a TnT vacation.

i have to be honest.

it's hard to be back home in shanghai after such an amazing vacation. shanghai just seems so bland in comparison. so void of life.

i totally fell in love with taiwan, just as i thought i would. can a place i have not seen in so long feel like home? taiwan has been calling me for so very long. this time, i answered.

i also fell in love with my gracious relatives, who renewed my faith in family in a way i never imagined. i am elated that that half of the family, the half i see every 17 years still loves me as dearly and feels just as close to me as they did when i was a small infant still living at my grampa's very old taichung home on Le Ye Lu. it is almost like those 17 years were merely 17 seconds. it's strange how things that seemed so big when you were a child can seem so very small and endearing at the same time. how can i describe the people of taiwan? laidback, genuine, helpful, tolerant and purveyors of fine milk tea boba, i might add. my kind of people, i say. i hope to see my family much more frequently than once every 17 years as long as i am on this side of the globe. my grampa's old street, where they used to have night markets, seemed so different now. things have certainly changed through the years. but some things have not. like my connection with taiwan, as my aunt said.

tokyo is one hell of a place. coming from shanghai, i appreciated certain features of the japanese culture such as basic politeness and courtesy. people line up for everything, they don't take cuts, if u ask for directions, they take u to your destination instead of pointing in a general direction, they say thank you vociferously and bow, they smile and speak to you in japanese even if you cannot understand a word and u just nod to be polite, the streets and subways are generally clean, they sort their trash and if you are caught putting the item in the wrong bin, a policeman will redirect you (happened to me), they use deodorant, they don't stare at white people. the japanese food there is quite a variety and tastes really good, albeit expensive and they charge service charges (which really sucks), the girls look so cute you just want to take one home in ur carry on luggage, people have so much fashion there you would think harajuku is sold out, businessmen love their pachinko slots, they generally do not allow photographs to be taken in facilities but i did anyway, there is so much freakin anime stores, video game stores and vending machines, your head spins, and it is amazingly peaceful amidst the chaos of the big city.

my pictures do not do the vacation justice. but who needs pictures with a memory like mine? :)

Dali and beyond!

my purchase of the day--Stringdoll gang knockoff otherwise known as Voodoo dolls. this one was named Mummy Baby (i think). i love its pose!

i think these sandals are safe. not the china ones that make ur feet fall off.

at first Milan thought the napping guy was part of the props but him not being bronze and all gave him away..

getting in line for the trolley

i hope i never look THIS sad on my wedding day. arranged marriages must suck!

The exhibition “Salvador Dalí in Shanghai” commemorates the 20th anniversary of Dalí’s death and displays the artist in all his glory. Today was the day before the last day of the exhibit presentation. I was stoked as I had been wanting to see his work since I am a fan of surrealism. Milan was also a fan so we went together and not only enjoyed Dali's work, but the Chinese artist Lu Meng's water color paintings, oil paintings, and woodcuts, and an exhibition of really remarkable photographs of different places in China. We couldn't take pictures of the exhibits except of the photograph gallery so I took advantage of it. First, we had lunch at Ajisen Ramen, where I had a bowl of mediocre miso ramen and an oversweet Mango drink. Then Milan helped me buy a phone card so I could recharge my cell phone minutes (the mobile ph company sends me txt msgs constantly, warning me of how low my minutes are, so I will finally relent and recharge) and we avoided having to wait in a line at the mobile ph company office. After a fun day at the museum, where I developed utmost awe and respect for the genius that Dali is, we walked around People's Square where we grabbed some tea, sat at a park, chatted about SH culture, then she introduced me to a replica of SH streets in the 1930s, hidden near the subway, where I bargained for some items, then we went to Raffles City, a huge mall, then walked down to the Foreign Languages Bookstore where I finally found my English version of a Chinese atlas. After that, we ate some chives and pork dumplings at Wu Niang Dumplings then Milan went with me to look for Lithium batteries in the electronic mall and grocery store b/c I did not want to run out on our TnT vacation (Taiwan n Tokyo). I never did find Lithium batteries but will go to Guo Mei tomorrow, the Chinese counterpart to Best Buy. It was a long day full of walking, talking and fun. I got to buy things I wanted and was looking for, even found something I hope a friend will love or at least be amused by, bargained successfully, tried new SH chain food, and saw things that sent goosebumps down my mosquito-bitten arm. It was great. It was a warm muggy day that grew cooler as the day ended. I think I had a great pre-vacation day. I am now ready for the real thing. :)