Emerald Business Hsinchu

... will happen more than once – I am sure. Next up - oyster pancakes.

This is not your typical pancake. It doesn’t have a batter. It is oysters, spinach, eggs, and some gelatinous binder with a pink and brown sauce. It actually tastes good. The oysters are not all that great though. While we are eating that Irene’s brother gets stinky tofu and then we get peanut covered mochi. Mochi is a ball ...

... telling me which books and which lessons I would be teaching. I was thinking...man this is gonna be awesome. I know what I am gonna be teaching and I have all the books. I just need to make a lesson plan, add some games and we're in business! Well, I show up for my first class and I am informed that were are teaching a completely different lesson by my co-teacher (the co-teacher is a Taiwanese teacher. The co-teacher teaches them alone for 2 hours and then assists during ...

... show that I've been watching on Youtube back home, and Angel Lover, a drama featuring one of my favorite Taiwanese actors, Ming Dao. Angel Lover was more serious than most of the Asian dramas I watch, but I liked the little subplots centering around the women that the men of Angel Lover help out. For the majority of the trip, we'll be staying in my maternal grandparents' house in Tucheng. Since my mom's sister's house is ...

... pu is for more people only, which is too expensive. I decide to look around and then take the 3:30pm bus back to Luodong. I walk up behind the hotel reception under red leaved trees, visit the small train station leading to the 3 km of railway tracks, see the train from far, visit an old Japanese house and see the old machines used for the logging industry. The logging industry was brought here by the Japanese. I unluckily miss several smaller Trails ...

... it's TaiWAN, not ThaiLAND, as lots of people thought when I said where I was going. And it's not China either, whatever Beijing tries to say. Taiwan is a small(ish) island off the coast of China, between Japan and the Philipines. As, I said, Beijing is still adamant that Taiwan is a renegade Chinese state - the Government of the Republic of China fled here in the 50s when the Commies took over in China, and hasn't really had any contact since. It's really a ...

... to say the least. Today is ITRI's 33rd birthday and it's a day's worth of celebration and festivities. My work load today consists of standing in the off-stage area and taking care of any emergencies that arise during the performanes (highly-unlikely). It's a big day with employees bringing their families and many of the interns don't even have to work today! Lots of jealousy, but after all, I am in PR... In the evenings the interns and ...

Which brings me to the people. If they do understand English(no, even if they don't) they are very friendly and helpful but to be very honest(and everyone that has been there knows itse true),especially if you're white. The Taiwanese can be very racist. In their way of doing business its all about relationships. You build up trust from other people and then the favours start and things get done. The most important realtionship to have is with the ...

... flick with watermelon(yes the tasty watermelon juice enjoyed by all through the unhumanely heated Taiwanese summer was never quite the same after that). A friend who went to see the same movie in the cinemas ended up sitting next to an old Chinese man with his hand down his pants, enjoying the excitement of the watermelon just a little too much...Chinese culture? More to come, keep your eye on this space. Right now I have to go and fetch the ouma from the hairdresser. Cheers Lindie

In this episode: - The world's tallest skyscraper! - Cheese! - Din Tai Fung! - Beautiful girls who love pigs blood! - Eva's other sister! - Thrills - Chills - A girl named Yoyo - Snake (tourist) night market - Did I mention... cheese! Taipei is so far the only place in Taiwan that didn't feel 95% alien to me. Rather, Taipei felt on or about 85% alien, in that I was finally able to find a reliable source for cheese. I miss cheese desperately. I ...

... to phone my dear Mum back home to find out the result of the England game. The old dear gave me a detailed run down of the afternoon's dramatic events (how long before Posh and Becks officially replace the monarchy?!!). After she had finished her report, the four of us set off. The first event of the journey back involved a drunk local woman getting on the back of Julie's scooter and hitching a lift to the top of the first hill. The second event involved my tent ...