Gals have hen nites. What do guys have?

Stag lunch! :)

We went to Tram car to get some shots (after makan). The theme was white top + jeans.

Then we headed to Starbucks for drinks. :)








The gals, looking good.






Us, with our drinks. Starbucks should seriously pay us for this. *lol*













Then, it ended up as couple shots :)










Of coz, I couldn't possibly miss out on the fun rite? :)




Can't wait for our next seesion. hehe. :)

I met up with my babes (and their hubby+bf) over the weekend. They had a post-birthday celebration for me, since I was away. We had dinner at My Elephant and as usual, the food is yummy there :) We managed to take some shots too. hehe.

Take #1



Take #2




Then we headed to Tropicana City Mall for coffee. This is where I got my Starbucks planner. Thanks for helping me with the grandes. hehe.

They surprised me with a birthday cake!! Seriously, I did not see it coming. haha.











Thanks all! *muaksssss* Love you!!

After talking about going to Taiwan forever, finally a few of us decided to go. It was in the right timing, as AirAsia opened flights to Taipei. We immediately went online, booked the tickets (close to RM600 for return) and waited. It was 6 months of wait before our trip. *lol* So, originally I was supposed to be the organizer but when I realized most of the sites were in Chinese, I let KC do all the plannning instead :) Thanks KC! He did a great job of mapping out our 10-days trip in detail.

So, how do I summarize my 10 days trip into 1 post? *hm* I'm still wondering, but let's go with the flow :)


Day1 - 9 Oct 09

Went to LCCT about 8am. Obviously some, were still not awake :p

Then we headed to the to the fly-infested Old Town to have breakfast. Before you know it, we were on our way to Taiwan. Being an almost 5-hours flight, it gets pretty boring after sleeping, listening to your iPod, solving the Sudoku puzzle (and even doing the Find the 10 differences in the mag) .. what do we do to entertain ourselves?



CHAT! hehe. We chatted via the e-chat (although we were sitting just next to each other) and discovered that vulgar words were censored. hehe.

And before we knew it, we have arrived!



So, how do we go to our 1st crib? We wandered about and found this. :) Freego (flying dog) bus! :)





This is how our crib looked like. A place called TaiwanMexx. (Owners were Taiwanese + Mexican) :)



Christmas + CNY came early huh? haha. At least it was clean and the owners were pretty nice.

After taking a short rest, freshening ourselves up, we headed to XiMenDing for dinner and shopping. This place is pretty cool as there are lots (A LOT) of shops and stuff to eat. They even had a row of bars for drinks.







We also had these yummy food!








After that, we headed back home for an early morning the next day.


Day 2 - 10 Oct 09

Woke up early next morning to have breakfast opposite where we stayed. The place looked authentic and what's better than a good ol' yummy breakfast to start our day?





It didn't help that the menu was in all Chinese, but the food was good! :)







Then we headed to Yangminshan via TRA and bus. We even had time to pose. hehe.



And after travelling really quite a distance, it was pouring when we reached! So, we got ourselves raincoat and walked around. We didn't get to see much as the winds were really strong and it was impossible to walk, even with the raincoats. I was so gangho to take a photo, eventhough it was raining.. I braved my camera (and friend, hehe) to get this shot as proof that we were there. ;p



After that we headed back and realized most of the shops were closed, because it was Taiwan's Independence Day. We saw something familiar and went right in :)




The BBQ chicken and seafood rice was nice :)




Then we headed to the National Palace Museum. It was free admission since it was TW's ID. :) *yay* Since we weren't allowed photos inside, we took outside. Haha.







Next stop: Fort St.Domingo





The guys



The gals



Then we went to Dansui - Valentine Bridge. It was beautiful, where we managed to capture the sunset.







We even managed a group photo, where I balanced my camera on a post which could result in my camera dropping into the sea. haha.



And the night view of the bridge



After that, we headed to Dansui town to get some snacks and where I tried my first ever smelly tofu!!





The taste was ok but the smell? *eeew* It lingered on in our clothes, our hair.... *arghs* So bad that everytime we pass by a shop selling these foul stuff the next time, we closed our noses and walked faster. Haha.

After taking a ferry back to mainland, we headed to the famous Shilin night market. We had some not very nice food there, the worst oh-zhien that I've ever tasted. It was drizzling and since I was too busy shopping, I didn't bother taking photos.



