Taffy Change Update!

Hey there! So I got a notice from Google saying that I've used all the free picture space for this account.  Well I don't particularly feel like paying a monthly fee for more space so I chose door #2 and just made another google account. Look how smart/devious I am! ;P

From now on I shan't post on this Taffy anymore. Instead new updates will be on the following link:

http://taffypart2.blogspot.tw

I made a few tweaks to the outlook but I decided to keep the basic design. Regardless, I hope you join me in Taiwanese Adventures Featuring Fantastic Yapping (TAFFY) Part 2! See y'all there! ;D

Host Family Move and Paperdoll

Wednesday November 14^th, 2012

Short sleep, increasing stress, full day at school? Yep. This called for an iced coffee! Though I’m starting to suspect that the drink lacks the ‘coffee’ part because I don’t feel a thing of difference when consumed. Wanted: another source of back-up energy. Reward: a non-wobbly, teetering or passed out Andrea. XD

When walking into class, I noticed most of my classmates were fiddling away with their paperdolls. I spotted a cat design, Captain America, a Mickey & Minnie Mouse duo and a bunch of Naruto characters. Still set on creating an adorable Motochika, I left my blank doll alone because I had not yet gotten the opportunity to buy any materials, therefore couldn’t do anything.

Yet a girl came up to me and gestured to my cut out pieces. Based on her body movement, broken English and Chinese I realized something that made my blood freeze momentarily. The paperdoll…was due today.Oh…SNAP! I explained to her that I didn’t have any needed supplies (markers, craft knife and glue). She helped me fish around classmates to borrow the materials, so whew! I did get ahold of the stuff (thank goodness) but the marker color choices made a barrier. There was no orange and even more drastically, a lack of purple. EGASP! I can’t make a Motochika without two different colors of purple! Nooooooo! This forced me to throw out the Motochika plan (sorry baby) and quickly come up with a new character that I could draw with the accessible markers.

I was panicking! Who could I create with the markers in front of me before school ended today? That’s such a short time! And all the characters popping up in my mind were complicated designs. Oh geez, oh geez. Not good, not good! My mind flew past lists of shows and characters in attempt to find someone easy yet special enough to stand out from being classified as something I made up. Then it hit me! I thought back to my room and the previous paperdolls I already made (I didn’t draw them, I pieced printed patterns out). Going across my bookcase I mentally saw Date, then Yukimura…Inuyasha…Shizuo…Izyaza. HUH?! WAIT! I looked at the markers in front of me and saw yellow, black, red and purple/blue color. YES! Houston, we no longer have a problem! I had found my model!

To those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, this won’t make much sense and will be boring. For those who have watched ‘Durarara!!,’ join me in fan giggling. XD Yes I crafted a huggable Shizuo! With his nice simple bartender outfit and short hair, he was a breeze to complete before the day was up. When I managed to finish the coloring and stepped back to view the work, it just didn’t quite feel like Ahizuo. Something was missing. One yield sign later that’s ready to beat a wild Izaya with, made Shizuo juuuuuuuust right. XD BEHOLD!

Beginning stage...

Colored stage...

Nearly finished staaaaaaage...

Masterpiece stage!

Ain’t he cute? I think he turned out quite well. I’m very proud of Shizuo’s turnout and just loved the creation process. It’s been too long since my last papercraft. ^_^ And he just looks so cool! The Shizuo back at my house in Texas is slightly preferable because the paperdoll shape is more realistic but this one I can say that I did all of the character design myself! I likey! ;D

Exiting the MRT and walking the ten minute distance home, I realized it was the last time to do so. Sure I can visit my family again but it was the last walk home when living with them. Kinda sad to think about. So I just had to enjoy the feel and scenery of the stroll one last time. It was nice. :)

Packing my belongings was another kicker that brought the realization of switching down upon me. The empty room both was saddening but also very welcoming. It just called out, “Come! Make yourself at home!” Oh room, how I wanted to do so. How I wanted indeed.

