REVIEW: Linegear Japan Lenses... And My Love for Classic Oakley Sunglasses

Ever since I was a kid, I'm already fascinated with sunglasses. As a 90's kid, I witnessed that phase where sunglasses were not just prolific, but also prominent in TV/movies/sports icons. A lot of people would agree that one of the best brands from that era was Oakley.

The designs of Oakley's sunglasses lineup were so "cool" that you'll see high profile athletes like Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, Scottie Pippen, and Kobe Bryant wearing them regularly. With features in movies like Mission Impossible 2 (Ethan Hunt), Fight Club (Tyler Durden), and X Men (Scott Summers), the popularity of Oakley shades was through the roof during the 90's and 00's.

**as usual, click on the image to enlarge

At the height of Oakley's popularity, I was still a teenager without enough money to buy them because they were really expensive here in the Philippines. My mom was able to give me a pair of first gen E Wires when I was 12 years old but someone took it from my bag while I was playing basketball so she never bought me another pair again...  

 

So the very first thing that I bought with my first paycheck back in 2006 was an Oakley Straight Jacket Ducati Edition, LOL!

Straight Jacket Ducati Edition

It is still in very pristine condition up to this day with only one problem that is very familiar for Oakley collectors... The lenses are starting to peel off! You can see in the image above if you enlarge it that there are a couple of spots that have peeled off on the right lens. I stopped using it for the fear of a peeling intruding my eyes. I am thankful that a friend of mine introduced me to Linegear Japan (click the link to go to their site) in one of our conversations.

The very first time I have visited their website, it was unfortunate that I did not find available lenses for my Straight Jacket. BUT, I have probably spent at least an hour browsing through their site as their lineups catered to a lot of X Metals and provided a lot of information about the whole X Metal line.

Linegear's site alone re-ignited my love for Oakley Shades and I have started collecting classic Oakley O Matters and X Metals since then. What I love about Linegear lenses is that their products are very comfortable on the eyes and I have yet to purchase a pair of lenses from them that cause dizziness and they don't distort the view.

So far, I have tried their Regular Non-polarized Lenses, NXT, NXT Varia, and the latest one that the good folks at Linegear sent for me to try out, NXT Polarized lenses.

I have told the Linegear team through Boss Max that I stopped wearing Polarized lenses because of a bad experience with other brands where I get nauseous and headaches. Max sent me a pair for review anyway to see if this product can change my mind about Polarized lenses.

I got curious and happily accepted it but I was a little skeptical because the polarized sunglasses I have bought before is a well-known brand. I have accepted the fact that maybe polarized lenses aren't for me.

For this test, I brought out my favorite lenses from their lineup which I regularly use depending on the occasion or situation. Here's my lineup:

A.) XX TiO2 with Photochromic Titanium NXT Varia

I use this regularly as this lens is very versatile. I wear this a lot during the rainy season where it is still bright during daytime even without direct visibility of the sun. I do not use this when it is hot and sunny outside. I can wear this while driving at night!

 

B.) Titanium T-Wire with Non-Polarized NB-10 (with my name in Alibata etched on the lower part)
The most affordable line in Linegears roster. It still gives high-performance on sunny days and I use it a lot while driving inside a medium-tinted vehicle. And yes, Linegear does etching services for a minimal added cost.

C.) Eye Jacket with NXT HD Blue Iridium

I love wearing this because MJ and Kobe used to wear this model. The lenses are good for sunny days and for some reason, when I compare wearing this to the regular non-polarized linegear lenses, it is like switching from 1080p to 4K LOL! I mean, 1080p is already adequate but the details and contrast of 4K is dashiz!

D.) Romeo 1 with NXT Polarized Ice

This is the product that they asked me to test and see if it can change my mind about polarized lenses :D

To make things interesting, I have also tested them side by side with an Oakley OEM Polarized lens

E.) Romeo 2 with Black Polarized Lenses (notice the factory etching and sticker lol)

I haven't used this one since acquiring it and brought it out just for this experiment!

