Jiufen 九份

Ruifang Station

Out the Train Station we go, there is a ramp beside the staircase for our luggage!

Once we reached Ruifang station, we decided to put most of our luggage to place at the luggage stop. We bring along one set of clothes and our important stuff to jiufen. Since jiufen have a lot of stairs, we are not that smart thinking that we could bring all of it to our accommodation. After that, we headed to the bus stop in front of the Ruifang Train station, going to Jiufen! This is also our opening ceremony of our Easycard. This card can be used in Taipei and Taichung and of course Jiufen as well. It works like touch n go! It is to use and there is no need for u to bring loose cash around if you have this, but have to remember the credit. We got this for free given by the taiwan visitor association in Malaysia. What you need to do is to exchange it with a valid airticket and you will get this card for free plus a NT 50 value inside. =)

Posing with our Easycard (Can use in Taipei & Taichung)

Exciting Bus ride!

Reached Jiu Fen

Jiufen street looks like this shown in the pictures. It is quite a small street and only one road in and along the path there are many many shops and there is a lot of staircases, because this small town is on the hilltop. For you to reach here takes awhile since it is going up up up. The scene in the bus ride was awesome if u like those hill with a lot of houses view, at night will be more nicer as all the lights will be lit on.

Jiufen streets!

There are many shops in the jiufen street but mainly food and souvenir shops. For souvenir shop, they almost have the same product along the streets, plus the price do not varies that much, so i guess its fine which shop you went in to get your souvenirs.

As for the food stalls, there are some common one as well as not so common, but mostly you have to know which one to eat. you may try them all but you only have one stomach so choose wisely. The trick is go to the shop that have extremely a lot of people. It won't go wrong!

Jiufen Stalls

Hello, to our jiufen accomodation.

i would say it is a bit overrated in the internet. The design was not bad, but we were expecting more from it. Plus it have XIAO QIANG. It could be due to the earlier customer really made the place dirty or the food of jiufen attracts this small insects. but anyway it was ewww to see them in person plus i have to kill both of them, very not pleasant to do so once u enter the place right?

Our Accommodation in Jiufen~

After leaving our luggage,we will begin the exploration in Jiufen

Different angle of our little accommodation

Another view of our accommodation

Jiufen view

I am helping him to take different shot, did i do well?

We started off, playing i am the reporter and kahhou is the celebrity. He wanted me to take candid shots of him. How did i do? Okay bah. It was hard as i was squeezed in between people and i was behind him, the front shots was even harder, cause very hard to stabilize the camera especially you go against the flow of human river traffic.

A stall selling raw materials for a dish.

Makan time AKA Eating time. Of course you must eat sausages in every part of taiwan. It is nice to taste them all. This stall one was quite yummy, we also tried the bun, not bad too!

If you like the things that is supper QQ, you should try this. It is nice if you like the texture, apparently they love to put starch into everything. It was very bouncy.

This the fish balls which have a lot of people in it. Was quite nice. 

They have varieties of balls. Just order as per your liking. The shop's wall, is full of pictures of the owner of the shop. It was quite creepy eating fish balls inside this kind of shop. but just ignore them and focus on the balls in your hand, or you could just tapao!

This jelly shop, i quite like the jelly. but it was expensive for jelly. So we ended up eating their tester to find out which flavour is the best and keep on taking it into our mouth. We did bought one in the end to taste in our little space later. hehe

Icecream + peanut popiah!

Plum drink and more

The best taro balls in jiufen (first stall once you step into jiufen)

Should have eaten more of this taroballs!

Mochi

南滨夜市 Nan Bin Night Market - Hualien

Tadah, we have arrived at Nan Bin Night Market. The Taxi driver do not really recommend this place as it is a smaller night market plus according to him, this place is for children as there are many games. To him, this place have nothing much to eat therefore not worth to visit. Apparently, his description are really true. There are really more games and little food stalls. Since there are more games in the night market, we of course have to try some of them.

The picture above, the two cute little statue in the top right. It is limited edition oh, only left two of them. 

It is quite expensive too. Too pretty to even want to buy them. Even you want to buy them, you have to preorder, if not you can get them either.

The above two stalls, there actually are two different fruit juice stalls, however, their decoration and the colour of the stalls are so similar that i thought that they are of the same stalls. Whenever anyone passes by their shop, they will definitely shout and this is the first time, we experience the "Wa wa sound" of taiwan young girls. It is really irritating to or ears and yet funny at the same time. I totally can get any words of what they are saying. Although soon, we finally get what they are saying but earlier on, i only heard "ya ya wan"

LOL 

This is the best sweet potato balls ever!!!! After eating one packet, we ordered another packet. It is really very nice. Other places don't have such nice taste as it is here. This is the only thing i think we won't regret coming to Nan bin night market. 

