monday..
blue...
i wish monday is bright sunshine yellow with cute pink flowers and birds chirping
also dunno why my mood dipped super low today...
and there's a very uneasy feeling inside..
like..something bad is going to happen...
or maybe..
it's just a feeling that no matter how hard i try..
no matter how much i want...
nothing is gonna happen...
that my giving my best is still not good enough...
but my 'best' is just not 'the best'
and that even though i really don't wanna do it,
i am left with 1 choice: just do it.
a sense of helplessness that i am so familiar with...
that familiar ache and sinking feeling...
downwards...
the world turns darker and darker...
colder and colder...
the heart turns harder...numb...
no more pain..
no more struggle...
just a dead weight sinking...
dropping...
into that bottomless pit...
until the first ray of hope..
the first sign of light penetrates the layers of darkness..
~depression~
20 Feb 2008
day 5 - dan shui - rui fang 瑞方 - pingxi 平溪
通铺 style! the tatami mats are pretty hard, but very cosy to just sleep together like that :D
happy happy people! dunno we are high from lunch or from the super fresh air :D
that's 鸡丝面 (shredded chicken noodle), but there was no chicken in it! we were puzzled, but still, it was hot and it filled our stomachs..so no complaints.
and away! fly, tian deng, fly! tell the gods what we wished for!
tian deng#2: red colour for ?love? and of course 友谊万岁, friends forever!
day 5 - dan shui - rui fang 瑞方 - pingxi 平溪
waking up at 5+am after sleeping at 2+ am is a super-Gretel feat..
and it felt like crap to wake up with that gritty feeling in the eyes, and lethargy that seeps right into your bones. *YAWN*, just reliving it makes me yawn...
one by one, we got up and wash up and ate our breakfast (bread and cake bought the day before)
hoisted our backpacks onto our back and begin out journey to the mrt station...
luckily today nobody had the energy to shop...just trudged along the old street of danshui and get to the mrt...
reached taipei railway station, then the mummies got their caffeine fix from 7-eleve
the 7-eleven in taiwan actually has a coffee machine and makes fairly good cafe americano
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
while we were waiting for our train, we saw a huge group of guys sitting on the floor, surrounded by crowds of people...but too lazy to take out camera...
and then we heard someone saying something about the army...
"你们是保卫国家的勇士！"...ok, i made this up..but something to this effect lah...
ahh, enlistment day!
hmm..strange that they actually gather them in the railway station...
no 3-tonners, no uniformed officers..
you wouldn't know it's enlistment day if not for that 'officer' yelling at the boys...
in that typical 'understand or not? i cannot hear you! understand? LOUDER!' (but all in mandarin)
goodness, flashback to NCC days.. ('yes encik! YES ENCIK! YES ENCIK!!!!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
anyway, we went down to the plaform to wait for our train...and then these 阿兵哥 also came down and like flooded the whole platform -_-
and of course, where there's enlistment, there's crying mothers and girlfriends...
a few sobbing women followed behind these boys...sigh...
luckily, they were not on the same train as us...
so after what seem like hours later
we finally boarded the train
(i really shouldn't be complaining cos my backpack was fairly light compared to YQ's..
but i really felt super sleep-deprived then...)
us on the train. hard to tell that both of us only got 3 hours sleep...but my eyes were too gritty, cannot wear contacts
my mummy and yq's mummy became good friends, so much so that once u put both of them together, they can chat non-stop for HOURS....so, we put them together lah, then YQ and i dun have to entertain them.muahahaha
the train is to bring us to rui fang 瑞方, where we would then change train to go to 平溪. the train ride was only 40 mins, and i spent 20+mins eating and talking to YQ...so only managed to sleep for like 10+mins
when we got to ruifang, it was RAINING! not light drizzle somemore...
bought tickets for the train to ping xi, and the person nicely told us to come 15mins earlier as the train gets filled very fast...
we had to wait for like an hour for the other train...and the train station wasn't exactly a good place to wait cos wind blows directly into the waiting area...
so, YQ and i went exploring for a nice, warm place to sit and wait...
and we found a little cafe 5 mins walk from the railway station...
the mummies got their 2nd caffeine fix (tea this time)...
mummies complain that we always leave themto drink tea or coffee
but what to do, raining mah...
tsk tsk...
then we head back to the train station early
luckily we did, cos when we got on the train, it was already 80% filled.
(only got 4 cabins, and seats that face each other...like MRT with less seats...)
but we got seats! yay!
see, 2 mummies tog again. good lah, then YQ and i can talk :D dinnie and mum sitting on the opp side.
the train ride exposed us to the more rural lifestyle of taiwan..
for example, there's this lady who ate chicken wings on the train,
and then she just threw the bones on the floor...
yeah, chicken bones underneath the seat -_-
even though she was dressed quite nicely, her behaviour was...in my humble opinion...very kampung
the train ride was about 40mins, and it was a very scenic route...
we went through tunnels, then opened into a mountaineous railway route
with a fantastic view of the river and rapids and waterfalls on one side...
with a fantastic view of the river and rapids and waterfalls on one side...
also went past small towns, farms, many suspension bridges...
totally enjoyed the ride :D
then, finally, we reached ping xi
pingxi train station. calling it a station might be stretching the truth. it's actually just a platform. and the train service is the kind that goes from point A to B, then reverse back...very rural, but i loved the 远离尘嚣 feeling
have always loved the railway tracks, especially this kind that seem to stretch on and on...
only problem we had coming here is we were unable to pre-book accoms...
so 6 of us set off to find a place to stay for 2 nights..
