Published January 6, 2013 | 
Taipei 101 holds some of the renowned and high-end fashion brands in the world. This floor that I tend to ignore for at least few hours is screaming for a runway show waiting to happen.
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Louis Vuitton
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Burberry
I love those balloons on their display.
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And here’s the most dramatic entrance I’ve ever seen in any stores… Prada.
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Macappleboy
Posted in Burberry, Fashion, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Taipei, Taipei 101, Taiwan, Travel | 
Leave a commentPublished January 6, 2013 | It was my last day in Taipei when I decided to have another Tourist duty and visit the has been – Taipei 101.
Taipei 101 was considered as the tallest building in the world until 2010 when she surpassed by Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
I left the hotel around 8AM and bought my morning coffee from Starbucks across the street. Strolled around the city before taking the MRT to Taipei City Hall station. Taipei 101 has a dedicated shuttle service at the station but since it was too early to go there and I am in Xinyi Shopping District, I decided to walk along the park going to the building.
Here’s what you can see:
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I stayed for a while outside and took photos of this beauty. It was amazing to see her standing tall in front of you. The contours, the metal architectures, the facade everything seems to be perfect!
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The stores in the mall are still closed so I headed to the elevator which will lead me to the 5th Floor to get my tickets and take the World’s Famous and Fastest Elevator which will bring me to the top of the world.
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This view greeted me upon walking to the ticket counter. It’s pure heaven!
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I decided to ignore the beauty and went straight to the ticket counter.
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You need to pass the photo booth while in line and your photos will be shown repeatedly on all the screens on the wall going to the elevator.
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Taipei 101 holds the Guiness Book of World Records for the fastest ascending elevator designed to run 1010 meters per minute. It took only 37 seconds to lift you for 84 floors.
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The lift will lead you to the 89th floor which will give you 360 degrees view of Taipei. I would encourage everyone to use the recorded guide device while you look over the glass window to learn more about the city and structures around it.
Aside from the view and some exhibits, the floor houses some souvenir shops which showcases a lot. From image figures, photo frames, iPhone cases, wallet, shirts and tumbler logos. They even have a post box that will allow you to send post cards to anywhere in the world.
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I was supposed to get this lovely figure but I forgot on my way down.
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Taipei 101 was built to withstand heavy typhoons, earthquake and strong winds. This was made possible because of the biggest wind damper in the world.
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After few hours of staying at the 89th Floor, I took the stairs to enjoy my tour further. I went to the Outdoor Observatory deck.
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It was a fun filled morning and I’ve learned a lot from this short trip on the second tallest building in the world. I will definitely go back and buy that figure or have a wacky photo taken at the studio they’ve set up on the 89th Floor.
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Macappleboy
Published December 24, 2012 | The Christmas Trees in Hong Kong Winterfest 2012
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HKIA
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K11
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iSquare
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Heritage 1881
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Harbour City Kids
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Lane Crawford
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Harbour City
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Lanvin
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Landmark
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Tiffany Tree
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Ocean Park
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Laduree
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IFC Mall
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IFC Mall
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Disneyland
Macappleboy
Published December 24, 2012 |
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Taiwan is known for Small Eats or what they call Xiao Tze. My first day in Taipei is packed with dining and food to try. So after heating up at Tian Wai Tian, I walked around Ximending to loose off those calories I’ve gained from Mala Hotpot.
Here are some street food I saw in Ximending:
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Steamed Duck/Chicken and veggies
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There’s not much food to find in Ximending as the place was designated for style and fashion so I decided to take the MRT again and head to JianTan station for Shilin Night Market. As soon as I stepped out of the station, I checked out my notes on my phone for the snacks on my list. I was actually worried that I won’t be able to cross out everything on it as I was still full from Tian Wai Tian.
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Shilin I think is a modernized night market in Taipei. I was supposed to be going to Raohe but it’s kind of far from where I am staying and worried of the operating schedule of MRT that I would end up taking cabs.
Upon entering, you will be greeted by so many food offerings.
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Who wants some candied fruits?
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Some freshly baked bread
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Kachang or Freshly squeezed Juice
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Dried Goodies
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Fresh Fruits
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Something Toni would love, Hello Titty Waffle
Now off to the real Night Market side. The far end section gives you some wide variety of Xiao Tze.
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I chanced upon this stall flocked by a group of people lining up to get some of the siopao cooked in charcoal oven. I lined up and ordered 2.
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It was Yum! The bread is crunchy but soft and the pork is peppery and juicy.
I keep on walking along the street and found these white skinned goodie that I never thought would be the star of the night.
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If you’ve ever tasted a Xiao Long Bao, then imagine a giant one and a little ticker skin then you are set. They stuffed the dough with pork and some veggies and cooked it. I ate it the morning after and it’s still good! Just imagine if I ate it right after I bought it, I might’ve been in Cloud 9 at that time. It’s heaven!
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Next is the Hotstarr.
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Since this item is part of my list, I actually made extra effort to look for the stall where they are selling it. Hotstarr is making a huge noise all over the internet for those who have been to Taipei. Most of them are raving on how awesome the chicken is so I cannot miss this opportunity to ever try fried chicken.
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don’t be fooled, lines actually long
Upon ordering, they will pour in some spices or powder on to your chicken and place it in a paper pouch. I’ve ordered 2 but decided to eat it the next morning. Verdict, its good but I won’t not the type that I will be lining up for hours just to get a dose. It’s just an ordinary chicken, fried and drizzled in with some flavorings.
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Some Sausages
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Squid Balls
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Spring Rolls
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There are a lot to try and I missed some of them. I will surely come back to Taipei just to try some of them.
Macappleboy
Published December 16, 2012 | My Food Adventure in Taiwan continues…
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After dropping off my ChiaTe goodies at my hotel room, I went to Ximending to experience what they called a little bit of Harajuku fever. Actually, my goal is to dine at the best Hot Pot place in Taipei called Tian Wai Tian.
Tian Wai Tian is located at No. 76, 2nd floor, Kūnmíng St, Wanhua District. I had difficulty in locating the place as my eyes were all over the happenings in Ximending. Clothes, Food, People, Pop Culture and Japanese Style are everywhere. I had to stop from walking and scan through my iPad to check the exact location and after I found my sanity back, I found the heaven at the second floor of a building near Eslite Department Store.
It was winter when I went to Taiwan so it’s best to have Mala Hotpot or Steamboat.
The place is packed but since I was all alone, the hostess gave me a seat right away. They would be asking you what type of soup you want to have. I asked for the regular one and the Spicy. So while they are setting up my hot pot, I went to the buffet section and took photos and grab the ingredients for cooking.
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My Table
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Some Seafood
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Yes! Unlimited Angus Beef
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Different Types of Noodles
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Seafood Veggies etc
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Drinks – Free flowing beer!
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Who wants some Pomegranate??
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Some Cakes
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All you can eat Haagen Dazs
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Those seafood paste placed on the bamboo is LOVE!
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My Table Setup
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My Hotpot
Good thing I was alone when I went here if not, I might be staying more than the allotted time of 2 hours. They had me with Haagen Dazs alone and to think I’m not fond of ice cream.
Macappleboy