. So I decided to navigate to Ximending, where I was to meet YP for dinner. You know, the whole experience gave me the high and the hype! I think that's why I love travelling alone at times... the adventure, the freedom...
A fruits market beckoned me. They looked so fresh! I wanted to take photos but was paranoid after someone said i "mei2 li3 mao4" (no manners), so I resorted to paparazzi. Hmm... you would want to know that that can never be my hobby, nor can I become a professional at it. It was dinner time then... so all the locals were streaming the streets searching for their favourite food. My my... the variety of food! From bento shops to lu3 wei4 (somewhat similar to yong tau fu) to bian4 dang1 (packet food) stalls.... It made my tummy yearn for some chomping even though I wasn't hungry!
Ximending. The shopping haven in Taipei.
I have to comment that the fashion industry in Taipei is really quite vibrant. Even though I'm not a shopaholic, I guess one can be transformed into one at Ximending! There's really a whole variety of stuff! Nice place to hang out if you have the money, or just interested in window-shopping or people-shopping.
It's easy to tell a Singaporean from a Taiwanese through generalization. A Taiwanese would be rather well-dressed, but a typical Singaporean would turn up in a T-shirt, berms and slippers. Hee.
Bibimbap was on the menu for dinner. Did you know that it's called ban4 fan4? Well, I didn't, but now I do. And so do you! =)
And that's me in the toilet, trying to be funny. Hee.
I felt cannibalistic, so i chomped on 2 duckie webs. (Hopefully they aren't even acquaintances or 3rd degree friends!)
This was followed by a pao4 pao4 cha2... I mean, being in Taiwan, you just have to drink that right? it's like their national drink! You can find joints selling bubble tea like EVERYWHERE you go! Well, I filled my camera casing with tea as i was posing for this shot. I didn't know my camera casing was THAT thirsty!!
And we finally ended the day in our cosy hotel room which was made romantic by this fine beach picture plastered just above our bed. Create atmosphere ah?? Heh. Shall talk about my INTERESTING room in another entry.
I suggested taking a break from adventures today and relaxing. We headed for Ba Fang for our favourite guotie... It's only$0.20 a piece, you know? Good deal leh... And it's so good! You can trust me on that! *grin*
We were both tired and when YP waved the idea of returning to the hotel for a siesta in front of me. It was tempting, so we split. She headed for Ximending. But I changed my mind and headed to Taipei City Hall instead. I felt the cool cool wind and took comfort in it, even though there was a slight drizzle. Even Taipei 101 felt the effects! (It's the tallest building in Taiwan.) Look! It's as if it has only been constructed halfway, or that the top part has been burnt away! *touchwood*
I wanted to walk opposite the street from the station the last time, but didn't. So since I had the time, I went to explore. It was a fun experience. It turned out that there were many xiao3 chi1 stalls there, selling all sorts of food, from fusion to English afternoon tea places to beef noodles to shui3 jian1 bao1 to goose meat to Vietnamese. As i walked on and soaked in the atmosphere of it all as scooters and cars whizzed past me, I realised this was what I liked about travelling. The non-tourists places, the ones you just happen to stumble upon, the places which locals frequent, covering as many miles as possible into the unknown....
The one tangible reward I got from the gallivanting was a mixed mushroom pancake. I had bio-ed at t when I walked past it, and decided that I would try it out on my way back. It's like the guo-tie skin which was pan-fried, but it had a pocket-full of all kinds of mushrooms! Oh gosh! I was elated! It was incredibly mouthwatering!! Since I wanted a photo and not want people to deem me insane, I hid in a park and took a self-portrait. Hee.
Next stop was Sin Guang San Yue the shopping mall. I took a break and bought a red bean vampire-looking (cos it's white) muachi bread to sit at the classy food court for a rest. Heh.
As I was studying Lonely Planet for newer pastures, Linsen N Road sounded attractive as it is supposedly populated with Japanese stores. I took a train to Shandao Temple and started navigating my way around. I stumbled upon a roadside muachi stall, and so decided to try it. Indulgence in gastronomical tourism. Hee.
It's quite cool. He has a gigantic ball of muachi, which he makes tiny balls off. Next he cuts a slit into the tiny ball and stuffs sesame and sugar mixture into it. Finally he rolls it in peanut and sugar mixture, and sells them individually. Interesting.
And that's me tasting the muachi in my hotel room. A self-portrait. Hee.
As I walked on, I took in the sights, the sounds... all of it. Can you imagine a satisfied smile on my face with every step I take, every corner I turn, every shop I see? It was really an eye-opener and a satisfaction to just wander around. *Grin*
A huge building at a junction...
Silhouette of the road near where we stay...
A night market specialising in take-away food (veg rice) which I stumbled upon cos I had followed the locals and turned into some ulu-ated street which led into a dark alley, not knowing where it would lead me to. This discovery made me grin from ear to ear! The process mattered too lah...
It was too short a distance for me, even though I had covered a couple of streets. So I decided to navigate to Ximending, where I was to meet YP for dinner. You know, the whole experience gave me the high and the hype! I think that's why I love travelling alone at times... the adventure, the freedom...
A fruits market beckoned me. They looked so fresh! I wanted to take photos but was paranoid after someone said i "mei2 li3 mao4" (no manners), so I resorted to paparazzi. Hmm... you would want to know that that can never be my hobby, nor can I become a professional at it. It was dinner time then... so all the locals were streaming the streets searching for their favourite food. My my... the variety of food! From bento shops to lu3 wei4 (somewhat similar to yong tau fu) to bian4 dang1 (packet food) stalls.... It made my tummy yearn for some chomping even though I wasn't hungry!
Ximending. The shopping haven in Taipei.
I have to comment that the fashion industry in Taipei is really quite vibrant. Even though I'm not a shopaholic, I guess one can be transformed into one at Ximending! There's really a whole variety of stuff! Nice place to hang out if you have the money, or just interested in window-shopping or people-shopping.
It's easy to tell a Singaporean from a Taiwanese through generalization. A Taiwanese would be rather well-dressed, but a typical Singaporean would turn up in a T-shirt, berms and slippers. Hee.
Bibimbap was on the menu for dinner. Did you know that it's called ban4 fan4? Well, I didn't, but now I do. And so do you! =)
And that's me in the toilet, trying to be funny. Hee.
I felt cannibalistic, so i chomped on 2 duckie webs. (Hopefully they aren't even acquaintances or 3rd degree friends!)
This was followed by a pao4 pao4 cha2... I mean, being in Taiwan, you just have to drink that right? it's like their national drink! You can find joints selling bubble tea like EVERYWHERE you go! Well, I filled my camera casing with tea as i was posing for this shot. I didn't know my camera casing was THAT thirsty!!
And we finally ended the day in our cosy hotel room which was made romantic by this fine beach picture plastered just above our bed. Create atmosphere ah?? Heh. Shall talk about my INTERESTING room in another entry.
# posted by Banana Saviour @ 11:33 PM 
