Monday, December 22, 2008

Taiwan 2008

I have always wondered what the real Shilin Taiwan XXL Crispy Chicken taste like. Now I know!!!

A month ago, I visited the country of Jacky Wu, numerous mountains, and the famous Ah Li Shan. Here's a pictorial summary:


Lover's Bridge from the famous Meteor Shower. So many people how to love love?!



Sotong at Dan Shui Lao Jie. Super nice! Fresh from the sea and popped into a pot of boiling water! Yum!



Spent a night here, Taoyuan Tessa Resort. We were the only people I saw. I wonder how they make money.



Yeliu's funny rocks. 'Yeliu' derived from the Japanese words which means 'weird-looking stones'. There is supposed to be an elephant here.



Spot the giant clog?



We went to Jiufen for lunch. Jiufen was once a gold-mining town and was occupied by the Japanese during war. Hence, the Japanese influence in architecture. This is a typical Taiwanese meal with noodles, fishballs, and stewed pork rice.



The results of typhoon.



We bought these sweet potato tempura in Jiufen. Very nice even when cold!



At night at Shangri-la Leisure Farm. It wasn't that cold but I want to wear all the wintery stuff I brought!



Amos's wishes for the Kong Ming Deng (Heavenly Lantern). So cute right! He's 5 by the way.



Amos made the breadman for me.



Marble formation in Hualien. Do you see a face?



One of the best instant noodle! Not that cheap though, about S$2.50.



Many motorcycles in Taiwan, otherwise known as "ji che". There even have designated areas for them!



There were two toilets in 1 cubicle! Exact same size so it's not for parent and child. Two girlfriends talking about their purchases over peeing? There's not much to buy in Taiwan. But certain cosmetics brands in their department stores are cheaper than in Singapore. A Kose set for example will cost around $120 in Singapore but is only selling at $65 there. Woohoo!!



Sanrio Ferris Wheel in Dream Mall, Kaoshiung.



We tried the Taiwanese noodles at the night market. Taiwan has many night markets, usually opened till 2am. Everything is in very small portions!



Jianfushan Amusement Park at night. Beautiful but essentially for kids only.



The scenic Sun Moon Lake.



The cable car at Jiu Zu, an abbreviated version of all the tribes in Taiwan.



Betel nut! You should try this when you're there! Pretty interesting.



So, chew the nut for 1 minute without swallowing. Spit out your saliva and continue chewing. Some interesting reaction will happen.



I put this on Amos's plate and it toppled. He said his butt had fallen. So I made a butt completed with shit for him.



Taipei 101. Full of branded goods and officially the coldest day of the trip!



Change of guards at 'Freedom Square' (literally and, most probably, wrongly translated from 自由广场)



Night market at Taipei, near the hotel. We stayed at Imperial Hotel, which is quite good but small.



There are 4,000 7-11 in Taiwan. The 4,000th outlet is on Ah Li Shan. So, do not be like my brother and use 7-11 as a landmark. Not going to work. :)



Don't forget Ximending! Full of young people and clothes selling the same things! Oh yes! You can bargain when you shop in Taiwan. :))))


Many of my friends like Taiwanese food. For me, I found many of its dishes are deep-fried, which I am not exactly a fan of. Shopping-wise, there's little to buy, probably because their trends are quite different from Singapore's. Nevertheless, looking at the scenic mountains, enjoying the cool weather, and really, just the company of your family more than make up for any shortfall. :D

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Sparry sparry spa

Went to a spa recently. Saw that there are packages for couples. Funnily, this is what we are asked to change into at the spa...

How's that for sexy eh?

My spa started with a little scrub a scrub. I prefer scrub to massage because you feel the effects of a good scrub immediately!

"Die you dead skin cells die!"

I did the mineral salt scrub which supposedly helps to break down fatty deposits and allows you to detox. Should have weigh myself before and after the scrub to test this hor... Anyway, the poo did have some floaty bits, possibly 'fats'??? I wish!

The 30 min scrub was followed by an hour massage. I've been to a couple of spas and I think a good spa is one where the attention is paid to the customer DURING the treatment. In one, the good lady knew which areas of the body are most likely neglected during the daily washing (eg. elbows, back of knees etc) and concentrated her scrubbing powers on those. Others just do through the motion. ("Ok, 5 strokes down the left 5 strokes down the right. Back, arms, shoulders, ass. DONE!)

I cannot stand a hard massage. Things like Thai and Javanese massages will kill me. I went for Swedish massage that was supposedly less painful. WRONG! I normally have a high threshold for pain but somehow massages and I don't rub well together. Oh well... I do give good massage though; many can vouch for that! :D


The massage bed looks like a surgery table somehow. A reflection of my pain?

The couple's bath. Imagine seeing massage oil floating on the surface of the water. Sexy?