During peak morning commute hour on Wednesday, a massive earthquake struck Taiwan. Prologue This trip gave us an opportunity to try Taiwan’s High-Speed Rail (HSR) because we made plans to visit my aunt and Hong’s aunt, who lived in parts of the island far from the capital. People had warned us about crazy traffic on
Vacation
Taiwan 2024 (5/7) – Hanfu
On day 4 of our trip, our family dressed up in 漢服 Hanfu for a professional photo shoot. Inspiration Last year, my uncle and aunt went back to Taiwan and did a “wedding” photo shoot that young couples conventionally do between engagement and the big day. The two of them had left Taiwan young and
Taiwan 2024 (4/7) – Family
Ba For two people who aren’t very talkative, hanging out in person was so much nicer than talking on the phone. Ba’s love language mostly involves gifting stuff. Because I had been talking about my guava craving in recent years (usually in the context of how I’ve sometimes splurged to pay American prices for it),
Taiwan 2024 (3/7) – Food Part 2
The eating continues… Night Markets Night markets are a must-do when in Taiwan. So, imagine our frustration when jet lag and rain prevented us from going during our 2019 visit. This time we vowed to over-correct that regret, and hit up five night markets over 8 days: 臨江街 Linjiang, 饒河街 Raohe, 南機場 Nanjichang, 高雄六合 Liuhe
Taiwan 2024 (2/7) – Food Part 1
It may feel embarrassing to plan a whole international trip around food. But alas! No shame in that if the destination is Taiwan. Food is this island’s cultural heritage, national pride, and primary export. Taiwan’s semiconductor industry is world famous but its boba culture may be more influential. It’s possible that more people are familiar
Taiwan 2024 (1/7) – Going Home for Spring Break
We spent this year’s spring break in Taiwan. It was kinda overdue as we hadn’t been back to visit my parents in five years. Throughout their lifetime, Xuan and Ting had seen more of Singapore and Thailand than they had Taiwan. It was a bit awkward to be proud world travelers while our kids weren’t
The Face Mosaic Project
The LEGO store in Sentosa had unique models and cool sculpture on display, not unlike their other flagship locations such as Rockefeller Center or Disneyland. Though it also had a product for sale that we had never seen anywhere else – a customized face mosaic. For $160 SGD it came with: To say that we
SEA 2023 (17/17) – Notable Eats in Singapore
Last post of this trip report! Wow! It had been a seriously fun vacation. Kaya Toast A popular breakfast item in Singapore was kaya toast, a sandwich with kaya (coconut jam) and butter between toasted bread, often served with runny eggs. It tasted sweet and rich. We made a point to sample a variety of
SEA 2023 (16/17) – Singapore: Changi Airport & Flight Home
The last day of a good trip is usually depressing. Not only because it’s sad for a fun vacation to end, but also because airport logistics and a long return flight tend to be dreadful. Well, not today. While none of us was ready to go home yet, we had planned to end this trip
SEA 2023 (15/17) – Singapore: Deja Vu
Singapore was the first international city that we had returned with a child to. That meant a lot of memories… and opportunities to relive them. Ting wasn’t around the first time around but she didn’t mind mirroring her sister. When switching kids we made sure to switch adults as well. It began with Zam Zam,