it's the final countdown...(of the 9 weeks)

Monday
went to Xingnan market(中和市興南夜市) all the way at the end of the orange line. it was supposedly one of the smallest night markets in Taiwan, but it still had alot of things, so it was worth going to. I found a summer dress! yay!

Wednesday
Last group meeting! So even though I wasn't done with my project due to technical difficulties, I still made a powerpoint presentation and presented. I didn't have to, but I felt like it was most appropriate to do so. Sigh.... kryptonite wasted 4 weeks for me.

After the group meeting, some of the lab members saw me looking at a map, deciding where I was going to head to for the night. They listed off night markets, and everything they listed, I have been to, so they told me about one that was very small and unlisted on any maps/tourist guide. It had cheap fried chicken. good stuff!

Thursday
Went into work in the morning to see if I could say goodbye to Dr. Lin (he was leaving for France that night) before I headed out with Mr. Tseng and Iris for the night. no such luck. I debated saying goodbye to him on Wednesday, but decided against it, since it would seem like I wasn't going in to lab on thurs/fri. oh well.

went to Keelung Night Market (very north of TW) with Mr. Tseng and Iris. Iris lent me her flute cause she wants me to play for her. HAHAHA. I think I will? Just the other day, I was thinking about how much I miss my flute.

Went back home at around 2100 and practiced flute until I got called for a noise complaint at 2110. I knew I should've stopped around 2100, but I really didn't want to. its ok though!

Friday
and now... I am debating whether or not I should meet LJue and some NCREE grad students at shilin.

My very first zoo experience!

I think this visit to Taipei Zoo (臺北動物園) maybe the first official zoo I have been to. Sad. I know. I like aquariums better though. the weather was quite hot, but carrying an umbrella made things better (i know right? Jen almost never uses an umbrella)

the entrance
before we went inside the nocturnal house, they had a place where you put your gum. i think this is a genius idea
look at the algae
there was a thunderstorm in the middle of the day
stinky rhinos!
elephants! only female though... i really wanted to see the male one, he was behind and he was HUGE
HAHAHA.... at one point, she peed, he licked it...
____ art! $10 to anyone who can guess what kind of art this is

stopped at Jing Mei on the way back. and guess what? this time I found the night market "name tag" I've been here like 2 times before but have never found it

"動物很臭" - 言承旭 in 流星花園

typhoon crazzzies...

EDIT : pictures for this post will be up... when I dont feel lazy
EDIT#2: ok. i just noticed that this is like a 2 week blog. haha. so I will put dates!

Tuesday (8/04)
Since it was raining... err.. well it rained, and then stopped when I left work, I decided that I should probably go to Liaoning St. Night market instead of going to Raohe again because it was so much closer. besides, the actual street vendors would be gone if it were to rain later on in the night. What a disappointment Liaoning was! There was about... half a street worth of food vendors, with food I don't even particularly like. So far, every night market on the tourist map has not been a disappointment, except for this one. =/Seeing that it hasn't rained... yet... I head on over to Raohe for food ( they have alot of food! it was a good night market) and then to Wufenpu for clothes.

Wufenpu has ALOT of clothes, but since you cant try anything on, I am too scared to buy anything. Afterall, everything in this country is one size fit all. which FYI TW... that is NOT true. In the beginning, I was walking the Wufenpu streets in an orderly fashion so that I would be able to locate my bike after I was done. About half way through, I somehow get very, very lost. Took me like 45 mins to find my bike, so I decided to head home (it was 2300) afterwards. 45 min bike ride home =)

Wednesday (8/05)
Went to Banqiao Night Market. Since the tourist map did not map out the area to Banqiao very well and I left work kind of late, I biked to Ximen station and went on the MRT. Actually, I realized I left my map at work when I got down to my bike, but no way was I going to wait for the super long wait time elevator again...especially during everyone's "time to go home!" hour. Banqiao was a good night market, lots of cheap clothes and lots of food (cheap too!). Before we went, I was hoping it wouldn't be as disappointing as Liaoning, since it would be worse since it is so much farther. Now I wish that Banqiao was closer.

