Depressing update and some food pics to cheer everyone up

It's a weird thing, depression that is. It can just come and go with little or no notice, messing up every aspect of your life and then one day you feel great and don't really know what the fuss was all about.

I just need to write this, so bear with me and I'll get back to happy travel updates later one and even this update will have some food pics in the end.
It's a really weird thing when you see the whole world as some bleak, unhappy place that's just there to annoy you and make you feel bad, so that you don't even notice that it's not really like that and you are getting angry for nothing at all. Annoying all your friends around, not keeping up with any contacts and then just starting to feel worse and worse about school, because you seem to keep failing and being able to finish things in time, because you feel bad, causing you to feel even worse.

Kinda annoying that you start feeling numb to all these bad feelings after a while and accept that they just are there and don't notice them any more, just trying to get through, living, but not really enjoying things you used to enjoy and just covering everything with a smile. Video games for example, have been something I've enjoyed always and the only exceptions being when I've been sick, so I haven't really had much motivation to even play a game and just feeling bored and tired when doing so. This lack of motivation then translates even more heavily into studies, social relations and just general well-being. Feeling sick to the point that you actually feel physically ill and don't know what is happening any more, just having upset stomach, trouble sleeping and constant headaches.

Today really has been the first day for a long time now that I'm feeling genuinely happy and content with the day, just waking up, not worrying about anything, just taking everything easy, being able to talk to people and seeing everything normally for a change. Sure my stomach is still upset, feeling really anxious being the biggest reason, but I don't feel annoyed, angry or otherwise unhappy for a change.

I'm sorry for all the problems I've caused my friends for not really helping out and being seemingly lazy when it comes to doing homework and projects and such. I do think that, I'll get everything done better and actually done as time goes on and I'm coping better with everything, but it will also take some time. 

I haven't been really able to plan any trips in Taiwan by myself and I'm little bit angry at myself for this, but hopefully I'll get myself together for couple of hours again this day or tomorrow to visit at least Alishan forest railway and the places around there, maybe Sun moon lake  and such.
Even, if I don't visit all the place I would like now, it's not like I can't come back to Taiwan one day in the future. I'm sure there are some people who aren't annoyed at me and would help me out.

So yeah, now I just have to get through the courses here and then see what courses I can choose for my studies in Finland, when I'll come back in January few weeks after the start of the year.

And then after all that depressing stuff some food!

Kung Pao Chicken some days ago

You have to fill out a for what to order, but they also have an English list! :D

Lots of chicken and everything

All the vegetables and other stuff

Really nice fried chicken and everything else place, with really nice owner

The owner gave me some free fried tofu to try, which I found out when I was eating :)

Pineapple burger at Jenny Talks with Dr. Pepper

Exploring the surroundings

Decided to walk around the area where I live finally, because it's so cold inside. 18C inside when outside it's nice and sunny...why no insulation!? Should probably invest in some kind of heater to make this place warmer...if they just didn't use ceramic tiles as floors here :(

But yeah it's nice and sunny outside and walking is always enjoyable, so I decided to just walk around and see, if I could find something new. So in the end I just ended walking little big around the school walls and walking across a field before encountering 5-6 medium sized dogs who appeared out of nowhere and seemed like some kind of guard dogs. Didn't really want to go against something like that.

The countryside here is quite nice and relaxing, I didn't even see anyone outside when I walked one way and then on the way back it seems everyone just appeared from somewhere. Weird...maybe everyone was eating lunch. Lots of pretty wild flowers growing and nice sky and everything in general.

Someone doesn't have a postbox

I still can't understand why they leave plastic on, on these

The school dorms from the other side

Some nice flowers

Just walking across the field here and the uni on the left

Some really low houses

One hospital visit later, flue over and back not broken

So last week I was feeling weirdly positive about everything, didn't feel as sick from the flue as before. I started feel some warmth returning into my toes for a change, when whilst I was sitting down to watch the newest Hunger Games film, I started feeling little uneasy in my back. The film was really good and I did enjoy it till the really annoying cliffhanger ending.

Of course I would never go straight to the hospital after just feeling little horrible pain in my back, so I slept through the night and most of the day, feeling quite tired and discomforted. Finally in the end decided that you know, it could be a good idea to try to get to a hospital, because the pain doesn't seem to be going anywhere and if it's a problem with my spine, it could be quite bad.

So the hospitals in Taiwan, or at least the one I went to with Jeffrey and other friend (sorry can't remember your name), was kinda weird experience, as I haven't really been to a hospital many times in my life. Seems though that Finnish hospitals and health centres have more plants, nicer colourful colours on the walls and less bureaucratic registration and admission system. Then again the doctor was quite nice and knew what to do and after waiting for an hour to get to him, I was out of the place with the medication within 10 minutes.

Now just have to catch up with some of my studies, especially with the Chinese, which is not really mandatory, but I would like to learn a bit more and actually understand more than what I do now... 
Kinda annoying few weeks to tell the truth, but I guess things just happen sometimes. Apparently I have strained my back muscles too much, somehow without playing any sports and mostly just walking and sometimes running around...

