Q's Mind: 26th December 2007 in Taiwan

NANTOU
JIJI TRAIN STATION
It was so bothering there I didn't bother taking any pictures; I was more interested in these colorful colorful vespas, and a gigantic banner nearby featuring some show by a bikini-clad girl playing with some pythons... hee...

Got these pictures from my friend's camera...

Built by the Japanese and made out of wood, and was heavily damaged from an earthquake. It has now been restored to its original state.

Authors note: was told that wooden buildings has its advantage; in events of earthquake, which is common in Taiwan, although wooden buildings are the first to collapse, residents inside usually survive. Those residing in concrete buildings usually got crushed to death by the falling concretes...

Caution! This IRON casted train has been in the sun since morning, and it is VERY hot... so dun bother placing your hands on it, least even thinking of sitting on it...

Oh ya, behind me, the gigantic banner of the bikini-clad girl playing with the python... told you I wasn't lying~ ( ^ . ~ )

and I missed this place out~! Dammit... hahaha~

and I so~~~ wanted to get myself one of these ice cream... too bad the long queue put me off.

and before we board the coach again... I snapped this photo again... yea, I like these kinda frame. Notice there is a railway track on the pavement?

Oh! by the way, one of the aunties from the tour group treated me to an extra piece of Taiwanese Sausage! Yummy!

NANTOU PREFECTURE - JIJI TOWN -
WU CHANG TEMPLE NEW CONSTRUCTION
dedicated to the worship of XuanTian Shangdi...

because the original one had collapse from the 921 earthquake...

... a 2nd storey balcony now sits at just half the height...

... ground storey was crushed underneath the rubbles...

beautiful architecture...

Tour guide told us something amazing happened - Although the earthquake collapsed the temple, volunteers who climbed in to savage the belongings and properties found all the deities statues inside intact... and still standing... none were damaged.

and so, words got around, and they decide to pool some money to build a new home for the deities~ ( ^__^)

Skippers are so common in Taiwan that you see them everywhere.....

but not something as tiny as this! This isn't a toy wor~ its completely functional.

SUN MOON LAKE (日月潭）

We were there for lunch... its a hotel with a beautiful view...

... right behind the restuarant at the balcony... SUN MOON LAKE

Picture taken off the restaurant's balcony... (combined picture...)

Picturesque scenary

毛王爷之家

I forgotten what was told about this place... only had a vague impression that this place belongs to a famous tribal chief sorta thing... I couldn't be bothered taking photos, so the 2 pictures below were from my friend's camera...

Anyways, was inside for a very hilarious presentation by an aboriginal lady who can speak many different languages... this is the place where they will recommend you to buy ROYAL JELLY @ S$370 a bottle... (Out of Itinery too...).

Anyways, Jerry and Kokuhen bought a bottle each (which they came to regret the very next day...)

WEN WU TEMPLE

青龙偃月刀 (BLUE DRAGON FALCION)
"单刀独耀一江水，匹马长驱千里月"
- 關雲長 's battle weapon... (shouldn't it be "Green Dragon Falcion"?)

Author's note: Many would have mistaken that Guan Yu actually swung this 175kg weapon around in the battlefield... please, he is no Hercules. His 青龙宝刀 weighed 82 catties (approx. 18.02kg), which, in my opinion, is still heavy enough to slice limbs like toufu if the momentum is attained...

This is just a 175kg replica~ watch me pole-dance around it~! Hahaha~

A plate befitting 關二爺...

In ancient China, swords can be categorized into 6 grades - iron sword, steel sword, genuine steel sword, hardening steel sword, tough steel sword, and serendipitous steel sword. The 青龙宝刀 is of the serendipitous grade.

Fortune-sticks! I had a couple of rounds in this too!

1) First you "wash" the sticks by jumbling them around...

2) then you draw out the stick that is sticking out the most...

3) then you read the number on the stick and recite to the deity in front of you...

4) then you "Puah Buay" (throw the twin semi-circle wooden-pieces); it has to land one piece upwards, and the second piece downwards...

5) if you got it, then that stick you drew out is meant to read your fortune...

6) then you return the stick back into the barrel and proceed to the shelf behind you to match the slips of paper that will explain your fortune to you...

I got a medium-luck slip against my Career. Kokuhen and Jerry got Down Down Luck... they lamented going through it and spoiling their own mood... hahaha~

裤妹妹槟榔... photo taken in a moving coach... Tour guide says all "裤妹妹" Betal nut outlets are run by these "fashionably dressed" girls.Author's note: How to spot a Betal Nut shop - just look out for NEON LIGHTs outside transparent booths...