less than 5mins later, the mummies stopped right in front of a small restaurant, chattering and pointing at the menu
this has never happened before during the trip..usually i notice the food first :P
so we figured that they're hungry.
therefore, we dropped the mummies there, let them order food and the 3 daughters went off in search of accoms
walking along the old streets of ping xi is very calming and refreshing. it's a small small town, the kind where everyone knows everyone else.
it's CNY, got all the red latterns...such a quaint little town..or rather, village
not many ppl on the streets. and its just quiet...
if u just stop walking, all u hear is the distant sound of water flowing and maybe a dog barking somewhere..and yeah well, muted sounds of the occasional car
there's a river that flows right through the middle of the town, so anywhere u go, u can hear the sound of flowing water...
despite the gloomy weather, the small-town charm still worked on me. i'm totally in love with this place
ok, back to finding accoms, we walked (without a map!) and luckily, we found one...
accoms#3: 明通雅舍. highly recommended to stay there if you're going to ping xi. super nice boss!
but unluckily, only got room for 1 night!
kinda expected cos the next day is 元宵 and there's a huge festival in the area, so alot of visitors are there. (tell u about the festival next time...)
argh..but well, 1 night better than none...just have to plan later for the 2nd night..
the boss was SUPER nice...he told us to go have lunch first, and he'll try and call other accoms to see if got rooms for us.
so nice!
we walked back to the restaurant, and tucked into what's left of lunch for us
yummy lunch! the chicken was super nice..but they chopped until very big pieces.
after lunch we head to our accoms, and got acquainted with our room...
通铺 style! the tatami mats are pretty hard, but very cosy to just sleep together like that :D
happy happy people! dunno we are high from lunch or from the super fresh air :D
after resting for a while, we head off to trek up a nearby mountain called 孝子山. the rain actually stopped when we headed off...but the path was still wet and slippery
initially the steps were pretty ok...but still gotta be very careful
the trek was very enjoyable, despite the slippery steps. because it was so quiet inside the woods. just the sound of a nearby stream flowing, occasional birds chirping and the sound of your footsteps. all the wrangled up nerves in your body just totally relax...and the fresh air! cooling and clean after the rain...
happyily trekking up...as u can see, the path is actually littered with leaves cos of the rain earlier...
and then, it started raining! so out comes the umbrella. their signages are not the best, but it got the message across. 'to the right, 孝子山; to the left, 不通！'
this is 孝子山 (filial son mountain). yes, that gigantic piece of rock at the top is the summit...
we trekked for another 30mins or so, with the steps becoming higher, incline steeper and still as slippery...and then, we reached a point where we saw that the difficulty of the trek up has tripled...
steps carved into that gigantic piece of rock, with just cables at the side for support.
and it seems to go on forever and forever more...
although i was really keen to go, the mummies are tired, and also it was too dangerous cos of the rain and slippery steps. so only got pics...never get to go up :(
if i ever go back to ping xi, i am going up the steps and onto the summit of 孝子山！
and so, with that promise to myself, we made our down...
somehow my mummy looked comical in this pic. as u can see, the steps are actually quite uneven...
back at that sign...sigh...such a waste to come and not go up to the summit :(
back at that sign...sigh...such a waste to come and not go up to the summit :(
there's actually a small buddhist shrine up on the mountain (cannot remember the name), and i dunno issit the air or the water or that it's shrine, but the reverend really look super young for her age. never take photo cos, well, respect bah. my mummy keep telling me she want to come and live on the mountain...
we took another route down the mountain, instead of the way we came. 3 mummies and dinner doing yet another MTV pose...the winding road reminds me of initial D haha
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ok, before i continue, must tell u all what is ping xi famous for. actually 平溪乡(ping xi village) consists of a few towns, the bigger few are 十分，平溪 and 菁桐.
and 平溪乡is famous for its tian deng 天灯 or kongming deng 孔明灯.
tian deng is actually a lantern (u'll see a pic of it later), that'll be released into the air like a hot air balloon. people write their wishes on the lantern, then release it to send the wishes up to the deities to make their wish come true.
http://baike.baidu.com/view/46542.htm
http://baike.baidu.com/view/46542.htm
it is also called kong ming deng because it is invented by kong ming (better known as 诸葛亮) . he invented the lantern to send SOS messages out of the city when the army was trapped inside the city of 平阳. i am not completely sure of the story, google it if u really wanna know.
but now, the messages on the lanterns is not SOS, but to make wishes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
so, all these lanterns are released into the air, but once the fuel finish burning, no more hot air so the lanterns drop down...
and so, while we were walking down from the mountain, we saw quite a number of these fallen lanterns. according to the boss of the accoms (he told us later...), the bamboo ring and wire to hold the fuel can be re-used. so cleaning aunties are hired to collect these bamboo rings and then re-used to save the environment.
anyway, when we got back to the accoms, all of us are probably too tired from the lack of sleep and physical activity. almost all of us fell asleep...
by the time we woke up, it was COLD COLD COLD!! and the skies were already dark...
it was so cold, all of us were still wearing our coats while in the room!
but hunger and cold goes hand-in-hand...
time for dinner...
although we were very reluctant to head out cos of the cold...what to do...need to feed ourselves..
although we were very reluctant to head out cos of the cold...what to do...need to feed ourselves..
how cold was it?
we could see our breaths when we huffed! that's probably below 10 deg Celsius
but we didn't have to walk too far to find a nice little shop that sells hot noodle in soup
that's 鸡丝面 (shredded chicken noodle), but there was no chicken in it! we were puzzled, but still, it was hot and it filled our stomachs..so no complaints.
the hot soup managed to warm all of us up. after dinner, we strolled back to the accoms..
then we noticed people buying tian deng to release
(can release tian deng anytime, but the most popular season is CNY to wish for a smooth and prosperous new year, i think)
(can release tian deng anytime, but the most popular season is CNY to wish for a smooth and prosperous new year, i think)
so the 6 of us bought 1 tiandeng, and wrote our wishes on it...
