first and foremost, our taiwan trip! 台湾 9天8夜 春天花季之旅 29 march to 06 april 2010 ` yu jia and monica it feels good to be back at 台湾 for the second time! after three long years. this time without niam niam. an adventure ahead for the both of us though i won't say it was an exciting one. but it certainly was quite a challenging one. everything seems so familiar yet unfamiliar. the taiwanese are still a helpful lot. we thought the weather would be cooling. we were wrong! the weather was cold! especially at 阿里山. 台北 was about 20 degrees, ought to be bearable, but when the wind blew, gosh, we shivered. lowest at 阿里山 was 9 degrees, and i was wearing shorts, i was freezing! 高雄 was warmer, almost the same as singapore. spent most of our time sight-seeing at different parts of taiwan, something different from our usual holidays, where we shopped more. we had porridge for breakfast almost everyday, together with toast. cabbage, peanuts, ikan bilis, bamboo shoots and cai por egg. sky lights up before six in the morning and darkens before seven in the evening.
29 march 2010 (monday) ` singapore to taiwan the first time flying by eva air! ha. which energy always arrived and departed in. reached taiwan in the evening. checked in 俪莱大饭店. quite a decent budget hotel between taipei railway station and ximending. walked around at 西门町! had 阿宗面线 and 葱抓饼 for dinner! a chung mee sua is nice as ever. yu jia was so obssessed over it.
30 march 2010 (tuesday) ` taipei to kaohsiung 06:39 a.m. 高铁 to 高雄 左营. was a nice ride in the high speed rail. you won't realise you are travelling at a high speed inside it. nice scenary from the north to the south of taiwan. checked in at 三多商务旅店. headed 衣物批发街 around kaohsiung railway station. it was their 批发日, so most shops not open for public sale. then to 新掘江商圈. it was similar to ximending. 爱之船 boat ride along the famous 爱河 in the evening. lastly, to the most popular night market in kaohsiung, 六合观光夜市.
31 march 2010 (wednesday) ` kaohsiung to chia yi (alishan) - my birthday! train to 嘉义. pick-up by the 民宿 owner's son. stayed at the home stay 十方意境. it was really like the online review and website i saw. they were very hospitable and the room was really nice. perhaps due to first time staying in a home stay, i was really pleased with the stay. the owner's family was really nice to all the guests. anybody going to 阿里山, i highly recommend 十方意境! they even provide free tour around 阿里山. the owner's wife cooks nice dishes! visited tea plantation and went to 奋起湖, known to be an attraction in 阿里山. the famous taiwan 火车便当 originates from there. the owner brought us to one shop selling the lunchbox. it was sumptuous! one big chicken drumstick and pork rib as the main dishes for nt$100. the railway track in alishan was defunct since the morokat typhoon in taiwan last august, which caused much destruction to alishan. thus, we were able to walk along the railway tracks and take nice pictures! sight-seeing in some forest trails and some nice places. and, we saw fireflies at night! the owner brought us to the hill behind their home and we saw many fireflies! first time i see fireflies. i have been wishing to see. and yeah~
01 april 2010 (thursday) ` chia yi to taipei assembled at 05.45 a.m. to see the sun rise. when was the last time i watch a sun rise? we missed the split second the sun appeared from the mountains but still, we witnessed the sun rise! 有一种幸福的感觉. then, we had breakfast, which was before 07:00 a.m.. the earliest breakfast indeed! visited 阿里山森林游乐区. the must-go in alishan cos the 樱花 are all there. we missed the peak of the cherry blossom season but there were still very beautiful flowers around! very, very beautiful! though the coldness was killing me, thank goodnes there were the sun and flowers around. walked around the trails, there were ponds, trees, etc. felt good to be there. fresh air, nice weather, beautiful surroundings. oh, there were very old trees. the oldest 神木 was 2,300 years old. thanks to the weather in alishan, we have beautiful photographs which are wallpaper-worthy! i love alishan!!!! then, it was train back to taipei at 明日 hotel, back there again after three years, but we upgraded ourselves, stayed at the nt$1,580 instead of nt$1,180 room. went to 士林夜市 for 大头龙 虾仁煎 and 豪大大鸡排 again, after three years! our favourites in shilin. thanks yu jia, for the slice of strawberry cake from starbucks!
