Wow, all I can say is that this weekend’s theme is “Local.” I can’t even count how many local things I’ve done this weekend! Let’s start off with…

Friday

This past week was pretty laidback, as my friends and I enjoyed a drink at the local beerhouse, particularly, the Taiwan Beer Bar at Civil Boulevard, which serves the freshest 500cc of Taiwan beer at only NT$50 a pop!

Now, that’s pretty cheap! So of course, some peeps got pretty buzzed, though it’s all in good fun. What’s more, we also tried the local Taiwanese treats such as duck solid blood hotpot (ew!), Thai cao ma ji (my fave) and a couple of veggies and tofu.

There were tons of people at the place itself so the service was pretty slow especially that day. Regardless, it was fun mingling around and getting tipsy and stuffing ourselves silly. Sure, there goes my diet but then again, what’s life without enjoying yourself?

Of course, afterwards, a dear friend (bless his soul!) suggested that instead of going club hopping (Carnegies was in the top list), we should try out some massage instead so off we go! 🙂

All of us were curious about this massage parlor around Ren Ai Circle. You’ve probably heard of it — Sakura — that despite its off-the-top prices, we were drunk enough to give it a go:

Four of us in a room — 2 guys and 2 girls.

Sounds kinky, but trust me, it was pretty relaxing even though it ain’t the best massage I’ve ever gotten in my life (the best was prolly in this massage parlor between Songjiang and Nanking).

At NT$2,200 for 2 hours (or NT$1,100 an hour), there were a lot of pauses in between which was a waste of time as the ladies kept on running off and renewing the hot towels, but heck, it’s way better than being in a stinky bar and trying to wave off drunken guy’s attention.

Overall, pretty cool. *thumbs up*

Definitely one of the more relaxing Fridays ever! And I vow to do it much more regularly next time around. You work hard anyway, might as well pamper yourself as well!

Saturday

Sleeping at 4:00 am is never a great idea, and I woke up exhausted and tired.

But I had stuff to do so I forced myself out of bed, dressed up and met up with none other than Aussie guy for brunch at Carnegies.

Sigh.

Well, the good news was that I was able to try their Ploughman’s Brunch/Lunch special which was freaking HUGE! It consisted of a medium-sized cold pie with salad, chunks of cheese, half a loaf of bread and sidings at just NT$360 I think (NT$460 if you count the glass of house red I drank with the meal)… and oh, it also came with an aple.

The bad news is, meeting Aussie guy is always a downer for me.

First up, he absolutely hates Taiwan.

And secondly, the fact that I want what I can’t have doesn’t make matters any better.

But it’s been months since I last saw him and I’m going back to the Philippines anyway soon, so heck, why not? And of course, I again remember why I don’t like to meet up with him as I am not a firm believer of torturing myself.

Regardles, all was not lost and I revived my weekend by catching “Miss Potter” at Warner and studying at Starbucks:
The movie was pretty well-done though nothing exceptional. I would watch it if there’s nothing else to watch. Entertaining, but an ordinary story of an extraordinary woman.

I did cry during the movie, so watch out. It can be a tear-jerker.

Afterwards, I met up with a good friend of mine and her significant other.

Not bad la.

This local guy’s pretty nice and treats her well. Unfortunately, I saw cracks in the relationship (even though they’ve only started dating) and unless something changes, I think that they’d break up sooner or later.

Let’s just hope I’m wrong. 🙁

We ate some very local Shanghai food and then had a cup of authentic black coffee at a nearby Hsimenting cafe (totally local). So guys, if you’re bored and have nothing to do on a weekend night, I would suggest that you drop by some of these local coffee shops.

Trust me, though the ambience are lacking, their coffee’s way better than Starbucks, and the aroma is simply inviting.

*Thumbs up again*

My friend invited me to go with her clubbing at Room 18 but I bowed away. Honestly, at that point, I was tired and after successive weekends clubbing, I think I need the rest.

Unfortunately, I spent the rest of the evening watching TV and chatting on MSN. There goes my resolution! Aiyo!

Sunday

Checked out the new Sogo in Chungxiao Fuxing:

Well, actually, I was meeting a friend there but heck, might as well check it out since you’re already there right?

The new Sogo as I would call it markets itself as the more upscale department store. Its CitySuper grocery looks more like Jason’s, albeit with more space. And foreigners who can’t find their goodies would be delighted to find secret stashes of memory invoking products inside the store though at premium prices (The tags were at least NT$20 more expensive than Wellcome). Check out the array of cheese:

The mall itself is pretty spacey. Every floor screams SPACE!

And its quite a different touch from the crowded malls all over town. It also smells of new and fresh, which makes it a pleasure to shop in especially for those who have deep pockets.

God, I dropped in a Ralph Lauren store and was shocked to see a simple dress costing NT$60,000! Sheesh, guess that means I still don’t earn enough money!

On the upmost floor is a rest area and features a showcase of a typical Japanese garden and huge ceiling. Nice:

But best of all, look what I found:

PageOne! And 20% off storewide since they just opened! COOL!

I am SUCH a bookworm.

So after doing what locals do which is to walk mindlessly in the mall, my friend and I instead dropped by my Japanese friend’s packed restaurant and ate some light noodles instead:

Yummy! Their noodles are very QQ (or chewy) so to speak, and the soup just the right taste. Am not much a fan of ramen, but seriously, their noodles rock! All at NT$120 a big bowl so really worth it!

Afterwards, stopped by the nearest coffee shop to continue studying but then, my two friends called me up and invited me to this super local pasttime:

Yes, they’ve invited me to eat again at this yummy eat-all-you-can barbecue place right behind Sogo! It’s one of those places that are only NT$399 a pop and you can order whatever you want so long as you can finish it.

Great thing I was there with two guys! It was totally crazy as we ordered trays and trays of beef. We were really tough carnivores!

And of course, we debated.

We talked about politics, the importance of education, brains and genetics, as well as what employers want in a hiring candidate. Truly one of the more stimulating conversations I’ve had in a while!

Fun!

So there goes my weekend. Now, it’s back to work and off to bed. Gosh, this week’s really a killer. Hope that I can survive in time for the CNY vacation!

Be good and nighty!