Surviving Taiwan

Today! I have a treat.

Hydrangea season! <3

Up on Yangmingshan, there are a couple of gardens where they grow a whole lotta these flowers and my god, it is really worth the trip to take some photos or just smell the flowers, I’m tellin’ ya. 

See? Look at me trying to me a warm, flower boy while getting up way too early to beat crowds and trying to open my eyes in the blaring sun, haha. 

So the deal is, from April to June these flowers will be in bloom. If you’re a resident of Taiwan, I recommend you keep an eye on the weekend weather. This year I went in June and in some places they were past their peak, while others were still doing quite well. If you go too early in April, I think it could also be quite disappointing. If there is a rain storm, you might end up getting up there and seeing they are mostly destroyed so, in short I’d keep that all in mind. 

It really depends where you’re coming from when it comes to directions. As for myself, I took the bus from Shipai station on the red line, 小8 to 風架口 and got off at 竹子湖 which will have a few of these gardens :)

I recommend heading up there pretty early as it WILL get crowded, especially on a weekend. Many of these gardens have small pathways with kids so it’s quite a headache when people start coming in.

When you up back down off the mountain, you’re not too far from Danshui/Tamsui so why not head up to the boardwalk? :)

小孩們，好久不見！

Today, I thought I’d tell you a little about going to a hot springs in Taiwan.  While Japan is still quite famous for Hot Springs, there are places you’re able to go to in Taiwan too! And with the current situation of the world, I’m sure a lot of us are looking into more things they can do locally to cure their wanderlust. 

Last week, I headed over to Jiaoxi, a quick bus or train ride from Taipei. I opted for the bus since the transfer from my town was more convenient. From Taipei on a regular day its about an hour trip, but can be much longer on holidays with traffic.  Depending on the bus line, its about NT$80 to around NT$100. If you’re looking more for a city staycation, you could look into the infamous hot springs up in Beitou too :) 

As this year I won’t be able to go back to Canada for Christmas, I splurged on the above hotel (Wellsprings by Silks).

For this type of hotel, you get a private bath in your room, so there are no awkward public bath moments if you can’t deal with that. I honestly just wanted to sit in the bath and listen to Fleetwood Mac so this was perfect. 

For this hotel you’re looking at over NT$3000 a night, but it was a great experience. There was a breakfast buffet included and public viewings of movies up on the roof with a view of the stars and nearby mountains. There are also public baths available too.

Similarly to Japan, I always look forward to the bathrobes/Yukata they give you for your stay. This one seemed to be indigo dyed, which is something you see pretty often in Taiwan.

Like most people I’m sure, it’s been a tough year and I feel very lucky to still have a job and be in a country that hasn’t been affected too severely by the virus. I know that posting about an expensive hotel or what I have been up to recently may come off as a bit of an insult for those who are barely getting by now and quite honestly that has restrained me from posting on any platform this year. 

If you’ve seen my other posts, it comes as no surprise to you that I am quite the afternoon tea fan. 

Naturally, when visiting Hong Kong my first thought is “To Tea or Not To Tea?”.

More often than not, google and other travel websites will recommend visiting The Peninsula. I visited a few years ago and during this trip I revisited, but what are the other options. 

Today, I visited another well-known traditional spot: The Palm Court in The Langham.

One of the immediate differences if of course being the lack of people; how lovely.

The atmosphere of the Palm Court is much darker than The Peninsula, a bit less natural light but still classic.

The service was was wonderful. That really put this experience over the top for myself. The woman who served us was well informed and polite. This is so important to be as its not uncommon to be greeted by a complete snob in a place like this.

The selection of teas perhaps wasn’t the most abundant as I’m used to in Taiwan (where you sit down with over fifty or so options) but I was pretty set on their Wedgwood classic; something similar to an English Breakfast tea. Being an English Breakfast fan I was not disappointed. The tea was pungent and lovely. The pot was always refilled and leaves were changed once I believe to refrain from the taste going too dilute. 

I sat with my friend for hours and enjoyed cup after cup. Trying it alone, with milk, with sugar, and the taste was great each time. I’d go back for the tea alone. 

