kit kats for travel

While I was wrapping up a line of Kit Kats I had indulged for the past year, I realised there were some that got left out.

This is also part of the "adult sweetness" range (I wish there was a better way to describe this collection!), orange peel. It's not the wafer kind, but little balls of crisp wafer coated in chocolate.

I had this while on the way to the airport to catch my flight to Sendai. It was late summer and for some reason traffic was so bad that it took almost twice the usual time to get there. I had never been late for flights before, and this was supposed to be my emergency stash. Since I was hungry, I had to eat this.

These 2 above are some unique ones I found at the airport, so I didn't really taste them. I bought them for Swedish colleagues when I was there for business trip last August. This is of sakura matcha and Hokkaido red bean flavour.

You'd be forgiven if you thought green tea and red bean are the only flavours available in Japanese dessert!


I found these 3 at the Kansai airport while I was going to Taiwan to meet up with my ex-housemates. It was quite a spontaneous trip (I think I only confirmed a few weeks before), so this purchase was also quite spontaneous and I wanted to bring them for Imm.

Imm - If you're reading this, you were supposed to get these : Japanese strawberry, sakura matcha, and Uji matcha flavoured Kit Kats. Too bad you were not feeling well, hope we get to meet again one day!



I wonder if I have the most comprehensive list of Kit Kats ever? I think I've read some others, but I think it's quite impossible to get everything since each prefecture might have its specialty and each season will have different modification to a favourite flavour too.

traipsing in taiwan p4

Sometimes I feel like this cat below; I wish I could stretch my stress away.

After what seemed like a sad week of working while everyone is away on summer break, it ended rather nicely this evening. I was able to get to the root of an issue that has been plaguing the European team for some time. In an ironic twist while trying to put the responsibility on someone else, the email got forwarded to my boss and I was able to show him it was under control.

I'm convinced sparks of wisdom that comes to me despite me being really tired must come from above.


* On a happier note, this was taken at a little corner souvenir shop in Jiufen. The shop assistant is such an amusing being; animatedly illustrating to us the various uses of her products in Taiwanese-accented Japanese. I personally am not fond of cats, but couldn't help but get one for myself. Apparently good massage tool, just what I need eh?!

** Stories from my Taiwan traipsing : P1, P2, P3

spirited away alright

I have been so fascinated with the old gold mining town called Jiufen in Taiwan that I started watching the Spirited Away animation again.

Apparently Hayao Miyazaki visited this quaint little seaside town, spent some time at the teahouses, and got his inspiration for the highest grossing film in Japan to date. There are many bloggers sharing their fascination with Jiufen, and one even made side-by-side comparison of actual photographs with scenes from the animation.

That got me listening to Joe Hisaishi's compositions again. Highly recommend this, especially if you've watched any of Studio Ghibli's animes. You don't have to be an orchestra fan, nor even understand the lyrics in the pieces. They somehow stir the heart and bring warm nostalgic feelings.

Joe Hisaishi in Budokan - Studio Ghibli 25 Years Concert

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I was not trying to take a shot of Taipei 101, so I was surprised this spontaneous shot by Aishah came out like this!

traipsing in taiwan p2

Since Aishah wanted to pamper herself this trip, she booked us quite a good hotel. As we were sharing, I didn't quite mind, especially after looking at the great reviews Ambience Hotel received. Located less than 1km from 3 Metro stations, it was pretty convenient.

I arrived late Friday night, but felt rather energised upon seeing that there were a few convenience stores and some restaurants within walking distance. In fact, my first impression of Taipei was that it resembled downtown Kuala Lumpur. I'm thinking probably because KL has its roots in being a Chinese mining town, the architecture and layout looks more practical than pretty. The look and feel were so similar even Aishah commented it reminded her more of Muar. If the signboards had also English and Malay and maybe Tamil words one would have thought we were back home.

