Ming Bridges: Taiwan Updates

HI GUYS!

Okay okay, I know it's thursday and I said I'd do a post weekly and all that but I've been SUPER SUPER BUSY! So (as per usual) here's a few photos of the past 2 weeks and some little captions for anyone (and everyone) who's interested! MWAH! I love you all!

Had another performance at the weekend market place in Taipei. Really fun! It's this beautiful little market with lots of quirky arts and crafts items for sale, organic veg and delicious looking ice cream (which I was allowed none of, alas, the sad life of a singer).

I literally love meeting you all after performances. I only hope my chinese keeps getting better so I can further communicate haha! But you seem to get what I'm trying to say when I speak my jumbled up blah-is-this-correct-I'm-not-sure-but-I'm-saying-it-anyway kinda talk.

Wahoo! Eric and his lovely wife LJ were visiting during the weekend and took us to a very famous Hot Pot called Orange Shabu (not gonna lie, I was so excited when we got there cause I'd already stumbled upon the place online while searching up food - AHH I'M OBSESSED!).

Orange Shabu

Iphone photos & dark rooms do not go well together. Apologies.

BIGGEST HOT POT BOWL OF MY LYFEEEEEE.

MEAT MEAT MEAT!

Ok I don't want to make you all too jealous so I'll stop with the food (for now), hehe.

Radio Radio Radio.

Radio Radio Radio. I seem to do a lot of radio interviews (which have suddenly gotten a lot easier, I no longer have to always bring my handy note book of.. err.. chinese notes.. along, which is good! no?) and radio 'IDs' (where I have to be like "HI I'M MING AND IT IS NOW 2PM, MAKE SURE TO EAT YOUR LUNCH :D"). It's quite cool, but I've never actually had a chance to hear any of them which is probably a good thing hahaha.

SO CUTE! An ad I saw in an MRT station listing all the famous things about Taipei. HOW HAVE I NOT BEEN TO A HOT SPRING YET. Oh yeah, working woman.. anyone want to take me? The pineapple cakes almost look as happy as I look when I eat them.. hehehe.

OKAY - what's next...

Oh yes! I LOVE THE STREET BENTO BOXES HERE! THEY ARE SO CUTE! Litterally working lunches have never been so fun! The one next to the studio I usually work at has pink boxes and their ingredients seem to be a lot less oily which makes me a very, very happy girl! This is my regular lunch most days...

Healthy, no? I normally ask for just one serving of rice and stack up on the vegetables. I'm not actually really sure what the brown stuff is but it tastes super nice! Everyone here seems to murmur something about it being tofu or bean curd skin or something - doesn't exactly look like it but apparently its considered a 'vegetable' so whatever!

FUNNY STORY.

Mum was craving ramen. Now, I've only ever had ramen once (don't shoot me, I know) and I was so worried I wouldn't like the broth I got the lightest one ever and I really couldn't see what all the fuss was about. But being the lovely daughter I am I thought I'd research a really good place to take mum and give the ramen another chance.

30 minute taxi ride later...

And 5 minutes after sitting down (yes that includes ordering and finishing the food). IT WAS AMAZING. I LOVED IT! Mum had to stop me from woofling down all the broth at the end. This place is so good that the waitress even had to keep an eye on us 'incase we stole any of the broth to figure out the recipe' - CRAZY! I love hungryintaipei's blog, such a good suggestion. You can read her review here. The place is called WANG WEI RAMEN.

Very good second chance!

BACK TO MUSIC!

My first recorded (like, you can see my face type recorded) interview! AHHH.

He was super sweet. I thought I messed up big time but mum apparently went to cry half way through the interview because she was so proud of me, so sweet. Almost made me cry when I heard but thankfully I managed to pull myself together. The last thing the team needs on a working day is a blubbering drama queen!

I also had the pleasure of being a special guest at Ling Jian Hui's (Eric to me, hehe) concert!

Meeting for the first time

Such a lovely guy. It was really fun to be able to perform on stage with another singer, I absolutely love doing harmonies (a capella girl at heart - I miss being in an a capella group!). AND best of all we got to perform 'Lucky - Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat'. YAY!

Eric doing his thang

On stage - look at that chemistry!

I'm still getting used to having a little ear piece on while performing to be able to hear what's going on. Unfortunately during the song I realised that it hadn't been turned on so I was deaf through it all (not a good thing when you're trying to harmonise with someone) but everyone afterwards said it sounded great (which is great!) and maybe it was a good thing I couldn't hear myself (not so great, hahaha).

MY FIRST TAIWANESE TV SHOW EXPERIENCE!

Oh my gosh I was so SO nervous! Tao ji jie's program! AHH! Further more I was sitting alongside loads of amazing Taiwanese singers who were all cracking jokes and giggling away while I sunk into my chair shaking. I really hope this gets easier. All I could do was put a smile on my face and enjoy the experience, I mean, its not everyday one gets to be on taiwanese TV!

The show actually airs tonight so I'm probably not even allowed to put up these photos yet but oh well! By the time anyone finds out it would have aired and I shall live another day!

Tao Ji Jie and I - she's so nice!

Fan photos, yay!

Warner Chappell also held an 'end of year' (for chinese new year I assume) company dinner. Bring on the Japanese!

Eric and I were reunited! And I even got to make some new friends...

...

ZHAO CHUAN!! Apparently the biggest rock legend in Taiwan (my mum says he is the Elton John of Asia - I'M TALKING THAT BIG PEOPLE!). It was such an honour to be able to have sat across the table from him, talk to him, pick up some tips and pass him food, hehe. I swear no one eats here, I feel like such a pig all the time! Mum was almost hyperventilating in the corner when she realised he was there hahaha. And yes, she also got a photo (crazy fan woman).

Va voom! My hairstyle for my 3 interviews that day. They thought I was too messy to be trusted with loose hair for the whole day, hmph.

Job one:

My company obviously think my mandarin is getting more bearable - I was sent off to another internet recorded interview! Look at their cute little mascots!

Job 2:

LIVE Cafe! So cute!

I basically had to share my amazing insight into the shoe world and show off a few of my shoesies!

Job 3:

Same cafe, another sit down recorded interview (and another cute mascot)!

I lurveee my mummy!

Some of the cafe workers wanted some photos too, so cute!

In the bathrooms post-interviews, what do you think of short hair?

DONE FOR THE DAY! So whats next you may ask? (Well you probably didn't but I'm going to tell you anyway).

Couldn't pass up a photo opportunity with this!

KOREAN FOOD, YAY!

Mum and I's bibimbap extravaganza! WHOOPIE! I'm trying hard to not finish my entire meal now - HOW AM I THE ONLY ONE WITH A BIG APPETITE! I love eating with mum, she finished hers off too and didn't mind that I had most of the condiments (best gal pal ever!). I love my sister dearly but lets be honest, we would have fought over ever last piece (or maybe not in this certain scenario as she's not too big on the veg).

ANYWAY.

For more day to day updates, random thoughts, and pictures of me doing day to day stuff like this..