Next, we are on our way towards 台中... and its hours of mountains...and farms...
until the coach driver stops for Betal Nuts... our Tour Guide heads down to buy, and gave us the opportunities to snap pictures...
thats when we woke up... and then went back to zzz again....
until Tour guide wake us up for another round of Betal Nut Girls! Woo, this one was scantily clad~

Author's note: just the evening before, I was watching the Taiwan local news on TV, another 槟榔西施 was arrested for dressing too scantily. She was in bra and thongs, so skimpy that her pubic hair was exposing... arrested for indecent exposure... she was only 19yr old...

a close-up... (somehow, she reminds me of Mo Xiao Ling... eeeww)

台中 - TAI CHUNG

5:15pm, we arrived in 台中... students on their way home...

and here's a local police car...

more students! It was an all-girls school...

太阳饼 DIY bakery class!

This young chef gave us a run down of the steps.... Perfect Mandarin.

and here's the 麦芽糖 fillings...

first, u press the dough flat, push it straight out, then roll it back, flatten it again, fold half sideways, flatten again, introduce the filling and spin it in, then shape it the way you like it...

I made 2 of them! Number 30; see that STAR SHAPE & DONUT SHAPE on the top 2nd row? I made those!

then we had them send in for baking!

below are the biscuits fresh out from the stove... will need some time to cool...

and we each got a biscuit for sampling! Now heading downstairs while waiting for our DIY 太阳饼 to finish baking...

downstairs, everyone is sampling all the different versions of 太阳饼... chocolate, strawberry, almond flakes, pineapple.... what have you...

and we started to place our orders for 太阳饼... they will be freshly baked, packed, and delivered to our Hotel in Taipei... pretty neat service eh?

Author's note: 太阳饼 shops in Tai Chung are only found on one side of the road - the side which heads OUT of Tai Chung. Its for people to buy OUT, not buy IN. And NO LOCALS buy 太阳饼 anymore... all the 太阳饼 shops are void of any customers; as our coach passed countless of these shops, anyone who spots a single customer inside any shop will be awarded a prize.

Why? Because 太阳饼 are a thing of the past in Taiwan. From the Japanese Occupation times, 太阳饼 makers started off their business, and by now, would have already made their fortune and started other business. These shops are left operating just so to 冲面子 - "save face" - cuz whoever closes shop will become a laughing stock amongst those in the same line. So these shops are left to be tended by family members or whoever has nothing to do at home... "basically, just open shop, watch TV, or chit chat with your neighbour 太阳饼 shop (which can be side by side), without worry of any competition..."

Where is the place of the 太阳饼 DIY bakery class? Freedom Road, 2nd Sec

Tada~! My freshly baked 太阳饼~!!! Star Shaped and Donut shape! Success!

Oh, along the way, caught this... "A-Ha 搞飞鸡!" Chicken Cutlet shop. Interesting name.

Next, we were dropped off a busy shopping street... free and easy...

Kokuhen's posing for a pic... but I was distracted... hohoho~

Girl-in-stocking = sexy~ (^.~)

and I was distracted a 2nd time... =p

Just to the right of this picture above... there was a staircase leading downstairs to an area resembling THIS FASHION... and selling alot of clothings at very cheap prices.... that was the place I convinced the guys to buy the same set of clothes to wear together the next morning...

Here's a street scene... we were searching for things to buy...

chanced upon an arcade with countless sets of UFO catchers!

Notice the Marlboro packs?

I have no idea what this rice cooker is for...

some 封神榜 characters...

Bunnies!

Lotsa 1-up Mushrooms...

Paws! These are selling at S$25 a piece in Singapore but only S$15 there!

Mickey's trademark glove...

more toufu....

and monkeys in lobster suits.... cute!

Just look at the countless galore of advertisements~!

shop selling lotsa nice looking boots~ and many girls inside....

another street scene...

more street scenes....

Oh! I love this pony~! So cute!

Heres a 10sec video clip of the street...

ah~ we finally checked into our hotel in Tai Chung... here's the street scene from the windows...

to the right~

and left~

Dinner time! Food court in a nearby shopping centre~ and this HUGE plate of Katsudon caught my eye...

well... you've got to understand... sometimes, what you see might not always be what you will get... but they taste good anyways...

done eating and out comes my camera... its common to find Japanese foodstuff here... cute monkey mascot...

right above the shopping centre is this Internet Cafe... Jiawoei went in for a connection, while I head for the nearby arcade to check things out... S$0.25 for a token... cheap~