With the packing complete, I went downstairs in search of some beloved family members. Auntie Jenny (or Chen Mama) was cooking dinner herself in the kitchen. Though I offered assistance, there wasn’t really anything I could do. Instead Chen Mama gave me a bubble milk tea that she bought earlier to munch on. It was a kind surprise of her to buy that for me and Yavanna (who joined us later). And thoughtful of her to get half sugar in my drink. She psychically knew what I preferred apparently. XD

AT LAST! An opportunity arises! A chance to be helpful to my family though it may seem small. Setting the table! Yeah it does seem minor but the fact that I can do something for them makes me really pleased. I just wish I could do more.

Before the meal began, my host mother surprised me a bit with an act she never did before. She prayed. I knew she was a Christian but we haven’t prayed together before. That alone was cool. What was touching was Chen Mama praying for me and my host family switch. How thoughtful! How sweet! How caring! I felt so honored for her words even if they were in Chinese. The language barrier can’t hide her overflowing compassion. Yet another reason why I adore this family.

Originally I thought the host family switch would take place before dinner, leaving the meal to be enjoyed with the new family. But I was wrong. So I was gifted with one last dinner before the switch. And delicious it was! Chen Mama sure knows how to cook!

Afterwards I gave the Chen family a card I had prepared. It stated my appreciation towards all their generosity and kindness for hosting me. Another small act of mine, I know, but I hope it gets my sincere feelings through. The translation between languages was easy because they could read English better than hearing it, so at least they could understand what I wrote. Yay! ^_^

Chen Mama prepared a bag of goodies for me to enjoy at my second host family’s house. Inside was two big apples (YUM!), a bunch of ‘Nature Valley Fruit & Nut’ bars (Oh yes!) and one baking mix bag of Ghirardelli triple chocolate brownies to bake for my new family (L.O.V.E.). Oh, the Chen family are all just so considerate. I owe them so much. Really.

The time to leave inevitably had to come though. I was pleased to see my second host father and Braden, the exchange student from Pennsylvania whom I was swapping families with. Yes there was a change of plans in the switching that I shall explain later. Everyone sat down and chatted shortly before we loaded up my luggage in my second host father’s car. The goodbyes surprised me because I was conscious of the conservative Taiwanese culture and was going to keep it to a waving of the hands. But Chen Mama and Yavanna both had open arms for a hug. GASP! HUGS! With people I love! Yes, please! :D It was a good way to end my stay at the house, on a nice note.

Then onward it was to the future. First was to take Braden to his new host family (my first host family) and for me to pack my things at that place. It turned into a ‘PACK AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT’ thing. Everything was just stuffed with half-hearted organization. There was no time for neatness but at least the protection of delicate things was kept in mind. When finished, the large suitcase, gym bag, backpack and box was transported downstairs, out the apartment and across the street to wait for my second host father and his car. While waiting we found out…I had forgotten two whole drawers of clothes in the room. Oh snap, crackle, pop! A sprint across the street, down the alley, up the five floors and back into the bedroom was in order. I grabbed a big plastic bag I set aside for recycling and used it for a quick transportation device. How in the world did I overlook those drawers? It must have been the desperate rushing to finish as fast as possible. Yeah, that’s definitely it.

Everything turned out fine though. All my things got in the car and both my second host father and I were on our way to my new home. Its location is at ‘Nangeng’ which is really far away from my previous houses. Also it’s a far distance from my schools. I even have to take a bus for 20+ minutes just to get to the MRT to take the subway to school. It’s different but will still get me to my destination. :)

The second host family home is an apartment on the building’s third floor. It’s a smaller and has only one floor but that adds a sense of coziness to it. The bedroom that originally was for the family’s two sons was given to the exchange students. One son is studying at college in Southern Taiwan and the other is currently on a Rotary Youth Exchange to Texas. That’s right, Texas! I actually met him, Tommy is his name, before I left for Taiwan. Nice guy. He’s at Klein Oak High School, just FYI. The one bed is big enough for two people so I assume the brothers shared a bedroom since I don’t see any other rooms available. A cool thing in the room is that there’s a TV. Sweet! I’ve never had a TV in my room before! I must be sure not to abuse that. ;P

