Monday, 20th August 2012 Our final day in Taipei before flying back home the day after. We were blessed with clear skies as we made our way to Banqiao City, a couple of Metro stops west of Taipei Station. Our destination in the morning was the Observatory at the top of New Taipei City Hall. We were greeted by a team of friendly volunteers who directed us to the correct lifts (19 & 20) for the Observatory at the 32nd Level. It took a while for our lift to climb up to the top as it was making a couple of stops along the way. Admission was completely free (unlike her Taipei 101 cousin) and I'm thankful that the crowds were really thin on a Monday morning. Apparently, few visitors seemed to have known the existence ... read more

Saturday, 18th August 2012 This was not a typical Saturday as we headed out of Taipei for our journey to the city of Hsinchu, about 90km southwest from where we were staying. Travelling by the TRA Chu Kang Express took a good 2 hours as the train was making frequent stops along the way. Still, it was a comfortable experience as the train meandered through the Taiwanese countryside, dotted with farms and greenery. 12.49pm. The iconic Hsinchu Train Station greeted us as soon as our train arrived. Built in 1893, two years before Japanese colonisation of Taiwan, the art-deco structure was every photographers' dreams. With about another hour to go before our connecting train to Zhuzhong (Liujia Line) and Neiwan (Neiwan Line), we headed to the Sogo Departmental Store to grab a quick lunch from Yamazaki ... read more

Thursday, 16th August 2012 Yes, I'm back in Taiwan after a hiatus of 1 year from my last visit. Having collected my ROC immigration stamp from the Taiwanese Customs for my 5th time in the last 7 years, we were happy to base ourselves in Taipei while doing a couple of day tripping excursions. url=http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/ShowUserReviews-g293913-d1950018-r137985271-CityInn_Hotel_Taipei_Station_Branch_III-Taipei.htmlCityInn Hotel Taipei Station Branch III was our choice of accomodation in the city given its easy commute from the Taipei Main Station. Barely a year old, the facilities were brand new. We were well taken care of by a team of committed staffs who were always happy to serve. Six days on, we were certainly impressed by their level of professionalism towards all their guests. Without a doubt, I would stay here again if I'm back in Taipei in... read more

Whenever and wherever I travel, I always made it a point to help myself with those Inflight Magazines hidden beneath the seat pocket in front of me. Not only do they made a good read during those boring moments in the sky, they also provided avenues for me to draw inspirations for my future trips. Since most of my regional travels revolved around budget carriers, my collections were mainly taken from Jetstar and Tiger Airways. There were a few rare collections from Vietnam Airlines, Thai Airways and Malaysia Airlines which I flew with them on several occasions in the past. Air Asia had since discouraged fellow passengers from taking their 360 Inflight Magazines away from the plane. Part of my collection also stemmed from friends who knew that I had developed the habit of collecting Inflight ... read more

Tanjong Pagar Best-Kept Secrets - Dao Ji Ipoh Hor Fun Wednesday, 30th May 2012 There is this stall in Tanjong Pagar Market that I patronised quite frequently over the past few weeks ever since my office shifted to this area. The stall was manned by an elderly grandma who was probably in her 80s together with her middle-aged daughter. On the stall menu, there were only 2 items on offer – Ipoh Hor Fun or Macaroni. For $2.50 ($2.70 for take-away), my choice of Hor Fun came with a generous serving of mushrooms and fresh greens, 2 prawn dumplings and some chicken slices. What made my Hor Fun so special was their homemade gravy. If you noticed closed enough, you would probably realised that their gravy was heated up slowly over a charcoal stove. Yes, charcoal ... read more