Ah Christmas. That wonderful time of year when Western families come together, eating all sorts of delicious treats, wishing each other well, eating delicious treats, etc. etc.
Or, that would have been what Christmas was like for me if I was in the US.
After thinking long and hard about whether or not I should return to the states for Christmas, I eventually decided that I'd try out spending my holidays abroad this year. I figured I should see the world, and I had just arrived in Japan in August anyways, so why not? My family probably wasn't even missing me yet.
Still, skyping my family over a free hostel breakfast of lukewarm toast, overly sweet jam and bad coffee isn't exactly the Christmas miracle I thought traveling abroad would be.
My traveling buddies (who were from New Zealand and Ireland) had similar qualms about being away from their families on Christmas. Feeling pretty down in the dumps, we decided to treat ourselves to Melange Cafe, a highly recommended Taiwan favorite known for amazing waffles and fresh, fruity iced tea.
My Christmas breakfast, the strawberry waffle (complete with strawberry ice cream).
The deliciousness continued with fresh, creamy milk tea. The milk was so fatty it just sat on top of the tea until I stirred it in. Incredible!
Just for kicks, the gang and I decided to do a last minute Secret Santa gift exchange, and we all ran into a mall and purchased a little something for each other. Bridget found this amazing rabbit ring for me! Talk about good gift giving, huh?
After we had eaten until my pants stopped fitting correctly, we decided to head to Elephant Mountain, a really cool sightseeing spot overlooking the city. The hike gave us a little time to digest, which was necessary after our decadent breakfast feast.
Finally, we finished our evening with Korean barbecue and Coldstone ice cream for dessert. I supposed it wasn't exactly Taiwanese fare, but hey, what's more Christmas-y than Korean barbecue! Am I right?
Not exactly a Christmas duck, but it'll do.
(In other news...)
My last post of the Winter Travel series will be on New Years and Other Adventures in Bali. Sorry for the lack of updates lately. As usual, I've been sort of busy and my computer is almost non-functioning! Gotta get me a new laptop.
However, I have a lot to write about. So much has happened since January, and I'll be letting you know what I've been up to ASAP. In fact, my third years at junior high school and sixth years at elementary school just graduated! Big changes happening around here.
I've also been thinking about revamping the blog with a new look and a new name since I started this in 2012, and I feel like it's about time. Let me know if you have any suggestions!
Thanks for reading and check back again soon!
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