Among the many surprises of spending extended time on a university campus in Taiwan was seeing dogs wandering around inside the various buildings. I saw them in halls of student dorms, halls and common areas of the classrooms and wandering around outside on campus. Apparently this is the norm here.[…]
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I’ve been traveling in Asia for several months now and have noticed a trend in several countries here. It seems the trend toward having a “healthy tan” in America is not the same view held by Asian women. In fact, it seems it is the polar opposite. From what I[…]
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Voilated. That is the single best word I can use to describe my first experience with a Japanese toilet. But, at the same time, I was intrigued. Maybe the whole concept of dry toilet paper used in the west was really super unsanitary and the Japanese have it right. In[…]
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The first time I made a purchase in Taiwan, along with my change and receipt, I received a very small sticker with a cartoon character on it. I thought it was sort of cute and perhaps a thank-you gesture from the merchant for shopping at their store. This same event[…]
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I love Asia and Taiwan in particular. The people and food are fantastic. However, I have occasionally noticed some behaviors that are quite different than those of America. One such habit among Asians in at least four countries of Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan is leaving the thing protective film[…]
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Taiwan is amazing and I’m really enjoying my time at Nanhua University here where my girlfriend is attending school. One of my favorite things about Taiwan is the food and I am extremely fortunate to have landed right in the middle of one of the best food deals I’ve seen[…]
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I absolutely love breakfast and, on a side note, it is one of the few meals that I feel I can cook well. Psychologically, eating breakfast each day sets my emotional mood and gives me a sense of overall stability. I’m not sure why, but I seem happier and more[…]
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Giving gifts in any culture has a certain level of custom and tradition. In Asian cultures, where protocol and etiquette are the norm, it is far more important to be aware of local customs when trying to make a good impression, especially if you are giving a business related gift or[…]
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I find the name both amusing and fun at the same time. Ding Ding-ah is what locals in Hong Kong call the trolley tram that runs down the middle of the street. I’m told the name comes from the sound it makes. Each trolley has a bell that it rings[…]
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In November of 2012 I bought a one way ticket from Los Angeles to Taipei, Taiwan with China Airlines which at the time was offering the best rates between the two locations. I expected the typical airline experience of seats sized for 12 year old kids, small bags of peanuts,[…]
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I was told about betel nuts before I every actually saw one or noticed anyone eating them. However, it in now way prepared me for my first encounter. I was walking down the street when a man walked toward me. With a thick Taiwanese accent, he said, “Welcome, please come[…]
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While sitting at dinner in a small street cafe, I heard mechanical music off in the distance. At first I thought it was the ice cream truck coming and had a pavlovian reaction. My mouth started watering and I started craving ice cream. I was curious to see what kind[…]
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