The Liebster Award

Thank you to Sasha for nominating me for the Liebster Award. This award is for blogs with less than 200 followers to help spread the word about other smaller blogs, to help them gain more readers and followers. A little helping hand to all the little blogs out there who are trying to carve out their space in the internet world. I had seen this floating around the blogosphere and I thought it was a fun little thing. We are supposed to list down 11 random facts about yourself (which is harder than you think), and answer 11 questions set by your nominator. So here goes...

11 random facts about me.

01. I can play the electronic organ. I trained for 8 years. My greatest hits include The Carpenters' I Need To Be In Love, Elton John's Can You Feel The Love Tonight, Ayumi Hamasaki's Seasons and Mainstreet Electrical Parade.

02. The number of movies I watch per year can be counted on 1 hand. My friends don't understand why I don't watch them more often. So far this year, I have watched The Lorax and Brave. I will probably close out 2012 with The Hobbit.

03. I hate wasabi and seaweed.

04. My ambition as a child was to be a doctor.

05. I contracted chicken pox at age 24.

06. I am a kpop fan. I have no shame in admitting that.

07. I am a Apple/Android user. I use a Macbook Pro and a Samsung Galaxy 3.

08. I love repeat travelling. I have been to NZ 3 times, Australia 4 times, Korea 3 times, Taipei 2 times, US 3 times. I just can't enough of these places, there's so much more to explore!

09. I was part of the Girl Guides from age 8 to 18. I camped out every year. I can build a kitchen table, clothes hanger and shoe rack from bamboo poles and twine. I can also build a fire from just 3 match sticks.

10. I ran my first 5k earlier this year.

11. I once tried to make soup by boiling pork bones in water and only adding salt and pepper. True story.

Questions from Sasha.

1. What is the most dangerous thing you have ever done? - Taking 2 rollercoaster rides in succession with no queues to break it up. My heart was still pounding from the first one as we shot up the second.

2. What is the most unfashionable thing you secretly enjoy wearing? Pretty much everything, my wardrobe is made up of variations of teeshirts.

3. If you could invent a Ben and Jerry's ice cream with all your favourite flavours in one, it would contain: Peanut butter, sour cream, cheese and chocolate.

4. Do you cry at movies (of course you do)? Which movies make you cry? - All the time. Any movie that has a family theme to it.

5. If you were another person and you met your current self, what would your first impression be? - Sullen and unsmiling. I have the worse "default" face ever.

6. What is your secret skill that nobody could ever imagine you having? - Playing the electronic organ.

7. If you were a scented candle, what would you smell of? - Fruits!

8. Bad day, you come home late, collapse on your sofa, turn on the telly and watch... - Friends or The Big Bang Theory

9. If you were given the chance to steal one thing and get away with it, what would it be and why? -Nothing. My mind draws a blank.

10. What is the one place in the world you would love to travel to but have not? I would love to explore Washington DC.

11. What is the last thing you regret buying? A pair of croc flats that was one size too small.

Thank you again to Sasha for nominating me. :)

Paper Plane Cafe

Paper Plane Cafe is located on the first floor of the shophouse that also contains Parachute Hostel. Because the interiors of Paper Plane Cafe is so enticing, you may be like me and miss the entrance to Parachute entirely (it's the wooden door on the side with the Parachute logo).

I really love how Paper Plane Cafe is themed. It's the perfect hostel cafe in my mind. As you can see, I really went crazy snapping all the little corners of the cafe. All food and coffee is prepared by Becky and her cafe elves. Side-note: I really love a cafe when you know it's the owners who are behind the counters rather than sitting behind some corporate desk amassing the profits.

Parachute Hostel, Taipei 2012

Due to different flight schedules, I had an extra day in Taipei while my three other companions flew home. When I was left alone in our apartment after they had left to catch an early morning flight, I was, frankly, quite terrified at being left alone in a foreign city for the first time. I couldn't get to sleep so I stayed up all night watching tv.

I left Apple House and took a cab to Parachute Hostel & Paper Plane Cafe at Shida Road. Parachute Hostel is run by Pin Zhen and Katie, while Paper Plane Cafe is run by Becky. I was really apprehensive at first on meeting Katie, a dear blog friend, for the first time but from the minute that I stepped into Parachute, we totally hit it off! Besides meeting the ladies who run the place, I also met a bunch of really cool kids, Jafe, Andrew, Eileen, we chatted into the night in the common room. I was really surprised that I could keep up with them in my terrible Mandarin!

At Parachute, I booked a single room to stay for that one night. The furnishings are simple but comfortable. I slept so well that night! Parachute is furnished simply with a lot of heart and sincerity. Katie's photographs are also displayed all over the place. The common room on the third floor is a wide open space where hostelites can gather to chat, exchange stories and play games. One wall of the common room is dedicated to postcards and little notes from the travellers who have passed through this place. I have said it before, I really can't wait to return to Taipei to explore more of this amazing city by day and going home every night to the welcoming arms of Parachute Hostel.

Apple House, Taipei 2012

We were so lucky to find Apple House as the place we would be staying in Taipei. Apple House is a series of service apartments scattered across Taipei, most of them big enough to house 4 people. The apartments are all fully decorated for utmost style and comfort. It was such a pleasure staying in the apartment Far Far Away. It was located right in the city, on top of the Zhongxiao Dunhua MRT station. If you are not comfortable in hostels but don't have enough money for hotels, go for serviced apartments like Apple House!