I have used my trusty Canon G7x MarkII in Manual mode for the tests with the same settings for each shot in different situations. Our human eyes have a wider dynamic range than what these camera sensors can give but at least you'll have a slight idea on what it's like. I will also provide my commentary on how it actually feels when wearing it.

So I brought with me shades A,B,C,D, and E for a couple of weeks and tested them in situations where I usually find myself in.

First Test

**click image for full resolution

Situation (RAW): Around noon, very sunny day inside a medium-tinted vehicle

A: This lens, as I have mentioned, is only ideal for days that are not that sunny. The picture shows blown up highlights and that's almost how I felt when I wore this one. I find myself squinting even if I'm inside the truck.

B: This lens in this situation is comfortable enough and I can wear this inside the car up to where the sun's bottom is inching down towards the horizon.

C: This lens is almost the same with B when it comes to brightness. It doesn't show it that much in the photos but the scene looks "crisper" somehow when I wear this lens.

D: You can definitely see the improvement on this lens when it comes to pacifying the whites around the scene. You'll notice the clouds are more defined around the edges. The picture shows dark shadows but in reality when you wear it, it is not that bad and you can still see great detail across the scene. I am happy to report that even if there is a "rainbow effect" when inside a tinted glass, it did not bother me and I did not feel nauseated at all when I used it for a 45-minute drive! Good job!

E: This one also provided better definition but I found it giving more light transmission so the white clouds in actual view can be uncomfortable if you stare at it for a while.

Second Test

Situation (RAW): It was very sunny and I am now outside of the vehicle. I accidentally deleted the full raw scene but I was able to save the "marker frame" so you'll have an idea how bright it is if you'll look at the pick up truck as basis. 

A: As in the first test, it was not ideal to use this lens in that situation. It will shield and minimize glares but it will be uncomfortable staring at whites/shiny surfaces for extended periods of time.

B: It was actually comfortable after I put these on. The whites are not that uncomfortable to look at anymore and I think the brightness in this situation was well-managed already.

C: It is still the same comfort with B and once again, the rocks in actual view somehow appears to be sharper.

D: I am not sure if the photo did it justice but these are perfect for this situation! Comfortable as hell! I actually kept the Romeo 1 in my truck after this test so that I can use it when it's bright and sunny outside :D

E: The OEMs are also comfortable to wear but somehow, I liked how D managed the whites better in this situation.

Third Test

Situation (RAW): I took this test as the sun sets and did not bring the NXT Varia and NXT as the brightness levels of the Varia vs RAW is minimal and the the NXT vs Non-polarized are almost identical. I wanted to do this test as quickly as possible as we all  know the sun dips quickly at this time and brightness levels can strongly vary in a matter of seconds.

B: Looking straight directly to the partially shown sun is manageable at this time of the day using this lens. I would not recommend doing so, though. The shadows in actual view are more detailed.

D: The clouds definition and colors are better and pleasing to the eyes compared to B for my taste. The shadows have more detail in actual view compared to the pictures but it is darker compared to B.

E: This lens had more cloud definition than B but lesser than D. The shadow details are slightly better than D but slightly less than B. So this OEM lens is the perfect balance between the two in this situation :)

Fourth Test

Situation (RAW): It was a cloudy but bright day. The kind of day where it is early afternoon and just about to rain soon as the clouds build up. I chose to pick a spot where there's a huge body of water that can reflect the glare of the sun. It was a head to head comparison between the Linegear Polarized NXT vs Oakley Polarized lenses

D: The retained details in the shadows and clouds in actual view were well-balanced. The lens handled the reflected light from the body of water pretty well and again, everything was sharp as a tack! It is like watching stock 4K videos in appliance centers!

E: I like how this lens rendered the green colors. The reflected glare from the body of water got significantly reduced but not as well as D handled it. The NXT's clarity made a huge difference compared to this.