In the house there’s a Papa, Mama and a grandmother who speaks Taiwanese. Oh geez. It’ll be difficult understanding her but perhaps I’ll learn some Taiwanese. The mother and father speak pretty good English so we can at least communicate with each other. Yay! We went over the Rotary first night questions (a.k.a. rules) successfully and ended the night with…um…something. Ok it wasn’t a bad thing. My family brought out two bottles of wine, one plum wine (10% alcohol) and the other was brown sugar plum wine (15% alcohol). They seemed very eager for me to try a taste of the beverages so I just couldn’t say no. Only a little was poured into my cup but still…whoooooo-wee! I am just not an alcohol person. The liquid just stung my throat with burning, the taste made my eyes squint and lips pucker up slightly. There, I tried it, I can at least say that. But I don’t have any desire to do so again. If the plain plum wine didn’t have any alcohol, it would make a very tasty juice. ;)

Even though I had a very small amount of the wine (hence no way of getting tipsy), my host mother said I would sleep very well with the alcohol consumed. I don’t know if it was the itsy-bitsy alcohol intake or the day’s events or both but I just melted into bed. In no time at all I was unconscious.

And as abruptly as I fell asleep, this Taffy shall also end abruptly. Bye! :)

Featuring A Bit Of Fiction!

Tuesday November 13^th, 2012

There I was, walking along towards school, merrily listening to the good old iPod with a spring in my step then…BAM! I got attacked! A ferocious flying object penetrated into my left inner thigh, slicing into my skin and spilling out blood. Was this the end for me? NO! I’m a soldier! And a soldier must push forward and attend school! I had to crawl down the road on arms and elbows until a friendly unicorn came and assisted me in transportation. We rode past the Rocky Mountains, the Great Wall of China, Santa’s workshop, fist-bumped Ezio in Rome then successfully arrived to class on time. A bottle of heart potion was left on my desk by Link, which healed my wound right up. Nothing could keep me from Taiwanese high school classes!

Forgive me. I’ve written so much non-fiction documentation that I have craved for  slice of fiction fun. I could get a lot and I mean a lot more crazier with the above story but I’ll digress before I call it madness then make a Sparta reference. :P What DID happen though was a random, solid rubber thing slamming into my leg out of no where. It scared the be-jebbies out of me because I was in la-la-land before the attack and got violently pulled out of it from the impact. It didn’t really hurt, rather it was just a sudden shock. Do you prefer my non-fiction or fiction version? ;P

In my classmates fiction seeing eyes, a vicious monster invaded the classroom and wanted to eat everyone’s guts. And what a terrifying wee bug it was! (Note the humorous sarcasm :P) Just like the last encounter, my high school class turned into an elementary class with skittish fear of the crawling creature. The guy who wants to look older always becomes like a scaredy-cat child when a bug is nearby. How ironically funny!

Be proud of me! For my lips did not touch coffee today! They sure wanted to but subconsciously I knew I shouldn’t drink one today. I was determined! My ability to stay away from the beverage and not have withdrawals gives me reassurance that I am not addicted to coffee. Let’s keep it that way. ;P

Art class time. Since our stamper project was complete, today would surely have a new drawing assignment of some sort. But what? What indeed. I predicted a sketch of a topic in our drawing books. I was wrong. So wonderfully wrong. The project assigned made me do a merry little jig of happiness. Most everyone reading this should know about my love for making papercrafts, right? …I think you know what I’m getting at here. We had to make a PAPERDOLL! YES! I kept thinking during the project ‘HOLD UP! I GOT THIS! IIIIIIII GOT THISSSSSSS!” It was a super easy craft because the human and Pokemon papercrafts I’m used to are mountains harder. This pattern today didn’t require glue, didn’t have perfectly aligned lines and had a very blocky shape. Meaning: Super simple. I was just happy to be creating paperdolls again! Apart from cooking/baking, making papercrafts is another craving that will build up in Taiwan and explode in a spree in Texas. XD

The most interesting part of the paperdoll in art class was that it was completely white. Blank. Nothing. *a glimmer twinkles in my eyes* Therefore we had to design a character on our own. OH! The possibilities! I was going crazy with ideas. My initial thought was to create a beloved Motochika. I mean, come on, how could I not think of him first? XD Afterwards, options like Ezio Auditore and the Minecraft character popped into my head (Ezio because the flat block head would look good with his hood though the torso is more difficult to draw and the Minecraft person because the paperdoll shape screamed “MINECRAFT!” but it’s not very recognizable design). I just decided to stick with Motochika but lacked any supplies to begin the process. I managed to borrow a pair of scissors to cut out the pieces but didn’t have access to a craft knife, markers or glue. So I concluded I would have to buy the supplies myself within the next week or so to complete the project. My guess was that we would have 1-2 weeks until it was due, giving me time to brainstorm how to make Motochika look awesome. Oooooh I had some good ideas with his design! This is the type of art assignment I can really dive into since I already have a lot of experience. :D

