Day 4 or 5? - I've lost track of the days...

How many more days til Christmas?

I've been having quite a few lazy days...I can name 2 of the deadly sins in mind - sloth and gluttony?!

Received an email from Taipei PwC today regarding my visit. It seems like some things have been lost in translation, and they have mis-interpreted my personal out-of-interest visitation as some Sydney VIP going to their office for some serious discussions. The email stated that the CFO would like to meet me too, and she is wondering what I'd like to talk about. In addition, I am to let them know the time in which I will arrive so they may book a meeting room.

Ohhh dear...

I had expected an office tour by some friendly staff and being introduced to different people...and nothing "business" related.

Anyways, so I panicked, and decided to call them up to explain my situation...
Long story short, she confirmed with me again whether a meeting room is needed for tomorrow. I actually laughed out loud on the phone, and then said "No, that won't be necesssary..."

Some pics from today...


I love this Starbucks mug I got in the US 3 years ago during Xmas.
I found this Harrods English Breakfast Tea in the pantry - it has expired for a year...and I drank it for breakfast....yummy. Ugh.


Had lunch at this modern-ish building which hosts training programs that I wanted to register for...classes like "How to drink wine and eat cheese" and "How to host perfect Xmas parties" and "How to walk in heels" and ohhh my favourite "How to be a French women (or smell like one)"...oh yes, I am serious. Crazyyy.



Kitchen and menu on the wall.

My iced coffee and cookie


Lunch set.


Wanna wipe your bum with cool designs?


At the mall across the road.


He's Mr Lonely


Dad washed his bowl today - and we gave him mineral water to swim in.


He needs a friend!


Lunch date with Mum at Ibuki











In an elevator surrounded by mirros


At Shangri-La reception


Hokkaido snow crab!

So squashed...

This is at Mitsui....it half a Japanese restaurant but it also sells bento boxes etc on the other half.


My dinner.


Jap wine selection

This is a 3kg snow crab...costs like $6000 NTD.

No thanks, I'd rather get a good wagyu steak.

Day Four Part I

Seriously ugly pumpkin after we savaged it...


Pretty yellow flowers...they're real!



At night, Bonnie and her mum invited me to a cooking class -
Today's theme was Cantonese food..
we made those things that u get in Yum Chas..

Sorry - I ate them all before I could take more pics...

Day Three

I love pomegranates - it took me ages to de-seed it though!
Don't you love the Xmas theme? :)


We drove to Yin-Ge at lunch. It's this ceramics streets just oustide of Taipei...


They sell arty fartsy stuff as well as everyday ceramics kitchenware.

I love cheesecakes with a passion, esp the ones here in Taiwan.

I grew up eating this pudding too...


ohh and this... soybean curd?! with taro and red bean soup...

Ooodles of noodles..yumm

Day Two Part I

We attended Thanksgiving service on Sunday morning
It so happened that they have their annual whole-congregation photo session today!
I was sitting at the back taking this photo but eventually they made me and Jen go up.


We rushed off to the hairdressers appointment.
This is me before. I don't really have an after shot though.
It didn't turn out very well an I prefer my previous 'do.


Rushed off again to Chiang-Kai Shek memorial for this theatre/opera show about the 'Black bearded Bible Man'


This missionary guy from Cananda- George Mackay had a huge influence in Taiwan back in the late 1800's and early 1900's.
He worked as a doctor/pastor in Taiwan back when no one had heard of the Gospel and stayed in here until he died.
He founded a university and hospitals here - oh guess where I was born! Yes, in his hospital here in Taipei! :)
This guy's amazing! But the opera didn't live up to my expectations though...

Goodbye Sydney

Sydney Airport in the sky...



We touched down in Taipei at around 9pm local time.
Mum and Dad took us to have supper straight from the airport...


I am still not a fan of oysters...even mini ones...

Ilha Formosa

So here I am again, in the comfort of my parents home in Taipei, far away from the end of year stress and work in Sydney...

Life is so different yet so familiar here for me, afterall, I am in the country where I spent the first 8 years of my life. And now I think about it, I've pretty much spent every single Christmas holidays in Taiwan for the past 15 years... some things just dont change! :)

Anyways, one thing I have to get used to is the length of my holiday this time. No more 3-month long break from those uni days! I am 'lucky' enough to get 1 month off work given I've only started work this January...just gotta make the most of my hols this time and make every day count!

I'll let the photos do the talking for now....

I'm back!

If I know the way home and am walking along it drunkenly, is it any less the right way because I am staggering from side to side?

-Leo Tolstoy