Taipei

After Hualien, Taipei was next on the itinerary. Oh taipei taipei taipei. After one massive poop dump of a train ride, I finally arrived. The train journey from hell consisted of someone taking my seat so I had to stand for the entire 5/6 hours, the train coming to a stand still for about an hour, my exposed laptop being eyed by the very threatening looking people I had to stand with (but I think they just didn't know what it was....), and being cursed by always everyone I blocked with my MASSIVE luggage. omgnap (oh my gosh, never again please)

So I finally got to my hostel (which was so nice zomgz), and craaaaashed. Travelling is so freaking tiring! I crashed until this girl storms into my dorm room. I needed to get up, and socialise. Urgh. So we chatted, but secretly at the back of my mind, I was just thinking about going back to bed. Until she asks, what are you doing now?! Lets go out! And I heard myself say, Okay! 

So out we went. 

Got greeted with this when we arrived at the MRT station. (ximending btw. yea yeaaaah!)

So we rudely interrupted by a huge crowd of people watching this tv just outside ximending station. And if was a video made of pictures and short clips, and it turned out to be someone proposing to 'the woman of his dreams'. TOO TIAN MI (SWEET), urrrrrrgh. 

That lucky woman. They released the balloons when she said yes too. omg. staph. grr.

But anyway, I had NO IDEA where this girl was bringing me. I just couldn't understand her! She was from china, and it was my first time I've had to converse with a china chinese person, and I was nervous! Their accents are so thick, I just couldn't even. So I had no idea, so all I was thinking was that she's gonna bring me to an alley way, her gang is gonna jump me, and I'm gonna get killed! 

But no, all these fears disappeared when we arrived at our destination. She brought me to a 24 hour bookshop, Eslite Bookstore! I was awesome!!! Like people were sprawled all over the floor reading at like 11pm! It was super super cool! And right down my alley. I ended up going again. hehe. This might sound naff and boring, but seriously, they have. so. many. books. O_O

Me with the (not murderous) girl I went out with! 

We made our way back to ximending and walked around and ate. lots. When we got back to the dorm something bizarre happened. The girl I went out with was chatting to her friend over the phone. And thinking I couldn't understand her (I don't know why she thought I couldn't understand chinese, WE WERE TALKING IN CHINESE THE WHOLE EVENING) she said to her male friend, I just went out with this half korean and half white girl! She's so nice and cute. We went to the book shop. {pause while her friend said something} She continues, hahaha! Okay, I will introduce you to her, all we have to do is to bring her to shanghai! {Pause} Hahaha! yeah! Half korean and half white, such a nice combination right?! 

I then went to bed thinking; half korean?! What?! Who? Whhhhy? I didn't even say anything about being korean!

Saw this sign by the lift the next morning. The first two bold words is shi zi (for the non chinese speakers) meaning Lion. And all I thought was OH FREAK, THERE ARE LIONS INVADING THIS BLOCK OF FLATS. 

This day, I wanted to explore ximending. But the thing about Taipei is, it becomes alive at night. Ximending is so dead in the mornoon (morning and afternoon). So I decided to visit Miramar! This awwwwwesome crazy shopping centre with a ferris wheel. But I only visited it because it was totally the shopping centre in 換換愛, omgomg, I am *ahem* crazy about Taiwanese dramas kay?

My dinner as big as my face. 

JI PAI SO FREAKING YUMMEH. 

Super cheap, fresh, juicy, crisp, huge jambu.

*Gaaaaaaaaaah*

Next day in dong qu (東區) area, I think. 

dong qu, AMAZEBALLS SHOPPING! And amazeballs happening too. 

EVEN BIGGER JAMBUS. omg I just saw! 

love love love!

After city night light views, I am a great sucker for really old, worn, dirty buildings. 

Made my way to Taipei 101! But didn't go up, cos the weather was deesgusting. 

Even their boris bikes equivalents are so cute! Taiwanese people seem to live with this mindset where, when you're doing something, since you're already doing it, just make it cute while you're at it. 

And I love it. 

Mcdonalds for lunch. I KNOW, I was in Taipei and everything. But they had red tea as one of the drinks! Cannotresistredtea. 

Went to Shilin night market after that. Night markets, the reason why Taiwan is so alive at night! 

Lights. gah. die.

Those crabs are vulgarly ripped open and dead. 

Grabbed some of these to nom. It was so cheap I gave them the price they asked for and waited for them to ask for more. 

Taiwanese doughnut. 

Muar chee. 

Got back to the dorm, and found yet another china chinese girl. And the first thing I heard her say to me was: Oh! You're the half korean half white girl! And apparently the owner of the hostel has been telling everybody that there's a 'half korean half white girl staying in the hostel.' Okay, fine. 

