Good deals abound for the traveler willing to take a Taipei pit stop. Not only will the usual $100 landing fee surcharge be lifted, but if you stay two nights you can get a $79/night deal at participating hotels. The "I Land Paradise" promotion (which applies to any ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Taiwan
Stop in Taipei, Save $100
Good deals abound for the traveler willing to take a Taipei pit stop. Not only will the usual $100 landing fee surcharge be lifted, but if you stay two nights you can get a $79/night deal at participating hotels. The "I Land Paradise" promotion (which applies to any ...Protection from the Sun: When Sunscreen Isn't Enough
It's not uncommon in Asia to see umbrellas used for more than just a rain shower. Head out on a sunny day in Taiwan, and you could still be dodging them. I saw many women walking down the street in the protection of an umbrella's shade on a day when the sun's rays beat down. ...Dubai is Getting Taller in One Spot
Dubai's tallest building, the Burj Dubai has finally reached the height of being the tallest one in the world, and it's not finished. Now it stands at 1,831.5 feet tall (555 meters), just a bit taller than the CN Tower in Toronto (1,824.9) which was the largest free standing ...Facial Tattoos in Taiwan: A Columbus Connection
I just met Nick Wolnak who is a friend of a friend of mine. He's one of those totally cool guys who happens to be a world traveler that life has brought to Columbus, Ohio. It's not rocket science to figure out why I might find him interesting. Nick just got back from Sierra ...Delayed Flights and Laugh-Worthy Excuses
When I first read The Onion, I half-believed the articles. At the time, I was adjusting to teaching at a public school in Taiwan and sometimes got the feeling I was living an Onion article type of life. Having a good laugh over life's absurdities and those things that sound ...Chinese Tattoos: Funky Translations
Chinese lettering is so art-like, so lovely. I bought a scroll of a Chinese poem when we were living in Taiwan and it now hangs on our wall. The translation in English was written on a piece of paper and paper clipped to the scroll. I assume that the translation is accurate. ...Photo of the Day (8/15/07)
Watching a craftsperson create whatever it is he or she sells is one of my traveling pleasures. Perhaps, this comes from having an artist as a brother and a childhood of going to the art department at Eastern Kentucky University where my father taught and threw pots on a ...Eco-Friendly Shopping Bags: Not Necessarily Cheap
When we lived in Taiwan and Singapore we would head to the market with our cloth bags. We bought most of our fruits and vegetables from individual sellers who we returned to week after week once we discovered who was best for each item we were after. Our bags were nothing ...Photo of the Day (7/14/07)
Ms. Nancie McKinnon better known as LadyExpat has taken the lead for most photos submitted in our Gadling Flickr pool, but we don't pick based on quantity alone. This misty, early evening mountain shot between the palms and other tropical looking plant variety from Taiwan ...Po Chai Pills and Other Items of Interest
When I was reading National Geographic Traveler, I came across an essay by Daisann McLane, an American living in China who writes the blog, Learning Cantonese and is the "Real Travel" columnist for the magazine. Her essay was about getting sick and taking some mystery pills, ...Tunnel of Nine Turns: Taroko Gorge
Reading Justin's post about the world's longest tunnels made me think of Taroko Gorge near Hualien, Taiwan. Taroko Gorge's Tunnel of Nine Turns isn't the longest in the world, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's one of the curviest. The tunnel cuts through the rugged ...Buddha Day: Birth, Death and Enlightenment
If you missed Chinese New Year and the celebrations that go along with it, there are more opportunities. Buddha Day, also called Vesak Day, falls on the full moon in May. This is a time where Buddhists honor everything Buddha-his birth, death and enlightenment. When exactly ...Asia is Turning into a Gambling Hot Spot
Soon, there may be yet another way to come home from that trip to Japan with less money than you anticipated--or if Lady Luck is smiling at you, you'll end up with more.
Japan is pondering casino gambling Las Vegas-style. According to Bloggingstock.com's wordsmith Tom ...Photo of the Day (3/30/07)
Mmmm... boiling pots of random food products.
This shot, taken somewhere in Taiwan by Styggiti, gives me flashbacks of hunger pains in Asia overriding hygienic good sense. The "point and pray" method of eating is what makes travel all the more exciting; you never know what ...7-ELEVEN's Worldwide: A Taiwan Version
Oh, how Justin's post on 7-ELEVENs to help promote the Simpson's movie brought back memories. Taiwan is a 7-ELEVEN lover's dream-come-true. They are on every other street corner it seems--with 44,498 of them, it's no wonder. Taiwan is not that big. One of the 7-ELEVENs was ...McDonald's: A Hamburger by Any Other Name?
Over coffee with Tom Barlow, former fellow blogger from my Blogging Ohio days, the subject of McDonald's came up. He mentioned that he came across a McDonald's menu from India when he was doing a blog for his new digs at Blogging Stocks. That caught my attention.
I've been ...Bubble Tea: So Many Flavors, so Little Time
Each country I've lived in has some food or drink item I came to crave. So, when I think of that food or drink I think of that country. Like how eating Creamsicles and pork rinds reminds me of my childhood. (Okay, I have some southern roots and I can not recall the last time ...Soak Your Way to Romance with a Hot Tub Spa Experience
There's something about a hot tub spa experience that makes a person feel warm. Add another person in the equation and you have the perfect Valentine outing. You can steam up some romance while basking in the steam-or if you haven't had much time to talk lately. This is a ...Seat Belts Not Necessary: Five Videos of Terrifying Traffic
I'm in a video mood today. I spent the last hour or so going through YouTube and rounding up some of the best videos of bizarre traffic situations from around the world. And YouTube has a ton, let me tell you. Many of the clips brought back teeth-rattling memories from my ...
Working Abroad or Trying...
I don't know what I was looking for when I
clicked on the work abroad link over at Road Junky. I'm certainly
not searching for work internationally, not now at least. And I confess there have been times where I looked and
applied to teach English in China or Korea without ...
