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
Project Long Sword – 飛雪 Fei Xue
During the Valentine’s Week, I completed 飛雪劍 Fei Xue Jian, the lover-partner sword for 殘劍 Can Jian. 殘劍飛雪 生死相守人不離人 劍不離劍 Like its male counterpart, 飛雪 Fei Xue is the name for both the sword and its owner. The 16-word poetic vow above is among the most memorable parts of the movie. It states that in
2023 Year In Review
Another year draws to a close. With memories of the the pandemic lock-down still vivid, we treasure the ability to do stuff with an extra dose of gratitude. Looking back at 2023, quite a bit happened. Here is a list of the most noteworthy events. Run This year I ran my very first race, a
Project Curved Saber – 驚寂 Jing Ji
In Chinese martial arts, the two most beloved types of weapons are the curved saber (刀 dao) and the straight sword (劍 jian). Pitching the two as complementary or in rivalry is a trope deeply ingrained in the fictions of our culture. From a little boy playing with plastic toys that my mom bought from
Golden Gate Half Marathon
When I reached the finish line at the Bay Bridge Half Marathon earlier this year, I was convinced that I was done. I partook in a race. It was of a brag-worthy distance and with an iconic back drop. I did better than I could have hoped for. What would be the point in ever
Ten Years of Cheshire Cat
Happy Halloween! I carved a pumpkin into a Cheshire Cat. The Cheshire Cat is one of my favorite cartoon characters. I love his crazy, random, confident, and fearless personality, and I love his absurdly colorful design. He’s my go-to when I need an avatar or art project idea. As I reflect back, I realized that
Halloween Horror 2023… 710,000 Citi ThankYou Points Stolen
Halloween is conventionally associated with all sorts of scary stuff – spiders, vampires, and horror movies. This year I was hit with something far worse… over $10k worth of financial theft via cyber crime. Warning #1 On Tuesday, October 24, I got a vague text informing me of suspicious activities on my Citi Prestige and
Project Hegemon’s Spear – 霸王槍 Ba Wang Qiang
My third crafty project of the year is Hegemon’s Spear (霸王槍 Ba Wang Qiang), from 馬榮成 Ma Wing-Shing’s manhua adaptation of 古龍 Gu Long’s Seven Weapons novel franchise. Although it’s a wuxia classic, the story is not my favorite. Most of its characters and weapons are just so-so, as well. However, this spear captivated me