This review wasn't meant to determine who's the best among the lineup as it will make no sense to do such. Just like our clothes, we choose our sunglasses depending on the weather, lighting, occasion, and other factors. You wouldn't want to wear the same coat whether it is cold or hot outside, just like you wouldn't wanna wear the same sunglasses whether it is bright and sunny or cloudy :)

One thing is for sure - I am now convinced that not all Polarized lenses are created the same and I am keeping this NXT Polarized lenses in my arsenal. Thank you Boss Max and Linegear Japan for this opportunity to try out your great products!

Linegear has also extended their lineup and can accommodate lens requests for any frames that you have. Just reach out to Boss Max and he will happily accommodate your request.

Keep safe and wear 'em Oakleys in good health!

Chewy

**you can click on the links to know more about the products mentioned in this post.

We Filipinos Need To Learn How To Wait

This post is out of the usual food, life, travel stuff. I am putting it here just in case someone out there recorded what happened in SM City Lucena Grocery Store January 7, 2020 at around 8PM and edits it out for a version that is convenient for just one-side.


For those who know me, I am pretty sure you have an idea that I always try to do and choose what is fair and proper. Even if it means having to sacrifice something like convenience, money, and most importantly - TIME. I am not perfect but if there's a line to get to something, I would be glad to wait in line if I think it is worth it.

So, back to the incident earlier. My wife picked up a few things that we need for our home. When she's done shopping, she asked me to take the blue basket and pay for it while she goes out to get a DD coffee. So I went ahead and entered the Blue Basket line for the blue basket cashiers. These lines have these blue barrier ropes and at the end of it, a sign that clearly says "PLEASE WAIT".

And wait I did.

Now after that Please Wait sign, we have 2 blue basket counters allocated for those in line. I repeat:
1 Line
2 Counters

In Japan, this setup is very common in convenience stores. People line up in one line and wait behind a marked area, and then once a cashier becomes available, whichever of the 2 comes first, the next person waiting in the marked area can go ahead and do the next transaction. EASY. First In First Out.

Now, here's the setting earlier. Counter A had 2 customers already in that small slot - one already being serviced, Counter B had 2 customers as well - one also already being serviced.

Counter B finished with the first customer first, and the next customer only had a few items compared to the one still being serviced at Counter A. The second customer in Counter A also only had a few items. so:

Counter A: 1 customer being serviced with lots of stuff, 1 customer waiting with a few things
Counter B: 1 customer being serviced with a few things
Marked area where it says "Please Wait": Me, a 40+ year old lady, a 30+ year old guy, and an at least 16 yo male student.

The 40+ yo lady insinuated "o, puwede na sa kabila o!" (oh, the other one is now available!). I heard it but did not react because:
1. That's not true, there are still others being serviced.
2. Even if the one in Counter B finishes first, there's still a customer waiting behind Counter A that should be serviced first because she came before me.

So I did not move an inch and whistled Araw-araw by Ben&Ben. Not a minute after, the student went under the rope barrier and went behind the customer being serviced in Counter B. Unfortunately for him:
1. My peripheral vision game is strong.
2. I am not dumb.
3. I am at a point in my life where I have no problems calling out douches.

I said to the kid, "utuy, nakapila din kami, ayun ang pila sa likod" (hey lad, we're also waiting in line, there's the end of the line)

The boy gave this awkward smile and went back to the end of the line. After this, the 40 yo lady then said "ayun na e o, puwede ka nang sumunod dun!" (look, you can now go next)

Still not true as the situation is still
Counter A: 1 customer is still being serviced and STILL with lots of stuff, 1 customer waiting with a few things
Counter B: 1 customer still being serviced with a few things - ALMOST DONE
Marked area where it says "Please Wait": Me, a 40+ year old lady, a 30+ year old guy, and an at least 16 yo male student, and a few more

So now, she clearly is talking to me and I can now respond. In a calm way but well-modulated voice (well enough so others would hear), "ma'am nakalagay po dito, PLEASE WAIT. Kung pipila po ako dun, uunahan ko naman si ate at hindi tama yun." (ma'am, it says here PLEASE WAIT. If I am to proceed, I will cut the line and go before the girl in front of me and that is not proper)

And then I said to the girl in front of me because she cannot see the situation in the other counter, "ma'am patapos na dito sa kabila, kasunod ka na" (ma'am, the other counter is almost done, you're up next). She gave this beautiful smile and thanked me and then moved to the other counter.

