忠孝东路走九遍 zhong xiao dong lu walk nine times....

kuala lumpur 吉隆陂 22 - 25 apr / 29 apr - 4 may 05
naruwan ~ taiwan 台湾 25 - 29 apr


Zhong siao dong lu, shi duan - zhong siao east road 4th chapter- shopping district
中孝东路，四段

动力火车
作词：邬裕康　作曲：郭子
这城市满地的纸屑 风一刮像你的妩媚
我经过的那一间鞋店 却买不到你爱 的那双鞋
黄灯了人被赶过街 我累的摊坐在路边
看著一份爱有头无尾 你 有什么感觉
耳 听见的每首歌曲都有我的悲
眼 看见的每个昨天都有你的 美
哦~忠孝东路走九遍 脚底下踏著曾经你我的点点
我从日走到夜 心从灰 跳到黑
我多想跳上车子离开伤心的台北
忠孝东路走九遍 穿过陌生人潮搜 寻你的脸
有人走的匆忙 有人爱的甜美
谁会在意擦肩而过的心碎

I’m on my way to Taipei, sitting at the end of the plane with this old woman, my 1st impression is that she looks like 60 year old Chinese women traveling alone to Taiwan. I try to start a conversation with her by offering her my yummy ‘godiva’ chocolate, she wave her hand and just smile at me, maybe she don’t know mandarin and I ask her in hokkien again, she just smile at me. Maybe she’s afraid to talk to strangers… minutes later an air stewardess came to my row and ask her in English, ‘madam, do you need a wheelchair at taipei airport?’ she just smile back being clueless of what she’s asking. After that the air stewardess ask to help her to translate, so I use mandarin… fail, hokkien … fail... at that point she trying to dig her hand bag her air ticket and her passport to me, oh now I know why she don’t understand … she’s Cambodian.

taipei city train mrt route 台北市捷運

I have no idea on that language, trying to speak simple Thai but it’s different wit her language. Anyway, she’s heading to Minneapolis in the states. She gave us a note that written in English by her son, saying that she need assistant in every airport she transits and stated that she speak only Cambodian. Basically we are like ducks and chickens communicating, hand and body language all involve. Poor old women traveling alone for more than 2 days from her home Phnom Penh to Minneapolis, transiting more than 3 times, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Los Angeles…. I felt that she’s brave in the sense that she challenges herself to travel on air alone for so long and not to say for the first time as well. After all, her braveness lighten me up, to fight and to challenge myself to overcome any obstacle in my life.



from topleft clockwise - taipei city at night with taipei 101 standing behind, lights only will turn on during major festival, and usually its dull, klcc night lighting is the best ; ju fen 九份 , located on top of mount keelung range and it take 40 min from keelung city; ju fen street, famous tourist spot in taiwan county; keelung 基隆 4/5th largest city in taiwan it takes 40 min from taipei city by train

In Taipei I had been thinking a lot, about my studies, my friends, my problem and the time that i went tru. it good to have a short break alone where one can really calm down and get away from problems while solving it. I missed my friends in Perth, cherry,ken,jes,joe,teong,josh n others, I wish that I can stay wit them over the break but I seriously need to go. I felt so relived whenever I phone them. It’s like there’s a strong connection between all of us. I went to zhong xiao dong lu 4th chapter, right after I arrive at the airport. The song than sang by PowerStation well describe the road and my feeling all this while. Whatever I want to have or to be it doesn’t turn up; i end up looking or admiring others achievement or dream that came true. This is not because of I dint commit myself it what I want but I realized that my previous failure had turn me down in everything. Years ago were relationship and recently my studies. I tried to give up everything even my own life b4. Walking down on the road, everything I see, I see part of me, that was one of the reason y I return to Taipei in 6 months time. Maybe it’s hard to describe on words but those who knows me well they will know.

from top left clockwise - school children touring ju fen; view of kee lung harbour 基隆港 from ju fen; yam balls 芋圓 in red bean soup紅豆湯, famous dish in ju fen, 'its a must for one to try, if not one cannot consider visit ju fen' some old aunty told me... seriously it sucks, its like chewing rubber balls and not much of flavour + powdery texture, a waste of time ; seafood noodle with hot fruit tea... not to bad, taste like wantan mee

from top left clockwise- ju fen; a quiet place for me....; half way traveling in public bus, goin back to kee lung..； kee lung city and port 基隆市


台北的夜市-（左）华西街观光夜市-很水的 aunty在卖蛇肉‘你妈的蛇肉是台北市第一名哦’（台语发音） ，士林夜市- 很多妹妹在路上走抱这小狗狗。。。

士林夜市的小吃。。。。生炒羊肉，黑豆干。。。。食物看起来令人作呕。

西门町 ximending- shopping district, cherry n teong, this is better than hong kong!!!! trust me!



top left clockwise - 7-eleven meal box!!! not 2 bad lah.... ； 台湾小吃- 肉圆，鱼圆汤，菜头糕，肉油饭, 等。。。nottin special, not that tasty; japanese food... its cheep... less than 35 ringgit!!

about 7 months ago, i was standing outside Taipei 101 taking some photo, realize that the skin of the building starting 2 peel of, maybe because of earthquake or some other construction reason. (my previous post on taiwan) now, they replaced it. i think it will still come off, it just the matter of time cos the building is located on the center of an earthquake plate. Some local resident told me that the building is to dangerous and they are afraid to get close to it. Well can’t blame anyone that is to scare to visit that building. Previously a lot of accidents happen on that building, building on fire after an earthquake…. Other than that, tiles fell down from the walls n ceiling and injured a passerby… what’s next..??



from topleft clockwise - eazyway at ximen; new rival... the face shop-ximen;ximen at night; 382 meters above the ground... in taipei 101 observatory

wasabi taipei 101 shopping center
the food in the pictures looks pretty nice, but it sucks... my worse japanese buffet, sashimi - not fresh, yakitory- cold,hard and dry, tempura - soggy, sushi - not using jap rice n dry, dessert - looks nice but tasteless. one word- Very Disappointed... last trip, 1 wanted 2 try, but my mates said it 2 expensive, end up at this classy chinese rest havin all you can eat dim sum... at 40-45 ringgit pp. the rates they put outside for this jap rest is about 400NT pp but they charge me about 1000NT = 120ringgit... kena parang again...