Oh Baby Baby Baby...

Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall

I finally have the time to write about my Taiwan trip seven months ago. Teehee! It was a trip taken with my best friend, Armida and it was actually an unplanned one. She got engaged September last year and we decided to take a trip abroad since we figured out that might be our first and last trip abroad together. It was supposed to be with our other friend, Crissa, but since she had a scheduled trip to New Zealand already and can't take another vacation leave, it was just A and I.

First Day High

After the two-hour trip, we finally landed at the Taoyuan International Airport. The airport was conveniently connected to the metro's train system. We just had to lug our stuff with us up the flight of stairs.

We arrived a few hours earlier than our check-in time, so we just left our luggage at the hotel lobby and looked for a place to eat. Not too far from our hotel was this turoturo-ish fried chicken place.

reminded a bit of Andok's pero fried

okay naman siya

After lunch, went back to the hotel to bring our stuff to the room, then back out to start our exploration of the city. First stop was the 228 Peace Park.

first encounter with squirrels

pagoda- a tiered tower with multiple eaves
puede ring pagoda- kami pagkatapos ng mega walkathon around the city

so serene...

 Peace Park was my first encounter with squirrels. I found them cute but A reminded me that they're still rodents, so I better not go too near.  Gallivanting around the park, we finally arrived at the 228 Massacre Monument

I can't remember if we found out what the monument was for at the time. I remember reading the marker at the site, I just can't remember what it was for. I'm reminded only now.

We finally found the park's exit nearest the street going to Chiang Kai Shek Memorial. We finally arrived at the Memorial Hall after a 10-15 minute walk.

Love the contrast of the monument's colors to the blue sky

The arches were under construction during our visit. Corny.

So much space... ahlavet!

Mid portion was also under construction

Although some parts of the memorial hall were under construction, we were still able to enjoy sightseeing and walking around the gardens, watching other tourists and locals.

a 360 degree shot of the memorial hall

We went back to the room after this to rest for a bit then headed out to Shilin Night Market for dinner. Foooood!!! Huzzah! 

A little of everything was our dinner for the first night at Taipei. Super enjoyed everything, but my favorite was the flame-grilled oysters with cheese galore. When we went around, most of them were selling the same stuff- beef cubes, grilled oysters with cheese, fruits, etc. So when we think we've, more or less tried what we wanted to try (except the stinky tofu- bawal sa may PCOS), we headed back to our hotel before the MRT stops operation for the day.

Not sure if November 2018 was election time for the Taiwanese, but came across what seemed to be campaigning politicians. Ayun o, may guapo. Haha! And on that note, we're done for Day 1.

Day 2: Walkathon in the City

After missing the hotel's buffet breakfast that comes with the room, we decided to head to the Taipiei 101 in the morning and have late breakfast/early lunch somewhere in the area, but definitely not in Din Tai Fung (que horror ang pila!) 

We took photos of the station near our exit cos we got lost last night! We exited at the wrong exit and we had to do a lot of walking on top of the day's megawalkathon. And finally...

TAIPEI 101

Kaso maulan. Not advisable to go to observatory deck because of poor visibility. We had lunch instead at the food court. 

this was what I had for lunch

hindi masarap

I forgot from which restaurant I bought my food from. A bought hers from Hawker Chan and she loved it. Was able to try Hawker Chan here in MoA and loved it too, but I wanted to try something different. Okay naman yung napili ko, worth what I paid for it. A and I shared this mango sago dessert and we weren't too happy with it. Una, hindi masarap/matamis yung mangga nila tapos hindi mango yung flavor- peach! Masarap naman ang peach mango pie pero this one just didn't work for us. Hindi na kami maniniwala kay CNN.

After the failed attempt to go up Taipei 101 and Elephant Mountain (due to the rains and also that we woke up late), we googled for nearby attractions which led us to- Da'an Forest Park. Bilang parehas kami ng trip (we weren't EcoTeam members back in high school for nothing), we both enjoyed walking around the park, being chased by squirrels and bird watching. 

