From light-as-air breakie to light-as-air zzzz's

SO today was just too busy for Facebook and WAY too busy for my poor tootsies! Half way through the day I found myself pondering the penalty for mugging over uggs in a country that actually advertises its death for drug trafficking policy on its visa application. Where to begin....

After falling asleep early on the couch last night, I woke early and got a head start on the day by calling a few of the ones-I-love-and-actually-even-like over a cup of coffee. Deciding to take advantage of the oh-my-god-is-that-really sunlight (that's right, kids, the first bit of blue sky since I arrived), I retaped a tour of my apartment. Seems the fish were pretty upset for getting short shrift the last time and were beginning to eye me menacingly every day when I came home from work. Or maybe it was just they hadn't been fed in a few days. Regardless, I'm still not convinced that all the weird cubbies in my apartment aren't inhabited by bad-hair-day Japanese ghosts, so having little fishie friends, regardless of their inability to breathe air, could be useful if ever the ghosts tire of me.

Now on to breakie. Before coming to Taiwan, one of my greatest concerns was that they would have followed in the footsteps of their Chinese brothers and lamed out in respect to the all-important desserts and baked goods. Sorry, Mao, but bean paste does not a delectable tasty make. But on arriving I was quickly reassured that they followed in the Japanese tradition of learning the French methods of baking and then perfecting. That's right. I'm saying it. PERFECTING French baking. All week I'd been passing display cases that called to me almost as loudly as the dumplings.

So today was the day. I was going to have my way in the worst way with some baked goods. The plan was this: start on my walking way towards Taipei 101 -- I'd seen a few potential victims the day before when I'd missed my stop at Houshanpi Station -- and find some breakfast and more coffee, continue along to the shoppers mecca I'd heard the 101 area could be, then maybe up to Ikea and possibly Costco. Yeah. You heard right. You know a joint is civilized when they have not only 7-11 and Dominos BUT also Ikea and Costco!

As promised, the weather was a gorgeous 60F -- that's 16C for the rest of the world -- and the walk pleasant. Well, except for the reminders that no matter how far you go, you can't quite escape Christmas cheer:

But totally worth it in the end.This particularly lovely was absolutely AMAZING! It was a bit dense and buttery, almost cheesy, but slightly sweet. Oh. And did I mention still warm? Yeah. Heaven.

 Nibbling on my breakfast and sipping my coffee, I moved on towards 101. Unfortunately, one of the highlights of my day was a street market that I was too awed by to actually photograph. But here's a brief listing of a few sights:

• Live eels with little baby eels squirming around on a shallow pan with a group of Taiwanese women gathered around haggling. Or betting. I'm not sure which.
• Chickens with heads
• Chickens without heads
• Chicken heads
• Women plucking chickens with tweezers
• All sorts of meats that would make any Mexican grandma proud
• Fruits the like I'd never seen nor tasted. HEAVEN. Well, heaven with dead chickens everywhere.
• Socks, shoes, tights, capri pants, shoes, and more shoes
• Cold weather wear. I think the Taiwanese have somehow convinced themselves that this 60F-some-odd weather is winter like. That's the only way I can explain the knit hats and scarves. This makes me worry for summer...
• Electronics. Everything from navigation devices to wireless routers, which, although I am in the market for, I had little intention of buying from a guy standing next to a guy taking bets on eels.

This is, of course, an abbreviated list. But you get the idea. I'll try and sneak pics next time.

I did, however, get bu-ku pics of buildings I liked and thought illustrated the personality of my new hometown.

 

If you're trying to follow along on a map, these were all, I think, along Zhongxiao around Section 5. I think. Hard to keep track...

But there's a definite playfulness that's sweet. 

Well. Until they come to life of course. And override that whole "Do no harm" clause the genius bar geniuses put in after that whole HAL thing.

So now we come the gratuitous photos of 101. I apologize for the repetition but I'll start with my fave.

 So just a side note: the building was designed to model a bamboo shoot. It WAS the tallest building until the one in Dubai usurped it. But inside you'll still see a ton of stuff claiming it's the tallest GREEN building in the world.