The 40yo lady kept mum for a while after that. So now things moved, I am now in Counter A, 40yo lady in Counter B and she is still mumbling things to the cashier about the line.

I know some people will think, get off your high horse and that sort of stuff. Why? Because I did what is proper? The problem with us is that most of us Filipinos want change as long as that change does not affect our convenience.

Actually, I would rephrase that, most of us Filipinos want change as long as that change does not affect our convenience and we can still take advantage and get ahead of others.

I still believe it is not too late for us as a nation to change. We can learn to wait in line. We can learn to think of other people's welfare. So I won't get off the high horse and will invite you to climb on that horse with me instead.

To the 16yo+ student, I had to teach you that lesson. And you are the reason I am writing this entry. I am concerned that you somehow have taken a video of the incident and somehow able to twist things so it will go viral - which is the problem with the youth today, they all want to go viral and go about things without considering the consequences.

This is my checkmate post, timestamped, without edits.

Cheers,
Chewy

Life Has Become Better

It's been ages since I last made an entry for this blog. For those who know me personally, they know that I am someone who likes to share experiences and also listen to other people's journey as well as I like to learn more about life this way. I used to share a lot through Facebook. It was easy to share my thoughts instantly - a huge reason why I stopped posting in this blog.

More than a year ago, in an unpremeditated move, I have deactivated my Facebook. Even though posts through Facebook allows us to interact and trigger discussions with out friends and get likes, someone once told me that not all people actually like what they see on my feed. It was an eye-opener. No matter how much I try to be positive in my posts, someone is bound to misinterpret and take offense out of it. Since I have deactivated, I have learned that I don't need to please all people and most importantly, I have learned not to care too much about what people will say.

Learning not to care doesn't mean learning not to share. I continued sharing my experience through actual face to face conversations and from time to time, Instagram (because I love photos). I share because I appreciate God's blessings, I share to learn, and when I can, I share to inspire. And I am now making my intentions known as early as now, I am writing this post to hopefully inspire, give hope, and educate. Not shame people. Let us be clear about that :)

A little background, my wife Blanca and I tied the knot 4 years ago. We've encountered a huge heartache during that year as I have shared in this entry. Ever since that heartache, we have tried to move on and kept on trying to conceive as we thought it's going to be the "remedy".

A year went by, still nothing. 2 years, 3 years... still nothing. As I wrote that first phrase, it's as if years went by quickly - it did not. Let me tell you why.

We have tried hard.
We have downloaded every ovulation app, timed our lovemaking according to the calendar, watched our diet, changed our lifestyle, went to the best infertility doctors and then ended up with "unexplained infertility". I always try to be strong in front of my wife as I need to be that rock for her. Deep inside, my heart was crumbling.

Jokes and Jabs are funny, but they do hurt.
The reason why I always remind myself to look at people's intentions is because people can be insensitive. Friends and family will say something that means nothing to them and may have good intentions but can hurt you right in the gut. Countless times, whenever there's a gathering or when we see someone we haven't seen in a long time, people will say to us "O, wala pa ba kayong anak? Ang hina niyo naman." "Pare turuan kita, tatanggalin niyo kasi muna panty at brip niyo, haha" "Mahina pala itong manok natin e, hindi pa din nakakabuo, bilisan mo na, itong si XXX naglalakihan na mga anak", etc.

The people who said these to me are good people. They just want to make the situation lighter that's why they said those things, not to hurt me, but they did a little. If you are one of those people who are blessed with children and you are talking to couples who you know have been trying to conceive, I am going to give you a few tips.
- Let them open up to the topic first. If they do not, it means they are not comfortable sharing it with you
- "Wala pa ba kayong anak?" is not a good way to greet a couple that you clearly not so close to because you don't know what they've been up to lately.
- and if they do open up to the topic and say that unfortunately, they don't have any kids yet, instead of making a joke, just say "don't worry, we will help pray for it" or if you are not religious, just say "it will happen in your own perfect time" or something that will encourage them

If you are guilty of taking a jab of this nature to someone you care about, don't worry, they don't hate you, it might hurt for a little time during their drive home up to before they go to bed but will forget about it the next day.

