A Rainy Day in Shibuya and Harajuku (Part 2)

Forty years of deliciousness.

Takeshita Street

The modest Harajuku Station.

Map of Harajuku — click to englarge
Source

After visiting Meiji Shrine, I made my way deeper into Harajuku to have lunch and do some shopping. Of course, I spent quite a bit of time on the well-known Takeshita Street, which is right across the way from the small, humble Harajuku Station.

As it was rainy, cold, and not peak tourist season, Takeshita Street wasn't unbearably crowded, though there were quite a few people. There are several shops on the street where you can buy some of the latest Japanese fashions for cheap, or eat a yummy meal. 

Marion Crepes

Part of the yummy sweet and savory selections.

Although there is a wide variety of cute, interesting eateries on Takeshita Street, a stroll down Harajuku's most popular lane would arguably be incomplete without a visit to the well-known Marion Crepe, which has been in business for nearly 40 years—quite impressive!

Unlike Western-style crepes, Japanese crepes (which, in terms of style and fillings, are more or less identical to Taiwanese crepes often seen in night markets) are hand-held, cone shaped treats. Like their Western counterparts, Japanese crepes can be sweet or savory, but the combinations solidly deviate from the original treat (i.e., pizza and cheesecake...yes, a crepe with a piece of cheesecake in it!)

I visited Marion Crepe for lunch a few hours after a small breakfast, so I was hungry by the time I made my way there. At any given time, they offer tens of flavors, some of which are limited or seasonal. Generally, I don't like super sweet food—especially on an empty stomach—so I choose one of their snack crepes, which are savory and perfect for a lunch on the go.

Restaurant Review: Marukame Udon, Waikiki

Source

Sluuurp!

The Waikiki area of Honolulu is notoriously expensive. If you're staying or spending the day in Waikiki, you'll be hard-pressed to find delicious, affordable food. As Waikiki was home-base during my trip to Hawaii, I did research on good eats in the area with a reasonable price tag. Based on the rave online reviews and my experiences, I believe Marukame Udon is the undisputed winner in that category!

For almost five years, Marukame Udon has been serving up the best bowl of thick, chewy Japanese-style wheat noodles or udon（うどん）in Waikiki. The noodles are made fresh to order; in fact, thanks to the restaurant's open kitchen, you can watch the chefs make them as you wait in line!

Anchorage Farmer's Market

The Anchorage Farmer's Market grounds.

My mom buying fresh fruit.

The Anchorage Farmer's Market is located in the downtown area of the city and is open every Saturday between 9 am and 2 pm. Although the market isn't large, there are a wide variety of goods available, especially food and crafts.

On the day my parents and I visited, it was warm out by Alaska standards, but certainly not ours. It was kind of awkward being the only people in long sleeves and scarfs, but Alaskans seem to be acclimated to temperatures below 60F (15C) in the summer.

Ameyoko (アメ横): A Sweet Tooth's Paradise

Ameyoko's North Entrance.

Source

On my first full day in Tokyo, I visited Sensõji Temple, Kappabashi, Ueno, and Tokyo Character Street. Aside from the large Ueno Park, I believe Ameyoko（アメ横）is the most well-known tourist spot in the Ueno area. From Asakusa, I walked to Ueno, then took the train from Okachimachi to Tokyo Station.

A man selling chocolate and other candies.

On day 1, I was out and about for nearly half the day. Unfortunately, somewhere between Kappabashi and Ueno, my portable charger and wi-fi device both died! As a result, I was unable to send pictures and videos on my phone to my Dropbox, and my phone was too full to take pictures. So, I was left with my cheap, nearly decade old point-and-shoot...which also ran out of batteries! Thankfully, I was able to score new ones from the Yodobashi Camera (an electronic store chain) close to Ueno Station.

Ameya-Yokochõ（アメヤ横丁）—Ameyoko for short—is situated along the metro tracks between Ueno and Okachimachi stations. It used to be a marketplace for goods from America （america; アメリカ） right after WWII; however, these days Ameyoko sells discounted clothes, street food, dried goods, and sweets. Candy is a popular item sold in the area, and I doubt you can find it cheaper in any other part of Tokyo.

Resturant Review: Carpe Diem Tearoom

The quaint interior. We came at a slower time.

Their decorative napkin.