On to a crucial part of afternoon tea -- scones and of course, clotted cream and jam.

Depending on your taste, do you put cream or jam first? My family has always put cream first. 

The scones had a bit of a caramelized/hardened out shell, while the inside was more soft, not too brittle. The size a bit smaller than usual but my friend claimed they were among the best she had. 

  Finally, the sandwiches and desserts.

The savory portion was light and delicate. I really enjoyed the cucumber wrapped one. The sandwich, I remember, was very well seasoned; for such a bite-sized snack it was packed full of flavour. 

My friend loved the macaron; similar to that of a strawberry candy.

My favourite was most likely the chocolate dessert on top. The rich dark chocolate flavour we all need to bend a broken heart! Haha. 

This was a great change from my usual expectations. The environment was pretty relaxed. We were never rushed or given a bill prior to finishing our order which really made us sit back and continue drinking our tea and chatting all afternoon. 

Will revisit!

Location: The Langham Hotel, Hong Kong

Not going to lie to you, it was quite the mission to find this place XD 

After having this bookmarked on my google map for what seemed like a century, I finally had some while visiting Hong Kong to go somewhere a little different.

From the bus stop, to a concrete wall covered in posters, up concrete stairs in an apartment building (it seemed?) surrounded with “don’t pee here” signs, I finally came across this door. 

You have to ring the bell for the owner (?) to let you in. 

It was just like a scene from an Austin Powers movie or something. The door opens. The music burst out from the cracks of the door opening and a whole new world awaits. 

I felt like I was just invited and let into a kiki or a gay slumber party --- it was incredible. Although months later, I still remember the guy who opened the door had his hair bleached and tied back. Wearing little pink shorts he showed me to a little chair and a bench where I wondered how the hell I stumbled in to this alternate universe. 

^ The wall was covered in portraits painted by one of the owners (I’m assuming) which you could get your own done. I remember it was quite expensive but honestly so unique. If you didn’t want your own, you could pick up a postcard-sized print for HK$10 (a little over a dollar US) so I opted for that. It sits on my coffee table now and I always get questions about it. 

The “apartment” was a hippy paradise. Plants filled every corner of the room. Guitars along the wall and wooden furniture made up the only solid things you could sit on lol. The light fixtures were a mix of iridescent plastic and something coughed up from a movie in the 50′s. 

The menu was literally a board with hand-drawn (and watercoloured I believe) pictures of things they had available. I tried the turmeric milk tea cause if it isn’t alcoholic and I’m in HK the only thing I want going down my throat is milk tea. I also tried out the butterfly pea line cheese cake cause what the hell is that right?

Overall the food was fine. Flavours weren’t really that crazy but lets be real, the location was the real ride. I’d honestly still revisit. I also had a lovely chat with the owner and really enjoyed his selection of music.

Okay I admit I’m kind of in love with the owner goodbye XD

On the last weekend on the festival, myself and two coworkers hopped on travels and headed down to the south eastern town of Taitung.

First off, Taitung is FAR lol. Living in western Taiwan, we are blessed by the high speed rail system that shoots us down the coast in about two hours, north to south. On a regular train, from my area to Taipei is about 50 minutes. On high speed rail its less than 15. WHAT. Yes. I know.

Anyway, there is no high speed rail on Taiwan’s eastern coast and to be honest it would probably be quite the challenge and EXPENSIVE to build. The west coast is mainly flat until you hit the mountain range but the east coast pretty much is the mountain range lol. It’s also full of more aboriginals, nature and gorgeous seaside views !! Mountains and the sea all on one area ??!!?! YAAAAS.

The hot air balloon festival is VERY dependent on the weather. The few previous days were all cancelled and when we arrived (at 530am mind you =.=) it was raining a bit and many people left. Luckily, it cleared up for a good hour of hot air balloon fun. 

PS IT WAS GORGEOUS I JUST DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY.

Eastern as well as Southern Taiwan grows a lot of the food for the rest of the island so its not surprising that the food tasted so fresh. There were also some veggie choices that aren’t so common in the north. 