Ambience Hotel seemed to be a hit with Japanese tourists, since they had Japanese-style toilets with the works. As for me, I was happy enough with the breakfast that came with the room. Pity my poor stomach who had to revert to simple Milo after treating myself to proper breakfast during that long weekend.

After all, I needed the energy for all the long walks around the city under that sweltering summer heat. But I think I overdosed on soy sauce on my last porridge!

Some of the reviewers found this strange, but on alternate days there is a live performance during breakfast. On that particular day, I was seated right in front, so you could say I felt like he was performing just for me.

One of the main reasons I chose Taiwan was for the food. I was hoping Taiwan would have better Chinese food than here. I got exposed to Taiwanese food through the Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks in MV, so I was looking forward to trying the real thing.

This pork noodle reminded me a little of wan tan mee, soup version back home. This was in the purportedly famous Jiufen Old Noodle Shop (九份老面店) which had people queueing up to have a taste of its noodles. I must say I love the soup though.

One of the first things I noticed was that scooters were in abundance compared to motorcycles. When I met up with Kenny who unexpectedly brought me on a ride on his scooter, I had the opportunity to ask him the reason. Since scooter had more space for belongings, this was more popular, and hence the main manufacturer decided to build these more. Guess it made sense, as I watched a suited guy remove his coat, folded it and put them under the seat, and then hung his briefcase below the dashboard.

I felt Taipei was pretty safe, even as we walked back to our hotel late at night. However there seems to be a lot of CCTVs in many places, even more than usual. There's one here at the entrance just above the seats allocated for the needy. I wonder if that's why these seats are usually empty even during rush hours.

When we got on a really old crickety bus to outskirts Jiufen, there were at least 2 CCTVs in the bus! These 2 were in front, and then I noticed a 3rd one at the back of the bus. Then I wondered, if that helped in getting people to behave.

traipsing in taiwan p1

There's really so much happening recently with airspaces and flying that I really must thank God for His protection and providence.

Since I could only book my flight quite close to the date, Peach Airlines didn't turn out to be so cheap after adding the necessaries. I was a little hesitant on going with a full-fledged airline, because I've been so used to traveling on shoestring. The blessing in disguise was China Airlines is under the SkyTeam.

This time I was given a pass to the Korean Air lounge, which made me realise each time I get to experience various lounges in the KIX airport. Tucked at the far end on the 3rd Floor, the ambience is a little closer to the first lounge I tried, nothing fancy but quite comfy. There were Korean instant noodles, but I didn't want to spoil my appetite for dinner later.

The day before I flew to Taipei, I was really saddened to hear about MH17. I've been on that similar route many times for business, so I can really sympathise. Not just because it's such a tragedy, but also the fact that Malaysia Airlines is still struggling with MH370 on top of other management/financial woes.

The day before I left Taipei, I heard about the incoming Typhoon Matmo. As I was packing that morning, I could see it was drizzling and windy outside. When I arrived at the airport, I noticed flights that evening were mostly cancelled. (It was only tonight that I realise that a Taiwanese plane crashed due to turbulence probably caused by the typhoon).

As I was checking in, the lady at the counter issued me a pass for the China Airlines lounge. I'm convinced the nicest lounge exist in the home country of the particular airline. With dim lighting and hushed tones, it felt a bit elegant. Couldn't help but notice many Asian businessman-type clients enjoying the lounge, catching up with email and winding down after a business trip. I was hoping there would be some massage chairs like in the Incheon airport transit lounge.

I just had to order the famed Taiwanese beef noodle. I've already had my first portion with Aishah, but I wanted to make sure I ate enough not to eat anymore! There's nothing wrong with beef noodles, just that it's not my favourite. I must say I love the soup though :D

To top it off, I also got myself some dumplings and pao. There's no proper dimsum place in Japan, and my next fix would only be back in Malaysia.

I guess I'm rather happy I got to stuff myself a bit this trip. But a bit disappointed I did not gain (visible) weight!