My Taiwan Invasion

Well have been in Taipei for a week and it has been a week since I got back and have the time to add something here...

Anyway, I was there to experience the "forefront" of the computer industry. My PC hardware enthusiasm got the better of me and I just had to go. Just for once... The one held in Germenay is just too far and too expensive to go and If I am in Germany, I'll probably be too pissed drunk to be able to visit any of the booth.

One of the Local Distributor that I bum into in the exhibition even asked me... "You coming into the computer line?"... I could only wished and replied with my usual *laughs*. I like it as a hobby and would be really great to do what I like but I am afraid this circle is just to vicious. This is really THE TRADE SHOW for the world held in the ASIA REGION. What can I say, most stuff are build in Taiwan and later shift to China to me more cost effective. Up till now, China still have got a big problem with quality alternatives. Yes they can make it cheaper but due to the cost constrain the usual reduction is the use of cheaper components...ok back to Taiwan.

COMPUTEX 2004.....cont'd.. lunch now

ok back.. :D

wanted to stay near the Taipei Train Station but landed myself in XiMen area..
a very youngster place.. it is like bugis the Hereen Annex.. but the size is like 10 times bigger... maybe exaggerated but it seem like that to me :D
So I just roamed around ... aimless... :D I was lucky to have met up with a friend that I met in the forum. yes, Sniper that is you! He is a Malaysian workinf in Taipei whcih know nuts about Chinese language...*laughs* but he is a real cool guy. He brought me about where I could find PC HW.. YEAH!!!!

Break-down of Taipei City:
Lucky the Metro/Underground/MRT/MTR is ready and it was a breeze to travel and beat the Taipei traffic. The roads are huge but the jams aver even BIGGER.. TheMRT is the only way in the City and finding carpark is also a pain. The areas that I covered during my stay are limited. So let me know more if you can :D

Area 1 : Ximen Ting (area where I stayed)
As mentioned above it is a "youngster" place and with Jap culture pretty much a major influence. Even their Crusines are llike Jap. Had a lot of short grain rice rather long grain while I was there. you can find all sort of street/punk/hip-hop/jap/..etc the list goes on in thise area. Karaoke is a big thing in there. And it is pretty much afordable. I did not manage to get myself to one or the clubs. But I heard MOS (Ministry of Sound) just opend their Taipei branch there 3~4 months ago....I missed it as well....heck what did I do man..:(

Area 2: Kwang Hwa Shang Chang (PC HW Place)
This is THE place! you find Lian Li easily but still since it is a premium item only selected shops carry them. Same goes for Coolermaster, Thermaltake and of course my one love Silverstone. it is a pity that Silverstone DO NOT MAKE FULL TOWERS:(

KHSC is basically a small place under a flyover...YES.. very cramp and very compact with a lot of shops selling very generic items. This has since changed to the present times where the sirrunding streets of shop houses now spilling over with PC shops. Laptop is very in now since Taipei is also overpopulated..leading to smaller apartments... thus smaller PC aka Lappy. The variety is pretty amazing and you do not see regular stuff like kingston RAMS and Antec. They have their local brand of RAMs and Antec is non-existence in Taiwan....(you figure it out) There are more manufacurer;s direct branding stuff compared to Singapore. But you do get like Thermaltake and CoolerMaster.

Compared to SLS(Sim Lim Sq)it is about the same that SLS is super compact... KHSC leads in areas where the variety is much much more. But placed very far apart. It is not all in 1 building....

Area3: ShiLin Ye Shi Chang (ShiLing Night Market)
The biggest night market in taipei... food is abundant... actually food is pretty abundant in Taipei.... XXL Chicken Choop/paus/Taiwan sausage/dim sum/ ...etc... not forgetting Smelly toufu...wah piangz!...it is really once of a kind.. the smell :(

the bubble tea there is super! very fragrance and full bodied...and their "ice-kachang" has one hell of a variety.. the best I have haad is the peanut butter with shaved ICE whip!... GOD DAMN!! that was good :D The entire place is so packed with people and shopping and food that is overwhelms anyone...it will totally wear you down.. so be prepared.

Area4 : Zhong Xiao Dong Lu ??? duan (a very long road that is brokern into 5~6 duan)
It is like orchard road... but located in a certain Duan of this long raod. Well if you listen to Power Station (Dong Li Huo Cher) and walk along this road 9 times... your leg will just give way. The most prominent buildign is SOGO Shopping.. the one and only left in the world...even the chain one in Japan one is closed.....The thing about this road is not the MAIN road... side track to the smaller roads and you'll find another persona of this place.... many smaller establishments of food and drinks..

PLUS the MRT that resides along this road have also spun a long stretch of underground shopping mall along this road... linking up to 3~4 MRT stations!!! again.. prepare to walk...

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What I found was that the food quality there is pretty high and it is hard to find lousy food or it is just my luck that I just follow the crowd and queue with the rest of the locals :D

Knowing Madarin is a MUST to get the most of Taipei.. but some of them do know English.. but don't bet on it :D

Very good escalator usage conduct... all keep to the right .. not like Singapore.
The in and outs from train is still like Singapore but most of them do queue to go into the train...Chewing gum is legal there but not in train station.. the fine if caught is pretty hefty..

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Computex was really cool I got to met up front and personal with all the Tech BABES :D:D:D:D:D but most of all I got myself into an ABIT party and a Gigabyte Tour.. both were great and I had great company as well... the VR-ZONE guys!! yeah!!

here are the links that i have posted


Silverstone @ Computex '04 Taiwan
The Bulky Beauty
The SFF Convertable
???HeatSink???
Another ATCS????
??? Fanless ???
??? Asus ???
Taipei SLS
ABIT TOUR
Gigabyte Tour
Zalman @ Computex
ThermalTake @ Computex
ThermalRight @ Computex
TEHC BABES