travel journal

Our tour has arrived in Taipei last night...it has been a week on the road already and am I glad to be back to being surrounded by terrible traffic and high rise buildings!

Today, I "sneaked out" of the tour activities to come home to do laundry and check my email (and my thesis mark!!) etc...

When I got home, I saw in the mailbox a present from NZ!

It is the perfect present - a travel journal! I'd been wanting to get one before I leave for Europe! Thanks for such a thoughtful present and the effort to send it to me :) Love that photo of us as well...*hugs* Thanks guys...It's the best travel journal I've seen and I've been flipping thru it over and over...so interesting to read the travel reminders amongst all those other traveling stuff in there...I sure will be using it in my trips!

"I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train" - Oscar Wilde

A little update on my trip. I've been quite sun burnt and sweating like a pig all day long... I'd like the trip to end now but unfortunately there are still 2 more weeks. The sceneries down south are nice but does not take my breathe away... Oh, and I am horrified of the stinky squatting toilets...UGH. I truly not know how to begin describing those experiences with the toilets during the trip...such a contrast to the Toto toilets in Japan that nicely warms your butt.

Most of the tour members are a lot younger than me. Hmmm a lot of high school drama and gossiping going on...hmmm. Should I even mention dodgy people who steals pillows/slippers from the hotels? :( I really do miss those days of traveling in the US with Vivian with the tour and having someone to have great conversations with! Last night there was this huge party and all I wanted to do was to go back to the hotel and sleep. I know...I really am turning into a granny :)

Alright...got heaps more emails to reply then am going to dinner before heading back to join up with the group.

At pebble beach...

14 more days.........

Wow, I didn't know I'd get internet access so soon! :)

It is only the first day of my tour! Ok, so a little update. I arrived at Tainan this arvo after 2 hours on the high speed train! Some tour guides came and pick me up and I met two Canadian guys who are also joining this tour. They drove us to this uni (I didn't even know this uni existed!) where we registered and paid for the trip. Apparently there are 140 ppl in this tour this year and so we are all split into different teams and different buses.

Tonight, I am staying at the dorm room of this university. It is dodgy...hmmmm. There are 3 other girls sharing the room (2 from London, another girl from Sydney) and tonight we've been just getting to know all the other members. We all got so bored that we found the computer room in the uni and everyone seems to be on the facebook now! LOL. It seems like most of the ppl here are younger than me! Most of them have just started uni and some even still in high school. The tour guides (they are actually students from this university) think all of us are incapable of speaking Mandarin so they've been talking to me so slowly. They are pretty "strict" as well. Like just before when we were leaving the room...this girl (who seems to be minding the corridor or something) with the most worried look on her face, asked us where we were going etc. Quite funny I have to say. Maybe she thougth we were going to visit the guys' dorm rooms or something?... I feel like I'm back in high school...

There's supposed to be this introductory meeting now, but I guess they canceled it because not everyone has arrived. Let's hope tomorrow will be more interesting eh?

traveling light

[HEART] missing home already
[EYES] The Heavenly Man by Bro Yun.
[EARS] noisy taipei traffic and *bark bark*
[HEAD] dizzy
[HANDS] squashing everything into tiny luggage

I leave today for the tour around the Island...taking a high speed rail to the most southern part of Taiwan (only takes 2 hours!) and meeting the rest of the tour members there!

I'm soo excited but I feel like a cold or flu is creeping up on me. Ugh.

The last few days have been eventful and I will update when I get back from my trip I guess...in 2 weeks.

How am I supposed to live without the internet for so long? How how how?!?! heheh.

Le Cordon Bleu (Paris)

Paris - Workshop : Autumn Pastry, Cakes
09/29/2007
Description: 6 hour themed workshop
Additional Date & Time Information 8:30am to 3:30pm
Course Duration 1 Day
Prerequisites 18 years old or older
Tuition EUR 142.00

Paris - Workshop : Freshly Baked Pastries
10/20/2007
Description: 6 hour themed workshop
Additional Date & Time Information 8:30am to 3:30pm
Course Duration 1 Day Prerequisites 18 years old or older
Tuition EUR 142.00

Paris - Workshop : Petits Fours
10/13/2007
Description 6 hour themed workshop
Additional Date & Time Information 8:30am to 3:30pm
Course Duration 1 Day
Prerequisites 18 years old and older
Tuition EUR 142.00