 Ang daming birds! LOL :D :D Nakakakilig to see progress and nature side by side. Who says that for an economy to flourish, the environment has to suffer? If Taiwan, Singapore and Korea can do it, I bet we can also do it here in Manila. More trees and parks, please!

eto yung squirrel na nanghahabol

obligatory shoe-fie lelz

After spending hours in the park, walking around, taking product pictures and sitting on benches, we decided head for Raohe Night Market for dinner. We looked for the nearest train station we can take going to Raohe and we saw this pretty train station~

Da'an Station

 And here's the Taipei 101 at night which we saw when we got out of the station, on our way to Raohe Night Market.

And finally- dinner! Raohe Night Market is smaller than Shilin Night Market but I prefer Raohe since it's easier to get around and scour the stalls for choices. Shilin is bigger and there are more choices which can be also overwhelming. One of the reasons we went to Shilin was A's search for the oyster omelette she had the first time she went to Taiwan, but we weren't able to find it there. Nasa Raohe pala siya- serendipity! Here's the stall, for reference... as if I can read Chinese characters!

There were also beef cubes and flame-grilled oysters, but of course we didn't get any of those anymore. Here are some of what we tried~

We bought these fried dumplings because there was a long queue for it. Ergo... masarap siguro. And here's my favorite from the Raohe Night Market

OH EM GEE
My Fave ♥♥♥

ang sarap kaso friend chicken mo siya... :(

 And that sums up our second day at Taipei. Day 3 and 4 tomorrow (sana...)

Back With A K-Bang!

These days, my Kindle is nothing but a toy. It's already the end of March and I've read only one book. One. I feel bad that I've stopped reading, but it's partly because of work. I can't read and work at the same time, but I can watch Netflix and K-dramas at the same time ;)

Speaking of K-dramas, I've been on a roll since the year started. Thanks to my bed rest, I finally finished watching all 52 episodes of My Father is Strange.  I've read about how good the drama is but I've always can't muster enough time to watch all 52 episodes without getting bored. Not that the show is boring but 52 episodes is just to plenty to hold my attention. Pero ayun nga, I got sick and had all the time in the world.

image source

The drama was recommended by Ate Michelle. So far, I've liked her recommendations- mostly lengthy family dramas, LOL. In Father is Strange, my favorite character is Hyeyoung and my favorite love story is Hyeyoung and Jung-hwan's. So funny and during the time I was watching the drama, my family was sort of in a similar situation. My cousin's favorite pairing is that of Miyoung and Joong-hee's. Eh hindi ko bet. I think it's cringey when one starts to have feelings for a family member even if turns out they weren't related... and in Mi-young and Joong-hee's case, even if they weren't really related, they didn't know that when they started to develop feelings for each other. Aside from that, everything's A-OK :) Loved it but I think it'll be a while before I watch another drama this lengthy.

Also just finished watching Romance is A Bonus Book on Netflix. I forgot what made me start watching this drama but I'm glad I did because I liked it (inspite of Lee Jong-suk). And since I don't like Lee Jong-suk, I prefer the second male lead, Seo-joon the book cover artist. Actually, I prefer his love story with Hae-rin. I was actually rooting for them and I'm glad they did end up together. Sa kanila ako kinikilig. 

image source

 Throughout the drama, I keep wondering about Kang Dan-i's daughter. I know she's in boarding school somewhere but doesn't she visit her daughter once in a while? I feel sinadya nila na the daughter goes to boarding school para convenient for the mom (and the storyline) to make landi. Haha. 

Soon I'm starting with three dramas- The Producers, Marriage Contract and The Package. The latter two were recommended by Ate Michelle ulit. Ihahalo-halo ko panunuod para hindi ako ma-bore. May the best drama win. 

Happy New Year (Not)

I'm back, ketchup!

Well, not quite. I still feel a little weak and a bit slow.