As a result of discovering ‘Feast of Fiction,’ one dish I crave to cook again is Harry Potter’s ‘Kreacher’s French Onion Soup.’ That deliciousness made me realize how tasty onions can be. I want it again! But surprise, surprise, I found a new dish at the buffet today just as I began to really want the French Onion Soup. Sliced cooked onions! What a coincidence! Though it wasn’t the same as the French Onion Soup, it still managed to satisfy my craving. Thank you school buffet for being so wonderful. ;)

Oh goodness! If you recall, in this very same Taffy I nearly went into a Sparta reference remember? Well in military class, our teacher/instructor/officer/whatever he is called showed us the ‘300’ movie trailer. In the trailer…THIS…IS…SPARTAAAAAAA!!! Nearly tore my stomach from containing the laughter inside. XD I wonder if Taiwanese know of that meme. I wonder…

A second military class instance today had me covering my mouth to mute giggling. Somehow, in someway, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood turned up in the PowerPoint. WHAT?! What’s Assassin’s Creed doing there? How in the world could they show, HI EZIO, such a thing in a military class? Actually I think it was to introduce Machiavelli as a historic figure. But the random appearance of ACB shocked me into silent fan squeals. :P

Since this was my last night before switching host families, I looked forward to a last dinner together as a family because I predicted switching tomorrow right as I came home (a.k.a. no dinner). Unfortunately my family had to go out to dinner for something, business maybe. So Yi Na cooked a delicious meal that I ate alone. One particular dish was a mix of fried egg and long vegetable sprouts that I kept reaching for more. I think Taiwan has made me addicted to eggs. Yummy, yummy eggs. XD At least it gives me a lot of protein!

After dinner I went up to my room to do some stuff and later head a soft “文靜” (my Chinese name) at the door. I could recognize that voice anywhere! It was my host brother Allen. He reported that the family had returned home and prepared cranberry milk downstairs. Ecstatic that they were back, I hopped to it and joined them.

The mentioned beverage and some Ghirardelli brownie made a fine treat to have with my family. But our time together did not end there.

Allen wanted to get a hair cut at the barber’s shop across the street. Making the most out of my remaining time, I asked to tag along. In doing so I witnessed how one would go about trimming a boy’s hair. Now I know what you’re thinking. Andrea at a barber’s shop? Whaaaat? Trust me, my defense was multiplied by seventeen. The people were NOT going near my own hair with any sort of sharp murderous object! I was just there to be with my brother. He looked really nervous through the whole process so maybe it was good I came along. The people there were nice, nice enough to offer Allen and I some guava and Taiwanese food I can’t describe other than an Asian granola mix. The barber’s was an experience and Allen’s hair looked good both before and after. I left unscathed thankfully. :P

Later Uncle Eric, Allen and I went on a lengthy walk to a small place called “Bitan.” Our power walk ran along side a small creek and over a renovated suspension bridge. There we tried a food stand with sausage on a stick with small slits along the meat. Tasting it I found the meat very delicious and asked if it was pork. They answered “Yes, but mountain pig.” Mountain pig? What’s a mountain pig? Ohhhhh…a boar! Boar meat? Woah I ate boar meat! That might be a first for me, but it was mm-mm good!

The walk (Yay exercise!) the talk (Yay conversation) and the new food is another reason why I love this family, for I actually am family. Best…feeling…ever! Just had to emphasize that. ;)

Coming back from the hour long stroll, we joined other household members for some honey cake we bought at Costco. It had a very soft flavor with a fluffy texture. A nice light treat to have (and to try for the first time) before calling it a day.

Sooner or later nighttime approached and it was time for bed. I bid one last Chinese good night to my family and headed upstairs with Allen. There we said farewell because I wouldn’t get to see him tomorrow since he had class. Allen sweetly gave me Christian advice and I gave him a hug.

