下禮拜的時間應該會好多了，到時候再跟大家分享最近發生的事：
- 12號到烏來玩
- 17號到桃園玩
- 25號在台北嘗試亞坤的新加坡式早餐
Saturday, July 25, 2009
簡報...
跟各位快快地報告一下，因爲最近工作比較忙，所以一直沒時間更新部落各的内容。
下禮拜的時間應該會好多了，到時候再跟大家分享最近發生的事：
下禮拜的時間應該會好多了，到時候再跟大家分享最近發生的事：
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
反省后的一些想法...
不知不覺的，我已經在台灣呆了快半年了... 可能是因爲上個星期剛過了二十五嵗的生日，或是因爲最近周末都沒出去玩，加上最近工作比較輕鬆（應該是暫時性的，希望是:P），所以花了一些時間來做一下人生的反省...
反省的過程中，回想到當初會要出國工作，主要也是為了多看多了解新加坡以外的世界，挑戰自己的適應和辦事能力，並從中更了解自己的能力、自己在事業上的方向、以及自己在世界和社會上能付出的貢獻...
至今，我發現其實對自己下來想走的路還是有蠻多疑問的... 而在某种程度上，也對自己的能力有所疑惑... 雖然覺得自己到目前的確有學到很多東西，但還是懷疑自己好像並沒有突破性的成長，在了解下來的人生方向也好像沒有什麽突破性的發現...
但后來跟幾位同事聊了一下，然後再回想到自己在AIESEC的經驗，結果發現其實現在走的路是有符合到自己去年定下的 “個人五年發展計劃”... 也領悟到，每個人走的路畢竟是不一樣的，所以用來發掘自己人生方向的時間也不一樣... 雖然我現在並不是非常確定未來方向，但至少在發掘它的過程中還是在做有挑戰性的工作、還是遇到很多非常優秀的好人（並跟他們學習)、還是在做對社會有貢獻的事、還是在發現台灣的美...
當然，這些都算是好事，但經過這次的反省，也決定要讓自己生活更加充實，所以定下了一下個人目標：
提高自己的中文水平
在認字方面，已經有相當的進展了。但發現有時還是沒辦法很清楚地用文字或語言發表自己的想法。所以決定，以後的部落各文章以及工作上的電子郵件要盡量用中文寫。
更積極擴充自己的知識
我給自己的目標是，每個月都要看完至少一本書，而且中英文的都要看（應該就輪流看吧，這個月看英文的，下個月看中文的）。
還好公司收集了很多有關商業管理、品牌管理的書，要看小説的話應該可以跟同事或朋友借...
健康生活
已經找到運動伴了！下來的每個星期四晚上要到附近的公園跑步了！
目前大概就這樣吧...
很顯然的，反省的過程並不一定能讓我們找到想要的答案，甚至會讓我們越想越困惑... 但我想，有了困惑才能有新發現、有突破！
希望在人生中，我們一直會有困惑，一直有發現和突破！
p.s. 我用了接近一個小時把這篇寫完，真是太慢了
p.p.s. for those of you who can't read Chinese, I hope the Google Translate toolbar I added on the left of my blog will help!! Please note that you will not get a perfect translation (it's a machine doing it after all)... perhaps if time permits in future, I will post in both English and Chinese so you get exactly what I am trying to say :)
反省的過程中，回想到當初會要出國工作，主要也是為了多看多了解新加坡以外的世界，挑戰自己的適應和辦事能力，並從中更了解自己的能力、自己在事業上的方向、以及自己在世界和社會上能付出的貢獻...
至今，我發現其實對自己下來想走的路還是有蠻多疑問的... 而在某种程度上，也對自己的能力有所疑惑... 雖然覺得自己到目前的確有學到很多東西，但還是懷疑自己好像並沒有突破性的成長，在了解下來的人生方向也好像沒有什麽突破性的發現...