I contracted dengue. I never thought I would get it, not in a million years. Kasi nga swerte ako. LOL. But around two weeks ago, I thought it was just a simple case of fever and flu. Mommy wanted to take me to the hospital but I declined cos 1) I really thought it was nothing serious, and 2) I fear hospital bills. I only acquiesced after three days when I had a temperature reading of 40 degrees Centigrade at ayaw ko naman makumbulsyon. So yeah, I had dengue. And the early onset of shingles. And bacterial infection in my throat. Minsan lang ako ma-ospital pero nag-shopping muna ako ng sakit. But I also see this hospitalization as a blessing in disguise. If it weren't for dengue, the early onset of shingles on my scalp wouldn't have been detected and might have worsened (similar to my dad's condition).

So I'm still recovering. Much better now than when I got discharged. Naisip ko nga baka nag-iinarte lang ako ha pero turned out that I'm not yet a 100% plus because of the dengue coupled with the heavy MF at that time, I'm a little anemic these days.

So there.

Happy New 2019!

Maybe I should make updating my blog more often one of my resolutions this 2019.

Pustahan #1

Earlier today at the facial center, while waiting for our facialists...

the song Can This Be Love is playing on the radio

Me: Iba pa boses ni Geneva Cruz, no?
AC: Si Chedi yung kumanta nun
Me: Si Geneva! First album nila to. Wala pa si Chedi niyan. Si Chedi yung pumalit kay Geneva.
AC: Hindi si Geneva yan! Yung isang babae yan na singer. Diba dalawa sila na babae dun- si Geneva tsaka yung isang babae na mukhang lalaki?
Me: (with conviction, kasi fan ako dati) Si Geneva yun! First album nila 'yang kanta na yan, si Geneva lang babae nun.
AC: PUSTAHAN?
Me: Sige. Kape. Pahiram ako phone mo. (searches Google for Can This Be Love? original singer)
AC: Ano?
Me: Wala pa. Nahihirapan akong maghanap. Naka-indicate lang Smokey Mountain. Walang pangalan mismo ng singer.
AC: Nalalasahan ko na ang kape!!
Me: Si Geneva yun!! Sabi dito original members are James Coronel, Tony Lambino, Jeffrey Hidalgo and Geneva Cruz. Si Geneva lang ang babae kaya siya yun.

Then I find this video on YouTube


Me: Ate! Lalaki ang kumakanta! WALANG MAGKAKAPE!

Apparently, Jeffrey Hidalgo is the original singer.

Will start chronicling my pustahan with AC. Marami-rami rin kaming ganyan.

Pssst...

Whenever I'm not in front of my computer, I have all these ideas of what to blog about but when I'm actually in front of my computer- BLANK.

So anyway, I'll be writing about my obsessions as of late which are most probably my obsessions a few months back. First up,

I am still, very much, a product junkie...

I feel I've already found my product soulmate in Cosrx but I still keep buying stuff for my face, hair and skin but to be fair, I feel they were needs more than wants. Here's my haul:

* The most recent Cosrx buy was their Two in One Poreless Power Liquid (from BeautyMNL)  and I'm loving it ♥ While I believe that it's the reason why my face is dark these days (because I don't wear sunscreen), it has helped in making my pores look smaller.

*I also bought a bottle of Klair's Midnight Blue Youth Activating Drop- almost half into the bottle and still I haven't seen any changes (or maybe I just don't know what to look for) in my skin. I apply it anyway.

* AD and I went to a Graphic Expo, which incidentally was next door a Beauty Expo. Destiny ♥ So we went inside the fair venue and inside was a booth of an online shop selling Korean beauty products and because I'm a bit of a lemming, here's my haul~

box of face masks for only Php50! Buy 1, Take 1

bought this cos it says 'keratin scaling'
Will try if this would get rid of my keratosis pilaris

Sulwhasoo!!
Got this because this brand is super expensive and
this trial set is super discounted at Php550
(albeit still expensive in my opinion)

 I broke out when I tried the face serum and cream and stopped using it muna, but the eye cream I still use at night.

* Biore Watery Gel sunscreen. I tried Biore's watery essence sunscreen but somehow every time I use it, my face feels bloated puffy. So with a heavy heart, pinamana ko na lang siya sa ate ko ang got myself the watery gel one which, I feel, agrees with my skin type more.

