Letters to Taiwan: Day 4

We overslept a little on the 11th of March, but thankfully, we were still able to wake up in time to feed the alpacas.



Honestly, they weren't as smelly as I was expecting them to be HAHA, but they were so eager to eat. Hand-feeding them was kinda cute, they were shuffling among the 5 of us, reaching out to whoever's hand held food haha. There were 3 alpacas altogether, a male and two females, but there were a couple more that were enclosed in the farm.



And of course, in today's day and age.... If you didn't snapchat yourself feeding the alpacas.... Did you even feed them at all?



The B&B owners were also kind enough to cook us a hearty breakfast! These were the dishes served together with porridge. According to the owner, the people in Taiwan usually eat heavily for breakfast, followed by a normal amount of food for lunch, and the least amount of food for dinner. They just take light snacks from the night markets in the evening, and it's enough to fill them up.



Afterwards, the owner drived us to the National Dong Hwa University in Shoufeng. The place was huge! The school also had so many great photo spots, such as this bridge over a little lake. The weather was also breezy and cooling.




The landscape around the university itself was so beautiful. Students were going around on bikes, probably because the school is too huge for them to be walking around from one classroom to the next haha. In fact, this university is probably bigger than any poly here in Singapore.





And of course, a mandatory squad photo!



Before we went to our next location, Alvin requested that we stop by this shop for some special black peanuts. The scenery around that stall was beautiful too, a pity I didn't manage to capture it well enough...

Afterwards, we drove to Lin Tian Shan, a forestry park in Hualien. Once again, the scenery was breathtaking. We don't get to see mountains here in Singapore, but Taiwan is littered with them. Seeing manmade structures built amongst these natural landscapes is not quite something I've seen before.

Qi Lun and I also finally got to take a cliche couple-y photo on one of the abandoned railway tracks! Thanks to the help of Yong Jie of course.



After exploring the area a little more, we stumbled upon more photo-worthy spots. The only downer was probably how it was drizzling a little by the time we were about to leave, but at least we still managed to take some pretty good shots. I guess the Lin Tian Shan forestry park is also quite a hit among other tourists, but thankfully, the place wasn't too crowded. We were still able to roam around freely!

And honestly, doesn't this photo give off some serious Alan Walker Faded album feels?? Go Google if you don't know what I mean heh.



We also stumbled upon this adorable little beagle that wanted to follow us down the flight of stairs. He appeared to be limping, probably another abandoned dog from another irresponsible owner.... There's too many strays walking around wherever we go, my heart goes out to them. I wonder whether Taiwan actually has shelters where they try to keep and take care of these dogs, but once again, a shelter can only keep a certain amount of them before it gets overcrowded.... Poor thing. It was limping down the stairs trying to follow us too...

Next stop: Liyu Lake! It was so peaceful and quiet, because there was practically nobody there. We just stood at the lookout area and just admired the sights for a good 20 minutes before we (sorta) trekked along the lake. There were also these cats being fed near the lake!




It was pretty misty too, but we were still able to catch a glimpse of the mountains in the distance. Cycling around the lake to reach its other end is what most tourists do, but because I'm a burden and I didn't know how to cycle, we had to get to the other side on foot. It was about a 2.3-2.4km walk, but we were able to take in some fresh air, and experience what nature had to offer.

Our final stop for the day was Hualien Dongdamen Night Market, which oddly enough, sounds like South Korea's Dongdaemun. One would only assume that they did this on purpose haha. Because the owner dropped us off not too near the night market, we spent some time wandering about the streets.



Taiwan's convenience stores' range never fails to excite me. There's just something about seeing rows and rows of new drinks to try that makes me happy haha.

Eventually, we found our way to Dongdamen Night Market, and we got there when it was already dark out. At first, all we saw were game stations, and very little food stalls. But apparently, we just entered the night market from a different entrance, and after venturing on, we found more food stalls, much to our hungry stomachs' delight.



But after seeing so many game stalls all lined up, we decided to give one of them a try. This one required us to shoot pallet guns, which I, needless to say, failed horrendously at. I only managed to pop one balloon after a round of 20+ bullets......... :')


The guys managed to pop all the balloons on one of the wheels though, but she only gave us a stack of playing cards as a consolation prize. The lady also never exactly explained how the game was supposed to work, she just kept encouraging us to pay the money and play first. A good way to cheat people's money haha, but it was still fun while it lasted. 

It was rainy once again, and we had to manage holding our umbrellas on one hand and snacking on the other hand. But surprisingly, this night market had sheltered areas with tables and chairs for people to sit and eat!



The game stalls area was pretty quiet, because the crowd was where the food was. All the squids from the night markets was also pretty bomb, cooked to the perfect texture and drenched in sweet sauce. Didn't get to take too many foodie shots, because I was mostly just munching away, and I didn't have enough hands for a camera hehe.

