Taiwan has been full of surprises for a first time visitor like me. Going to Schokolake was one of them, making the exploration of small towns from Taipei to Tainan so much more memorable. Schokolake in Dahu Township, Miaoli County, is the island country's first chocolate-themed manor, with English countryside houses surrounded by appealingly manicured gardens ... continue reading »

One of the places that we visited was in Sanwan Township. Interestingly, no one knows its name, because it doesn't have one yet! Let's just call it the Sanwan Township Park for now. Sanwan is Mandarin for "three curves". It is a rural township in Miaoli County, also populated by Hakka descent. A major landmark in ... continue reading »

Not only did the sweet smile of 11-year-old Low Wei Qi win the hearts of the judges, her flawless, fast-paced belly dance with butterfly wings performance surely bagged her full points to emerge as the first MÜ Princess. Wei Qi defeated 15 other girls between the ages of 3.5 and 12 at the inaugural pageant hosted ... continue reading »

Prior to my trip to Taiwan, I had no idea that Hakka is one of Taiwan's largest ethnic minorities. Hakka is the other Chinese dialect I am comfortable with, besides Cantonese. I had thought that Taiwan is out of bounds for me due to my perceived language barrier, as I can't speak Mandarin or its ... continue reading »

For my 6D/5N trip to Taiwan last month, we put up at a different accommodation every night. The first hotel in Taiwan was City Suites Taoyuan Gateway (桃園城市商旅航空館). As our arrival was 7pm, and by the time we had dinner, it would be approximately 9pm, it was sensible to stay near the airport. Moreover, we were ... continue reading »

My very first meal in Taiwan was at this duck speciality eatery by the name of 斗六門當歸鴨麵線. We landed at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at about 7pm, so by the time we cleared immigration and claimed our luggage, it was dinnertime. Our driver picked us up and drove us to downtown Taoyuan for dinner. There were ... continue reading »

Ipohites will be treated to a unique performance by Japanese trumpet virtuoso Kana Madarame on 2nd March, 2019! Mark your calendar, clear your schedule. This is one impressive recital you wouldn't want to miss, as Madarame's repertoire will feature Tetsunosuke Kushida’s compositions: Haikai Suite, Matsuri (Ritual ballad), and Sakura (Contemplating the cherry blossoms). As the music ... continue reading »