But if you want food, there are lots to choose from. Just remember, don't choose the oh-zhien!



Day 3 - 11 Oct 09

The next day, we rented a car and left Taipei.



Driving a car on the opposite side of the road was really an experience. I had to first not drive too right (they are left-hand drive cars), not mistake the signal for wipers, cut through the wrong side of the road and not bang into anything (or anyone). :)

Our first destination for the day was Window On China. We found out that Doraemon Land was also the same place. *happy happy* So, we got our tickets and we were ready! (Like kids. hehe)



Window on China is actually miniatures of popular buildings and landmarks around the world. Here are some to preview.



















And Doraemon Land :)







We had lunch there (yes, with our propellers stil on! :) )



Then we drove for quite a distance, almost 2 hours if not mistaken to Taichung. Thank God the place we stayed was lovely :) Take a look!





We were hungry, and it was raining, so we settled for the restaurant closest to us. We had a hakka dish, where you pick stuff and they mix it all in.



Then we went to their night market, for more eating and shopping :)









I even saw Spongebob patty crabbies (burgers)! :)





Day 4 - 12 Oct 09

Next on the list? JiJi. A superbly clear day with extremely blue skies. Jiji is a place famous for its bananas (hehe) and their train station.









As we drove to Sun Moon Lake, I saw a donut cloud! :)



At Sun Moon Lake.











Lunch. The food was just ok. Loved the vege though :)










And after lunch, we had a tea tasting session nearby. We drank so much our stomachs were so bloated!! Haha.



After Taichung, we headed to Chinjing. It's a mountain area, with windy roads and cold weather. Check out our nice room!





Nice rite? :) Dinner was served there, and it was good! :) Look at all the happy faces :)





Day 5 - 13 Oct 09

The nite before, everyone slept around 1130pm. We were supposed to wake at 5am for the sunrise, hence sleeping early. Around 11.58pm, WH tapped my leg to wake me. I thought it was already 5! When I woke, he said "Oh sorry. Nothing"

-.-"

So I "tried" to go back to sleep when he couldn't stop ringing up my phone!! I'm like "WH, why are you calling me for?" He kept denying it, and I had to put my phone on silent mode after that before Evie punched me on my face. Haha. Then, at 12am, they woke me up, singing "Happy birthday" :) Boy, was I surprised (and touched)!! Here are the photos from Alvon. :p







Thanks guys!! Love you! :)



So, at 5am (later that day), we finally woke to go see the sunrise. This is what it looked like.





And this is how I looked like at 5am. Haha.



Oh BTW, did I show you the view we had from our room? :)



So, after getting some sleep and breakfast, we proceeded to the sheep/goat farm at Chingjing. This is how the place looks like :) us, and the sheep and goats :)

















And then , we passed by this really nice place and decided to have lunch there. The food was ok, espc the baby shrimps :) and the view?? Gorgeous!!











After that, we headed nearby for hotsprings.



It wasn't really the natural rocky ones, but it was more like a swimming pool with massage facilities (jets that shot in the water) haha.

Thereafter,we made a call to the next hotel that we were supposed to go and the lady told us that we couldn't go there because the roads had been blocked due to landslides caused by the heavy rain. And the roads would be closed till our last day in TW. So, we decided to stay 1 more night in Chingjing.

We had dinner nearby and they treated me :) Thanks guys, again :)





And since we already checked out, we found another place for the night.





Day 6 - 14 Oct 09

This is how the place looked like in the morning :)



After eating some bread we bought at the nearby bakery, it was a long drive to Jioufen. Alvon and I had to take turns to drive and the coffee helped! :)



When we reached, it was drizzling and we found this place to stay. Forgot to take the inside, as I was too tired.



It was raining the whole time we were at Jioufen but we still braved the weather and went for a walk. They have lots of stalls there and stuff to eat :)







We had lunch nearby and I tried my 1st beef noodle in TW. It was ok :) Funny, how I couldn't really find beef noodles in TW. hmm...







Then we went and ate more!! ;p



Then it was rest rest before we headed back to Taipei for the rest of our trip.



Day 7 - 15 Oct 09

We stayed at the Traveller's Hostel the next day.



And since our plans were cut short, we decided to take the HSR to Kaoshiong to take a look. The tickets cost a bomb! Total spent is > RM200 for return tickets. Tip: Take after 7pm and you get 30% discount. :)

The HSR







Check out the prices of the tickets, in case you were wondering how much.



