Here at WoWasis, we’ve found great art in so many far-flung areas of the globe that seemingly nothing surprises us anymore. Artists and artisans can’t create without that secret sauce called “artistic temperament,” so they live where they want and damn all converntions. Which brings us to Kan Hsin-Yi of Taiwan. He lives in a […]
Read the rest of this entry »Archive for the 'Taiwan' Category
WoWasis visits Jioufen: a Taiwanese town with one of the best market walks in Asia
At first glance, it’s easy to disregard Jioufen. Initially appearing to be yet another hillside town of nondescript buildings, the town unveils itself under the cover of a series of narrow alleys lined with shops, selling everything from calligraphy to condoms. Walking through the alleys of Jioufen takes the better part of an afternoon, and […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis visits Wulai: an aboriginal cultural village & hot springs in Taiwan
WoWasis drove to Wulai, only 40 minutes south of Taipei. The trick, once we got there, was finding the Atayal-run Wulai Aboriginal Cultural Village. Wulai is a village noted for its hot springs, and there are plenty there from which to choose. The Atayals, who run the cultural village across the river, are one of […]
Read the rest of this entry »Renting a car and driving in Taiwan: easy if you know how to do it
Taiwan is a gorgeous country where, outside of a few major population areas, relatively few speak English, a difference for the Westerner used to being understood in Southeast Asia or Asia Minor. Unlike Thailand or Turkey, asking directions on the streets in Taiwan generally won’t even get you fractured English We here at WoWasis wanted […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: Guidebook for Taiwan by National Geographic
Whenever we’re in a foreign country, we here at WoWasis always travel with a guidebook: they’re easier to use and markup than online guides, and we always end up running across stuff by accident that we wouldn’t have discovered otherwise. Our local bookshop only carried one guidebook for Taiwan, and that’s how we acquired (and […]
Read the rest of this entry »5 travel tips from WoWasis on avoiding getting robbed overseas
Compared to most Western countries, we here at WoWasis feel Asia is pretty safe. Most travelers can go just about anywhere, any time, and not have to be constantly looking over their shoulders. Nevertheless, travelers not practicing basic security measures are leaving themselves open to the occasional theft. So here are some things to keep […]
Read the rest of this entry »Leafsnap phone app allows you to identify trees instantaneously
Here at WoWasis, we’re often curious about what kind of tree we’re seeing in Asia, but don’t want to carry a tree guide (book or human) around with us. So now there’s a solution, that while focused on North American trees, will allow iPhone and iPad users to begin identifying Asian trees as well. It’s […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis spa review: Wilbur Hot Springs in Northern California
So why is your WoWasis Asian field team in California for a spa review? Because we heard that many Asian visitors go there on visits from overseas, and now we can see why. Wilbur Hot Springs is located roughly 2.5 hours north of San Francisco, 22 miles from the town of Williams on Interstate 5, […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis Reports: Apartment Asian Massage Parlors (AAMP) in North America
Today, your WoWasiscorrespondents visit North America to report on Apartment Asian Massage Parlors. Also, read the WoWasis post on commonly used AAMP acronyms relating to practices at North American massage parlors). AAMPs, as they are commonly known, are most typically found in large apartment complexes, although a few “float” in hotels. Part of the service consists […]
Read the rest of this entry »Taipei’s e-Library Waiting Lounge at Taoyuan Airport: Taiwan finally goes high tech!
Taiwan’s Taoyuan airport in the capital city of Taipei has been deservedly maligned as being possibly the most Neolithic — from a westerner perspective — capital city airport in Asia. Forget about Western food (Asians will tell you the Asian food stinks, too). In fact, Taipei resident Jenna Cody, quoted in the February 13 issue […]
Read the rest of this entry »
