TAIWAN 2015

And so we decided to blog about our Taiwan trip as it was one of the major things which happened before our big day. With the photo shoot and travelling with 2 of our dearest friend- 1 my bridesmaid and 1 Joel's groomsmen.

27th Nov 2015

Finally we are en route to Taiwan for our long awaited photo shoot. All the months of preparation for it: gown trying nth number of times, booking our flights and accommodation, searching for places that are photo-worthy and also places to visit after the shoot, all the beauty stuff dying of hair, manicure, visiting the dermatologist was all worth it!

Here we are. Waiting to board the plane and very very excited.

And so we landed after the 5 hours flight. Checked in and went in search for our very first meal in Taiwan. And we found this shady looking eatery tucked in a small street. Lo and behold, we had the best 蛋炒饭 we have ever tasted in our lives. BEST EVER. Not exaggerating.


And then we bought some beer at 711 and went back to our hostel to crash.

28th Nov 2015
Woke up the next day to visit 猫空.
But first, strolling along the street and finding rice dumpling! It's such a nice feeling to just buy a bite and stroll leisurely on the streets without perspiring and finding a place to sit and rest to finish our dumpling.
   

And so we took a train up to Taipei Zoo where we took a cable car ride up 猫空.


The minute we reached 猫空, first order of business is to have lunch. This is like egg prata but more crispy more egg and the sauce inside. Whew. With so much good food in Taiwan, it is a little hard to control our appetites. Especially when its before the shoot. So glad we made the decision to stay a little longer in Taiwan so that we could eat to our hearts content after the shoot.


Whew, havent done this blogging thing for a while and boy is it tiring to just sit and type and look through pictures. How did I have the stamina for it in JC?

SO LET THE PICTURES DO THE TALKING.


      Oh ya, there are like lalangs sprouting everywhere. LIKE EVERYWHERE. Wherever we went, there lalangs were. Anyway you don't want to be the source which helps to distribute the lalang seeds cos they are really spikey and hurts quite a bit.


We caught the sun set in which we intended to catch when we planned for 猫空 initially.

But we got lost on the way back when we tried walking to the cable car station that is below 猫空. Bad choice. Never try walking to the next cable car station. Managed to get a cab when we got to a more busy part of the road and Taiwan drivers drive like racers YO!

Okay anyway we met Vye Rern for dinner where we went to 师大夜市where we had the 卤味 which i fell in love with the previous time i was in Taiwan.


So anyway, the boys and Jennifer were being adventurous and had smelly tofu. Oh man, i never want to be anywhere near that. So smelly. I dont know how people can get past the smell and ingesting it.


Ok abrupt end to 28th Nov.

29th Nov 2015
Woke up the next day a little later. Alex came over to meet us and brought us around 西门町. We were quite lucky as it was sunday and they had an artist fair going on so we managed to buy some crafted items. (:


Heh here's a shot Alex took of us. ARE WE COOL ENOUGH FOR YOU!
  There after met our driver 陈先生who drove us to pick up our MUA 瑞薇。  Stayed a night at 我们这一班民宿 where we met 罗阿姨 who is super friendly.  Thereafter hopped out to 罗东夜市for dinner before heading back to catch some snooze.  30th Nov 2015 Day 1 of photo shoot And so we woke at like 5.30 a.m. to prepare for the shoot. I tell you, it is so stressful being a bride. I could not sleep well the whole of the night before even though we went to bed relatively earlier. I guess subconsciously I am stressed out and I kept waking up in the middle of the night to check the time. I think in preparation for like June 11th, i need to take like sleeping pills on June 10th so that I would be at my freshest on the actual wedding.  And so we started doing the makeup between  6 am to 8 am. Rui Wei did such a good job that I am now afraid the MUA i get in Singapore would not make me look as good.  Anyway the prep work is hard work. To set the hair is about 15 minutes before she set the curls and did the makeup. Eye lash is like 2 layers of falsies to really make my pupils and eye look much bigger than it actually is. And then she added flowers (: Love the look so much hehehe     And check out the braids yoooooo   Ok a shot of Joel too. Hehe he had some light make up on too so that he would look better in the photoshoot. So proud of him for putting on the makeup. He is usually quite resistant to stuff on his face. He looks so good in the suit!    This was taken at a beach in Yilan.    Anyway we can't be more thankful for Damien and Jenn who followed us on this trip. I really how don't know how people can go through their photo shoots without friends tagging along. They really went all out to make sure that we are comfortable throughout the shoot and also during our stay in Taiwan.  Like Jenn helped me to scrub my back the night before the shoot, hold my dress when I peed (Thankfully i did not have to do big business during the 2 days shoot). Both of them helped make sure that we are hydrated and that I do not trip over my dress, hold my utility bag with my blanket, heat pack and what not. Using the Go Pro to take alternative shots of us. ETC the list goes on ok.  All in all we cannot be more thankful to have them with us during the trip.    This was at Fen Hong Yan. I dont know what are the chinese characters but anyway I really like this picture cos its a shot of Joel helping me with my laces. Hehe I don't say this enough but Joel always makes sure that my laces are tied and he's constantly fretting that my laces/long dresses would get caught in the escalators. It's really the little things that matter (:  During this trip, we are also very very thankful to God who was there with us all the way. From the flight- having roomy feet space, to meeting nice Taiwanese to having good weather during our shoot and our days of travel and the list goes on.  So like even on Day 1 when it rained super heavily, it worked out so well. We caught droplets of rain that looks so magical! Was constantly reminded of Romans 8:28 during the shoot- that all things work for the good of those who love Him.  God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don't understand
When don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand
Trust His Heart
After shooting at the lighthouse, we went back to change and Rui Wei did a make up change for me. She is such a darling. Her working hours were like 10 hours per day but she did not complain even when we exceeded the 10 hour mark. Before the trip, I asked her whether she need to charge extra for extra hours and she was super nice about it. She said that as long as we clear before 7 pm, she would not charge me extra. Also, she managed to clique with us and we can really speak comfortably around her. 
So after the change in make up, we headed to Ximen Ding area to do our night shoot.  So here is Alex shooting us in the middle of the road. Joel and I has always been certain that we wanted Alex to shoot for our wedding. He is quite the artist to be able to find the perspectives and right shots/locations in every place that we went. He is also someone who is able to make us feel comfortable during the shoot. Like our smiles and laughter were au naturale because he always had something funny to say before the shoot. Also, he is constantly checking on us- whether we are okay and all that. After Xi Men, we went to Ningxia night market for one last shoot of the day. Thought it would be more of a casual one but Alex insisted on completing the shoot even though it was way past dinner time. How not to be glad to have a photographer like him? 
So excited to see the shots (: Im sure it would look beautiful. 
 
So anyway being in a gown and suit at the night market was a fresh experience. Joel and I felt like a celebrity cos people kept looking at us (creepily at first) then smiling at us after. (As described by Jenn) haha there was even a school girl (about 15 years old) who went about and gave us like congratulatory messages. At first we thought that she was about to sell us something. But no, she was just being very happy for us. There were also sellers (females mostly) who exclaimed when she saw us and would try to take picture of us secretly and when we smiled at them, they were so excited.  Oh and the beef seller gave us extra beef. Hehe SO IS THIS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE A CELEBRITY????
Last shot of us before we removed our makeup.   
1st Dec 2015 Day 2 of photo shoot Day 2 of photo shoot was more relaxed. We had our casual shoot first. Rui Wei makes me look amazing in every look. I am so thankful.   
Breaking for lunch. Oh yes~! This is Rui Wei. The lady in stripes.  Sorry I couldnt resist taking photos of myself. Hehehe Flawless skin and long eye lashes hehehe
And so during the shoot, we were pretty adventurous. There were times when we had to climb up walls, stand on high places, do mini treks to the best spot possible, getting our feet and gown and suit wet, etc.. In a normal get up, it would not have been a problem but with the gown, it was a very big challenge. I was constantly worried I would drop my gown into water spots or even trip on it. But then again we had Damien and Jenn who helped us along the way.   
Before this shot was taken, Alex got us to close our eyes and imagine all the times we had together as a couple and he got us to name our favourite moment as a couple. For both of us, it was Europe 2014. That brought tears to my eyes when Joel said it was Europe where we saw the sights together and where he proposed to me in front of Matterhorn. Thereafter, Alex asked what was the 2nd significant moment for us. Again, for both of us, it was the everyday lives that we have together. I cannot imagine myself with someone else and Joel and I we are so compatible that we could finish each other's sentences all the time. Or we would alwaysthink of the same things (to whatever we saw) or we would always text each other at the same time. It's these things that made me know that he is my soul mate (: Jo once asked me how did I know Joel is my soulmate, My answer was that my heart still flutters from time to time (even after 7 years of being together) Love you Jool ((:  
And this picture concludes our shoot! With everyone in it.   
The rest of the days went past so quickly so I will let the pictures do the talking. Oh. This is the day after the shoot. You can see the tiredness on our faces. Hahaha.   
Another person we are thankful for this trip is our Driver! Mr Chen! He is so accommodating to our schedule. From Day 1 when we arrived to the day before the shoot when we headed to Yilan to the 2 days of shoot to visiting jiu fen and shi fen to our last day where he brought us to a Yu Gang before we departed on our flight. He is always telling us stories about the places that we were going to. I felt that I have learnt more about Taiwan through him. 
And so we're home but our hearts are full ((:

OKAY ABRUPT END.