The alcohol is just as good in the north in case you’re wondering :P 

If you do your research, you can find some preeeeeeetty interesting restaurants to stumble into for a photo op :P

Just around from the hot air balloon festival, there is a look out where you can see the plains before the mountains start. Absolutely stunning. 

Later that day, we went to a restaurant on the shore. It was honestly such a great location because they had seafood, sangria, a pool and the ocean all on the same lot! You could really just spend the whole day here just for the cost of one meal and enjoy all the area has to offer.

   Although I only spent a really short time, it gave me a lot of inspiration and motivation to take more opportunities to visit towns and places like this that aren’t really in the tourist book. I felt so at peace not rushing like in the city but, having so much fun enjoying the water ... and panicking I was going to get a sunburn (WHICH I AVOIDED THANK GOD).

Alright, I apologize for the dramatic title but its true! 

I’ve barely posted for awhile and every time I do post, it’s usually about travel. 

No, my work doesn’t really involve traveling but, I’ve realized that’s one way that I feel less alone and can be happy with myself. Let me explain ...

Next month, I will be celebrating my four year anniversary ---- in Taiwan.

I’ve probably mentioned it before but, when I first planned on coming here, I had this whole idea in my head.

I was going to work hard to be fluent in Chinese, fall in love and surround myself with lovely friends.

Needless to say, this didn’t all entirely happen.

When it didn’t, I started to feel disappointed in myself. Doubt myself, doubt my appearance, personality, intellect and even judgement. 

When you get to that point, you lose a lot of self worth and start to no question every decision.

I was at that point last year.

At the bottom, the top seems too far away and you get reckless with what no one can see. I’m invincible because no one cares about how I feel deep down and therefore why should I?

Around this time I got a bit of a wake up call that at the beginning made everything a little bit worse. 

I cried a lot.

I drank a lot.

I felt lonely a lot.

Then, one day, I snapped out of it.

Actually, it didn’t happen so suddenly. I found ways and things that made me happy. I stopped caring about dating, meeting strangers and if or if I didn’t have the time or money to study Chinese at this exact moment in time and I started doing what I wanted to do. 

I started wearing makeup (well, just when I feel creative and want to) and cared for my skin more.

I still drink, but in a more responsible way and make sure to re-hydrate myself after I do. I also try not to drink too much when I’m alone and upset. 

I started dyeing and changing the style of my hair --- rather, I stopped being scared to because I always worried about comments and scrutiny. 

I started planning out my time-off more carefully. I don’t really ask others to book time off with me because let’s face it, everyone has a life and its pretty rare someone is going to be able to get the exact time off as you and want to go to the same place as you do. I’m SO lucky to be able to take short trips frequently. I’m SO lucky to have friends in many places in this world and I’m SO grateful they welcome me and encourage me to explore.

Then, one day, I didn’t feel so alone.

People admired my new appearance, my passion for going to different places and more people felt open to introducing themselves to me and complimenting me. 

Of course, it’s not like this everyday. 

We ALL have days where we feel useless and like no one ever is going to fall for us. 

And no, this little article isn’t called “I love myself again” because I don’t think I’m fully there --- but the process has been and noticing results i a great feeling.

Boys can wear makeup too

I guess for many people, Japan is a pretty adventurous getaway. It’s one east asian country that many people know about being pretty different from Western civilization and hell, it’s on the other side of the world so why wouldn’t it be. 

To be honest with you guys, I think it’s important to think about each culture and what people go through.

Yes, Japan is gorgeous and weird. 

Yes, they are polite and the streets are clean.

But are the Japanese happy --- I think that’s difficult to tell. (As with anyone living in any country! But it’s a fantastic place to visit!) 

Aside from this gloomy opening, I went to Kansaaaaaiiii! :D lol

The love of my life who is Taiwanese moved to Japan last year and my broke my heart. Although he is finally moving back to Taiwan soon, I was able to go up to Japan while we was still living there.

I had the same satisfaction as a parent who watches their children grow up.

Not only was I overwhelmed to see him, listening to his experiences made me so proud.

As someone who hasn’t lived outside of Taiwan, or travelled outside of Asia before, he was starting to see the big picture of why it is difficult to be a foreigner. I think this made us even closer because now he can see what it’s like for me living in Taiwan.

