22 December 2006: Bound for Taoyuan

I will be staying at Albert's place in Taoyuan for the night. Thanks to him for the kind offer!

21 December 2006: Random Thoughts

All men are born lazy. They will always strive to make their lives easier. By churning out inventions and high-tech gadgets from time to time, they have succeeded in achieving this goal. The human society has progressed by leaps and bounds in the past two centuries, and much of this can be attributed to increasing indolence experienced by men in general. New philosophies had translated into new attitudes and mentalities, and human beings now believe in themselves, in that they can decide their own destinies. In conclusion, laziness ironically triggers intelligence and propels the society technologically, and all men share a knack for defying the odds in order to lead more comfortable lives.

20 December 2006: Curse of the Golden Flower

Joshua and I went to catch Curse of the Golden Flower（黄金甲） at a nearby theatre. We guessed it was filmed on an extremely high budget, and many scenes were truly spectacular, even by Hollywood standards. Joshua did not really understand the film, and he blamed it on his own weak proficiency of Mandarin. I reassured him that this was not so, because the mediocre plot was difficult to comprehend anyway. I would rate the film 3 stars on a scale of 5.

19 December 2006: Bitan and Bing's Farewell Gathering

Marvin, Shingo, Yasushi and I had visited Bitan（碧潭） in the afternoon. We rode on self-peddling boats and it had been exhausting. Bitan was rather beautiful, with its bridges, hills and lakes.


Later in the evening, I went for Bing's farewell gathering organized by our forever-friendly Taiwanese friends. We had enjoyed a KTV session together followed by shisha puffs at a nearby pub. To conclude the gathering, we went for dim sum at a 24-hr Hongkong-style restaurant in the vicinity. I reached my dormitory at 5 am, and was truly dead beat after such an eventful day.

Bing had spoken to me much in the evening and I was glad that he was so honest with me about himself (on a lighter note, we had always bickered on whether American English is better in an abstract sense than British English). Lazy me had failed to wake up on time to see him off this very morning, but he was really sweet to have left a postcard (with the Singapore flag on it; he had bought it at the UNHQ in New York) by my door, bidding us to keep in touch and stay reminiscent of the fond memories that we had together in the past few weeks. Bon Voyage to Bing here, and I truly hope to see him in either Singapore or Thailand in the near future (or if I make a transit in California next year).

18 December 2006: Teahouse

Marvin and I had visited a teahouse in a lazy afternoon last week. Here are the pictures:

17 December 2006: Yilan (Day 2)

After waking up to a heartening breakfast whipped up by the minsu family(by the way, the whole minsu was built by the family themselves! Very "DIY" indeed!), we cycled to the Luodong Scenic Park and then took a boat ride in the lake. We ate ice-cream in peanut rolls, and Bing declared that it was one of the best street bites of Taiwan. We had prepared ourselves a steamboat lunch, using ingredients bought from town the night before. We chatted till late afternoon, and boarded a train bound for a place famous for baths and seafood. We had enjoyed both the revitalizing soaks and dinner spread, and arrived in Taipei in the wee hours of the morning.

This is Albert's picture of the trip (he loves it):

Both Bing and I love the way our Taiwanese friends had planned this trip! We had a working itinerary, but refused to adhere strictly to it. We had missed trekking on scenic paths and sights of waterfalls, but I love the own-time-own-target sequence of events. We proceeded to the next part of the trip only when we were tired of what we had been doing, and everything was conducted at an extremely leisurely pace. No mad rush to visit every single scenic place had occurred. That's what Bing and I had always referred to as a true tourist experience, and we were truly happy indeed, deriving ultimate satisfaction from the trip. Many thanks to Peggy（佩颍） especially, who had planned the great bulk of the trip. She had been a dedicated planner, attending to meticulous details of the trip (In fact, prior to our trip, she actually went on a recce tour in Yilan to make sure that we would really enjoy ourselves there!). Thanks too to all our Taiwanese friends who had traveled to Yilan with us, and we had truly enjoyed their company there!

