Taiwan trip 2017

  Dear jumjum...

  As the destination everyone seems to have visited and loved, and as YP's preferred place to relocate to, Taiwan has been on my to-go list for a few years now. I finally made it happen a month into my summer holiday with three of the iGEM fossils. I am so grateful for all the thought and planning Chloe did, as I was rotting away in extensive holiday laziness. She was also the most prepared person on the trip, with extra cash, plastic bags, and power socket converters to save the day. We were there for seven days and seven nights. My phone's camera decided to go on strike right before the trip, so I brought my brother's DSLR and attempted (and failed, most of the time) to take nice pictures. Please do not comment on the pictures with varying degrees of brightness :) As the trip went on, I also took less and less pictures :)

  On our first day we took the train to 青桐、平溪、十份、九份。The sights were beautiful, especially at 十份 and 九份 。I got to release my first sky lantern amidst throngs of people doing the same. It was late evening when we arrived at 九份, and most shops were closed. It was a fascinating place with little alleys and lanterns aplenty, and if I ever had the chance, I would definitely return to 九份 for a thorough visit.

It took me several tries to take the name of this place, as it was flashing. So cute!

 The nice bike paths along the river reminded me so much of biking last summer in NY along the island banks.

淡水

Interesting dessert place in Ximen which had scrawls over every available surface, including the ceilings.

  For our one night in Yilan, we home-stayed with this couple who had a frog obsession. The only frogs they didn't have were live frogs! The hostess was super friendly and talkative, she had maps of Yilan on her wall and gave us a 20 minute lecture on what there was to eat and see. 

 There are many beautiful parks to visit around Yilan, but we only managed two. We also visited a whiskey distillery, which was what Eric was looking forward to the most ;)

Edward and his modelling

  On our way from the first park to the second, I thought we would walk to the main road and hail a taxi. It quickly became clear that this was impossible, as the "main road" was a mini highway running through plantation fields lined with large houses and farms. We were forced to walk to the second park which was half an hour away. Although I enjoyed the view and the breeze and was quite amused by our detour, I think my friends and their tired legs were prepared to murder me. 

  We visited three night markets throughout the trip, and my favourite has to be the one in Luodong, because of its food variety and liveliness. I was looking forward to Shilin but it was raining that night, and the range of food seemed limited.

  My favourite food in Taiwan is, hands down, 卤肉饭。Needless to mention, the milk teas I had there were the best. I was also obsessed with this traditional dessert at a franchise called 小南门. I made this serendipitous discovery on the 6th day, while shopping around Xinyi area. I was lunching late at a food court, when the cashier recommended that I add on dessert for a few more bucks. It was glorious. The tauhu had perfect consistency and taste, with soft boiled peanuts and two other chewy things I cannot identify. I returned to take out round two that same night, and returned the next day for tea. 

  One of the best parts of the trip was the companionship and the unfiltered camaraderie. We played the most epic game of guessing movies using a single phrase which does not include any words from the movie title, which lasted several hours. We spent our nights playing cards and endless rounds of Fun Run 2 (thanks Zac) in the hostel room. The alcoholics ensured we had drinks every other night, and we also tried to be fancy and had wine and cheese once. On the last night, everyone was reluctant to go to bed and we were up until 4am, learning to play German bridge. I had to set 10 alarms to make sure that I could get up at 7am for church before my flight the next day. 

  The only downside to the trip was the weather. It was either too hot or pouring rain, and we returned to the hostel with shoes soaked through with rainwater one too many times. I also felt like I was back in HK, with my three HK companions and countless other Hongkongers speaking in Cantonese around me. Hoping to return soon with my family, preferably not in the summertime!

*atm*

Dad in HK 2015

Dear jumjum...

Dad was in HK again the past week for a meeting. It was the perfect time for him to come, since there were two public holidays anyway and midterm madness has yet to begin. 

When he first arrived on Monday, we had lunch with his colleagues, walked around Festival Walk (probably dad's favourite mall in HK), then we came back to campus to drop off the stuff mum got for me. Mum's care packages always come plus-sized- we had to drag it all in a small cabin bag. Dad insisted on transporting it all the way to my dorm for his little princess. =)  We then had an awesome zhu chah dinner at ‎坑口村, where I must bring Crazy Cat and Patricia to one day, seeing as the only chinese food they've had is campus food which is far from decent!