Hehe, Ever since we reached taiwan, we seems to must try all the papaya milk wherever we go. thanks to one of our member, stella, we are addicted to Papaya milk. Truthfully, Taiwan's milk really nice to drink.

The corn in the left side, was a bit not to our taste. It says QQ, but to us it is not QQ at all, but apparently taiwan ppl really loves to eat cos the queue was very long back then. i guess we are too used to the corn we ate in Malaysia where there are a lot of juice and it is being steam which is much softer. Next is our games section. 

When the owner show us their games, they could easily played the game very well but when it comes to our turn, it was not easy i tell u. For example the one left bottom corner, you will be out once your hand trembles a lot.

自強夜市 Zhi Qiang Night Market (Hualien)

Zhi Qiang Night Market

During our second in Taiwan, we decide to have dinner in Zhiqiang night market. As you all know, taiwan have the most night market and famous of night market, so we must eat in night market aren't we?

So this is our first night market.

It is quite similar to Malaysia night market but of course the stalls always open every night.

The following are the food we ate in the street. The first one was not bad. Quite juicy. Like it. The bubble tea there was nice too. I didnit really like the big sausage wrap the small sausage. At first i was tot it is really real sausage wrap small sausage. However, actually it is sticky rice and the small sausage wrap together. It was hard to swallow. We ate quite a lot didn't we? For five person, we ate like dunno how many types. I think each of us spend around RM15 in that night market. Bloated Stomach with smiley faces! After a long day, we are heading back to our minsu to rest!

Seng Yen's Convo and Sg trip

Sengyen's convo ( alot of ppl)

 So I have visited Stella and Sengyen's new house. Isn't it big for a living room, i felt a bit space wasted since there is a lot space didn't use in the living room. Overall it was quite good, just that it is very expensive for individuals. Since there are a lot of built ins by the previous owner, there are a bit rigid with the arrangement. So Susan have a look bah, i took pictures for u to see le.
Leave ur comment after u see the pictures ah! Sorry i forgot to take picture of the cooking area and laundry area.

Kitchen.

Thank you stella and family for the hotel's breakfast. 

Happy 10th Anniversary to SLSTV! So in SG, LSV celebrated our anniversary in Fig & Olive and Jidechi!

Paradigm mall with susan!

 So, i went to paradigm mall with susan and her mom. Y choose that mall? haha, reason very simple. That's because it is a new mall and susan's mom definitely haven't got the chance to go there and so thus susan ting. Was also kind of like a farewell trip for susan because she is going back to brunei. ( hmm i still feeling sad about that, emo only cos we have so few days really together talking so i was a bit acting weird now). Okay, back to topic, next reason is that i was amazed by the outer architecture of the building and the last time i went which is my first visit, everything is so huge and nice. Therefore i decided to go there with susan again. She also like that place. I know maybe i am a bit biased as i know there are a lot of complains by the public regarding this mall. I guess i can't comment much cause, i didn't use the lift, it was a bit dusty but i didn't felt tht bad cause i thought it is new maybe its like that, the mobile line reception was bad, but it doesn't affect me much. The aircon was cold, i like it, some places are warmer, i am okay. Overall i love the shops there, it is so spacious, plus there are a lot of shops that i never seen before (hmm can't name it now though, bad memory).

It was quite unlucky of us when we reached the lrt station, cause some guy say the shuttle bus just come once a day, i was like huh? LOL and a bit shocked. With a little disbelief i went to ask another bus driver, then he told me that there is a shuttle bus to paradigm mall, and it is coming. Okay we wait. while waiting we need to go toilet, the funny thing is that there is only toilet in the lrt. So how all these people went into the toilet without buying tickets? seriously amazing, then only one person tell us that ask the station in charge then we will know. OH, we need to use touch n go for toilet? hahaha. These people arh, don't tell us straight, made us go up and down and asked thousand of people. Can't they just tell us how to go about in getting the only toilet. We like spending time searching for toilet OUTSIDE where there is no toilet at all.
After that, when the bus came, i was really shocked to hear that the bus will move only at 2pm. Seriously, i waited for some time, and u tell me that? haha, actually its not his fault, when we reached paradigm mall, it is clearly stated that he having break until 2 pm. Sorry sir! but it is frustrating when you can't get transport mah.
So in the end, we take normal bus to the paradigm mall, apparently there are two bus going there and you need to pay one dollar.

We took a photo of us while walking, it was kind of hard cause our hands are short. guess what? the picture look like it is taken by susan right? but its NOT! haha fool you all, it was hold by me put press by susan, hmmm maybe i was exaggerating a bit, she did press the little button, so she still count as taking the picture for the three of us.