16 December 2006: Yilan (Day 1)

Our Taiwanese friends brought Bing and I to the wonderful place of Yilan（宜兰）. Bing and I were lucky to have arrived at the railway station on time, because I had woken up really late in the morning (it took me only half an hour to teleport myself from my bed to the train seat). We traveled on train to Luodong（罗东）, where our minsu（民宿) is. The family management had been amicable, and they drove us around Yilan. The places that we had visited include the National Center for Traditional Arts(国立传统艺术中心）and the Luodong Scenic Park（罗东运动公园）. We ate traditional snacks and played childhood games, and had seen mandarin ducks and migratory birds. There had been a constant drizzle though, and the winter breeze proved a bit much for my tropical skin to bear. Nonetheless, the afternoon had been enjoyable, and both Bing and I are very thankful to our Taiwanese friends for bringing us around amid their busy schedules (some are still having their mid-terms this week).


We went to the Luodong Night Market（罗东夜市） in the evening, and had mutton noodles for dinner. Later at night, we played with crackers and fireworks! I had never played them before in Singapore, so it was a novelty for me to try them out. Sparks of light brightened our dark neighbourhood, and we had created some noise pollution by our mini-explosions. Very fun!

15 December 2006: Steamboat Dinner

I had just gone for dinner with three Taiwanese friends. They brought me to a steamboat restaurant near Zhongxiao Dunhua, and on our way there I saw some pubs that Markus frequents. We went for ice-cream desserts after the filling meal, and it was a pity that I had forgotten to bring my camera with me in this trip of the gourmets.

I need to turn in early tonight. A long day awaits tomorrow.

14 December 2006: Thanks and take care!

I had just received a Christmas card from Joseph, who will be heading for Japan from Canada on New Year's Eve. Most of my SEP friends including him will be going back to Singapore in early January for the new semester, and poor me will still be stranded here for another few weeks. Anyway, thanks for the well wishes! To Yuting and other SEP-bound friends (like dear old Raymond), please take care and see you when you are back in the second half of next year! We shall have loads to catch up on, after not seeing you guys for almost a year by then!

13 December 2006: Taroko Gorge

Joshua, Shingo and I had visited the Taroko Gorge（太鲁阁）! I hereby declare that it has to be one of the most beautiful places in Taiwan! What else can I say?


We took an early train ride from Taipei to Hualien(花莲）, and then hopped onto a minibus that brought us to the Taroko Gorge. The Gorge was gorgeous! Meandering tunnels, winding streams, and steep rock formations filled the picturesque landscape. The unique geography of deep, geological ravines constituted to breathtaking sights that had repeatedly released wows off our mouths. The perfect scenery had captivated and impressed me indeed, and I felt a true sense of awe and tranquality overwhelming me then. If you were to ask me, I would rate Taroko all the cosmos that can possibly be found in the universe.

12 December 2006: Paper Abstract

After much confusion and deliberation, I have decided to present a paper at the impending HPAIR conference next year. What this means is, 1) I may have less time for other matters 2) I may complicate matters now because I had opted out of paper presentation when prompted by the organizers previously. So meddling! I hope that everything will turn out fine eventually.

11 December 2006: My last mid-term test

My NUS friends had all finished their final exams, and must be enjoying life now somewhere on this planet. Wretched me had just completed my last mid-term test on Chinese History and the final exams will be held in January. My laid-back mentality now: take it when the time comes. I'm starting to get used to the administration and system here, and I hope that this SEP experience will place me in better stead academically when I go back to Singapore.

10 December 2006: My Hong Kong friends

Debby had just sent me an email of regards, and I miss all my Hong Kong friends very much! One of them is Paul, who seldom chats with me on MSN. One of our conversations goes:

YK: hey i'm coming over to hong kong
Paul: dun worry. we are all preparing
YK: prepare for what
Paul: preparing to leave hong kong when u come
YK: ......

