Having thoroughly exhausted Joan and Emily, we stopped for lunch at a local food court where I had some interesting dishes...
Tender braised beef with cabbage and funnily enough, gnocchi.
Emily's favourite - a trio of coagulated pig blood, coagulated duck blood and fish balls. I quickly zoomed for the fish balls, but tried a timid portion of the pig and duck blood. Can't say I'm a fan and it's hard getting past the idea that I am eating blood.
I then proceeded to bug Paul and little Doris. They drove me to Lotus Lake, home to many temples and a beautiful promenade where people have walks and talks by the lake.
Dragon and Tiger Pagoda at Lotus Lake. You enter via the dragon's mouth and exit via the tiger's mouth. Paul says that the Taiwanese believe it is bad to enter the tiger's mouth.
Painting of deities inside the dragon.
Exiting the tiger's mouth, as ordered! Doris and I.
People preparing for the Ghost Festival tomorrow at a temple.
Chinese opera along Lotus Lake.
Men playing chinese chess by Lotus Lake.
Between 1895 and 1945, Taiwan was a dependency of the Japanese empire and Japan intended to turn Taiwan into a model colony. Those plans failed, but in today's Taiwan, you can still see remnants of Japanese influence. Some older Taiwanese still speak Japanese, and appreciate Japanese music, as seen along the shores of Lotus Lake, right by the Chinese opera and loudspeakers blaring Taiwanese music.
After Ciaotou, we caught the MRT to the World Games Stadium. Kaohsiung, as a city, has a very modern and well-connected network of trains. I was very impressed with how easy it is to get from one point to another.
In 2009, Kaohsiung was the host city to the World Games, featuring games that were not contested in the Olympic Games. I could tell that the whole city embraced its part in the games, and its success was a matter of pride to this southern city.
World Games Sign.
Photography of the stadium, taken by Joan's own photography instructor - what coincidence!
RUGBY!
What the medals looked like.
... and just as we were about to leave, Hayley Westenra popped up on the screen. She sang at the opening of the games in Kaohsiung. Talk about a New Zealand connection!
My second day was filled with walking and a heck of a lot of sightseeing. I saw a lot more of Kaohsiung, the people, sights and sounds. I have also been eating like food's running out of fashion, so I'm considering devising a list of foods I have every day, a "food roll" of sorts.
Woke up early in the morning to catch the MRT to the Ciaotou Sugar Refinery with Joan (elder sister to Paul) and her 11 year old daughter, Emily. It promised to be a brilliant day - the sun was shining brightly and Joan, having taken classes in photography, offered to take photos. One look at her professional looking SLR camera told me it would kick my sorry digital camera's ass, so I happily said yes. Unfortunately I haven't got my hands on those photos yet so you will just have to be satisfied with my amateurish ones =)
Breakfast by the MRT station. They're deep frying 'yau char koay' (this is what it's called in cantonese) - a form of floury dough.
The Dome of Light is widely featured in Kaohsiung tourist pamphlets. Situated in the heart of Formosa Boulevard MRT Station, it is an expression of modern art.
Ciaotou Sugar Refinery was the first sugar refinery in Taiwan and was built during the Japanese Colonial Period. At the time, it made a great contribution to the economy. The spacious sugar refinery also houses a colonial building influenced by Dutch architecture, as well as some artwork made with spare parts from the sugar refinery.
My favourite photo of the day - Joan taking a photo of Emily on the train. It was named the English equivalent of the "half train" because the links between the carriages were only half the length of the links between the carriages of the MRT.
Some ancient graveyards peppered the railway track. The boy on the bicycle seems oblivious, absorbing it as part of every day life.
These trees with purple flowers dotted the track along the way. I don't know what they're called, but they're pretty.
There are many more photos of this place, but I'll update when I pilfer them from Joan. The sugar refinery was large - many people were milling about, cycling their bicycles and chatting. It was rather quaint.
Funny moment when the guy operating the train asked me the difference between "getting on" and "getting in" the "car" (what he really meant was the train). I thought he was speaking mandarin, before Joan explained it to me. Got me thinking about the complexities of the English language for those who do not speak it as a native tongue. We "get on" a train, but we "get in" a car when the activity is really one and the same.
All the buildup I've had with stinky tofu definitely warrants its own post.
First thing's first - see the photo below? If you ever visit the Fongshan Night Market, please please buy your stinky tofu from this stall and from this lady. The 'fragrance' would blow you away. Literally.
Kodak moment at Stinky Tofu stall. If only I could convey the aroma via Blogger.... I love the lady - she was quite a character, friendly and very obliging.
My reaction to Stinky Tofu - I can FINALLY tick that one off my bucket list now!
First day in Taiwan, and I've definitely hit the ground running. It's been a full day, and I am geared for another full day tomorrow so I will let the video and photos do the talking:
On the Kaohsiung-bound High Speed Train from Taipei.
With my lovely hostess, Arina - mother of two and still rocking it in a scooter.
Trying to look as if I could ride a scooter
Arina's 3 year old, Doris - reckon she could teach Richard Hammond a thing or two about toy cars.