We both got off a Ximen station, and since only I had my bike there, LJue and I were gonna try biking together, but this time, with me on the bike and her sitting. Didn't work out too well as I don't have as good a sense of balance as she does =( So we swapped places and she biked on, what is a tiny, bike for her. LoL. It hurts WAY less to sit than to stand I must say.

Thursday (8/06)
Had our usual group meeting. The plan was to go KTV afterwards, but a storm (typhoon) was coming in, so everyone decided that it wasn't the best idea to go. (On wed, A-Yeh had asked me if I was free Thurs. and before I could answer, he was like "yea. you are free"... me - "um... ok? I guess I am" too bad we didn't get to go. Its been 2 planned KTV trips that have been shot down =/ It wasn't raining and I should have biked home then, but I decided to accept their invitation for dinner. heh. bad choice. It was pouring cats and dogs outside, so I decide to go back to lab with A-Yeh and Jui-Chi.... ahaha A-Yeh was like "so, you are gonna take a gamble for the rain to stop"... it never did. I left when they left around 2100 cause I didn't want to be the only person left in a 15 story building. Since neither of them rode their motorcycles home cause it was way too windy and wet, I reluctantly left my bike at NTUH =(

Friday (8/07)
No work because it was typhooning outside.... unfortunately, that meant no play either =/ Went out to get food after I woke up. Chilled inside for a bit. got boba and was gonna continue to watch The Hospital... but I got a call and had to go to the hospital. Came back from the hospital around 0030.

typhoon aftermath... i like how the bikes lean one way, but the trees lean the other
way to be parallel!
tree that fell over completely
Saturday (8/08)
Woke up at 0735 so that I could get bread from the cheap bakery. They ran out WAY early on friday because everyone was stocking up food. Usually, the locals don't stock up food here. FamilyMarts and 7-11s were quite empty on friday too. I didn't really stock, considering that I was planning to go out anyways. haha. At first the bread lady said the bread would arrive after 0800, so I go back to my dorm to get more money. (I was only walking around with 50NT because I had used the rest the night before paying the hospital fees) Then the lady said the bread would come after 0900, which it didn't. LJue and I sat around and waited, but it started raining and the genius me forgot to put on bug repellent ( you don't even know how fast/much i get bitten) I was bitten 2 times in 1 min. So we decide to head back to I could put on some repelent (and I was itching already) and come back later. We chilled for a bit in the lobby and then went back at around 1000 and.. there was bread! we were so happy. LoL. came back. Skype'd the parents for a bit and then hopped on LJue's back to go get my bike at NTUH. Gave a tour of the shopping mall... i mean hospital and the food court. and the boring cubicles. showed LJue what I REALLY do at work (ahah. TOP secret). I LOVE the elevators on the weekends though, non stop 12 floors up/down! Headed over to Yongkang St. Not much there like before. Then to Circle of Delicious Near Taipower Building... Nothing/barely anyone there. Bike tire slipped again while I was riding (it was raining) =/ Fell on my keys in my pocket. haha. Went back to Gongguan and got food there. Just a note to you future TW tourist... Gongguan does not ever dissapoint in the food department. LoL.

Sunday (8/09)
Was going to go to NCREE to see them tests something, but didn't. Wanted to go to Taiwan Nougat Museum because I REALLY like nougat candy, but it started raining on the way there, and it is a SUPER SUPER SUPPER DUPER long bike ride there, so I got to as far as where Lehua Night Market would be and walked around for a bit there. There were some shops open, but most weren't since it was pouring cows and chickens outside. Headed home around 1600. I wanted to wait until it stopped pouring, but it only got harder and harder.

Monday (8/10)
Went with LJue after work to Lehua. pretty cool night market. we biked along Xindian river a little, and then did some exercise. may I add "PAINFUL?"

