April 5, 2006
Went bowling in the morning with Miki and Un Jin. I noticed I left my battery for my camera at home when I was about to take a picture with Ronald McDonald. It was such a pity, since I scored my highest in bowling history ever: 95! (Actually, the existence of the second pin to the right in row 2 could not register by the counter, so I always scored an extra point on the first turn of each round, no matter how many gutter balls I rolled.)

April 5th also happened to be my grandma's (¥¤¥¤) 87th birthday. What made this occasion interesting was that we went somewhere else, away from a specific restaurant we always go to when not eating at home--or at least I don't recall an occasion in Taiwan where we ate elsewhere while eating outside. (I'm emphasizing in the repetitive nature and not in the quality of food by the way. Going to a certain place frequently can dilute the overall appeal despite quality sometimes.)

Pics of my Grandma's Birthday:
Viewing: http://www.csie.ntu.edu.tw/~b90108/xanga/grandma86
Downloading: http://www.csie.ntu.edu.tw/~b90108/xanga/grandma86/images

April 4, 2006
Went to Wu Lai with Aya, Hiro, Patrick, and Taka. There was a mix of moderate haze, scorching heat, and high humidity, which did not provide the best of lighting conditions for taking pictures. Wu Lai is somewhat tourist-oriented, but be prepared to do a lot of walking (if you know where to go specifically). Particular features that stood out were the waterfalls, mountains, and hot springs that were prominent in many parts along the journey.

For dinner we went to Watami at Chong Xiao Dun Hua. The food and atmosphere in Watami are similar to Dozo, though the composition of how they placed seating arrangements is more restaurant-oriented. Mina tricked me saying they didn't order sashimi--only to let me later choose the first pickings. I love sashimi!

Wu Lai Pics:
Viewing: http://www.csie.ntu.edu.tw/~b90108/xanga/wulai/
Downloading: http://www.csie.ntu.edu.tw/~b90108/xanga/wulai/images
Note: Think I wasn't paying to the quality control settings during image conversion..

April 3, 2006
Overall, Jiu Fen (¤E¥÷) was a fun change in scenery, away from the usual romps in Taipei. Went with Terry, Natasha, and Jeff. The area can be described as a somewhat rural, mountainous suburbia with a Chinatown feel (the one in San Francisco). The foods I've tried generally have a distinct saltiness all at inexplicably affordable prices. The tea shops are relaxing, culturally blending Jiu Fen with distinct aromas (well, the coal burning method for brewing tea stood out in particular). Tea shops vary widely in price plans and atmosphere, so it is advisable to ask before you stay.

Jiu Fen Pics:
Viewing: http://www.csie.ntu.edu.tw/~b90108/xanga/jiufen/
Downloading: http://www.csie.ntu.edu.tw/~b90108/xanga/jiufen/images
Note: Some pics not shown.

April 1st, 2006
A friend treated us to dinner that night, which I didn't fully realize until going to the actual dinner. (¦pªG§A¦³¨Ó, °O±o­n±q§Ú³o¸Ì®³·Ó¤ù³á!) The restaurant was unique in that your meal was completely determined by the people working there. The Italian food served comes nowhere close to being authentic, but if you don't mind Taiwanese Italian food, there's nothing much to complain about.