This is probably long due but I will share with those who're interested. My trip to Republic of China is wonderful.I spent three weeks there, where most of the time was spent assimilating myself with nature away from any form of electronic devices! I had the time to reflect about life, about what I had went through in life so far, and what I would love to achieve and do in the future. It was a detoxifying trip for me somehow!
The weather there was marvelous. It was cold most of the time, misty and only sunny occasionally. It was a mental, physical and spiritual challenge to face those odds, and going up the mountains was indeed a worthwhile journey because only then you'll get to see a panoramic view. It was breathtaking must I say. Seeing the silhouette of mountains in front of the shimmering golden rays of sun was something that not many can experience. I was indeed fortunate and very grateful to be there. For once, I felt so small!
Getting to town, you will see that the Taiwanese are amongst the most beautiful people in the world you can find! They were so nice and welcoming unlike people from some other countries that will probably chase you away without even saying a word. Most of them were fashionable to the extend you thought it was a fashion parade. What is fashion without the right attitude?
At times I do feel under dressed. There were reviews and comments about my outfit. Newsflash people, I'm on a trip that is anything but not another fashion week. And those are the only thickest outfit I have so far! Anyway, if you really dress up there and walk down the road you will not feel left out like how you would feel back home. Some people might just give you a weird look agree? I understand your predicament but lo and behold, there's nothing wrong with dressing well wherever you go because studies have shown that people who dress well will feel a greater sense of well-being. I hate to admit, it's true. Of course, I don't expect to see someone in mink walking down this sunny island. By then you will not only get my attention, you'll get the medic's attention too.
Shopping there was easy and comfortable because you see friendly faces around. You will not feel alone. Even the cab driver does not show any signs of racism or nationalism like how you would find in some countries. There's cab meter by the way. But I really think some of the cab drivers need to tone down on the adrenaline. Thinking back how my cab ride went, my heart did not just skipped a beat but it could just jumped right out of the cab. However, should there be any other flaw, it would be language barrier. Even so, it is not hard to speak to them if you know the basics.Taking their MRT is so convenient, trust me. Very user friendly. The staff was very friendly, and helpful too! They took the liberty to make calls to find out for us how to get to our destination!
There were many places of interest that I went when I was in Taipei but there's too many to talk about.
I had the chance to visit one of the prominent landmark in Taipei, The Grand Mosque. I was lucky to be able to perform the Friday prayers there. Although I may not understand fully what the sermon was all about but I got the gist of it since the topic title was translated in English, and listening to some keywords that I understood, I know what he was talking about. It was a unique experience because then I could see how the minority Muslims in Taipei live, and get their fresh halal food. It was my first time seeing women go to Friday prayers on the contrary to what I see back home.
Another must-not-miss place that I went to was Taipei 101. I was so happy to see the second tallest building in the world! Whenever I travel, I love looking at symbolic buildings. I may not be an architect or interior designer or anything that has got to do with design, but I really appreciate these kind of things. Love it loads! By the way, if you're filthy rich, this is the it place to go. Nothing that I can afford there because I had no more cash! No cash, no holiday! LOL!We went to several theme parks. They had a fair share of rides and sceneries. One of the theme park I went was Formosa Aboriginal Culture Village. If you didn't know, Taiwan was known in the past as Formosa which means beautiful island in Portuguese. Well the Portuguese didn't lie. I rode on this free-fall ride - UFO and it was madness! Didn't even have the time or the courage to scream. First it went up slowly, and it rotated. From above, you got to see beautiful view and the next thing I know it went down at a speed of UFO and I didn't dare to open my eyes! Definitely not for the soft hearted! I really thought this park was interesting because I have been reading a lot on Malay history and one of the theories involves Taiwanese aborigines coming down south.
In this trip I realize there's much more to learn out there and knowledge is probably the only thing that most didn't know is a living thing.
