travelogue || Taiwan 2012 - part ONE!

Taiwan! 

This trip was pretty uncalled for - since we initially planned to go Bangkok at first - but we ended up booking this Taiwan tour. I was still at Australia when all this happened though, so I didn't have any say in this, but hey, I'm not complaining!

Anyway, we start with the usual info!

Information about Taiwan

Currency: NT$100 = RM10.5 (But we thought of it as NT$100 = RM10 for easy counting!)
Weather: Winter and Rainy - 14C ~ 23C. 
Time differences: No time difference.
Duration of Stay: 8 Days and 7 Nights
Date: 7th December 2012 - 14th December 2012.


So this is our third trip with Apple Holidays, my previous ones were Shanghai (2011) and Japan (2009).

Pictures are credited to Jo Ann's Canon EOS550D and Samsung S3 (my sister), and my mum's Olympus!

Word of warning: Since Taiwan is a really good place for SHOPPING and EATING, you might find yourself drooling to some pictures. Read this after your meals! I'm not responsible for your malfunctioned keyboard/computer caused by your drool :P (I'm only kidding :P)

1st Day : Kuala Lumpur Int'l Airport -  Taiwan Taoyuan Int'l Airport - Taoyuan - Taipei - Fisherman's Wharf (淡水漁人碼頭) - Shilin Night Market (士林夜市)

Our flight was at 9am-ish. So we had to wake up at 5.30am and I slept at 1.30am that night and I felt like crap. Nauseated and tired, WORST FEELING EVER.

Our cab came and we left to KLIA. Group checked-in and met our other "Apple Pies" (other Apple holiday members, nyehehe.)

And since somehow our flight is a 'small flight', we only get a lousy small MAS plane and a terminal that doesn't require you to take the Aerotrain. WHAT IS A TRIP WITHOUT THE AEROTRAIN RIDE?!

picture not mine!

But we had no choice anyway, we had our breakfast in the main terminal and left to our gate.

"Coffee Time!"

Malaysian Rice, Nasi Lemak!

 And that is when everything went chaotic; apparently our gate caters to another flight to Ho Chi Minh City - and our boarding times were really close to one another and Ho Chi Minh's gate is already closing; it's the Final Call for the passengers. And we Taiwan flight peeps are supposed to board now but the staffs wouldn't allow us because they were crazily calling out 'HO CHI MINH ONLY, HO CHI MINH ONLY!' But sheesh we have to board now gdi.

This whole commotion took 15 minutes. Those Taiwan peeps who sneakily went through the gate were shooed out. I really don't know what to say..

Anyway that aside, we boarded the plane and took off without any further delay. And since I had only 4 hours of sleep, I was really, really nauseated. I could say that this was the worst flight ever. Do you want me to start on how small the plane is? I think not.

5 hours of flight, and we touched down at Taoyuan Airport. Got our luggage, got Subway cookies for a snack (since I totally skipped my in-flight meal) and we met up with the tour group!


Hopped on the bus and here we go, Taiwan!

 yay we're leaving!

We were then introduced to our tour guide, Jackie! (Chen Dao)

He's a really nice man!

The tour guide gave us the guides!

On the way to Taipei from Taoyuan, and then heading to Fisherman's Wharf!

 Where my HTC phone originates :')

Aaaand we're here!

It was already 5pm and the sun is already setting! (Due to the winter season)

Museum of Tamsui fishiegoodies - I really don't get it..

 Cha Ye Dan (茶叶蛋) Chinese Tea Leaf Eggs from OK Mart (a convenience store), just because we were too hungry!

Sightseeing there for half an hour or so and then...

A bus ride to Shilin Night Market! Wooooooooop shopping!

 I love them bus rides!

 Night market!

 These long potato things! Noms! But I think we chose the wrong seasoning..

 Food, food everywhere!

 Don't you feel so tempted to enter these shops right now?! Well I do. D:

Gangnam Style is catching up everywhere, alright.

 After spending a good hour there, we headed back to the hotel! Today our dinner isn't booked or organized so we have a free night tonight!

We were sent to our hotel and we dropped our luggages in our hotel rooms and then went out for dinner! There's a pretty good variety of restaurants and hawker centers outside of our hotel so it was a breeze to find something good to eat. The only problem is that we were spoiled for choice!

Ended up settling for this delicious bowl of Beef Noodles! The icon of Taiwanese food.

And to top it off, we ordered steamed dumplings too!

Had a scrumptious dinner and we head back to the hotel for a good night rest - pumped and ready for the exciting days ahead!

--

Merry Christmas, mates!

It has already been a year! Time keeps flying faster and faster - or is it just me?