That night was be our last in Hualien, so when we got back home, we simply chilled and watched TV.  I also took one last bath in the comfortable bath back in our room. Once again, we packed our bags and got ready to set off bright and early the next morning for Taipei.

Day 4's set of photos hold some of my favourites throughout the entire trip. Sometimes, we are too surrounded by concrete buildings and roads that we forget to embrace nature. I would never really consider myself a nature and landscape person, simply because I hate insects, wet soil, and everything else icky that comes with it, but walked around Hualien might have changed that mindset. In fact, I would even go so far as to say that Hualien was one of my favourite visits of the trip. Life there is so tranquil, so quiet and calming, it automatically makes you feel more relaxed too. I'm really thankful that we got to experience something at the other end of the spectrum, instead of just hopping around shops and bustling shopping streets.

Letters to Taiwan: Day 3

We set out for Hualien, bright and early on the 10th of March. We had to wake up at close to 4am in the wee morning in order to make it for the 7:30 train (which we almost missed). That was inclusive of the time needed for all 5 of us to prepare + the 30-45min cab ride from our home to Taichung station. It was quite a rush, but we still managed to take away some good breakfast at MOS Burger and the station's 7-Eleven before we made it for the train.



The ride was a good 5 to 5 and a half hours long. We were slipping in and out of sleep as the train made a round around Taiwan to get us to Hualien - the last stop on the line we were on. The train tickets were not as cheap as we thought they would be, if I recalled correctly (merely a week since we came back and I'm already starting to forget bits and pieces of the trip... Thank goodness for pictures and receipts). But the ride was worth it. I was still feeling quesy during the train ride there, having only slept for a few hours, and getting neck strains from lying on Qi Lun's shoulder for too long, but the breathtaking views that were about to greet us took all those feelings away.



At Hualien, we stayed at the Papaya River B&B. Now, this B&B looked almost like a resort. I was extremely taken aback, considering that Hualien is not as developed and modernised compared to Taichung. I was preparing myself for a slightly less 'luxurious' home, with basic amenities for our stay, but I was blown away. (Bear in mind that Alvin did most of the planning, since he has been to Taiwan the most out of all of us, thus he knows his way around easier. Going on the trip was more of a free and easy surprise for the rest of us haha) The B&B itself sat next to an Alpaca Farm (probably because Alpaca-petting is one of the main features of the B&B), and the room itself was majorly comfortable. There were three beds, similar to our AirBNB in Taichung, but about a third of the entire room was segregated to form a huge toilet. And by huge I mean needing to take about 4-5 steps from the toilet bowl to the bathtub. Fancy indeed!



And trust me, soaking in the tub with hot water when the weather out is cold and chilly is the best feeling ever..... Probably the closest I've ever gotten to experiencing an onsen haha.

Because of the rain, we couldn't have much plans for the day, considering that it was also super windy. We literally walked a little out of our B&B and turned back because of how windy, chilly and rainy it was getting. Our shoes were soaked, so it only made sense for us to not have much planned for the day. Because of that, the highlight of that day for me was exploring the area around Papaya River instead.



With close to no one around the B&B's vicinity, save for the occasional van driving by, it felt like we had the place to ourselves. It was so tranquil and quiet, a farcry from Taichung's bustling life. It was amazing getting to take a breather from the city.



The farm was home to these two adorable dogs, Tiger and Xiao Hei (I think?). They were both really cute, following us around everywhere! Tiger (the brown one) would always stand in the near distance, all most as if he was beckoning us to walk around the towns. He was the more adventurous one, apparently, while Xiao Hei just walked around the farm and the B&B on his own.



When we tried setting out for a walk around the area outside of our B&B, Tiger was with us the whole way, although he seemed a little disappointed when we turned back instead haha. Darn, rain!



Also, I had the best sleeps of my entire Taiwan trip in Papaya River's B&B. Alvin said the owners mentioned that there was some special wood that their floors are made of that helps people sleep better?? I don't know, but either way, I slept like a baby. The bed was super comfy, and I truly appreciated the cooling weather outside while I was tucked underneath the sheets.



And excuse the ugly, low-light photo, but here's a snap of the dishes we had in this little quaint restaurant near the B&B that the owner recommended. Shoutout to the awesome steamed/roasted chicken dish we had. Practically speaking, the entire meal was hearty and wholesome. The chicken soup was of just the right temperature to keep us warm, and the nice lady of the restaurant cooked some strange vegetables that we've never tasted before... Nevertheless I found them pretty good! It was quite nice getting to taste something we're not entirely familiar with. All part of the experience!

Letters to Taiwan: Day 2

We woke up on the 9th of March feeling well rested for the day ahead. But first, food!

Our cab driver the previous day recommended some dumplings just down the street from where we were staying, so we decided to give them a try for breakfast. Honestly, these might just be one of the best dumplings I've ever tasted. We also found a nice, quiet little park next to the store.