4 sides to write on..this is only 1 side of it. there are many colours to choose from, each colour supposed to represent different meanings. but we chose the traditional white one :D
by the way, the words are written with a calligraphy brush 毛笔. that's why penmanship not very good ah :P
that pile of 'thing' is actually kerosene-soaked incense paper, fuel to propel our wishes to the skies
we brought our tian deng to a bridge (need open space so that the tian deng doesn't get trapped by buildings, cables or trees)
and then the shopkeeper lighted the fuel...
yes, we wished for world peace, haha! that's YQ's mummy and me holding on to the tiandeng..
hot air filling up the tian deng...then 1..2..3 LET GO! technique to let go is to synchronise so that the lantern can rise up straight. if 1 side slower, the lantern may tip to one side, and burn the side of the lantern...then it will not fly up
wishes taking off!
(fyi, this is not our tian deng...someone else releasing theirs, but i couldn't take a pic of our tian deng being released cos i was the one releasing it...)
up...up...
and away! fly, tian deng, fly! tell the gods what we wished for!
somehow it's very touching to see each tian deng take off and fly upwards...
everytime i see a tian deng floating upwards, i feel very happy and warm inside haha
after making our wishes, we went back to our accoms. and the usual night routine ensued...
i.e. showering.
i haven't mentioned in my previous posts, showering can actually be a rather complex process with 6 ppl sharing a bathroom.
but somehow the 6 of us seem to naturally know who goes first...so there wasn't much chaos with our nightly routine, except the usual 好冷啊 when we start taking off our layers in preparation to shower :P
but somehow the 6 of us seem to naturally know who goes first...so there wasn't much chaos with our nightly routine, except the usual 好冷啊 when we start taking off our layers in preparation to shower :P
anyway, on this night, something special happened after our shower...
cos the boss actually knows how to make tian deng!
so he asked us to come and learn, and the 3 daughters went..and made our very own tian deng!
red thing in the middle is our tian deng. that's the boss of accoms#3. the couple is from HK and they made their own tian deng too :D
2nd tian deng to be released tonight for us! haha...
this time, we made the wishes which we didn't dare make earlier cos mummy was there to see..
this time, we made the wishes which we didn't dare make earlier cos mummy was there to see..
and then, after making our very own tian deng, and writing our wishes on it (with 毛笔 again!)
we released it into the skies to join our earlier tian deng
tian deng#2: red colour for ?love? and of course 友谊万岁, friends forever!
the boss even brought out a stash of fireworks to play with!
it was a beautiful end to a very tiring but happening day :D
oh, and the day ended on a bout of good news too...
the boss manage to slot us in to stay for 1 more night!
and, he lent us a heater so that we are not freezing in our room!
he is really super nice lah..like to talk alot, but very fun to talk to :D
YQ and i even told him we want to take 1month off and come work for him haha!
so, day 5 was a very activity-filled day, with new experiences and making new friends :D
as i laid down on the freezing tatami mat and closed my eyes,
i thought about the 2 tian dengs carrying our wishes to someone-up-there...
and slowly drift off to sleep.
to be continued...
feels good to be out of the house today!
weehee!
i realised that i was indoors for consecutive 46hours since thurs!
wah liew, i nearly grew roots into my computor chair lor!
but, the doc today...was d*** s***** !!
argghhh....
wasted my time and money going to see him lor!
in the end just tell me: u no need to work today, no need MC, come for wat? come back on mon.
wtf...
so not happy with him...
or the counter staff lor...
seriously, if not for the fact that it's the same organizaiton, i'll lodge a complaint.
*rolls eyes*
but, it really feels good to be out of the house...
especially when only 1 painful blister is left. the rest are pain-free :)
and it also feels super good to meet yq for dinner...
and also feels great to sit by the river and just talk...
although we did talk about the same old stuff...
somehow being able to talk to someone face to face is so much different from msn chat :D
thank you YQ :D
the 2 days of 'quarantine' did reconnect me with eugene..
who is forever busy and has no time for 'long-lost' friends like me...
so good to chat with him...
been so long since i 'talk' to him...last i saw him was like a year ago...
and as usual, whenever we talk, we always end up discussing abt relationships...
actually i'll complain abt my singlehood, and he'll forever try to cheer me up...
thank you eugene :D
so, what exactly was the rash i had? no idea
what i do know, is that i am NOT seeing the doc on mon..
well, unless the rash gets worse...
u know, the more i work in healthcare, the less i believe in western medicine...
ahh..reliving the moment of having sun shining on my face and natural wind blowing through my hair...
the outdoors is just so much better...
if i'm ever quarantined, i think i'll die from lack of sunshine...
either that or the mushrooms growing on me will deplete me of essential nutrients...
ok,i'm actually talking rubbish...
*yawn*
freedom, always there, yet always not complete....
weehee!
i realised that i was indoors for consecutive 46hours since thurs!
wah liew, i nearly grew roots into my computor chair lor!
but, the doc today...was d*** s***** !!
argghhh....
wasted my time and money going to see him lor!
in the end just tell me: u no need to work today, no need MC, come for wat? come back on mon.
wtf...
so not happy with him...
or the counter staff lor...
seriously, if not for the fact that it's the same organizaiton, i'll lodge a complaint.