If you are one of the couples who are still trying to conceive and are having a hard time. It will happen, just don't quit. You will have your own family. May it be through natural birth, adoption, what have you. It will happen. Pray. Claim it. Appreciate life and enjoy that you have a partner to share the bitterness that comes with the sweetness of living. Life is good. And it will get better.

My wife and I have gone through that struggle. I am happy to share that we now have our little bundle of joy and I am telling you, the things we went through made this milestone extra special. I am sharing a picture of our milk-monster to send good vibes.

In a few hours, it will be my wife's birthday. Exactly one week after she gave birth to our little Ava. I am truly blessed to have her as my wife. She stayed strong, not just throughout the whole pregnancy journey, but more importantly, in those tough days of the month where her period will arrive after we've tried our best. Blanca, I love you and thank you for being my rock. I would like to let you know, before Ava, life was already good with you. When you gave me Ava, life has become better :)

Chewy

#taiwannagrowoldwithyou Taipei 2016 - Day 0 & 1

WARNING: Ang series of posts na ito ay heavy on images pero may mapupulot naman kayong tips at mga masarap at hindi masarap na kainan/pagkain. Kaya maraming pictures ay dahil karamihan ay hindi ko maisulat ang address kaya sa itsura na lang ibase :p As always, click on the photos for a larger view

TIME. It is interesting how our perception of it can vary depending on our age, emotions, and other factors. The five-year old me thought that 10 years was too long and too far away. I remember thinking, I can't wait to be in 4th Year High School so my friends and I can have total authority over the school basketball court :)

To a man who just got incarcerated for a 10-year sentence, he may also feel that 10 years can't come soon enough.

As I look back, my years spent in grade school and high school went by so quickly! I wish I could stay longer in that period and savour each moment. Ah, irony of life :)

Okay, matapos ko mag-feeling na nagsusulat ng Formal Theme, I would like to share to you our Taiwan Trip :D Anong koneksyon, kamo? Blanca and I celebrated 10 years of friendship last December 2016. Ang bilis ng panahon! Parang kailan lang, nakikipaglandian lang kami sa text sa isa't-isa, hindi nga namin alam kung kelan naging kami basta isang araw sinabi na lang niya "i love you" - bwahahaha! Joke lang.

Dahil malapit na din ang Pasko dun sa date, inalok ko siya, ano gusto niyang gift. Cellphone ba? Bag? Sapatos?... To show you how lucky I am, sabi niya, 'wag na daw material na bagay. She said that it would be better if we can spend time together, kahit out of town trip lang at kumain ng masasarap - dalawa pa daw kaming mag-eenjoy and we'll create more happy memories...

Ang swerte ko talaga sa misis ko! Siyempre, gusto ko pa rin maging unforgettable kasi pagbibigay-pugay sa isang dekada ito e. Since may sale ang AirAsia papuntang Taiwan, naisip kong lumipad na lang kami dun kasi maraming masarap na makakainan doon, ayon sa aking mga kaibigan :)

So we started our swabe journey at the airport; Blanca is a huge fan of Kinder, yung milky chocolate ha, hindi yung Tinder na app :p Gustong-gusto niya yung Kinder Surprise na nakakain yung egg shells. Sa kasamaang palad, Kinder Joy lang nasa 7-eleven natin dito kaya nung makakita siya sa NAIA, bumili agad para may makain habang naghihintay ng flight, haha!

