Kending

After a delightful weekend in the country staying in a house that had wooden floors, cielings walls and funriture, we headed down to the Kending area of Taiwans southern peninsula. We stayed in a really nice hotel which came with a free 125cc scooter and a balcony. We went to a beach about a 20min drive from the hotel for some poonage and swimming. I was shocked how unbelievably warm the sea was. I have never experienced it in my life!!! Its the perfect temperature, not too hot, and not too cold, just right, I swam around like a downy baby seal. The whole area is a national park and is stunning. we buzzed it up the mountains on the ped and had a walk around what can only be described as the jungle!!!! So many wierd insects and birds. It was scorching hot though and we were forced to retreat due to lack of h2o. It was interesting though. There was a lively night market each night along the main road selling beachy things and food and general nightmarket wonders. Last night didnt get much sleep cos we were invaded by loads of 'stinky bugs'. They smell if u try and kill them, so i spent the night trying to seal the doors with towls and liguid alcohol gel. We got a ride to the marine biodiversity and aquarium centre for taiwan just up the coast from kending. It was amazing and very well done. I havent ben to an aquarium for probably over 10 years so it was great to see the fish and stuff. I bought a little patrick from spongebob in taipei, so brought him to the aquarium to feel at home for a bit. :) We are now still in the south but staying in taiwans second biggest city called Kaosiung.The house is in a very flash tower block, with marble floors, a communal swimming pool that is so nice at night and a billiard room with american pool table. Today we went on a day trip to Tainan. It is renowned as the food capital of Taiwan so we tried some interesting and tasty new foods. we also visited the oldest confucianism temple in Tawan and an old fort that was over 400 years old. I ate some of the nicest douhua ever and also got pearl milk tea from the first place it was created!!!! Tasty. Over and out.

Ying ge

Today we went to Ying ge, the ceramic capital of Taiwan. I really wanted to purchase a proper handmade purple clay tea pot and had been recomended to go there. I managed to get us both up this morning which, ill be honest, had my doubts about, but anyway, when we arrived, it started raining so we went to the ceramic museum. It was very good and wasnt really just a museum, more a gallery, history, education playtime, eatery place. There were some great modern ceramic art exhibitions, my personal favorite was a new take on the archetypal english view of the orient as 'willow pattern'. The artist explored the mass produced and instantly recongnisable pattern by looking closer at its elements and story, and also added modern scenes on to the plates in the same style.

after a secondry luncheon, we hit the pot shops and found a tasty tea pot. Mission Ying ge was a success. I liked the town and felt it had an intimate feeling to it, i guess it would though after spending the last month in Taipei. Nevertheless, it was a nice place to visit.

鶯歌 陶之旅

今天我叫M先生叫我起來
因為平常都是我先起來 然後再叫他起來
所以很高興 可是好累喔 昨天要混到好晚才起床
今天要早一點 :)

我們出門沒吃早餐就到台北車站
想說到那裡在吃
我們下車 就在車站那裡晃晃
走到一條小巷子 看到一家賣便當的
好像很熱門 我們就跟他們一起排隊了
呵呵

好好吃喔 好像都忘記了 便當有多好吃
最近很少吃便當 因為上次吃 吃到很難吃的 我就有點不想吃
可是今天吃得很高興 而且好多喔 吃超飽 沒吃完 想說帶著走
感覺也蠻營養的

吃飽我們就跑去坐火車
有悠遊卡真的很方便 到鶯歌不用特地買票

今天天氣不是很好 還好 因為如果出帶太陽的話 應該會熱死 因此心情很煩躁
可是還好沒有
可是大部分的時間一直在下雨 =.=
我們到鶯歌的時候 打算先去鶯歌陶瓷博物館 哪裡轉錯彎 就找了很久
有點白癡 本來很好找的 鶯歌也沒大到哪裡去啊
博物館超到的 而且很多活動
所以在那裡就待很久 覺得很不錯 他們那裡的展覽都很有趣

因為M先生要買茶具 所以我們去鶯歌老街找他要的茶具
第一間就看到一個他很喜歡的茶壺
本來以為鶯歌老街那邊有很多茶具 可是並沒有啊
大間的 真的有賣品質好的茶具的地方 也沒幾個
我們說要先去逛逛 老闆娘就說 他們只開到六點 我看手表 才三點多啊 才發現 我表停了
明明就已經快五點半
下一跳
有點 罪惡感 因為M先生本來是不想要有時間壓力看茶壺的
結果害我們兩個在20分鐘內把老街全跑完
也還好啦 如果對陶瓷沒啥興趣的話 也沒什麼特別的
所以就回到第一家電去買他的茶壺 是手拉坏 不錯看
他好高興喔 哈哈

還好那天我們在景美某的茶店有跟店裡的阿姨聊天
他說到鶯歌殺價一定要殺到七折 呵呵

我們這一日遊還蠻累的
我還以為應該會很輕鬆
可是今天好累喔
在要上車的時候
M先生又找不到悠遊卡
整個就很亂
還好後來在車上找 有找到
心情恢復正常 :)

