A walk near the hot springs in Xinbeitou was a truly rewarding experience
On a personal note, the dining experience at SushiExpress opposite Xinbeitou station was a humbling reminder of the Bible's call in 1 Corinthians 10:31: "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." It's a powerful encouragement for believers to find purpose and honor God even in everyday activities. Paired with the sight of the prominent church beside the restaurant, it served as a beautiful reminder to be a light and share the gospel.
The quest for cash in a foreign land is always a gamble. With my YouTrip card in hand, I braced myself at a Cathay ATM, tucked away inside a Taipei Family Mart. The machine hummed, a digital heart beating with the promise of New Taiwan Dollars. I held my breath, the screen flashing the numbers: NT$20,000 withdrawn.
A rush of relief, followed by a quick check of the rate: an impressive 1 SGD to 23.23 TWD. But the true cost was a stark reality check—a service charge of SGD13.57.
This experience brought a crucial lesson into sharp focus: the true cost of convenience is a personal calculation. While the money changer or bank might offer different rates, the ease of an ATM withdrawal is a powerful temptation. Taiwan, despite its modern facade, still largely runs on cash. While Apple Pay is a welcome convenience at major retailers, many of the country's hidden gems and local treasures demand cold, hard currency. The choice, ultimately, is yours—but choose wisely.
Let me tell you about a little shop in Tamsui, Taipei, somewhere near Daiso. I tried to leave a review on Google Maps, but couldn't find a way to do it. It’s probably for the best, because my experience wasn't great.
The elderly lady at the cashier was a bit dishonest. The order slip said one plate of dumplings, but she charged me for two. The shop was so packed and the queue so long that I was too flustered to double-check the bill. Thankfully, I did get two plates, but they were pretty disappointing—stuck together and barely edible.
When I went to get some chili, the woman in charge gave me a tiny, unhappy-looking spoonful, so I had to make do with other sauces. Honestly, I'd say skip this place. There have to be better options around. The only reason it was full was because it was scorching hot and this was the only spot with air conditioning."
The corn soups at Taiwan's McDonald's and KFC are truly a favorite of mine. It's a creamy, slightly sweet, and savory dish that feels like a classic comfort food. It always makes me wonder why these soups aren't available at McDonald's locations in other countries, not even in Japan, which has such a strong influence on Taiwanese food culture.
Today, I decided to order some of Taiwan’s famous Tian Bu Lafrom a local shop. The dish is similar to Singapore’sYong Tau Hu, and I was excited to try it. I placed my order through Uber Eats, and the delivery driver was incredibly fast—my meal arrived in a flash!
Unfortunately, my excitement was short-lived. As I began to eat, I discovered a short hair in my food. Since I wasn't able to leave a Google review, I wanted to share my experience here on my blog. This isn't the first time I've encountered this, and it's a frustrating situation.
I'm praying for all food vendors to be more diligent in maintaining hygiene and cleanliness for their customers. May God watch over them and guide them to be more careful. Amen.
It was a long night wait inside the Malpensa airport in Milan, Italy.
Thankfully for the charging spots available at the stretch of seats at the departure hall - one charging spot is dedicated for two seats.
That’s pretty generous! I am very grateful for that.
As there is an USB-C charging spot too. I plugged my Macbook Pro USB-C cable in and it works but the charging was really slow. Anyway, I am using Al-dente to stop my MacBook Pro at 80% of battery charge - not forgetting I still needed to stay up for the whole night. It is because, the possibility of sleeping with bright lights and noises will be near zero.
When the McDonald’s started to reopen at 730am - everyone started rushing in to the second floor. The whole McDonald’s was so crowded despite the foods were overpriced.
While uploading artworks in my Redbubbleshop, God had placed a thought in my mind to log in to my Society6 shop to check it out since there is no news from it. When I log in, my Plushism shop was gone.
OH NO!
I tried to Google searched what happened and I found these information from this websites.
I would like to share this worship song or probably we are always singing together at different time zones.
Brandon Lake, Jelly Roll - Hard Fought Hallelujah
I'll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt
Been-through-hell Hallelujah (Hallelujah)
I'll bring my storm-tossed, torn-sail Story to tell Hallelujah God you've been patient God you've been gracious Faithful whatever I'm feeling or facing I'll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt It is well Hallelujah Oh oh oh oh, Hallelujah Hallelujah
What happened to me tonight is that God had sent me a song to sing while I was working on my Macbook but I just knew the lyrics but not the singer. So I started to listen to K-Love, and I was thrilled the first song I heard on K-Love was the song I was singing.
Only God knows my heart!
Ben Fuller - Turn
It’s your turn to fight
Your turn to speak
Your turn to break every chain off of me
Your turn to be right
Your turn to redeem
Your turn to take all these burdens from me
It’s my turn to heal
My turn to believe
My turn to let go and finally be free
My turn to be loved
My turn to be seen
My turn to let you be the Savior I need
It is almost 2am now. I need a prayer.
Prayer For Trouble Sleeping:
Dear Heavenly Father, I am agreeing in prayer with the person reading this that God will fight our battles for us while we are sleeping.
I come against insomnia right now in Jesus' name.
I have the Spirit of Christ in me and that means I have a supernatural peace. For it is written in Philippians 4:7 - "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."God, fill me up with that peace at this very moment. Calm my mind and my troubled heart, O Lord.
God doesn't slumber nor sleep and He will surely fight my battle for me while I rest well for the night. I take comfort to know that You are taking care of me while I sleep. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
Goodnight!
Check out my Plushism shop in Redbubble for more bible verses.
From 1933 to 1945 , in her role as First Lady , she supported and promoted the choices and political line of her husband, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt , known as the New Deal . She was actively involved throughout her life in the protection of civil rights , and was among the first feminists, as well as a very committed activist (she opposed the Equal Rights Amendment , because it would have prevented Congress and the states from enacting special laws to protect working women).
“You may forget that you are at every moment totally dependent on God.”
- C.S. Lewis
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Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6
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Short Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father,
I am praying for the person reading this to have a deeper spiritual connection with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Father God, please remind us that You will never leave us nor forsake us. Jesus is trustworthy and worth following. Please help us to keep our eyes on You as we go about our daily lives - especially during our decisions making, to let us lean only on You and not the world. Whatever we do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.God is forever in control!
We need Jesus every moment of our lives.
In the name of Jesus, I pray.
Amen.
Check out my Plushism shop in Redbubble for more bible verses.
I make Him proud and I make Him smile I was made in the image of a perfect King He looks at me and wouldn't change a thing The truth is I am truly loved By a God who's good when I'm not good enough I don't belong to the lies, I belong to You And that's the truth
“If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning.”
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Colossians 3:23-24
Biblehub.com is my super favorite site to visit for bible verses.
guard my heart against the endless craving for more . Help me find contentment beyond temporary possessions. For it is written in 1 Timothy 6:7 - But we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it. Help me to redirect my focus to seek your kingdom and righteousness above all else. May my life reflect your purpose and fulfillment.