Our flight left on-schedule and after a few of hours, nandun na kami sa Tao Yuan Airport. Like in our other travels, kumuha din kami ng pocket wifi to help us navigate all over Taipei

We chose WIFI Taiwan and rented a device for 5 days. Nakuha namin siya for $32.50 so around Php 1500, which is Php 300 a day. Not bad of a deal! Ang maganda dito, open 24-hours yung convenience store sa airport kung saan pipick-upin yung pocket wifi. Very helpful ito lalo na sa mga flights na madaling araw na dumarating gaya ng AirAsia at CebuPacific.

Once nabuksan mo yung packet, may laman siyang charger, cable, yung device mismo, at *drum roll*... power bank! Napaka-thoughtful naman nila na mag-provide ng power bank and trust me, kakailanganin niyo ito lalo na kung buong araw kayong nasa labas at kelangan ng internet to navigate. Highly-recommended!

Hindi ko alam na frowned-upon ang Uber sa Taipei. Dahil madaling araw kami dumating, walang available na train at ayon sa estimate, NTD 1200 aabutin ang Taxi from airport to our hotel. Sumubok ako kumuha ng Uber, luckily, merong malapit sa airport at napick-up agad kami for NTD 842.50 tapos BMW 3 Series pa sumundo sa amin. Sweeeeeet!

We chose a hotel na affordable, malapit sa mga kainan (Ximending), at malapit sa public transportation. Hotel Papa Whale ang pumasok sa criteria namin.

medyo baduy lang yung name pero...

ang cool lang ng vintage vibe nung hotel :D

Merong nice shower room, toiletries, pero walang bidet/"power spray ng puwet" so 3.5/5 lang ang banyo niya for me :p

It really is just a small space tapos wala pang windows yung nakuha namin pero we don't mind. On average, we only spend 8 hours inside a hotel room - max na yun kasi lagi kaming nage-explore.

It was around 3AM when we decided that we want to explore the area and look for 24-hour restaurants. I actually stopped to take a photo of the streets of Taipei at night pero pag zoom ko sa photo...

Ito nakita ko, haha! Siyempre umorder kami :D

Sinubukan namin yung pork buns for NTD 30. Malaki-laki siya sa mga jumbo siopao ng Chowking. Hindi ko napicturan pero para siyang masarap na bola-bola na may SABAW! Yep. Parang malaking Xiao Long Bao (XLB) kaya ingat kayo sa pagkagat kasi mainit yung sabaw na bumubulwak pagkagat :D Kung nakakain na kayo sa SuZhou sa Malate, kalasang-kalasa ng XLB nila, pinalaki lang :D

Dito ni manong ginagawa yung mga buns sa labas, yum :D

Naghati lang kami ni Blanca dun sa siopao so pumunta kami dun sa next stall na katabi niya. May mga kumakaing lasing so ibig sabihin, okay na comfort food siguro ito pampahulas

Pagdating namin sa harap, pwede kang pumili ng mga cold cuts

Tapos pipili ka kung anong klaseng noodles at kung gusto mo may dumpling

Nakakaintindi ako ng konting Mandarin but I've learned the hard way na kapag pala nagtry ka mag Mandarin dito na alam naman siguro nilang basic lang alam ko dahil sa pagkakasabi ko, babalikan ka nila ng mabilis at dire-diretsong salita na tipong para kang kino-combo ni Wolverine sa Marvel Vs Capcom Arcade na wala ka nang magawa hanggang sa maubusan ng buhay, haha! So ang ginawa namin, nagturo-turo technique na lang kami, haha!

Heto ang naging resulta ng turo-turo namin

Sausage na may tea egg - okay lang, savory (naks, pero ganito lasa ng mga pagkain dito)

Yung soup niya, hindi naman malasang malasa pero "malinis" ang lasa, hindi yung para kang masusuka sa vetsin, tapos yung dumplings niya, parang molo dito sa atin. The noodles were good and al dente, though kaya okay na din naman ako sa first proper meal namin in Taipei. Pero, hindi ko na ito babalikan kung pumunta uli kami ng Taipei :D

For desserts, dahil wala kaming makitang open na dessert shop sa paligid na bukas pa, pumunta kami sa malapit na convenience store at nakakita kami nito...