I went to stay with dad at my aunt's on Thursday, and in all my hurry-scurry, I left my aunt's house key behind and only realised it when I was already on the train. =.= It was kind of embarrassing to call my dad and tell him what happened and that I was going to be super late. We then spent the following three days alternating between walking and eating. I don't think I've explored HK this much since my first year and I made dad walk so much that his calves were aching =D 


Dad was stoked to chance upon Joe Bananas, a bar he used to go to with his old boss 15 years ago. Other than stuffing our mouths with food, we went drinking, played pool, sat on a park bench and watched some teenagers play basketball, and watched the new Transporters movie. On the last day we were feeling cultural so we went to the heritage museum and walked through a park. Oh, dad also got to experience his first typhoon.

I'm glad that dad got to meet my HK friends (of whom I talk about a lot to my family) over a dim sum breakfast. We also attended mass at the tiny old church that I usually go to. Dad and I got to talk a lot, and I finally got the complete story of how he started out as a seminarian, then sold cell phones, worked in a bank, worked in warehousing apparel and finally ended up selling shoes! On the last night, we were chilling and talking at a restaurant-bar where there was some live singing. Dad requested a song, then made me go up there to sing! =.= I'm such a pushover. But then again, I wasn't going to defy orders from the one paying the bills to keep me alive and educated! xD 

It has been a blissful three days where I got absolutely no work done, and now I'm so reluctant to get back into the grind...gahhhhhh

*atm*

Crap I'm 21.

Dear jumjum...

I've never had a birthday party, because I've been shy and wanted to avoid being the center of attention. However, as a young girl I've always envisioned celebrating my 21st with a grand birthday bash. I even had this red dress that I kept in my closet since I was 11 (I think it's a hand-me-down from my aunt), which I wanted to wear when I turn 21. It was a BIG deal to me.

It never occurred to me that my 21st would in fact be spent away from home, away from my family and the friends I grew up with. Anyway, I told my HK friends that I wanted to organise my own dinner (a party still does not seem to appeal to me), and that I wanted it to be fancier than usual. Booking a place turned out to be super stressful, because most restaurants have a 'minimum spending per head' rule if you want to reserve for a party over 10. And well, we're students- I know for a fact some of my friends will not be willing to spend so much on a dinner. And so we ended up in a place less classy than I wanted, but I had much more fun than I anticipated! =)

I did not wear the red dress. In hindsight, it actually looks too...matured on me. I wore this one which I bought in Thailand in 2012 but never had the guts to wear (never wore a strapless before). Ironically, it's from Forever 21.

With the kids

                                            The Jji jjis

                                               Malaysianssss


iGEMers


Ah yes, I neglected to mention that we had dinner the night before my birthday for convenience since it was a Sunday. I also told the girls not to get me anything because there really isn't anything I want/need. However I did get a box of assorted chocolates from Ele (with instructions that it is supposed to last me the whole semester; I am tempted everyday to finish the whole lot), chocolate cookies from my son Erica (more food!!), the daintiest little necklace and bracelet from the iGEMers, and a lavender-scent reed diffuser from the Malaysian guys (every time I walk into my dorm now it's like a whole new world...).

Oh and my sibwings also got me a necklace, delivered by my visiting aunt. So proud because Val told me that Zac actually gave his input and opinion in choosing it! (He is usually in his own world and is passive on such things)

I was lucky that computer lab was cancelled on my birthday, so I went out to spend some time by myself. I went to...Forever 21. Heh heh. Only because it is usually so packed and crazy busy, so Monday afternoon was a golden opportunity for stress-free shopping! As customary after F21, I crossed the street to have my frozen yoghurt and explored Causeway Bay.

Ele, HJ and I overdosed on sushi for dinner aaand we went for the weekly iGEM general meeting; because somehow Mondays just aren't complete without it!

Again, I am super grateful for the people and the blessings in my life, as I am every year and I really do mean it every year. I'm one lucky duck who had two birthday cakes and I know it =)

*atm*