My friend was living in Kyoto at the time which I’ve visited before. The last time I visited, I got to see more of the traditional side. More of Gion, the temples, etc. This time, I explored more of the modern, artisty side that my friend knew well. I felt like I went to a totally different city. 

This time in Osaka, I got to visit Osaka Castle, too! :D 

Something else I’ve always wanted to do was wear a kimono. It wasn’t a super fancy one or anything, but I felt beautiful and had such a lovely time walking around in it.

Honestly, I expected people to look at me or say something. I mean, in Taiwan people stare at me daily for just being me and when I wore the traditional clothes in Korea I got many looks and comments (mostly positive though). I was so shocked that everyone was so polite and minded their own business. I took the bus multiple times and went to a couple coffee shops in the kimono and there was no comment at all.  There are also many tourists wearing it (mostly Asian) as well as a few locals. My favourite was spotting some elderly women going out together dressed in kimonos. GOD ID LOVE TO HAVE TEA WITH MY SQUAD IN KIMONOS. 

If this post sounded negative, I apologize. I totally love Japan. However, after this now being my third time I’ve been to Japan (and to multiple places in Japan too) I think I have a more interesting view point of it. The first time I went there, I was so shocked. It was like everything I ever dreamed. But now living in Taiwan for nearly four years, it’s not all that new to me. A lot of the products we have in Taiwan and the food, too. Of course, Japan is still very different from Taiwan. Especially when it comes to curtesy. My point here was just to bring up --- When is curtest too much? When does it start to seem fake? Would you rather someone just fake their mood and be polite when actually they are really bummed out? 

On the bright side, my kimono experience was incredible. I had such amazing feedback from friends (including some who are Japanese) and I was shocked that the public wasn’t intrigued that a white guy was wearing it.  Honestly, I’d love to go back and wear one everyday. They are quite warm in the winter!

Popped over to Kyoto and got up to some mischief. 

HELLLOOOOOOO!

If you’re a follower who has forgotten who I am because I tend to post almost regularly for a month or whatever and then not at all --- Hi, I’m Mat. My bad. 

If you’re wondering why I’m STILL uploading Europe stuff ... that would be because I suck at getting organized and, writing this means my trip is over and I’m NOT ACCEPTING IT WELL.

Anyway, back to Amsterdam. 

Dunno if you’re a fan of flowers.

I don’t know how old you are, where you are from, if you identify as a male, female or think thats overrated and we should just be whoever the hell we want to be ---- flowers are gorgeous. 

When I was a teen, I remember thinking “What’s the point? They’re just going to die and you’ll have to throw them away anyway” WRONG. If we think about everything in life that way then there really isn’t any point to doing much. 

Experiences will end.

Things will be thrown out and new things will take it’s place.

You’ll meet your soulmates boyfriend.

It’s really all going to end --- but, we enjoy it anyway because sometimes those things that are limited or have an expiration date are beautiful and should be appreciated. 

Tulips are pretty. 

The rumors are trumers, assholes. Stroopwafels are everything. 

(Excuse my dry AF hand, Europe was dry and my poor, weak body is used to the hot and humid weather of Taiwan now --- she has a hard time). 

Didn’t hear much about them until I was on my way to Amsterdam (again, a city I barely knew a thing about because surprises are fun, right?) and someone told me to buy one. Bought a little mini pack in the supermarket and BOOM! My black and broken heart was mended back together with its warm, sweet and chewy self. Shall return for you, my dear.

There are a lot of bikes in Amsterdam and I find bike lanes scary. 

I already get paranoid making sure I’m walking on the right side of a sidewalk and not being a total dick to everyone around me. On top of that, I don’t want to get ran over by cars --- and now I have to worry about getting hit by some idiot on a bike? .... fine. 

It rained a bit while I was in the Netherlands. Guess it does that a lot. 

Honestly, I enjoyed the atmosphere. Chilly, but so different. 