Ok, so to keep Thelma happy, I didn't actually go UP. Well, to keep Thelma happy and because the line was a little intimidating. Especially with Ikea on my mind. But eventually I'll make it up. Anyway, the sights in and around were enough to occupy me for a few solid hours. First off, an electronics fair that was burning my cash from inside my pockets! EVERYTHING imaginable from the flyest of the fly game consoles to super duper small/slim/fast/light/awesome tablets/laptops/phones/navigation devices. It was NUTS! And soooo crowded! Mostly youngish boys and men whose eyes couldn't seem to decide on the electronics and the young scantily clad girls handing out flyers like this one:

A betel nut to anyone who can explain to me why happy schoolgirls are made sad by green monsters jumping out at them from their laptops. And are those maxipads or what?!?

The first five floors of 101 are, of course, a monument to consumerism. A mall. And not just any mall but a mall with nothing costing less than my first car. Tiffany, Coach, Swarovski, Armani, De Beers, Cartier, Versace, Louis Vuitton.. I kept waiting for them to chuck me out. But I think brown American chicks alone confuse them, so I stayed. And took pictures. I think they're going for what Will-and-Grace once termed "Sad Christmas."

But with sparks of that playfulness I mentioned above:

Now before you gripe that they took Santa out of Sad Christmas, I direct you to this:

  Made me sad. But not exactly in a classy CK way.

Outside again was another small fair, but I think this one probably more directed towards tourists. Read: No dead chickens. Or living eels. But traditional dancers. 

So FINALLY to the business of the day. Ikea. But on the way I got lost. I swear. I wasn't looking for this. I know some people will say, "Poor sad brown girl. Not a week away from the Land-of-Taco-Cabana and she HAS to find a taco!" But it didn't happen that way! I was looking for the Tourism Bureau! And then I got a little lost!! I wasn't looking for tacos!!!!

Macho Tacos. Check them out at machotacos.com if you like. You'll see. It's just the kind of place you find when LOST! But then, of course, presented with prospect of Taiwanese Mexican and pictures of Lucha Libre heros, who could really blame me?!?! Just to point out, the corn tortillas were actually homemade. And the carnitas exactly what you expect from carnitas. Corn salsa was good, if a little bland. The salsa kinda tasted like ceviche-hold-the-seafood, but alright. But if you do check out the menu, don't get all offended by the tofu burrito/chimchanga/quesadilla offerings. Ok? There are a lot of vegetarians around! I did get a lead, btw, on where to find corn masa. A Songshan bake shop. That helped make the exorbitant US$3.60 for two tacos go down a little better. Like the most expensive meal I've had in Taipei!

Now just to wrap this up so I can hit the sack already,

The reason for the day. Specifically, a pillow. And a shower solution. See, the thing is, for some unknown reason, other countries, European included, don't always see a need to separate the shower area from the rest of the bathroom. It makes for a bit of a messy shower. And while it has grown on me, I still hoped to find some way of rectifying the situation. And I thought maybe Ikea could help. But a quick amble around the marketplace surrounding Ikea led me to another useful little home solutions shop: Nitori. And here I found not only a cheaper pillow, but also a "Japanese room" kit with plastic bars that fit together meant to hold a sort of mosquito netting around a bed. Brilliantly perfectly what I need! Unfortunately, the DRILL I need to mount the screws is going to hold up this perfect little plan of mine. So. :-(. It goes back on the to-do list.

Anyhoot, to the end of the day. I managed to schlep my wares onto a very crowded MRT train, then transfer to another less-crowded train, and find my way home. WHICH I now have a handy way of finding from a distance. See, as I was coming up from the subway station, I realized I wasn't entirely sure which direction my apartment was in. And then I saw it. The boob. Or turret for the more pure-of-heart-and-mind. Whatever floats your boat. All I know is that these "turrets" are directly across from my balcony and that was how female anatomy saved my day. 

Whew. Well I'M exhausted. To bed. On my nice new cushy Japanese pillow.