Taiwan 2014.

Have yet to transfer the pictures from the camera to the laptop yet, but decided to just post some photos from the trip taken using the iPhone ;) (Am pretty satisfied with the phone's camera actually!)

Anyway, I wasn't expecting myself to travel to Taiwan in 2014 actually. I kind of wanted a "break" from TW because I have been traveling there yearly for the past four years consecutively. But anyway, this trip marks my sixth visit to Taiwan and really - no regrets over this decision because I super duper love the place! Each time I visit TW, there seems to be something new or somehow it just feels different. Even the sense of familiarity makes me feel excited!

We flew SIA this time thanks to the sister's krisflyer miles :) Arrived in Taiwan before noon, the driver picked us up and sent us to Westgate. It's a fairly new (or at least revamped) hotel or something if I'm not wrong. Love how comfortable and chic the room was! (Y) Checked in, settled down for a short while and off we went, exploring XMD as well as SOGO. Second day was spent exploring Xinbeitou and Shihlin! (As you can tell, I'm being extremely lazy with this post HAHA, because most of the photos captured are still in the SD card :p )

Travelled out of Taipei via the high-speed rail (HSR) to Taichung and had a 1-night stay at Cingjing :) SUPER COLDDDD, it was like 6 degrees celcius by the evening and trust me, when the wind came - it totally didn't even feel like 6 degrees! Brrrrr. But nonetheless, the view and scenery there made up for the cold we were 'suffering' from :) Super super picturesque! Preston was in a pretty good mood the next morning so that explains the nice selfie ;p I'm always commenting about how mischievous and naughty he is to my friends but okaaayyyyy, he's really cute when he's out of his ultra-naughty mode lah.

Before heading back to Taipei from Taichung, we visited a few scenic places that totally did not resemble Taiwan at all!! Moncoeur was one of them and the other was 新社花园古堡. Made us feel like we were in Europe, the architecture was amazing! I'm so going to include it into my TW itinerary the next time :) We went to Jiufen and Shifen this time too, seems like it's always part of my "taiwan itinerary" every time I'm there. It's a little troublesome (just a litttttle) to travel to those two places from Taipei but I never skip those places every time, hahaha. My love for rustic places.

I have been sending a list of places to visit to my friends, so if any of you guys are intending to visit Taiwan, feel free to get the list from me so as to discover a few more places around! :)

So there, done with the post about TW in an ultimate lazy-bug mode x

Two weeks into 2014.

X 

It's already the 16th day of 2014, and I have been extremely busy (yet lazy at the same time) - but a very HAPPY NEW YEAR to all out there!! :)

2014 have been awesome so far, I have been in and out of SG, traveling to Taiwan and Bangkok in these two weeks. And I am finally back now, no more traveling till at least mid-year! Time to hit the books and enjoy the last semester :) It's definitely a first for me - Taiwan for 7 days, then back to SG for about 2 days and then off I go to Bangkok for another 4 days. As much as I really do love traveling, this is pretty tiring somehow!

I'll take some time to post pictures from both trips but right now, I'm just gonna focus on getting myself back on track, mentally as well. I need to step out of this relaxed/nua/wanderlust/chill younameit mode and get ready to face things like lectures, projects, submissions, tests and exams. Haha. It's going to be a very good year ahead, I CAN FEEEEL IT (heh, I hope it really will be!).

It's good to always set your new year's resolutions isn't it. Although I think most of our resolutions either get broken or unfulfilled actually..hahaha. BUT, it never kills to have a certain direction / goal / aim set for ourselves :)
In 2014 :
1) I hope to be able to get out of my all-time lazy underachiever mode and do well HAHA, which means to be more disciplined, determined and focused in all aspects.
2) Spend more time with my family and close friends (less work scheduled).
3) Read more.
4) Save more moolah. And
5) Good deeds.

I know "Good deeds" probably sound corny and lame but having been to so many places these years, I really do notice a difference in the way people treat one another (whether they're strangers, acquaintances, friends or even family). It does not have to be major big acts of kindness that will gather or be of any worth in terms of media attention etc but small acts of kindness or a simple gesture that may help another person in any way would be good enough. Things like holding the door for others, giving up seats, helping someone struggling with a heavy load, respecting and acknowledging people and the list goes on. Small acts of kindness like these probably aren't gonna be phenomenal or transformative but that's okay, because most importantly - IT SPREADS.
I just super love how Taiwanese are so warm and helpful :') Just a simple story to share, here goes: I was on the bus from Jiufen down back to Ruifang train station, there were two seats left at the last row so I sat down. 1 minute later, a Korean granny came towards the row so I moved in, making it easier for her to just sit down instead of having to squeeze her way through to get to the last seat by the window. And in less than just 15 seconds, her husband came up so I called her "Haelmoni" (Grandma in korean) and sign-language'd my way through after that to let her husband take my seat. They thanked me and said "Mi-an" (sorry) because I was having 3 big bags of (almost overflowing) goods with me and I had to stand for the bus ride down the hill now. But anyway, so I was standing near a Taiwanese couple, (about perhaps late 40s-50ish years old) who were seated down, and the lady just reached out to one of the big bags and placed it on her lap. WITHOUT EVEN ASKING! I was a little startled initially because I wasn't really looking at them and suddenly a pair of hands just removed a bag from my hands. I told her it's okay but she kept saying the bags are all too heavy for me and that it is alright she doesn't mind. :') SIGH. Yes, so you see - small acts of kindness :)

Gotta run some errands now! Till the next time X