It is currently 5:3o PM, Taiwanese time.
So where was I? Oh yes, I was just starting to talk about my trip to Taipei 101.
Let me start by introducing you to the wonderful group of people who I shared this experience with.
Top, from left to right: Cato, Allison, Jason, who's that creep!?
Bottom, from left to right: Sophia, Vicki
Cato, Vicki and Allison are from PRIME. Allison is my partner and I live and work with her right now. Sophia and Jason are my coworkers and work under Dr. Sheng-Shan Lu. They are pretty awesome and we've gotten pretty close, going to lunch every day and joking around. Along with Poki (who took this picture), they have taught me most of the Chinese words and phrases I know today. I've taught them some obscure English words and, no kidding, some Spanish words. I've expanded Jason's Spanish vocabulary beyond his initial "Buenos dias, senorita". Jason is pretty funny and smart and pretty good at making puns. Sophia is a sweetheart and is very helpful whenever I need help.
Because she wasn't shown in the previous picture, this is Poki, next to Allison. She is very nice and likes to joke around and tease people. I knew from day one she would give me a hard time. The first time we all went out to get lunch, I zoned out and wandered ahead of the group, going straight when we would've had to turn left. She yelled "Bye bye!" This coming from a then-almost complete stranger. She likes to teach me new Chinese phrases and words. One day she taught me how to say "You are very beautiful" in Chinese, so that I could say that to my girlfriend. Jason joked that she taught me that so I could say that to Poki and boost her self-esteem. Jason is so silly.
So after paying the 500 NT and going up to the 90 ish floor, we were given a headset that allowed us to hear recorded messages containing information about the different stations around the floor. The stations overlooked certain important areas around Taipei.
I noticed all the green and how the trees were in harmony in the city, as they seemed to mingle with the bustling buildings quite comfortably. It doesn't hurt that Taipei is located on a basin and is surrounded by gorgeous green mountains.
One floor contained a slew of gorgeous coral gemstone carvings. The eagle is just one of many amazing carvings I saw. More pictures can be found on my facebook page, as always. Coral gemstone jewelry were also for sale, but they were prices steeply, for reasons that will be clear soon.
Coral gemstones are the hard skeleton of red coral; they are like precious stones. Coral gemstones are found at the bottom of the sea, generally in areas that too deep for regular deep sea divers. This is why they are rare and valuable. The fact that they look dazzling doesn't hurt, either.
We went to the highest point in the tower, where, despite the strong gusts, had an amazing view of the city. It was a photography enthusiast's heaven; you could pretty much see everything. It's hard for me to resist a good sunset photograph. One that's of the sun overlooking a gorgeous city is a big plus.
Well, there you go. That's a Taipei 101 in a nutshell. If you're ever in Taiwan, checking out this place is a must. Afterwards, our group got lost trying to get to a night market, so we decided to eat at a sit-down restaurant, got some delicious shaved ice (my favorite Taiwanese thing ever), and called it a day.
I figured it would be appropriate to end this blog with an obscure, unorganized list.
More Foods I've Eaten:
- Taiwanese sausage (deliciously grilled)
- Watermelon juice
- Wax apple
- Passionfruit flavored popsicles, syrups, etc
- Tomato and beef broth noodle soup (the "noodles" were actually long slices of dough)
Number of Couples I've seen in Taiwan Consisting of a White Guy and an Asian Girl (aka the Yellow Fever count): 11 (and rising!)
Times I've Eaten Way too Much: (lost count!)
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