Lions, Tigers, and Snakes? - Day 15 & 16 - May 20/21, 2010

Day 15 - May 20, 2010

I decided to merge two of my days into one blog since I didn't do much on Thursday. Thursday was a rest day. All I did was run a mile, laundry, and eat haha. I usually have a rest day once a week just to save some money with transportation and temptations of shopping. Then of course, to rest my body from constantly walking and on the move. It's nice =)

My lunch box =) There was breaded chicken, cabbage, tofu with corn, and Chinese squash. All for 50NT=$1.60

I saw a lady selling this near Hi-Life and the bakery. A lot of people were buying the lunch boxes from her. So I thought it had to be good and for a cheap price. Well turns out it was alright. Some of the vegetables I got seemed old =\ The chicken tasted pretty good, but the breaded part was kind of soft because of the steam.

Korean Food



I went to a small Korean restaurant by the Shida Night Market. The restaurant is actually owned and cooked by Koreans. This is my second time at this restaurant. I went there last year to get bibimbap. The food there is pretty good, it just needs more flavor in certain dishes. But I'm not sure if that's how legit legit Koreans eat. I'm from America, so I like flavor =)

You get free seaweed soup! It was pretty bland. Is that how seaweed soup is suppose to taste like?


All this for 90NT=$2.87! The kimchi was really good. It had the right amount of spicy to it. The seaweed was pickled. It would have tasted better if it was pickled longer or more flavor to it. I did like the noodles though. Didn't like the beef as much because there wasn't any flavor.


Day 16 - May 21, 2010

I was hungry today and I mean hungry! I bought a hanbao jia dan for breakfast. I bought it last week for 20NT, but today they charged me 30NT=$0.96. I don't know why =( I guess I got lucky last week.

Hot & Sour Soup: 25NT=$0.80 and 5 Leek Dumplings (5NT each x 5 = 25NT) Total: 50NT=$1.60


For lunch I ordered suan la tang (hot & sour soup) and five steamed leek dumplings since I felt the need for vegetables. I was in a hurry so I only took a picture of the leek dumplings after I had two left. They were yummy in my tummy =)

Huaxi Yeshi (Huaxi Night Market AKA Snake Alley)



Why is Huaxi also known as snake alley? Because snakes are sold at the Huaxi night market! Nooo it's not for petting and for show. It's to eat!

Check out it out. You can even take a shot of snake venom. Not sure what the price is though. This particular worker was pmsing.


I'm guessing the giant one should be an anaconda.


The rats are definitely the snakes meals. I guess the chicken is on special occasions for a change in diet =( Poor chicken.


I'm not really sure what they're selling to eat... but it looks like the turtle's body and its' head? >_<


Some other things they sold at this night market. The vegetable and fruit juice stand is normal. Seafood are at certain spots.


I didn't try any snake, turtle, or seafood because I'm too much of a chicken >_< Plus I don't like seafood haha, unless it's Dim Sum and sushi (the rolls). But I did find a Banh Mi stand owned by actual Vietnamese people and bought deep fried dumplings.

The Banh Mi was really good for it's price. It could have used more mayo and pork liver pate. 50NT=$1.60


The deep fried dumplings were 6 for 30NT=$0.96. They had a tiny bit of meat and some vegetables in. Three of them were suppose to have a curry flavor to it but I didn't taste it. These dumplings weren't the greatest. The owner sprinkled some kind of spice over it, not sure what it was but tasted kind of weird.


Also passed by the Longshan Temple.


Trash truck with ice cream truck music?



Yup, the sub-title is true! The trash trucks in Taiwan play ice cream truck music. I heard the music when I was waiting for a green light to cross. I was looking everywhere for the ice cream truck. Then I realized and remembered that the trash trucks play music. So if you ever hear ice cream truck music, it isn't ice cream. Don't worry about getting money out. Just make sure you have your bag of trash outside =)

I got stopped by a cop!



Theresa and I like taking strolls to 7-elevens and exploring the area around our hostel at night. This was our second time trying different 7-elevens around the area. Our main objective is to find snacks and drinks to munch on. Then see what is around and what's open at night.



This time, we got stopped by the police! I saw two cops across the street from us, both of them walking towards our direction. In my head I was thinking, uh oh, they're going to come and question us. So yeah it happened haha.

