My Several Worlds

A few months ago, John decided to buy a second-hand car. He found one on Taiwan Yahoo auctions after several weeks of searching and contacted the owner in Taoyuan to go and have a look at it. The owner had an English-speaking friend who was kind enough to translate for John.  When John arrived, he [...]

Carrie Marshall on Big in Asia.
This has been an exciting month, and you know what? I really needed some excitement in my life that doesn’t involve hospitals and health issues. I’m still dealing with a few issues, but I’ve got my strength back and I’m back at things with a vengeance….Marshall style. [...]

Nestled along a short stretch of coastline in Northern Taiwan lies a strange complex known as The San-Zhi Pod Village. This abandoned futuristic luxury vacation spot remains a complete mystery to locals and tourists alike. There are several stories surrounding the circumstances that led up to its abandonment, but no one seems to [...]

When I posted on the Yangmingshan Calla Lily Festival last month, I deliberately broke my photos up into two sets. I like all these photos equally, but sometimes when I display them all in a row, some don’t stand out right away. I like to offer these little mini photo essays because it [...]

One of Taiwan’s best kept secrets can be found in heart of Sansia, in the southwestern part of Taipei County.  It’s called Queen Town, and it’s a gorgeous little getaway spot for a day of BBQ’ing or for a weekend camping expedition.  

Pool side view.

BBQ Alley

River Folk.
Set in a lush tropical surroundings, Queen Town boasts [...]

National Public Radio featured a terrific story on Taiwan’s Universal Health Care System yesterday. It goes on to talk about how Taiwan’s health plan was formed from a variety of ideas gleaned from various health care systems around the world.  Based on equal access for everyone, Taiwan’s health care system is top-notch and continues to [...]

The calla lilies at Zhuzihu (竹子湖, Bamboo Lake) in Yangmingshan National Park (陽明山國家公園) are in full bloom. Flower lovers from all over Taiwan are rushing to the mountain to spend the afternoon wandering through a valley of white blossoms flanked by gently rolling mountains. Yangmingshan’s annual Calla Lily Festival is in [...]

Ci Boys stole my heart. These are from the We Play Hard Series. 
Vinyl toy collectors, both young and old, will enjoy the 2008 Designer Toy Exhibition running from March 28 to April 10 at Global Mall in Yong He.  The 4th floor exhibit features famous Taiwanese toy designers for Ci Boys, 501st Street Formosa Outpost, Pockyland, [...]

We came upon a lively fish market at Shingang Harbor near Chenggong while traveling along Taiwan’s Eastern coastline. We found it by chance while looking for the Taitung National Aquarium, and once we realized we had arrived just in time to watch the local fishermen bringing their catch in for the day, we decided to [...]

The Formosa Naruwan in Taitung City treated us well after our long, tough ride over the the mountains along the Southern Cross-Island Highway. We had arrived in Taitung the previous night, after leaving Baolai at 9am and journeying for twelve long hours on the road.
The hotel is a 5 star luxury resort, featuring native aboriginal [...]