Taichung Day 11

 Nothing new today.

Just head to 三舅媽's shop and sat for a bit whilst playing with Honey. Honey let me hug them! Then had lunch, a bowl of yam leaves and a dry sauce noodle, mince with shallots. And some pork liver. Very yummy as always. Both 三舅媽 and 三舅 smoke, too.... 三舅媽 treated me to some sugar cane juice!! Yuuuuss. Then 三舅媽 added me on LINE, lol. All G! Dunno what I would talk about though.

Afterwards, I headed towards my old house, and took a small detour and ended up at my old Primary school. Ren Ai Primary. Opps. It's lunch time and all the students are going home. I crossed the street to try and jog my memory of the month I spent lwaking home the same route... Kind of? Unsure.

Then I headed back to the old house and to see if the 雜貨店 良友購物中心 was open - they were!!! Ahhhh!!! I was overjoyed!!! The boss was there, but I can't remember if it's the same boss. The layout is still the same. The eggs are by the counter. The toys are in the outside shelf. $20 for a drink - Supau or Pocari (got Pocari today), and candies... are all the classics. $20 for a Vit C, and $14 for Morinaga's milk caramel. I think the counter top was the same too - the thick vinyl with a green under. Vinyl yellow with age. Paid $54 in exact change, and told the boss I used to live up 大連北街 as a kid and is still very happy too see him still open with shop. He just nodded and acknowledged but didn't day anything. That's okay! I tried to snap photos without being too conspicuous when I was in the shop.

Next, I walked up my old street - today there weren't anyone outside but I didn't wanna be creepy, I just walked really slowly past our old house. It doesn't feel like our old house any more... then went up to where the rice paddies used to be. It's all just empty grass space now. The old 榕樹 that was next to the 福德宮 is still there, but the temple is not. There's a lot of recycling items gathered there. And seats for the oldies to gather and sit. I kept walking down, past 台電, and at least the right side with the concrete slat fence still looks the same. I remember the barbed fence being higher though... and then ended upv at Ren Ai Park. Omg. I kinda remember the park being bigger though? The rocks are still there! The ones where I stood on and the one where I played mermaid. I don't remember the rocks being this big though? The playground looks new, similar set up? But the ground green sponge tiles are the same. The pillars, I think they are the same. There's a little pagoda where I sat and wrote a review for 良友購物中心 and got all emotional I removed my mask snotty inside, and cried. 

There's a Youbike station next to the kouen and I rode back home, taking the same route as if I were going to Laolao's house. The building with the white tiles, and was-red now yellow pillars for the balcony fence is still there. I think that's my only landmark. And once you reach the guarded gates (where you turn left to go to Laolao's), it's all just grassland/empty lots. Took Dapend Road home. 

Once home, I picked up my sandals and headed to 四叔's. Sat for a bit and chatted, and the tea made me laxative so I had to wait for it to come before I could go anywhere lol. He now has added stickers of the names of the beetles now. It looks very much like a musuem exhibition. xD
After that, I headed to see if the shoe shop can fix my sandal soles. It's $550 for both shoes. That's fine! It'll cost at least that much in NZ, and it's hard to buy sandals that has support. They were able to rush it out for pick up Friday.

Then I headed to Cais 巧藝社 for some shopping. They didn't have that much sewing stuff, so I just bought a pencil that you can draw on paper and transfer via iron, apparently you can wash it off. Would be useful for nui faces. And just 1 chalk pen, incase I find better in Taipei. Cause it was $99... And also some hook attachments for the pegs I bought for the hanger rack.

Then headed to 大遠百 for the Pili shop cause I wanted to try the gacha... only had enough coin for 3 turns. I didn't get Shang Bu Huan. :( Oh well.

Took Youbike and rode all the way along the river home. There was a crossing on Hernan Rd that the lights weren't working for... and I thought I culd cross cause there's no cars? And you can't see the otehr half of the road.... so I ended up having to awkwardly wait in the middle of the road until it was clear to cross. Gosh. Never again. Too scary!

Home, had dinner, and just relaxed.