As my friend was in charge of the Brugge leg of our short Western Europe trip, and she was fully responsible for our reservation at the lovely Fort Lapin, I wasn't worried when she suggested we have afternoon tea and Belgian waffles at Carpe Diem tearoom. Of course, there are several places in Brugge for a tea date or Belgian waffles; however, Carpe Diem tearoom is one of the best as shown by their high online reviews. Therefore, I was excited about are visit. What better place to try a Belgian waffle than in Belgium, right?

Kappabashi-dori (合羽橋): A Foodie's Dream

Kappabashi street sign.

Whether you own a restaurant somewhere in Tokyo and need a few items to run your business properly or are a foodie who loves to collect beautiful dishes and utensils with which to eat and present your creations, Kappabashi-dori or Kitchen Town is the place for you! However, if you aren't a chef, entrepreneur, or self-proclaimed foodie, you might still find Kappabashi-dori interesting due to the sheer volume of goods related to the restaurant and food preparation businesses present there. I cooking and food styling are my hobbies, so Kappabashi-dori was high on my must-visit list.

Source

Seven Uniform seems to be the
biggest uniform shop on the street.

While many of the businesses in the area are on Kappabashi St., Kitchen Town actually extends to several of the alleys that branch off from the main road. On foot, it's about 15 to 20 minutes away from Sensō-ji Temple（浅草寺）in Asakusa（浅草）. There are many interesting shops in Kitchen Town, but an exploration of the area only needs about one hour.

The jury seems to still be out on how Kappabashi received it's name. It either comes from the word kappa（合羽） or raincoats as people on the street used to hang them out of their windows, or Kihachi Kappaya （合羽屋喜八）, a merchant led the efforts to build the Shinhorikawa River. However, the shop owners of Kitchen Town agree that the mythical Kappa creature is the mascot of the area, and the animal is seen in several locations on the street.

A Day on Cijin Island

Departing from Kaohsiung's mainland.
This mom and her kids were adorable.

When my dad and I went to Kaohsiung, he let me be the "tour guide". Although I'd never been to Kaohsiung, I was the one who created our schedule. It wasn't difficult, yet I wasn't sure whether or not all the places I chose would be enjoyable. As everyone knows, a person may like a place that another dislikes. However, as Kaohsiung has a different atmosphere to Taipei, I felt we would enjoy most of our stops

The Kaohsiung MRT map.
Source

Before we went to Kaohsiung, I thought Cijin Island was just an island community and not included in Kaohsiung City, but it's actually one of the city's districts. Through my research, I also discovered Cijin Island is a well-known tourist attraction. Many people have commented on the beauty and the fact that it is a fun place to visit, and after visiting myself I agree with those sentiments. Aside from swimming, there are many activities to enjoy on the island, which was important to me because I don't like swimming. Actually, I can't swim...

Cijin Island is also an easy place to access. Ride the Kaohsiung MRT to Sizihwan Station （四子灣站） then check the guide map and look for "Gushan Ferry Pier"（鼓山輪渡站）. It only takes about 10 minutes to walk to the station. You'll see the long line of people before you spot the pier!

While the line for Cijin Island is long, it moves fast and takes only about 10 minutes to board the ferry. If you have a bicycle or motorbike, you can take it on the boat. The ferry doesn't accommodate cars, but I'm sure there is port for car riders.

一天在旗津島上

離開的時間。媽媽跟兩孩子太可愛了。

我跟我爸去高雄的時候，他讓我當導遊。雖然我也沒有去過高雄了，我們的日程由我安排。安排每天的日程對我不太難，但是我不知道要是每個地方會給我們好的印象。大家知道，一個人喜歡的地方可能是別人很不喜歡。

高雄捷運地圖。
Source

我們去高雄前，我覺得旗津島就是一個在島上的村，沒有納入高雄。旗津島其實高雄的區之一。我也發現旗津島是很有名的旅遊景點，很多人說又美麗又很好玩的地方。我同意。除了游泳以外，旗津島有很多活動你可以享受，這對我很重要以為我不喜歡游泳。

旗津島也很容易取數。就道捷運四子灣站，然後在捷運站的地圖找 “鼓山輪渡站”。走到碼頭就要十分鐘，你會先看到很多人排隊，然後看到碼頭！

雖然去旗津島的線很長，可是之要等差不多十分鐘。如果你有自行車或摩托車你也可以在鼓山輪渡站上船。輪渡放不下車，應該有別輪渡站對車子合適。

Honolulu: My General Impressions

The view of Honolulu from the
Diamond Head crater.

I am going to be brutally honest in this post. I think Honolulu is, albeit beautiful, one of the saddest places I have ever visited.

