airport

BY THE WAY, I POSTED TAIPEI POSTS BELOW, IT JUST GOES UNDER THIS ONE BECAUSE THIS POST IS AFTER I LEFT TAIPEI TO KEEP THINGS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

I'm at taipei airport waiting 3 hours for my flight. Hopefully I get proper internet soon rather than using blackberry so I can blog. I've been noting memos down everyday so I don't forget what's happened in my day.

Hope everyones well and I'll blog when I touch down to los angeles!

:)

Gold, Hotpot, Shopping

Started the day with a lovely brunch from grandma and then travelled to Jiofen with my family friend. It's an old area where gold used to be mined but is now a popular cultural market spot.


A Japanese television crew was there to film some travel documentary actually, so it was quite busy that day!

Such a pretty cave right? Wait til you see what its called..

I visited this place 3 years ago, but it took a while to register my nostalgia. I heard some beautiful music from an Ocarina shop where my sister asked where the sound was coming from and I spotted and instantly replied with, "That lady over there!"

We both cracked up when we discovered that it was a man with long hair, my bad.
I bought a frog Ocarina, green one and a blue one for my friend. I have a duck one in Brisbane so I guess I kind of know that I still won't learn how to play it but we'll see.

Jana and I then bought Mochi and Almond milk to drink in an alleyway as a break.

Throughout the entire market street, my sister and I played the 'We are foreign and interested in everything' behaviour so we got freebies and tastings everywhere.

There are dogs everywhere but they are so gentle and tame - or more correctly said as neglected. I followed this munchkin for like 10 minutes trying to get a photo, it was so cute and fat!


We had Shabu Shabu for dinner and we had a whole pot each! I ate everything on the plate! Towards the end my sister asked why my cheeks were pink but it came out as "Deena, why are your chinks peek?"


GRANDPA and his HOTPOT

GRANDMA and her HOTPOT

Mother.. straining her eyes to read a text LOL

Post dinner, my sister and I went to the popular shopping district for youths, Ximending where we did some shopping.



I went to go buy a mug/flask thing from Starbucks and this girl asked me if I wanted a coffee. I was like.. what? Noo!! No its okay! But she explained that she has a Buy 1 Get 1 Free and she has no one to give it to so she's just wondering if I wanted it :)
So I got a lovely Hot Chocolate from a Malaysian girl named Nikki who was leaving back to home the very next day. She was on holidays for a week on her own. Very cute! Terima Kasih, Nikki :)

There was an Italian and a French guy doing the whole Free Hugs business in the middle of a square. Now I've had one in Japan and Taiwan, COOL! Hahahaha

Taipei

I arrived to Taipei.. the overwhelming smell of the Taipei air was, hmm - welcoming. But at least its significantly better than China's air.
I was so itchy everywhere from the plane, made me wonder whether or not China airlines washed their sheets properly, but I won't spend an extra second longer to ponder - I think that'd be healthier on my mind.
Because Mum flew in a different class to us, my sister and I were stranded in Taiwanese immigration when they asked us where we were staying - luckily I saved my grandparent's house number just yesterday and they let us through. Phew!

So me being the forgetful dwarf of the 3, left my novel on the suitcase trolley. It also had our L.A schedule which my great-uncle had planned. I really have to learn my lesson, or get a Rememball like Neville owns in Harry Potter.
Family friend picked us up from the airport, it was a 3 hour car drive so I caught up on sleep then (as well as a quick bully session to my sister).

We had quick lunch at our grandparent's house. It was hilarious when we started to eat lunch because my family friend had closed his eyes and bent his head down.. and my grandmother - the usual ball of energy that she is, decided to go right up to his face and mock him saying, 'Don't you know how to eat? Do you need me to help you how to eat?'
It was only when I told her that she realised that my family friend was praying. Aww how cute.

We then went to Danshui, which had crabs ALL OVER the beach.

I've never seen anything quite like it, or disgusting. Made me shiver through to every crevasse in my body.


Sleepy cat infront of a store

Jana and I decided to play a game of Basketball, she scored 197 and I scored 220. Not bad for two girls who hadn't slept yet.


These were full on alive, and you can see them on the pathway as well as the Octopuses try and fight for escape... ew

A strange lady decided to talk to Jana and I, she thought we were twins and gave us seeds to eat. We politely accepted and ate them... Probably shouldn't have but I am still alive, don't worry.
That's the strange lady getting me seeds, and my sister already plowing into hers


So these dogs were outside and my sister and I thought they were just a little mentally unstable, but mum said they're mating. No way they mate like that right? Can anyone give me the answer? My sister and I actually stood there for like 10 minutes being fascinated at how WTF it looked...

We returned back to the grandparent's apartment and I taught grandma how to use a laptop. She is the cutest thing ever! I had to repeat everything about 5 times.

