台湾之旅 (I)

I've realised that everytime I travel to a place abroad, I will unconsciously start to assess the possibility of long-term residence in that particular country. Have come to conclude that these might be indicators of my "quitter" mentality (re: one of the several terms coined by our ex PM). But it's not that I dislike being Singaporean, in fact, I am very grateful for being born and bred here. I just have something against the weather in the tropics. The heat and humidity really takes a toll on my physical and mental well-being (and I don't really take too well to air-conditioning either). Which explains my constant desire to get away from it all.

So one of these getaways found me on a JetStarAsia flight bound for Taipei.


That was my first time taking a budget airline. Twas kinda cramped and extremely compact - two columns of three seaters and a narrow aisle in between. Really felt quite bus-like, including the fact that the main cockpit was actually visible (from where we were seated) and only separated by us by a door. All the basic amenities are provided, together with a handful of crew members (some of whom seemed rather, er, fierce). Got an aisle seat so had a nice view of the clouds outside, which was rather magnificient. Beside me sat a rather flustered J who was busy distracting herself with reading and sales catalogues and accompanying her was a sedate Ig. Spent a good quarter of the time snoozing away, then a couple of hours away from Taipei (the whole trip spans 4 hours), started getting bored and that was when Ig gave me the story puzzle (you know, one of those mind-boggling thingys that present a scenario and you gotta somehow work backwards to figure out all the events that led to it).

Me (with lots of dramatic flair and perhaps some comedy): .........and that was how he ended up killing himself after eating the sandwich.
Ig and J: Kekekekeke...(giggling mightily)
Lady in front (turns around and says in Mandarin): Can you please talk more softly?
Me: Oh, er, sorry, sorry...
Lady: You talk very loudly you know.
Me: Oh, sorry, sorry...
(Short pause)
From this point on, everything is carried out sotto voce...
Me: Ugh it's so embarrassing when we become a social nuisance..
J: That's a nice term...haha...
Ig: Hey anyone got cotton wool?
Me and J: ?
Ig: So you can, you know..(makes plugging motion into ears of lady in front)
Lady turns around and stares. Ig freezes. Then three people behind lady collapses into muffled giggles part I.
(Short pause)
Me: Hey anyone got a sweet?
Ig passes sweets around, *rustle*...
Me: Hey maybe we can, you know...(motions the sweet to lady in front)
Ig: Oh do you mean...(sticks a sweet in lady's direction)
Lady turns around promptly. Ig freezes. Then three people behind lady collapses into muffled giggles partII.

***





Ok I jus needed to record that incident above coz it was really really funny. Especially when you've got three 24 year olds behaving like pre-schoolers. Shall end off this plane anecdote with a couple of cloud pics, which really downplay the radiance of everything but nevermind..

Upon arrival at CKS airport, was whisked off to Rainbow Hotel by a small van. Walked towards hotel feeling guilty about not tipping driver, but soon forgot about it when confronted by the throbbing vibrance of a Saturday night in Ximending. Shops and food galore! But be forewarned- prices of goods there are severely jacked up, and there's a good ninety percent chance of finding the same thing in another street market at half the price. Though I did get conned into buying a Hello Kitty pouch...drats.

Many would probably have heard of the famous "Ah Zong Mian Xian" in Ximending, and yep that was where we went for our first meal in XMD. The first slurp of the world-renowned noodles is not really as sensational as expected, but there is just something very tasty about the combination of shredded mian xian, pig intestines (I think, coz there isn't much of the intestine taste) and thick savoury soup heavy with vinegar and pepper. Absolutely lovely for a cold winter's day.

Everyone stands around the stall slurping the mee in small bowls.

First night in Taipei was spent appreciating the sights and sounds of XMD, before returning to the hotel and receiving the rude shock that our guided tour was planned for the third day of our trip, not the second that we expected. So had to do last-minute planning, details of which will be explored in my next post...