EAT EAT EAT

Food is exceptionally delicious in Asia, no doubt. Taiwanese food tends to be on the sweet side, including desert, meals, pastries and more. Its hard to find a satisfying salty meal at times. But the street food at the night market is to kill for. Greasy, salty, and just delicious.

Michelle's custard filled pastry with red beans

Night market corn dogs 

Night market make-your-own hot pot

There is no doubt I am coming home a few rounds larger after eating so much food. When I forget my camera I bust out my iphone to capture the yummy-ness.

fluffy cake cup with cream

already made hot-pot

spicy and original hot-pot

premium beef,  assorted dumplings, mushroom sampler for hot pot

My first time having legit hot-pot! Definitely not going to be my last. Next hot-pot destination is Binge Hot-Pot! [ http://bingepot.com/ ]

Nature vs. Man

In California we are blessed with stable and pleasant weather for the most part. It's only been about 3 weeks since arrival and I have already experienced pouring rain, blazing heat, typhoon and earthquake. 

9.19.10

The typhoon was, according to the news, a medium sized typhoon. It's destroyed our dorm balcony, as you can see. I pray that a large one doesn't visit us while I am in Taiwan. Taiwanese kids here enjoys these visits by the typhoon because they get days off. I'd rather go to school than risk my life. ha.

Reach the city steps tonight, Following the power lines

Today I went on a estimated two hour mission form 8pm to 10pm around town with my head phone blasting. Night life here in Taiwan is never ending, colorful and alive. Food carts and cheap merchandise left to right. It was as though I was watching a movie or a music video.

In small alleys there were music lounges and outdoor bars full of young people enjoying themselves. Going back there with some friends is a must.

Towards the end of the walk I decided to veer off to another street. I ran into a large crowd of people, young and old, standing in front of something. It looked like one of those mobile circus cars but with decoration that looked to me like a traditional Taiwanese house or temple. Acrobatics, sword fighting, singing and dancing, amazing costumes and Taiwanese music. What a way to finish my mission.

I get back to my school ready to get some rest.

I live in a ALL BOYS dorm on the 15th floor. It's inevitable to get stares from all the boys waiting for the elevators back up to their room. Too bad I still can't speak chinese and tell them I'm one of the exchange students up on the top floor. There were three boys waiting for the elevator tonight, and all of them staring at me with a "what is this thing doing in here" expression. AWKWARD.

SO, I decide to walk up the stairs. Yes I know, 15 floors high. Panting and sweating by the time the number 15 shows up on the wall, I grab the door and realized... I went up the wrong flight of stairs...

Why are there two? Why does one lead to the 15th floor and the other doesn't? YOU TELL ME.

Remember it's the BOYS dorm. I'm prohibited to be on any other floor but the 15th floor. But, NO WAY I'm going back down 15 flights of stairs. I go back to the 14th floor and get out and wait for the elevator. This time there were 6 boys waiting for the elevator. GREAT.

I should have been patient earlier.


Miike Snow - Silvia (Robotberget Remix)

Thanks baby



Until next time.

MoCA Shangahi China

A day full of art and inspiration never fails even in rain and thunder. Museum food always seem to lighten my wallet but the quality and the volume was impressive. Yes, burger in Asia. Doesn't beat In-N-Out but sure was delicious.

MoCa

READ THE WORDS ON THE TILES

The most interesting things were in the dead and quiet cafe on the top floor of the museum.

The gallery was rather small and disappointing. The communism and conservative culture restricts artists from being free, which is a sin in art. Regulating art is a crime, I say. The bathroom tiles were definitely not conservative or regulated, just discrete.

I hear the Taiwan MoCA is something to look forward to. I'm excited.

9.11.10 more Shangahi in the rain

Teddy Bear Thai Food Cafe

In the pouring rain we went on a mission to find the art district and The Hub Cafe, a art/architecture/design book store. Aimless exploration always takes us to interesting places.

We ate at the dumpling restaurant upstairs, they had the juiciest dumplings I've had so far.

We went on a ferry across to the other side of the Huangpu River and climbed the Shanghai Tower to the 97th floor. Too bad the weather was foggy but it was still an experience.

Shanghai City

The girls and I decide to explore the city instead of being trampled at the Expo.

 The day started out with a young mom holding her daughter (around age 3) over a wate basket in the train station to pee. WARNING: waste basket = toilet for kids. So walk around with hand sanitizer, you never know what people touched..