We had French cuisine for dinner at a well furnished restaurant. However, the place was so ironic as the blunt, loud Chinese mannerisms of the staff reverberating through the room totally diminished the class of French cuisine. Not only that but the food as well - we had Soup du jours, escargot, parisienne, truffle etc. as well as a sashimi meal with soy sauce ... ?



Afterwards, my sister and I decided to go explore 101 Tower, which used to be the tallest building in the world but still looks absolutely beautiful to me.
How sexy is Takeshi Kaneshiro for Giorgio Armani? Husband material right there.


Looks like a wedding cake



I bought a book entitled 'Paprika'

This is the exterior of the 101 Tower.. Yeah so not my photo I know

I realised everything I'm typing is so short form because that's how I stored it into my phone and seeing as I am Neville the Goldfish - I can't really remember the fine details. I am so sorry!

Flight

Well it was the 9 hour flight to Taipei, mum got to go in the VIP lounge as she was flying Business Class to later on sit with my grandfather to America. She stole mints for me so I felt slightly part of the whole exclusive airport club.

Mum and I had to wait for ages so we put on perfume, different moisturizers, lotions and serums. We used a $500 Guerlain bottle on our eyes! WHO SPENDS THAT MUCH ON EYE CREAM?

When I went through security, one of the guards exclaimed in joy as I was wearing my Melbourne University hoodie and he started waving a little Australian flag around saying, MELBOURNE! I LOVE MELBOURNE!

Mum and I got really stressed out as we were about to board the plane as Jana still hadn't come around yet. It was coming to the end of final boarding - and we seriously thought Jana decided to dog us but in the end we found it she had boarded anyway, just didn't say hello to us. Way to make me lose 100 hairs on my head, I was so scared mum was going to be depressed for the entire flight.

Leaving

I'm leaving for overseas tonight! I'm heading over to Taiwan first - but don't worry I'll be bringing my laptop and blogging when I can :)

I arrived to Brisbane last night, and straight away got scooted over to the Chinese Restaurant where I used to work to have dinner with family friends.

I then went for a drive with Josh and had lovely roasted milk tea at a maid cafe near my place. It was good to see him, it's been nearly a year since I've caught up with my Owner (I'm his pet monkey).

It was also nice to share some of the burden I drag around, he's one of the few I confide in.

Santa Dennis

I decided to start a new blog about Dennis' mail.

The first one I opened was the one with a card from Santa, it said;

Thanks for getting back to me with the present that dropped in 1998, its much appreciated - but I was 6 years old in 1998. Hehe!

I reacted like a child when I opened to find...


I felt really really ecstatic because I never got presents when I was a child in Australia, I think I only got housework from my grandmother..

I then chose the weird domey looking one and was so surprised to see Chanel written on the box..

THEN TO OPEN AND FIND THAT ITS A LIPSTICK! OH!! That got my heart racing!! Santa knew that I want to start a lipstick collection! And I actually wanted to get the rouge red colour next!! I don't even buy myself Chanel lipstick, I feel so spoiled already!


The next one looked like this,

and ended up... as a harmonica! Santa Dennis knows so much, knows that I want to pick up the harmonica next!! AWWW I'M SO SPECIAL!!

The next one made me drop in humiliation as I realised I should probably keep my toilet business in private from now on, as I normally exclaim proudly of my daily dropping habits. My bad, I am blushing like a tomato! Reindeer? More like the super dooper deena pooper!

The next present was a perfect little square, I wouldn't be able to guess what it is.. a mug in a box?

HAHAHAHA I GOT IT RIGHT!! AND I WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO BUY THIS FOR SANTA DENNIS TODAY AND POST IT BUT I THOUGHT I'D DO MY ENTIRE CHRISTMAS PRESENT FROM OVERSEAS INSTEAD! HAHAHA BUT I WANTED TO GET THIS BECAUSE HE'S A TEA AND COFFEE LOVER, and I guess he thought the same for me as a tea fiend :) (I also found it it is because I am always poking my tongue out in photos)

Last one was of a thin flat dimension... a Hole-On Ex Camera! Where you assemble the cardboard camera and using 35mm film the pin hole will let light in capturing photos, but its up to the user to experiment with exposure etc. How interesting! Must try that out!


Thank you Santa Dennis, I can't thank you enough! I have never been so spoiled, and never been gifted with so much thought! The gifts weren't about what was cool, what was expensive, what was what everyone was buying - you delved deep into my passions and thoughts and gave me gifts which I would fervently enjoy! :)

You know me too well.

p.s I used one of the wrapping papers to fix up Kevin's bogan Christmas present LOL
p.p.s I just swapped presents with Kevin and we both shopped at the same shop (obviously, we have the same interests - we both bought each other figurines). He made me a Munny (from Kidrobot, same company as my Labbit Collection) and made it into a Little Green Men!! I LOVE IT.