I'M BACK!!! Like who cares, right? Haha.

Touched down at 11.35pm last night, spent my first moments of 2009 at the duty-free shop. Lol. Taiwan-Hong Kong had been really fun. Really enjoyed myself so much that I didn’t feel like coming back to Singapore. Haha. Sightseeing, shopping, eating, sightseeing, shopping, eating...and the cycle continued. The only thing I didn’t like was showering. Because the weather’s so cold! Of course there was hot water but once you turn off the tap to shampoo your hair or soap yourself, you can feel yourself shivering and your knees knocking against each other. Haha.

Other than that, I like everything else. The food in Taiwan and Hong Kong is seriously amazing! They are found everywhere, cheap and not to mention, delicious. I always found myself snacking right after meals. And we had supper almost every night because the shops are always opened till very late. Plus, convenience stores are everywhere, especially in Taiwan. I’m not exaggerating, there can be like 4 different stores side-by-side to each other. It’s so convenient to walk into any of them and grab a cup noodle or sandwich or a packet of dumplings or anything.

Taiwan and Hong Kong’s also great for shopping. The clothes there are amazing, cheap and pretty! I don’t shop often but when I do, I kind-of go on a spree. Total purchases: 41 tops, 11 bottoms, 3 puma bags, 2 nike bags, 2 handbags, 18 pairs of socks(actually I bought 36 pairs but I’m giving some to the floorball girls), a pair nike court shoes, 2 pairs of nike running shoes, a pair of adidas cross-training shoes, 3 pairs of flats, and a pair of boots. And a whole lot of food products and nonsenses like keychains which I have no use for. We left Singapore with 3 luggages and came back with 6. Lol. With that amount of stuffs, I can stop buying food and clothes for the next 5 years. Hahaha.

But if you want me to choose which country is better for shopping. I would say Taiwan. I always hear people saying the Hong Kong’s a shopping paradise, but I seldom hear them say the same for Taiwan.

The things in Taiwan are slightly cheaper than Hong Kong’s, even though both sell things like 4-5 times cheaper than in Singapore. But most importantly, the service you get in Taiwan is like a million times better than what you get in Hong Kong. But honestly, I think the service in Hong Kong really sucks, especially in the night markets. If you walk into a store at the night market, the shopowners expect you to buy something. If you appear to be hesitating, they can be really rude and say, ‘If you’re not buying, then just walk out.’ And then you’ll be like, ‘What the hell! Fine, if I’m not welcome here then I shall not buy anything!’ In short, the shop-owners are kind-of two-faced, they can be pretty nasty if they think you’re wasting their time. So if you’re visiting a night market in Hong Kong the next time, try not to walk into a store unless you have already seen something you like and have decided to buy from them. Well, the poor service is mainly from older shop-owners. My dad says it’s because Hong Kong-ers are more practical, if they think you’re not going to buy from them, they don’t see the point of serving you, they think it’s a waste of their time and money since to them, time is money. The situation is alittle better when you’re buying from younger shop-owners who’re in their 20s or from big international companies like Giordano, Mango, Disneyland, etc, although there are still some who will show you their attitudes. And in Hong Kong, you need to give tips at restaurants, hotels. Always do so at these places (even though their service may really suck so much that they replaced your dirty plates only once during the whole 8-course dinner) or risk seeing a really black face from them or getting another rude comment. I think it all goes back to them being practical, money makes them treat you better. No offense to any Hong Kong-ers, I’m not saying that Hong Kong-ers are money-faced but anyone who has been to Hong Kong before will know that, most of the time, you have to give tips to get better services.

Well, it’s the total opposite in Taiwan. The people there are super duper friendly and they go all the way to help you. There’s not need for tips and most of time, the prices you see are already tax-included or if not, they will have a line that says ‘Prices are subjected to 10% tax’ or something like that. The shop-owners give you the best services you can ever get (and I swear it’s also so much better than Singapore’s, we ought to learn from them). They greet you with ‘欢迎光临’ when you enter the store and say ‘谢谢光临’ when you leave, even if you don’t buy anything from them. They don’t mind if you do not buy anything, but most of the time, their services are so good that you feel obliged to buy from them even though you haven’t decide to buy it initially.

