In the following video, I’ve boiled down a 10-day Taiwan vacation into a three-minute video. I was inspired by Eric Testroete, a Canadian guy who posted a quick-cut slideshow video of his trip to Japan set to the music of the LCD Soundsystem. While this video doesn’t even come close to the brilliance of “ThisRead more
“When the going gets tough, the tough get traveling.” No, that’s not my new motto now that I’ve been laid off. It’s the latest marketing effort from Australia-based outfitter Intrepid Travel, which is offering anyone who’s lost a job since last September a 15 percent discount on its tour packages. “Take advantage of a badRead more
On a recent trip to the National Palace Museum in Taipei, I discovered its most famous objet d’art is a head of cabbage made of jade. It’s true. The “Jadeite Cabbage with Insects” belonged to a consort of the Emperor Kuang-hsu during the Ch’ing Dynasty (late 19th century) and was kept at Yung-ho Palace inRead more
In a recent post, I talked about my visit to Taipei 101, which currently holds the record for the tallest building in the world, not to mention the fastest elevator in the world. Well, I found out there is a faster way to get down from the top. In December 2007, base jumper Felix BaumgartnerRead more
The Taipei Zoo is already the largest zoo in Asia, but Monday it got an attendance boost when 100,000 people came to see the debut of two giant panda bears that China gave to Taiwan as a symbol of friendship. The four-year-old pandas, Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan went on display Jan. 26, the firstRead more
Gong Xi Fa Chai (Happy Lunar New Year)! If you’ve celebrated the new year in Asia, you can’t escape hearing this famous song everywhere. It will have you singing a different tune in no time.Read more
We had the honor of being invited to a Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner at the Wu family home. The “reunion dinner” is a grand feast, usually held in the home of the senior most member of the family, but not in this case. Photo at right, back row: Wu, Ching-wen (the middle brother) ;Read more
I bet you didn’t know Taiwan was such a hot spot. In fact, it is…literally. Taiwan is ranked among the top 15 hot spring sites in the world, according to Asia-Planet.net. The country lies on a fault line where two tectonic plates meet in the Pacific Ocean. As a result, there are tons of places–moreRead more
If you’re ever planning to go to the Dihua Street Market in Taipei, make sure you go hungry. By the time you’ve walked the length of the market, you’ll have a full stomach without ever having emptied your wallet. This week, the street was packed with people–if not the entire population of Taiwan–all sampling whatRead more
There’s a god for everything at Longshan Temple–the largest buddhist temple in Taipei, which dates back to 1738. So, depending on what’s on your mind, you might want to get a blessing from the patron of pregnant women, the god of scholarly pursuits or the god of business people. But the gods getting the mostRead more