Western imperialism and its depressing results have left deep scares on the city. I use the term "Western" because it is clear that the Hawaii is in no way, shape, or form a Western island, although it has been part of the United States for over 50 years. The atmosphere in Hawaii is so different it may as well be a different country. Wait—it was before.

Queen Lili'uokalani
Source

The Hawaiian kingdom was overthrown in part by the American Dole Food Company, which was founded by Samuel B. Dole, Hawaii's president after the coup d'etat that overthrew Hawaii's last monarch, Queen Lili'uokalani. Although she attempted to have a say in the new government before the coup, she was ultimately silenced and essentially shutout from molding the future of her own land. Why? Long story short, Dole and the United States were money-hungary and wanted to rape Hawaiian land for all they could get. (Thanks Dole Food Company. I'll stick with Turbana).

Hawaii's unfortunate history aside, did I generally enjoy my time in Hawaii? No. Why? Because of the melancholy.

Once you leave Waikiki, the degradation, homelessness, and destitute nature of the area is obvious. The natives have been pushed to the edge of the island due to insane property costs, and big companies as well as rich folks from the Mainland are beginning to buy up a lot of the land. By the time I left Hawaii, I felt guilty for vacationing there and indirectly promoting the marginalization of the people. (Granted, the trip was my dad's idea, not mine. I've honestly never been keen on visiting Hawaii).

Good luck if you plan on vacationing in Hawaii. Most activities are overpriced, and food is quite costly as well. Parking is hell, so don't rent a car. My dad and I found ourselves either driving around, walking about aimlessly, or eating cheap food. I think hiking in Diamond Head and visiting the Hawaii State Art Museum were the highlights of our trip. After all, those activities cost us $1 and nothing respectively, but I genuinely enjoyed those two stops. Oh, and we fell in love with eating at Marukame Udon.

Sensō-ji Temple（浅草寺）: Recreation + Religion

In front of the main gate, Kaiminarimon（雷門）
with a big chōchin （提灯）or lantern.

A map of my Day 1 walking tour.
Source

The impressive handiwork
under Kaiminarimon's lantern.

Traveling is like a drug to me. I seemingly have unlimited energy when I'm on a trip because I want to see everything. Although it's not possible to see all the main sites in Tokyo during one short trip, I packed my days as much as I could, yet I ended up crashing on the fifth day, and aside from going to Tsukiji Fish Market, I did nothing but walk around the neighborhood where I stayed, buy a pair of cute socks at the grocery store, and sleep! However, my first full day in Tokyo heavily contrasted my fifth; I went to the Tokyo Skytree area, Asakusa, Kappbashi, Ueno, and Tokyo Station Character Street! Furthermore, I footed it from Tokyo Skytree to Okamachi Station（岡町駅）and took in all the alleys and neighborhoods in between, then hopped on the train to Tokyo Station. That day, I walked for around eight hours. Maybe I'm a little crazy, but I love walking, what can say?

Sensō-ji Temple's famous
five-story pagoda（五重塔; gojūnotō）

Many of the areas I passed through on my first day in Tokyo deserve their own posts; this one focuses on Sensō-ji Temple（浅草寺）in Asakusa（浅草）.

Along with Meiji Shrine（明治神宮）, I think Sensō-ji Temple—also known as Kinryū-zan Sensō-ji （金龍浅草寺）—is one of the most famous temples in Tokyo. While both shrines are well-known, they are associated with different religions, Shintoism and Buddhism, respectively. Additionally, Sensō-ji Temple is the older of the two. By how much? Well, Sensō-ji Temple was originally founded in 645, and Meiji Shrine was constructed in 1920—you do the math!

Sensō-ji Temple is dedicated to Avalokiteśvara; two brothers supposedly saw a statue of the bodhisattva in the Sumida River near the location of the current shrine. The temple was bombed during World War II and subsequently rebuilt, thus the shrine also symbolizes rebirth.

Wangfujing's "Taiwan Great Food Street"//王府井的“台灣美食街

夜市招牌跟台灣地圖。
The night market sign with a map of Taiwan.

夜市大門口。
The night market main entrance.

我不知道誰決定王府井的夜市應該命名“台灣美食街”；王府井的食物跟在台灣夜市的不太一樣啊！好，說實在的，台灣美食街有一些在台灣可以找到的食物，但是大部分不是台灣式的。我2011年參觀王府井的夜市，所以從那時到現在應該改變了吧。

I don't know who decided Wangfujing's night market should be named "Taiwan Great Food Street". The food there and Taiwanese night market fare is not that similar! Granted, Taiwan Great Food Street has some of the same food you can find in Taiwan, but most of it isn't Taiwanese-style. However, I went there in 2011, so it must have changed since then.

