The Flight

Airplane rides are tedious...if you have to sit 10+ hours. When I was younger, I always had a stomachache. Now, it's the turbulence and the long hours sitting in a narrow chair surrounded by people. The positives and negatives:

+ The food: Who knew? Airplane food can actually improve...well, EVA's does.
+ The entertainment system: It's a personal system which is very, very awesome. Their movies are updated every month and they update their music pretty frequently so you can expect some of their top hits in the system.
+ The quality reading time: When you have nothing to do but sit, just pick up a book! Or two...maybe three...I read 5. Yep, that's right, 5. So make sure you pack a lot of books! =D

- The turbulence: Time change is a pain in the a**. Turbulence is a b****. On the way to Taiwan, we hit a rough patch in Japan. The plane was jumping around for a good 30 minutes and all I could think about was how we were not going to crash...actually I was convincing myself that. On the way back home, we hit another rough patch once again by Japan. But this time they were serving food. So although the turbulence was softer, my stomach was protesting from the mixture of incoming food and turbulence.
- No space: I'm fairly tall so when I'm sitting, I like to stretch out my legs. With the airplane seats so close, I was cramped up and could not extend my legs (much to my disappointment). It's just crowded...'nuff said.

So that's post 1 out of a series! XD

I'm Back!!

No, seriously, I'm back. As in back home. Yes, after two weeks in Taiwan, I have loads to say. In order to avoid stretching the page (for the sake of many who read...which totals at 5), I will write a series of posts over a stretch of days. Stupid, yes, I know, but it 1) saves a whole load of space and 2) gives me a chance to finish my goal! =D Happy reading!

Recommendations!

As my trip is rounding out to the last stretch, there are a few recommendations for those who will potentially go to Taiwan.

1) Taipei 101: No brainer...but I suggest you go in the late afternoon so that you can take pics of Taipei in the day and Taipei in the night.

2) Din Tai Fung: Amazing dumplings. I'm serious; I could never get sick of it. There is one in LA but some dispute that the one in Taiwan is a lot better. Note: the lines to get in are really long and sometimes have an hour wait. But it's worth it, believe me.

3) If you like shopping, Wu Fen Pu: I don't even like shopping but any place that sells majority of their clothing around $3 definitely has my attention. There are also a few places where you can buy food and if it ever rains, the area has an overhang so never fear! XD

4) This really good place that has amazing noodles: Eh...no exact location...sorry. I only know about it because my uncle brought it back to the apartment. It's delicious XD!

These are the essential recommendations. So, if you're ever in Taiwan, check these places out!

Day...uh...what day is it?

I'm stuffed. Why? Well, that's between me, the enormous lunch, and that huge ice cream sundae I had right after. I really do believe that there is no need for dinner for the rest of the day. Currently, I'm suffering from allergies which is definitely not pleasant when you're trying to sleep. I was literally tossing and turning on the couch until I finally decided at 2 a.m. to take my Zyrtec. It helped. I slept like a baby until 10 a.m.

I have finally adjusted to the time difference. The sad part? I'm going back home on Thursday. Yay. Oh, well. One good thing that came out of this trip was my chopsticks skill. Yep, that's right, my chopsticks skill. Random, I know, but a bit useful when you go to any Asian restaurant in the US. Mmm...my head's woozing right now and I have no idea why...yikes.

XD

Taipei 101: Home of the designer stores and foreign people who have no idea where else to go.

*snickers* It's actually been going through my head for a long time. The problem is I only have access now. Well, already a week has gone by and I should be returning home soon...where I will suffer from excessive jet lag and still manage to go to a swim meet two days after...exciting. Hopefully I will still blog but then...I'm not that sure. Probably just fall back to my old habits. Eh...sorry. I'm not really paying attention...kinda watching a movie while typing...oops. As you can probably see, I'm a bit obsessed with movies but hey, it's something to do! XD

It also took me a while to figure this out but I'm already past half-way in my goal...and I only have 2-3 weeks left...yay.

I'm Back!

This time from the trip. So, as I predicted, there was no way I could access the blog so I had to remain blogless for about...3 days. Of course, before my sudden onset, I had been blogless for a few weeks so 3 days are really nothing. Although I did have fun, it also screwed up my sleep schedule. Before that little trip, I was able to have a 10-7 sleep schedule. Now? I have a 1am-2pm, a 3am-11am, and a 1am-10am (pick and choose) sleep schedule. Not good. The fun part about the trip? All of the movies I got to watch...for free! I think in total I watched 4-5 movies and I still managed to swim, buy some gifts, and have extremely long dinners that bored me out of my mind. Pretty good run, huh?

