Tamshui

Cloudy, rainy, and simply wet! It’s inconvenient going around with an umbrella, and we couldn’t fully enjoy some of the sights because of the rain. I didn’t have the mood to take a lot of pictures too…

The view from Taipei 101

We went up Taipei 101, but the outdoor observation deck was closed due to the poor weather, and visibility wasn’t too good as well. I think it’s a place you can safely skip when visiting Taipei though – you won’t miss much since all you get to see from the place is a view of the surroundings, and seriously, some of the other tourists visiting the place make the visit there an unpleasant one.

Maokong Gondola

On the Maokong Gondola another day, and it was still raining. Thankfully the wind wasn’t strong, so the gondolas were still in operation. We took the car with the crystal cabin, meaning that it has a transparent floor. It’s probably not for those who have a fear of heights, but I thought it was actually pretty nice to see all the plants under you. You probably won’t notice the height anyway if you’re just looking at what’s below.

The only time it didn’t rain was when we were at Ximending.

Ximending

No rain, but instead a huge crowd at the place because it was a public holiday, though it was nothing as compared to the crowd we got ourselves stuck in at the Shilin Night Market that very night! (We actually went there thrice, but we were too busy eating, so no pictures.) I think we just had bad luck when we were in Taipei…

Ending off with pitcures of the MRT in Taipei. It’s just as crowded as the trains in Singapore during peak hours, but the commuters there are more gracious! Travelling on the train is a much nicer experience when people actually queue to get onto the trains and not block those who are alighting, and also refrain from sitting on the priority seats or give them up once they see someone who needs it more than they do. Definitely something those of us living in Singapore can learn from.

(click to enlarge)

From the May 2012 issue of Cutie, for those who need help on applying flase lashes (Speaking of which, I totally fail at this. ). Translations are done by me; I can't guarantee that they're 100% accurate, but the gist of the instructions are there.

This issue has some pretty nice tutorials, and I'll put the rest up at a later date.

Application

1. Hold the outer end of the eyelash gently with a pair of tweezers, lifting the glued part up from the packaging.
2. Hold the lashbone near to the end of the eyelash to lift most of it from the packaging.
3. Hold the inner end of the eyelash with your tweezers, lifting it without damaging its shape.
4. When handling the lash, hold the middle with your tweezers so as to maintain its shape.
5. Cut both ends of the eyelash with a pair of scissors to prevent the ends from hurting your eyes.
6. Remove any glue on the lash cleanly. Any glue left on the lashbone will make it look uneven.
7. Bend the lashbone gently to make it less stiff. If the lash bone is too stiff, the false lashes will sit above your real lashes instead of blending with it.
8. Check the length of the lashbone by fitting it to your upper lash line to make sure that it fits your eye.
9. If the lashbone is too long, trim the lashes from the outer edge.
10. Apply a thin layer of lash glue evenly on the lash bone. Applying too much will make the lash line look unnatural!
11. Apply another layer of lash glue on both ends of the lash to prevent them from lifting.
12. Apply the false lashes starting from the middle, followed by the inner corner and then the outer corner.
13. Hold both ends of the lash with your fingers and attach it firmly to your eye.
14. Hold the middle of the lash with your fingers and attach it firmly.

Removal

1. Using a cotton bud, apply makeup/eyelash remover to the lash line.
2. Once the end of the lash lifts up, slide the cotton bud gently under the lash bone and lift it up slowly.
3. Remove the lash completely using your fingers, going from the outer end inwards.

Q&A

1. How many times can I use the same pair of lashes?
If you handle them with care, you can use a good pair as many as 30 times!

2. How should I care for my lashes to that I can use them for long?
Don’t destroy the shape of the lashes! Never wash them as it damages the texture and curl of the lashes. Don’t apply mascara to them if possible. Remove lash glue from the lash bone gently after using.

3. My false lashes don’t curl enough!
Gently curl the false lashes with an eyelash curler before applying them.

4. How should I store used lashes?
Keep them in a lash case. Make sure that you don’t bend the lash bone!

5. My lashes are uneven!
Use a small/corner lash curler to curl the needed parts and balance the lashes.

The place wasn’t crowded at all since it’s a working day, but we spotted quite a few people fishing in the area. Most of the other people around were either old couples or families.

There was an old British fort, the Fort Pasir Panjang, located on the hill and cliff next to the sea. Not much of it remains, but whatever is left behind and still accessible to the public is marked out along the trail up the hill.

This door leads to the Labrador Secret Tunnels, which were unfortunately closed for maintenance. I would like to see how it’s like inside some day after it reopens…

Well it seems like there’s something wrong with the display panel in the elevator at school, so instead of level 1 we now have a level β. I reckon that this is still better than having the elevator display completely wrong floors though. At least I can still make out which level I’m on from this display.

Jiji was another place we didn’t plan to go initially, but decided to drive to later since we had extra time. The main attraction there appears to be the railway, which starts from Ershui and passes Yuanchuan, Zhuoshui, Longchuan, Jiji, Sheuili and Checheng.

There weren’t many tourists around when we were, and most of those we saw appeared to have come for the tourist train. It’s a pity we didn’t have time to take the railway tour though, since we reached Jiji in the afternoon, and taking the train to Checheng and back would mean that we would only return to Jiji close to evening, and reach our minsu at night.