烤肉
Kebab meat

去王府井不是我們班的實地考察之一，就是去過中國一次的同學陪我們去。王府井對我很有意思因為人觀看是我的興趣之一。因為王府井很有名，所以很熱鬧的地方。到了夜晚，商店仍然象白天一樣，非常熱鬧。到周末好像北京人都去王府井以的。

Going to Wangfujing wasn't a field trip arranged for our class, a classmate who had been to China before led some of us there. Before I went to Wangfujing, I didn't know what to expect. Wangfujing is interesting in my opinion because people-watching is one of my hobbies. Because Wangfujing is very famous, it's a bustling place. At night, the stores are still teeming with people as they are in the daytime. 

Brugge: My General Impressions

Brugge is absolutely picturesque.

Hanging out with some swans.

While I planned most of the Cologne leg of our trip, it was my friend's idea that we visit Brugge, Belgium. I admit - before she brought the idea up I had never heard of the town which is located in the Flemish region of Belgium. Like most folks, Brussels was the first city that came to mind when I thought of Belgium. However, my friend sent me information about the town when we were planning our trip, and as I looked at pictures of it, I was immediately hooked! Although it isn't as bustling as Brussels, Brugge is absolutely worth a visit as it's incredibly aesthetically pleasing. In fact, the city center is rightfully designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nearly every section of the town offers lovely views and architecture from a time before ours. Brugge is often compared to Venice due to it's large number of canals, and the old cobblestone streets in the city center give visitors ample opportunity to stroll along the waterways. 

Resturant Review: Bei Oma Klienmann

Bei Oma Klinemann's unassuming exterior.
Source

Our first round.
It was my first time drinking beer!

My friend and I were privileged to be in Cologne during the World Cup match between Ghana and Germany. I knew I wanted to watch the game at a nice bar or pub like most of the residents of the city. In fact, game day appeared to be a holiday. Shops closed early and people took the streets singing fight songs and enjoying beer hours before the match began.

Before we arrived in Germany, I planned ahead of time and looked for a good pub where we could enjoy the game. When browsing Google Maps, I came across Bei Oma Klinemann. Conveniently for us, I discovered the pub is also known for its schnitzel, the quintessential German comfort food. We definitely wanted to try schnitzel while in Germany, so going to Bei Oma Klinemann was a no-brainer. 

I made reservations for us through email on their website. When we arrived, we discovered our reservation was lost, but the issue was quickly resolved and we were seated at a table marked "reserved".

Tokyo Station Bento//東京站的飯盒

A typical Tokyo Station bentō shop.
典型的日式飯盒店。

(I want to write some of my posts in Chinese and English. If I write anything incorrectly, please tell me!)

(我想用中文跟英文寫一些我的博客文章。如果我寫錯的話，請告訴我！)

If you want to buy a lunchbox (bentō; 弁当) at Tokyo Station you have many choices! Do you love to eat beef? Are you vegetarian? Do you eat seafood, but not meat? Do you like a lot of rice in your lunchbox? No problem, you will definitely find a lunchbox that suits you at Tokyo Station. There are cheap and expensive ones, but they're all appetizing.

如果你想在東京站買飯盒（bentō; 弁当）你會有很多很多選擇！你是愛吃牛肉的人？吃素？吃海鮮可是沒喜歡吃肉？喜歡很多米飯在你的飯盒裡面？沒關係，你在東京站一定會找到合適你的飯盒。有便宜的，有貴的，但是都很開胃的。

Every time I see Japanese-style lunchboxes (especially the expensive ones) I think, "How special!" In my opinion, each lunchbox is like a work of art. According to Japanese custom, chefs have to consider which vegetables have beautiful colors because a traditional Japanese lunchbox must be colorful. Also, they have to carefully choose the right cooking method (grill, fry, boil, etc.) because after vegetables and meat are cooked they often change color. Chefs also have to consider which foods complement the lunchbox's shape. Naturally, chefs cannot messily put the food into the lunchboxes, they have to plan which placement of the food is the most beautiful. However, I think these guidelines only relate to expensive bentō boxes (1000 yen or so upwards).

