Travel

Taiwan Day 3: Bussing, Itching & Accidental Heart Attacks

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Today was a half day at school and also Labour Day Holiday in Taiwan. Since we didn’t have anything to do my friend from the Philippines and I watched an episode of Awkward! It was so funny! However, I am NOT liking this whole Tamara and Jake thing. BOOO! Too bad we can’t download the next two episodes! We really want to see them! (No one spoil it for me or I will make your life extremely AWKward) Today the girls were nice enough to go with me to SOGO; the upscale department store to shop around. Before heading out to SOGO we went to the noodle shop across from my homestay with slightly awkward results. Daro being the only one with basic mandarin (I am sorry Taiwanese Grandmother; I have failed you) was able to help us order. WELL, I mean I did recognize the Chinese word for beef which is not too helpful although we were looking for the beef noodle… When the food arrived it was quick and delicious! Daro and I had pork while Lerizze had beef (YUMM!) Lerizze took some side dishes as wellt o eat with her noodles and let me try some, oh my goodness, they were sooo delicious! IMG_0441

However, we had to first navigate how to take the bus! Having been taken around my by AIESEC buddy to get an easy card for the bus I was somewhat mentally prepared to take the bus. Luckily, Daro (from Thailand) and Lerizze (from The Philippines) had already taken the bus prior to me coming to Taiwan. It was an adventure! We were lucky that Auntie had drawn us out a map haha or we probably would have gotten lost! Daro is very good with directions while Lerizze and I are better with landmarks. It was an awkward trek to the bus stop and an even weirder sensation to wave down the bus! They have multiple busses stopping in the same station which is weird for me. In Toronto there is only one or two busses (if they are turning) per bus stop. It was very weird! Lerizze let me know that her busses didn’t have the stop buttons like they do in Canada or in Thailand! The busses in Taiwan are a bit smaller than the ones in Toronto but 100% cleaner! They even have orange chairs for priority seating and regular grey blue ones for every one else. The weird thing is, people pay when they leave the bus. I have never seen that before. Sometimes though, the bus will say to pay on board but mostly you pay when you are leaving!

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Lerizze at the bus stop!

I originally had to go to SOGO because the bestie wanted a Chanel LIQUID eyeliner that they only sell in Asia. It is ridiculously expensive. It is 1/4 more the price of their pencil eyeliner. But whatever, I am a good bestie, and I bought it for her. Being the picky princess that I am I ended up buying the CUTEST pair of Hush Puppies! I cannot lie that they were not cheap (they are not that cheap in Canada either) but every girl needs a pair of super comfortable flats, and really;who can refuse this face?

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They are so comfortable and so beautiful. Look what I was greeted with when opening the box.

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This is what they look like

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An update from yesterday’s mosquito situation; I currently have 8 big bites on my body! two on one arm and the other 6 on my legs. They are so itchy that they kept me up almost all night. It was unbearable! I am lucky that auntie gave me some kind of medication to put over them. She also offered me bug spray for the rest of the days to come. I had an almost accidental heart attack when we went shopping. I had found a pair of ninewest shoes on sale that Lerizze and I had thought read 985 Taiwanese dollars but after paying for them, we had realized that they were really 2985 Taiwanese dollars! As we left SOGO my heart was still plummeting. I decided to run back in to explain the situation (well Lerizze did, I was having a Heart ATTACK!) and the lady was nice enough to give us a refund even though the shoes were on sale.

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This is Taiwan from a Panoramic view.

Yours till I fall asleep,

The Picky Princess