Alright, alright. So I said I'd show you food piccies. The row down the right hand side are most of what was served for my 'wind receiving' lunch. Yeah, it was yummy. And what's with the heading? Thought I'd tell you I haven't seen any animals since I landed, but have been bitten by a loathsome mossie in the apartment several times. It's too clever for me to catch it with the electric mossie swatter. (Argh!!) Somehow insects in high density population are really good at hiding & dodging. (Just you wait...) So never mind about the dingos, kangaroos etc. You won't find them here. There're plenty of souls aggregated on the island country though–all of 22.9 million people of which 2.6 million live in Taipei the capital city. Taiwan is an island about one fifth the size of Victoria State (or a quarter of Tassie). Imagine the entire population of Australia (a continent) getting cozy on an island country this size! 
Taipei–the city of cheap gourmet eats, armies of scooters, yellow cabs, high altitude mountain tea, the 101 skyscraper, and much much more. Can anyone run out of things to DO here? The street level of my apartment block is filled with boutique stores (shopping, anyone?), cafes & eateries as well as roadside vendours. During day time, men and women roam the streets on business and home errands. At night and on weekends, the young and beautiful parade the streets, some taking pictures of their trip out to the 'xoxo' shop or restaurant made famous by 'xoxo' tv program / magazine. Yes–my neighbourhood is a tourist destination.
Gourmet meals in Taipei are about half of the Australian price tag. Anything 'shopping' or 'work' related is within walking distance (or a few MRT (Metropolitan Rapid Transport) / bus stops). The sea is a mere 25 minutes' commute, as are the mountains of evergreens. Taiwan is an island country surrounded by coral reefs and layered with granite and fertile volcanic soil. The agricultural produce is a delight; flavour-some, sweet, and generously priced. If you've seen the recent Iron Chef episode that featured Valentines Day theme desserts (where the French challenger won), you'd have seen a variety of bananas, of which a batch were Taiwanese bananas. (Yay, we're famous!!!)
Once upon a time, a trip to Taiwan in my childhood was synonamous to eat-till-you-pop and shop-till-you-drop. With age, shopping's become more of a necessity than an event for me. But I still enjoy the food and appreciate having a plethora of 'stuff' within easy reach (should I ever have the need for them). Most importantly, I love being able to see the faces of my family every day. I'm not so sure about the smog though. There're quite a few environmentally friendly projects around the city, but I really miss being able to roam around the beach and the grass fields (which by the way, are sectioned off for 'viewing' purposes only' in the cities). *Sigh*... Can you imagine 2.6 million people stomping on a few patches of grass scattered throughout the paved city?
For a Taipei-Melburnian-Novacastrian woman, I'm okay with taking a walk through the underground shopping strips (yes, you can eat, play, drink, and shop... and live a life underground if you choose to), but only for so long. I might just loose all inhibitions and roam around barefooted very soon (as long as it's somewhere clean–doh!). I was brought up to wear slippers indoors, but my heart longs to run through a field of daisies... (Yes, I knew it! I've always been barefooted at heart!) Whoa, what a bold thing for someone born in Taipei to say!!! ;p
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