The police officer said something in Chinese so I replied, "Uhh... ting bu dong..." (I don't understand). Then he asked where we were from in English. Responded, "Meiguo" (America) Then he asked for our age and our "huzhao" (passport) while flashing his flashlight at us. He probably thought we were drunk or something haha. But we didn't have our passports on us and told him our age. Luckily he believed us and let us slide since we were over 18.

What was my lesson today? I learned 18 and under cannot walk around at night. The police officer stopped us because he thought we looked really young. Yeah we pretty much do, even younger without make up on. And I was always wondering why there isn't anyone lingering around outside late. Now I know haha.

It was my first time being stopped and questioned by the cops!

P.S. I haven't written many fails lately... I did have one I was going to write today but I forget what my fails are about >_< I definitely have over 11 though!

New haircut, my head feels so much lighter! - Day 6 - May 11, 2010

Today was the day to get a new haircut! I originally planned to get my hair permmed straight, but it was pretty expensive. I rather go out with that extra $60. I look like a mom though =( I can't wait until it grows out the way I want it. I told the stylist to cut the front layer that length so when I go back the states it will be how I want it. I just have to endure it haha. But I didn't expect them to cut that much hair off the back of my head. Oh well, it's so much lighter and it'll be quicker to dry my hair =D

Let's start from the beginning.

It was the second day of work. I worked on the website all day pretty much. But I got to do something a little different. My supervisor asked me to come in a room where they were giving a presentation to two foreigners. They were from another university or school of some sort trying to see if MTC's program is good or not. I just shared my experience and answered their questions. I think it gave a more incentive to consider MTC hopefully =)

I went to the bank after work and the exchange rate went down from $31.48 to $31.33. LAME! I should probably keep track of exchange rates.

Burger King Sign



I thought this sign was pretty cute. You have to read it from right to left. The first sign says hungry, second sign says really hungry, and the third sign says extremely hungry. Notice how the burgers get bigger haha.

Oh yeah there's this cute little girl in the background. She must have told her mom that I was taking pictures (probably thought I was taking a picture of them) so a couple minutes later, you see them move to another table. I swear I am not a creeper lol.

I forgot to take a picture of my lunch because I was too hungry. I ate at the student's cafeteria down in the basement. There is this one area that looks like a buffet. You tell the worker which side dishes you want and they hand it to you. Well you know how at a buffet, you get a little of everything? I thought that's what they were going to do.

NOPE! They load that side dish on your plate. I got four types and when I sat down. Everyone else in that room had two side dishes to eat with rice. I felt like a pig haha. But comparing my plate to another guy, I ate more than him mwuahaha. It only cost me about 53NT = $1.66.

I did get a picture of my dinner! This picture isn't that great because I was hungry haha. I just started eating it as a walked..

Banh Mi from Gongguan night market. 50NT = $1.60. Super cheap, but alright tasting. It didn't have enough of the spread because the middle overpowered it. The veggies and meat were aligned equally either.



Fail #9



Went to V-Salon to get a haircut and a straight perm because their prices for a perm started at 1500NT = $47.88. But they were booked for the rest of the day so couldn't get my hair cut there. But it's okay because there was a better place!

Haircut at A Salon



I got my haircut in the Gongguan night market area at a place called A Salon. They cut really well and for cheap too! My haircut only cost 298NT = $9.51 (but it was a promotion offer).

The inside.


The best part about getting a haircut in Taiwan is they give you a neck/shoulder massage and a head massage when they wash your hair. It's part of the haircut price as well. It felt good! Except for the head part. They thumbed the front and just above my neck really hard. It hurt like hell =( I was tensing up apparently because they kept telling me to relax. They started laughing at me too. I think they thought I didn't understand any Chinese at all but they were wrong! -fist-

My hair stylist was really nice though. It was just that hair washer lady -fist-

Anyways here are two random shots of the place and my mommy looking hair cut >_< I got it this short on purpose so it'll be the way I like it (length and look wise) when I get back to the States. I just have to endure being a mommy for a while haha.


Check out how much hair I got cut off! It looks creepy haha.


On a brighter note, here is this cool looking machine. The loop makes a 360 degree circle around a person's head. I'm guessing it's somewhat of a perm machine? The girl in that picture is the hair washer! -fist-


That's all for now, I'll write again tomorrow about my day today!