每次看到日本式的飯盒（常常是不便宜的）我想，“好特別喔！” 在我的看法，每個飯盒跟藝術品一樣。說到做日式的飯盒，廚師們要想哪個青菜有美麗的顏色因為按日本的習俗，飯盒要包括幾种顏色。再說，他們要小心地選做法（烤，炒，熬，等等）因為做青菜和肉以後它們常常變得別的顏色。廚師們也要考慮哪個食物對飯盒的形狀最合適。當然，廚師不可以亂亂得放食物在飯盒，它們要計劃食物的放置讓飯盒很漂亮。但是，我覺得那些概念關於貴的飯盒（差不多1000日幣多）。

Lunchboxes from connivence stores aren't particularly made with color or organization in mind, but many connivence stores have their own special lunchboxes (e.g., healthy, made with local ingredients, seasonal, etc.)

便利店的飯盒不太管顏色和放置，可是很多便利店有它們自己的特別飯盒（健康的，有當地食品的，時令的，等等)。

Below is a video about Japanese lunchboxes.

下面有關於日式飯盒的視頻（英文的，沒有中文字幕）。

Tsukiji Fish Market (築地市場)

The main avenue leading to the market.

I have to say, my visit to Tsukiji Fish Market was a partial failure!

This gate belongs to Namiyoke Inari Shrine (波除稲荷神社),
The temple is hundreds of years old and the market was
built around it, thereby leaving it intact.

You see, my plan was to go to bed early the day before I planned to visit, wake up at around 2am, and grab a taxi to the market in order to sign up to see the auctions which take place in the 5 o'clock hour and end in the 6 o'clock hour. Tons of tourists would like to watch the auctions, yet there is not enough room in the market for the crowds. Therefore, only 120 people are allowed into the market per day. Luckily it's free, but you must get there extremely early in the morning to secure a place in either the 5:25 am to 5:50 am group or 5:50 am to 6:15 am group; 60 visitors are allowed to enter the market during each block of time.

Unfortunately, I came back to my apartment late the day before, so I woke up too late to sign up for the free tour. What a bummer! Fortunately, I still got out of bed early enough to catch the hustle and bustle at the market.

Tsukiji Fish Market is easily accessible. Simply take the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line to Tsukiji Station. Luckily, I was only two stops away (Kayabacho Station was 10 minutes from my apartment). The Tsukiji Fish Market is listed on the exit directory. I remember there is a Denny's restaurant adjacent to the correct exit. You'll simply have to walk north away from Denny's for almost 10 minutes until you see the market on your left.

Hidden Gem: Ansen Patisserie

Ansen's unassuming signage.

I discovered Ansen Patisserie inadvertently while watching one of my favorite NHK World programs, Begin Japanology. The show is hosted by music critic and DJ Peter Barakan (ピーター　バラカン). (I use his Japanese language radio show Barakan Beat to practice listening). Each episode of Begin Japanology focuses on a specific aspect of Japanese culture. I watched the episode about bread (which can be found on the left) just days before taking off for Tokyo. 

Ansen bakery is close to Nishi-Ogikubo Station.
Follow the main road and look out for it
on your right.

Since I have IBS, additives and other chemicals irritate my digestive system and can cause painful reactions which last for days. Additives and processed ingredients like margarine oftentimes found in bread and pastries irritate my stomach but are common in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese-style bread (I have learned the hard way). So, I had concluded I wouldn't be eating bread in Tokyo, but Begin Japanology changed my mind with the snippet on Ansen Patisserie where all the bread and pastries are made by hand without additives.

The bakery is located in a quiet Nishiogikubo (西荻窪) district neighborhood. The area is easily accessible through the JR Chuo Line (rapid service) or Chuo-Sobu Line, which I took since I went on a weekend. By foot, bakery is a couple minutes west of Nishi-Ogikubo Station.

Liuhe Night Market (六合夜市)

The night market sign.

Liuhe Night Market (liuhe yeshi; 六合夜市) is not only the most popular night market in Kaohsiung, but it is arguably one of the best-known tourists attractions in the city. Open from 5pm to 6am (!), the market offers a wide variety of foods to try, especially seafood. Naturally, like the majority of night markets in Taiwan, items like toys and clothes are also for sale in the market. 

Accessing the Liuhe Night Market isn't complicated; simply take the MRT to Formosa Boulevard Station (meili dao zhan;美麗島站) and consult the exit guide to determine where the market is located. It's less than a five minute walk from the station. Luckily, my dad and I were staying down the street from Formosa Boulevard Station so we didn't have to ride the train to get to the market. 

When it comes to food, Dad isn't as adventurous as I am. Therefore, we ate dinner at out hotel before going to the night market in case he didn't see anything appealing enough to try. I had eaten too, but of course I saved enough room to indulge at the market. My infatuation with food is undying. ;)

Seafood is king at this night market,
but it comes at a hefty price...