*rolls eyes*
but, it really feels good to be out of the house...
especially when only 1 painful blister is left. the rest are pain-free :)
and it also feels super good to meet yq for dinner...
and also feels great to sit by the river and just talk...
although we did talk about the same old stuff...
somehow being able to talk to someone face to face is so much different from msn chat :D
thank you YQ :D
the 2 days of 'quarantine' did reconnect me with eugene..
who is forever busy and has no time for 'long-lost' friends like me...
so good to chat with him...
been so long since i 'talk' to him...last i saw him was like a year ago...
and as usual, whenever we talk, we always end up discussing abt relationships...
actually i'll complain abt my singlehood, and he'll forever try to cheer me up...
thank you eugene :D
so, what exactly was the rash i had? no idea
what i do know, is that i am NOT seeing the doc on mon..
well, unless the rash gets worse...
u know, the more i work in healthcare, the less i believe in western medicine...
ahh..reliving the moment of having sun shining on my face and natural wind blowing through my hair...
the outdoors is just so much better...
if i'm ever quarantined, i think i'll die from lack of sunshine...
either that or the mushrooms growing on me will deplete me of essential nutrients...
ok,i'm actually talking rubbish...
*yawn*
freedom, always there, yet always not complete....
just when i blogged that i hope taking mc is not gonna be a monthly affair..
i had to take 2 more days mc..
because of some rash that developed...
so now, i've used up half of my mc days..
and 2008 is like only 1/4 over!
argh!!!!!!
2 days of self-imposed quarantine sucks!
but...
i have to say that if i didn't take mc and cont to work
the rash will still be painful.
and maybe getting worse..
and i might spread whatever the rash is to my patients and colleagues..
so, i guess it's a good thing..
kind of like a 'surprise' break from work..
although the rash is still there,
at least it's less painful when i walk...
not so much pins and needles now..
going back to see the doc tmr..
hopefully it's nothing serious..and no more mc is necessary...
should have cont blogging my taiwan trip...
but somehow...
as i sat in front of my laptop...
i just dun feel like blogging about it...
and just want to watch videos and chat to friends on msn
mood is getting lower these days...
sigh...
being sick really makes one more vulnerable to depression...
i had to take 2 more days mc..
because of some rash that developed...
so now, i've used up half of my mc days..
and 2008 is like only 1/4 over!
argh!!!!!!
2 days of self-imposed quarantine sucks!
but...
i have to say that if i didn't take mc and cont to work
the rash will still be painful.
and maybe getting worse..
and i might spread whatever the rash is to my patients and colleagues..
so, i guess it's a good thing..
kind of like a 'surprise' break from work..
although the rash is still there,
at least it's less painful when i walk...
not so much pins and needles now..
going back to see the doc tmr..
hopefully it's nothing serious..and no more mc is necessary...
should have cont blogging my taiwan trip...
but somehow...
as i sat in front of my laptop...
i just dun feel like blogging about it...
and just want to watch videos and chat to friends on msn
mood is getting lower these days...
sigh...
being sick really makes one more vulnerable to depression...
on MC #4 today...
at the rate i am going, i'll finish using up all my MC before the year is over..
sigh...
strangely enough, there is not warning that i am gonna be sick this time round..
usually i'll be having stuffed nose and coughing...
this time, i was completely fine on sunday..
normal on monday morning when i woke up..
but as the morning went on,
there was that feverish feeling (even though the thermometer says my body temp was 36.8)
and that aching feeling in all my muscles and joints...
temp hit 37.3 last night..and didn't come down this morning..
went to office, and realised i cannot work with all the aches and lethargy...
saw doc, took MC and after a 4hour nap..
finally the aches are almost gone..
and my temp has dropped to 37.1
it's amazing a drop in 0.2 deg Celsius in body temp can make so much difference..
i can actually sit upright to blog..
whereas all i could do earlier was lie flat and not move...
hopefully i'll be totally fine by tomorrow...
and hopefully, taking MC isn't gonna be a monthly affair :(
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
情绪在病时是特别脆弱地。
把自己躲在被窝里，只有一种想哭的感觉。
渴望一句简单的问候，那很奢望吗？
全身都在酸痛的感觉，无助加无奈。
突然觉得被窝不够踏实，不管把自己缩得紧，
还是没有安全感。
不渴求家人嘘寒问暖，因为那不是他们的作风。
只想他们不要把生病当成是我的错。
我也不想病啊！
难道我病了，我会开心吗？
病情好转了，至少情绪平静了。
不会再想太多。
只要不烧不痛，那眼泪，我可以忍着。
at the rate i am going, i'll finish using up all my MC before the year is over..
sigh...
strangely enough, there is not warning that i am gonna be sick this time round..
usually i'll be having stuffed nose and coughing...
this time, i was completely fine on sunday..
normal on monday morning when i woke up..
but as the morning went on,
there was that feverish feeling (even though the thermometer says my body temp was 36.8)
and that aching feeling in all my muscles and joints...
temp hit 37.3 last night..and didn't come down this morning..
went to office, and realised i cannot work with all the aches and lethargy...
saw doc, took MC and after a 4hour nap..
finally the aches are almost gone..
and my temp has dropped to 37.1
it's amazing a drop in 0.2 deg Celsius in body temp can make so much difference..
i can actually sit upright to blog..
whereas all i could do earlier was lie flat and not move...
hopefully i'll be totally fine by tomorrow...
