Stories from my two-year stint in Taiwan
During a recent jaunt to Taiwan, I found myself waking up to the busy sounds of a day market in Nanshijiao, Taipei. The combined cacophony of chattering neighbors, honking motorbikes and not-so-delicate pounds of metal on pig flesh were to be my alarm clock for the duration of the stay. While Taiwan is known for …
Continue reading Why support Taiwan? The heartbeat of free markets is one reason
The beating waves of the sea tilt our boat like a metronome -- each rising torrent from the cavity below spraying out liquid on either side to the symphony of the sea. Plastic bags are hung on each row of the boat within grasping distance of queasy passengers. Despite the torrential flailing of the currents below, the …
Continue reading Breaking from the Bustle on Green Island, Taiwan
Chinese culture plays a predominant part of our modern homogenous society. After all, it is hard to find a major city these days that doesn’t have a Chinatown. The smells and sounds of a Western Chinatown bring nostalgia to people from all regions of Asia, but don’t always indentify with core Chinese principles found back …
Nestled away between mountainous valleys southeast of Taipei City, lie the frothing hot springs of Wulai, a place noted for its transparent, odorless water. This geothermic byproduct is siphoned into public bathhouses, private hotels, and soaked-in naturally by visitors of all ages. Wulai is known as “hot and poisonous” which is a translation of the Atayal phrase kirofu …
The island nation of Formosa, known to many across the globe as Taiwan, is known more officially in Beijing as The Republic of China. Taiwan has never achieved independence from Beijing and – some contend – never will. Although Taiwan has its own currency, democratic government, and unique dialect, the mainland Chinese government has vowed to keep …
Continue reading Stinky Tofu, Typhoons, and other Perils of Taipei
Justin Calderón 