Tuesday (8/11)
wanted to go to Xinmen night market, but it was raining =/ what a waste of another day. I biked to Xindian and back and did some more exercise. Totally in pain afterwards. took 3 hours!

Wednesday (8/12)
ate dinner with Mr. Tseng and Iris. I like hanging out with her.

Thursday (8/13)
went to "Dr. Leroy Chang's Memorial Symposium" not that I listened to any of the talks... i didn't even bother sitting inside. I brought my laptop and hung out outside of the lecture hall. LoL. was supposed to get my second motorcycle ride in TW, but Yo-Hsuan didn't feel good in the morning, so we took the MRT instead =/ how depressing.

Got to AS, at like 1012, and the first coffee break was at 1025. Yo-Hsuan and I went inside for the remainder of the session haha. then had coffee break. (i think coffee breaks are awesome xD) during the break, Ting-Rong and Yo-Hsuan asked me to go ask Dr. Lin whether or not we had a group meeting on friday. Dr. Lin was talking to Dr. Gwan... for forever. finally, I got to ask, and yes. there was one ( I am writing this as I dread having to go in later for a meeting I don't even pay attention to). The two of them were planning to leave after they found out the info. I almost didn't want to ask so quick so that they would stay. haha. they left. I chilled on my laptop until lunch. Ate lunch with Dr. Gwan, who then went back to ehr office (at AS) to work. Saw Che-Chia come at around 1400, and he went inside to listen. (he is so obdient. A-Yeh and I were later discussing what a great husband he would be. xP)

A-Yeh showed up about 30 min later and we basically wasted, well not really wasted, 2+ hours talking. Originally, the second coffee break was supposed to be at 1530, but it didn't happen until 1730! WAY to stay on schedule. Since Dr. Lin was one of the organizers of this thing, his students "had to go" to support. Only "had to go" turned into "let's say 'hi' to Dr. Lin and then leave" The only reason why I didn't leave is because my VS IS STILL RUNNING!!!! A-Yeh suggested that it may be stuck in a loop, so I think I will cancel/stop the job on monday and just proceed. It's wasted almost 3 weeks already. ugh.

oh yea. A-Yeh said he may be going to HK around the say time I am headed there. haha. I told him to go so we could hang out in HK.

took the MRT back with A-Yeh. Got to Taipower building station and got off because I forgot to check the station prices. Walked to Gongguan, walked around until LJue called me back. Went to go shopping for placemats for her. ahaha. somebody came in to give the manager of the store wheel cakes, but the manager was "too full" and so she offered it to LJue and I. I declined, but she kept insisting, so as manners/customs go, we accepted it. One was red bean and one was milk custard. I got the red bean. opps. wrong one. oh well, red/green bean is growing on me. i think. anyways. i was thinking about getting some wheel cakes sicne I didn't eat dinner yet.

went to shida too to look around cause we were that bored. then came home and watched The Hospital 我愛言承旭!

lame rain. was gonna go to a night market with some NCREE grad students (I heard 2 were from HK! canto pride TO THE MAX!!!).... but of course, it rained again. LAME!

sigh... now I gotta go to work for a stupid meeting.

不要在雨了!我求求你...
>.<

Do I really look that poor?

I decided to go to Raohe St. Night Market last night even though it was very far from NTUH. I figured that eventually I am going to have to go anyways. well, not have to, but I definately would go at some point.

Raohe St. Night Market sign
Good thing I got there the time I did. Had a got there a bit later, it would have been pouring rain. However, because it was pouring rain, many of the "middle of the street" vendors left early, so now I need to go back if I want to look at everything =/

For some reason, either I look really poor... or extremely desparate for a job. 3 people, 2 at Raohe & 1 at Linjiang (which I stopped at on the way), approached me and asked if I wanted a job. haha. the other odd thing is everyone asked me if I was in high school. One lady told me I looked "too cute to be college aged" HAHAHA. that's funny. and of course, when I admitted I was in college, everyone was like "no way" One of the ladies didn't even believe that I was not Taiwanese.

