On my way to Taiwan for another trip, I was able to discover what United is all about. We left for the “Fruit Kingdom” in the afternoon from SFO. The goal was to sleep as quickly as possible to get in a few hours of sleep in Taiwan’s early morning, then to stay awake during the rest of the flight….
After exploring Pingxi and deciding to fly lanterns elsewhere, we made our way to Shifen (十分 / shi fen). The trip was a short 8 minute drive between the two. You can see more of that drive including the lead up to launching our own balloons in this video I compiled. I’m still surprised by just how close the train…
As boba milk tea (珍珠奶茶 / zhen zhu nai cha) has become more popular over the years, the types of drink options available has also increased. Where once shops only sold various milk teas with pearls, today there hundreds of choices including fruit teas (水果茶 / shui guo cha), fresh milk teas (鮮牛奶茶 / xian niu nai cha), slush-type drinks,…
Hualien County is one of the largest counties in Taiwan. Due to the terrain though, Hualien has one of the smallest populations. Nature is never far away and the culture, here, is much very attune to that. At the heart of Hualien County is Hualien City (花蓮市 / hua lian shi). Hualien City has one of the largest populations of indigenous…
One of the most popular experiences people have while visiting Taiwan is checking out a Taiwanese night market. With most major cities hosting one or more night markets across the island, there are a whole host of night markets to experience to choose from. With over 15 alone, Taipei (台北市 / tai bei shi) packs a punch when it comes…
Around this time of year, if you travel to Taiwan, you’ll often see large trees held up by a series of bamboo poles or ropes. At first, I saw one tree like this, then a couple more. I thought some of the trees were undergoing some form of maintenance, there were a lot of cicadas buzzing around after all. As…
I recently had the chance to step into a doctor’s office in Taiwan. I’m not sure how typical an experience this is, but it was eyeopening to say the least. Here are some photos of my visit: This office had semi-private waiting areas in the lobby with really comfy seats. Each long chair had a few pillows and a small…
Taiwan celebrates many holidays (佳節 / jia jie). One popular holiday that happens during the summer is the Dragon Boat Festival (龍船節 / long chuan jie). When I first heard about this holiday, I thought it was just an event… an event, specifically, where people competed in dragon boat competitions. As it turns out, it’s this and so much more….
Even on hot days in Taiwan, I continue to be amazed at the number of people wanting to go out for hot pot (涮鍋子 / shuan guo zi). Hot pot is such a big cultural activity that weather doesn’t hinder people’s desire to enjoy the warm broth, crisp vegetables, and fresh meat. A lot of hot pot culture stems from…
Almost as prolific as the number of boba shops in Taiwan is the number of convenience stores. Convenience stores like 7-Eleven are everywhere. Unlike in the US, they don’t just sell candy, snacks, and drinks. Convenience stores (便利店 / bian li dian) play a larger role in everyday life in Taiwan. They’re an easy place to pick up lunch with their…