我們到台北 打算在台北車站吃點小東西
因為最近吃得有點多 有點誇張
所以就去買胡椒餅
好好吃喔
然後配50嵐
下次要記得 不要那麼甜
在車上吃喝得很開心

今天過得非常快樂
很充實 現在好累
明天也要早起
因為想要早餐吃飯糰 :)

公館工作 師大亂混

今天早上早起去打工
呵呵
事實上也不是什麼打中 只是當個中文家教而已
很多人聽我說我在當中文家教 都傻眼 心裡想 他怎麼教中文啊
說實在呢 我事實上當場也這樣想
可是只要裝座有信心就可以了
哈哈

之後因為很閒所逛到師大去
M先生本來在找太陽眼鏡
已經找很久了ㄋㄟ
本來想找我們去配眼鏡的叔叔吃麵線的 可是他很忙 所以我們就去吃別的
在師大終於找到M先生理想的太陽眼鏡
高興到就直接買了
我有幫他努力殺價喔!! :)

因為沒事做 加上我們等唱片行開門 所以我們就在 師大的insomnia混
我再用電腦 然後M先生在看書
他們家的冷氣好舒服喔
可是下次還是喝咖啡好了 檸檬冰沙就還好
可是我覺的咖啡廳很有fiu
有狗在煩客人 覺得好好玩喔
哈哈

之後就到在羅斯福路的一家二手唱片行幫M先生找台灣老歌唱片
哈哈 超好玩的
他一個很害羞
可是那個阿姨人超好的 都有幫我們介紹

買一買 我去二手書店買Yoshimoto Banana的書
現在已經到要練中文的時期了
*嘆
我得好好加油
我應該念日文才對
可是好懶喔

之後回家 跟千千去景美散步
還不錯ㄟ 晚上在河邊散步很舒服 可是不到河就是了
哈哈

晚上去吃東山水餃
可是吃好多 所以吃到後來很想吐
他們家的燴飯沒怎麼好吃 所以下次去 要先打電話給必必問他哪道菜好吃

吃完飯去我們家附近的咖啡廳喝咖啡
好想瞞有歐洲的fiu說
直到蟑螂出現
超大的 而且是會飛的那種
好可怕 好想回家 躲冷氣房

Yang Ming Shan

Good evening. This is my first post on this blog, and infact my first on any blog. I have been in Taipei for over two weeks and living in the frantic but exciting hub of the urban sprawl. As a naturalist, it made a nice change to get up to yang ming shan national park where the sounds were not of motor vehicles, but of insects and birds. Judging by the sound alone, there must have been more creepy crawlies there than all of the people in the taipei basin below could count on their fingers and toes..combined! I had never seen such diversity of life in one space and took many photos of the beautiful scenery and bizarre wildlife. Taiwan is famous for its buterflies and i could see why... there were so many different species in even just a few metres.

We took a bus up to the visitor centre and had a chat with the wardens. We had wanted to scale mount qi xing, but by the time we got round to setting off, the weather had deteriorated and rain was immminent. The views from the summit would have been pretty bad as morning is the best time, before the cloud builds up around the hills and the haze builds up in the taipei basin, obscuring the citscape from view. So the rangers recomended a woodland walk around the sides of the mountain,. we were still well high up and the summit was in sight at our highest point so the views were actually very good of the city below and the moutain sides. I found the natural characteristics of the nataional park very interesting and very differebt from the temperate climes i am used to. The woodland was almost tropical rainforest and had diversity in its species to match. Instead of reeling of a massive list ill put a few photos of the place on here. In some ways i was kind of glad that it wasnt brillian t sunshine, as i find that mist and grey skies gives a place more atmosphere. The combination of the mist, grey skies and the almost deafening sound of sicadas in the trees gave the whole place an otherworldy feel, making me feel very small and insignificant. The national park trails were very well lokked after by the rangers and i was well impressed by the quality of the path which was paved most of the way and strimmed at the sides. There was a lovely little park at the top of our trail which children and old folk were playing and chilling. It was warming to see kids from a massive polluted concrete jungle enjoying the space of the moutainside. At the visitor centre, there was a guy who was really funny and he was very happy when i said i was considering volunteering in the park.

On the return journey in the bus, the apparent lack of consideration of personal space was made starkly apparent to me as an old man shouted (talked) to a woman a foot away from him. His voice was like a Taiwanese language foghorn, or whatever the hell he was talking. He gave me a headache and we were glad doo disembark from the bus. We walked around shi lin and i bought some blue cat boxers. I saw the worlds biggest zippo and if i had been a richer man would have bought it for the brethren. Another time perhaps.

Today, i bought the tastyest pair of oldskool tortoishell rayban wayfarers at a redicoulously low price, thanks to some severe bargaining. I then went toa record shop on the hubt for some chinese music on lp. I wanted to buty some whilst i am out here as it is hard to gat any in the uk. I got 3 peices, one for free!!!! 2 instrumental of a pipa and classical orchestra and one singer. They are oldskool but will be great i think. Cant wait to listn to them.