Kaoshiong is hot hot hot! I can't say there is much to see there... In summary? They are the water source for TW. They have a river called "Love River", a wind powered park, a tunnel used by the army before, a ship yard, a huge shopping mall, lots of temples and ... hm. That's about it.





















Nevertheless, we had fun. :)



And we headed back to Taipei.





Day 8 - 16 Oct 09



Good morning, Taiwan :)

We again, shifted hotels to Keymans Hotel, just 2 streets away from where we stayed. It's a nice comfy hotel.



After checking in, it was time to go to the famous Taipei 101. Here are some of the views from different angles :)

From a bus



From a bridge



And from ground level



We had lunch at Juru, thanks to Alvon's bro :) The place is inside Taipei 101. The food is good.



















If you would love to see the city from the highest view, you should go take the world's fastest lift up Taipei 101 to see.



After our trip to Taipei 101, we went to the Sun Yat Sen memorial. We didn't go in though, coz there was some awards ceremony there.





Then, it was time to shop! We took the TRA to Wu Fen Bu. It's a place full of wholesale shops and lots lots lots of clothes. To those who love to shop, you should spend more time here.



After buying a few things, we went back to Taipei.



Day 9 - 17 Oct 09

Next morning, we woke late and went shopping. :p



Then we went lunch at the famous Din Dai Fung. The food was good. :) Take a look at the selection of the baos we have.











Then at night we went to this Japanese BBQ, which G brought us too. I have the photos in my phone, which I had not uploaded .. but the food is nice. :) Ate a lot!!! :)



Day 10 - 18 Oct 09

The next day we went to this place, something like a big "Dataran Merdeka" :p









And we also saw the presidential office. :p




Then it was time to leave Taiwan, and head back home.



Goodbye Taiwan!

I was reading the news today and what captured me was the news of 4 UTAR students who went for a swim at a picnic spot and tragedy strucked. 3 of them died whilst the 4th rescued.

1 of the victims had a blog. (www.jameskhor.blogspot.com) He said he wanted to be someone extraordinary in the near future. And his blog header even had the words "Love life". I was reading his blog and he was very outgoing. He loved life. He had so much in store for him and now?

Life is really like a vapor. Did he know that the swim was going to be his last? If he did, would he do things differently?

Life is too fragile. An awakening for me too. I need to stop and re-think. Am I doing all I can with my life? Will I die knowing at least I had a good life?

May he and the other victims rest in peace. Condolences go out to their families.

I want to write my entire journal about Taiwan but I have yet to find a time to do so. After all, it is TEN days worth of story you know. :) So give me some time to write and to post the pics. For those who have me in FB, feel free to go there and take a look. If you don't, then I guess you will just have to wait. haha.

Happy Halloween and don't scare any kids tonight k? :)

Enjoy your weekend!

First it was numerous times of reformating. Now, my wireless LAN refuse to work.

So peeps, photos of my trip (and the endless stories) will be delayed.

Anyone can suggest a good laptop replacement? Somehow, mac is drawing me to it.

Today I went for lunch with some ex-colleagues at South City Plaza. They chose the place although it would only be my 2nd time there, because the place is so dead and boring. Since I (thought) I was late, I decided to park inside although outside is free parking. I parked near where I was eating.. Where about 20 other cars were parking.

After I finished my lunch, I came out only to find that my car and the car behind me got clamped! I went in to talk to the security and tried to find a reasoning. They said I parked illegally.

Pls understand that:
- there were no signs indicating that we could not park there.
- the car(s) in front of me did not get clamped

They said the tape broke. So is that my fault if they didn't indicate properly?
They said the car in front of me is Ok. What made it ok? It was the same area. Again, no signage.
They said I should be happy coz I got a $20 discount. I still had to pay $30 AND also my parking. I don't see why I should be happy.
I said that this is bad and it makes me not want to go there again. They said that's my problem and choice.

So I decided not to argue no more and just pay. In my opinion, the management did not know how to handle this well. They already have practically no customers. Now I know why.

If it was my fault, I would have gladly paid the full amount. But, it wasn't really.

So, no more. I ain't going to go there again.

*emo-fied to the max. Haha* :)

This just serves as a reminder to those who would still like to grace your presence at this mall. Yes, like what they said. It's your choice :)