Dinner with my host family. Grandma Ou cooked up a seafood feast.
Bubble Milk Tea sourced directly from its homeland. Delish.
At the Fongshan Night Market. My host Paul tells me that this is a TINY night market compared to others in Taiwan.
Sushi! I got really excited when I recognised California Rolls.
I don't know how you can eat these... they are deep fried duck's heads.
"luo ya" - not sure how it's spelt, but they're everywhere. Select a combination of veggies and offal to be boiled and served with sauce.
Can't avoid the Golden Arches no matter where in the world you are...
Did I mention that participants are due to have a farewell function on the 24th August in Taipei where we get to meet the Taiwanese President?
In the spirit of promoting New Zealand, I went in search of that perfect dress from that perfect New Zealand designer with 2 of my girlfriends last weekend, and it wasn't long till I found what I was looking for.
I have to admit when I first arrived in New Zealand, I found its fashion uninspiring - with many prêt-à-porter pieces geared towards the Nanny McPhee brigade. Choice was limited due to New Zealand's geographical disadvantage and international brands were scarce.
Having said that, the New Zealand fashion scene has since grown by leaps and bounds. Although still somewhat removed from the rest of the fashion world, it is now a microcosm of originality, and lacks the pretentiousness of some international designers. Like the Kiwis themselves, there is a feeling of warmth and genuineness in some of these creations. I am no Anna Wintour, but here are some popular Kiwi designers worth a look:
Much loved in New Zealand, Trelise Cooper is one of this country's most notable fashion exports. Having featured in the likes of Vogue and Marie Claire, her creations have also been featured in Sex and the City and on celebrities such as Julia Roberts, the Pussycat Dolls, Stevie Nicks, Liv Tyler and even little Suri Cruise.
Whimsical and chic, I find Karen Walker refreshing and edgy. Her creations have been spotted on Alexa Chung, Sienna Miller, Tyra Banks and Theodora Richards, amongst others. I love, love, love that yellow skirt, which was also featured in this year's Royal New Zealand Ballet's Stravinsky Selection ad campaign! Whilst dress-hunting at Karen Walker, I had a hard time deciding whether to buy a beautiful blue chiffon dress that draped in all the right places. My wallet will be forever grateful I returned it to the rack.
Having honed her skills with Zambesi, Helen Cherry launched her line in 1997 and can now be found in all 5 Workshop stores in New Zealand. Loving her Summer 2011-2012 collection!
In this Overland ad campaign for Summer 2010, Annah Stretton's dress from her Chameleon collection is being modelled. I've tried this, and love it for its versatility. The Chameleon can be worn in so many different ways, is reversible and is a collage of sumptuous pieces of fabric.
There are way too many designers to blog about, but these are the few notable ones. So where did I find my dress? ... at none other than Annah Stretton! I have a quirky sense of fashion - not always conventional and not always fashionably acceptable, but I absolutely adore the dress I found!
Here's a sneak peek (I went home to put my feet up by the fire - apologies for the bad lighting), but you'll just have to wait till the 24th August to find out!
In a weeks' time I will be jetsetting my way across the Pacific to Taiwan; from Wellington - Auckland - Hong Kong - Taipei... and what have I prepared? The simple answer is this... not much. I've got my e-ticket and I've gotten in touch with my lovely host, Paul Ou. With work commitments, I have hardly the time to give any preparations justice.
So in preparing for this trip, I naturally sought the opinion of friends, acquaintances, strangers with any remote connection to Taiwan... The most common recommendations are "you've not been to Taiwan until you've tried the chau tau fu (fermented tofu)!", "the street food at their nightmarkets are to die for!", "you have to have that oyster dish... I can't remember what it's called, but it's mouthwatering!", "pineapple tarts!" Notice a theme here? Yes, it is all about the KAI (for non-Kiwis, this means food in Maori).
I will preface this by saying that while I will be the first to admit my love of food, I do intend to do more than just gorge myself. (Of course, this statement has nothing to do with the fact that it is summertime in Taiwan and I refuse to look like a pug stuffed in an itsy bitsy, teeny weeny, tiny yellow, polka dot bikini... )
That said, it is impossible NOT to eat out at this time of year. Given - it is wintertime but Wellington goes gastronomic in August with Visa's Wellington on a Plate! Touted as New Zealand's premier culinary festival, it sees more than 100 of the region's finest eateries offer special lunchtime set menus and fantastic dining options. Think chocolate degustation menus, fashionable high teas, fine wines... with over 80 culinary events being run in conjunction with this, dieting is simply not an option.
... so I went and booked myself into the only event that does not require food passing through my lips - A Plate of Molecules - Chemical Gastronomy - not because I was making sure to give Adriana Lima a run for her money in a swimsuit, but because I have a genuine fascination for molecular gastronomy. I could watch Heston Blumenthal cook up crazy ideas all day, and I am looking forward to observing Professor Kent Kirshenbaum of New York University give his lecture demonstration on the chemistry and physics of food.
Never fear for my tummy however! Before I board that flight to Taiwan, I will be sure to have sampled more than my fair share of specially crafted menus ;)
