I was sitting there at my desk lost in my own writer’s world and furiously typing away, when the front door burst open. ‘OMG LOOK WHAT I HAVE!’ My girlfriend slammed down what appeared to be an A3 cardboard design of some sorts and I looked down at it, slightly confused. ‘So uh… what’s that?’ [...]

Situated in the Daan District of Taipei City within a stones throw from Taiwan National Normal University, although modest in size Shida Nightmarket is one of Taipei’s most crowded nightmarkets. What Ximending is to young adults and fashion in Taipei, Shida Nightmarket is to food. There’s plenty to eat here and it’s priced for university [...]

In every touristy town of Taiwan you’re inevitably bound to find an Old Street. These Old Streets are typically like daytime night markets with a series of stores on either side of the streets hocking touristy stuff, food and any goods the area might be well-known for. One thing I liked about Wulai’s Old Street [...]

One of the great things about cycling around outside of Taiwan’s cities is that it doesn’t take all that much to find a gloriously scenic backdrop to enjoy with your ride. On a recent trip to Wulai Township, situated in Taipei County just south of the Taipei City, we saddled up our bicycles and took [...]

Back in October of last year I was lucky enough to catch a screening of one of the few places in Taiwan showing an English subtitled version of Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale. Having quite enjoyed Seediq Bale, when I learnt that it was possible to visit the Wushe Street set and that they’d [...]

I dunno if it’s just my crappy non-Taiwanese stomach or something everyone else goes through, but in the course of an all-you-can-eat hotpot session, somewhere in the middle I find it necessary to have a break. During this time I like to take in my surroundings. The people around me, all stuffing their faces or [...]

At a typical Taiwanese wedding after paying your entrance fee (or good luck money or whatever you want to call it), you usually get some sort of gift box or some such as a token of appreciation. A favourite (and I can only presume staple) thankyou gift appears to be a box of individually wrapped [...]

As a connoisseur of energy drinks, Taiwan is pretty good to me. There’s a whole bunch of them here and they’re pretty cheap. I’m not entirely sure when 7-11 started stocking it but I’ve had my eye on a little blue can I noticed popping up in the energy drink section of their refrigerators. A few [...]

I’ve never really particularly liked to listen to music whilst driving. I think a large part of this comes down my first car being a Mini Moke – a go-kart jeep type thing with a canvas roof and loud as hell engine. I did at some point have a radio system in there but anything [...]

If you’re out and about during Chinese New Year in Taiwan, chances are you’re probably going to notice an unusually greater amount of non-Taiwanese guys out and about trying to keep themselves occupied, but still looking like they’ve got nothing better to do. For hundreds (thousands?) of Taiwanese girls every Chinese New Year heralds the [...]