It’s not just the shop-owners who are nice, it’s like every Taiwanese’s nice. If you are lost or don’t know how to get to another place, just ask(sometimes you don’t even have to ask) anyone on the streets and he will definitely direct you or sometimes, even help you more. That was what happened to me on the first night in Taiwan, I was trying to get from Songshan Railway Station in Taoyuan to Taipei Railway Station but I was kind of puzzled why the train skipped some stations instead of stopping at every one as shown in my map, I thought I was on the wrong train. I didn’t ask, but this man who was sitting beside must have notice that I looked lost and ask where I was heading to. Told him we were going to Taipei Station, then he assured me that we were on the right train but because we was on the more expensive and thus, faster train, it skips some stations. The one on my map showed the route of the cheaper trains which stops at every station. He told me that once the train reaches Taipei Station, the speaker will announce. Then this other guy was sitting nearby noted that we were travelling from Taoyuan to Taipei which was quite a distance from each other, he said that we might not be able catch the last train back if we were planning to leave Taipei late so we should buy the return tickets first once we reach Taipei Station so that we’ll know the last train’s timing and not miss it. He went on to ask why we wanted to travel so far, so I told him my itinerary for that evening which was to go to Jay Chou’s restaurant for dinner, then to Wufenpu to shop for clothes and then to Raohe Street Night Market for supper. He told me that us that we might not have enough time for all that, so we decided to do away with dinner at Jay Chou’s restaurant because it was out of the way. Wufenpu and Raohe Street Night Market were nearby each other so it was not much of a problem. Then he advised us that we should take cab to Wufenpu from Taipei Station instead of switching to the MRT (because train and MRT are 2 different modes of transport) and take to Houshanpi MRT station because we weren’t really familiar with the MRT route and it would take us some time trying to find the correct route. At first I was quite against the idea of taking cab because I didn’t want us to spend too much money on transport. Taiwan’s really big, taking a cab there is not like taking one from Pasir Ris to Bedok, it was possible for cab fare to go above S$50. But the guy assured us that Wufenpu isn’t too far away so the cab fare will be about the same as us buying five MRT tickets to Houshanpi. He even directed us to the taxi stand. He was funny and told us that he’s a sociology teacher at a junior high school. Taiwaneses really make you feel welcome in their country.

Taiwan and Hong Kong certainly have a vast difference when it comes to service and friendliness. So, for people who are choosing between Taiwan and Hong Kong as their holiday destination, go for Taiwan. Because everything’s cheap, food’s everywhere, there’s no language barrier if you’re Chinese, and you will really feel very welcome, like as if everyone has been awaiting for your arrival in their country. That may be a tad exaggerated, but you get my point. Even the cab-drivers are so friendly and they chat and joke with you, if you want to know anything about their country, just ask and they’ll definitely tell you, sometimes, even more than what you’ve asked. Plus, there are eyecandies everywhere in Taiwan. Not kidding, if you go to any of their night markets, you will see a lot of pretty girls and handsome guys who are far more good-looking than the ones you see in the Taiwanese entertainment circle. I was buying from this store at the night market, and this girl, whom I presume was the shop-owner, asked if she could help me. Honestly, I was stunned for a moment by her beauty. I was like ‘omg, is she an artiste?’

Anyway the eyecandies are just another bonus. What’s important is that the Taiwaneses make you feel welcome. As you can see, I have a very good impression of Taiwan and its people. And my impression of them just gets better with each visit.

Alright, will give a day-by-day account of my trip together with photos, when I have some time to spare. But for now, I’ve to concentrate on studying for the stupid math diagnostic test. =(

I'M BACK!!! Like who cares, right? Haha.

