An idle brain is the devil's workshop...

...and I've been idling.

Anyway, here's what I've been up to, in a nutshell.

Taiwan was...alright. An urbanised concrete landscape with mall after mall jabbing into the sky. Too similiar to Singapore for comfort. With the occasional odd juxtaposition of dusty roadside trees and shining concertina wire. A verdant, yet artificial oasis of patriotism amidst the hustle and bustle of a major road intersection.

The shopping wasn't particularly interesting, either. Punky streetwear and uncle shirts. Different designs, in the same vein. Unique fashions, yet radiating subtly discernible similarities .

The food was worth it, though. Ironically, the chicken chops were nothing to write home about, after the initial novelty had worn off. Neither was I a huge fan of all the traditional food - the oyster omelets came in an odd sauce, the oyster mee sua was far too starchy for my liking, the smelly beancurd was...smelly.

But what got my attention was the unique twist given to the food common to both Taiwan and Singapore. Sausage-stuffed sausages. Biscuit-in-a-biscuit. The local version of roti john, with a thick hunk of bread hollowed out and stuffed with ingredients before being deep-fried. Wantons and pan-fried dumplings being sold as fast food. Deliciously flavourful beef broth noodles.

And the most unexpected of them all - a hotplate beefsteak, dripping with the juiciness of a good marinate, cooked to tasty medium rare perfection, with a chewy tenderness I have never experienced except in Asian cooking. An ode to the fusion of East and West.

Must return to Taipei, if just for the food.

Pictures to be uploaded soon.