Paris - Demo & practical : Cooking for Friends
Description: The day begins with a Chef demonstration followed by a tasting. You will then prepare one of the dishes demonstrated under the supervision of a Chef. You will be able to return home and dazzle your guests with your culinary wizardry! Translated into English.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 15 2007
Tomatoes stuffed with large shrimp marinated with dill, horseradish Chantilly Saltimbocca style sautéed veal, crisp vegetables with herbs Strawberries in red wine, marjoram granita
SATURDAY OCTOBER 6 2007
Lobster fricassee with fresh tomato, mushroom ragout Stuffed chicken legs cooked with green lentils from Puy Mascarpone mousse served in a glass with flambéed banana
SATURDAY OCTOBER 27 2007
Leek and shallot compote, poached egg and Roquefort cream sauce Lamb with large white “Tarbais” beans Hot orange flower water flavored soufflé

Additional Date & Time Information 8:30am to 3:30pm
Course Duration 1 Day
Tuition EUR 142.00


I may be returning from Europe a culinary artist! If anyone is willing to sponsor me that is... So costy...these short courses. I'd love to get a diploma from Le Cordon Bleu in Sydney some day though.

its been 5 years!

Got to spend all day with my little cuz before she leaves for NZ tomorrow. She's so cute!

i love bento

I spent all morning packing and therefore did not get to go for a swim. Because we had to check out by 12pm, for the remainder of the time in Tokyo we went to the nearby museum (The National Art Center) to check out the architecture and the neighbourhood of our hotel. Before we hopped on the bus to the airport, we made a final visit to my favourite place - the supermarket!

The Japanese ppl I'd come across are so apologetic and courteous...always telling me how sorry they are for not being able to speak better English! It made me feel terrible.
I also learnt that you are not supposed to wear your shoes into the changing rooms. Several times I had forgotten about this custom which had the sales ladies panicking and shrieking in terror.

Cute yoghurt bottles...makes you wanna eat them all!

A supermarket which sells all kinds of bento...

Did I mention how much I love bentos?

If only the fruits at coles are packed like these...

Aunty and I

Me and mummy at the hotel lobby


The National Art Center

A French restaurant inside the museum (at the top of the cone)...it had the longest line coz

of its world renowned chef Paul Bocuse.

Mum and I outside hotel before we left...

Lunch time is here....while waiting for boarding time...

It's sad leaving Tokyo...it had been a delicious trip...

regret

We've been thinking about extending our stay here in Tokyo...there are way too many places unvisited and I'd really like to see more of Japan outside central Tokyo. I sort of wish that I do not have to work next year so that I could join Nova and teach English in Japan for a year...It would be nice to learn the language and see all that Japan has to offer. Oh well...some day.

Ok here are some of the places in Tokyo I still need to visit:
-Ginza
-Omotesando
-Ebisu
-Tsukiji (fish market)
-Shinjuku gyoen Park

Perhaps I shall squeeze in another trip to Japan after my Euro trip...but that depends on the seriousness of my debt. :p

Today mum's friend treated us to lunch at a traditional Japanese restaurant...and I don't even remember the name of it! Altho I haven't been to Tetsuya's in Sydney, but I can imagine it to be something similar to what we had. My only regret was that I didn't take any photos...:( It was so posh there and I didn't want to look all touristy in front of all these other people. Before the meal, they even give you a list of what will be served on this pretty piece of paper (exactly like how Iron Chef Michiba writes out his 'menu' in calligraphy). Every dish was so delicate and made with so much thought that I was guessing how the judges on Iron Chef would critic each dish. ("The combination of the flavours just explode in your mouth" lol..)

I also met mum's friend's kid at lunch. It was funny trying to communicate with him with his limited English and our broken Chinese.

H: "So where do you live now?"
Me: "Sydney"
H: *looking blank"
Me: "See-doe-nee"
H: "Ohhhhh so-desu ka"

One thing I am sure. I definitely do not want to work in Tokyo. He said at Sony he gets off work at 12am everyday!!!!! He even lives in those company provided dormitory...I was just thinking how horrible...not having your own free time.

Throughout the whole day, my legs felt disconnected from the rest of my body. I haven't walked so much for a long time. I bought a new camera today...and some work clothes. One last thought...never go shopping in Tokyo during the sales period.

Still have half a day tmr before we head to the airport. Sayonara Japan...see you again soon.

Street performer...the little puppet thing on the ground does everything asked...when I shouted "sleep"...it actually collapsed on the group...strange huh? no strings attached!

Desserts at Takano in Shinjuku

Don't judge those by their plain appearances. They are melon-flavoured buns. The tastiest buns ever. Sooooooooo fingerlicking good..

White peach is in season right now. Oh so juicy...

Hmmmmm....this is how I look all day long...

This trip is like a eating tour...all I did was eating..then more eating...

my tanjoubi

My poor aching feet....we've been walking around so much that every night I need to soak my feet in hot water to relief the pain.

My birthday also falls on Day Three of this trip. I got to spend it with my mum. I love her so much! She even woke me up at midnight to wish me a happy birthday...hehe.