The hug thing. I just couldn’t resist. You see, I’m a hugger. For example, I always love to have a good night hug with my American family every night. That’s nearly 730 hugs a year just for good night hugs without including day time hugs. I like my hugs. ^_^ But Taiwan is a conservative country in that hugs are not common at all. If you embrace someone of the opposite gender, it’s a huge deal where in America I could hug as just friends (though not left and right mind you). So huge cravings have swirled inside me.

As a result of Allen being part American (has his legal citizenship), super friendly and open-minded, I decided to take the risk and ask if I could give him a farewell hug. To my delight he happily accepted and hug-eth time! Short but sweet, oh goodness I miss that part of American culture.

The two of us parted ways to our rooms without any drama because it wasn’t the last time we would see each other. No need to be dramatic. ;) If all works out, November 24^th is when our paths will intersect again on Allen’s B-day. As his little sister and friend, of course I want to personally wish him a birthday greeting accompanied with a something-something gift. XD

For the rest of the night, I performed the task of packing all my stuff together. Slightly depressing but even more so scary. Dragging the luggage up and down stairs will be anything but fun. But heck I got it done and that’s that. All that’s left is to go back to my first host family’s house and pack what’s there. This outta be interesting. XD

Alright people. Here’s the last good night from my temporary host family’s house. Good night all and sleep well! ^_^

BAKING! I AM BAKING AGAIN!

Monday November 12^th, 2012

I tried something new this morning. Instead of eating breakfast at school/University, I ate the morning meal at home. With my first host family I had to buy breakfast at school because many times I was only given one small milk box. So I got in the habit of purchasing a sandwich, fruit or drink every morning to get a full breakfast. But at my current house, the option of putting a meal together myself at home opened up. This was preferable because it’s free, the food is good, no waiting lines and a nice environment to enjoy the food with. So the meal I put together included PB toast, apple, Nature Valley Fruit & Nut bar (SPONSER!...Just kidding :P) and soymilk. I like eating at home because it’s quiet, has a good temperature and there’s less rush.

At University I still dropped by the 7-Eleven in order to buy an iced coffee. I was really sleepy and knew I needed some form of caffeine. The coffee is pretty good but nothing phenomenal. But since it does come from a convenient store, I didn’t expect much but it was still good. My second motive to buy coffee other an energy boost was to get a cup I could refill with water at the water machines at the campus. I haven’t been bringing my thermos because it gets too heavy. Now I just leave it in my high school desk and use it only at school. So the coffee cup allows me to get and drink of crisp water at University, a must.

Despite having some coffee, University class was a struggle to stay awake in. I barely got anything out of it because I was so darn tired. I really have to improve my sleep. Next week should be better.

Look! Christmas stuff! Christmas is slowly coming to town! Santas, ornaments, bells and all kinds of other things! The "General Merchandise" store is the only place I've found with Christmas stuff so far. I'm just happy that I can get a taste of December somewhere! :D

The scheduled Spanish class between the exchange students seems to have officially turned into two hours of do whatever the heck you want. So the last two periods of Monday are spent studying, talking, etc. Today I spent most of the time catching up on writing Taffys but with great difficulty. The strong wind was most distracting as we sat on the outside balcony (you can barely call it a balcony). It slapped around my papers and annoyed me immensely as it kept tangling my hair. I suggested going inside but no one felt like it so I battled the persistent gust for a hundred and twenty minutes. Joy.

Camille, the exchange student from France, brought us a treat she made herself. Crepes! Even a simple thing like crepes with only a few ingredients ends up being really expensive to make in Taiwan. So it was really sweet of her to cook crepes for her host family and the exchange students. She bought Nutella for the filling/topping. Yummy Nutella Crepe, it was! It built up even more of my anticipation to make brownies later!

Speaking of which, after dinner it was BAKING TIME! :D ANDREA WAS SO HAPPY! Apart from the fact that it was baking, it was baking CHIRARDELLI Triple Chocolate Brownies. Oh dear Lord that is a chocolaty paradise! Instead of doing all the baking myself like I thought would happen, my Auntie Jenny joined in and did half the work. I think she used to bake stuff and wanted to join in because of it. So we had some bonding time from the coupled effort working together. Twas good!

