Travel/ Shopping: Time for Soul Searching in Taiwan [Time to Shop // Time for Taiwan - The Butterfly Project x TTBKL]

Dear Diary,

It's here. The day has finally come. I'll be flying off to Taiwan on my own for the first time - my very first solo trip overseas! It feels like a dream, being able to check one more thing off my bucketlist. Yes, I would've gone travelling during the three months break after graduation, before jumping into the working world. But, the circumstances would not allow it. Well, at least this day has finally come. I am feeling scared, nervous as I'm about to board a plane and jet set to another country on my own for the first time. I chose Taiwan as my destination because of its similarity yet vast difference from our culture. I have prepared beforehand and it is not easy to get lost in this country for what I've heard is that the people are really friendly and partial to visitors. Even if I do get lost, it'll be another opportunity to explore new parts of the country, right? After years of seeing my friends, family and even lecturer visit the Heart of Asia, my time has finally come to see, feel and experience it with my own eyes!

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Thank God for a smooth and safe flight. My parents were worried sick about me and you can actually hear the relief in their voice when I landed at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport and called home. Now, to begin my journey of soul searching - and do lots of shopping while we're at it! Hey, I'm a girl and I love shopping, nothing wrong with that right? :D There are so many things to explore in a new country, so many different cultures. I'm hoping to also uncover a gem or two that I can bring home with me, something unique that can't be found in my country.

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Dear diary, it was a giant leap for me today as I plunged right into the heart of Taiwan to start my exploration. I visited the Taipei 101 building, one of the tallest skyscrapers in Taipei which was formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Centre. Fast forward a few years later, this place is a landmark of the city and booming with tourists from all over the world. Everyone must and will visit this place as it is beautiful in the day and at night. I stopped by the Taipei 101 Mall as I couldn't resist the temptation to shop! The first 5 floors consisted of international brands and boutiques and the top floor has many restaurants that has a great view of Taipei below. It's an eye-opener indeed, staring down and looking at the people below like ants. Haha. Stopped by Jason's Market before heading back to the hotel and managed to grab a few Taiwanese delicacies to bring back, including pineapple biscuits and my favourite quail egg! Souvenir shopping for family, done!

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Tonight, I explored Ximending! It's clearly a place for youngsters to hangout and a hip, vibrant feel hung in the air. It is an open air shopping street and I was fortunate because it did not rain. Little food stalls popped up along the street and I managed to sample a few Taiwanese delicacies or street snacks as I wandered around. The best part about this place is that it is a little hideout amidst the bustling urban landscape of Taiwan. There is an "America Street" that mostly sells second-hand clothings. If I had more time, I'd definitely dig for some gems there. Old is gold! :p The clothes here are selling at a much lower price than in malls and in Malaysia so I got my shopping mode ON and bought some appropriate summer clothes for myself and my sister. I imagined that this place would be Heaven for my bf as they do sell basketball merchandises here. I got him a pair of Nike basketball shoes because I know how much he loves the sport!

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On the way back to the hotel, this quaint little shop caught my eye. It looks bigger inside than it did on the outside when I entered. This is 86 Shop. Many girls have adviced me that this is the place to be if you're looking for beauty products! Taiwanese beauty brands are famous worldwide and they have had a huge influence to me, having been a regular mask sheet user and an avid follower of the show "女人我最大". I spotted a few of my fave brands such as Hanaka, Sexylook, Miss Hana, Bevy C and even 3CE from Korea! My eyes couldn't stop wandering at the huge selection and before I knew it, I had a basketful of goodies to bring back home to Malaysia. Now that's what I call a haul! Ah, great place to stock up on beauty products if you ever visit! I also learnt that some Taiwanese convenience stores allow you to send your parcels to their address and you can drop by the stores to collect your parcels. How convenient!

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Today I took the road less taken and dropped by Bellavita Shopping Mall. It is arguably one of Taiwan's finest and most posh shopping mall, a heaven for fashionistas everywhere. It hosts all the top international luxury brands which I can't afford but it doesn't matter because the interior of the mall was so beautiful that it made my visit worth it! Even by just walking around made me feel relaxed and happy as I feasted my eyes on the designer items and gorgeous decor. There's even a fine Michelin Guide restaurant in the mall. Anyone into high-fashion and unique finds would love this place!

Dear diary, today I left Taipei and took a train ride across the countryside to Kaoshiung, another district of Taiwan. Taiwanese love travelling by train and I can see why now. The scenic view of the countryside is gorgeous. It is simply therapeutic to look out the window as the trees rush by and contemplate your life choices. I had a good long thought and couldn't have felt more blessed to be able to experience this while I'm young. This trip, this trip is a much needed-break as I was not fortunate enough to enjoy long vacations during my study years. After slogging it out for years, a getaway like this surely helps to broaden my horizons, gain new knowledge and I'm sure I will go back as a refreshed, more motivated person.

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Finally arrived at my destination - Dream Mall! It is the largest shopping mall in Taiwan. I could never finish shopping here in a day. There are 10 floors in this mall! *jaw drops* The shops and brands range from low to high end and there is something for everyone. No wonder it's so crowded, as it's a great place to be for families and tourists alike. Well, now I can boast that I've shopped in the largest mall in East Asia!

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It's time to leave today. I will miss the beautiful city of Taiwan that has two ends of the spectrum - an impressive urban landscape and a breath-taking countryside. Streets like Shilin and Ximending are little escapes from the busy bustling city life while for total relaxation, the countryside is the place to be. The amazing food, selfless people and deeply-rooted culture is something that I will miss. Not to mention, it's a great place for shopaholics like me to be at as you can shop practically anywhere - from night markets to high-end malls. My journey may not be much of a cultural one but what I took away is that there is so much more of Taiwan to explore and I know that I'll definitely be back for more. This is Taiwan, it always leaves you wanting more.

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This is a visual diary of my made-up trip to Taiwan, my entry for the Butterfly Project x Taiwan Tourism Bureau's blogging contest. Going through all the entries, I feel that I am on the losing end as I have no 'real' photos of the city but what I do have, is my imagination, hence this piece. I feel that more personal posts will have a touch of realness to it that readers enjoy more. This is the closest photo I have to Taiwan, when my bf visited last year and got me some souvenirs.

And yes, shopping is one of the themes of this contest so it's best to stick with the genre I know best, right? Heh. But even in my imagination, I know Taiwan is a beautiful capital that I must visit at least once in my lifetime. You can view more photos of the beautiful country on my previous post HERE, about the Taiwan Travel Fair last weekend. It's also true that everyone around me has visited this country and I'm hoping that it will be my turn soon. If luck would have it and let's say I did win this, I would bring my bf along with me on the trip as our first ever overseas trip together. Also because I can't really read Chinese as well as I speak it XD It's always been a dream of mine to travel the world - wanderlust, they call it. It's been three years since my last trip overseas - you could say I'm not fortunate enough to afford overseas trips each year. There is really a difference in people who travel and people who don't. Travel expands the mind and horizons. You see things from a different perspective, you get lost to find yourself. Hence, I am going to save up for a destination this year that I can go to and really immerse myself in the sights and sounds as I get to know my real self.

Thank you TTBKL and The Butterfly Project for organising this and giving me a chance to find myself!

For more details, log on to:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tbrockl

Website: http://timefortaiwan.tw/en/index.jsp

(English version) (Bahasa version)

Taiwan Travel Fair: https://www.facebook.com/tbrockl/app_920347114676600

If you're a blogger, don't forget to check out The Butterfly Project Beauty Bloggers to see how you can win a trip to Taiwan!

Cheers,

Carinn ♥

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