Biz Trip Taipei - Catching Up In Taipei 2017

Surprise business trip to Taipei to support peak volume for Taipei from 23-April-2017 to 30-April-2017. I was supposed to fly back on 29-April, but I managed to extend my stay one more day as 1-May was a public holiday in Singapore, and since I was already in Taiwan! This was my last trip as a completion of my project there. And it was a very social trip indeed, going out almost every night with different people!

I arrived with my colleague on Sunday 23-April, and we rushed to our hotel and check-in. I made my way to my room and even before I could unpack, the phone rang and the receptionist told me my friends were downstairs waiting for me! So I had to just grab my wallet and off I went to my first dinner with my Taiwanese colleague to a hotpot restaurant. Sadly I don't have any good photos of that, but it was along the road of Daan Station.

I also met up with my colleague KC who was in Taipei with her family for holiday. We went to a tea specialty restaurant for dinner and ordered a set where everything was cooked with one tea or another. Above photo shows the dessert and drinks that came with the set. The tea flavoured cheese cake was awesome. I also had bubble tea while she ordered a more traditional hot tea served in a pot. After the met up, we went for a walk at night and just wondered around.

I also managed to catch up with my ex-bosses from my previous company. I messaged them when I found out they were going to be in Taipei for a business trip. Photo above shows me meeting them at around 10pm at Ximending! Yes, there were many late nights out in Taipei. Best thing is, the shops are open! My boss initially wanted to bring me to a toilet themed restaurant, but since I arrived quite late, I was partly glad the place was closed :P

Managed to con a free ice cream from my boss for supper. Interestingly, this was the same restaurant which I met up with  my colleague on my first trip here. It is called Rolling Cafe, and the owner draws on all the coaster there by himself. So its personalized coaster! I took this one home with me. He came over to chat with us when we were about to leave. I find that Taiwanese people are so warm and people are always happy to chat with you. I also suspect that he was high.... Like Uncle Frankie from Jalan Jalan Hostel in Malacca... lol

I don't really like the message on the coaster, but still, it was a nice memento. I like personal drawn art a lot as I find that they are more meaningful. 

 

Speaking of warm shop owner, I took the above two photos of a MOS Burger Restaurant near my office on one of my lunch time. I really like the personal message written on the small black board placed right outside the shop. It translate to "Use your smile to change the world, but don't let the world change your smile". I thought it was really thoughtful advice. And the ambiance of the cafe was really nice too when the afternoon sun shines onto the garden seats outside the store. I even posted it on Facebook with the tag "It's the little things...."

And what really made my day was a message left by the Haba Cafe owner's just three simple words "You are back".  I wrote about him and his cafe here before. He sent me a friend request after I started following his Haba Cafe Facebook page, and we have been friend since. I have never met him in person, but those three words just felt so warm to me. From one stranger to another, it was just so thoughtful, that he notice, and that he welcome me back. It made me felt like I was being welcome home.... I apologies for not visiting him in this trip as I was rather busy with the production support. Maybe next time...