12th May, 2016
Our last day in TW was also the most memorable, yet the scariest experiences I ever had.
Our check out timing was at 12pm, and since it was our last day, C and I decided to be chill and not wake up so early.
We woke up around 10+ 11am and was washing up and doing our last round of packing.. when the scariest experience of my life happened.
Yup, as you can see from the picture below, i started receiving such pop ups.
C was inside the toilet, while I was outside packing my luggage.
I was semi-squatting down as I did not want to sit on the floor, when suddenly, everything around me shook.
I lost my balance and I felt dizzy.
I thought I was having those dizzy spells, when C suddenly came running out of the toilet, in a zigzag fashion (she couldn't run straight), screaming my name.
We both looked at each other and then we both said the same thing "I think its an earthquake".
Everything happened so so quickly.
My thoughts went wild in my head.
I started thinking about the worst that could happen: Buildings collapsing, bodies trapped under the rocks, getting injuries, all my shopping loots will be wasted etc.
Scenes from DOTS flashed in my head too.
As I was still in my specs, I told C that I will quickly go put on my contacts, because if the worst happened, my specs would probably fall off from my face and get crushed, and I don't want to not have any vision. (LOL)
So with trembling hands, and the mirror shaking, and the ground shaking... I managed to put on my contacts and joined C back in the room.
I immediately texted in my family whatsapp chat, and I really couldn't type properly because my heart was beating so so quickly.
"There earthquake. TW. We felt the shake. But we still in hotel. but the cleaner says its normal and like frequent. OMG so scary, im shaking."
I just thought that if anything were to happen, I should at least let my family know.
We opened our room door, and many of the hotel guests were along the corridor talking about the EQ, the staffs were frantically trying to make some calls... when everything stopped shaking.
And then the cleaners told us that it's over and that everything is ok now.
And explained to us that we could feel the shake more because we were on level 9, high above the ground, and that it is also one of the worst earthquake Taipei has felt in quite a while.
C and I stood there for quite some time, unsure of what to do next and unsure of what will happen next.
But eventually, we went back into our room, and quickly packed up our luggage.
We were a bit afraid to leave the building at first, because then we won't have anyone to help us or "protect" us.
But our family members were asking us to leave because its safer on the ground level.
And so after we checked out, we left our luggage in the hotel lobby, and headed towards our breakfast venue.
While walking towards Yong He Dou Jiang, I was pretty surprised to see how everyone seemed so normal and calm, that it was as if, the EQ did not happen.
I kept asking C, "was it only us who felt it?? how come they can still continue on with their business and all as if nothing happened??"
Because, I was still trapped in that whole surreal feeling.
When we reached our breakfast location, it was crowded and the owner of the shop was busy taking orders etc.
I really wondered if they even felt the EQ...
So when we were ordering, I asked the owner if they felt the EQ earlier on, and he was like "yeah, it was the strongest quake in history, and it was so scary."
Then I was like "huh, but why you all seemed as if nothing happened?"
And so he replied "oh, we were super afraid earlier on, but since it stopped, business and lives have to go on right?"
LOL.
So I tried very hard to move on from the fact that I just experienced an EQ... but it was hard.
But anyway, i had my favourite few dishes from YHDJ and of course, the soya bean!
It was so yummy!!
After breakfast, we went to collect my specs and because I was still amazed at how the locals seemed like they did not feel the quake, I asked the lady who served me if they felt the quake.
And then her friend and her replied me, "ya of course we did. in fact, there was just another quake!"
*MIND BLOWN*
I went "huh? there was another quake?? I didn't feel it!"
Then one of the lady replied, "ya, there was, just when you stepped into this shop, the second quake happened. and that's why I quickly came up from the basement!!"
In my head i was like, OMG WHY DIDN'T I FEEL IT!!! I would have wanted to feel it one more time :P
And I realised, that when you are walking, it's often not so easy to feel the quake.
But well, thank God for His protection!
We took the train to just a stop after XMD and headed to have lunch at this oyster mee sua place.
A local driver brought my family and I to this shop the previous time, and I really enjoyed it, so I had to go back again!
It is different from the Ah Zhong Mee Sua, as this mee sua only had oysters, and didn't have those livers all which I do not eat !
And their oysters are HUGE and yet fresh, and A LOT.
After that, we went to buy some TW goodies before heading back to our hotel again.
Back at the hotel, I asked the staffs if they felt the second quake, and told them about how we did not feel it at all because we were walking.
Bidded good bye to the hotel staffs and then made our way towards the airport, by taking the express bus!
As C's flight was about an hour + earlier than mine, I accompanied her at her terminal first, and when she went inside, I took the monorail to my terminal and went to grab my last cup of bubble tea and some dinner to kill time.
While buying my bubble tea, I talk to the counter lady, and was asking if they felt the quake too! (HAHA)
And they were telling me how they didn't feel it at Tao Yuan, and asked me how was my experience etc.
Then I went to the mart and got a bento set to eat.
Well, in TW, you should also try such at least :p
The lady recommended me this, and man, it was really quite yummy!
And I had to buy my favourite yakult aloe vera for the last time!
Then it was time to board my plane, and say good bye to TW for real.
It has been such a wonderful journey and experience, and I am looking forward to go back to TW again, and hopefully, explore different parts the next time!
I was a happy girl too, because the flight was empty, so I had the entire row to myself! Yipee!
And, this is the END of my TW trip!!!!
Look out for my next post on Penang and Perth!
(but boo, school has started, so I don't know if i will have the time to do so anymore :()
