TAIWAN DAY 2

Back to my Taiwan trip journal, this was the 2nd day and it was raining too. It was cold so i brought my comfy coat just in case :) Before you proceed, I must warn you this is a heavy loaded post filled with lots of pictures, so please be patient loading it :)


Picnic coat / Stradivarius Lace Bandage skirt / Zara blouse / Bershka flats / unbranded tights / Gucci tote bag

First we went to Chiang Kai Shek memorial hall which located in Taipei. I didn't get to visit the inside of the hall but we took quite a lot of pictures on the front gate.







Then we went straight to Ying Ge Ceramic Museum. Located in Yingge Town, New Taipei City (Taipei County), Ying Ge Ceramic Museum displays ceramic exhibitions, and is the first ceramic museum in Taiwan. This place filled with culture and historical characteristics. It is also a good place to casually appreciate artwork. 







Here is a photo of me enjoying a cup of hot choco while waiting for our bus to come. Any kind of hot drink feels like heaven to me during winter days, but my favorite is Hot Ginger Tea. I always find the aromatic smell of ginger suits my pallet very much. My friends said I have such a strange taste for food, they find it old and very Chinese like. This is one of many reasons why V and I click, we have the same strange appetite :)



Take a look of this cute pink minivan! The owner is a bearded man, I find it quite amusing!
 

After Ying Ge, we went to 921 Earthquake Museum in Tai Zhong. The museum, previously known as the Earthquake Memorial Museum, opened on February 13, 2001 and is dedicated to the 7.3 earthquake that struck the center of Taiwan at 01:47AM on September 21, 1999. The museum is located on the site of the former Guangfu Junior High School and the shell of the building forms the exterior walls of the museum and the Museum's Chelungpu Fault Gallery crosses the actual fault line on which the earthquake struck. In the wake of the 921 disaster, the local government decided to preserve some of the phenomena related to the earthquake such as slips in the fault line, collapsed school structures, raised river beds and other selected locations, to serve as reminders for the public of the need to prepare for such disasters and to be ready to provide emergency rescue services. (quoted from here)

The 921 earthquake , also known as Jiji earthquake, was a 7.3 earthquake which occurred at 1:47:12 am local time on Tuesday, September 21, 1999 in  集集, Nantou Country, Taiwan. 2,415 people were killed, 11,305 injured, and NT$300 billion (US$10 billion) worth of damage was done. (quoted from here)




 
 
 
 
 

 Last place to visit was Xi Tou. Xitou is part of the experimental forest belonging to the National Taiwan University, and here grows cedars, Chamaecyparis obtuse, red spruces, Phyllostachys edulis, and many other different kinds of trees. Except for a small well-preserved natural broad-leaves forest, most parts of this area have been developed and cultivated purposely. Generally speaking, the feature of the forest here is beautiful and tidy. Here you can visit the unique pure ginkgo forest, the rare plant of redwood, the divine tree 46 meter high and 16 meter broad and with an age approaching 3,000, Youth's Activity Center, birds observing footpath, hotels, restaurants, camping area and so on.(quoted from here)

There are so many unique and delicious food stalls here and all are in Japanese themed decorations. One of the most popular is ice cream stall. You might think it's odd to have a cold ice cream in such weather, but it's kinda nice actually. Your ice cream won't melt and make your hands all dirty, you will also find your body warm up a bit :)



This is the smallest banana I've ever eaten! So tiny, right?

SOON TO BE 22

January Collection of Cottoncandy has finally up, yey! I've been working my ass off since I got back from Taiwan and now I'm feeling a bit unwell. My body has finally cried for help because of the exhaustion and the lack of sleep I've been suffering. But it was worth it. I always feel energized seeing another collection of my line is up in the air. And to add it up, Cottoncandy's website is almost done and will be launched approximately around February or March.

My birthday is coming up in almost a month and V complains everyday about what should he get for my birthday present because I don't even give him a clue. You see, for the past 2 years I picked the present myself and so did he. I just think it would be the best way so the present would be something we really like and need (since we picked it ourselves). Last year he bought me a Marc Jacobs wallet and I bought him a springbed. I know it sounds bizarre, a springbed for birthday present! But it was what he really needed because the old springbed was hurting his backbone. So he picked one which supports the vertebrae well. This year, we're doing something different by not telling each other about what we would like to have as a present. So to sum it up, I'm exited for my birthday not because I'll be 22 years old (God I'm old!), but I really am looking forward for my surprise birthday present from V :)

Here are some photos from Cottoncandy's January Lookbook and another outfit post. I wore this outfit for my departure to Taiwan and thank God that night was not so cold there. Either way I'll be freezing to death.








COTTONCANDY top and skirt / Mango biker jacket / Converse shoes







 My personalized Converse :)

TAIWAN DAY 1

Hello lovely people! Sorry for the lack of updates, it's been crazy since I got back from Taiwan. So many things need to be taken care of, and so little time I got. Classic problem.

Taiwan really took my breath away. That was my second time being there, and I haven't quite over my addiction to it yet. Someday I'll most definitely go there for my third visit!

I love everything about it, the food, the people, the language, the places, and not to mention the fashion stuffs. There are so many night markets all over Taipei which offer you delicious yet unique dishes. I didn't gain any extra pounds though, and it's kinda amazing remembering how much food I consumed a day there. I don't even understand where all the extra calories went if they didn't go straight right to my stack of fat.

As for the shopping race, I bought 6 pairs of new boots and lots of sweater which I'm not even sure where to wear it here in Jakarta. I guess I'll match them with cute dresses or something to spices up my look :)

So here are the photos of my first day in Taiwan. First, we went to Ye Liu Geo Park and it was raining 24 hours. The weather there always changes everyday, so my dad spent 5 minutes of his night time to check out weather forecast and it really helped us a lot to plan our outfit for the next day. Once it rains in Taiwan, it will rain all day long. And for a person who's basically not a fan of rain like me, being in a rainy winter day is a nightmare. The weather gets so cold and the raindrops on my head give me a massive headache. Thankfully it was only 3 rainy days I had to stroll though during my stay there.


PICNIC sweater and leather skirt / knitted leggings bought in Korea / Converse sneakers / Forever21 beanie hat and necklace / Gucci tote bag





That yellow thing peeking inside my bag is a rain coat I refused to wear because: one, it looks hideous and two, it blocked my view. Luckily I wore that comfy beanie hat which keeping me warm and protected from the raindrops during my walk around the park.



Ye Liu Park is filled with these beautiful holey rocks caused by air erosion and if you would spend some time to look at the pores and rocks with your imagination, it will assemble some quite amusing shapes such as animals, etc. The two most famous shapes are queen's head and sandals.


Then we went straight to Dan Shui, the most famous old street filled with so many superb Taiwan delicacies. One of my mother's favorites is Chou Dou Fu, which is stinky tofu in English. It really stinks and I always think of horse poo everytime I smell it. They said they got the same feeling as mine at first, but overtime it really does taste delicious. I tasted it and I felt like I was eating a horse poo, lol.

 

This ordinary looking dessert is Hong Dou Bing (red bean pancake) and it tastes way better than it looks. This is one of many Taiwan's specialties. As for this one, I like :)