Travel: 2012 to 2013 Stay at Hualien11, Hualien, Taiwan

Taiwan is one of my favourite countries to visit. Hence, I became the official planner whenever we plan to visit Taiwan. In 2012, Hualien was on my list because I was attracted by the beautiful sceneries of Taroko Gorge and Pacific Ocean along its highway after watching Welcome To Taiwan on Channel News Asia (CNA).

When it comes to hunting for accommodation, I look for a hostel that is in close proximity to the train station, within our budget, provides good range of facilities (in particular en-suite bathroom and free WiFi) and of a good rating.

Of all the hostels I searched using HostelWorld.com, Hualien11 caught my attention with its 95% ratings. In comparison with a few others of similar ratings, it seems nearest to Hualien train station. Less than 10 minutes walk from the Back Station exit! By the way, this is not a sponsored post (in case you are wondering).

From their Info tab in HostelWorld.com, the list of tours Hualien11 could help to arrange made it even more attractive (save all our time and effort from planning). Its uniquely designed rooms (all rooms come with en-suite bathroom) caught my attention too! Yes, every room is REALLY designed differently.

The room we stayed in 2012 was a family suite (Sorry, forgot to take a picture of the room! But, you can see it from their website[1]. It is the Plato themed room 柏拉圖四人套房). The room we stayed in 2013 is a probably a White Cloud/Blue Sky themed:

Managed to take a picture of another Double Bed room which was probably waiting for its hosteller to arrive:

I must share that we were delighted to find out that Hualien11 is very close to supermarket, 7-11, fruit stalls and vegetarian eateries. So being hungry at Hualien11 might be the last thing you will experience. FYI, Hualien11 is run by Lisa and her son (I call him Little Boss). Though breakfast is not provided for, hang out in the lobby space with Lisa and she might surprise you by sharing a dish or two which she had just cooked or seasonal fruits.

Dining area in the Lobby

I fondly remembered that we arrived after midnight in 2013. Guessing that we were probably famish, she fried us some noodle so that we did not have to sleep on an empty stomach! I have also tasted her dishes when I was not hungry of course. Hence, I can vouch that her culinary skill is pretty good.

Any down side? Probably just that it does not provide you with any scenic view. Also, if you are not a dog person, you should probably inform Lisa beforehand as she has one by the name of Lucky. By the way, they do not have a swimming pool within the building which they listed as one of their facilities under the Facilities tab in HostelWorld.com.

When in Hualien, stay with Lisa and Little Boss at Hualien11. That was how I felt ever since I stayed with them since 2012. Till this date, we still keep in touch with one another. Lisa is indeed a very hospitable person and staying at Hualien11 really makes you feel at home while being overseas.

References:

1. Hualien11
2. Facebook - Hualien11
3. Tripadvisor - RYWsg review of Hualien11

Vegetarianism: Stir Fried Cucumber

My mother-in-law cooked this dish one day and we all fell in love with it. At first, we were skeptical of the taste because we usually eat cucumber raw or pickled (sides of satay, acar, etc). Who wouldn't, right? But, surprise surprise~ It actually tastes good!

After stir frying, the cucumber does not have the raw edge or refreshing taste to it. Rather, it has become more subdued. You will still be able to relate it back to cucumber, but some may guess that it is stir fried luffa. I did the version without adding chilli. If you like to spice it up a little, just add cut chilli to Step 1.

Ingredients:
1 cucumber sliced (remove seeds)
Sliced carrots
1 tsp mushroom granules
1 tsp pepper
Cooking oil

Steps:

1. Heat up the cooking oil and stir-fry sliced carrots with 1 tsp of pepper and 1 tsp of mushroom granules.
2. Add in cucumber and continue to stir-fry.
3. Serve when cucumber is translucent.

Do adjust the amount of seasoning to suit your taste. 

Bon appetit!

Travel: Oct 2013 South Gardens Hotels and Resorts, Taoyuan, Taiwan

Oct 2013 in Taipei, we stayed as usual at H132 Hostel (then known as Star Hostel) until hubby's Taiwanese friends checked us out of it on our last day there. As you can see from my other post on H132 Hostel, it is of reasonable standard (about a 3 to 4 stars hotel) with chic modern decoration for a stay that costs less than USD100/night.

That night, they checked us into South Garden Hotels and Resorts. If not for them, I am sure we would never have ended up there. Firstly, the location. It is quite a secluded area tucked away from the busy streets and shops. At least that was how I felt. Secondly, the cost. His friends got us checked into a Starlight room, which costs about USD500/night! Clearly not within our usual budget. The cheapest there was about USD340/night.

But as they always say, locals know best. We felt that way the moment we stepped on the property. It left us in anticipation just from the looks of its foyer.

 

Little rubber ducks swimming around to commemorate arrival of Rubber Duck in Kao Shiung

The reception and lobby area is also very spacious and, I feel, gothic looking. If you have forgotten to bring along your travel adaptor, need foreign currency exchange service, limousine pick up service to high speed rail station or airport, or even wheelchairs and medical kits for handicap, just approach the Front Desk. Oh, their check in time is 3pm and check out time is 11am, which is typical.