02 april 2010 (friday) ` taipei went to 中视 tv station for recording of 金曲超级星. yes, we went to support 阿弟! ha. handed him the 美真香 barbecue pork which we bought at changi airport. he sang 你不是真正的快乐. very nice. glad to see him improving throughout these years, and especially the competition. we really hope he will win the competition and release his album. unforgettable time. to 五分埔. had 胡须张 鲁肉饭, which we missed during our last trip, for lunch cum dinner. it is indeed the famous braised pork rice in taiwan. haha. we had three bowls! small ones. most of the meat was fatty but it was really nice. how i miss it now. then, shopped around the wholesale place.
03 april 2010 (saturday) ` taipei to hsinchu took train again, to 新竹 this time round, then a bus to 竹东 railway station where we met the 筑梦咖啡民宿 home stay owners, who brought our luggage to their home and we headed to 六福村 theme park! a famous theme park in taiwan. it was a fun-filled day at the theme park, just that the time we spent there was quite short. they close at 07:00 p.m. during spring. back to the home stay. it was beautiful! the room was beautifully-decorated, yet there was a touch of homely feel. they even have electric warm mat (电毯). the first time we use one. the female owner is a good cook, too. and the cafe was nice too. had a nice dinner consisting pasta, corn soup, red tea and cake as dessert. highly recommend this home stay too! most of the decorations they had was DIY. the owners were hospitable as well.
04 april 2010 (sunday) ` hsinchu to taipei before we headed back to taipei, we visited the 薰衣草森林 lavender cottage at hsinchu. i must admit, i really love flowers! and thanks yu jia, for your kind understanding. :) a nice garden. reminded me of cameron highlands. beautiful flowers all around. the weather was quite good despite the rain. but the lavender was a little disappointing. perhaps the rain? season over? the lavender was not as flourished as what was seen on the net. still, i enjoyed the stay there. another little wish fulfilled. and, loves the flowery products in the souvenir shop 香草铺子. train back to taipei. checked in rainbow hotel. planned to go to 阳明山 for the calla lilies 海芋田 in 竹子湖. since we have chosen 薰衣草森林, we had to forgo yangmingshan due to time constraint. it was quite late already, so we proceeded to shilin, again, to continue eating and shopping. gotta shop to our fill as we would be going back to singapore soon. and, it was 大头龙 again. gaga.
05 april 2010 (monday) ` taipei woke up early to embark a long journey to 九份. it was the same as what i have remembered. same nice scenary. oh ya, i love clouds too! alishan, hsinchu and now, jiufen! explored jiufen slightly more than the previous trip. same things done: ate 赖阿婆芋圆 and bought 张师傅 太阳饼. there's 香草铺子 outlet too. carried on to 平溪 for 天灯. met this singapore couple and their home stay owner at the train station, so we travelled together. they were there to have their wedding shots taken. though they will not see this, CONGRATULATIONS! stopped at 十分 railway station for our sky lanterns. i thought people only light them at night. i was wrong. they were lit in the day too, so we lit ours! and a string of firecrackers was attached too. lit at the railway station. another feeling of happiness overcame me. another little wish came true. back to taipei for some last minute shopping at ximending. wipe, wipe, wipe, wipe them all out! haha.