The hearty, glorious dumplings. They looked so plain and ordinary, but the filling, coupled with the perfectly cooked dumpling skin and the sauce made these one of the best 'meals' I had in Taiwan.

Taichung's weather was cool, even slightly chilly, a big albeit pleasant change from Singapore's sweltering heat. We saw vehicles zooming around the streets, but the walkways were relatively peaceful, with lesser crowds compared to the night time. I also discovered how motorbikes were more frequently found on the roads. There are even designated stopping areas before traffic lights, specially for bikes. 

Unknowingly, we spent most of our second day popping by the vast amount of Nike, Adidas and other sports stores around the vicinity near our home. To say I was surprised by the number of stores there were was quite an understatement! It seemed like almost every street we ventured to had at least two Nike stores - just opposite each other at that! If that wasn't enough, there are also dozens of stores that housed a large number of brands such as Under Armour, Vans, Keds and even DC. 

Qi Lun also started hunting for his pair of navy Nike Roshes after we saw them going for just 2,250NT at one of the stores. Roshes were practically in every Nike store there was, so it was just a matter of looking for the cheapest one. And here we were in Singapore searching far and wide (and even online) for a decent pair of Roshes...... Taiwan has them everywhere!

I would soon discover that Taiwan's streets are littered with a beautiful mix of old and new buildings. That, combined with the pretty trees and greenery, made for some amazing snaps! 

Honestly, I can't imagine doing the amount of walking we did under the hot sun, so thank goodness the weather was cooling. 

The only downer would probably be the rain (that we came to experience almost every single day in Taiwan). But that was still alright, considering we were walking around shops. 

We also stumbled across this cute apparel store near our home that had these two little poodles in them! They were really obedient, standing that the store's entrance and not coming out. All they did was look at people as they walked by. 

To end the night off, we went for Round #2 at the Fengjia Night Market, and then went home to pack our bags to set off for Hualien.

Letters to Taiwan: Day 1

Dear Taiwan,

On the morning of the 8th of March, we looked out of our plane windows into absolutely nothing. We were surrounded by so much fog that we couldn't even see the ground when our plane touched down. But somehow, I still felt excited for what's to come.

We stepped out of the airport into cooling mists, and hopped onto a bus bound for Taichung. The bus ride was long, but in the midst of some shut-eye, I managed to catch a glimpse of your beautiful landscapes. Something like 2 hours passed by before we finally got off the bus, with weather that was cold, but not too cold. Before our Airbnb check-in time at 3pm, we had hours open for us to explore. So we chucked our luggages at the Taichung Train Station's baggage deposit, and set out for the town.

If I were to write a list of things I love the most about you, Taiwan, it would be your fascinating array of drinks, microwavable food, snacks, and everything else in your convenience stores. Everywhere we went, we came across convenience stores. And what's better is how cheap everything there is. I never knew that this legendary milk tea came in so many other flavours, but I probably drank at least one bottle every single day. A pity we couldn't figure out what the brand name was.

When you don't travel for prolonged periods of time, you start to forget that not every country is just like Singapore. Even the flora and fauna that grew around you was stunningly refreshing. 

Taiwan, your people sure knew how to embrace animals. We visited a couple of restaurants and cafes with house pets freely walking around. Here's one of the cat that just lounged around in a ramen place we had lunch at. Guests are even allowed to pet them!

We had a first taste of the many night markets on the first night, and the word bustling doesn't even begin to describe it. The crowd was immense, the food was amazing, and the atmosphere was great. Practically everything that we could find there was so different from the food that we usually get in Singapore. 

Now, I can't even remember the exact foods we ate, but these handmade taro chips were one of them. We also had a go at a couple different milk teas, and devoured lots of fried mushrooms and chicken.

I felt pretty overwhelmed by the end of the first day, thanks to not getting enough sleep on the plane, and walking around non-stop the entire day. But experiencing the night market was the perfect way to end a tiring day. 

No control

So internship is over, and I'm stuck at a crossroad.

On the one hand, I want to take a break from working. I want to taste freedom, sit at home with nothing to do, and not worry about the endless things I need to complete on my to-do list. I've long forgotten how that feels like, and it would be nice to have some time off to do the things I want to do.

But on the other hand, I want to work on my portfolio and gain work experience. Can I really just sit by and let the weeks go by, knowing I've achieved close to nothing? I have so many things I want to accomplish this year, but yet... Why is it that I still feel so aimless? 2016 is a blank book, and I want to do something meaningful with it, but... how?

Is this what having an existential crisis is like?

I've recently gotten an offer for a job that I once wanted, half a year ago. Oh, how things change within that short span of time. Now, I feel like my internship experience has opened my eyes to the world around me. I guess you could say I took away more than what I expected from being in the magazine - along with friends that I never would've expected meeting.

I guess now it's all about whether I'm willing to put myself out of my comfort zone, and whether I should just grab the opportunity I have and make the best out of it.