and hopefully, taking MC isn't gonna be a monthly affair :(
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
情绪在病时是特别脆弱地。
把自己躲在被窝里，只有一种想哭的感觉。
渴望一句简单的问候，那很奢望吗？
全身都在酸痛的感觉，无助加无奈。
突然觉得被窝不够踏实，不管把自己缩得紧，
还是没有安全感。
不渴求家人嘘寒问暖，因为那不是他们的作风。
只想他们不要把生病当成是我的错。
我也不想病啊！
难道我病了，我会开心吗？
病情好转了，至少情绪平静了。
不会再想太多。
只要不烧不痛，那眼泪，我可以忍着。
19 Feb 2008
Day 4 - danshui 淡水 - Bei Tou 北投
4th day in taiwan greeted us with a cloudy sky
clouds saturated with raindrops, threatening to fall any moment.
nonetheless, it was a day filled with sightseeing and food hunting,
and first stop was a breakfast shop reccommended by the owner of accoms#2
freshly deep fried youtiao dripping oil...but still taste super oily anyway...
the shop is like many old breakfast shops in taiwan, selling the typical soybean drink with youtiao 豆浆油条.
unfortunately, the youtiao tasted so oily, it was quite *ugh* after a few bites.
pic first, eat later. the youtiao is super long, about twice the length of the singaporean ones
mummy and i had the salty version 咸豆浆, which actually is soybeancurd in a savoury soup base (likely lotsa soya sauce) with spring onion, dried shrimp and salted vege. ermm..very salty, but taste quite nice lah...
the others had the sweet version, which looks like the towhueyzhui 豆花水 in singapore. but it taste better, less syrup, more real soy. however, the others complain that it has a weird taste. for me, i thought it's nice cos it has less of that soy smell, which i don't like...
2nd stop, we decided to hunt for a famous food in danshui called a-gei 阿给.
the hunt took awhile cos the map was kinda misleading, and well, as the navigator with accumulated lack of sleep, i brought everyone in the wrong way.
nonetheless, our perseverance for good food still brought us to the right shop
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FYI, many shops in old streets of taiwan would proclaim that they are the 老店 or 原创 (i.e. original shop).
but based on our handy little guidebook borrowed from the NLB,
this shop that we found is THE orignial a-gei shop.
and how do we know it's the right shop?
the shop doesn't have a name...it only says 阿给 on the front of the shop,
unlike the others with 淡水X年老店，原创阿给 etc etc splashed on the front...
i choose to believe that the real original shop doesn't need to announce it...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by now, you might be asking what on earth is a-gei?!
this is the before 'dismantling' pic of a-gei
the famous a-gei, taken apart to show u the good stuff inside...but picture abit blur...mummy is pulling out the vermicelli from the tofu...very yummy!
well, it's actually 油豆腐, with the middle bit stuffed with rice vermicelli 冬粉，soaked in some sauce, then sealed with fish-paste (like those used in yongtaufoo), then steamed and served with a special sauce. the vermicelli is fried beforehand, so it taste SUPER!
and then u will ask, why is it called a-gei?
because 油豆腐 in jap is abura-age, pronounced as ah-bu-ra-a-gei.
therefore, the locals just call it 阿给, shorter and easier to say :D
if you ever go to danshui, must try ok?
after a scrumptious breakfast, the mummies need their caffeine to get on with the sightseeing later
so we brought them to a rather classy cafe called cafe 21, located on the 3rd floor of the Red
House 红楼
红楼 - red house. located on top of a hill in dan shui. 1st and 2nd floor is classy restaurants, 3rd floor is a cafe with a view overlooking danshui
always pic first, food later. taken from the al fresco balcony of the cafe. background is dan shui river, and across the river is guanyin shan (i think)
mummy had her kopi-O (cafe americano) and i had my teh-O (earl grey tea without milk)
attempted an arty pic, but not really the effect i wanted. still mange to capture that carefre, ihaveallthetimeintheworld feeling though :D
all of us, enjoying the 'tai-tai' lifestyle
stomachs filled and blood caffinieted...one last pic before we head off!
just when yq and i thought everyone is pretty full and bursting with energy,
we wandered into a street market on our way to the MRT station...
and then, guess what?
my mummy, who usually eats like 5 mouthfuls of rice for dinner, decided she wants more food!
and yq's mum agree....
goodness, these women are hard to feed at times.
so anyway, we strolled along the market, and they bought guavas and some grilled fish to munch on...
grilled fish...i think got grilled pufferfish..but i'm not too sure...tasted good, whatever the fish was...
*********************************
went to the MRT toilet and found this interesting thing...
if u cannot read the mandarin words, this is actually a female emergency button (and not a toilet flush knob -_-). i'm impressed, they take good care of the females...
******************************************
so after filling our stomachs and taking pics here there and everywhere,
we finally reach the MRT to go to bei tou 北投.