06 april 2010 (tuesday) ` taiwan to singapore woke up at four plus in the morning cos our flight was 07: 40 a.m.. as far as possible, i will not take an eva flight from taiwan to singapore anymore. no transport in the early morning, so we hired a taxi at nt$1,000.
i simply love taiwan! it is such a nice place. it is a good place for travelling little towns and villages. there are so many things which can be done. as such, i have a few of my little wishes of my life fulfilled. the biggest disappointment in this trip will be missing out on 阳明山 竹子湖 海芋田 again, the calla lilies season is march to april, which is one of the reasons we decided on the travelling dates. nevermind, we shall visit it the next time! together with 日月潭 and 垦丁, and to hot spring! yu jia, sorry for the change in itinerary. i hope you have enjoyed the trip as much as i do. and thanks, for being with me on my birthday day. and oh ya, happy birthday, yu jia!!!! if there are any flaws in the planning, i apologise for them. i will improve on it! i am so glad that we went a few of our places. and i am already looking forward to the next taiwan trip! hope it is not too far in the future. we are really blessed to be able to see energy in every taiwan trip. *cross fingers* hope we can see them the next time too. cool weather has its dire consequences. my face was too dry in taiwan, so i bought masks to put on for three to four nights. as according to the doctor, the mask may have some reaction with my irritated skin, causing the rash. sad. it was such a good season to travel to taiwan. we didn't swat for nine days. we stayed at very nice 民宿 and met very nice owners. i guess that is the nature of taiwanese or home stay owners, very hospitable and helpful. and they are a whole lot who love dogs, you can see all kinds of dogs everywhere, and i would say taiwanese are quite environmentalists. we received praises from many people, saying we are very independent and smart to travel to the different places in taiwan. i feel so proud of myself! this is a great achievement. mission accomplished! good job for all the homework done. *pat shoulders*
little updates:
failed driving practical test on first attempt. must pass on second!
job-hunting. *prays for good job*
studying for cpa australia second last paper corporate governance and accountability exam on 05 may 2010.
niam niam flew to japan for business trip today. nack in two to three weeks' time.
foor more photographs, please refer to my facebook. *^_^*
first and foremost, our taiwan trip! 台湾 9天8夜 春天花季之旅 29 march to 06 april 2010 ` yu jia and monica it feels good to be back at 台湾 for the second time! after three long years. this time without niam niam. an adventure ahead for the both of us though i won't say it was an exciting one. but it certainly was quite a challenging one. everything seems so familiar yet unfamiliar. the taiwanese are still a helpful lot. we thought the weather would be cooling. we were wrong! the weather was cold! especially at 阿里山. 台北 was about 20 degrees, ought to be bearable, but when the wind blew, gosh, we shivered. lowest at 阿里山 was 9 degrees, and i was wearing shorts, i was freezing! 高雄 was warmer, almost the same as singapore. spent most of our time sight-seeing at different parts of taiwan, something different from our usual holidays, where we shopped more. we had porridge for breakfast almost everyday, together with toast. cabbage, peanuts, ikan bilis, bamboo shoots and cai por egg. sky lights up before six in the morning and darkens before seven in the evening.
29 march 2010 (monday) ` singapore to taiwan the first time flying by eva air! ha. which energy always arrived and departed in. reached taiwan in the evening. checked in 俪莱大饭店. quite a decent budget hotel between taipei railway station and ximending. walked around at 西门町! had 阿宗面线 and 葱抓饼 for dinner! a chung mee sua is nice as ever. yu jia was so obssessed over it.
30 march 2010 (tuesday) ` taipei to kaohsiung 06:39 a.m. 高铁 to 高雄 左营. was a nice ride in the high speed rail. you won't realise you are travelling at a high speed inside it. nice scenary from the north to the south of taiwan. checked in at 三多商务旅店. headed 衣物批发街 around kaohsiung railway station. it was their 批发日, so most shops not open for public sale. then to 新掘江商圈. it was similar to ximending. 爱之船 boat ride along the famous 爱河 in the evening. lastly, to the most popular night market in kaohsiung, 六合观光夜市.
