cold, wet and somewhat miserable..

Now that I've handed in all my reports and assignments for the semester, it is time to do some catching-up for this blog..

First up, I need to reiterate how miserably cold and wet the weather here is.. and the area that I'm staying, Tamsui District (淡水區) is "famous" for its low temperature, strong winds and rains.. :x :x Being less than 1.5hrs away from Taipei City, via train, it consistently sets record-low temperature for the Northern area..

Of course, compared to Tokyo, the coldness here is mild.. but there are a few reasons why I was okay with the winter in Tokyo, but not here.. firstly, the winter in Tokyo was dry whereas it rains almost every day here.. I'm cool with just the coldness and some windiness, but not cold, windy AND wet.. secondly, the rooms/houses here are not well-insulated and kinda drafty, which are very much appreciated during warmer months but posed some real hazard during winter... also they do not normally come with a heater.. this meant that I can't take my jacket off when I go indoors, unlike in Japan.. lastly, I don't have my "real" winter clothing with me as I had misjudged the winter here.. I am surviving by wearing at least 4 - 5 layers of clothes everyday, more if I had to go out.. :x :x

Anyway, unlike in Japan, my room does not come with a heater unit.. so I had to get one myself, which I did, via online shopping.. :)  The main reason for my shopping online is the convenience and promise of 24hr home delivery. With it raining almost everyday, I don't want to have it get wet while lugging it back to my room..

First I went online to this website which was recommended to me by my senior. After looking through the variety of heaters available, I decided on this model. I chose cash on delivery, filled in my particulars, and waited.

Made my booking just before 12 midnight so I was very surprised to receive a call from the deliveryman around 11.30am the next day..

After opening up the box, there was another box within.. and my invoice..

And my new made-in-Taiwan heater.. :) with ionizer and a 12-hour timer function..

A closer look at the controls...

Since it was so convenience, I went to the site again and bought myself a double quilt (20% wool and 80% polyester fibers).. 

Seriously, thinking of getting an electric cooker (wanting to cook with some of the local ingredients I saw in the supermarket here) and a portable HDD (need to backup my stuff, just in case) via this website too... it is just so hassle-free.. the prices might be slightly more expensive, but for me, the difference is worth the ease and convenience it provides..