My favorite thing about Liuhe Night Market was that there were several snacks on sale there that I hadn't seen in other markets. Also, the market was clean and organized - certainly a big plus. 

Still, as the market is strongly geared toward tourists, several items were overpriced. A small portion of BBQ squid which is usually seen for around 50NT was 100NT at Liuhe Night Market! Often times, you can buy three portions of BBQ squid for 100NT. I allowed myself to try a few snacks, but I skipped several dishes due to the unfair pricing.

Tokyo: My General Impressions

Me in Odaiba, Tokyo with Rainbow Bridge in the background.

The grand Tokyo Skytree, completed in 2012.

Recently, I took my first solo trip. Location: Tokyo, Japan. Although I spent only six days there, Tokyo has officially become my favorite city in Asia so far.

While planning my trip, many people told me going to Tokyo would be a waste of time as it is very similar to Taipei, where I currently live. Indeed, the Taiwanese do borrow several elements of Japanese pop culture (e.g., the Taiwan Hello Kitty craze), and both are bustling cities with many skyscrapers, restaurants, shopping streets, etc. Nevertheless, for years I have wanted to go to Tokyo and see the city for myself. Admittedly, when I was a kid, I wanted to go to Japan because I was an avid anime fan. Yet my teenage and later adult self who was (and is) highly interested in other aspects of Japanese culture (e.g., the Showa era, especially kayōkyoku; cuisine) wanted to experience Japan firsthand.

As I explored the options of where to go in the city, I became increasingly excited about my 3-hour hop from Taipei to Tokyo. Additionally, the trip was a gift to myself for my 25th birthday. What better way to celebrate turning a quarter century and surviving through my thesis defense and two jobs for the past six months? These days, I love to spend most of my money on experiences - especially travel and food - rather than things, so a trip to Tokyo was a no-brainer.

I decided to stay in an apartment in Kōtō-ku or Kōtō City, a small special ward in eastern Tokyo. My accommodation was small and cheap (less than $50/night) as it was not in the city center. Nonetheless, my apartment was clean and the view from my window of the Sumida River was absolutely priceless! I was barely "at home" during my stay, but when I was I loved to watch people running along the river and the boats passing by. Plus, you can see Tokyo Skytree clearly from Kōtō.

The Sumida River.

Cologne: My General Impressions

Right outside Cologne's busiest station.

On the train to Cologne!

A  display about German
World Cup uniforms.

Cologne is now by far one of my favorite cities. The people, the landscape, the sites...everything was awesome, particularly the people and atmosphere. Americans often stereotype Germans as being extremely stern and proper, the sort of people who aren't able to cut loose and have a good time or carry on a lighthearted conversation with a stranger. However, like most stereotypes, I don't believe that is the reality. The Germans I encountered were friendly, accommodating, and clearly loved to have a good time. I would describe the environment in Cologne as tremendously warm.

In my opinion, Germans have a "work hard, play hard" mentality. Everyone appeared to fall into their roles effortlessly by day, yet when evening time came, especially during the weekend, everyone seemed to be out having a good time. 

Paris: My General Impressions

A statue of Joan of Arc

This summer, I went to Europe and visited three cities in three countries: Paris, France; Cologne, Germany; and Brugge, Belgium). I saw a plethora of interesting sights, encountered many nice people, and made several memories. I am going to recount all of my experiences here on my blog, starting with Paris as I spent most of my time there.

I have to say, I'm an extremely lucky person. During my first year in Taiwan, I met my friend Sica from France through a message board about living in Taiwan. She happened to be interning in the French department at the same school I attend. From day one we hit it off nicely, and I promised I'd visit her in France. After working hard and saving up, I was glad to have the opportunity to take the trip. Staying with a friend was not only nice for my wallet but soothing for my heart as I was comfortable the entire time and could follow someone who knows Paris like the back of their hand.

June 2014

June 2001

My first trip to Paris was in 2001 when I was 11. It was a funny trip as my dad I had only three days there and no plans or contacts. We had no clue where to go, what to see, where to eat, etc. Therefore, the highlight of our trip was seeing the Eiffel Tower and riding on a crappy tour bus. I remember I enjoyed it though as it was one of the legs of my first trip overseas (London, England and Lagos, Nigeria were the other stops on the trip). Naturally though, this year's return trip to Paris was significantly better. Seeing the city with adult eyes was markedly different in a positive way.