Hi everyone! It's the wee hours of the morning in California (yes, I consider 7:41 AM the wee hours because that's when I leave for class), but it's almost 12 AM here. Currently, I'm on winter break and I'm back in one of the few places dear in my heart: Taipei, Taiwan.
An excursion for film--Fuji Superia X-TRA 400 ISO, 36 exposure; I bought five three-packs for NT$199, approx. US$6.73 each--turned into a journey to Eslite, a massive bookstore filled to the brim with retail stores. A pamphlet at the door said the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors had what I wanted (bookstore, stationery store, "writing boutique") and I headed up. Two hours later the retails were closing and I hadn't finished, but I managed to pick up some very pretty postcards (NT$30, approx. US$1.02) to be pasted into my sketchbook; Edition Lidiarte cards (NT$95, approx. US$3.21) which are incredibly beautiful, and which I only got two of maybe a dozen because I am dumb; and Milu Design postcards (NT$95, approx. US$3.21), which have all been filled out to be mailed back to the US, as well as the absolute coolest present ever for a friend.
I can't believe I managed to spend two hours there. It's a short metro ride over, pretty close to Taipei 101. I'm really hoping I can stop by again tomorrow because I still need 5 more of those postcards in front, and I'd love to browse the notebooks (Midori MD, be still my beating heart), the wrapping paper (envelopes, anyone?), the J. Herbin display (one word: beautiful), the Kate Spade, the Rhodia, the Crane, the Cavellini..... suffice to say, I could spend an entire day there. I really hope I do.
