WINTER HAS ARRIVED IN SINGAPORE

Today I feel as if I am back in Taipei.  The temperature has dipped to 21 degrees C.  I want to bring out my PUFFTECH Parka!

A photo of plum blossom taken recently in Taipei

有梅无雪不精神 有雪无诗俗了人

日暮诗成天又雪 与梅并分十分春

宋.卢梅坡

雪梅二首.其二

'TWAS THE WEEK BEFORE CNY

Eunice commissioned me to make rock cakes, and I got to charge her $18 for a bottle (about 12 pieces in a bottle).  Hee hee hee!

Wed 11 Feb.  My mum was out for physio therapy with our helper in tow.  I roasted some chicken wings for lunch.

Thu 12 Feb.  Had a small CNY reunion lunch.  All the usual suspects were there - my mum, my aunt, Eugene, our helper, and I.  Back at the old-fashioned Cantonese Lai Wah Restaurant.  All the dishes were fantastic, except for the fish which was one great big disappointment.

In the previous years, I'd go for a CNY Set Menu but there was always way too much food.  This time, I opted for just five dishes from the ala carte menu.  Yusheng is a must.  Then a vegetable dish, a yam ring, a fish, and finally a yifu noodle.  We still appeared to have over-ordered. :)

Creative cooking - half steamed, half deep-fried.  The entire fish was overdone and tasteless.  

Hugely disappointing.

悦己

人的一生除了发自内心的幸福和盗不走的健康 没有什么是值得炫耀的 。

经历得越多越会明白 幸福是养自己的心 而非养别人的眼。 

做人要 cool 一点 凡事先讨好自己 至于别人 ... 看心情 分交情。

TAIPEI - HUASHAN 1914 CREATIVE PARK

Monday 2 February 2026. Spent a few hours in the Huashan 1914 Creative Park.  From 1914 to 1987 the site was used for winemaking and camphor manufacturing.  It is now a cultural events platform.

Who knew Snoopy has a brother?  His name is Olaf.

We came across these extremely intricate art works by Johan Cheng. Please take the time to explore her website.  She creates more than just postcards.The paper sculptures are breathtaking and more creative than you can ever imagine.  

Photo by Mayz

Mayz and the artist herself.  Gosh!

I bought two little postcards and Johan signed one for me.  "Why the bunny?" I asked Johan.  Turns out that her Chinese horoscope is the rabbit.

Met a heron

We had joined a Day Tour in the beginning of the week.  Our guide, Raymond, went on and on about how Chun Shui Tang 春水堂 invented the world's first bubble tea (pearl milk tea 珍珠奶茶) in the 1980s.  There is now a teahouse inside the creative park.  (The original location is in Taichung.)

Yes, we did go in for a drink.

Next year, I'd like to pay a visit to the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park.  It was once a tobacco factory.

DAY OUT IN RUIFANG, TAIWAN

On Tuesday 30 January 2026 we bought a Day Tour via Klook!  It took us to Yehliu 野柳, Shifen 十分, and Jiufen九份.

Early start.  By 8:15AM, we were at Exit 5 of Ximen Station to join the rest of the tour group.  

But not before taking photos of the Ximen Red House 西门红楼 and the rainbow crossing.

Our first tour stop was Yehliu Geopark 野柳地质公园.  I've never been to Yehliu before this.

My friend, Mayz, commented that the Queen's Head resembles the Eygptian Queen Nefertiti.  According to Google, the Queen's Head is renowned for its striking resemblance to a bust of Queen Elizabeth I. Created by over 4,000 years of sea erosion, the neck has thinned significantly, leading to ongoing conservation efforts to prevent it from collapsing. 

It goes to show the damage the elements can do to your face and neck.  Irreversible aging.  Remember to stay moisturised, hor?

Shifen Old Town.  Shifen was a major early 20th-century coal mining town developed during the Japanese occupation to fuel industrial growth. The town’s historic Pingxi rail line was originally built in 1918 to transport coal, shaping the area's development before it transformed into a tourist destination famous for lanterns. 

I felt most disappointed that the train did not come through the town.

Shifen Waterfall

Mayz took this magnificent shot.

Jiufen Old Town.  Jiufen, a mountain town in New Taipei City, Taiwan, transformed from a small village into a major "Gold City" during the Japanese colonial period (1895-1945) due to massive mining operations. It was known as "Little Shanghai" for its prosperity before mining ceased in 1971, later revitalized as a popular tourist destination. 

Photo by Mayz.  Stunning.

We ate fishballs here.

I just want to tell you that the address is No. 93

We were dropped off at Ximen Station at around 5:30PM.