We get off the train and start exploring the city, old school to new school, this place is full of character.

We ate at a local Chinese food place off of a small alley. Probably one of the best and cheapest meals we had. It's the best way to go when you eat and shop like the locals.

The Bund is a long, long street full of shopping and sight seeing. From cheap fake brands to over priced goods, they've got everything. The historical buildings on The Bund are remodeled inside and kept in great shape on the facade.

Shopping mall on The Bund

Who's been to the Guggenheim Museum, NY? Looks like a copy but works nothing like it. Pretty cool still.

Shopping mall on The Bund

Heart shaped waffles with strawberry jam

Searching for a good view of New Shanghai (across the Shanghai Huangpu River) and a place to have a drink, we went to CUE bar on top of the Hyatt Hotel.

New Shanghai (Day) Ground view

New Shanghai (Night) From the top of Hyatt Hotel

After a drink and a whole bottle of delicious red wine, much thanks to my great friend Michelle, I was feeling pretty good. We were walking across a bridge back to The Bund when I clumsily, dropped my lens cap into the Huangpu River. Note to self: don't mess with the camera when intoxicated. Thank goodness it wasn't the camera I dropped..

We ended our mission with an expensive meal at a Chinese restaurant in a shopping mall. The service was great and the food was good too. The highlight of that meal was when my friend Candice was having trouble with chopsticks and chased a piece of pineapple around her plate for a few minutes. We watched and laughed as the pretty server lady watched helplessly and scrambled around the restaurant looking for another form of utensil. She was sweet. 

World Expo 2010 Shanghai China

[ 9/9 & 9/13 ]

I wasn't prepared for the crazy-ness of the expo experience. Pouring rain, thousands of people, 4 hour lines, rude old ladys and fists fights. Yeah, 50 year old women started a fight with a young man who was trying to stop her from cutting in line. Don't mess. Luckly security guards are pros at jumping over fences and came to the rescue. Besides some of the intensely awkward situations, the architecture and creativity of some of the pavilions were very pleasing to the eye.

Center core of the Expo (layers of shopping, dining, and circulation)

Lifted circulation

Thank goodness for these above ground circulation away from the mess below. The view of all the pavilions was awesome and no one to push us around.

China

Hong Kong

Hong Kong (inside)

Hong Kong was one of the most fun pavilion to walk through. Line was short and the inside was interactive and fun. 3D intro presentation, photo booths, roof garden, and interesting spaces. We even got free stuff. Free is always good.

Germany

Germany

Germany (left), France (right)

UK Pavilion

UK Pavilion inside [each strand has different seeds in them and also let light through to the inside]

UK was definitely the coolest pavilion there. From the outside it even looked like a rendering. Still can't imagine how much work went into making this awesome fuzzy looking object. Once you got inside it was like a cave full of glowing stars lined along the inside walls. Smallest but the coolest indeed.

Would I go back to Expo? NEVER.

Would I go back to Shanghai? YES. 

Little taste of China [9/8/10]

Live crabs patiently waiting to be cooked into someone's delicious dinner

Chrysanthemum (left) and hibiscus (right)  flower tea   

The moment we landed in Shanghai China a former Architecture professor from NTUST, Dr. Tu, gave us a tour around town. He took us to a restaurant called Chopsticks and we had traditional Chinese food, family style. The restaurant was full of tanks with live fish, lobster, crabs, and more! Chinese food in China is the best, obviously.

City on the way to Tian Zi Fang

Tian Zi Fang

Tian Zi Fang

After dinner Dr. Tu took us to an old preserved part of town called Tian Zi Fang which is not a big tourist spot. Brick buildings are built close together and narrow alley ways house many small boutique shops, restaurants, cafes and bars. It's awesome to see the contrast between the new and the old cities. Bricks and alleys VS concrete, steel, and neon lights. 


After taking two flights over to Shanghai from Taiwan, running over to the hotel then hardy having time to put our stuff down we scurry our way to the restaurant. By the time I reached Tian Zi Fang my legs and my back was giving out.  


Then, we head out to a newer version of Tian Zi Fang called Xintiandi.The Grove, The Americana, 3rd Street Promonade. Xintiandi reminded me of an overrated LA shopping promonade. Except that there were asians singing Lady Gaga on a stage in a fancy karaoke bar. We all stood and watched them perform, it was pretty funny.


Finally we get back to the hotel to rest up for World Expo 2010 Shanghai China.