Transit, Taipei, & markets

This morning I went to Taipei with a co-worker. First, we took the TRA - the train - from Zhongli to Taipei. It took roughly 40 minutes.
Then we took the MRT, which is the subway here. Recently, the MRT has implemented a fare program that uses tokens. It's a great way to recycle, but it's not scrapbook friendly! I wasn't allowed to keep my TRA ticket stub either.

One MRT transfer before arriving at the Luizhangli stop, where we met a few others. Lunch was at a Sri Lankan joint. A small eatery, tucked away in an alley. The food was very good, and very cheap.
We ordered more food than that, but you get the idea. The round middle dish is pumpkin curry.

I also rode the bus today. Many transit firsts.

A Taipei intersection:
This picture makes it seem less busy than it is.

We passed through Daan Park:
Then headed to a series of markets. First, the flower market:

Next, the jade market. This one was absolutely huge. Endless tables, and piles of jade.
The last market we went to was the disabled market, which is a market where disabled persons sell things.

Afterward, we got drinks, then went to a few eye glasses shops to try on/buy glasses. I was invited to go out tonight and stay overnight in Taipei, but I wanted to go back to my place to unwind. I'm still a bit sick, and I want to rest and get ready for the upcoming week.

So, I took the subway and train back to Zhongli. I was worried about getting lost, but the signs were mostly clear, and I'd been given directions from the people I was with. One good thing about Taipei is that a lot of the signs and menus have some English on them. In other words, they're me-navigable, in theory.

I made it back just fine. The whole trip took over an hour. Transferring between MRT lines and the TRA contributed to that extra time. It was very busy at all of the stations I went to.

On the train back, a young boy sitting next to me said something to me in Mandarin and handed me a ticket stub. I had no clue what he said, and I told him that I only spoke English, but he didn't seem to notice. It was odd. A few minutes later I gave the stub to his sister, and she looked at me like I did something very strange. It occurred to me that the boy might have asked me to throw the stub out, but that's also strange.