I remember it was only last year that I spent my Christmas Eve at Shanghai - trying to pass time in a dull hotel hoping that there's some life to this jolly event. But to our disappointment ..... Anyway! If you want to read on about my Shanghai adventure - click this!

So I have been heaps busy for the past few weeks! I couldn't even finish my blog post about my recent holiday yet!

Anyway - upcoming posts are the Taiwan trip and about my first University semester in Sydney! It's going to be long and detailed like my previous posts so be ready for a long post!


It's already 1:08AM on the 26th of December but I hope I'm not too late to write this post.. so here it is!

Merry Christmas 2012!

Have a blessed Christmas with your loved ones and stay healthy always!

What did I do for Christmas? 

I celebrated it with my family and relatives in another city away from home! I don't think I'll be writing a post on that :P

Aaaaaaaand I'll close with my favourite superheroes and what they think about Santa Claus:

Sorry for the wordy and no picture post! It's late and I don't have my camera with me :(

Ignite Love K-POP Charity Concert - 011212

LATE POST!

On the first day of December 2012, we went to a K-POP Charity Concert held at a (really rundown) Plaza Mayang's Convention Center.

I was pretty unprepared because my mum was the one who bought the tickets for me without actually asking me .. hahahaha. But it's all good, I really like going to concerts anyway!

IGNITE LOVE K-POP CHARITY CONCERT

They invited the Korean Christian music label, 3rd Wave, which consists of 

K-POP star Brian Joo, Alexander Lee and the founder Johnny Lee, to perform some of their 3rd Wave music to raise funds to help the unwed mothers and increase the awareness of Birthright.

The place was crowded with families, young kids and fans alike -- don't imagine the huge K-POP frenzy crowd because this is nothing like it -- this is a polite, calm and well mannered crowd, which is reaaally nice unlike the crazy mess I experience in the other concerts.

The concert was supposed to start at 4pm but it only started at 4.30pm. Preeeetty expected.....

It was hosted by the Grace Assembly of God Petaling Jaya and emceed by two young teens who are good at hyping the crowd. They then invited Pastor Henry, the head of the Assembly, to give a heartfelt speech on stage.

Then the children from Rumah KIDS (orphanage) and Grace School performed some hit songs like LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem, Wonder Girls' Nobody, and a few K-POP mashup medleys. Really entertaining and inspiring :')

And then the light dimmed and the whole stage went dark -- and a figure came out and NOBODY SCREAMED IN EXCITEMENT or anything until the figure came closer to the mic stand and people made out the shape of the K-POP star, Brian Joo.

Then there was a little 'ahhhhh~~~' amongst the crowd. But still it isn't really crazy, LOL. Well to be honest, this concert is the most peaceful and the calmest one I ever went to... (Besides the NU'EST one in Sydney, LOL)

They then introduced themselves and started performing. ALL of the songs are unknown to me since they are coming as the group 3rd Wave Music and not as their solo selves (they sing in English though!). I basically sat through the whole thing pretty clueless -- occasionally trying to figure out the lyrics after a few verses and disturbing my sister with some light and silly remarks about how Brian looks on stage.

Pastor Johnny Lee is the main vocal and his voice is awesome.

Then my bias came and joined the two guys on stage -- WOOOP ALEXANDER LEE!

He's so much more adorable from what I remember last time. :P

And Brian Joo,

After 2 hours of excitement and fangirl spazzing over the two adorable boys on stage, the concert came to an end. :(

But since I'm a VIP ticket holder (thanks mum) , we are eligible for a fansign with the boys! So we queued up -- and trust me, the line isn't really long or pushy, the fans are REALLY nice. And guess what? There's no security there at all! Well probably one but totally unlike the other concerts.

Was on of the early ones with my sister, and we both decided to sing Alexander's Oh! Baby to him when we reached his spot at the fansign. He blushed and laughed.

He's such a bubbly and adorable guy - and I just love the conversations we had, TWICE.

Me: [finally reaches Alexander's spot]
Alexander: [still signing another CD]
Me: [waits]
Alexander:
Me: Do you remember me?
Alexander: Yeah!
My sister: We bought your CD again so you can sign it.
Alexander: Thank you SO much!
Me: I think I should get another one..
Alexander: Oh really? 대박! (Awesome!)
My sis and I: YES, AWESOME!
[We walked away]
Alexander: JUST GET A BOX! -- (implying that we should get a box to take more CDs to get it signed.)
[We all laughed]

Alexander is so cuuuute.

Brian, on the other hand, was a bit more passive and cool.

Well anyway, after that we had a good dinner with the family!

Happy to be blessed with such happiness and good things in life. ♥