Touched down at 11.35pm last night, spent my first moments of 2009 at the duty-free shop. Lol. Taiwan-Hong Kong had been really fun. Really enjoyed myself so much that I didn’t feel like coming back to Singapore. Haha. Sightseeing, shopping, eating, sightseeing, shopping, eating...and the cycle continued. The only thing I didn’t like was showering. Because the weather’s so cold! Of course there was hot water but once you turn off the tap to shampoo your hair or soap yourself, you can feel yourself shivering and your knees knocking against each other. Haha.

Other than that, I like everything else. The food in Taiwan and Hong Kong is seriously amazing! They are found everywhere, cheap and not to mention, delicious. I always found myself snacking right after meals. And we had supper almost every night because the shops are always opened till very late. Plus, convenience stores are everywhere, especially in Taiwan. I’m not exaggerating, there can be like 4 different stores side-by-side to each other. It’s so convenient to walk into any of them and grab a cup noodle or sandwich or a packet of dumplings or anything.

Taiwan and Hong Kong’s also great for shopping. The clothes there are amazing, cheap and pretty! I don’t shop often but when I do, I kind-of go on a spree. Total purchases: 41 tops, 11 bottoms, 3 puma bags, 2 nike bags, 2 handbags, 18 pairs of socks(actually I bought 36 pairs but I’m giving some to the floorball girls), a pair nike court shoes, 2 pairs of nike running shoes, a pair of adidas cross-training shoes, 3 pairs of flats, and a pair of boots. And a whole lot of food products and nonsenses like keychains which I have no use for. We left Singapore with 3 luggages and came back with 6. Lol. With that amount of stuffs, I can stop buying food and clothes for the next 5 years. Hahaha.

But if you want me to choose which country is better for shopping. I would say Taiwan. I always hear people saying the Hong Kong’s a shopping paradise, but I seldom hear them say the same for Taiwan.

The things in Taiwan are slightly cheaper than Hong Kong’s, even though both sell things like 4-5 times cheaper than in Singapore. But most importantly, the service you get in Taiwan is like a million times better than what you get in Hong Kong. But honestly, I think the service in Hong Kong really sucks, especially in the night markets. If you walk into a store at the night market, the shopowners expect you to buy something. If you appear to be hesitating, they can be really rude and say, ‘If you’re not buying, then just walk out.’ And then you’ll be like, ‘What the hell! Fine, if I’m not welcome here then I shall not buy anything!’ In short, the shop-owners are kind-of two-faced, they can be pretty nasty if they think you’re wasting their time. So if you’re visiting a night market in Hong Kong the next time, try not to walk into a store unless you have already seen something you like and have decided to buy from them. Well, the poor service is mainly from older shop-owners. My dad says it’s because Hong Kong-ers are more practical, if they think you’re not going to buy from them, they don’t see the point of serving you, they think it’s a waste of their time and money since to them, time is money. The situation is alittle better when you’re buying from younger shop-owners who’re in their 20s or from big international companies like Giordano, Mango, Disneyland, etc, although there are still some who will show you their attitudes. And in Hong Kong, you need to give tips at restaurants, hotels. Always do so at these places (even though their service may really suck so much that they replaced your dirty plates only once during the whole 8-course dinner) or risk seeing a really black face from them or getting another rude comment. I think it all goes back to them being practical, money makes them treat you better. No offense to any Hong Kong-ers, I’m not saying that Hong Kong-ers are money-faced but anyone who has been to Hong Kong before will know that, most of the time, you have to give tips to get better services.

Well, it’s the total opposite in Taiwan. The people there are super duper friendly and they go all the way to help you. There’s not need for tips and most of time, the prices you see are already tax-included or if not, they will have a line that says ‘Prices are subjected to 10% tax’ or something like that. The shop-owners give you the best services you can ever get (and I swear it’s also so much better than Singapore’s, we ought to learn from them). They greet you with ‘欢迎光临’ when you enter the store and say ‘谢谢光临’ when you leave, even if you don’t buy anything from them. They don’t mind if you do not buy anything, but most of the time, their services are so good that you feel obliged to buy from them even though you haven’t decide to buy it initially.

