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Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Randomness of the Day
Who the hell is 'Tan Ya Lun'? Some Taiwanese girl told me i look like him and i don even know who this fellow is... Must be a B-list artiste who only appear on their domestic bored-to-death channel...

101 Tips for a Wonderous Taipei Trip

This will work wonders for those who is alien to the country Taiwan and it's wonderful capital, Taipei.

Taiwan is one big islandic country so don expect its Taipei to be the size of Pasir Ris.... Set aside at least a week for a trip superficial enuff to allow u scrape thru few of their landmarks...
Take normal carrier and not budget... u WILL want ur reclining seats...
Find a hotel that is convenient... Mine, a 1-star hotel at the heart of their MAJOR shopping district, XiMenDing.. U will want MRT stations right at ur doorsteps.. How convenient was my hotel? Lets say there's a MRT station in 1 min reach, a 24hrs Carrefour, lots of bus stops coupled with many cabs parking by, at least FIVE shopping malls within my reach, tons of 'BugisStreet-esque' shops, lots of eatery and my fave, Dessert Shops...
Take their cabs at least once.. Why? Unlike Thailand's M&M-coloured cabs, taiwans cab differ in their models. They have Cefiro, Camry, Lexus, Wish, and any models u can think of.. It's like trying out cars before getting them. I took a S-Class and Camry. SWEET!
Weather.. watch the weather when u're there. Seasonal Climate which can start from 4 degrees to 28 degrees (still considerably cold compared to Singapore).. But when it's below 15, start getting Lip Balm and drink lots of water... U don want cracking lips...
Their tap water aren't potable.. So stop sipping onto their tap and wonder why it taste like 100-plus with tonic water.. Get mineral water and watch for their sodium content... their mineral water ain't realli MINERAL water... Most of the time, it's SODIUM-rich water...
FOOD! i think this is self-explanatory. Just eat wadever you can find... it's YUMMY alright.. whether restaurant, eatery or road-side stalls... Recommendations - 鲁肉饭, 粉圆冰, 蛤仔面线, 生煎包, 葱油饼, 霸王冰, 红油抄手, BIG BIG CHICKEN CUTLET from Shilin Market (realli Big), Din Tai Fung (that's where it originated... Try the Flagship stall at Xin Yi Road Taipei 106), Mister Donuts' Donuts (there's like at least 30 designs or rather flavours to choose from), and their bubble tea (i only like their green tea cuz it's realli cheap and sweet).
Since we're all about shopping in Taipei, why miss their malls and night markets? Go to XiMenDing and WuFenPu Night Market if u're those Bugis Street type of shopper (actualli Bugis Street realli suck, their shopping districts are at Topshops and Zara Level), and u need at least 2 days to finish the 2 areas. If you're da paragon or taka type of sweepers, try Taipei 101, any Eslite Malls, FE21 @ XiMenDing, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi (or 新光三越 in mandarin, it's their version of Suntec that costs more), Pacific Sogo (MUST GO! it's like a mini Japan... plus it's 11 storey high.. wadever Tangs! best of all, my fave attraction is there - their pretty lift assistant, who helps u to press the lift!)
Taipei Shopping is as surprising as it can get. They carry brands and stuff way cooler than Singapore and best of all, Singapore doesn't have it so if u buy it back to Singapore, You're pretty much a league of your own..
To other attractions, i bet Gena will suggest the Taipei Zoo which refer Puma as Mountain Lion. We went to Hualien's FarGlory Ocean Park, it was 'yea-alright'. It probably released my animal instinct on the pirate ship when i try imitating animals screaming (it's scary alright! it elevates to a 90 degrees flat at highest mark...) Other than that, the Ocean Park is just another scenic area with the perks of watching Sealion, Dolphins and Mermaid shows...
One other attraction i suggest would be their KTV... yea KTV at PartyWorld.. Check this -- What is K-Union at Cineleisure when u have a towering PartyWorld Headquarter at XiMenDing. Best of all their PartyWorld is just liked a hotel. Their rooms, probably double or even triple the size of a normal Kbox room and it excludes a washroom which comes with every room.
Stuffs that we missed out which we highly recommend, HOT SPRINGS! it's almost everywhere in taiwan.. just ask around.
Taiwanese are frenly ppl! they are realli helpful and their have realli demure culture. You will love their ppl to bits. Don be afraid to approach anyone of them for help.
Taiwanese have a fierce dress-sense. I assume they are 1.2 times richer than an average kid in Singapore because of that extra coat/jacket/cardigan/sweater/jumpsuit/boots/cap/hat they spot.. and they look like ppl who are either extremely free or wake up super early to style their hair... I look like a Pasat Boy when i stand amongst them. Girls are realli cute...
Speak in English and they think u're from Singapore, Speak in Broken Mandarin with inches of English and they think u're from Hong Kong, look like Gena and they'll think you're from Indonesia, look like me and they'll think you're from Hong Kong... wad's ur stand?

The remaining 86 tips takes about walking properly, Queuing up at the Mrt stations and other super minor stuff which i shan't explore futher with y'all.. Have a pleasant trip and BYE.

Flow With Me Biarch}