I find Dutch the weirdest language. My friend language is English, my dad’s family speaks French and although I was never bothered to learn it, I’m Canadian so it’s familiar.  And I speak Chinese so ---- WHY DOES DUTCH SOUND THE WAY IT DOES? 

Long story short, I did the research and I understand why now. I just thought it was so strange sometimes cause with the sounds mimicking English at times, I felt like I was supposed to get what was going on --- but didn’t.

Side Note: Dutch people are pretty. I was at a tram stop one night and some English lad asked me what “vertraagd” meant and I lied out my ass and said “oh yeah it means delayed, and the time next to it is when it’s expected”. After googling I realized I was actually right ---- but wait. DO I LOOK DUTCH? Such an unexpected compliment XD

Anyway, unless I find some random photo I want to post, this is finally the last of my trip in Europe.

I find it really difficult to sum up. I didn’t plan on taking this trip primarily alone but, the solitude was surprisingly inspirational. I was able to manage and still enjoy my time. I ate out, drank, laughed and awed. I met some incredible people, just by chance, and they will always have a place in my heart. 

When I was a kid, my dad would be away a lot for work.

Being in the navy on the east coast of Canada, he was often all over the eastern seaboard, bringing me back soda from the US we couldn’t get back home. 

When I mentioned I was going to Antwerp he was pretty excited. He told me it was this gorgeous city that had quite the charm. 

Antwerp is quite famous for their jewelry and used to be a quite the famous city-state for trading. 

Honestly I knew shit all before going and to be honest, I think its sometimes better to step off into a city without knowing much. Get your own opinion.  

Just off to the left here, I was staying in a nice, renovated Airbnb. 

Cut out of frame, there is a street to the left as well that trams run off of. It was sooooooooooo freaking strange to look out my window in the apartment I was staying in and literally see right inside of a tram and hear the bell of it as it went around the corner. 

Why are the Europeans so obsessed with trams? XD

HUGE Christmas trees everywhereeeeee! :D

Although Antwerp was just a short stop on my way from Brussels to Amsterdam, (a lovely way to break up your trip btw) it really kept something special in my mind. 

It might have been because I was there just on a regular winter day, but it came off as such a nice functioning city. The buildings were beautiful but not too tall to take away from the sky. It was pretty quiet, a lot of trams and old stone streets... that fairytale European city. 

In the morning before I went to the train station, I googled “best breakfast in Antwerp” and this ‘Cafématic’ popped up.

Its simplistic and modern beautiful was so refreshing! Even the menu was gorgeous! (Albeit the Dutch was scary! haha)

吃我下麵  chī wǒ xià miàn: Eat my (boiled) noodles

hmmmm, sounds a whole lot like:

A spontaneous choice to head up to Ghent.  

Those who know Europe have probably heard of Ghent before --- I’m ashamed I’m not one of them.

I don’t really remember how I heard of it but I believe a friend of mine was talking about how it would make a good day trip from Brussels ... or maybe I was just jealous of someones instagram. 

Nevertheless, I went up to Ghent for a day!! 

This fairytale town was such a break from the regular European track.

Although there were still a number of tourists (it’s not a big place) there was plenty of quiet space  and spots to admire. 

I’ll never look at bakeries and supermarkets the same way again --- only Europe can do it right :P

Ya go to Belgium for the fries, but I honestly had a love affair with the croquettes ... MAAAAAN.

Going down different roads and looking at whats close by on Google Map. Came across some of the most interesting places. 

--- Read the following in a really snobby, British accent: 

About a month ago, I was sitting in a Starbucks flipping through Taiwanese ELLE when i came across this restaurant in their “new, stylish restaurants” section.  When I looked it up, the gold and black interior intrigued me and I decided I wanted to try and get a reservation for afternoon tea.

The interior design and menu kicked off a very good vibe --- although I was a bit mad cause the reservation seemed ‘difficult’ to get where clearly it WASN’T BUSY. But ... nevertheless I tried it lol. 

We opted for the Tea Set for 2. A coffee for her and cappuccino for me. 

The cappuccino was good; the espresso flavour seemed like good quality. 

Onto the afternoon tea set. As a quick overview, there was no double-tier platting which was upsetting just because I love that kind of tea set-up. When I saw “quiche” I was expecting a full slice but instead we only had that little circle thing. It wasn’t that great.