Bei Tou is one of the hot spring attractions in taipei. and it is one of the first hot springs opened for use,dating all the way back to the japanese when they were in taiwan. if i'm not wrong, bei tou hot springs were actually founded by the japs.
well, if u are thinking we went there with the aim to soak in the hot springs,
u are, well, in a way wrong.
cos apparently none of us prepared the stuff to soak in the hot springs. mainly going there to look-see-look-see...
first stop we wanted to go to was 地热谷 Hell's Valley...
on our way there, we found this 'drain' at the side of the road...
i've never seen a prettier drain than this...the water is clear, and the stones are coated green from the sulphur build-up
And so, while we were gazing in wonderment at the ah-pek's powerful tolerance for heat, and taking pictures of the steam rising from the drain water,
my mummy dearest decide to try and cross the drain (which was about 0.75m apart) by stepping on a stone in the middle of the drain...
and yes, u guessed it..
she slipped..
and slowly fell into that HOT water...
first she landed on her buttocks, then she lost her balance further, and LAID BACK into the drain...
like her WHOLE back was soaked in that HOT water!
i saw the whole thing like in slow motion, probably cos when i saw her put her foot on that stone, somehow i knew she was gonna slipped...but it was just a spilt second later before i saw her go down...
i freaked out...i gave her my hand, all she could say was '快点拉我！'
she didn't even attempt to pull herself up, probably shocked from the heat attacking her skin on her back
finally, i cannot remember who else held her other hand, and we both pulled her up...
her 3 layers of top and 2 layers of bottom was soaked through..
at the moment, i felt 2 emotions
1) anger: WHY SHE SO STUPID!!??!
2) panic: oh no, what do i do ?? what should i do now?!?!?!?
luckily, we manage to find a public toilet with a hand dryer (we did not bring extra clothes cos no one was prepared to soak in the hot spring...or hot drain water...)
so everyone waited for yq and i to blow dry my mummy's wet clothes.
luckily luckily, we were dressed to keep warm, so i had extra layers to give to my mum...
and luckily luckily luckily, mummy wasn't hurt..not burnt nor knocked anywhere when she fell...
*phew*
so, 1 hour in the public toilet later...
we finally made into Hell's Valley
from the entrance...
welcome to Hell
Hell's Valley is so called that because of the constantly rising steam from the hot spring water. it's called 地热谷, probably directly telling people that the ground is hot, therefore the water is hot. althought it has such a ghastly english name, it's actually quite a pretty sight...more like heaven than hell...
nonetheless, we enjoyed the scenery, the ever-rising steam that gently dissipates with the wind...and eventually, our noses desensitized to the smell. see, we look happy right?
and my brain cannot recall what was so funny about its english...
all i remembered was something like 西式猪扒饭 = western pig *cannot remember* rice
"western pig"...heeeheeheheeheeheee...
anyway, after lunch, we went walking around the area...
then we thought, since we are here, must at least soak the feet right??
so we head back to that drain we saw when we arrived...
of course, we chose a spot that is downstream from where my mummy fell...
but no matter how far we went, the water was still too hot to tahan! in order to take this pic, we lifted our feet just above the water, then '1,2...' PUT FEET IN! TAHAN! '3!' and quickly remove feet from hot water... i have to admit my feet felt really relaxed after the soak (total soaking time was probably like 5 minutes, and 10 minutes was spent fanning my skin)...
mummy had no phobia of the hot water. she could tahan longer also..probably cos she already had a taste of how it felt earlier on...
initially there was no one soaking feet. but after we sat down to soak, all these people started soaking too..some went really downstream, probably cos they heard us yelping when we put our feet in the water...can even see abit of steam in this pic...
with our newly 'cooked' and relaxed feet, we walked around bei tou...
bei tou is really a scenic place...
this is the equivalent of a canal in singapore, except it drains the hot spring water from the hot spring resorts in the area. the water is still slightly warm. i think it really looks like a stream more than a canal...so pretty....
building here is the public library, built from logs. and that is the real drain, as u can see got rubbish. but it still doesn't look like a drain...
we also visit the public hot spring, where we didn't take pictures to respect the privacy of the people soaking in the spring (well, they were dressed in bathing suits...)
according to the owner, the hottest spring there is about 45 deg Celsius....and the coolest one is about 35 deg Celsius...
and they also have cold spring, where you soak in cause vasoconstriction and make sure you don't faint from the heat and vasodilatation (which causes low blood pressure)
unfortunately, no one was game to go in and try..
well, maybe next time..now that we know how it all works... hee hee...
so after our little tour of bei tou, we head back to dan shui..
where the rest of them want to go shopping (AGAIN!)
so we head to one of the night markets..
where everyone enjoyed the walk except yours truly..
cos i was feverish and my shoulders were so sore, i couldn't carry my backpack anymore..
it was a long long long night..
and the walk back to our accoms was torturous
dinner was a simple affair of soup, rice and vegetables bought from a stall at the night market...
soup was yummy...some chicken with pineapple (yes, soup!) and sesame oil chicken (also soup)..
dessert was taro-balls in redbean soup...
i felt better after dinner...and a shower...
then my mummy and yq's mummy stayed downstairs in the living room,
finishing up their midnight snack of duck head/neck
(i have no idea why they like it...)
while the 3 daughters chatted in the bedroom upstairs..
despite knowing that we have to wake up bright and early at 6+am the next day,
we chatted until 2+am!!!
in the end, D fell asleep first..
then YQ and i continued to chat...mumbling more and more...
until eventually, we said goodnight..
and the 4th day ended with the 2 mummies coming upstairs to turn in...
at 2+am as well...
to be continued...
Day 4 - danshui 淡水 - Bei Tou 北投
4th day in taiwan greeted us with a cloudy sky
clouds saturated with raindrops, threatening to fall any moment.
nonetheless, it was a day filled with sightseeing and food hunting,
and first stop was a breakfast shop reccommended by the owner of accoms#2
freshly deep fried youtiao dripping oil...but still taste super oily anyway...
the shop is like many old breakfast shops in taiwan, selling the typical soybean drink with youtiao 豆浆油条.
unfortunately, the youtiao tasted so oily, it was quite *ugh* after a few bites.
pic first, eat later. the youtiao is super long, about twice the length of the singaporean ones
mummy and i had the salty version 咸豆浆, which actually is soybeancurd in a savoury soup base (likely lotsa soya sauce) with spring onion, dried shrimp and salted vege. ermm..very salty, but taste quite nice lah...
the others had the sweet version, which looks like the towhueyzhui 豆花水 in singapore. but it taste better, less syrup, more real soy. however, the others complain that it has a weird taste. for me, i thought it's nice cos it has less of that soy smell, which i don't like...