 In there, we ate kenny rogers and tong pak fu because i got vouchers. however, u know how clever am i, i forgot to take the voucher out before the waitress keyed in the bill. Just wondering la, if already key in cannot cancel and give me my 10 % discount, it is not like i went off and come back to ask for the discount, why cannot be done? hai~ it is just me winding around about the service there. anyway we enjoyed the food there, but we didn't eat too full cause we going for chatime (where susan have buy one free one card). Then we went to tong pak fu and use my voucher (10 % discount too). I guess the cashier didn't realised that the voucher only can be used in midvally outlet. hmm i fooled him? actually not really la, cause i only remembered when i stepped out the shop. Guess it is not fool gua.

 Next to the toilet, since it is new, i guess the signboards were not up yet (but it should be if not they shouldn't open). Susan's mom was very cute, she asked me, what sign is this? guy or gal? haha. I was also into the mood of explaining, i guess it is gal gua because this should be her skirt eh. It is quite difficult to differentiate if you think properly, the gal is just have a wider bottom and the guy picture is straight from the top to the bottom. It is like the toilet is separated into fat and thin people. LOL. My imagination run wild again. Pardon me.

 We didn't took much photo during our shopping and eating, but when we are waiting for the FREE shuttle bus, we took some pictures while hanging around brand outlet and vincci! Overall we have an awesome day together.
Bon voyage Susan and Susan's Mom. Love you and Miss You all!

Cooking is complex!

 Okay i never cook such flavour and tasty food in life before so this can be considered as my first attempt in cooking these two dish. hmm, it come out quite good although the looks of it is not that satisfying but it is very tasty thanks to all the sauces i use. I guess my sis find my cooking either too salty or no taste at all so she ask me to use a cook book. But i told her the reason why these two weeks my food have extreme flavour is because i change my original salt. apparently this salt is too salty as compared to the last time where it look so much bigger and this so fine which tempts me to put more. So yea, this is why i choose to follow recipe this time, no need to think just follow the recipe!

 It looks simple but it is quite tiring in terms of preparation and cooking at the same time. Maybe next time i should study the recipe first before cooking. My Sis just so happen to choose the recipe and we straight go to buy the ingredients and started cooking. How Spontaneous is that? So i was so busy in the kitchen figuring how everything can come into place. At first i thought i don't have flour so i didn't use flour and so the second dish doesn't comes out well after frying the meat.

New Sauce in the House

 Welcome My two new sauce to my family. The Worcestershire sauce and the concentrated chicken stock. hmm, so many sauces now. I wanted to buy smaller bottles and apparently carrefour do not provide that so i was so called "being forced" to buy the bigger packaging one. They might go into waste if i didn't cook that often. I guess the chance is high cause i only cook during the weekends when my sis are back in town. So sauces, be patient, you guys will be with me for a very very long time.

Beef

 Beef. hmm, apparently this not so good shaped beef is cheaper and so it is hard for me to cook since it is not flat. All Well, since we are poor and yet want to eat good food, have to compliant and shall not complain. And stupid me, why didn't i cut them into half and least it will be much easier to cook. In the end, It is like 70 percent cooked and 30 percent raw. haha, it tasted still good though, just that my sis prefer it to be fully cooked.

Chicken Fillet

 So here comes the chicken. It is much more complicated as it need to be marinated then fry and then cook in the sauce. I hate frying in my place cos the fire cannot be control properly so it is hard for me to follow recipes that says cook them in low heat then in high heat. It seems slightly like mission impossible. Plus, my stupid brain forgot that i still have flour and mix them together causing the meat too look not crispy at all unlike the picture in the book.

Garlic & Onion

So Garlic and Onion, basic items for cooking. Actually doesn't need onion, as it is for decoration, a bit wasting my money as i am currently a bit broke state. Plus the onion seems to be mutated a bit cause in the middle it have the skin exactly like the outside just that it is wet cause it situated between layers where it has moisture. So eww when i separated the good part and the so called skin part ( i removed it because i doubt that it can be eaten)

Pepper

 Pepper that is stolen from Mcdonald's. Starting to like pepper when we started to bake wash potatoes. Since we need to cook steak, so we grab a bundle of them from Mcd. Sorry Mcd and Thank you for sponsoring we the money crisis fellow, pepper!

Steak With Mushroom Sauce

 Tadah! My product! The First one is called " Steak with Mushroom Sauce"
It looked a bit weird because, first our steak is small in size and mushroom seems to over take the steak by a bit. The taste is good but i think i put a little bit more of the concentrated chicken stock which made it a little bit more salty.

Peking Chicken

Nice Dish name called the Peking Chicken. Taste Awesome but just that it doesn't look crispy and it is without the sesame seeds if you compared to the picture in the recipe.

Steak with Mushroom

All in all, i guess i need more practice in terms of cooking.