Today was sorta my day, so I tried to balance fun and work. The night before, I spent time researching about food in Taipei, and stumbled upon this excellent food blog – A Hungry Girl’s Guide to Taipei, and with some luck, she actually reviewed a Mexican place a couple of days before. I have been craving Mexican for the longest time, so I showed up when Juanita Burritos & Tacos opened at 11 am. It looks very much like a Chipotle, and tastes very much like it, too. I was very happy with my soft tacos, and tried their offering of steak, chicken, and carnitas. It was probably a little pricey for Taiwan (8 USD/260 TWD for three tacos and drink), but cravings don’t really have a price. Go check out their Facebook page if you want to learn more. The walk on the alley towards Juanita was also really interesting – there are plenty of cute cafes. I’d really love to check them out in a future visit!
After a snack, I settled down and worked for some two hours. This was followed by another trip to Taroko sports for another round of batting practice. Apart from doing my softball practice, I also tried the 80 kmph baseball cage. Man, that really scared me. I made NO contact, and for the first five pitches, was scared shitless. Really gotta admire baseball players who stand and face 90 mph fastballs! But it was a good experience.
After my little exercise, it was time for more excitement. Last year, I went to a Taiwanese professional baseball game between the Uni Lions and Elephants Brother. This year, I was in time for the Taiwan Series (sorta the Taiwanese version of USA’s World Series) to see the clash between the Uni Lions and the Lamigo Monkeys at Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium. It was interesting to see the changes to Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium. For one, they actually built the outfield stands, which I ended up sitting at. Probably not the best idea, given the drizzle. They also added a large TV screen, and I’m not sure if they do it all the time, but they actually had fireworks when the home team (Lamigo Monkeys) hits a home run.
Apart from the infrastructural changes, the atmosphere was also certainly different. The Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium is actually the real home stadium of the Lamigo Monkeys, and a lot of the Lamigo Monkeys’ supporters are from Taipei and Taoyuan. Needless to say, they came out in full force. Almost all the lower infield seats were filled up, and Monkeys fans also peppered the outfield stands. It sure was rowdy!
An Alley Scene in Taipei (Zhongxiao E Road area)
Juanita Burritos & Tacos
Mmmm, tacos – steak, chicken and carnitas
Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium
Taiwan Series 2012 – Between the Uni Lions and Lamigo Monkeys
Wanderlust 