Within their compound, you can choose to have your meal in the comfort of your room, have a light bite at the Cheers bar located on ground floor or move up to 2nd floor restaurants for A La Carte or set meals. Because we booked in only around 8pm (after his friends enthusiastically showed us around Daxi district), we did not get to explore the hotel enough. We only managed to have our breakfast there before we head out to airport.

Activities wise, they have hot spring at B1 and 2nd floor, swimming pool and kids' pool at B1, sauna center and aroma therapy or massage center at 2nd floor, recreation center at ground floor (gym, entertainment room, kids' playroom, multi-function room) and I even saw a mini golf course behind their lobby area.

Basement: Hot spring, kids' pool, swimming pool
Ground floor: Recreation center

Mini golf course with excellent view

Their rooms did not let our expectation down. The refreshments in the fridge as well as those placed on the tables (such as mineral water, tea bags, instant coffee mix, sugar and creamer) being complimentary. There is also a in-room safe deposit for use.

Their bathroom and toilet are separated. On top of towels and bath robes which are typically provided by hotels, their toiletries impressed me quite a bit.

The room is spacious and elegantly decorated. What I liked most about it is the open air tub. It is definitely a great way to unwind and relax in total safety and privacy.

King size bed

Open air tub

Would I stay there again? Probably not (because it is not within our usual budget range set for Taiwan). But, it was definitely a nice experience and we enjoyed it very much. By the time we left, we were fully recharged.

References:

1. South Gardens Hotels and Resorts
2. Tripadvisor - RYWsg in Taoyuan

Motherhood: Sharing Baby Carriers Starter's Read

This post is just going to be a brief sharing of websites with regards to baby carriers which I came across and found useful.

Believe it or not, babywearing[1] is not as simple as just popping the baby carrier on and putting the baby in it. There are actually consultant giving babywearing lessons overseas. One whom I am following is Frisian mama in Germany[2].

I am actually glad that there are so many researches being done in this area because it concerns the development of our little ones. At the same time, it can be overwhelming for new parents like us.

For a start, the most crucial thing you need to be aware of is to ensure that the baby carrier is ergonomic. Your baby carrier should support the knee-to-knee or a.k.a. M position to avoid hip dysplasia[3].

You would probably know that are many baby carriers out in the market. Some which I have heard of are baby woven/stretch wraps (BW), mei tais (MT), ring slings (RS), soft structure carriers (SSC), pouch slings (PS), etc[4][5]. Here is their classification from what I gathered thus far:

I found out that selecting a baby carrier can be quite interesting and not a simple process as many factors/criteria[6][7] will affect your decision making process: For example, your little ones' weight(age) will affect the decision making process[8], personal preference, etc. Each has their pros and cons[9].

Some may even own more than one type of baby carrier. I am one of them. Fortunately for me, I am blessed with a RS and PS, I own a SSC and I am waiting for my first woven wrap to arrive.

At the current moment, I do not have a personal favourite. If I want both my hands to be free, there is a higher chance that I use SSC because it gives me the confidence to do so. But on the other hand, I do not find the waist band comfortable (especially when I sit down). If I am running a quick errand, I would probably use PS or RS because of its lightweight. I do use RS or PS when I head out for longer durations when hubby is around to be my helping hand.

Maybe the woven wrap will become my all time favourite because it is lightweight and (if wrapped properly) would probably give me the confidence of being hands free. For now, I am just waiting in anticipation~

References:

1. Babywearing International - What is Babywearing?
2. Wrap You in Love
3. International Hip Dysplasia Institute - What is Hip Dysplasia
4. Rucking Marvellous - Types of Slings
5. Facebook - Babyvibes: Types of Baby Carriers
6. BabyWearing Institute - Baby Carriers 101
7. Babywearing International - Choosing a Baby Carrier
8. Facebook - Babyvibes: Selecting the Most Suitable Carrier for Your Baby
9. Babywearing 102 - Beginner's Guide to Wraps

Travel: Happy New Year and Introduction to Up and Coming Halal Warehouse

Happy New Year Everybody!

Sadly, 2014 did not end on a happy note with the many aviation accidents close to home. Hope 2015 is a better year than 2014!

In recent months, there have been some talks on warehouses (where we can hopefully buy things are a cheaper price). So, I am going to start the year with an introduction to a newly discovered (by hubby of course) halal warehouse[1].

Yes, you saw it correctly. Halal warehouse. Not the Warehouse Club[2] which is newly opened in Joo Koon Circle. This one is located at east-central Singapore.

Expect to see mostly food stuffs (ranging from condiments to frozen food) and some everyday items such as shampoos, shower gels, etc. Although you will still see some big brands such as Coca Cola on their shelves, most of the displayed items are brands which I am not aware of. I heard that is because the warehouse aims to help SMEs gain exposure to the public.

In case you are worried about the quality of the goods, the warehouse do have samples for some of them. So, do your quality assurance before you buy :) Do pop over to my hubby's blog post for more details! For enquiries, feel free to drop us an e-mail or comments :)

Last but not least, HAPPY SG50!!!

References:

1. Singapore Local Tour - Warehouse Tour - Halal Warehouse
2. Warehouse Club