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hot days and honey toast box

As previously stated, the days in Taiwan are getting hot. A few days ago it hit 91 degrees Fahrenheit, and the humidity was so high it felt hotter. There was no wind. It was a bit like walking through soup. I think I wore myself out just going outside in it.

 Fortunately, not all the days are like that. We have some pleasant sunny ones that are hot but not crazy-humid, or they come with a breeze. Today we had a thunderstorm that swept through and took the clouds and thick heat with it.

 What I've always loved about summer, and what I love here, too, is that summer means more sunshine. We've had a few days with insanely blue skies, perfectly or almost perfectly clear, and few things convince me of the beauty of Taiwan like its buildings streaked with bright sunshine and stark shadow, with an overhead of sharp blue.


On one of these particular days (not the humidity-soup one), I went to Fuxing to meet up with two friends for lunch. I arrived about an hour early and spent the time wandering, because Fuxing/Dunhua is one of my absolute favorite places. I love the clothes available there, I love the adorable and diverse restaurants there, and I love the little streets full of new surprises.
My friends called me when they arrived, and I went to meet them. I may have spotted them across the street and I may have taken creepy spy pictures.
Maybe.

Once I was with them and no longer playing paparazzi, we went to SOGO, and enormous department store that towers over much of Fuxing. The restaurant was inside, it was called Perfume Dance, and its main attraction was the dessert Honey Toast Box. Funnily enough, someone I met in my first month of Taiwan had told me about it, and I'd always meant to go but I'd never found it or gotten around to looking. Clearly, fate wishes for me to tie off any loose ends before I leave Taiwan.
We ordered a fruity drink and a dish that I think was noodles or potato but I honestly didn't pay attention because I was so hungry that I'd have eaten anything put in front of me.

We scarfed the food. Then came... the Honey Toast Box. Which was not much of a box but there was toast and ice cream and chocolate and--
Katie called it "Honey Toast Jenga." It did not last long.

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