Kinder Maxi :) Mas mura siya kasi wala nang kaartehan na laruan at puro milky chocolate goodness lang. Saraaaaap!

Kinabukasan, gusto niyang terno daw kami ng suot, siyempre pinagbigyan ko na at wala rin naman akong magagawa kung papalag ako :D

Naglakad-lakad kami around Ximending at may pakay kaming kainan na mainam daw for breakfast...

Ang Ay-Chung Flour Rice Noodles 阿宗麵線

Medyo nakaka-intimidate lang yung pila dahil mahaba talaga


Pero kita mong enjoy na enjoy ang mga tao habang kinakain, kahit nakatayo!

Nakakatuwa lang na may disiplina ang mga tao na itapon ang tira sa isang bucket bago itapon sa basurahan yung cups :)

Heto ang opening hours nila para sa mga nagbabalak pumunta, and trust me, this is worth it.

Small lang inorder namin for NTD 50 at naghati pa kami dun kasi marami pa kaming balak kainin :)

I must admit, nung unang tikim ko, sa loob-loob ko, masarap siya pero ganito din naman yung misua dito sa Pinas, mas malasa pa nga kako yung sa atin.

Sabay nakita ko yung mga tao, pagkakuha ng order, dito dumidiretso at kumukuha ng tig 2 scoops ng bawat isa. Siyempre nakigaya na din ako... Aba, ay nag-ibang level yung sarap ng kinakain namin nung malagyan ng condiments, haha! From OK lang to masarap, real quick!

Babalik uli kami dito kung palaring makapunta uli :D

Matapos ang isang swabe almusal, naghanap kami ng maayos na maiinom at buti na lang, near Ay-Chung, merong beverage shop na nagse-serve ng fresh fruit juices :)

Kinuha namin yung Sunrise for NTD 70, Orange juice na may Butterfly Pea + Kumquat daw ito na pareho naming hindi pa naririnig before, haha! Lasang fresh orange juice naman mostly so refreshing siya.

After breakfast, namasyal muna kami para magpagutom. Pinuntahan namin ang MOCA Taipei. What's up, mga ka-DDS?! Joke lang :) Museum Of Contemporary Arts

Meron silang mga lockers na maaaring pagiwanan ng mga bag habang naglilibot sa museum

Hindi siguro talaga ako artistic na tao kasi hindi ko nagets itong paa na ito e

Tsaka itong mga nakakalat na yarn...

Pero itong mga empty cartons ng cereals, atbp., na-appreciate ko, haha!

Ang kulit ni kuya sa kahon e, walang energy gap!

Iba't-iba pa ang mga trip ng tao dito, puwede kang humiga sa dayami at manuod sa screen na kunwari ay window na kita ang stars...

... o mag-pretend na naa-appreciate mo sa pamamagitan ng pag stand still for a couple of minutes gaya ng misis ko

Maging sa labas ng MOCA, malapit sa train station, may mga art installation na nakaaliw tingnan :)

After MOCA, next stop namin ay ang Confucius Temple. On our way, nakita namin itong stall na ito na may bagong batch ng steamed buns a.k.a. siopao

Lasang SuZhou uli PERO ang liit ng laman sa loob nito, hindi kagaya dun sa unang kinainan. Hindi ko na uli kakainan ito :s

Nagulat kami na wala masyadong tao kaya nakapag-picture kami ng maayos sa iba't-ibang sulok :)

After namin mag-pagutom sa Temple, on our way to Yuanshan Park, nakita namin itong Milk Houses kung saan meron silang well-loved pineapple cakes.

Marami silang iba pang tinapay so sumubok din kami ng iba to see how good they are in making breads. We had this milk bread for NTD 45

And cheesecake, also for NTD 45

Kinuha namin yung pineapple cake with egg yolk for NTD 38

for the cheesecake, yung quality niya parang sa mga Coffee Bean o Starbucks dito sa Pinas pero around 70 pesos lang papatak! Amazing! Sulit dessert!