Not learning from my previous murder fears, I, again, agreed to go out with a girl I had just met. So the next day started early. 

Really quite bad noodles. :/

After some terrible breakfast, we made our way to Maokong Gondola! A 2.7 mile long cable car which took us too Taipei zoo, temples, etc etc. 

Waiting to get on! 

First five minutes of the ride consisted of us going omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg. Cos it was pretty freaky. 

My fellow adventurer for the day! 

My cousin looked at this picture and said: 'wow, you both look like you've known each other for a long time.' No no, just about, 2 hours...

This would be beautiful at night. 

Awkward.

Got off at the stop for the temple. 

Waow. 

Got to the temple was was swiftly asked my date of birth. and then swiftly brought to see my 'guardian angel' god. And then swiftly asked to pray to it. I politely refused. And the lady swiftly assumed I didn't understand chinese and asked my friend: What is she? Christian? 

THIS WAS SO SO GOOD. 

Back down on the ground again, this was our find for lunch. Lu rou fan! 

We trekked to the memorial hall, where we (tried to) watch the changing of the guards. So many peeps! 

All handsome handsome one! 

A beeeautiful museum. 

We were so knackered, and dead from our day's adventures we fell asleep in the museum. :O I was so disgusted with what we were doing that I draaaaged my sleeping friend to the cafe to soak ourselves in caffeine. 

Caffeine pumping in our veins, we went to Shida night market!! 

甜不辣! Our first on the menu. :) 

Stinkly tofu or 臭豆腐

I was stopping traffic okay! Because I was considered as a 'white person' there, people were gawping at the idea of a white person eating stinky tofu! The lady I ordered it from questioned my request. I was yum.

Ah zhong mian xian!

Theeeeeeeee most famous meesua in the world. And still so cheap. I don't geddit! It was so so so so so so so indescribable. It made pork intestines, which I usually retch at, taste totally heavenly! Dammmmmmmit. 

When we went back at night, there was a lady who had just checked in. We were chatting to her when we asked, so where are you from? And the lady says she's from korea. And my friend bursted with energy saying, SHE'S HALF KOREAN! And this korean lady said: I thought so! You know who you look like! You look like Jang geun suk! This is Jang Guen suk, here. I'm not gonna lie, I was happy to hear that. But it was so far fetched! The only similarity I have with him is the one single eyelid, one double eyelid eyes and the whiteness of our skin. I WISH I LOOKED LIKE JANG GEUN SUK. Yes, I was getting compared to a guy and I was still happy like I saw santa claus for the first time. 

The next day I had no itinerary planned, I didn't have to because I was meeting Aaron, who I met in Hualien. And having a local bring you round is the beeest! We went to Raohe night market, which is probably my favourite one! Selling snake blood, snake meat and so many other weeeird things. It was the most rugged night market I went to and had so many old fashion stuff. It was kewl. After that, I got to experience and watch a little of Taiwan's night life as we chilled in a cafe watching good looking people. 

Raohe Night Market!

Mahjong tables. So old-school! I like. 

Thanks for bringing me round Aaaaaaaron! 

The last day-emo day. :( I decided to stay around ximending and have a chilled day. This was also the day I was approached by an astonishingly good-looking guy as I was exiting my block. I had a hat on and my earphones in. He approached me and said something which I failed to hear because I had ear phones in. And for whatever reason, I think it was because of the shock of his good looks, instead of taking off my earphones I took off my hat and said, hmm? while staring at him wide eyed. At first he was like

Then he was like

 (softest and most understanding and kindest eyes evvvver. Like, oh, you silly girl) (Yez, ignore bear in background)

And pointed at his ears and gestured for me to take off my earphones. But I was so confused! Cos I thought I already HAD taken them off. So after some raised eyebrows and few more blinks from me, he reached over and had to take. my earphones. off. for. me! SO EMBARRASSING. The look of shock I had to my face when I saw him producing more earphones from my ears! Ahhhhhhhhhrhrhrhrhrh. I was so lost of words, all I could do was nod or shake my head when talking to him. URGH. Brb, digging a hole for me to go in.

Really

very

cool

graffiti

ever. 

So! That was my six-day take on Taipei! I favourite stop of Taiwan. I have, however, missed out a few spots like Wufenpu shopping district, which is maaaaasive. And I am so so looking forward to going there again in the near future (hopefully). I hope you enjoyed! And I hoped I have inspired you to get your butt to Taiwan! Go go go! 

Last meal in Taiwan, again, bowing my head in shame. 

Love you lots like jelly tots! xxx