What was different for me in baking those brownies was using a convection oven rather than the common conventional oven in America. I did research beforehand with how to work one and my findings stated the basic, same thing. To bake brownies in a convection oven, use the temperature of 177°C for twenty-four minutes. Sounds incredibly easy right? Well I followed those guidelines and the result was so underdone. Auntie Jenny inserted a chopstick to check it and a whole bunch of batter clung to it. I laugh at the fact that she used a chopstick. It just seems so funny and Asian versus America using a toothpick. A chopstick is a cute tool for that. Anyway we had to continue baking the brownies for another 20-30 minutes until the batter didn’t stick much to the chopstick. The two aluminum trays we used were more for a bread loaf shape so the brownies looked more like very brown bread instead of traditional flat square brownies.

The shape was pointless because it’s the taste that matters most. And the taste…come on now. We’re talking about Ghirardelli chocolate here! Of course it was fantastically delicious! Oh…so…chocolaty. Yes it pleased me. ^_^ What pleased me even more was being able to bake something, anything just to show my gratitude for all the Chin family has done for me. (FYI, their family name: 陳, their family name Romanized: Chen) I know Yavanna and Allen enjoyed the brownies a lot, but they were a little too sweet for Auntie Jenny, which totally is understandable. I think generally Chinese desserts are much less sweet than the overload of triple chocolate brownies. XD But as they say, ‘It’s the thought that counts.’ ^_^

Here's a random sleeping kitty for you. Machi is so cute! Enjoy the cuteness! ^_^

A discovery was made today as I stumbled upon something new and cool. It’s a running weekly show on YouTube called “Feast of Fiction.” A girl and boy cook various foods from beloved movies, TV shows, games, etc. Soon it’ll be one year since they started posting but they have some neat stuff already. Things like Harry Potter butterbeer, Zelda Pumpkin Soup, Minecraft cake and more. Viewing these creations and mixing in the recent brownie fun, I am so in a baking/cooking mood! I already have a list of things I want to make when I arrive back in Texas. XD Lookout Mom and Dad cuz I’ll be in a cooking/baking craze! ;D

Lately I’ve been getting bit by mosquitos. Not fun but not a big deal if I get bites on my arm, leg, etc. Two bites though have been bothering me in appearance. One is right smack dab in the middle of my forehead. I thought it was a pimple at first but nope, it’s a mosquito bite that makes me look like those women with the cultural red dots on their forehead. XD The second strange bite is on my left eyelid. Yes, my eyelid. It’s swollen red and looks so weird when compared to the other normal eye. I am diseased! XD What a great appearance to have when switching host families (sarcasm :P).

The move will occur Wednesday, November 14^th and I’ll be heading to my second family. So sadness for leaving my temporary family but excitement for moving into a ‘permanent’ family (by permanent I mean original three-month family).

Hope you enjoyed the Taffy. See you next time! :D

P.S. This is my first day without wearing my retainer during the day. Oh my goodness my mouth feels naked! Not wearing it seems as if I’m doing something wrong. But…I’m not. Yet I still want to keep wearing it during the day even though it’s not required. How weird. XD

'Grandriders' Are Cool And COSTCO ROCKS!

Sunday November 11^th, 2012

Something has been killing my brain. I can’t remember the breakfast differences between Saturday and Sunday. One was really big and I want to say Sunday but I just can’t say for sure. GAH! It bothers meeeeeee!

This referenced big breakfast was as follows:

-One fried egg

-Sasuage with ketchup

-One slice of PB toast

-Soymilk

-One slice of bread with corn and tuna sandwiched in

-Green veggie of some sort

Except for the PB toast and soymilk, the rest was kindly and deliciously made by Yi Na. I sure wasn’t hungry afterwards!

This fine Sunday morning was unfortunately miscalculated on how long it takes to get to my home church. With power walking and not getting coffee (I wanted to), I arrived in the beginning songs of service nonetheless still late. Darn it!

Not being able to stay for Beta groups, Akiko and I headed out prematurely in lunch for a Rotaract movie event. I’m sure glad she came with me because it would’ve been tough finding the place all by myself. It was located in a place called Ximen, which is a crowded living shopping area (I’ve been there twice before). With some difficulty, we finally found the movie theater, the correct floor and the Rotaract people.

