KTV

Last weekend, we went out with a bunch of friends on Saturday night to a KTV to celebrate a friends' birthday.  KTV is what the Taiwanese call Karaoke.  Karaoke is a HUGE thing in Taiwan, and Asia in general.  There are KTV bars on almost every street corner.  The one we went to is called Holiday KTV.  The building itself is like a hotel; fully equipped with a lobby and elevator.  When you get to your floor, you are taken to your room.  The deal is, you rent the room for a certain rate per hour, sing all the songs you want, drink as much as you want, then leave.  The room is very dim, it has a huge leather couch with two tables, a flat screen TV, microphones and speakers, and it's own washroom.  You program all your own songs through a remote, and when your song comes up, it's your turn at the mic.  So, so much fun and so hilarious!  One of my best nights out in Taiwan yet.  Can't wait to take my mom and brother here.  I know after some liquid courage my brother will be all over that microphone.  This night made me miss my friends soo much as many of the songs we sang were oldies (Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Aqua, etc), and I know they would absolutely love doing something like this!!! I'm definitely having my birthday here.  Here are some pictures of our night out:

This is the KTV bar...the entire building is KTV!

This must have been a Backstreet Boys song

Magic

Voice of an angel

This KTV was in Ximen, a place I had heard of but had never been to.  I can't believe I hadn't been there because it was amazing!! It is like Taipei's times square.  There is SO much shopping every where in sight that it's actually overwhelming and you don't know where to start.  I'm going to wait on my next pay and then get down to business in this district.  Here are some pictures of it during the day and at night.  Oh, and the street food there is amazing!

Mark and I are back into a workout routine, and will hopefully stick with it so that we have nice beach bods for Thailand in (less than) 3 months!  We have been eating in more lately since it is late by the time we work out and shower, and it is nice to not have to go find food.  I began a weekly Wednesday pasta/wine night starting yesterday.  It is my thing to look forward to in the middle of the week.  Instead of always looking ahead to the weekend, it's nice to have an evening in the middle of the work week to cook a fab dinner and drink some wine with my guy.  He has no complaints, since pasta is my forté.

Don't worry, we didn't eat all of this!  Leftovers for tonight!

Well, Halloween is approaching, and yes they do celebrate here in Taiwan, so all week I have been doing fun crafts with my kids to decorate our kindergarten area.  Tomorrow is the Halloween party at my school in the morning, then Mark and I will have a Halloween party on Monday at his school (as I teach there as well).  Not really celebrating Halloween as adults, probably just heading to the beach this Saturday so Mark can catch some waves.  Maybe me too..... IF it's not freezing out!  That's all for now.  HAPPY HALLOWEEN to those back home.. enjoy the parties!! xo