As I tried to keep the trip as low of a profile as I could before I left, not many people knew of my visit. It's a good thing- despite being totally hammered when they found out. In a way, it was my break from the world to spend some quality time with le family. We were actually supposed to spend the summer holidays together, but due to family issues, le parents couldn't take leave, so I went with le sister instead. That made a break of eight months since the last time I saw them...and that is a LONG time for a family that had lived together for 17 years, seeing each other every day. Then again, I thought they would have gotten used to not having me around these couple of years...
Thinking back, this was a good time to see them because if I didn't, it would be until Chinese New Year in February! That would have been ten months too long. Not to mention the constant complaint that I travel to all these other places and NOT even spending more than 10 days with them this year. So, in a jiffy, I flew over to deal with the complaints.
8 days. Usually, it would feel like it isn't enough to do all the things I want. But, I wasn't really suppose to be doing anything anyway. The break was simply to chillax with parents, be it at home or on a day trip somewhere. Though I only had two home-cooked meal, it's nothing to complain about. I don't want to be a trouble for my mom by being home, so I eat when she cooks, and eat out when she doesn't. No biggie. More or less with no particular schedule or planning, it's probably easier just to tell the story with photos...
(testing out my new camera Nikon CoolPix L310 too...)
(Look at our fridge covered with postcards! Although not all of them are from me, I shall attempt to fill the bottom two sections with postcards from all over the world :))
(First night at home: lamb stew hotpot with marinated snacks! oh man, the perfect meal for such a cold weather~ well, it was cold for me. I think I've gotten used to the 30's, now the 20's feel chilly...so much for 17 years in Vancouver weather :P)
(Rahdesign: You won't believe this dessert- it looks like a waffle. It is a waffle. BUT, it sandwiched mochi! Hot and crispy on the outside with the chewy centre, lightly flavoured with Taiwanese honey cream on top...oh wow!)
(Starving to death, we decided to head up to the second floor of Taipei Railway- yes, it had been renovated to host a variety of food delights from the signature bubble teas to beef noodles! Definitely worth a visit if you haven't been. Honestly don't remember bubble tea being this gigantic of a glass!)
(Went shopping with le sister at 京站 and saw this ADORABLE brand. It looks like le bf and me- okay, maybe I'm not THAT cute, but you know what I mean :P)
(Keelung Night Market: I can't remember the number of the stall but it's the closest one to the temple entrance. If your facing the temple, it will be on your left hand side. Full of traditional flavours and texture, if you miss this, you WILL regret it)
(Chewy Tang-Yuan swimming in lightly sweeten soup base. Awesome both hot and cold- this can be found just a little further out from the "official" Keelung Night Market food stalls. Definitely a must try too)
(First time meeting my chubby nephew who we've named "Rupert"- just want to HUG him forever and ever)
(Another item not to be missed: Wheel cakes. With various types of fillings, from cream to red beans to veggies, sweet or savory to suit your cravings. Of course, it really depends on what you prefer. Me, I like them crispy on the outside, chewy on the second layer in, and tender to the tooth in the center. If you're not sure, just grab one each time you see a stall, and you'll soon find out what you like better)
(What a different way to have milk tea, eh? Apparently, 'it so tea' is praised with quality tea, and unlike the other bubble tea stores, only ONE drink here is allowed to have pearls- in a way, it's to maintain the true form of "tea", possibly. You can also bring back the bottle for refund! What a good way to recycle~)
(士林飛來發: go remove your facial hair, they said. It's fun, they said. WRONG! The pain was literally my limit, and I could feel tears gathering in my eyes...but no. Big girls don't cry. Not to mention, my face was swollen red for the next couple of hours because I have sensitive skin...let's not do this again. Once for the experience is enough!)
(Must-try: Taiwanese Stinky Tofu. Though this one wasn't so stinky, the flavour and texture were there. I mean, it's such a popular snack that it's quite difficult to find a bad one. But, don't quote me on that~)
(Must-try: Oyster Pancake. Also another snack that doesn't go wrong often, or at least when I try them. Though, it's important to make sure the ingredients are fresh and crisp...then again, that's a basic criteria for all street food. Another way to tell is if the stall is packed with customers...)
(Oyster noodles near my place in Keelung. Pretty good, and definitely a popular stall for the locals! Though, not everyone can stand the gooey texture, it shouldn't be missed )
(魏姊包心粉圓: Humongous pearls with fillings inside piled on top of fresh milk ice-cream and sweet soup. Just like bubble tea, with a menu that can be quite daunting, it may leave you puzzled at what you really want. You know I love my desserts, so when I say this is worth trying, it's worth trying)
(So we saw this HUGE crowd surrounding this section of the food stalls at Yi-lan night market. What was everyone waiting for? Then...we found the source: lamb soup. Pondering whether we should have any, my genius suggestion saved us from the lineup. Instead of battling for seats, we took out 3 bowls and chillaxed by the nearby park while we sipped on this heart-warming soup. For NTD60, this is CHEAP and DELICIOUS. Oh wait, this is Taiwan. Not a surprise :P)
(Obviously, I devoured the whole bowl myself...not! If it weren't steaming, I would've gulped it all down leaving no chance for photos!)
( This is precisely why I would stay home all my life if I could: mid-night home-style instant noodles...mama can make anything taste delicious~)
(Sending myself back to KL...until next time!)