i went to the tallest building in the world!

Sunday: Sleep in til 10am (yes, anytime past 8am is considered as sleeping in). Lunch at downstairs noodles place. Octopus egg drop soup. Interesting. Ride subway—destination = Taipei 101, world’s tallest building until Burj Dubai is finished.

Taipei 101 stores=South Coast Plaza. @Tiffany’s. Girl nagging boyfriend to buy her a white gold necklace. What a sight hehe. Saw a Bang & Olufsen store. Dad wanted to go inside and see the $1000 phone I told him about. Ah, everything in the store is at least $500 and look like they belong at MoMA or at a cool artist’s loft in NYC. OnePage bookstore. Thousands of books—left side are English and right are Chinese. Sample sale on the 5th floor with crappy stuff. Elevator ride up to the 101th floor costs 400NT. Didn’t go on it because the view is 10x’s better at night. Across from Taipei 101 are 4 Japanese department stores, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi and a plaza called New York New York. I have no idea why it’s called that because there are no symbols of NYC. Poor Yorkie puppy homeless and has a walking problem. Heart shatters when I see people stopping to laugh at the dog :(:( Add to bucket list: start an animal rescue organization for homeless dogs from Asia or open some kind of animal shelter/sanctuary in Taiwan.

Thai food. Taiwanese people really know how to cook Thai food! Jiejie wanted to order the buffet (which what she says is that last time she ate here, she and 2 friends ate 15 dishes!), but dad said no because it’s too much food for dinner. I am guilty and a bad pescetarian. I ate beef. It came with the green curry and I could not resist. The meat was so tender and complemented the savory coconut. We also ordered shrimp egg pancake (probably not the correct name, but that’s what it looked like to me), shrimp salad that tasted like yum woon sen, and a vegetable dish. Sorry, didn’t take any pictures because we were starving and stuffed our faces as soon as the food arrived on our table.

*illumination - it is so bright in Taipei

vegetarian for the day

Saturday: On the subway to Gongguan—National Taiwan University district with Jojo. Oh wow, this girl is wearing a white [looks like wool] peacoat with black shorts. Uh hello, it’s fucking 92 degrees outside! Green tea iced tea at a copy cat KFC (called TKK Chicken). Too sweet. Finally Wenwen comes—Xiaomei Ahyi treats us to see Night at the Museum 2. Assigned seats. Ceiling has cool star constellation lights. Movie funnier/better than what I had expected. Surprised to see toilet covers in the bathroom. Shopping for ivory-colored leggings and headbands. Wanted this cute satin bow (not ostentatious) headband, but not made well. I just get a blush-colored braided skinny headband, and Jojo offers to pay. Sheesh a plastic headband is 360NT~$12. Ahyi sees a mustard yellow color cardi that has a built-in tunic and wants to buy it for me. Well, mustard is not really my color but it does look good with the top. Has a hole, so she gets a black one and a silver long necklace to pair with it. She wants to buy me hot pink leggings…!

Meet up with Dad at a huo guo (shabu shabu/hot pot) restaurant. Buffet style. First we choose type of meat, vegetarian, or seafood. Then go get additional items to add to our hot pot—mushroom, yuwan (fish ball), mochi (cooked mochi=no flavor and tastes like paper), lettuce, shrimp dumplings, etc. And then, there are the desserts—sweet mochi, sticky mochi, fruits, and ice cream!

Ride subway to see Ahjie (Dad’s younger brother, not blood-related). So far from subway station. Niiiiice apartment. Met two cousins for the first time. Peinong is 27, but she looks merely 20. Works in advertising as account exec.

10:30pm, walk to the park—it has a track. So many homeless dogs :( They all wear collars, but Dad says their previous owners dumped them at the park. Taiwan ought to really have some animal cruelty laws.

*the white balls = mochi

observations of culture differences & ocean

Friday: Observed today—the culture here is completely different than that in the US. Lifestyle, perspectives, fashion, etc. Good manners does not mean saying please and thank you or eating with your mouth closed (and not talking at the same time). Here, good manners only mean to respect your elders and greet your relatives by their proper name (Jojo=mother’s brother, Joma=mother’s sister-in-law, Ahyi=mother’s sister; Ahbei=dad’s older brother, Ahjie=Dad's younger brother, Ahjim=Dad's sister-in-law, Ahgou=dad’s sister, Ahma=dad’s mom…yeah it’s pretty complicated). Fart or belch as loud as you want and no one will turn around to see who did it. Push and shove your way through crowds without saying “excuse me”. Well, these Asians are overly critical and too honest haha. If you’re not a size 0 or 2, you are “fat.” Girls here are supermodel skinny. Any curves and you are considered chubby. I’ve been called “pang” (fat) by two aunts and have been told that I “you rourou” (have meat aka chubby) by salespeople and cousins. Yeah. To them, looking like Nicole Richie is good.

