This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things

Good evening, shoppers.  Today sure was a mixed bag of goods an bads.  More like a sandwich, I guess.

This morning, I finished the blog about yesterday, which I hope you all enjoyed.  I know there were lots of pictures and today, too, there are lots of pictures of only a few subjects.  I'm just trying to be thorough.

Anyway, I wrote the blog then went to get breakfast while waiting for my marching orders from Angela.  I probably should have gone out for breakfast a bit earlier than I did, but I got side-tracked talking to people.  I decided to see what I could find in the night market area, and was pleasantly surprised to find a morning market with a totally different face in the same place!!

This bread thing is what I settled on for breakfast.  I didn't have any paper, so I wrote the word for 'vegetarian' on my hand and after some gesturing, we ended up with my getting the orange-looking triangle-shaped thing there.  I got some barley tea from another shop on the way back.

All kinds of fish.  There were lots of people selling a variety of whole and... un-whole fish.

Several butchers sold things in slabs, other sold innards or sausages - possibly made from innards.

Sushi vendor.

Squid-lings.  Whatever small squid are called.  Probably just 'squid.'

Eggs?!  I don't really understand why these were special or wrapped up like that.  The samples looked gross.

Lots of people selling whole fruit, as opposed to the night market where cut fruit it the more popular thing.

Dunno what these ladies are selling.

Even a vendor with random bolts of fleece!  You really can find everything a these markets!

I got back and went upstairs to eat and check to see if Angela had left meeting-place information on Facebook.  The bread-thing was cold and tastless and the tea was sweet.  Disgusted, I threw both away and went to get ready for the photoshoot.

As usual, suddenly there was no time!  I was in a rush, so I quickly borrowed the hostel's iron and ran it over my jacket, threw everything in my backpack, popped my contact lenses in my eyes and dashed out the door.  I discovered that I forgot a few key bits of makeup in Japan (my green and yellow concealer sticks and my cosplay foundation), so I stopped in a drugstore-type place and got some foundation (didn't see cheap concealer).

By showing the name I had copied down to a random person near the bus stop, I got on the bus. The bus driver was wearing a Santa suit and hat.  XD  I showed him the name to double-check.  I sat down and applied the just-purchased foundation.  When my stop came up (it wasn't that far), he called me "Hey, my friend!  Get here!" and helped me pay and I got off the bus.  I didn't see Angela, but I was miraculously five minutes early, so I sat down on the step of a closed-off building and worked a bit more on my makeup.  After a few minutes, I wondered if maybe I was supposed to meet her on the other side of the street, so I went there.  Nope.  And this went on for an hour.  I didn't see her arrive and I had no way of contacting her.  After almost a complete hour, I caught the bus back to my hostel (different driver, also dressed in a cheap Santa suit) to check Facebook again.

Okay, I had signed off just before she sent me vital information 'The cafe is at the top of the staircase.  We'll meet you there.'  Good to know.  NOW.  Ugh.  I sent her a message to tell her I was coming as fast as possible.  I took a taxi because they're pretty cheap and quite speedy.  I got there and apologized to the people waiting for me.  It turns out they hadn't been waiting long and what's more, the photo area they wanted to use was booked.  While they figured it out, I finished my makeup, except my white eyeliner (didn't have a sharpener) and eyelashes (forgot glue, then they fell apart).  Then I came across a bigger problem.  I forgot the pants I needed back in my room.  I should have worn them!  D:  Taxi back to the hostel, grabbed the pants, bought eyelashes at the drug store, taxi back to university cafe.

We got a space inside and a time with the photo wall.  Rad.  We finished getting ready.  This is where my day got awesome.  The location was a photo cafe, for lack of a better term, and it's on university property, but anyone can use it.  It's a cafe with lots of different little niches and settings, where people (as long as each person buys at least one beverage!) can stay for as long as they want and take pictures.  There's also a white wall, set up with some awesome flashes and reflectors, but each group is limited to only 20 minutes there.  We did pictures around the place for the next few hours.  Here's an idea of how TOTALLY AWESOME this place is.

BYO photo equipment. 

They were doing some sort of 'fashion' shoot in that area.

I heard you like coffee, so I put some coffee in your cafe.

You can see the white wall and flashes set up in the corner.  RAD.

I got a Christmas present from one of the girls I met last night who doubled a cosplayer and photographer today.  Here he is, all tucked into the strap on my camera bag.  A keychain of my character of the day.

I've actually REALLY been wanting one of these, but have been too cheap to buy him for myself.

She also printed a few mini instant pictures (not Polaroid brand, so I don't know what to call them?!) and gave them to me.  <3

We wrapped up and went to get dinner across the street at a Mexican place called Tequila Sunrise.

Lovely decor.

The chips and salsa had to be ordered separately.  Not from the entree, but from each other.

I ordered a cheese quesadilla.  I must say, it was the first time I've ever had potatoes in my cheese quesadilla.  I guess so it's not too cheesy?!  Watanuki wants some.  <3 

Pinata and sombrero decor and some festive patrons.

Watanuki and a tortilla chip.  <3

Our goal was to see "The Hobbit" after dinner, so most of us parted ways and four of us caught a cab to the Ximen area where there are a lot of theaters.  This cabbie felt particularly fast, so I checked his speedometer.  80kph.  In the middle of a city.  Woah, bro.  I don't go that fast and I live in the middle of nowhere!

Ximen is a super nifty area filled with shops and movie theaters.

Billboards on a building in Ximen

View down one of the main shopping streets.

Oh yeah~~~

 Unfortunately, all of The Hobbit showings either started too late or were only 2D, so the decision was made to skip it.  The others have to work in the morning, so I left it up to them to decide.

I have mixed feelings about this movie anyway, and I really don't know how I feel about it being shown everywhere. Zero Dark Thirty, in case you don't know, it about the mission to kill Osama bin Laden.

We went to Animate!  There's Animate in Taiwan!!! Who knew?!

We didn't have time for a three-hour movie, but we had time to go in  a few stores like Animate (which sells nerdy stuff) before heading home.

When I got back, I found that my new roommate of the night had put her stuff in my way, so  I scooted it a bit so I could step out of bed at a comfortable place.  I also discovered the iron which I had left near the bed had been moved under the bed and left face-down, which is stupid whether the iron is hot or cold. NEVER store it face-down!  Of course, a bunch of water had leaked out of it.  So I wasn't just moving her things to make space, I scooted mine a bit too.  I was in a bit of a hurry when I left, so it was a bit messy.

After a bit, she comes in and moves her suitcase RIGHT BACK WHERE IT WAS and explains she needed room, so she moved my suitcase a bit.  Well, okay, I guess.  Whatever.  So to make room so I could get out of bed, I went to move my suitcase under the bed - to find one of the latches torn off.  TORN OFF.  Now, the only way I can see that happening is if they were sticking out (which they were), something got caught on it, and applied a LOT of pressure in a certain direction because part of the broken bit was bent horribly and the other part was shattered (I found at least three pieces of it).  I can't get the latch back on because of the bent part, and even if I did, it wouldn't stay because of the shattered part.  My suitcase now half-latches closed.  I can't prove it was her and I can't prove it wasn't me when I was throwing stuff around in a hurry this morning.  But I know it wasn't me.  This is very upsetting.  I guess for the trip home, I'll get one of those straps that people use more for identification than for holding their bags closed.  Ugh.

Well, now it's bedtime.  Tomorrow... I have no idea what I'm doing.  I'll probably visit a couple of touristy places.

G;night, y'all.