the entry about taiwan ... revisited

blithely unaware that this would have been the sixth trip to taiwan in the year of 2008 alone, i gangly made way for the paradise of chinese food and ubiquitous mando-pop. mainly sponsored by yours truly's fast-shrinking bank account, it also meant that this would be a voyage of frugality and conscious, logical spending. thank god for my newly purchased nikon slr d60; more focus on sceneries and less on schlepping new buys.

as i am by-and-large an amateur photographer in this arena, anyone expecting any scintillating photos will be sorely disappointed. i try my best though: do not flinch hence.

traipsing up yang ming shan is a big deal, if you're taking the stairs. thank god for my taiwanese comrades (/great hosts), i was able to enjoy the scenery from within the comfiness of a car. dinner was at a posh, altitude-freezing restaurant tucked up somewhere in the mountain.

spooky! an unidentified shadow lurks in the corner.

endless flora

lush greenery and white canopies maketh a chic dining affair.

panoramic view of taipei atop yang ming shan.

because this holiday was supposedly a budgeted, cost-cutting matter, most shopping itineraries have been pushed back in favor of the quintessential sight-seeing. temples and shrines became the artifacts of my camera lens instead of latest must-haves from y-3 and dsquared. nevertheless, visiting temples were quite the interesting and enlightening adventure. now, i am equipped with the knowledge of which deity brings fortune, prosperity, good luck, relational opportunities, etc.

a recurring theme in temples: crowds, despite the weekdays.

the only luxury i afforded myself was a hair-cut by a celebrated stylist. said to have wielded his scissors in the eyes of celebrities like jolin tsai and kenji wu, the experience was quite daunting. first of all, i experienced the longest follicle-washing session in my entire life. the whole routine was peppered with advertorial endorsements, courtesy of aveda. half the time, it wasn't even about the haircut. the concept is a little convoluted for me. there was even a second, and third (!) hair-wash session and even a hand massage thrown in. by the last wash, there was this segment where they wrapped towels doused in hot water around my brain-thinker, using the basin as a receptacle for billowing lavender essential-oil aromatic shitez.

it's my umpteenth time to taipei's 101 building, but i can't help keeping my eyes peeled when i see the mother-f***ing, ginormous tower. and besides, it was countdown to usher in the year 2009. how could i let slip? anyhows, the picture captured below is my favorite shot thus far.

 

waiting with bated breath for the countdown

the crowd at zhongxiao east road dissipating after the countdown

whilst boarding the plane to my next destination, i overheard the dimwit of a corpulent blondie making a vacuous comment around the lines of "oh i see the pilot! look, he's white! now, i feel safe." i was so close to give that twat a big smack on her head.

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