Note to self: don't try to ride up curbs that have no ramps after it just rained. The tire does not have enough friction to "jump" up the curb, and as a result will slip and turn, causing its rider to fall flat on the ground. luckily, it was on the sidewalk and not the street.

Other than that... for all my adorable lady readers.... don't go bra shopping in TW unless you know your own size. or you plan to buy a bra only to stuff cotton in it... and ALOT of cotton. I spent like 5 mins arguing with the vendor about my size. She kept saying, your size is not here! go inside, I have size "D" and "E." After I got tierd of listening to her tell me that I needed a size "D" and "E" I just followed her inside just so that she could stop telling me that "there is none your size here." If I bought those, I would have asked her to buy some cotton too. This is not the only vendor that has issues judging sizes, not just for me, but other people too. Somehow, size "A" in TW, looks like a size "C" to vendors. So I wonder if people who really have size "D" and "E" have to buy size "X" "Y" or "Z" in TW. HAHAH.

我是大學生, 但是,我很想回念高中
>.<

and so I learned that I am capable of a sunburn

Friday
I decided that since my VS is still running (SUPER slowly), I would go exploring before I went into work. I headed off to Jianguo Holiday Flower Market (建國假日花市), only to discover in my MRT travel guide that it only runs on weekends... urgh. if I bothered to read that thing with more detail, I wouldve saved a trip. Anyways, I decided to head on over to Breeze Center (微風廣場) and Sincere Dept. Store(先施百貨), only to find that both were closed until 11am =(. Still strolled around for a bit, found some 小籠包 (xioa long bao) and got a cup of fresh soymilk. both firsts in TW. the 小籠包 was good (I didn't eat it until I got to work), but it didn't have the juice that was supposed to be inside =( I finally decide to go to work, even though I knew I would go in to... uh.. play games (seriously). While I was parking my bike, I ran in to A-Yeh and he told me that the lab was getting the floor waxed, which meant that there would not really be time to work today. Good for me, bad for my progress, but it really doesn't matter since everything is in a stall with VS. urgh. Not long after arriving in lab, we begin moving stuff into the hallways. Great social time. why can't the work environment be like this everyday? (well, no one would ever get anything done)... haha somewhere in the conversations, A-Yeh asked me when my birthday was, and I told him it was far off enough he would forget it, be he insisted he wouldn't. He wrote it on the whiteboard inside our lab.. haha. Finished moving stuff and the 4 of us (Jui-Chih, Che Chia, A-Yeh, and me) went down to eat lunch. Surprisingly, when we were done with lunch, the wax was already dried so we moved back in. It took A-Yeh like 2 hours to get the internet working again, so by the time it was ready, it was time for me to go. (or so I decided)

I headed to Raohe Night Market (饒河街夜市) and Wufenpu Commercial District(五分埔). Just as a I reached it, Mr. Tseng called me for dinner and so I head back (urgh... this place is far from NTUH and I had been reluctant to go all week because of how far it is) I met a guy from Colorado State University on the way. We had dinner at 2100. I was very hungry.

Saturday
LJue and I biked to Xindian (新店) to take the bus to Wulai(烏來). Went to the mini day market at Xindian, not too much stuff. Taxi drivers were trying to persuade us to get in their taxi, 100NT per person, telling us that "there is no space on the bus." The woman who was waiting for the taxi to take off (the driver was waiting on two more) was like "Two buses have already passed, but there was no room to get on). It costs 40NT one way on the bus, so no way did I want to spend an extra 60NT. The bus comes and we get on... so much about it not having room. We stood for awhile, but eventually, seats opened up as people got off.