Icons when to take and everything only in Chinese of course

Only as much as you need, all packed in bags

Again to HK on Hello Kitty flight and why is it so cold

So Hong Kong was really nice, saw some things that I didn't see before and just relaxed for the most part. I did feel quite weak from the flue, so I didn't really have the same kind of hectic schedule I did have during my first time there. But lots of things happened, like a fire alarm, no electricity due to maintenance, some Chinese model/actress?? with some bodyguards and lots of fans and lots more! More photos incoming later on when I manage to get through all of them and stop playing with Photoshop.

Oh yeah, it's really cold inside here, but outside it kinda nice and warm. I really want some insulation here too... Getting better and better day by day, so that's good and now I'm starting enjoying myself again and doing stuff!

Hello Kitty!

Probably the plane we took, but it was too dark to see it

My cute Hello Kitty ticket

Hello Kitty everything! Also quite good food

Utensils, Hello Kitty

Don't feel well? Hello Kitty to the rescue!

Hello Kitty cabin crew and seat covers as seen below

Midterm exams, being sick and cats!

So I haven't been updating my little blog for some time now :( It's very weird how you can catch cold when it's at least +19 degrees outside at all times, but seems to have happened. Now just have to get well before Friday and I'll be able to go to HK for a little holiday. Midterm exams seem to have gone quite well and now I have a free day finally! :D

Medicine! Lots of Panadol too

Visited Pinxi and Jiufen on last Saturday, also managed to fall down while crossing the street, so my whole leg has been hurting for some time now too. At least my camera still works and it didn't suffer from the fall.

Lots of pain

Lots of cats and a train coming towards

Hamburger, waffles and streets

Been really really tired and busy for the last few days, but I need to keep up with this blog, or it will just disappear into obscurity. So here's are some food photos from the last days and today and some surrounding streets :)


Ate really delicious pineapple burger yesterday with some really good fries too. Have to go to the place again at some point. 

 

Pineapple burger yesterday, with small pineapples

Burger guy and statue of liberty

Yummy, yummy burger

Thumbs up for the fried things

You can pick and choose what you want fried

Scooters whizzing around

Making tea

Today had some waffles, one with spicy chicken and the other with some chocolate and peanuts

Some honey and aloe tea in a carrying bag

Smily Fish

Preparing the waffles

Smile(ing) Fish waffle place

Lot's of strong tea to write my presentation

You Are the Apple of My Eye

So today wasn't as boring as I remembered, because I watched this film. I wasn't really expecting much, because I haven't seen any Taiwanese films before, but decided to give it a try.

Really emotional, sad and funny film all at the same time, telling the story of some high school students who grow up and experience things on the way. Great music too and it fits the film very well. It's been a while since I've watched anything and been able to concentrate on it well, but I just couldn't watch away.

Based on a true story of the main character in the film, it's really interesting to see the life of people in Taiwan through a locals eyes, but at the same time it goes somewhat over the top in some parts and is nicely light and comedic.

I loved it!

http://asianwiki.com/You_Are_the_Apple_of_My_Eye

Food update

So today too, I consumed food for my sustenance and on this cloudy day it was the fried noodles turn to get eaten.Some pieces of chicken got mixed into noodles together with bean spouts and sesame seeds. Needed some soy sauce or some other sauce to taste little better. :(
Also went to a tea store and just ordered the very unhealthy bubble tea, but with real milk, so it should be slightly healthier, but again with regular amount of sugar, so again negating the health benefits... :D I will have to get the Lychee black tea next time and see how that one tastes like, maybe it's really good or maybe just tastes like regular black tea.


And so the food update has had to come to an end for today and more food later on. I'll try to find something different for tomorrow and maybe I'll be successful, but at least I'm going to eat lunch at school!

Temporary hitch in posting, but now more photos from the roof

So weekend is almost over and I've been mostly reading and studying things to get them finally done and have some more free time to travel around during next few weeks. The weather should be clearing up from the constant cloudiness and drizzle, and reverting back to more sunny one.

Couldn't sleep yesterday, so decided to go up to the roof on the 13th or 14th floor to take some photos of the sleeping town below.

Street at night

Spying on neighbours really far away

Long way down

Yuan Ze University!

I need a tripod, or a monopod, or just a pod!

Delicous dumpling and headaches, with C.C. Lemon

Some really tasty food today. Lots of strong headaches, caused probably by stress and some problems sleeping, but C.C. Lemon, food and couple cups of tea seem to have mostly cured it finally.

Boiling the dumplings

Some dumplings ready to go

My 15 dumpling with cabbage/meat and chive, also some free tea

Cabbage/meat

 The dumplings are really great and the restaurant is maybe just 50m from where I live. 5NT$ for one, which is I think slightly more than it was when I arrived here, but still quite cheap. 10 for 50NT$, or 1.25€. :) You get free tea and can add soy sauce or some other spicy sauces, if you want to.

C.C. Lemon for 0.75€, not so bad, Taiwanese drops and Doritos

First time I've had C.C.Lemon, but it was quite nice and refreshing