31 march 2010 (wednesday) ` kaohsiung to chia yi (alishan) - my birthday! train to 嘉义. pick-up by the 民宿 owner's son. stayed at the home stay 十方意境. it was really like the online review and website i saw. they were very hospitable and the room was really nice. perhaps due to first time staying in a home stay, i was really pleased with the stay. the owner's family was really nice to all the guests. anybody going to 阿里山, i highly recommend 十方意境! they even provide free tour around 阿里山. the owner's wife cooks nice dishes! visited tea plantation and went to 奋起湖, known to be an attraction in 阿里山. the famous taiwan 火车便当 originates from there. the owner brought us to one shop selling the lunchbox. it was sumptuous! one big chicken drumstick and pork rib as the main dishes for nt$100. the railway track in alishan was defunct since the morokat typhoon in taiwan last august, which caused much destruction to alishan. thus, we were able to walk along the railway tracks and take nice pictures! sight-seeing in some forest trails and some nice places. and, we saw fireflies at night! the owner brought us to the hill behind their home and we saw many fireflies! first time i see fireflies. i have been wishing to see. and yeah~
01 april 2010 (thursday) ` chia yi to taipei assembled at 05.45 a.m. to see the sun rise. when was the last time i watch a sun rise? we missed the split second the sun appeared from the mountains but still, we witnessed the sun rise! 有一种幸福的感觉. then, we had breakfast, which was before 07:00 a.m.. the earliest breakfast indeed! visited 阿里山森林游乐区. the must-go in alishan cos the 樱花 are all there. we missed the peak of the cherry blossom season but there were still very beautiful flowers around! very, very beautiful! though the coldness was killing me, thank goodnes there were the sun and flowers around. walked around the trails, there were ponds, trees, etc. felt good to be there. fresh air, nice weather, beautiful surroundings. oh, there were very old trees. the oldest 神木 was 2,300 years old. thanks to the weather in alishan, we have beautiful photographs which are wallpaper-worthy! i love alishan!!!! then, it was train back to taipei at 明日 hotel, back there again after three years, but we upgraded ourselves, stayed at the nt$1,580 instead of nt$1,180 room. went to 士林夜市 for 大头龙 虾仁煎 and 豪大大鸡排 again, after three years! our favourites in shilin. thanks yu jia, for the slice of strawberry cake from starbucks!
02 april 2010 (friday) ` taipei went to 中视 tv station for recording of 金曲超级星. yes, we went to support 阿弟! ha. handed him the 美真香 barbecue pork which we bought at changi airport. he sang 你不是真正的快乐. very nice. glad to see him improving throughout these years, and especially the competition. we really hope he will win the competition and release his album. unforgettable time. to 五分埔. had 胡须张 鲁肉饭, which we missed during our last trip, for lunch cum dinner. it is indeed the famous braised pork rice in taiwan. haha. we had three bowls! small ones. most of the meat was fatty but it was really nice. how i miss it now. then, shopped around the wholesale place.
03 april 2010 (saturday) ` taipei to hsinchu took train again, to 新竹 this time round, then a bus to 竹东 railway station where we met the 筑梦咖啡民宿 home stay owners, who brought our luggage to their home and we headed to 六福村 theme park! a famous theme park in taiwan. it was a fun-filled day at the theme park, just that the time we spent there was quite short. they close at 07:00 p.m. during spring. back to the home stay. it was beautiful! the room was beautifully-decorated, yet there was a touch of homely feel. they even have electric warm mat (电毯). the first time we use one. the female owner is a good cook, too. and the cafe was nice too. had a nice dinner consisting pasta, corn soup, red tea and cake as dessert. highly recommend this home stay too! most of the decorations they had was DIY. the owners were hospitable as well.
04 april 2010 (sunday) ` hsinchu to taipei before we headed back to taipei, we visited the 薰衣草森林 lavender cottage at hsinchu. i must admit, i really love flowers! and thanks yu jia, for your kind understanding. :) a nice garden. reminded me of cameron highlands. beautiful flowers all around. the weather was quite good despite the rain. but the lavender was a little disappointing. perhaps the rain? season over? the lavender was not as flourished as what was seen on the net. still, i enjoyed the stay there. another little wish fulfilled. and, loves the flowery products in the souvenir shop 香草铺子. train back to taipei. checked in rainbow hotel. planned to go to 阳明山 for the calla lilies 海芋田 in 竹子湖. since we have chosen 薰衣草森林, we had to forgo yangmingshan due to time constraint. it was quite late already, so we proceeded to shilin, again, to continue eating and shopping. gotta shop to our fill as we would be going back to singapore soon. and, it was 大头龙 again. gaga.
