Taiwan: Xin Beitou Hot Spring & Danshui

After days of walking in Taiwan, we decided to give the body a break.

Our breakfast, Polo Bun-Pineapple bread and some bread.

Then, we took the MRT to Xin Beitou station.

Cute display at the interchange to Xin Beitou.

Kawaii train-in-n-out.

Figured that we reached too early, hence we have a stroll around the quiet town for some nonsense.

Crystal clear, steaming-hot longkang (drain). Where to get in Malaysia.

We're spoilt for choices, as there a plenty of hot spring hotels and resorts for us to choose from. There is the public and also the private ones. As I'm not ready to exhibit my imperfect-fat-body to the world, we settled for the private hot spring.

For the private ones, a room will be given  provided with the hot spring. Rate differs for each hotel, we chose 'Hot Spring Resort', NT$ 1080 for 3 person.

I guess we chose the wrong resort, but for price that low, I guess it is ok. It is basically a room, and you bath in a tub, where you fill it with hot water yourself.

Me, preparing to enjoy the private hot spring.

We take turns to dip in the so-called hot spring. Private hot spring is kinda boring, soaking with nothing to do. But I guess private ones are cater for couples cos condoms are provided in the room. Link, for those who do not know what condom is.

Tea time buffet is also provided FOC.

Then, the DSLR phailed me. So all the below pictures are captured with the smart phone's smart camera.

After, the filling-carbs teatime, we took the MRT to Danshui Night Market- 淡水.

Cutie handmade-chinese zodiac-clay. On the right is our family's version of the clay. CutEee...

阿给老店, Ah Gei Lao Tian. Love the bee hoon, Lu Rou Fried Mee + Beehoon, very tasty oh. The fish ball so-so. Not bouncy, and can barely taste the meat in it. The both cost NT$ 70. 

Fried Tako with steam rice. They did a review of this snack in a Jacky's Wu TV show few years back. Din manage to take a picture of it. The tako is yummy, but I guess we were too hungry, we ate it too fast, I forget its taste. lol. It is actually fried squid with steam rice wrapped in it. You can choose the flavor of the rice, and the people will fry it fresh for you.


That's all for Xin Beitou and Danshui. Did not manage to visit the Danshui's Fisherman's Wharf. * knock on the head*... Gotta pay a visit, next time around.

Taiwan: Jiufen & Keelung Night Market 2

Back to business after the commercial break...

After witnessing the weirdest ice cream combination in our life, we continue to explore the old town of Jiufen. When we came across to the most famous person in Jiufen.

*Drum rolls* Introducing the famous hot dog seller in Jiufen...

She dressed like this everyday to attract customers, really can get more customer by dressing this way?
But she did caught our attention, we even took pictures with her. After taking pictures of course must buy something lo, or else like 'wan kat'.

She can really pose, every pictures taken with her she will show a different pose. She recommend us the Black Pig sausage and also the glutinous rice sausage, and we chose the latter. Ermm, not trying to be racist or what but black pig? The color alone scares us off.

Our glutinous rice sausage, NT$ 35 which tasted like ordinary glutinous rice, only difference it is in a sausage shape and has an outer layer which is too oily, not worth trying, Lomaikai tasted much better.

Some random sweetie we saw in Jiufen, the 3 of us look so dead ordinary next to her. Shes selling some 'ginger cubes' where you need to dissolve it in hot water and it tasted like the 'Tong Yuen' soup with ginger.

Stopped by at a shop selling taro balls.

Yummy taro balls, they have all sorts of balls, from glutinous rice, taro, green bean, sweet potato, and alot more which idk, due to the different flavor, the bowl is very colorful. Although with so much variety, we can't really taste the difference. For the soup we chose red+green bean, there is also the icy ones where you can have during summer. The price is fair also, NT$40 per bowl.

The view from Jiufen, best time to capture nice shots of the view is summer.

Love the color of this picture. Help!! Can someone tell me why is all my pictures blur after I edit, seems like very low quality. I chg the image size in Photoshop to resize.


Ughh...so much to see at Jiufen but then the time does not permit, the shop here closes at 6pm, and so we took a bus to Keelung's Miaokou Night Market- Miaokou means 'Temple Front'. We took a bus for NT$51/person, and the journey seems like forever (could be because its raining, hence the driver is driving slowly).

Had a bowl of the taiwan's famous mee sua, served with pork intestines and fish ball. I still prefer the one in Malaysia-Shihlin branch's oyster meesua.

Tell the bus driver to inform you when reaching the Miaokou Night Market, from where the bus stops you walk straight up (to the direction where the bus that you had just take) till you see a bridge on your right, or the easiest just as the locals for guidance. More info on KeeLung here.