2nd stop, we decided to hunt for a famous food in danshui called a-gei 阿给.
the hunt took awhile cos the map was kinda misleading, and well, as the navigator with accumulated lack of sleep, i brought everyone in the wrong way.
nonetheless, our perseverance for good food still brought us to the right shop
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FYI, many shops in old streets of taiwan would proclaim that they are the 老店 or 原创 (i.e. original shop).
but based on our handy little guidebook borrowed from the NLB,
this shop that we found is THE orignial a-gei shop.
and how do we know it's the right shop?
the shop doesn't have a name...it only says 阿给 on the front of the shop,
unlike the others with 淡水X年老店，原创阿给 etc etc splashed on the front...
i choose to believe that the real original shop doesn't need to announce it...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by now, you might be asking what on earth is a-gei?!
this is the before 'dismantling' pic of a-gei
the famous a-gei, taken apart to show u the good stuff inside...but picture abit blur...mummy is pulling out the vermicelli from the tofu...very yummy!
well, it's actually 油豆腐, with the middle bit stuffed with rice vermicelli 冬粉，soaked in some sauce, then sealed with fish-paste (like those used in yongtaufoo), then steamed and served with a special sauce. the vermicelli is fried beforehand, so it taste SUPER!
and then u will ask, why is it called a-gei?
because 油豆腐 in jap is abura-age, pronounced as ah-bu-ra-a-gei.
therefore, the locals just call it 阿给, shorter and easier to say :D
if you ever go to danshui, must try ok?
after a scrumptious breakfast, the mummies need their caffeine to get on with the sightseeing later
so we brought them to a rather classy cafe called cafe 21, located on the 3rd floor of the Red
House 红楼
红楼 - red house. located on top of a hill in dan shui. 1st and 2nd floor is classy restaurants, 3rd floor is a cafe with a view overlooking danshui
always pic first, food later. taken from the al fresco balcony of the cafe. background is dan shui river, and across the river is guanyin shan (i think)
mummy had her kopi-O (cafe americano) and i had my teh-O (earl grey tea without milk)
attempted an arty pic, but not really the effect i wanted. still mange to capture that carefre, ihaveallthetimeintheworld feeling though :D
all of us, enjoying the 'tai-tai' lifestyle
stomachs filled and blood caffinieted...one last pic before we head off!
just when yq and i thought everyone is pretty full and bursting with energy,
we wandered into a street market on our way to the MRT station...
and then, guess what?
my mummy, who usually eats like 5 mouthfuls of rice for dinner, decided she wants more food!
and yq's mum agree....
goodness, these women are hard to feed at times.
so anyway, we strolled along the market, and they bought guavas and some grilled fish to munch on...
grilled fish...i think got grilled pufferfish..but i'm not too sure...tasted good, whatever the fish was...
*********************************
went to the MRT toilet and found this interesting thing...
if u cannot read the mandarin words, this is actually a female emergency button (and not a toilet flush knob -_-). i'm impressed, they take good care of the females...
******************************************
so after filling our stomachs and taking pics here there and everywhere,
we finally reach the MRT to go to bei tou 北投.
Bei Tou is one of the hot spring attractions in taipei. and it is one of the first hot springs opened for use,dating all the way back to the japanese when they were in taiwan. if i'm not wrong, bei tou hot springs were actually founded by the japs.
well, if u are thinking we went there with the aim to soak in the hot springs,
u are, well, in a way wrong.
cos apparently none of us prepared the stuff to soak in the hot springs. mainly going there to look-see-look-see...
first stop we wanted to go to was 地热谷 Hell's Valley...
on our way there, we found this 'drain' at the side of the road...
i've never seen a prettier drain than this...the water is clear, and the stones are coated green from the sulphur build-up
seeing the colour of the stones, i placed my hand in the water and yes, it was WARM...
at this stretch of the drain, the water was warm..
(don't feel grossed that i dipped my hand in drain water la...it's hot spring water that flowed out from Hell's Valley....not dirty drain water like those in the long-gang in singapore)
so we followed the drain upstream as it leads to the entrance of Hell's Valley...and then we met this old gentleman (about 60-70years old?) who was soaking his feet in the drain water...
at first we thought, yeah, warm water to stimulate blood circulation, good!
and then, we saw his feet
his feet was red, like scalded-going-to-become-3rd-degree-burn-red!!
and then we noticed the steam rising from the water around his feet...
i stuck my finger into the water and OUCH!!
the water was freaking hot! i am guessing about 70 degree Celsius maybe??
and the ah-pek was standing in the water like he wasn't soaking his feet in FREAKING HOT WATER!!!
i think his nerve endings must have died from the heat, that's why he cannot feel the pain. my finger throbbed for a few seconds even after i lifted it out of the water lor...
