only in taipei

So, before I forget... BELATED MERRY X'MAS to everyone! :)) How was your Christmas?

Boy has it been a hectic past week. Well, not so much hectic in the rushing around sense but I've started on revision for my end of year exams (which have EVILLY been placed in mid-January, effectively leaving me and my classmates with a really half-baked holiday season) and... it's not been good. I've been very much distracted by almost anything that isn't studying. First it was dishing out Xmas cards to friends overseas (because Singpost had such a great promotion ;p), then it was rushing around repairing Canon items that seem to be breaking down at the same time, and now that people have returned home from overseas for Christmas, it's always a must to meet up with friends and relatives. How can anyone get any studying done when there are so many other more enjoyable things to do?? Oh, and I somehow have a knack for discovering awesome online shopping websites at the most inconvenient and unnecessary times. :P Apart from that, I'm pretty much past the initial deadline my friends had given me for editing my Taiwan photos so partly out of guilt, and partly out of very fond memories of those times, I decided to go through more of them tonight.

As the title of this post goes, to me, these things can only happen in Taiwan. X)
(and just so you know, it's quite photo heavy! a lot heavier than anticipated) 

 
1. At the Tao Yuan International Airport, there were reading glasses of varying degrees provided for people who needed some help in filling out their immigration forms. I just thought this was so dang cute and considerate! :D 
2. I've never seen bicycles kept like that. How'd they all get up??? 
3. Left: Mysterious staircase we happened to pass by around the Shi Fan University area. Right: Donut on an Eiffel Tower?? But with a little sign below that says, "I'm Real!". 

 
4. Wandering around a night market in the daytime. Not particularly happening. :) But that's what you get when you're at tourist unsure of the time when things start happening. 
5. Milk carton display! 
6. Fried minced meat/veggie dumpling from a street stall if I'm not mistaken.

 
7. Dimsum being sold in a bakery! Can you believe that? :D Such a genius idea. And sooo comforting on a cold wet rainy taipei morning to bite into a steaming hot piece of siew mai/bun. 
8. And it just so happens that that bakery was 30 secs away from our hotel.


 
9. The land of Bubble Tea. (psst, notice Sandra's lovely manicured nails? We made it a point to very subtly position our then newly manicured nails into many photos.) 
10. Bottles of milk tea sold in Seven-Elevens. They were REALLY good. Why can't they have that in all Seven-Elevens, starting with the SG ones??


11. Soooo many of these Daiso-like stores selling almost everything you need for a low price. I would probably get all my Xmas ornaments from there if I actually lived there X)
12. Oyster Omelet from a night market stall. NOT my fav because of that strange sauce they splashed on top of it. I still say that the SG ones are the most delicious; if you have the luck to eat from a good stall.
13. One of the many dogs we saw in Taipei. This one was out enjoying the cool night breeze at the night market.
   
14. Just had to take a photo with that gorgeous mural on the wall of a small store at the Shi Fan night market in the background. It was by far, my favorite night market. :D So many little boutiques that we didn't manage to check out because that place was just a maze. 
15. One of the more typically well-dressed dogs in Taipei.


  16. Just thought I'd add this in since it's only in Taipei that we walked sooooo much and were way too tired to step into the Chiang Kai Shek memorial hall. Though we did manage a couple of jump-shots. 
17. One of the closest we got to the Taipei 101 building. Due to the rain every day and almost each night, we never made it up to the top of the building because of all that fog. And we had some serious night market traipsing to do. 

~~

Yeah, ok am now pretty much peached out. Today my classmates and I had a 12 hour marathon revision lecture. YEAH, I'm still coming to terms with that figure. It really helped that it was by one of the nicest, most dedicated Profs so I was too busy admiring him (only because he's so dedicated and patient XD)(I've come across too many not-so-nice-tutors to not (outwardly) appreciate an awesome one when I see one) to really fall asleep. But still. 12 hours.

Can't wait to graduate and not have to take another exam in my life again. :( I can't understand how people make it to consultant/emeritus prof (and the works) level without seriously losing all their hair.
And also, can't believe 2011 is drawing to a close. It just feels like there's a lot more that I want to do... or perhaps reflect on slowly and quietly before the new year begins. But I have a feeling I'll just be revising (or attempting to) through the new year, which is a rather depressing thought because we should all take time out to stop and smell the roses and all that eh? So do you guys have any New Year plans at the moment? :)
xx off to sleeeeeeep.