It’s not just the shop-owners who are nice, it’s like every Taiwanese’s nice. If you are lost or don’t know how to get to another place, just ask(sometimes you don’t even have to ask) anyone on the streets and he will definitely direct you or sometimes, even help you more. That was what happened to me on the first night in Taiwan, I was trying to get from Songshan Railway Station in Taoyuan to Taipei Railway Station but I was kind of puzzled why the train skipped some stations instead of stopping at every one as shown in my map, I thought I was on the wrong train. I didn’t ask, but this man who was sitting beside must have notice that I looked lost and ask where I was heading to. Told him we were going to Taipei Station, then he assured me that we were on the right train but because we was on the more expensive and thus, faster train, it skips some stations. The one on my map showed the route of the cheaper trains which stops at every station. He told me that once the train reaches Taipei Station, the speaker will announce. Then this other guy was sitting nearby noted that we were travelling from Taoyuan to Taipei which was quite a distance from each other, he said that we might not be able catch the last train back if we were planning to leave Taipei late so we should buy the return tickets first once we reach Taipei Station so that we’ll know the last train’s timing and not miss it. He went on to ask why we wanted to travel so far, so I told him my itinerary for that evening which was to go to Jay Chou’s restaurant for dinner, then to Wufenpu to shop for clothes and then to Raohe Street Night Market for supper. He told me that us that we might not have enough time for all that, so we decided to do away with dinner at Jay Chou’s restaurant because it was out of the way. Wufenpu and Raohe Street Night Market were nearby each other so it was not much of a problem. Then he advised us that we should take cab to Wufenpu from Taipei Station instead of switching to the MRT (because train and MRT are 2 different modes of transport) and take to Houshanpi MRT station because we weren’t really familiar with the MRT route and it would take us some time trying to find the correct route. At first I was quite against the idea of taking cab because I didn’t want us to spend too much money on transport. Taiwan’s really big, taking a cab there is not like taking one from Pasir Ris to Bedok, it was possible for cab fare to go above S$50. But the guy assured us that Wufenpu isn’t too far away so the cab fare will be about the same as us buying five MRT tickets to Houshanpi. He even directed us to the taxi stand. He was funny and told us that he’s a sociology teacher at a junior high school. Taiwaneses really make you feel welcome in their country.

Taiwan and Hong Kong certainly have a vast difference when it comes to service and friendliness. So, for people who are choosing between Taiwan and Hong Kong as their holiday destination, go for Taiwan. Because everything’s cheap, food’s everywhere, there’s no language barrier if you’re Chinese, and you will really feel very welcome, like as if everyone has been awaiting for your arrival in their country. That may be a tad exaggerated, but you get my point. Even the cab-drivers are so friendly and they chat and joke with you, if you want to know anything about their country, just ask and they’ll definitely tell you, sometimes, even more than what you’ve asked. Plus, there are eyecandies everywhere in Taiwan. Not kidding, if you go to any of their night markets, you will see a lot of pretty girls and handsome guys who are far more good-looking than the ones you see in the Taiwanese entertainment circle. I was buying from this store at the night market, and this girl, whom I presume was the shop-owner, asked if she could help me. Honestly, I was stunned for a moment by her beauty. I was like ‘omg, is she an artiste?’

Anyway the eyecandies are just another bonus. What’s important is that the Taiwaneses make you feel welcome. As you can see, I have a very good impression of Taiwan and its people. And my impression of them just gets better with each visit.

Alright, will give a day-by-day account of my trip together with photos, when I have some time to spare. But for now, I’ve to concentrate on studying for the stupid math diagnostic test. =(