~One hour subway ride to Danshui—sea wharf town north of Taipei. Claustrophobic on the subway. Wenwen (my youngest cousin and only cousin close to my age) has grown so tall—taller than me!! Zuo chuan dao BaLi cool breeze. Choudofu everywhere – almost ate it because it was not as stinky as usual. Mmm mango/green tea ice cream—could have been a foot long like those super tall ice creams as posted in my fb pics, but I got the smaller size~6 inches! Eat ah-gei (tofu and egg white outside with dongfen inside and pepper) – the popular snack to eat in Danshui – and yuwan soup. Hot trend among teenage girls: black tights with short denim shorts and white chuck taylors)…yes even in 95 degree weather. Can’t. Understand. It. Ride a bike (for the first time in 9 years)—and ok, this was a two-person bike—along the coastline and held on for dear life. My hands had handle prints. So tiring. 4 miles later we had baobing (shaved ice), always refreshing in this hot hot weather. So Taiwanese teens have odd haircuts…and so do the dogs. A little white Scottie is hairless on his back but has hair on his tummy and short legs. Ride boat back to Danshui. More crowded than when we came. Ear deafening fireworks (“bianpao” ground fireworks).

Ah-gei

why, what a nice haircut you got there

4-day holiday

Thursday: I’m officially addicted to wheat thins--Dad brought 10 or so boxes of them to here. Today is zongzhijie. There is Mexican food in Taipei?? Weird. Subway was incredibly crowded because no school. Famous Red House Theater – the place to hang out for elitists back in the day. Xue Wang (Snow King – ice cream shop)… curry, carrot, tomato basil, pig feet, grape wine flavors. Fluffy pork? Very odd flavors. I had cinnamon, which wasn’t spicy at all—like the ice cream scooper said it was. One of the best ice creams I’ve ever had—not creamy, no artificial colors or flavors, and probably low fat.

Ximending = Harajuku of Taipei. Looks like Tokyo. Pop culture is very apparent. Trendy fashion stores, boba stands, and guys with ostentatious (odd) hairstyles overflow literally every corner.. Chuck Taylors, flashy patent black messenger bags that just about every guys here has, super skinny girls—mobs of azn teens traveling in packs. Wow I pretty much feel like a fat cow here in Taipei. All the clothes are made free size, but most don’t fit me well. I’m basically a size large here and considered as fat, grrreat. So, you can have foot-long ice cream cones here. Hilarious.
Who knew dried olives could be so tasty mmm. Sushi for lunch. Three different bowls of soup—one with ginger & clams, miso soup, and fish fin soup. Fish fin tastes like fish fat eek.


More pics here: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30424359&l=417f1bcc9a&id=1066950124

nice weather

Wednesday: weather is perfect today. Rainy but barely humid and slight breeze. Wish it could be like this everyday.On my lunch break.. So peaceful out here. I love anonymity sitting here with my black opaque sunglasses, enjoying the comfortable breeze, listening to other ppl’s convos, observing those walking by. I want to just enjoy this moment. Reflecting back on this past semester while listening to BOF soundtrack. I miss it. Cheng boshi gave me an article to translate--Chinese-->English. So hard. Nciku.com fails at helping me translate. Eyes hurt from staring at the comp for too long. Ximen = busiest district in Taipei. Traffic is extremely crazzzy.

“Ta de zhongwen hen qiguai..” 她的中文很奇怪 ([My] Chinese is strange.) Umm thanks? Dad told me it just means that I have an American accent when I speak...well yeah of course I'm going to have an accent--HELLO I'm not from here, and my parents have been in the US for 30+ years (and speak English to me for the matter)!! I am in Taiwan to improve my Chinese, and so far--I'd like to think--it is since it's strictly the only language I've been speaking, unless I talk to my dad hehe.

what is love

Tuesday: first day of internship. Soooo humid today. Sweated from head to toe. Unbearable heat I want to go back home! Walk through garden. Lily pads and pond behind museum. Wow museum is beautiful! What is love lecture by a famous Taiwanese professor. Cheng Boshi took me to eat Korean lunch. Dolsot bibimbap mmm. Not greasy like Koreana’s. college boys singing in the table next to ours. First day of rain. President’s (of Taiwan) house pretty red roof. Tour the museum. Gorgeous bamboo paintings. Buddhist stele and sculptures that are reminiscent of ancient Indian Buddhist art. History of coffee on the 2nd floor exhibition: old phonographs, spoons, radios, setting. Back home bc of rain. Trash trucks sound is Fur Elise hehe. May confuse foreigners as an ice cream truck!