The night market is famous for its seafood, due to the fact that Keelung is situated near the sea. The seafoods here are all bigger than the normals, or is it because I more kampung.

The night market only sells more food compared to fashion. I also find the night market relatively small compared to the others which I had went.

Our eat list:

营养三明治 Miao Kou Chinese Sandwich, NT$55, which is recommended by a lot of bloggers. It is actually taiwan sausage, ham, century egg, tomato and cucumbers wrap inside a crispy, deep fried bread and a lot of mayonaisse. We did not need to queue, but we overheard another customer saying this, "usually the line for this stall is dam long, but today since its raining so no people", lucky us ^^. We were at first doubting that how delicious can that weird combination be, and I can tell you it is really good.

生煎包 Shanghai Sheng Jian Bao, NT$12. Not bad..but nothing special.

Nice looking drumstick that we did not try.

肉圆 Rou Yuan, NT$30. I hate this thing, there is a weird taste in it, the meat is red in color-is it Hong Shao Rou (Red Braised Pork)? Idk.. I did not even swallow my 1st bite..that is how bad it tasted. Note to myself : Never ever order red rou yuan.

滷肉飯 Lu Rou Fan + Pork Meat Soup NT$60, our last stop of the day is at Taiwan's famous delicacies. As I remembered, the gravy here is nicer than the 1 we had at Huaxi. The meat in the sopu is tender and nicely cooked, but it may not suit those who does not like a strong pork-y taste in their meat.

That basically covers our journey in Jiufen and Keelung aka Miaokou.

Chinese New Year 2011

Happy CNY everyone...yeah..I know, it is already the 6th day of cny but late is better then not wishing right...

Same ol' routine every year...1st day went visiting to my grandma's ( father's side), then to grandpa's (mummy' side) and then makan-makan. This year's cny holiday is too short, only 4 days, how I wish I can have longer holidays. I swear imma give everyone 15 days of holiday, if I'm the PIC to arrange the holidays.

OK. Enough of complaining this CNY. Let the pictures do the talking. There are not much pictures to show as I look so fat in all the pictures.Sobxx

I grown so much fatter compared to last year cny, I can only scream 'DIET', which has never been successful since the past 5 years. I's so gonna be a fat ol' aunty...hmm...maybe I should start to write a post on my journey from a thinner-me to the now-me.. T.T

This is what causes all my chubby-ness...but it is too irresistible..

The 3 of us...the bro is not cooperative. Happy Chinese New Year!!

• Have a prosperous year ahead.
• Be as cute as the bunny in the bunny year.
• Stay slim for the ladies.
• Be pretty/handsome thru out the year.
• Wallet stay fat-fat thru out the year.
• Stay healthy
• Happy Bunny Year 2011!!

Spring is Love

Although living in a country with no 4 seasons, my love for spring clothing blooms ever since I had my 1st piece of floral clothing. I am very much in love with things floral, flowy and pastel. I might not be a fashion expert, as I just dress according to my liking, and had sometimes being called a fashion disaster.

OK..nevermind..bac to the post, tis post is actually dedicated to Reebonz, umm maybe not entirely on Reebonz but more on their latest contest, which is the Reebonz Spring Clean Blogger Contest. There are 6 bags to be won in the contest, and I'm, eyeing for the Marc Jaacobs The XL Single as I'm loving the color, so so much. The bag is suitable throughout the year and you can even dress up or down with the bag as accessories.

So, here's my 1st look with the bag:

1st Look: Casual

Here I'm pairing my kitschen floral dress with a pastel green cardigan from Cotton On. The dress alone will look too dull as it is dark in color. A skinny belt from this&that is wrapped around the waist to accentuate the waist line. Then, I pair my favorite piece of leopard print legging which I got from Taiwan, with Opera's Ballerina Flats (cream color), and lastly a black bracelet, also not forgetting the Marc Jaacobs The XL Single to complete the look. # I did not pull the leggings all the way up cos I feel that it looks better showing off abit off skin in the thigh area.

This girly look is suitable when you are hititng the mall, cinema, and even for dinner.

2nd Look:Back to School

The 2nd look is suitable for school. The color might be abit dull for spring. The grey skirt could be replace with a floral skirt to make it livelier (I'm wearing grey because I do not have a floral one). On the top is a plain white tube top. A simple grey long cardigan on the outside and again, a belt to accentuate the waist- which is not visible due to the layering. Shoe is a peep-toe with a flower on top wore together with a pair of socks to keep the toe warm in a breezy spring. Lastly, a Marc Jaacobs The XL Single and you are ready for school.