And so, while we were gazing in wonderment at the ah-pek's powerful tolerance for heat, and taking pictures of the steam rising from the drain water,
my mummy dearest decide to try and cross the drain (which was about 0.75m apart) by stepping on a stone in the middle of the drain...
and yes, u guessed it..
she slipped..
and slowly fell into that HOT water...
first she landed on her buttocks, then she lost her balance further, and LAID BACK into the drain...
like her WHOLE back was soaked in that HOT water!
i saw the whole thing like in slow motion, probably cos when i saw her put her foot on that stone, somehow i knew she was gonna slipped...but it was just a spilt second later before i saw her go down...
i freaked out...i gave her my hand, all she could say was '快点拉我！'
she didn't even attempt to pull herself up, probably shocked from the heat attacking her skin on her back
finally, i cannot remember who else held her other hand, and we both pulled her up...
her 3 layers of top and 2 layers of bottom was soaked through..
at the moment, i felt 2 emotions
1) anger: WHY SHE SO STUPID!!??!
2) panic: oh no, what do i do ?? what should i do now?!?!?!?
luckily, we manage to find a public toilet with a hand dryer (we did not bring extra clothes cos no one was prepared to soak in the hot spring...or hot drain water...)
so everyone waited for yq and i to blow dry my mummy's wet clothes.
luckily luckily, we were dressed to keep warm, so i had extra layers to give to my mum...
and luckily luckily luckily, mummy wasn't hurt..not burnt nor knocked anywhere when she fell...
*phew*
so, 1 hour in the public toilet later...
we finally made into Hell's Valley
from the entrance...
welcome to Hell
Hell's Valley is so called that because of the constantly rising steam from the hot spring water. it's called 地热谷, probably directly telling people that the ground is hot, therefore the water is hot. althought it has such a ghastly english name, it's actually quite a pretty sight...more like heaven than hell...
i like the colour of the water, which also made the whole pool of steaming water look pretty. if the water was bubbling, then it would look more like hell...
especially when the wind blows across the pool, the steam would waft in one direction, very pretty :D
mummy's first pic after that fall...the steam has the dry-ice effect like in a wedding :P
there's only one problem with the heavenly setting of Hell's Valley...
IT STANK!! ohh..that sulphur smell...argh! it's like being surrounded by dozens of rotten eggs
that's probably the only thing 'like hell' about this place..it stank like hell...PHEW!
nonetheless, we enjoyed the scenery, the ever-rising steam that gently dissipates with the wind...and eventually, our noses desensitized to the smell. see, we look happy right?
after this, we went in search of a ramen place that sells cheap and yummy ramen.
but unfortunately, we did not make it in time (the place closes at 1400h, then reopen at 1700h)
so instead, we went to take a look at this Buddhist temple, with a japanese shrine architecture
潽济寺 Pu Ji Temple.
it was a small temple, so we only took some pics and then our stomachs decided that it's time for lunch..we had lunch in a tiny cafe near to Hell's Valley. i was too hungry to take pic..
but i really wished i did take out my camera to take a pic of its menu...
and my brain cannot recall what was so funny about its english...
all i remembered was something like 西式猪扒饭 = western pig *cannot remember* rice
"western pig"...heeeheeheheeheeheee...
anyway, after lunch, we went walking around the area...
then we thought, since we are here, must at least soak the feet right??
so we head back to that drain we saw when we arrived...
of course, we chose a spot that is downstream from where my mummy fell...
but no matter how far we went, the water was still too hot to tahan! in order to take this pic, we lifted our feet just above the water, then '1,2...' PUT FEET IN! TAHAN! '3!' and quickly remove feet from hot water... i have to admit my feet felt really relaxed after the soak (total soaking time was probably like 5 minutes, and 10 minutes was spent fanning my skin)...
mummy had no phobia of the hot water. she could tahan longer also..probably cos she already had a taste of how it felt earlier on...
initially there was no one soaking feet. but after we sat down to soak, all these people started soaking too..some went really downstream, probably cos they heard us yelping when we put our feet in the water...can even see abit of steam in this pic...
with our newly 'cooked' and relaxed feet, we walked around bei tou...
bei tou is really a scenic place...
this is the equivalent of a canal in singapore, except it drains the hot spring water from the hot spring resorts in the area. the water is still slightly warm. i think it really looks like a stream more than a canal...so pretty....
building here is the public library, built from logs. and that is the real drain, as u can see got rubbish. but it still doesn't look like a drain...
we also visit the public hot spring, where we didn't take pictures to respect the privacy of the people soaking in the spring (well, they were dressed in bathing suits...)
according to the owner, the hottest spring there is about 45 deg Celsius....and the coolest one is about 35 deg Celsius...
and they also have cold spring, where you soak in cause vasoconstriction and make sure you don't faint from the heat and vasodilatation (which causes low blood pressure)
unfortunately, no one was game to go in and try..
well, maybe next time..now that we know how it all works... hee hee...
so after our little tour of bei tou, we head back to dan shui..
where the rest of them want to go shopping (AGAIN!)
so we head to one of the night markets..
where everyone enjoyed the walk except yours truly..
cos i was feverish and my shoulders were so sore, i couldn't carry my backpack anymore..
it was a long long long night..
and the walk back to our accoms was torturous
dinner was a simple affair of soup, rice and vegetables bought from a stall at the night market...
soup was yummy...some chicken with pineapple (yes, soup!) and sesame oil chicken (also soup)..
dessert was taro-balls in redbean soup...
i felt better after dinner...and a shower...
then my mummy and yq's mummy stayed downstairs in the living room,
finishing up their midnight snack of duck head/neck
(i have no idea why they like it...)
while the 3 daughters chatted in the bedroom upstairs..
despite knowing that we have to wake up bright and early at 6+am the next day,
we chatted until 2+am!!!
in the end, D fell asleep first..
then YQ and i continued to chat...mumbling more and more...
until eventually, we said goodnight..
and the 4th day ended with the 2 mummies coming upstairs to turn in...
at 2+am as well...
to be continued...
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