Itong isa, sa itsura, parang powdered milk yung naka-coat, pero cream pala, ewk! Si Blanca type yung ganito pero ako hindi :s

Pabllog yung pineapple cake nila at kaiba kumpara sa nakasanayang ipang-pasalubong na Chia Te.

Gusto ko rin ito at para sa akin, magkasing sarap naman sila ng Chia Te. Next time, ito na din pampasalubong ko, maiba lang :D

pagdating namin sa Yuanshan park, nakakatuwa, ang daming tao na nagpi-picnic!

Bukod sa mga food stalls, may mga kakaiba din ang ino-offer, gaya nito na para kang tatagain, Sisig-Hooray style! Form ata ng pagmamasahe ito pero mahirap na, baka mapagkamalan akong Lechon e bilhin ako per kilo :))

After namin maglibot at manuod ng mga tao, nakipila ako kung saan may pinagkakaguluhan at common na kinakain.

Ito yun, Sausage! Throughout this trip, mapapansing marami akong nakaing sausage. Madalas masarap, isang beses lang ata ako nakakain ng semi-sablay. Pero itong nasa Yuanshan park, okay itong snack, masarap!

Matapos sa park...

Okay, sa first day palang, natagpuan na namin ang pinaka-must-not-miss restaurant dito sa Taipei. Ang Jin Feng!

Mahaba ang pila at hindi kalinisan ang lugar pero pusanggala, sobrang solid nito! Masarap na ubod ng mura!

Itong first time namin (will explain later), medium size braised pork rice lang inorder namin, tig-isa. Wrong move! I suggest get the Large one kasi maliit lang naman serving, mura lang, at kayang-kaya ubusin.

Okay din as sides ang kangkong...

braised egg

at extra pork belly

Kumbaga sa banda, ito ang Eraseheads. Silang apat, perfect together! Talagang yanung sarap at lambot nung karne, maging nung pork shreds o nung belly. Tapos yung taba-taba na kasama dun sa rice..... ahhhh yanung linamnam e...

Ultimo itlog nila, napakalaki ng pula.... Super Swabe Dinner!

After ng early dinner, tumungo naman kami sa Shi Lin Market. Dahil Saturday, suskopo, yanung daming tao!

Dahil wala pa kaming maisip na dessert, sinubukan muna namin itong Kinder na may cereals... grabe naadik ako dito kasi nababalanse nung cereals yung tamis. Perfect pasalubong ito at nagkalat lang sa mga 7 Eleven ito. My favorite treat for this trip!

Medyo mahirap maglibot dito sa Shi Lin market dahil OA sa dami ng tao.

Ito na yata ang pinaka-so-so na nakain kong sausage pero still, masarap pa din kahit papaano

may fresh garlic siya na hindi naman gaano nakakatulong sa flavor unless kagatin mo ng solid. Mao-overpower nga lang yung lasa ng sausage kaya hindi ko maipapayo. You can find better sausages elsewhere.

Nakakita din kami nung Pepper Buns na sikat na sikat sa mga tip. Itong version na ito sa Shi Lin market, tandaan ninyo yung wrapper ha... iwasan! Suskopo yanung kunat nung tinapay tapos ang pangit ng texture nung karne sa loob. Parang hilaw dahil medyo slimy, ih-ih! Not for me.

Sa paglalakad, nakita namin itong electric bike shop.

Ang ganda!!!

Too bad wala sa pinas nito hehe(feeling may pambili)

Nung nagutom na uli kami mula sa paglilibot, pinuntahan na namin yung may pinakamahabang pila...

Itong chicken chop stand na ito

For NTD 70, worth it naman siya. Actually, nung natikman ko ito, natuwa ako kasi nasarapan naman ako talaga. Pero sa mga susunod na araw, matatagpuan ko pala ang the best! Pero still, okay din i-try ito :D Medyo may lutong naman pero definitely juicy and savory!

After a long day, sumakay na kami sa bus stand na ito kung saan dumadaan ang 310 bus papunta sa stop malapit sa Hotel :)

What a first day! I'll update this entry once the 2nd day is up :D

Sa uulitin,

Chewy