Since I’m going to write about Taiwan I might as well write about the book which I had finished reading during my time in Taiwan.

Well, this book jumped the queue for there a few books I had read before this one. I was reading faster than I could write about them at one point. (excuses excuses…)

Anyway, back to the book, this one has a very peculiar name – The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Night-Time. Not to mention a extremely long one too.

I really applaud Mark Haddon, the writer of the book, for this unusual yet brilliantly written book which brings us into the mind of a ‘unique’ and ‘special’ teenager who is a genius!

From what I’ve gathered, this teen, though a genius academically, doesn’t not understand emotions and have a hard time trying to decipher human relationships.

What is interesting and ingenious about Mark Haddon is his ability to let us readers feel the emotions such as love and frustrations of the people who surrounds the main character, seeing emotions through the eyes of someone who seemed detached from them…

Well, I don’t really know how to describe this book accurately with words. You’ll have to read it for yourselves. Let’s just say it’s different compared to any other books that I’ve read but different in a very very good way.

One more thing I really like about the book is the small fun facts that were ,I think, randomly mentioned in the book. Like The Monty Hall Problem and The Case of the Cottingley Fairies. It’s fun to know…

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I’m back from Taiwan!

Ok, it’s old news because I’ve been back for a week. With all the unpacking and laundry that needed to be done, I didn’t have the time to sort out the pictures I took in Taiwan and hence the delay.

I’m still not quite done with the pictures but I’ll start my first bit on Taiwan.

I went on a 8-day trip to Taiwan with my parents on the 17th of July 2010. We didn’t join a tour because we wanted it to be free and easy. And we really don’t like our freedom to linger in a place we like or leave a place which we’re not interested in being confiscated. Moreover it’s a place where we speak the language and it’s known to be safe!

We landed in Tao Yuan Airport, Taipei in mid-afternoon and took a bus to the main station.

Oh ya, for those of you who are aged between 15-30 years old you should apply for a Youth Card before you leave the airport. It gives you various discounts in a wide variety of stores, attractions, transportation, hotels etc and all of it is stated in the booklet which comes with the card.

The card is the round key chain. Looks good as a backpack accessory.

I think if you plan you journey in accordance to the places which gives you discounts or privileges you could save a lot but I’m not really sure how good it is because I’ve only used it once or twice. (I didn’t read the booklet properly.   )

Anyway, Taiwan didn’t greet us with a happy face. Maybe it’s not happy that we polluting its air by travelling on planes and buses…

It’s senget because it’s taken on a moving bus.

This is my first glimpse of Taiwan – lots and lots of fields and plantations. It was a long bus ride and when we reached the main station we still have to take the MRT to the place where our hotel is hauling our luggage all the way!

Overall I would say that travelling in Taiwan by public transport is easy and very convenient. I am especially impressed by their MRT. No long waits and I’ve have not yet encounter a break down in my 8 days stay!

The only thing I could pin point is the long long walk from the entrance of the main station to the MRT platform. If I remember correctly, it’s 3 floor down, walk walk walk then 1 floor up… Something like that. And imagine hauling our luggage along with us.

After all the pulling, tugging and puffing we finally arrive in the area where our hotel is – Ximen.

Our hotel is located in a small alleyway near the Ximen MRT station.

This is the view of the alleyway when you enter from the main road and you can easily spot the hotel’s sky blue sign. It’s English name is totally different from it’s Chinese name. In Chinese it’s called Guo Guang Da Fan Dian; in English it’s Good Ground Hotel. What a name!

If you walk straight down the alleyway it opens up into Ximen Pedestrian Area!

This place is the hot spot. I think you can get anything there. From small cafe to restaurants, boutique to stalls by the road, eat, drink, see, watch… All your senses can be satisfied there!

At least I think so… :roll:  Come to think of it, I don’t think I saw a massage center there. But there could be one in one of those alleyways. I didn’t get to cover the place proper because there’s just too much to see and too many things to try!

To sum it up in one sentence – It’s busy, it’s crowd, it’s interesting!

And so, our hotel’s location is some what perfect because it’s in the middle of all the buzz and fuzz yet still a little secluded, laying peacefully in one of the least busy alleyways.

I think the location certainly makes up for the shabby looking rooms.

Interior wise it’s kind of below expectations for the price we were paying but I guess the land itself is expensive. Anyway we did sleep well the few nights we stayed there so there’s no complains. =)

As half the day had passed there’s really not much time to do anything so we just wandered around the Pedestrian Area, trying out some of the food and snacks and taking in as much as possible.

We got tired quite early then because we didn’t really sleep the night before as we had to take the Yoyo Bus at midnight to get to LCCT in time. And so we retired early that night.

I am super tired now and so I’ll retire to bed now and continue my Taiwan journey in another post. Good Night~

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In my birthday post I have deliberately failed to mention the birthday present my Dear gave me. Well, I felt that it deserve an entry of its own so here it is –

All 7 Harry Potter books!!!

I know some girls may feel that it’s a bit nerdy to give books as presents but I am kind of nerdy in a non text book way. hehe…

I first saw this set of Harry Potter series selling in the Popular Bookstore in Kinta City, Ipoh and I desired it. Of course, besides being tempted to read the Harry Potter series I am also attracted by the beautiful packaging.

The books come in a magnificently designed box with a different magical object/place as shown on the cover of each book decorating its sides! Pretty~

I have planned to save up and splurge on this but it turned out that my Dear did not give me the chance to! Thank you so so much!

FYI, I have never read a single Harry Potter book because 1) I’m not usually attracted to the things the things masses are crazy about. 2) The first Harry Potter book did not attract me because I was into Asian Writers then. 3) I can’t stand the wait so I might as well not start.

But now, since it’s all out and everyone (as in Harry Potter readers) says that the book is much much better than the movies and many a times cursed the producers after watching them so I thought I might as well read them. And also I can finish in time before the last Harry Potter movie is released!

And so start my Harry Potter journey. After each book my Dear will watch the movie with me and I find myself acting as the Harry Potter fans did. I understand now, I am enlighten…

The first movie was still ok but then it was down hill there on. I hated the fact that they cut out scenes and storyline and added crap into the mix, i guess, for the ‘Hollywood effect’. And I am terribly disappointed to find that some of the scenes that I looked forward to seeing them gets filmed is cut out, not mentioned at all!!!!

And I get puzzle over the fact the JK Rowling let the filmmakers ruin her work! Why didn’t she defend it? Did her heart break not when she sees what kind of crap they make out of her work??? 

Books on the other hand were great. I got sucked into the magical world instantly and I was flying through the pages. My mind was making a Harry Potter movie of its own with every book I finish.

Things started to make lots of sense now that I getting information out of the book no thanks to the filmmakers! I finished the whole series in less than 2 months! I would be able to finish it in less than a month if not for the fact that I have to travel.

I did feel sad when I finally finish reading all 7 books. It was a mixed feeling when I reached the last few pages of the 7th book – while anticipating the grand finale there’s also a urge to hold back and not let it end. Overall it was a great read and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

However I am left with some question marks hanging when I close my last book.

Didn’t Lily’s protection expired when Harry Potter left his Uncle’s house for good? So why is it that it still work and Harry can go back to life?

And why is it that Harry Potter have the choice of going back to life when he died voluntarily to protect those who mattered to him and Dumbledore could didn’t?

There are more questions that I needed answers but I won’t bombard them here. Maybe if I read the books again I’ll be enlighten…

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