In the words of Jolin Tsai in the advert..

'Welcome to TAIWAN!!'

Taiwan was a blast man. Its such a great country with a great mix of traditionally rural, the scenic nature as well as the modern hub all mixed in one.

Day 1:

The first place that we visited was called the 'Eye on China' where there were miniatures of key buildings around the world as well as a theme park.


Next stop was Leofoo village, a safari cum theme park which was surprisingly very huge with some really interesting exhibits.


That 360 degree ride shown in the picture was damn shiok I tell you. Especially when they suspend us upside down. AGHHHHHHH! hahahaha. After the theme park/safari visit, we went to check into the hotel and den walked to Ximenting, a trendy place for youths which resembles streets in japan. There were really hot babes there I tell you. Holaaaaaaa Ximenting!


The above photo was taken at some cafe where the milk teas were like SGD $5! dammit!

Day 2:

We went to this place at the coastal area which had really nice sea views and cool breezes as well as a small market primarily selling seafood products like dried cuttlefish as well as a marine park where there was a dolphin/seal/acrobatic show.

Next stop was the royal palace or something like that to witness the changing of guards parade.

After the grand palace was Miramar shopping centre. It was like Takashimaya but it has a really nice big ferris wheel above it.


After the shopping there, we went to freshen up at the hotel and shopped right again at the Shiling night market where there were loads of clothes, accessories, food and games. We went there via train which was a great experience. The commuters really keep right on the elevator to give way to others who might be in a rush. Similarly, the waiting area for commuters to board the train was at the side of the door and not blocking exiting commuters which was rather ingenious.

With reference to the above picture, lets just say that the work of a medic is not just restricted to the SAF but to serving the public in Taiwan too. Haha. Anway its just me treating a girl who fell down the stairs and injured her leg.


And oh of course, the day was also spent making friends with the 'locals'. Heh heh.

Day3:

Went to the main town area and visited Taipei 101. Its huge I tell you! However, I spent most of the time visiting the surrounding shopping centres even though I didn't really buy anything.

Above is a picture of someone caught sitting inconsiderately on the seats reserved for disabled/pregnant people. Ok fine. It was the last train ride for me in Taiwan.

My last photo taken in Taiwan with our tour guide outside our hotel before setting off for the airport.

Reflections

Taiwan really amazed me. The country gets really dark at about 6pm. The people are polite and seeing the locals strictly keep to the right side of the escalator as well as standing way off the exit on the platform for commuters to alight really shows how considerate the people are. The temperature made it a great place to generally do any activities in and of course, lets not forget the culture and the locals again!


Update:
I just woke up a day after landing in Sg and my first thoughts upon awaking was that I was still in Taiwan. After a few minutes upon discovering the truth, I felt damn sad that it wasn't true. I really miss the place and its the only place that I felt that I really belong to. Considering that I don't even speak the local language, that really speaks volumes about how much I love the country. When I first saw the slogan for the Taiwan tourism advert; 'Touch Your Heart', I was thinking how lame it was. Only now do I realise how Taiwan has really touched my heart. I hope to return there someday soon.

Today is the last day that I'll be in Singapore before I fly off to Taiwan tonight at midnight. As I'm typing this, the song 'Home' by Michael Buble is playing. How emo. Haha. Well as much as I like travelling, parting is such sweet sorrow. What makes it worse is that I can't bring my camera along due to some reason which I am unable to disclose. How to cam-whore liddat?! Oh man. Anyway thanks to people who sent me their well wishes. Pray for my safe journey and I'll see you in approximately 2 weeks on the 22nd at 0130 hours. Gentle greetings and adieu..

I think the pervasiveness of the army life has made its way into my civilian life. I woke up at 5:30am today without the need for any alarm or anything. Grabbed a quick bite and went off to cycle to east coast park. It tranquility of the early morning is rather peaceful and that includes the journey via the roads. Managed to catch the sunrise which was very awe-inspiring and humbling. Its amazing how the sky turns red before breaking up into shades of warm orange and yellow. After showering, I was so tired that I feel asleep the moment I lay on the bed.

I've been reading 'Train Man' as well as 'Making Globalization Work'. The later book is really a wonderfully informative book on the unfair practices in trade and commerce. It infuriates me how the USA is the biggest polluter and yet refuses to sign the Kyoto protocol. Is it surprising when their president George Bush's presidency election was partially funded by fuel corporations? Ok theres alot of interesting stuff in that book and it isn't very heavy in economic theory so please read it if you have the time. Wonderful stuff really.

Oh btw, I think 'The Carousel' at Royal Plaza Scotts rocks. The variety and quality of the food there is superb! I couldn't even walk properly after eating there cause I was so stuffed! Crayfish, roast beef, sushi, bread pudding... Whoa man!