Jonathan's Trip to East Asia

 

Today I had to wake up early at the manga-kissa and head to Haneda airport.  I wasn't feeling that well; it was hard to swallow and my throat felt really sore!  When I got on the plane, it was very small but very new with full leather seats and felt very luxurious.  And it was only half-full so the seats next to me were empty, and it gave me a place to put my bag so I could stretch my legs a little.  Very cool!

Nao was working today and I was too lazy to look for the hotel so I just lounged around downtown Kokura and checked out the shopping arcades.  I had "omu-tako-raisu" which is like a cross between omelette rice and a mexican taco.  I guess it was interesting but I don't know if I'd be ordering it again ^_^

When I finally met Nao, of course I was very happy to see her.  That night we had cook-it-yourself-right-on-the-table okonomiyaki, which was very delicious although my throat was getting worse so it was even harder to swallow.  Nao was very concerned about my condition but I was convinced that once I had a good sleep, I would be fine.

Well, today we went to McDonald's for lunch and I could try a Taiwanese shrimp rice burger which was delicious, and then on the bus to the airport I got to have an authentic Taiwanese bubble tea.

After saying goodbye to Pi Chen I got on the plane and came back to Japan again.  I didn't get back until late (about 10pm) so I crashed at a manga-kissa in Aoto.

A manga-kissa is 1 part internet access, 1 part comic-book library and 1 part drink cafeteria.  My cubicle had a PC, which which I could access internet or a variety of movies, and it also had a great massage chair.  They had two vending machines with all kinds of hot and cold drinks that I could use for free, and they had walls full of Japanese comics to read.  But I was soo tired that I basically used the massage-chair and then passed out.

On this day I started noticing that my throat was getting sore and it hurt to swallow.  I just tacked it up to too much "go" and not enough "sleep".  If you watch the video of me drinking the Taiwanese bubble tea, you can see me wince every time I swallow.  I promised myself when I get to Kokura (my next destination) I'll try and sleep more.

Today we started with an amazing vegetarian buffet.  I ate so much my stomach hurt *blush* then later we went to the electronics district of Taipei.  I found an enamel-blue DS Lite!  Score!  These can't be bought in North America and they're sold out in Japan, so it's my rare souvenir and conversation piece.

Later we went downtown and checked out the department store and I could see the 101 building from a distance.  And then we went for a Taiwanese foot massage to end the day.

Today Eva drove us to the beautiful town of Yingge, near Taipei, a town famous for its pottery.  They had dozens of stores selling pottery, and they took me up to get a pottery lesson, which was a very interesting experience.  I wasn't very good at it and I needed lots of help *blush*

Later we walked around the town, and I could try a few different food items including Taiwanese sushi, which is very different from Japanese sushi.  Later we went back to our respective homes for some sleep, and then around midnight we went out to Eva's friends' party.  At the party I got to talk to two guys who were friends there, one from California and one from New York.  They came to Taipei as English teachers but now they are studying the university.  They have both been living in Taipei for about 5 years so they could speak some Mandarin.

After the party we went to a nightclub.  Why is it that no matter where I go for a nightclub, they always play the same music?  Is there some kind of international club playlist that goes around?  ^_^

Well, my first full day in Taipei was a full one. At the start we caught up with Eva and also I could meet Pi Chen's other friend Anna. We went out by the Red Castle where they have a great view of the mountains and they have lots of different amusement vendors and places to buy snacks. We went up many flights of stairs to the Red Cafe, and I took some video in there and we had a huge feast of different things including cake, tortillia chips, and I had an iced cafe mocha.

I took some more pics from here due to the great view, and then on the way back to the car I got to try some soft ice cream (I thought it would be like matcha but it tasted different) and I played some shooting carnival game and I won some bubble bath for Pi Chen.

Later we went to the Taipei night market which was absolutely incredible. All the pedestrian-only streets were just jammed with young people, and they were selling everything from CDs to clothes to scooter helmets and everything. They also had an amazing amount of food and I got to try all kind of food that I can't even describe what it was (except to say it was delicious).

Well, it was an amazing day, and I was very happy.

Well after a good sleep the day before, I got up early to check the sakura at Ueno park and got some great pics!  Next I took the train to Narita airport once again got on a plane, this time bound for Taipei.

It was great to see Pi-Chen again in Taipei.  She showed me her office, and then we went to her place and I could meet her parents, who were very kind to me even though we couldn't really talk to each other. 

After we went to meet Pi Chen's friend Eva (Pi Chen said "Eva is a spicy girl, you will like her!") at the Onion Cafe, which was a very Italian-style place.  The food was delicious and Eva was very nice and very beautiful, although she seemed a bit put off by my interest in Japan.  She felt like 'Why Japan, why not Taiwan?'  Of course the easiest answer to that is that I really don't know much about Taiwan.  So this is a good chance for me to learn.

Today I said goodbye to Aki-chan and then took the airplane back to Tokyo.  I really enjoyed my visit to Shanghai, it was a very interesting experience.  There was this young Japanese guy on the plane who was sooo interested to talk to me, but I was so tired from my trip that it was hard to talk to him (he couldn't speak English at all, so we could only talk in Japanese).  Finally I just pulled out my computer, showed pictures and let the pictures do most of the talking.

Coming back to Tokyo was like slipping back into an old comfortable pair of shoes.  Unlike in Shanghai, in Tokyo I know my way around, I know the customs and what's expected of me, and I can speak the language well enough to ask questions and make conversation.  I had planned to go to back to Ueno this day to see the sakura, but it was very cold (about 6 degrees C) and raining, and since I was exhausted from my trip to Shanghai, I just slept from 4pm until about 10pm, then got up and had dinner, and then a drink with a Korean guy and a Japanese guy at the hotel (I showed them my pics and told them about my trip), then slept again from 1am until about 6:30am the next morning.  It was great to "recharge", as I knew I would need energy for my travel to Taipei the next day.

Today we went to a much more 'touristy' area of Shanghai where they had more traditional Chinese-style buildings, not the European-style that I see in most of the city. 

We saw the famous Yuyuan Garden Bridge and then had a delicious lunch.  After I tried to get some pics of the city skyline but it was pretty cloudy that day.  We then shopped for some bootleg CDs and DVDs.  I got NANA, the whole series so far, but later I found out it doesn't have English subtitles, so I have to listen to the whole thing in just Japanese ;_;  Oh well, I guess it's good practice for me.

I took my one and only ride on the Chinese subway, which was very cheap, and the subway was very clean and nice, not dirty and smelly like I imagined it would be. 

Later we went out to a Taiwanese restaurant for dinner, where the waitresses all have very cute short hair.  And then we went for a another Chinese foot massage before calling it a day.