~Jara Jara Nori Nori Achi Achi Jun Nong Chi~

My friend, the Junk Queen, came to visit my friend Nong Nong and I at the city of Taipie last weekend, and it was....so amazing. We were like children roaming the playground of Taipei.

Talking to them made me realise how much I miss hanging out with just girls, talking about nothing, thinking about everything and letting life flow at its smoothest.

The first day Nong nong had to work so Junjun and I joined her for a quick lunch. In the morning I took Junjun to the traditional markets where she ooohed and ahhhed over the strange things she saw. Later after lunch with Nong Nong, I took Junjun to visit the "squatting toilets" that are publicly on offer in Taiwan. We then went to visit Long-Shan Temple where the both of us almost fell asleep on the lawn. Why? Because we had stayed up the night before until 2am chatting about.... nothing in genral...but the conversation was so good.

That night Nong Nong and I took Jun to the famous nightmarket of Taipei--Shilin Night Market. It's the best place for cheap shopping, oily but delicious food, and barganin. We must have shopped for 3 hours before we really began eating.

Afterwards, Nong-the-sweetie was too tired from a day of work so she couldn't join us for clubbing at TU, so instead she helped Jun and I with our shopping.

Originally I had planned to take Junjun to TU, a all-you-can-drink bar that I haven't been to since I was in uni, but then my father's student Hans, offered to take us to a private piano bar.

Before we went to the piano bar, however, we met Hans' friend James, who reminded both Junjun and I of Lawrence. The sweet chatty English guy who had a gorgeous man waiting for him in his bedroom. His house was decorated like a Balinese holiday home, cozy and exotic. Whilst there we heard some funny stories about James and Hans, and saw a man trying to make another man drunk.

I thought the private piano bar would be all jazzy, but...instead it was more like a retro-karaoke-bar. The music was good depending on who the singer was, but it was fun to sit and meet people and have my tarrots read.

Junjun and I ended up going home around 5am, we took a stroll down Tung-Hua North Road under the just-peeking sun. The weather was breezy, air was fresh, and some how the stroll reminded me of the holiday I took with Junjun in New Orleans--free and without reason.

That day we joined Nong Nong for yet another day of adventure. WE met for lunch at "Nickel Mart" the shopping area for people in love with cheap cheap stuff. There we shopped until our foot almost dropped off. It was so much fun looking at clothes and shoes and trying to find the jewel amongs junks.

That night we decided to go for a picnic at Chang-Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. So we went to Shi-Meng-Ting to buy some food and then sat on the steps of the memorial hall, overlooking Taipei at night.

There were many couples dating that night, but there were the three of us; barefoot, noisy, drinking beer, and talking about the silliest things possible. I loved that feeling, the freedom of my heart in their prescence. We chatted about life, love, freedom, dreams, all the things that makes the heart soar, and we were reluctant to let go of such a moment, well...at least I was. But we had a date with my older sister Lanchun at Blue Note, so off we went.

Blue Note is my favourite jazz bar in Taipei, a little rusty and run-down, but that's how a jazz bar should feel for me. Not fancy, not gorgeous, but filled with the amber light of yester-years. We sat there emerced in the mellifious voice of Gu-Hoa.

After Blue Note we, this time including Nongnong, with James and Hans, who offered to take us to a gay bar. It was Nong Nong's first time clubbing in Taiwan and....it was in a room full of hunks!!! I am serious, the room was packed with men who knew how to dress and show off themselves. I loved the environment, though I must admit I was very sleepy by that time. We danced and enjoyed many many eye candy, then we called it a night around 3am cos we were all exhausted from a day of walking.

The next morning Nong and Jun went to the famous Din-Tai-Fun, whilst lazy me slept and took time to get ready.

We walked around the Yong-Kang area and I missed my friends. I missed Junjun already because she's always capable of having fun anywhere any time, and then I missed Ghost who hung around that area with me almost every night last year...

The weekend made me realize that I need free people around me. People who are not afraid to act the way their heart dictates them to act. I hope I will be blessed with such friendships all throughout my life.