The cookies and little pastries on the other side were nice and dense. 

The “Grilled Cheese’ was the surprise for me -- not necessarily in a good way. 

As any westerner would say, its a snack for when you don’t have any money and just want something quick to eat. Of course this is Asia, cheese is expensive and you CAN find the right bread. However, the bread was just a normal sweet white bread. The cheese quality was great, the melted cheese inside was definitely from a real cheese wheel and there were a couple of flavours mixed in. But, does this really fit in with an elegant looking afternoon tea place ??? 

One dessert we chose was a Mont Blanc. 

I honestly cannot remember the last time I have had one, and therefore my comment MAY not be that great to go off of XD Maybe they are all like this ... although I highly doubt it. 

Presentation was cute, but both of us were not a fan of the icing that made up a majority of it. The flavour was off and it was just too much in comparison to the little amount of actual cake underneath. (It also gave me play-doe hair vibes XD So after that I was kind of off of it XD). I will say the cake underneath WAS good though. Just not enough of it. 

The BEST part was honestly the coffee and the Mille Feuille which you can see in the picture of the entire afternoon tea set with my friend on the other side. The flavour and flaky-ness of it was PERFECT. That was definitely the best choice. 

(Another single Valentine’s is coming up and sometimes I just think about if I close my eyes someone will just come up and kiss me lol -- send help)

Overall, I’d say it was’t the best place for afternoon tea. I would recommend the place I went for my birthday --- Smith and Hsu --- way more. But the interior was beautiful :) 

Cafe: Stagiaire 實習生 

Location:  敦化南路一段236巷16號, 大安區台北市

                 16 Dunhua South Road, Section One, Alley 236, Da’an District, Taipei

Continuing on my small European journey, the next stop: Bruxelles :) 

A bit difficult for me to admit but --- I barely knew a thing about Belgium. 

Sure, I heard things from people; I knew about Belgian chocolate, waffles, fries, but I didn’t have much of an impression.

In the end, Belgium surprised me the most. 

What a beautiful country! 

In a way, it also reminded me of Canada. You might be wondering “How in the hell.. Canada is huge, freezing, and on the other side of the ocean” and in wondering that you’re totally right. However looking at the history, I think in some ways it is similar. We were parts of different countries, we have mixed cultures and people, etc. 

I also found it so strange that while mostly everyone could speak English, French and Dutch/Flemish were mostly seen. Dutch is Germanic and therefore sounds more like English and has a lot of similarities, but as a Canadian, French is more familiar to me. 

Would it be Belgium without dark beer and friends ??

I was so fortunate to meet a couple of new people while staying in Belgium :)

The annual Christmas market just opened too! I’ve always heard of European Christmas markets and they are EVERYTHING. Most stalls selling mulled wine and other homemade-style dishes, light shows, little carny rides, beautiful French people selling delicious cheese ... I could go on forever. 

When you live in Asia, you really start to appreciate a beautiful sky. It’s only one in awhile I actually see that dark blue colour the sky makes in Canada. 

While in Brussels I went on a chocolate tour held by a local. 

If you’re planning on traveling there I TOTALLY recommend it: https://abnb.me/tLzO1BtUAT?s=51

Although I feel like I knew more than the average person when it comes to one of my favourite things on this planet, I learned so much from her and its also a very useful lesson if you’re considering buying Belgian chocolate and not completely sure what brands are known for what.

On the tour you get an overwhelming amount of samples from each store which, you can build a consensus on what you like and what you can afford to buy for souvenirs. 

I am a HUGE truffles fan so I naturally fell in love with the store Mary. On the tour, you can learn a long history about the founder, the store and even down to the design on the boxes. 

--  Get the champagne truffles, you’ll never have another regret in your life --

If you don’t want to spend a lot of money and need a lot of chocolate to take back from Europe, you can’t go wrong with a hand-full of Milka :) 

Europe around Christmas time is really something else.

This city, and the whole country honestly, totally caught me off-guard. I hope I get an opportunity to visit again :)

--Side Note,