Anyway, I hope to see them soon! If I'm not mistaken, Shan is now in Hong Kong on vacation. Hope she likes it as much as I do!

9 December 2006: Shilin District

The NTUMUN delegates who had represented Russia at the recent conference invited both Bing and I to an outing with them in the Shilin District. We experienced superb Taiwanese hospitality (thanks!!), and they had played excellent host by introducing the best of their District. By the way, they are students of the Soochow University（东吴大学）, and the old residence of late historian Qian Mu（钱穆）is located just next to their campus.

Our first stop was the National Palace Museum, and the place had been flooded by Japanese and Korean tourists. Anyway, this visit shall serve as good revision for my impending History test on coming Monday.

Next we proceeded to The Lin Yutang House（林语堂故居）, and our admission fees were waivered because the "Russians" have a friend who is working there as a guide. Dr. Lin had been an accomplished linguist and writer in both the Chinese and English media. The House is designed in Mediterranean style, and lavishly furnished with shades of blue and white. The guide's narration of Mr. Lin's life was more interesting though, because Mr. Lin apparently had been a charismatic and humorous man of character. He staunchly believes that a life of relaxation and tranquility breeds inspiration and innovation, and had smoked his pipe relentlessly throughout his life of 82 years. Among many qualities, he is exceptionally clever, confident and creative. For instance, Mr. Lin had combined the surnames of him（林） and his wife（廖）to form a unique symbol of the Lin family:

Mr. Lin's artist of a friend had drawn him a horse using traditional Chinese paintbrush techniques. Having full faith in himself, and lacking any form of formal art training, Mr. Lin painted a horse to rival his friend. Mr. Lin's painted horse looks disproportionately fat, because he had always thought that being fat is a virtue in itself.

We watched the sunset on the balcony, sipping our tea in a cosy setting. Bing had remarked that The Lin Yutang House is the best place that he had ever been to in Taiwan, and hearing this from an American Thai-Chinese makes a difference to me indeed.

Last but not least, we went to the Shilin Night Market, gorging ourselves with local delights and playing at a games arcade; Peggy (who had started her day with a marathon followed by a trip to Jioufen) and Sunnie had joined us later in the evening. Claire had lost her phone in Shilin, and we sincerely hope that she can find it soon. Thanks, delegates of Russia, for all the coordination and planning! You all had truly made my day!

8 December 2006: Entertainment and Politics

December is an eventful month in Taiwan. Both award ceremonies and legislative elections contribute to a very happening and vibrant Taiwan.

7 December 2006: Jacky Wu again

Joshua (an ABC staying in our dorm) had just sent me this farnie picture. We can see how popular Jacky Wu is by the way some of our gals had reacted when they saw him.

I just had a hearty chat with some Taiwanese friends over supper, and am glad to have known them before heading back for Singapore next month. I hope that we will stay in touch for as long as circumstances allow us to.

6 December 2006: Gathering with Qifang!

I met up with Qifang（琦芳）in the evening, fulfilling a pledge that we had made in an Impromptu Speech Contest held in Taipei many months ago. We talked for hours at a nearby restaurant; Marvin tagged along and we had enjoyed one another's company. Qifang is a NTU student, but we had never met in campus prior to this. We discussed many issues at the dinner table, including the very sensitive ones best kept away from the public ear. In the end, Qifang suggested that we should have one big outing with other Taiwanese contestants too, and I hope that it will materialize in due course.


Marvin was rather surprised that I had won (Runner-up) in a Speech Contest before, and I decided to inflate my ego by publishing these photos. The second one looks funny because Chairman-Mayor Ma was asking me a question and I thought too hard in answering him.

5 December 2006: Taipei Zoo

Marvin, Shingo, Yasushi and I had made an impromptu decision to visit the Taipei Zoo in the afternoon. Markus has always been recommending the Zoo to me as a great tourist attraction. There was a light drizzle, but we still proceeded with this plan and had enjoyed ourselves. We are four adult men in a zoo of approximately 1800 visitors, most of whom were school children on their regular excursions. However, it was a great pleasure reliving some of our childhood moments, and age should never have created a barrier in our psyche in the first place.