但后來跟幾位同事聊了一下，然後再回想到自己在AIESEC的經驗，結果發現其實現在走的路是有符合到自己去年定下的 “個人五年發展計劃”... 也領悟到，每個人走的路畢竟是不一樣的，所以用來發掘自己人生方向的時間也不一樣... 雖然我現在並不是非常確定未來方向，但至少在發掘它的過程中還是在做有挑戰性的工作、還是遇到很多非常優秀的好人（並跟他們學習)、還是在做對社會有貢獻的事、還是在發現台灣的美...
當然，這些都算是好事，但經過這次的反省，也決定要讓自己生活更加充實，所以定下了一下個人目標：
提高自己的中文水平
在認字方面，已經有相當的進展了。但發現有時還是沒辦法很清楚地用文字或語言發表自己的想法。所以決定，以後的部落各文章以及工作上的電子郵件要盡量用中文寫。
更積極擴充自己的知識
我給自己的目標是，每個月都要看完至少一本書，而且中英文的都要看（應該就輪流看吧，這個月看英文的，下個月看中文的）。
還好公司收集了很多有關商業管理、品牌管理的書，要看小説的話應該可以跟同事或朋友借...
健康生活
已經找到運動伴了！下來的每個星期四晚上要到附近的公園跑步了！
目前大概就這樣吧...
很顯然的，反省的過程並不一定能讓我們找到想要的答案，甚至會讓我們越想越困惑... 但我想，有了困惑才能有新發現、有突破！
希望在人生中，我們一直會有困惑，一直有發現和突破！
p.s. 我用了接近一個小時把這篇寫完，真是太慢了
p.p.s. for those of you who can't read Chinese, I hope the Google Translate toolbar I added on the left of my blog will help!! Please note that you will not get a perfect translation (it's a machine doing it after all)... perhaps if time permits in future, I will post in both English and Chinese so you get exactly what I am trying to say :)
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Ali Shan and Chiayi county - 27 & 28 Jun 2009
My family was in Taipei to visit! Lots of funny moments since this was the first time my parents are in Taiwan and first time since a loooong time ago since my mom traveled overseas...
They touched down on the 23rd and stayed at the TS Hotel in Xi Men Ding (really reasonable rates for a decent and comfortable 3-persons room)... most of the next few days saw them going around in Taipei and occasionally I met up with them for some eating and traveling after work...
in any case, the highlight of their trip was probably our visit to Ali Shan and Jia Yi county over the weekend... This was a tour package I signed up for via one of the local tour agencies and for a one-time fee, covered the following:
(If you're interested in this package, check http://tour.colatour.com.tw/b03ticket/show_ticket.asp?seq=402&type=3 for more info... the tour is organized by the hotel and promoted by tour agencies)
Anyway, it was really fun, enjoyable and totally worth the money (which wasn't really that expensive considering what the trip included)... I didn't get a lot of group shots on my camera but here are some from the trip:
Us on the train to the peak of Ali Shan.. This was about 4 plus in the morning... and yes it was cold, probably 15 deg C or less.. hence my mom's attire...
The sun rise on Ali Shan, at about 5.15am
Cool sign we saw on Ali Shan
Night view of Chiayi city from our hotel room on the 14th floor
Now I can proudly say that I have conquered Ali Shan as well as the Sun Moon Lake! Key icons of Taiwan!!
More photos at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=275510&id=576355703&l=b2e5de7d99
They touched down on the 23rd and stayed at the TS Hotel in Xi Men Ding (really reasonable rates for a decent and comfortable 3-persons room)... most of the next few days saw them going around in Taipei and occasionally I met up with them for some eating and traveling after work...
in any case, the highlight of their trip was probably our visit to Ali Shan and Jia Yi county over the weekend... This was a tour package I signed up for via one of the local tour agencies and for a one-time fee, covered the following:- Overnight coach ride from Taipei to Chiayi
- Trip up to Ali Shan to watch the sun rise and see the forest park
- 1 night stay at a 5 Star hotel (耐斯王子 Nice Prince Hotel in Chiayi)
- complimentary dinner and breakfast at the hotel (international buffet style for both meals)
- All other meals, as well as transport costs e.g. train ride on Ali Shan) were also catered for
- Tour in Chiayi city which includes Chiayii city park, Chiayi Insect Museum and a visit to 布袋漁港 (Bu Dai Port) including a boat trip to sea
- Return coach ride back to Taipei
(If you're interested in this package, check http://tour.colatour.com.tw/b03ticket/show_ticket.asp?seq=402&type=3 for more info... the tour is organized by the hotel and promoted by tour agencies)
Anyway, it was really fun, enjoyable and totally worth the money (which wasn't really that expensive considering what the trip included)... I didn't get a lot of group shots on my camera but here are some from the trip:
Us on the train to the peak of Ali Shan.. This was about 4 plus in the morning... and yes it was cold, probably 15 deg C or less.. hence my mom's attire...