05 april 2010 (monday) ` taipei woke up early to embark a long journey to 九份. it was the same as what i have remembered. same nice scenary. oh ya, i love clouds too! alishan, hsinchu and now, jiufen! explored jiufen slightly more than the previous trip. same things done: ate 赖阿婆芋圆 and bought 张师傅 太阳饼. there's 香草铺子 outlet too. carried on to 平溪 for 天灯. met this singapore couple and their home stay owner at the train station, so we travelled together. they were there to have their wedding shots taken. though they will not see this, CONGRATULATIONS! stopped at 十分 railway station for our sky lanterns. i thought people only light them at night. i was wrong. they were lit in the day too, so we lit ours! and a string of firecrackers was attached too. lit at the railway station. another feeling of happiness overcame me. another little wish came true. back to taipei for some last minute shopping at ximending. wipe, wipe, wipe, wipe them all out! haha.
06 april 2010 (tuesday) ` taiwan to singapore woke up at four plus in the morning cos our flight was 07: 40 a.m.. as far as possible, i will not take an eva flight from taiwan to singapore anymore. no transport in the early morning, so we hired a taxi at nt$1,000.
i simply love taiwan! it is such a nice place. it is a good place for travelling little towns and villages. there are so many things which can be done. as such, i have a few of my little wishes of my life fulfilled. the biggest disappointment in this trip will be missing out on 阳明山 竹子湖 海芋田 again, the calla lilies season is march to april, which is one of the reasons we decided on the travelling dates. nevermind, we shall visit it the next time! together with 日月潭 and 垦丁, and to hot spring! yu jia, sorry for the change in itinerary. i hope you have enjoyed the trip as much as i do. and thanks, for being with me on my birthday day. and oh ya, happy birthday, yu jia!!!! if there are any flaws in the planning, i apologise for them. i will improve on it! i am so glad that we went a few of our places. and i am already looking forward to the next taiwan trip! hope it is not too far in the future. we are really blessed to be able to see energy in every taiwan trip. *cross fingers* hope we can see them the next time too. cool weather has its dire consequences. my face was too dry in taiwan, so i bought masks to put on for three to four nights. as according to the doctor, the mask may have some reaction with my irritated skin, causing the rash. sad. it was such a good season to travel to taiwan. we didn't swat for nine days. we stayed at very nice 民宿 and met very nice owners. i guess that is the nature of taiwanese or home stay owners, very hospitable and helpful. and they are a whole lot who love dogs, you can see all kinds of dogs everywhere, and i would say taiwanese are quite environmentalists. we received praises from many people, saying we are very independent and smart to travel to the different places in taiwan. i feel so proud of myself! this is a great achievement. mission accomplished! good job for all the homework done. *pat shoulders*
little updates:
failed driving practical test on first attempt. must pass on second!
job-hunting. *prays for good job*
studying for cpa australia second last paper corporate governance and accountability exam on 05 may 2010.
niam niam flew to japan for business trip today. nack in two to three weeks' time.
foor more photographs, please refer to my facebook. *^_^*
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Monica.
I'm Monica.
I was born in a piece on 31st of March in Singapore.
Half-boiled egg cos I am not a girl, not yet a woman.
I love my family, boyfriend and friends. And definitely, myself.
My interests are in movies and chinese pop.
Not really that kind of Sing girl.
Cos I don't really love shopping though of course, I enjoy it.
Thus, not a fashionista. Yeah.
Girl next door? Perhaps.
Though I do not possess that x-factor.
Whatever it is, just simple. Website:Facebook | Blogskins
Screen size 1024 x 768
Best viewed in Google Chrome.
My personal site.
You are not allowed to right-click on my page!
online
I'm Monica.
Website: 
Facebook | Blogskins