Since it was very sunny, we didn't want to go in the hot springs until the sun came down a bit. We explored the area, including a day market which was much more exciting than the one at Xindian, and tried to find the Wulai waterfall. On our way there, we walked through a "lover's walk" haha. Just when we thought we weren't going the right way/we wont find it, we found the waterfall. It was so pretty. We hung around that area and enjoyed the view for awhile. It was too hot to go anywhere anyways.

streets of Wulai, it was early, so not that many people were there yet
me! (gosh. this pic makes me look so short)
waterfall! (or is it?)
wow. I am REAL bored

gondola to go to the otherwise of the waterfall. there was an amusment park there too! but we didn't go.
We decided to go in the hotsprings around 1600, even though the sun was still out, but we dodn't want to stay there too late. When we were on our way to get in, we found the changing rooms we were looking for. Guess what we did instead to change? gotta blame swim team! (it was kinda AWK cause the lifeguard and the dudes in the river directed their attention .. um yea... disappointment for them, Jen is too pro at deck changing for a show)

Actually, the springs it self was hot, but the river? was cool. It felt so nice. I did bring googles, but I didn't want to stick my head in the water, so I just swam with my head out of the water.... upstream.HAHA I am a salmon! Would have been MUCH MUCH easier to swim with my head in the water, downstream. Good thing I've been doing some form of encercise or I would have died. I did kick some underwater rocks a few times, my poor shin hurt like crazy for most of the day afterwards.

hot springs/river?
oh yea. funny story, so LJue and I were sitting on the side, cause it is really tiring to keep on treading water, but too hot to sit inside the hotsprings. She felt omething nipping at her feet/leg and decide to just sit outside completely, probably a fish. With that warning, I still decide to sit i nthe water. 30secs. later, something nipped my toe... and to (no one's) surprised, I screamed. Needless to say, after I jumped out of the water, EVERYBODY (and their mothers) were looking at me. so embarassing. yea. for future reference (in case you didn't already know), don't poke me in a quiet context. please.

After the hot springs, we each bought a sausage thing that they have all over TW, but I have been reluctant to eat since it is very greasy. Actually, it wasn't so greasy, and it was super super good. I think I have to have it more before I leave TW (4 weeks left to get fat!) Strolled around a bit more. LJue bought gifts for family/friends. As for me, I am going to give that task to mi madre =) hehe.

Wulai Old Street, also where we got our yummy sausage
I just left Wulai with 7 mosquito bites. I have been really good about putting repelent on. I think it was while I was drying off/changing. LJue walked away with none. Am I really that yummy? The hot springs was also supposed to make my skin whiter... yea, right

Got in line for the bus back to Xindian. Rode on the streets instead of taking the path by Xindian Stream (which is the way we took earlier that morning) so that we could stop at Jingmei Night Market. I thin kthis time, it was more interesting than last time I went. We eat bought a pair of jeans for 190NT! so cheap. that's less that $6 USD for each pair!. AND ... we got to try it on. Usually, things that are that cheap you never get to try on. Tried to go bra shopping too. One size fits all. super lacy. that's all I have to say.

note: I was also given the gift of MY VERY FIRST sunburn (on my shoulders...hey hey. it was either #1 tshirt tan #2 tank top tan. i chose the latter, plus it classifies me as a "tourists".) I never knew I was possible of a sunburn. I didn't use sunscreen, which is not a surprise.

Sunday
Ate lunch with Mr. Tseng and his cousin, Iris. I really like hanging out with them, in particular when he brings Iris. Will have to take a picture with her later. After lunch, it was too hot to go anywhere, so I hung out in my lounge a bit and went to Ximending at around 1900. Wasn't as exciting as they bragged weekends at that place would be, but oh well. Much more exciting than the lack-of night life in the US.

went biking along Xindian river after Ximen.very pretty and many bikers. I want a blinking light like everyone else =)

Monday
haha... what A-Yeh and I actually do at work
he said that before I arrived the board never had this stuff. LOL

side note: i thought my VS would be done by now. but it hasnt moved at all since last thursday. sigh.i just want to be done!

快下班了!
>.<