To Taiwan

Have you ever been to Taiwan? It's one of the most scenic places in the world. Their delicacies are sumptuous and exquisite, the culture is dynamic and diverse, and the people never stay in one spot. Most of the time I had to adapt to my own mother tongue and people who know me know my Chinese teachers almost belched blood at my ineptitude. Not that I'm complaining though, the girls were fine! The trip was rather recent, just last year.



Food is truly one of the hallmarks of Taiwan. The authenticity of their culinary flavours whips up an unprejudiced appetite. Below are some of the pictures I had scrambled to take of the smorgasbord of Taiwanese food before I finally succumbed to my taste buds' gastronomic desires.

Taiwanese hot dog

Virtually a trademark of the country. If you have tasted it, you'd know what I mean when I say its sweetness and 'roastiness', coalesced with the juicy yet surprisingly springy texture plummets it to an international ranking of hot dogs.

A hot pot of stewed vegetables and meat!

I honestly am still unsure what I put in my mouth that day. Yeah, sure, hot pots and stews are actually exotic cauldrons that probably have frog legs and newts in them, for all I know. I am still pretty sure one of the vegetables in there emitted a strong... ammonia... aroma. My relatives were observing a watchful distance after I'd bought that regretful dish. At least, the fish cutlet you see there was every bit as palatable as it looked. So were the other vegetables that thankfully tasted divine.

Can't forget the dumplings

Dumplings, or as the Chinese call it - wanton - is often the cornerstone of Chinese cuisines. Its wrapping is typically egg and flour with water; its fillings are indefinitely pork, onions, garlic, and the likes of those. Taiwan dumplings boast a taste that is distinctively bolder and heavier than Singapore's, so much so that, like the durian, consumers not accustomed to the taste might be repulsed by it. Then again, those who love it welcome the lingering residue on their tongues and in their nostrils.

On the whole, Taiwan is really an oriental beauty in herself. Be they high-scale, fashion-centric metropolises or the radiating luminescence of the rustic, quaint countryside, Taiwan has no lack of wardrobe functions. Touring the nation's outskirts and rural habitats, my relatives and I trekked on mountains and dirt trails, scouted the river valleys from overhanging cliffs and relived glorious heritage sites.

By evening, the night markets opened their doors to everyone and there was a contemporary Taiwanese essence that just beckons. The lines of shop houses, food stands and fun fairs hugged the crowded one-way streets; single food courts were segmented into even smaller coffee shops with their custom table sets and extravagant menus. There was a certain entrepreneurial tinge to it. Sorry, but I was too distracted to take pictures! Ain't got time for that, lol! By the way, did I mention the girls are fine? More toward my idea of Taiwan's night life, clubs are hot in town and there is a 'fun' central in Taiwan, as is Clarke Quay in Singapore. Unfortunately, that's a story too little too lewd for my focus in this one.