fearless

Monday: so tired slept at 1am record time! Vegetarian lunch delicious! Very rare to find vegetarian food here. Sea salt iced coffee at 85c only $1.x!! So cheap here. Cashier looks like girl from Coffee Prince—yea androgynous. Buy youyouka. Subway so clean and well air-conditioned. New Sogo in Tianmu. 8 floors. Everything so freaking expensive! Coach sunnies for $9300+20% (~$300+). Cute French tunics, but I can find something similar at zara. Pretty view at top. Chichi sushi restaurant. Enjoy douhua. Next Longshan Temple. Tourists and waiguo ren. Pics came out overexposed. I buy Dad pig feet (yummy!) and early night market. My feet are sore I’d like a foot massage. Rose iced tea sour. Rode bus to see the city better. Sunglasses store made my first designer purchase (exc. Vintage designer): Vera Wang sunglasses.. 6500NT - Dad haggled down from 7500 (but orig. 9850NT).


view from 8th floor @ SOGO

we are family

Sunday: birds chirp at 5am. I’m awake. Short call with Adeleh she wants fake Hermes belt. Ahbei, Dad’s 4th brother out of 7—brother by blood, takes us to see Ahma (grandma). She can’t remember her two sons because she has too many memories—98 years. She can still see, hear, and speak though. Zhunyi pond again. Ahbei has a vacation house there that’s unfurnished and dusty. Pretty view from the windows. Sweet lychee and teeny cold banana. Shabu shabu for lunch. LV Damier patterned chairs-Adeleh would so appreciate! Way too much food. Refreshing passion fruit green tea. Dessert = jelly and really, really good ice cream can’t figure out the flavor though.. Bye Chiayi! Train back to Banciao. Dad reading book called “Secret Bible to Luck & Happiness” go figure.

epiphany

Saturday: Jiegong (Dad’s uncle—the 11th and last living) takes us to the seashore. He’s 88 years young and can drive! Yay I have a long life ahead of me. The sea is pretty. Hot hot hot. Baobing = huge relief, choudofu = GAG! Fish market – lots of stations each with nagging salespeople claiming their catch is the best = what Asians do best. Mmm seafood feast: oyster, clams (2), fresh cold shrimp, sea cucumber, sashimi… Picture time. Fish guts everywhere. Eel wine…interesting tastes like Chinese medicine. Dad grew up in a traditional Chinese courtyard house – hmmm nice childhood! Apparently he was treated like a king growing up because he was the only boy. Hmpf explains his character. Jiegong’s house: unstable ladder to 2nd floor outside. He looks a lot like grandpa in the pic hanging in our dining room. Super sapua! Taiwan’s pineapples>US pineapples my tongue doesn’t sting at all! Turns out there are more artists in my family than I thought! One cousin (jiegong’s grandson) is a graphic designer, one uncle (Dad’s “brother”/cousin) paints and showcases art at the National Palace Museum!! Beautiful watercolors and traditional Chinese inkpaintings. I wish they’d speak Mandarin so I could understand what they say about their childhood.

jetlag = not fun

Friday: 5:30am someone is in shower…to wake me up?? Awake at 6am wow.
Breakfast. Drive to downtown to street market. Fish are “sleeping” is what I tell Celine (grandniece #1) when she asks about the dead fish in the tank. Fish for lunch and xifan. Leave for Chiayi. Tiny boba/grass jelly drink for the road. Lily pads along the road. Zhunri pond – Nianhuazi? Dry land and water level is lower than usual-->drought. Dongsan coffee house = where most indie Taiwanese coffee shops and 85c get their beans.
Hello Chiayi—where Dad grew up. Chiayi marks 23.5 degree of earth’s latitude. Spaceship-like building. Four monuments representing this.
Evening walk to food court in town. Chinese seafood omelet/crepe. Tastes what I had imagined. Mmm.

hello taiwan

thursday - arrive at 5:38am Taoyuan int'l airport. wait for bus.
Banciao: lug my two 50-pounder suitcases in sauna weather for what it feels like forever. 85c!!! bitter grapefruit green tea. cute dog riding on motorcycle. cookie and kibble would not like that. 50-lb suitcases up 4 steep flights of stairs. i'm soaked in sweat gross. chose nap over a 5-star Italian lunch with dr. wang. bullet train 296km/hr ~ 180mi/hr. lots of gongchang and yellow-green fields. arrive in chiayi after 1.5 hour ride. chic black car. quick drive to Tainan. Ooo a modern house. sleeping baby--my grandniece! home-cooked chinese dinner mmm. walk outside apres dinner. puppy shop!!! 7:30pm so sleepy. cold shower. kerastase 1000ml shampoo bottle, must've been maybe $100. pass out at 8pm.