New Year's Eve 2009:: my last adventure in taipei with kare bear ...
inside she's crying ... she would miss me for the next 8 months :)
our stop after each adventure
we went to meet up with Jing & DT for a celebration to bring in the new year
a popular street in Taipei
famous shaved ice spot
we came here for din din...
homemade noodles made by this chef...
chicken?
chunky taro cake!
a popular southern Taiwan dish... forgot the name of it :/
minced meat with rice .. so simple but so good
coffin cake... the inside contained a creamy dip
he didn't get to eat much during our meal
he's so photogenic
we had the famous shaved ice that we passed by
karen's trying to suppress her fatty urges in front of the camera
strawberry ice cream ...mango ice cream
i guess the popos are off duty on new years eve... parking in a red zone is allowed
stadium being constructed for the upcoming international deaf olympics
we watched the fireworks on the roof of the TV station DT is a producer at
our view :)
she was happy to be talking to her mom
it was gonna be a good show
little boy probably slept through the fireworks :)
windy!
our New Year's celebration wouldn't be complete without a trip to the hot springs past midnight!
so i got in huge trouble for taking a pix of the surroundings inside... i didn't realize everyone was nekked in there... my pix did not include any women, but i still erased it
and then I moved out of the dorm a day and a half later... I stayed with my aunt Nathalie for a few days before I left Taiwan... did more sightseeing and visited distant relatives
hung out with the second cousins in Danshui during the daytime
we were in line to get one of these
my second cousin's kids... am i an aunt?
potato chip spirals... it's actually pretty easy to eat... you break off each circle from the top.. it looks and tastes just like potato chips
chucks of different colors for doggies
fancy tandem bikes!
aunt Nathalie's house... it was super cozy
this became my workspace while living here... in front of the TV :)
aunt Nathalie brought me to eat Hot pot a few times.... i loved her for that :) and the spots she took me were usually buffet styled...
had to try some Hello Kitty fish balls :D
choco fondue for dessert!
bridge!
My aunt took me to a tourist spot I've never heard of before... Sanxia District
going under the tunnel
little stands scattered across the bridge
the famous temple
Minquan old street... a preserved example of Japanese colonial architecture
an old school bike.. i'm pretty sure it's just for decoration
omg... hot taro coconut soup really does warm your soul on a cold day... all I was missing was Erica
hermit crabs!
this store sold only soap products... this is a huge block of soap!
a store with ceramic pandas in a jar :)
very delicate earrings.. i would break it instantly i'm sure
zodiac hello kitty charms
Sanxia District is super well known for its Bull Horn Croissants. This shop uses the croissant as an ice cream cone!
taro flavored bull horn croissant ice cream cone!
We bought some to go... I just had the bull horn croissant by itself... derish!
this one's probably coated with sugary flour
the courtyard of aunt Nathalie's condo house
shabu shabu! my aunt knew the owner of the place :)
my last night with the extended family... din din buffet styled... that's why we're related
i knew what i was getting for dessert!
so we ordered our entree.. i had fish and sirloin steak.. AND there was a buffet bar of other food/dessert... all for the price of around $10 USD
a popcorn machine! yahhhhhh
she's adorable... not sure if i'm her aunt ... or her second cousin
i wish i could still pull off her braids look...
he's my mom's uncle... my grampa's cousin.. i thinketh
fambam portrait.. aunt Nathalie standing on the right :) .. sweetest woman in the world!
starfruit!
I did not get to do everything I had planned to in Taiwan, but I had a full and memorable experience. I find it only fitting to end my blog with a haiku...
four months flew by fast
food & shopping paradise
best trip of my life!