Over and out.

陽明山 and my first pair of skinny trousers (god help me)

我想說
難得又回來台灣所以想寫個在台旅遊記

今年跟我男朋友回到台灣來
想說我來寫個中文版 然後他寫英文版

事實上我中文也沒很好
可是希望能表達我在台灣生活的心情跟感受

現在已經過了三個禮拜了 我才想到來玩個網誌
*嘆 而且回來那麼久了 還沒有跟很多人聯絡說
前幾天打電話給朋友時就被罵



今天第一篇 陽明山之旅

今天早上一大早起來
非常的累 而且睡得不是很好 因為冷氣開太強了啦
所以坐捷運的時候差一點睡著 可惜一直被m先生叫醒
因為不想遲到 所以沒有吃早餐
到了文化大學跟阿賴碰面
下了一跳 怎麼變了那麼多
瘦超多的 讓我覺得自己好像都沒為了自己的身材在在乎
可是好開心耶 好久沒看到的阿賴 還是跟以前一樣好玩 又忙 :)
因為很餓 所以不想要花時間找東西吃 所以就去對面的Mosburger吃了漢堡
還是覺得 他們的摩斯漢堡最好吃 要加cheese
今天吃的新的漢堡 沒啥感覺

吃完飯 討論的時候 才決定阿賴沒想要一起去爬山 卻想要爬山後帶我們到士林夜市去吃東西
沒關係 那我們 team bird 自己去也可以!! :)
所以就開始上山了
座108號繞了將近一圈的陽明山 才到了冷水坑
好累喔 座公車 公車超小 人又很多 大部分是老人
如果不是老人就是小朋友
意思就是 即使有位子空出啦 不代表能做
因為要讓座位給老人或小朋友
而且我又會暈車 整個就很累
還好到的時候 我們已經很高了 600公尺吧
所以很涼 不會熱
我們心到了遊客中心 因為有點不知道怎麼走比較好
早上又很早起來 所以很困
我就躺在外面 休息一夏
後來決定去走一個兩個小時的圈
還好有伯伯介紹我們步道 跟我們姐是怎麼去走

一開始真的好累喔 氣根本不夠
可是過了一會 身體習慣之後 就覺得很有在運動的感覺
感覺很好 很舒服
每次運動都會想說 應該常常去運動 可是當代在家裡的時候 就會覺得沒那種必要

走路 爬山 越走越爬 越高
空氣很新鮮 走路 動動身也非常有感覺
整個就很好玩
一邊走一邊想 應該常常來爬山才對
有運動 又在戶外呼吸新鮮空氣

這次沒有到最高峰 七星山
因為有下雨 雲超多的
想說 會很累 好啦 應該說 我應該沒辦法 所以就沒去爬到頂
我們就先爬到七星公園 然後去夢幻湖 然後回到冷水坑

到了七星公園 小朋友超多的 他們好像是跟學校去外面玩!! 好多喔
覺得 小小的好好 屜裡好 沒啥煩惱 玩得好開心

M先生非常喜歡台灣的豐富動物和昆蟲類 所以就很開心 一直用很稀奇的心情看著每隻飛過或爬過的動物
山上好多蝴蝶喔 超漂亮的
M先生忙著拍照 記錄他在台所看到的動物
有些照片還蠻讚的 代會再叫他po

下山時 我已經很累了 我才察覺到 原來下山比上山累
走樓梯和比較陡的路 我麼久都在發抖 感覺有點緊張 會跌倒
可是還好 有平安的回到600公尺

應該是會肌肉酸痛的才對 可是今天卻沒有
可能爬得不夠用力 下次去爬 一定要到山頂
可是有早點去 然後不要跟老人下山
不然的話 腳超累 卻又沒得座

回到山下 到士林 餓到快死 因為沒有吃中餐啊
所以就盡快找個東西來吃
可是座的
去吃義大利麵 吃得好痛快
哇 運動過後填飽肚子 最享受 最滿足

本來想要去逛街 可是很累 所以打算逛一點點就好
隔壁就是 a la sha 所以就先去逛那裏
好開心喔 可惜沒特價
買了我生命中頭一件 skinny 的庫子
哈哈 也許會不敢穿呢
黑色的非常好看

後來逛到我以前常常買漫畫的地方
我本來以為已經倒了 他卻還在
我好高興喔 想說來這裡買漫畫會很有fiu

在要回家的路上 又經過了CK的拍賣場
沒辦法 還是進去看看了
買了幾件內衣 哈哈
因為便宜嗎 2折ㄟ

回到家 好累 頭好痛 隱形眼鏡戴太久了啦!!!
可是去陽明山的確很豐富 很好玩
推薦大家去玩玩!! :)
可是不要忘記帶便當 陽明山上 沒啥吃的