The sun rise on Ali Shan, at about 5.15am
Cool sign we saw on Ali Shan
Night view of Chiayi city from our hotel room on the 14th floorNow I can proudly say that I have conquered Ali Shan as well as the Sun Moon Lake! Key icons of Taiwan!!
More photos at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=275510&id=576355703&l=b2e5de7d99
明池山莊 - 30 & 31 May 2009
2 weeks after my visit to mid-Taiwan, I was heading back to 宜蘭 (I-lan county) again, this time to spend the weekend at 明池山莊, Mingchih Forest Recreation Area with 3 of my colleagues...
There's a dedicated shuttle bus service (not free though) that leaves Taipei City for the recreation area and the journey takes about 2 plus hours I think... The recreation area is actually within a "basin" created by surrounding mountains so it's some distance above sea level and the journey there involves some mountain roads, which meant lots of winding left and right on the bus... for those of you who get motion sickness easily, better bring your motion sickness meds and avoid too heavy a meal before the journey!
Despite that, I think being in the area itself makes up for the winding journey up.. and I'm sure most people will feel better already the moment they reach the area... we were greeted by very fresh air, lots of greenery everywhere and the sounds of nature (birds, water, wind blowing through trees)... Once there, we went on a guided tour through the area near our resort and the guide introduced us to the history of the area as well as to the different types of trees growing there...
the next day, we went on another guided tour, this time higher up in the mountain (another winding bus journey up) where we saw the famous 神木 (literally translated to God Tree) forest... these 神木 are trees that HUGE and extremely old (1500 years is considered quite young here)...
For nature lovers who want a definite break from city life, this place is extremely recommended! Do note that since it's in the mountains, the temperature can get low so bring your coats... Also, it's a pity that the tour guides only speak Chinese but in any case, you can move around on your own as well if you don't want to join the guided tour... It's probably advisable to go there with a group of friends and perhaps book a chalet room for 1 night and share the cost... otherwise, if you drive or intend to stay over in I-lan, the recreation area is good for a 1-day trip as well... oh and 1 last thing, those who are staying over, bring your own snacks!! There is only 1 restaurant in that area and no convenience stores at all... :)
Here are some photos of the area
You can view the rest of my photos at http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=7049291&l=d7bea1209f&id=576355703
There's a dedicated shuttle bus service (not free though) that leaves Taipei City for the recreation area and the journey takes about 2 plus hours I think... The recreation area is actually within a "basin" created by surrounding mountains so it's some distance above sea level and the journey there involves some mountain roads, which meant lots of winding left and right on the bus... for those of you who get motion sickness easily, better bring your motion sickness meds and avoid too heavy a meal before the journey!
Despite that, I think being in the area itself makes up for the winding journey up.. and I'm sure most people will feel better already the moment they reach the area... we were greeted by very fresh air, lots of greenery everywhere and the sounds of nature (birds, water, wind blowing through trees)... Once there, we went on a guided tour through the area near our resort and the guide introduced us to the history of the area as well as to the different types of trees growing there...
the next day, we went on another guided tour, this time higher up in the mountain (another winding bus journey up) where we saw the famous 神木 (literally translated to God Tree) forest... these 神木 are trees that HUGE and extremely old (1500 years is considered quite young here)...