Note

Ok, I think this time I actually won't be able to access the blog (going to a different part) but if you see a post come back up, well, I guess I can access it! I'll be gone for three days but I'm pretty sure that when I come back, I'll be able to make up for it 5 times over...maybe less...

Last observation before I go:

1) To shop in a department store is pretty much like trying to tread the Amazon rainforest. You have to watch where you step, there are so many people around you, and if you accidentally step into a store, the employees pounce on you like piranhas attacking fresh meat. Yep, it's that bad.

Day Four

Yes, there is more.

1) Traffic laws? What are you talking about, traffic laws? Pfft. Everyone jaywalks (well, they do that in the US too), cars have no respect for pedestrians, and car drivers neglect the red lights.

2) Fashion is way more important than comfort. Imagine bell-bottom jeans and a long flowy long-sleeved shirt at the beach...that is what your average citizen will dress like. All the girls seem to like high heels and have amazing balance...somehow.

3) Few ways to improve your balance:
- ride the MRT
- ride the bus
- keep standing during an earthquake

That's all for today!...I think....

Backtracking

Almost a year is over and I have been on this blog about 1-3 times a month. Maybe it's because I'm lazy...hmm. Anyways, I was just looking around and found out that I definitely need to make some changes here. For instance, the favorite websites list. Now, back when I was a huge Twilight fan, I followed every website diligently and offered the same to my 1-2 readers. Now...not so much. I also have yet to change the favorite music list because I know that that is not my list of current favorite music. This time of year also calls for something that I've always hated doing: cleaning up. Yep, that's right! Time to get rid of those funny videos from SNL, those useless polls that seem to be hanging around, the description that was created last June. Obviously, there's a lot of work I need to do so, let's begin the 1st Clean-Up! Yay! XD

Day Three continued

Hehe, I already have more!

1) To add on to the list of symptoms: stomach flu or some other kind of stomach problems. I actually get that everywhere I go but I have a feeling that with the food I eat here, the chances are going to increase.

2) Everyone smokes. And I mean, everyone. I think from high school on, you can smoke. Probably one of the reasons why I should get those face masks thing.

3) A lot of people have colored hair. Out of all of the girls I have seen, about 3/500 have natural hair colors. The guys? Well, it's more like 25/500. Apparently, they don't like their natural hair colors...I fit in!

4) I actually made this observation a long time ago but I forgot to mention it: I skipped Friday...how cool is that? XD

Once again, more to come. Hehe...I might actually keep up with this two per day thingy. =D

Day Three

EH...more observations!

1) All the bugs will have a share of me. I already have bug bites on my legs, feet, arms, back...it will be a miracle if I do survive.

2) My stomach will shrink to the size of a walnut (THG reference). Also happens every time.

3) My e-mails will back up if I don't check it periodically. I didn't know I was so popular XD!

Okay, all good...and when I mean day three, I mean day three for me. Might still be day two for you guys.

Vacation!

After spending about two days in Taiwan, I have made several observations:

1) Taiwanese bus drivers are really good. I mean, crazily insane good. Whenever they make a turn, it looks like they're about to hit a motorcycle or another car but they don't! No scratch, no accident, nothing!

2) I'm going to have a killer migrane by the end of this trip. In Taiwan, there are way too many sounds. Between the honking, buzzing, humming, and loud motorcycle engines, I'm going to drive myself crazy.

3) I will have heat rash...again. Happens every single time, even in the winter. Probably the humidity.

4) My feet will have awesome mileage when I get back to CA. Everyday, it's walk, walk, walk. Walk to lunch, walk to shop, walk to visit, walk to dinner, walk to buy dessert, walk to nearest bus station, etc.

5) Books are no longer safe. I brought 5 books with me. In two days, I finished 4 1/2. And I'm here for two weeks...Time to go book shopping!

That's all for now but I'm pretty sure as soon as I learn how to access the blog the easy way, I'll post some more...maybe a lot more. XD

Pressure...

Thanks to someone...>.>...I decided to write yet another post. Once again, I must note: Unless I do multiple posts everyday for the next few weeks, the chance of me actually making the "100 posts goal by 1 year anniversary" is kinda (really) slim. But, hey, I'll continue to make the effort. So, I'm going for about two weeks to Taiwan (Yay!). Not too sure I'll be able to post though...I'll try but it seems very unlikely at the moment. If I don't post, please don't get mad at me *hides behind a table*. I would really appreciate it XD!


54 posts left...and on and on and on