Drawn by the prospect of delicious food, friendly people and beautiful scenery, Vietnam exceeded our expectations in all three areas. Our trip began in the northern part of Vietnam in its capital, Hanoi, where we stayed in the Old Quarter. First, lunch. We sat down with locals at Banh Cuon Gia Truyen and feasted on […]
Food
Strawberry picking in Neihu (內湖)
Wait, did I just say strawberry picking in January?? As it turns out, peak strawberry season in Taiwan runs from December to April. If we were to wait until June or July, as we would in New York, then I’m afraid the poor strawberries would be mostly dead or begging to be killed due to […]
Christmas in Los Angeles
The original plan was to spend the Christmas holiday in Australia. Then, we found out that my brother, Howard, and his wife, Jungha, were expecting their first baby girl at the end of November. Hello, tinsel on palm trees. We received one of our Christmas gifts early this year — Philip had Christmas off on […]
Maokong (貓空）
Jules’ eyes almost popped out of his head when I told him we were going to 貓空 (Maokong) today, since it literally translates to ‘cat sky.’ Visions of cats suspended mid-air — images both enchanting and slightly disturbing — had Jules all in a tizzy. Philip was off earning our livelihood, so Jules and I […]
A Birthday Weekend in Taichung (台中): Part II
Although it would have been nice to sleep in on a Sunday morning, we set our alarm to make sure we would beat the crowds at the Miyahara Eye Clinic (宫原眼科). My friends, this is no ordinary eye clinic. In fact, this “eye clinic” houses 62 flavors of ice cream and some of the most […]
A Birthday Weekend in Taichung (台中): Part I
For my birthday this year, I knew it had to involve three things: my favorite guys, delicious food and a spectacular hike. Check, check and double check! It’s rare that Philip is around for my birthday due to his work schedule, so we felt very lucky this year. Our travel bags are usually half-packed these […]
China, Part VI: Xi’an (西安)
The last Xi’an post, I promise. We were not quite ready to leave this city, which we found to be friendlier than Beijing, more relaxed and its food tastier. For our last day, we spent the first part of the day at a quiet, privately-owned museum, the Tangbo Art Museum (唐博), housing Chinese folk art […]
China, Part V: Xi’an (西安)
Oh, no, I’m not even close with being done with Xi’an. In fact, I just checked plane tickets back to this city a few days ago, since I’m still thinking about all the food I didn’t have a chance to try. Yes, it was that good, and yes, I know what’s important in life. Being […]
China, Part II: Luoyang 洛阳
This morning we set out southwest for the city of Luoyang, known as one of the cradles of Chinese civilization due to its historical significance, having been the capital of China back in the day. Despite an early train departure, it wasn’t hard to wake up Jules since he was psyched for his very first […]
China, Part I: Beijing 北京
China: our first international getaway since moving to Taiwan. What, isn’t Taiwan a part of China?? Well, my friends, I challenge any of you to spend a week in each region and then, you tell me if they’re the same country. First up, the big boy capital of China…Beijing. The last time I was in […]