Strangely enough, I love communicating with the Japanese people. I'd be speaking to them in English while they reply in Japanese...and it didn't seem like anything was lost in translation. They are so cute...especially the older people.

This stone is called "Shape of Mind" and it is designed by Kan Yasuda

Pineapple KitKat anyone?

Had those rice balls for brekkie...hmmm

Customers of this noodle place can only dine standing up.

The soba was cooked to just the right amount of chewiness

I'd thought the white part was egg white...but it is actually mashed gooey yam?

Watching this on TV last night...prettyy.

We treated ourselves to this before heading back to hotel. It is the best dessert I've ever tasted.

Iron Chef MICHIBA! You can't go wrong with this (instant) soup...:p I can't wait to try this when I get home.

Cuteness

Day Two has been amazing...I feel like I'm this wide-eyed tourist who jumps up and down at every little thing I see! There are simply too much to see here...today we were taken around by mum's friend who has lived in Tokyo for over 20 years. She took us to this really cool discount store which is exclusive for certain people (I don't really know how she got the membership tho). The store sells everything from Japanese kimonos to cash registries..hehe. I guess it is a bit like Wal-Mart in the US except everythings in great quality and it is the kind of store that you enter only wanting to buy one item but end up leaving with a hundred. Me and mum are always up for bargains so we spent well over 4 hours at the store...

I'm usually not one who is into anything 'cute'...but today I got those cute lunch boxes with several compartments plus patterned linen sacks to carry them in. I can already imagine taking them to work next year and getting weird looks from colleagues! I like!

Posh mineral water...Norwegian design

Tokyo-ites love their bikes...thus pollution here isn't so bad!

Famous shopping district Shinjuku

Dinner at this place famous for its tempuras!

Cute Jap man frying the tempuras...

Menu

ita-daki-masu!!!!

Konnichi-wa

Got up at 6am to get to the airport at 8am...we got to our hotel at 4:30pm despite the flight only took 3 hours! Lots of waiting time in between...

As soon as we unloaded the luggage at the hotel, we headed off to Shibuya to eat some sushi and wander around. I had fun trying to communicate using lots of hand signals...still wish I at least know some basic Japanese tho...

Very nice hotel....free wireless too so I'm typing this while looking out into amazing Tokyo night view...and eating plum jelly hmmm. Oishiiiiii....

Matcha powder...self serve..

Everyone has their own hot water tap to fill up the cup

HUGE unagi!!

I have no idea what this black stuff is....supposed to be "sea vegetable" = seaweed?

Most japanese ppl don't eat off the rotating train...they write down their order instead..here is my first ever attempt to write Japanese...can you believe they actually understood what I wrote?

In the JR train...

Shibuya city centre

Day One

Hurrah! I am back in Taipei (only after 6 months!)

After almost 10 (unbearable) hours on the plane, was I happy to be greeted by my lovely parents and ready to get used to being spoiled by them :p Straight from the airport we went to grab dinner at 10pm. Yummo!! (Had horrible plane food...which served bacon in a cold bread roll + Cherry Ripe choc bar...Ugh!)

I'm glad life doesn't always turn out that way you plan, otherwise I might've been a stewardess now?! I noticed how exhausting the job must be...it isn't all that glam as I saw it thru my 8 years old eyes. Anyway, just a thought on the trip here.

I wonder how all the girls here manage to stay so thin with all the great & cheap food available at every corner of the streets. Shopping here can be pretty traumatising especially when the shop assistant kindly tells you that the top you are holding is simply too small for you and that you'd need a larger size. To make the matter even worse, after you try on the larger size you find it little bit too tight and when ask for the top one size up, you are told that that is the largest size availabe. Yup that did happen to me today. Luckily, due to a healthy self image, this incident did not leave me chewing on a celery stick for dinner.

But however, I was frustrated...hence the this is what happened when I saw Homer:

"Oh why you little...!"

Off to Japan tomorrow! See you there!

Shakespeare & Co.

Last night, I was browsing through a whole shelf of travel guides on Paris and came across this bookstore in one of the guides (I forget which one). This bookshop is located in the 5th arrondissement in Paris and in the old days was often visited by authors such as Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and James Joyce. What is also special about this bookstore is that its current owner has been inviting people to live in his shop from its very first days. There are apparently 13 beds among the books and more than 40,000 people have slept there at one time or another. All the owner asks is that people make their bed in the morning, help out in the shop, and read a book a day. Looks like I now have a backup plan if I cannot find accomodation in Paris :p




The travel guide mentioned about daily readings from various authors...which reminded me of the movie Before Sunset. When I wiki-ed the bookstore, I saw that the store was in fact in the opening scene of the movie where the Jesse (Ethan Hawke) was interviewed about his book!
Choice...!


Shakespeare & Co.
37 rue de la Bûcherie, 5e
Open everday noon-midnight