Still can't believe I went to Taiwan with these people. After staying in Taiwan for almost 2 weeks, I think it's a nice place but deep down I know I can't survive here. I miss Malaysia when I was there.
I had quite a hard time remembering names in Mandarin and communicating with the locals. Thankfully for the friends who translated very well for me to make sure that I understood what was written and spoken.
We lit up a lantern at Shifen! Got that right! But, I can't remember which day was it already.
I remember spending 4 days in Taipei before we head to Damsui, Beitou, Sun Moon Lake, Nantou, Chiayi, Taichung, Hualien and New Taipei, all in that order. I had to refer to our self-made itinerary to recall these places. Lol.
In Taipei alone, there were so many places. We spent our last day back in Taipei because the airport is there. Believe it or not, I remembered the places better after surveying the magnets Ling wanted. I bought u magnets based on the more popular places I remember. :P
The weather is ever-changing. We were freezing cold when we arrived at Taipei and when we went all the way up to Alishan. It was hot like in Malaysia when we were at Sun Moon Lake. And it finally rained when we were at New Taipei. It was raining when we lit up the lantern. (Shifen is part of New Taipei)
The food was fine. We tasted bad ones and some really good ones. Couldn't really help much in other aspects so I was the one who researched on food in the night markets we planned to go. Not a foodie but yea it was helpful sometimes. I think the milk tea is nice. Other than that, the best foods for me are those I bought from their 7-elevens especially those lunch boxes. They even have pei tan porridge and shu shi in their 7-elevens! The fruit jelly sold in 7-eleven is nice too. They also have herbal eggs boiling in pots in their 7-elevens. I wished those were in Malaysia. I like the ha gau in Hualien too. The siew loong pau there had a thicker skin and I could hardly taste the soup.
Apart from that, I was really taken away by their punctuality and the organised public transport. Although, I had a communication breakdown with the workers there when my Easy Card (it's like Touch N' Go in Malaysia) failed me at one of the MRT stations, I think it's so convenient for their people to travel. They hardly have traffic jams or at least I didn't see any. It's difficult for people like me who can't read. Lol.
It was worth visiting other places I guess. Travelling does open up my mind in certain things. I realised the importance of embracing my mother tongue. I am still learning but at a slow pace. Not many people understand why a Chinese can't speak and read Chinese. When I was there, they spoke to me in Mandarin but sadly, I could only engage in simple conversations. There was this one occasion where an uncle spoke Hokkien to me. I could reply but when he started telling me stories, I couldn't understand anymore. They have this unspoken rule about keeping the left side a fast lane in escalators. They will scold you for blocking their way if you stood there or walk real slow there. Almost everyone there has an Easy Card which saves a lot of time. They will tell you not to drink or eat in the MRT and when I say they, it maybe just a random auntie or a random kid telling you this. I don't know if it happens in other places too but I do see many locals taking out their pet dogs for walks and some are really groomed well.
Are their things cheap? Some of the foods are because they come in small portions. Some clothes are really cheap too but like in Times Square, you can't try them. I think it varies in different places too. You will have to do the bargaining like in Malaysia to get a cheaper price.
Apart from that, if you're planning to go there, don't be surprised to see many Malaysians there. Singaporeans, Japanese and Koreans like to visit Taiwan too. I had Taiwanese thinking that I was from Hong Kong because Adeline was translating the menu to me in Cantonese. I met a Singaporean girl who thought I was a Singaporean too. My Manglish accent sounded like her Singlish I guess. We, Malaysians are so difficult for others to guess where we are from. Lol.
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