We had paid an admission fee of NTD 30 each into the Zoo, and I had to admit that for this price the Zoo has been very well-maintained and fun! Except for perhaps pandas and tigers, we had managed to find most animals iconic of a normal zoo. Many of the animals are very cute:


This is a white rhino:

Zebras now bear symbolic meaning to me, because Jacky Wu had worn black and white stripes when I met him last month:

Marvin had never been to the Shilin Night Market before, and this was much to our disbelief initially. Thus we went to Shilin in the evening, and our fun had continued through the night. Anyway, I'm really dead beat now to continue typing here, so good night!

4 December 2006: Good News!

Finally, a piece of good news for me! I had just been accepted into the Harvard College China-India Development and Relations Symposium, held from March 29 to April 3 2007 in New York City. This will be a break for me in a sense, because almost all my previous exchange or summer programmes had been held in the Greater China region. Also, it will be my first time stepping onto American soil, and I truly wish for a self-enriching experience there and then!

3 December 2006: Sun Moon Lake

We saw no aborigines on Alishan, so we traveled to Nantou's （南投）Sun Moon Lake（日月潭）with the hope of visiting both the famous lake itself and the Aboriginal Village（九族文化村）. The latter is similar to the park that Jingmin, Joseph and I had visited in Yunnan early this year, where small enclaves of native tribes actually reside and thus offer us a glimpse into their respective lifestyles. However, due to miscalculations and time constraints, we had to drop the Village from our itinerary.


Sun Moon Lake is the largest lake in Taiwan, and I had much preferred it to Alishan for its captivating beauty. Well, at least in the winter season. We toured the various scenic spots by boat, which include floating homes, lake islands and temples. There is a pagoda atop a hill, and we were told that it was built by Chiang Kai Shek at the advice of a geomancer to safeguard Taiwan. We covered the circumference of the lake before heading back for the jetty.


Our ride on a tour bus from Nantou back to Taipei had been a long nightmare of 5 hours, fraught with traffic jams and highway drama. For more entertainment, I watched 2 outrageous and stupid films on the bus, and one of them was so gory that it had completely dampened my mood that night. Nonetheless, all prospective visitors to Taiwan should never give Sun Moon Lake a miss!

Happy Birthday, Andrew!

2 December 2006: Alishan

Francoise, Jasmine, Markus and I traveled to the famous Alishan（阿里山）. We grabbed a bus to Chiayi（嘉义）in Friday evening and stayed at a hotel for the night. At daybreak, we took a 3-hr train ride to Alishan and the view along the way was awesome. Clouds and haze had made a fuzzy patch of our view though, and that of nearby Yushan（玉山）was obscure too. We were told later that if we had arrived in March instead, the scenery would have been better.


We left our stuff at the hotel before embarking on a hike up the mountain trail. Trees as old as a thousand years of age could be found, and many temperate plants native to Taiwan were seen. It is now winter, and crispy branches fill the landscape. We heard that in spring, plum flowers flourish in full bloom and lush greenery is everywhere. It's a pity that we had visited Alishan in the wrong season so to speak, but that seriously can't be helped.


There are many ponds on Alishan, and gigantic trees stand as natural vegetation near the ponds. Fanciful names were given to oddly-shaped stumps or trees in the vicinity, and it often took me some imagination to fathom how they actually fit into the descriptions.

There are schools and temples on Alishan, but we could not find aborigines anywhere. We did not see any wild animals too, so it was just trees and more trees. One needs to venture deep into the forests to see tribes and wildlife, and this has been disallowed by the park authorities. Nevertheless, we had enjoyed ourselves. At nightfall, we descended from Alishan via a downhill express.

Happy Birthday, Raymond!!