Viva la Taipei - the Non Touristy Stuffs

OKie DOkie... Now back to my Taiwan story again.. seems neverending eh????

So what I mean by non-touristy stuff is:

PLaces where the TAIWANESE go to. NOT where the TOURISTS go to..

These are the places I love to go for whenever I travel.. It gives so much more feel and character of Taipei, from the local commoners' view. I loathe touristy sites... so unoriginal somewhat.



















You see, Taipei roads really not so pretty. Just like HongKong and Shanghai. Buildings are old, dusty, discoloured and they really no budget to repaint one.







Wu fen Bu.. Supposedly cheapest best place to shop cause this is where all the stuff originates from. All parts of Taipei buys from here and sell in other chi-chi-er shops. Ok, I admit, some tourists were there too. But most Taiwanese come here to shop too. SO it's all good!


Couldn't find much there for myself, cause they were selling winter stuff.
Bought a scarf for 5 bux and I don't know where it is now.

Bought some silly stockings - pink checkered and grey.. a bit unwearable.
In All, Taipei shopping did not excite me at all.

The loots are either from China or HK and the nicer ones are from Korea and they're expensive. Forget it, U.S is still the best place to shop in the whole wide world. Thank Heavens for Factory Outlets!!

How about clubbing or pubbing???


SUPPOSEDLY SUPER HAPPENING IN TAIWAN RIGHT?
With girls going crazy drunk and being so openly available and exposed....

So, we thought we'll check it out..




















My babe Vionne told me BARCODE is the latest in-thing. Trendy, upper classy and refined.

Let's check it out!!














OK ..









I am no longer sure what she meant by BARCODE being the in-thing, but maybe we went on the wrong day..

Totally empty, small and unhappening. ............. ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

It was a weekday I know, but geeez..back home, Double O, Zouk and St James still have their snaking queues!






















The only good thing about pubbing in Taiwan so far is the supper.

Dan Bing.... with floss.. yum yum yum.. can't get anywhere else but Taiwan. Best!





















If it comes with an accompanying chio bu like Vionne, even better.

By the way, I know Vionne since I was a teeny pimply teenager, all of 15 yrs old, all the way in a little kampung in England. She was like my da jie. Still is.

Another good thing about having your friends rooted at all corners of the world, is that they can take you to the best makans in the homezones!


That was the best SHABU SHABU I have ever had in my whole life.


The meat was so nice and tender, the soup so tasty, the prawn paste so springy and the spicey sauce sooooo fragrant... But so sorry la.. forgot the place name. If you really want to know, I'll call Vionne or Jojo K..

The walkways along the downtown of Taipei at night was really nice too.

This is not touristy ok. The tour guide never brought us here. ME and Gan found this walkway on the way to Barcode to meet Vionne. Pretty blue lightings. Made us feel so much more in love... heh heh

Queueing for OA MEE SUA is another past time for Taiwanese also, I think. And the funniest thing is this: NO SEATING. Everyone stood up and eat and they were still buying.. They like it so much ah?


As for me? Sorry lah, I don't like OA MEE SUA (Mee sua with oyster). Smelly la..



AHA!!!

Another famous past time for the Taiwanese!


KARAOKE!!!!




IT's SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO CHEAP to go for KTV there!

Free buffet somemore!! Such a spread ! Can eat until you are 2 cup sizes bigger!

We were there from 10 to like 4 pm plus, ate and drank, ate and drank and ordered many many cans of beer with suan mei (btw, it's nice! try it!).. and we prolly spent about 40 bux SGD only. OMG. I can have lunch and dinner here everyday all day long.

Another cool thing. The KTV system there is so high tech that it can detect you voice. So, if you're singing along, it will switch to analog, if you're not singing, then the singer's voice will come out again!!!

WAHAH!! Can lipsync liao!!!



LAST BUT NOT LEAST...

Gan's favourite past time in any city..


Go for foot reflexology.


Boring I know..

But I feel so safe with Gan..

Give him a choice of roomful of willing ladies in Orchard Towers or 2 hour with a good foot masseuse, after a day out.


HE will so go for the second.

This Reflexology Centre in Taipei XiMenDing comes with an extra bonus.

A very cute girl. The lady owner's daughter. Very hyper, very cheery and I tell you she's gonna grow up to be a zai salesgirl one day.

She kept calling Gan :"Shuai Ge!!! Shuai Ge! (handsome boy)"... all night long and took all the photoes with him, posing ever so cutely.

Until Gan's head swell to a size that was almost too big to get through the door.


We were sharing this story the next morning to my colleagues An and Ken about our great encounter with her.

Gan was swelling with pride and joy.

An was like:" HEH??? She also called me that!!!OMG! Tell you what, she called Gan that. OK I take it. She called me that. OK I take it. But she called Ken "Shua Ge" too!!! I think she doesn't mean it liao!!!"

I think Gan looked a bit sad after that.

So I reassured him that I still think he is the most handsome man in the whole world to me.