The movie we were viewing was a documentary over elder Taiwanese in their 80’s touring around Taiwan on scooters. The main purpose of this feat was to prove one is never too old to accomplish their dreams even if they aren’t in the healthiest condition. It was a really cool and touching film as we watched these elders battle their way to complete the journey. They saw new sights, experienced new things and championed the name “Grandriders.” A really, really extraordinary task they accomplished! What was most surprising was two of the Grandriders, an elderly couple, was present at the viewing. WOAH! It was such a shock to see them on screen and afterwards finding out they were in the same room! Cool! It’s like watching Johnny Depp in a movie and then immediately afterwards, seeing him in the same movie theater in person. XD The cute couple gave a small talk at the end (either in Chinese or Taiwanese, I couldn’t tell). Even though I didn’t understand them, it was cool to see them in person.

There’s a part of the movie I just have to point out. (FYI, it had both Chinese and English subtitles). One of the Grandriders said that (at the time) it had been eleven days since he left his home and family with “Of course I’m homesick.” Both Akiko and I looked at each other and smiled in silence. I don’t think I have to explain why, do I now? ;P

Following the finished event, Akiko and I just went around Ximen with the goal of coffee. In Taipei it is super easy to find a café (a free Wi-Fi café is a whole other monster). Yet Ximen seemed to completely lack any sign of a café if you exclude Starbucks. Sorry but I’m not a fan of expensive coffee on a budget. :P We searched and searched but no success in the end. So we settled for a snack of a KFC egg tart and a street vendor treat Akiko like (it mimicked mocha). The food wasn’t bad but it was the conversation that really mattered. Just having fun talking with each other is what counted. ^_^

I didn’t stay for too long because dinner was approaching, signaling the need/want to go home. Uncle Eric had returned from his business trip in China, which allowed us to have a nice family meal with him. And a large meal it was! Of course it was delicious too! ;D

An opportunity opened up for me to do something that has been on my wish-list for several months. Go to Costco! Auntie Jenny, Uncle Eric, Allen, Pi Nan and I all went together to buy some food for the family. Goodness gracious it was crowded! Despite it being dinnertime, people filled the store left and right even though my family told me at the time we came it usually is fairly empty. So we went around getting groceries and samples until my eyes fell upon a sight for sore eyes. “GHIRARDELLI.” HELLO DEAR! :D What I saw as a Ghirardelli triple chocolate brownie mix…really? REALLY? I’ve been looking for something like this! Because I don’t know how to work with Asian kitchens and ingredients are super expensive, a brownie mix was the perfect solution to my desire, the desire to bake for my family to show my appreciation. So we just had to get it. ;D YAY!

My excitement was multiplied when I came across another familiar name in Costco. Can you guess what it was? Hint: it has appeared in the Taffy blog before. Give away hint: I had it everyday for American school lunch. NATURE VALLEY LOVE! HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY! :D Costco has my love! I can’t believe it! It had two types, the ‘oat & honey granola’ and ‘fruit & nuts’. Even though they didn’t have my beloved peanut or cashew bars, I’m still thrilled to have found it exists in Taiwan. My family generously bought one box of ‘fruit & nuts’ for snacks or breakfast sides. I was very, very happy! ^_^ I now know I can buy it in Taiwan but the difficulty comes from needing a Costco membership card and the fact that it’s packaged in bulk. A small box of six found in American is miles less than a whooping forty-eight bar box. Still…NATURE VALLEY! WHOO! :D

Back at the house we carried the groceries inside and pretty much went straight back out afterwards. Uncle Eric, Allen and I took a stroll on a nearby bridge titled “Sunny bridge.” Throughout the structure, bright LED lights of many colors brilliantly glowed in the night. It was a really nice place to walk along during the night. Pretty yet safe. The cherry on top was talking with my family. I always enjoy their company. A lovely stroll and building excitement for baking brownies tomorrow, the night ended on a pleasant note.

And I bid you a pleasant farewell! Good night everybody! ^_^

P.S. It's my retainer anniversary! On 11/11/11 (nice and easy to remember right? ;P) is when I got my beloved orange retainer from my orthodontist. His orders were to wear it 24/7 (except when eating) for one whole year. Then I could switch to only wearing at night. So since it's my anniversary, the switch shall take place! And behold! I have straight teeth and can show them to the world without metal lining them in daylight. Whoo! :D