Jiji has a few other attractions, but not too many since it’s a small town. It would probably take only a day to explore the area, including taking the train and stopping at some of the stations along the route.

It was Elynn’s PhD oral examination yesterday, and we had a celebration after that! The lab is awfully quiet these days wow that 2 people have graduated and left. We used to have so many people that there was no free space in the office or the lab, and our hood bookings were always full. But the situation’s pretty much reversed now – there are empty workspaces, the hood is left unused at times, and there are moments when you’re all alone in the lab. We’re all getting used to it, but I must still say that it’s way too quiet for me sometimes. I miss the days when everyone was around, and the lab was a lively place. But when you’re in the research field, one of the things you have to get used to is people coming and leaving all the time. Students will leave upon graduation, and even the post-docs don’t usually stay for long – if they want to advance their careers, then it is important that they gain experience from doing research in different areas and in different labs. New staff and students are also constantly coming in to replace them. Nothing is constant, except for the fact that the experiments are always going on.

When people come or go, the group dynamic always changes, and it’s a matter of getting used to it until the next change happens again. I’m glad that the few of us were able to meet because we all entered the same lab, even if it was for a short period of time. When the next batch of students leave it’s only going to get quieter and lonelier… and I don’t want to be the last one that gets left behind! So for now, that will be a source of motivation to work hard, so that I can graduate as soon as possible. I doubt I’ll be able to graduate together with them (some are a whole year ahead of me), but at least I won’t be too far behind.

The shoreline at Shitiping was formed when volcanic rock worn smooth by sea erosion was uplifted in layers that resemble stone steps, and the geological structure is different from what we had seen previously along other coastlines we passed in Taiwan. There isn’t much to say about this place, so just enjoy the pictures below.

Taroko National Park, named after the Taroko Gorge, is a beautiful and huge park that spans Taichung City, Nantou County, and Hualien County. Getting to the park from Hualien seems to be the most common way, and within the park, you can get around by bus, car, scooter, bicycle, or simply walking. Getting around with a vehicle will allow you to cover the park within half a day, but certain parts of that park are only accessible via hiking trails (some of these take a long time to cover, so check the website for the estimated time it takes to complete them, and bring along enough water!).

We drove through the park, going from the headquaters to Tianxiang before turning back and stopping to take photos along the way. The roads were narrow and curvy, but gave a great view of the gorge and its surroundings. Some areas along the roads are prone to rock falls, and there are signs put up at these areas to remind drivers to pass through quickly without stopping. (For those walking, safety helmets are provided.) I wouldn’t recommend driving if you’re not an experienced driver, and it’d be best to avoid the area after heavy rain.

The view was absolutely stunning! The water was a lovely icy blue, the air was fresh and the weather cool. You definitely have to get out of your car to enjoy the sight and take pictures! (And spare a thought for the poor driver who doesn’t get to enjoy the view as much while driving, while you are at that.)

I was hoping to see the Tunnel of 9 turns, but unfortunately that part of the park was closed, same with the trail that leads to the waterfall. This happens when the park officials deem certain places as unsafe, or when there is some work going on. It’s a real pity, but well, safety should always come first. I hope I’ll have the chance to visit Taiwan again, and see all the places I missed on this trip!

Bayview / 望海楼
Location: Xincheng Township, Hualien county (花蓮縣新城鄉七星街18號)
Website: http://www.bayview.com.tw

This is a very simple min su, and its price reflects that too (NTD2500 and up). But simple doesn’t mean bad. The double rooms are pretty spacious (not sure about the family rooms since I never saw them), and the interior is kept nice and clean. The best thing about Bayview is not the room itself however – it’s the lovely, unblocked view of the sea that you get from your room. There are many other hotels and B&Bs in this area, but Bayview is the only one that offers unblocked views of the sea in all its rooms, at least within the cluster around it.

The beach in front of Bayview is a good place to watch the sunrise from, and there’s a signboard in the lobby that is updated with the time of sunrise daily.

Be careful not to confuse this with Hotel Bayview, which is also located in the same area. They can speak English (that was how we communicated via email), and offer free pickups and drop-offs to Hualien Train Station.

Cloud’s Hometown / 雲的故鄉
Location: Ren’ai Township, Nantou county (南投縣仁愛鄉大同村信義巷44號)
Website: http://www.cloudshometown.com.tw

This is more like a small hotel rather than the conventional min su, given the size of it and the way it is run. Service was good and professional. This is the lobby and the area outside the rooms:

We stayed at their 湖景雙人房, and room 609 in particular. This room is different from the others in the same category, since it doesn’t have a balcony. Instead, your bed directly faces the full-glass window, giving a lovely view of the mountains. Being in the mountains, this place has more insects, so keep your doors closed whenever possible. It also tends to be on the colder side as well, so this room gives the extra advantage of being able to enjoy the lovely scenery in the warmth of the room. Room 609 is a very popular choice, so book in advance and make a special request for this room if you want it.

Here’s the view from our room!

Do note that not all the rooms are guaranteed such a view though – I believe the smaller rooms face the opposite side, where the carpark is.

Overall, a very lovely place, despite being pretty inaccessible if you don’t have a car (it’s on the mountain, and the nearest convenience store and other eateries are a short drive away). Making a room reservation might be a problem since they don’t have a site in English and I’m not sure if they have staff that can communicate in English, but it doesn’t hurt to drop them an email to ask!