8月7日
Taipei, Day 2:
Today was actually quite fulfilling as I was invited to lunch out with my friend and some family friends of his. When I was told we were to leave the apartment in Yonghe District (永和區) at 10:00am for lunch, I knew we had quite the journey ahead of us.
We left the apartment around 10:00am and started walking towards the MRT Station at Dingxi (頂溪), about a ten minute walk. We then got me an MRT Easycard so that I can refill it and use as I please. You can apparently use them like cash at convenience stores like 7-Eleven and Family Mart.
My friend got me one of the student cards, which, as I’ve learned, you can apparently be fined for having if you don’t hold a Taiwanese student ID. We figured we’d take the risk since I’m enrolled at National Chengchi University (政大) and will be starting orientation towards the end of August.
We then got on the MRT and rode for a good 30-40 minutes before we got off at Tamsui (淡水). The MRT is very efficient, and has really nice AC which is important for these humid summer days (especially important for a sweaty foreigner like me).
When we got off on 淡水, I suddenly felt like I was transported to a Taiwanese version of my home in Southern California. The pace was notably slower than in 永和, and I hear that 淡水 is a popular destination for tourists and Taiwanese-alike for day trips. On the river, you can rent bicycles and enjoy the day by the water.
We ended up taking a taxi (another efficient way to travel with AC) to our destination, the Consulate Café. Adjacent to the river and serving an array of food from China, Europe, and the Mediterranean, I felt like I had never left home. It helped that I saw a road sign in what looked like Spanish, directing to the historic Fort San Domingo.
After lunch, I went with my friend to a meeting where he worked on a presentation for SGI (Soka Gakkai International). It was also my first time riding on the back of a motorbike.
Exhilarating, nerve-wracking, terrifying, and absolute bliss all at once. I truly felt like I had gotten a little taste of Taipei driving through those busy streets on the back of my friend’s motorbike. (It was also difficult seeing as that I am quite literally twice the size of my friend, so it was difficult for him to maneuver like he usually does—for that, I am eternally grateful).
Later that evening, we met up with a friend of ours that we knew from Soka University, and we had Taiwanese Beef Noodle (牛肉麵). My friend had to go back to working on his SGI things, so my other friend took me on a mini food tour of Taipei. We found a stall selling boba and other iced drinks, and the honey green tea really hit the spot. We then got on the MRT to Ximending (西門町), where my friend took me to try Almond Shaved Snow from another small stall and Egg Tarts from KFC (yeah, that KFC). We wandered around 西門町, noticing the street performers and stores upon stores. We went inside of a Watson’s so that my friend could pick up some cough medicine, and I found prescription contact lenses (that come in colored lenses, as well) for a ridiculously cheap price. I suddenly regretted renewing my prescription in the US. We then went back to my friend’s apartment that he shares with his sister. They both have been in Taipei for the past six weeks for an internship and have shared a small apartment together. It was nice, as we were able to catch up for a bit before I got picked up by my friend after his SGI meeting again. I also traded some hot cheetos that I bought back in LAX for a couple slices of dried mango that my friend's sister was eating, so that was cool.
Overall, a very eventful first day out in Taipei.
Taipei, Day 2:
Today was actually quite fulfilling as I was invited to lunch out with my friend and some family friends of his. When I was told we were to leave the apartment in Yonghe District (永和區) at 10:00am for lunch, I knew we had quite the journey ahead of us.
We left the apartment around 10:00am and started walking towards the MRT Station at Dingxi (頂溪), about a ten minute walk. We then got me an MRT Easycard so that I can refill it and use as I please. You can apparently use them like cash at convenience stores like 7-Eleven and Family Mart.
My friend got me one of the student cards, which, as I’ve learned, you can apparently be fined for having if you don’t hold a Taiwanese student ID. We figured we’d take the risk since I’m enrolled at National Chengchi University (政大) and will be starting orientation towards the end of August.
We then got on the MRT and rode for a good 30-40 minutes before we got off at Tamsui (淡水). The MRT is very efficient, and has really nice AC which is important for these humid summer days (especially important for a sweaty foreigner like me).
When we got off on 淡水, I suddenly felt like I was transported to a Taiwanese version of my home in Southern California. The pace was notably slower than in 永和, and I hear that 淡水 is a popular destination for tourists and Taiwanese-alike for day trips. On the river, you can rent bicycles and enjoy the day by the water.
We ended up taking a taxi (another efficient way to travel with AC) to our destination, the Consulate Café. Adjacent to the river and serving an array of food from China, Europe, and the Mediterranean, I felt like I had never left home. It helped that I saw a road sign in what looked like Spanish, directing to the historic Fort San Domingo.
After lunch, I went with my friend to a meeting where he worked on a presentation for SGI (Soka Gakkai International). It was also my first time riding on the back of a motorbike.
Exhilarating, nerve-wracking, terrifying, and absolute bliss all at once. I truly felt like I had gotten a little taste of Taipei driving through those busy streets on the back of my friend’s motorbike. (It was also difficult seeing as that I am quite literally twice the size of my friend, so it was difficult for him to maneuver like he usually does—for that, I am eternally grateful).
Later that evening, we met up with a friend of ours that we knew from Soka University, and we had Taiwanese Beef Noodle (牛肉麵). My friend had to go back to working on his SGI things, so my other friend took me on a mini food tour of Taipei. We found a stall selling boba and other iced drinks, and the honey green tea really hit the spot. We then got on the MRT to Ximending (西門町), where my friend took me to try Almond Shaved Snow from another small stall and Egg Tarts from KFC (yeah, that KFC). We wandered around 西門町, noticing the street performers and stores upon stores. We went inside of a Watson’s so that my friend could pick up some cough medicine, and I found prescription contact lenses (that come in colored lenses, as well) for a ridiculously cheap price. I suddenly regretted renewing my prescription in the US. We then went back to my friend’s apartment that he shares with his sister. They both have been in Taipei for the past six weeks for an internship and have shared a small apartment together. It was nice, as we were able to catch up for a bit before I got picked up by my friend after his SGI meeting again. I also traded some hot cheetos that I bought back in LAX for a couple slices of dried mango that my friend's sister was eating, so that was cool.
Overall, a very eventful first day out in Taipei.