I think I'm perpetually in a different time zone. Started packing my wardrobe, which was creaking under the weight of all my clothes, at 1 in the morning. Then I went to do some laundry. And then showered. Which resulted, not suprisingly, in me feeling more awake and alert than I otherwise ought to be at this time of night.

So blog I shall - I went to the famous Shilin Night Market the night before a typhoon hit Taipei. Basically, I just ate whatever my already-filled stomach could handle, and tah pau-ed whatever else that caught my attention (having a preference for those that could keep over those that couldn't - that's why I never got to taste what Taiwanese-style fried oyster omelette was like). Behold, evidence:

The 臭豆腐 that I made a beeline for (plonking on the seat of the first stall selling it I came across, hardly needing any persuasion at all from the vendor) and the pair of splinter-riddled chopsticks that drove a wayward sliver of wood into my left index finger. It only came out 24 hours later, when I got home the next day. The tofu wasn't, by the way, as bad as I'd imagined it to be. I think the only nastiness came from the frying process.

Rain, rain go away

Little children want to play

(And some not-so little ones too)

Rows and rows of UFO Catcher machines, all lonely despite making all the noise in the world to attract some company.

Some weird juice of some plant/vegetable I drank. I forget its name. The vendor tried to explain it to me, but I didn't really understand, except perhaps for a bit on how it solidifies when it comes in contact with water. But I got confused when she said it becomes liquid again through the same method.

The Mexican/pseudo-Mexican buns I bought four of. They come in seven flavours.

A local snack stall with a signboard bearing the name 大饼包小饼 (forgive any typos I may have committed). Basically, crispy ham cheem paengs crushed and then wrapped with poh piah skin.

According to the vendor taking our orders, the crushing has to be done by hand because the delicate poh piah skin would break under the brute force of a machine. Well, until they invent one, anyway.

I never knew these still existed!

I was a little disappointed in the end, because the food market was much smaller than what I'd anticipated. But if my sources are to be believed, then Shilin actually consists of the shopping area surrounding this market as well. Perhaps they will hold more surprises to enthrall me for many more hours in time to come. But it was just as well; it was getting late and I had to make my way back to the hotel, or risk getting caught in heavier rain.

And now, I am ready to drop off to bed. Who said blogs were a waste of time? I've just proven they make very good sleeping pills too.