For nature lovers who want a definite break from city life, this place is extremely recommended! Do note that since it's in the mountains, the temperature can get low so bring your coats... Also, it's a pity that the tour guides only speak Chinese but in any case, you can move around on your own as well if you don't want to join the guided tour... It's probably advisable to go there with a group of friends and perhaps book a chalet room for 1 night and share the cost... otherwise, if you drive or intend to stay over in I-lan, the recreation area is good for a 1-day trip as well... oh and 1 last thing, those who are staying over, bring your own snacks!! There is only 1 restaurant in that area and no convenience stores at all... :)
Here are some photos of the area
You can view the rest of my photos at http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=7049291&l=d7bea1209f&id=576355703
Day in Changhua County - 18 May 2009
This post is way overdue.. but to do justice to the trip, I still have to update it here :)
as mentioned in the previous post, I traveled with Prior and Eva to the middle of Taiwan... Saturday (17th May) was spent in Nan Tou county where I finally saw the Sun Moon Lake... Sunday (18th May) was spent in Changhua itself experiencing lots of wonderful food... :)
Here's a map just to show you very quickly where Changhua is within the whole Taiwan Island... It's quite a quiet place where you can see immediately that the pace of life is quite different from that of Taipei. There aren't as many tall buildings either so it's refreshing to be able to see so much sky...
We started by picking up Sandy (who was in the area having attended a wedding the day before) and headed to our first stop, the temple street at Lugang...
You can probably tell from the roof that this temple is really old.. old enough that its construction did not involve using any nails at all; everything is pieced together using wood...
As a matter of fact, walking around in this part of Lugang gives an overall "old" kind of feel...
The houses here really date back tens, even hundreds of years for some... so it was definitely a cool experience walking around in these narrow alleys and occassionaly peeping into people's homes...
We also paid a visit to 八卦山 where there is a sitting Buddha statue that overlooks the entire Changhua city... I thought it was really great that they made the area around the statue so family-friendly since it brings people together and makes things more lively...
That aside, the rest of my Changhua trip was mainly full of food.. here's a montage of all the food I ate and had taken a photo of (yes I missed out some)
All in all, extremely fulfilling weekend trip to mid-Taiwan which I highly recommend to anyone looking for a cultural, scenic and gastronimical experience!
For more photos, visit http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=258209&id=576355703&l=d79096179e
as mentioned in the previous post, I traveled with Prior and Eva to the middle of Taiwan... Saturday (17th May) was spent in Nan Tou county where I finally saw the Sun Moon Lake... Sunday (18th May) was spent in Changhua itself experiencing lots of wonderful food... :)Here's a map just to show you very quickly where Changhua is within the whole Taiwan Island... It's quite a quiet place where you can see immediately that the pace of life is quite different from that of Taipei. There aren't as many tall buildings either so it's refreshing to be able to see so much sky...
We started by picking up Sandy (who was in the area having attended a wedding the day before) and headed to our first stop, the temple street at Lugang...
You can probably tell from the roof that this temple is really old.. old enough that its construction did not involve using any nails at all; everything is pieced together using wood...As a matter of fact, walking around in this part of Lugang gives an overall "old" kind of feel...
The houses here really date back tens, even hundreds of years for some... so it was definitely a cool experience walking around in these narrow alleys and occassionaly peeping into people's homes...
We also paid a visit to 八卦山 where there is a sitting Buddha statue that overlooks the entire Changhua city... I thought it was really great that they made the area around the statue so family-friendly since it brings people together and makes things more lively...That aside, the rest of my Changhua trip was mainly full of food.. here's a montage of all the food I ate and had taken a photo of (yes I missed out some)
- Yam Pork Bun
- BBQ Squid
- 麵茶, a kind of paste in peanut-ish sauce
- 地瓜球 (Tapioca balls)
- 狀元糕 (literally means Scholar Cake), tastes a bit like Kueh Tu-Tu in Singapore
- 五味庚, a dish that had cuttlefish, prawn dumplings, pork dumplings, mushrooms and vegetables (hence the 五 or five in the name)
- Shaved ice dessert
- Pork Bun
- Fried chicken wing
- 肉圓, pork dumpling (ate this on Monday morning in the office)
All in all, extremely fulfilling weekend trip to mid-Taiwan which I highly recommend to anyone looking for a cultural, scenic and gastronimical experience!
For more photos, visit http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=258209&id=576355703&l=d79096179e
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