* From Lush, Sleepy and Dream Cream. The Dream Cream I want to use to treat my chicken skin cos apparently it heals eczema, etc. So far, my chicken skin hasn't improved yet. While the Sleep cream, supposedly, helps people get a more restful sleep. Feeling ko naman it did help or baka sadyang restful naman ang mga tulog ko. LOL.

* Oryspa Gugo & Aloe Shampoo and Conditioner. I love the scent and mas bagsak ang hair but it's still frizzy- tutsang all over pa din. The products claim to help hair growth and hope it will- it's still too early to tell.

* Extra virgin coconut oil for my chicken skin. Again. Darn chicken skin. I really want to get rid of it. So itchy. I've tried Lush and AC's Physiogel but both were not very helpful. What seems to help is scrubbing the affected area with any body sctub then slathering on any lotion (preferably, unscented).

Netflix, iflix and K-dramas

I've finally finished ALL nine seasons of Forensic Files. While the good thing about watching TV versus reading a book, I can work at the same time. Which explains why I haven't read any books lately. I also finished watching The Keepers which is somewhat similar to Forensic Files in the sense that they're trying to find out who killed Sr. Cathy and why she was killed, but also different because there was no evidence. I also started watching Fear Thy Neighbor (inspired by our very diperensyosang kapitbahay) and OMG they're so much like the easily annoyed psychotic, stiff people in the series. I want to watch pa but gahd so much negative energy.

Speaking of Netflix, I'm super SUPER excited because they're making To All The Boys I've Loved Before into a movie! Though I should remind myself not to set my expectations too high. But still... Peter Kavinsky!!!

Moving on to K-dramas... Currently watching While You Were Sleeping, My Ahjusshi, Something About the Rain and About Time.

First attempt to watch While You Were Sleeping was last year, around Christmas season. The series is is similar to the movie Sliding Doors wherein situations change depending on which path the characters choose to take. It sort of needs one's full attention so I put off watching the series until... now. Well, sorta. Cos I'm still busy but not as busy as last Christmas season (which reminds me that I have to start preparing for the Christmas season, ie. hoard bottles!).

My Ahjusshi is starting to pick up pace na din. I started watching because of the recap I read in a blog I follow but because of work and my short attention span due to the barrage of series and movies from all these streaming sites. So anyway, I like the story and I'd like to find out how IU will change sides. And oh, I also started watching because I thought Lee Sun-kyun is Uhm Tae-woong (Architecture 101 ♥♥♥). Hindi pala pero keri pa din. Weird talaga ng taste ko haha.

Next time na yun iba.

Mildliners, Washi Tapes, Atbp.

I. CAN'T. STOP. And seriously, it has to stop. Once I get my hands on the last Mildliner color (almost complete. yay!) titigil na talaga ako. And since we're already in the subject of supplies I use for my bullet journal... I left my bujo at a Starbucks coffee shop. Two whole weeks I left derailed. I didn't realize I was super dependent and attached to it when I lost it. Finally got it back early this week and now I finally got my sh*t together. Sort of. Haha.

So there, some of my preoccupations. 'Til the next post. Toodles!

I. Sabaw.

Huhu I haven't read a single book since Lucky in Love and that was two months ago!! Shameful! Things have gotten very busy plus I got busy with work, too, and it's hard to work and read at the same time; it's easier to work and watch my Korean series or Forensic Files on Netflix. LOL.

source

Speaking of Netflix, I just finished watching The Kissing Booth and I liked it ♥ Me lurves teenybopper, no-brainer, clandestine love stories. Reminded me of The DUFF which I enjoyed so, so
much. I want more of these!!! Please, Netflix!!!

Another Netflix find was The Boss. It was funny but not as funny as this joke

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! #sorrynotsorry

My sister said it's corny. Wapakels. Funny siya para sa akin.

So yun lang. Just want to document how I distract myself from the pathetic emptiness of my meaningless, consumer-driven life. Charots.