There's a palpable buzz of excitement when you alight from the MRT in Hsin Yi and emerge under the monolithic shadow of the glass and steel needle better known as Taipei 101. Having been usurped as the world's tallest building many times since it claimed that mantle in the mid-2000s, it is still an awe inspiring sight and one that makes you lose your equilibrium when gazing at its top when standing right beneath. We always feel quite insignificant, little worker ants at the foot of an anthill, scurrying around doing our tiny little tasks as the monster leers and smirks above us.
Suitably energized by the man-made leviathans above, we wound our way through coruscating malls and temples to human excess, each store in 101 ticking off a list of the world's most ubiquitous luxury brands. The second floor Cartier shop was sentried by overly coiffed, faintly perfumed and impossibly good looking young men and women, themselves slightly restricted by their designer suits and somehow managing to appear mildly irritated by our presence despite their obsequious bows and smiles. Our mission was to source a replacement band for Cassy's Tank watch, which had fallen apart quite rapidly in direct opposition to the eye-watering cost of a replacement! We were eventually ushered away after being told that this store had all attendants busy with customers and asked if we could visit their 3rd floor store directly above.
Suitably chastened, after visiting the store above, we were then informed that the online booking service was down and could we come back at a later date? Never fear, when in the land of consumer excess, we are never far from another outlet. The phone told us there was another Cartier store not 400 metres away, so we strolled over to Shinkong Mitsukoshi, ordered the band, then headed to our appointment on the 46th floor of the new Breeze centre.
Saffron46 is a branch of the leading Indian restaurant in Taipei, which is ironically just a hop, skip and jump from our place in Tienmu. We rarely visit the local branch as its hours don't suit and it is often booked out. The newly opened Hsin Yi version is nothing short of spectacular. The oversized floor to ceiling windows frame a gargantuan 101 from every angle: you feel you could reach out and grab it!
We were in a high booth overlooking the view and we ordered some tasty dishes and refreshing wines. The whole experience was first class, being attended by courteous wait staff and left alone to enjoy our own company when the meals and drinks had been delivered. The cooks fired up the tandoor and frisbeed dough for the nans as we watched on, glass windows on two sides of the kitchen adding to the theatre but never drawing attention from the greatest view of all. Families dined and parties of girls pouted for selfies, while little kids put hand marks on the big windows, only to be discreetly wiped away by attentive waiters (the hand-prints, not the kids...although...!). It was a totally enjoyable experience, adding to our dining highlights gazing at 101 from places as diverse as Morton's, the W Hotel and looking out from 101 at Diamond Tony's Panorama.
There were various other exciting events over the weekend, mainly engendered by sporting codes reaching semi-final status or iconic series on the verge of conclusion. The semis in the AFL provided excitement and despondency on Friday night when Geelong capitulated as Wal and I watched on at the Taiwanese spiritual home of the AFL, the Patio bar in Tienmu. Cass and I were naughty and stayed up terribly late last night to watch the Aussies retain the Ashes in England. We were nodding off late in the evening, but after relenting and going to bed we were pleased to wake to the joyous news that they had, indeed, won the tiny urn!
The only blip on our horizon is the dreaded camp next Monday: I'll try to pop out a modified version of this blog on Sunday if I get motivated. To quote Colonel Kurtz, "the horror, the horror!"
Photos: the moop, Hsin Yi shots including Cass selecting her watch band.