KHH for CNY 2014: Part 2

The rest of the time in Kaohsiung for the Chibese New Year Holiday was quite relaxing...  Especially with the Boys working and away in Military duties...  Still, we sure made the most of our time..... 

Mornings were spent on loooong walks with Liya and the doggies...  

Afternoons having coffee...  And evenings just relaxing...   

==================================================

Visited some FAVE haunts, Dream Mall - of course!!!

Thursday the 30th was extra fun as Both Todd and Johnny starts their CNY holidays..  So we get 2 days with them... Running around..  Helping prepare for the Chinese New Year's Eve....  Then the celebration itself...

Welcoming Johnny Wu Home with our versions of the Military Salute...  LOL!!!

Paper Offerings!

WHAT A FEAST!!!  Am still full just by looking at the photos!!!

Our last day, the 31st, was spent going to a couple of Temples...  Hanging out at the park with the whole Wu Clan...  And in the evening, going to Love River to see some Lanterns already on display...  And a boat ride around the river....

Gangs All Here!!!

 

BOAT CRUISE around Love River

Cyndi Loves You!!!

well, when she first debuted many years ago anyway.... now she uis just plain "Sticky".... well, maybe not - but that is th title of her latest album... the one she was promoting at Kaohsiung's Dream Mall when we happen upon her, over the Dragon Boat Festival Weekend....

It was a TREAT... though am not really a fan.... still I was entertained as she sang and danced through a couple of numbers... and signed her CDs and posed for photographs with all those who purchased the latest from her.... She actually sang well... and even dance better that I thought.... just really cannot stand her speaking voice..... another mature Idol speaking like a Teenage Girl.... that was the drawback for me...

Japan: Kingdom of Kawaiiness

The land of the rising sun is much more known to me as the land of Kawaiiness (Cuteness).... since my very first trip in Tokyo and Kyoto, back in 1998 - japan will always be know to me as a place where one can always feel and stay a child... through the countless of characters developed and produce year after year after year.... from cute to scary; sexy to icky; and everything else in between... such characters have invaded my world as well, as most of my friends' world... No One is safe, young or old; man or woman; rich or poor -- everyone, and I do mean everyone, falls in love with one or two (or if like me, MORE!!!) of these many characters over the years...

Kaohsiung's Dream Mall currently has a retrospective exhibition of such characters titled: "Japan: Kingdom of Characters"... highlighting decades of popular characters from the 1050's through the 2000's... as well as showing has these world of Kawaiiness has invaded the citizen's everyday life - from a child growing up surrounded by cuteness; teenage kids buying into all the cuteness and going as far as decorating their whole room in such Kawaiiness; older women incorporating cuteness to their cooking, sewing, cleaning, etc - after all, isn't it more fun to do chores surrounded by cuteness?; middle aged man escaping the everyday work life by reading MANGA, or collecting Sexy figures as a form of stress release...

All these have also been TRUE in many Asian countries I have visited, lived in... here in Taipei alone, I cannot even tell you how often I see cars, driven by adults, all in full cartoon regalia... not only the outside body painted in various cartoon characters but also inside, all accessories covered in full Kawaiiness... hanging stuff or vinyl toys on cel phones and purses (yes, even LVs and Prada bags are not safe - actually they have since jumped on the bandwagon and have produce oh so EXPENSIVE trinkets!)...

The exhibition, rather small but still was a fun one to see... especially great seeing all the ones I have loved over the years... AstroBoy, Evangelion, Galaxy 999, Pokemon, Cardcaptor Sakura & so many more... Truly brings back so much fun memories of all the Anime I watched growing up and still watches, as well as , Manga comics I used to read to pass the time away.... It (the exhibition) also invigorates to seek more of these Kawaiiness to help escape the humdrumness of everyday life.....

another reason to go to DREAM MALL...

COLDSTONE ICE CREAM PARLOR!!!

This Ice Cream shop has been popping up all over Taiwan... from little stands in various malls - to their own big parlors... always a line - especially in Taipei.... so we never get a chance to try it - again with the lines....

the morning we set out to check out what's new @ Kaohsiung's Dream Mall, it was the first thing that caught our eyes... and since it was still quite early, no lines yet... so it was a no brainer - we went in and had us some treats....

it was off putting at first as the girl did not want us to take photos... ah heck, if there's a will there's a way.... and took photos I did.... even of the actual process... bloggers like me do find our ways around these things you see.... hehehehe....

well, though the ice cream was good - it was really NO BIGGIE to us.... Jason thought the ice cream was too sweet, while DAVID and I felt, DQ, BIG TOM and of course, HAAGEN DAAZ are much better.... still, it was a nice early morning treat... and to actually be able to scratch off another item on my "to do" list.....MORE PHOTOS HERE - BUT DON'T TELL THE COLDSTONE POLICE... hehehehehehe....

Oodles of Noodles

Over the weekend while visiting David's family down south, Kaohsiung - we had a few moments to take a trek at Dream Mall to see the Exhibition of the History and Evolution of the Instant Noodles, presented by UNI-PRESIDENT, Taiwan's leading manufacturer and distributor of Instant Foods.... or for many of us, Cup Of Noodles.... was quite a fun and interesting exhibition.... truly educational for me as, since am not a big fan of cup of noodles, I never really knew how it evolved - it's origins... and the complete process in helping millions of people around the world get satisfy their hunger in 3 minutes!!!
AND YOU GOTTA LOVE THE SLOGAN!
I used to relegate eating Cup of Noodles, in the same vein as I did with the Macaroni & Cheese, to the college students who are too lazy to cook and/or travelers on a thrifty budget... but after seeing this exhibition, am looking at them a whole different way.... okay, tomorrow I must go to the supermarket and grab me a few...

EXHIBITION PHOTOS HERE

DREAM MALL - real dreamy!!!

Over Chinese NY, while in Kaohsiung, I dragged the bois to come and check out the newest Mall that had just opened - DREAM MALL... it was dreamy alright... sooo big... lots of great shops.... plus a FERRIS WHEEL on the roof... just like the one in Taipei that I so love, Miramar....

Forget the brand name shops -- we went straight for the food and play areas.... the bois were kind enough to humour me and play the various games at Tom's World - so that is always a treat... Then there is the CHINATOWN section... one restaurant after another - all just as ornate and pretty... will have to keep going back to try them all - for sure......

Check out the rest of the FUN PHOTOS HERE.