X'mas eve, Kaohsiung 高雄

Today 24 Dec and tomorrow is Christmas!!

This is the first year i am away from home during christmas. From the previous weeks leading up to today i have NOT seen any christmas decoration, NO christmas tree, NO christmas sales, NO christmas songs and NO christmas atmosphere at all at Taiwan.

Since this year christmas is on Sunday and christmas eve is on today (Saturday). So i decide to go out and have a look, hoping to see or bump into some places/ churches which will celebrate or will have carols. So i decided to cycle all the way to one of the biggest mall in Taiwan - Dream Mall 夢時代購物中心. I choose to cycle because i can stop by anywhere along the way if there is some event happening. Since Dream mall is the largest shopping mall at Kaohsiung, surely there will have lots of decoration, christmas carol, santa clause, christmas light deco and will have lots of people.

As i cycle along the way from Siziwan 西子灣 - Art pier 2 駁二藝術特區 - Ai he 愛河‎... disappointingly i dont see much people around and no activities going on. So just took some photo of buildings and cycle further on.

From Love Pier 真愛碼頭‎

from love pier wooden bridge 

Xinguang pier 新光碼頭

Kaohsiung 85 building/ Tuntex Sky Tower 高雄85大樓

Finally after 45 minutes ride i arrive at Dream mall 夢時代購物中心. Having high expectation and high in spirit of hoping to see some christmas atmosphere. the first thing that i see when arrive the parking lots opposite Dream mall is a huge and large stage being set-up and the main road is cut-off of traffic. So i was expecting some big concert tonight leading to counting down of christmas. 

So leaving behind the stage where artist rehearsing and went into Dream mall. When i step into the mall, i was surprise to see no decoration at all and the music being play is chinese songs which has nothing to do with christmas/carol. I decide to walk around the shopping mall and hopping to see some deco at the center court where normally small stage or main decoration or the theme/biggest christmas tree will be set-up in most shopping mall (as of what Malaysia and Singapore mall are).

It really pull my spirit down seeing nothing at the center court not even a christmas tree.

Then went for dinner at lovely restaurant, Xinjuejiang 新崛江.

Then decided to go back to Dream mall cause there is concert and expecting to be some grand countdown and fireworks display.

The only deco i saw hanging on the tree!

 Some cartoon character in Dream mall

 

 After walking around the mall till closing time at 2200 then decide to go out concert and wait for countdown. Since the weather is cold so was taking shelter in the mall.

 Free beer from 7/11 but limited to one small cup/person.

 

Then at around 2330... The program host mention that the concert will end here. In order to make sure my ear is not hearing wrongly i waited for awhile. Then event organizer call for all the crew to back stage and spotlights is shut... then saw people leaving... by then i was so disappointed. Then i know that Dream mall will not hold any celebration as people are leaving home.

I tell myself, maybe Dream mall is not celebrating but other hotel along Ai he might be setting up fireworks so i quickly cycle to river area. But when i arrive around 2355 and waited till 0015 25Dec. There is still no fireworks and nothing special happening.

This is my saddest Christmas celebration in my life. Taiwan has really disappointed me.

Route:

Siziwan 西子灣隧道 (A) - Art Pier 2 駁二藝術特區 (B) - Love Pier 真愛碼頭‎ (C) - Xinguang pier 新光碼頭 (D) - Kaohsiung 85 building/ Tuntex Sky Tower 高雄85大樓 (E) - Dream mall 夢時代購物中心 (F)

Total cycle distance : 7.5KM