Fukuoka Favorites

During my week there, Fukuoka felt like a really nice, liveable, and welcoming city. Here, I'll list my favorite parts of the city (my favorite fun surprises!) ... maybe you'll like them too 😀. This post is split up into a Fukuoka section, a Hakata section (they're basically the two halves of the city), and…

Fukuoka Day Trip – Dazaifu

Dazaifu seems to be one of the most popular day-trips from Fukuoka. At first, I thought it might be an overrated tourist destinations, but I ended up really enjoying it! Without further ado, I'll list out what I liked and briefly explain how to get there. 1. Dazaifu Burger Many towns in Japan have their…

Fukuoka Day Trip – Moji & Shimonoseki

tldr; "Try Poisonous Pufferfish, Walk an Underwater Tunnel, and Watch a Paper-Play" Earlier this year, I asked people where I should visit around Fukuoka. My friend Philip gave me an intriguing suggestion. "Visit Moji," he said. "There's an undersea tunnel to Honshu. You can walk it!" So I looked it up and found that the…

Poisonous Pufferfish and the Treaty that Ceded Taiwan to Japan

A few months ago, I had a chance to visit the town of Shimonoseki. People familiar with Taiwanese history will recognize it as site of the Treaty of Shimonoseki (馬關條約) from 1895, in which Qing China ceded Taiwan to Japan. I'd always only known the Taiwan side of this story. It turns out there is…

3 Obscure Aspects of My Taiwanese-American Upbringing Featured On Netflix |《雙城故事》讓臺裔美國人的me最有共鳴的三點

I recently finished watching the show, “A Taiwanese Tale of Two Cities.” It’s the story of two women, Jo and Nien-nien, who decide to switch cities and living arrangements: Jo, a Taiwanese-American from SF decides to move in with Nien-nien’s family in Taipei, and Nien-nien, a Taiwanese from Taipei, decides to move to SF. 我最近看完《雙城故事》，劇情描述兩位決定交換住處的女生，就是美國舊金山土生土長的台灣移民第二代Jo和一輩子活在台北大稻埕的李念念。…

The Japanese Roots of Taiwanese Rice 🍚 (And Its 30 Years of R&D)

Earlier this month, I stumbled upon a farm in the middle of Taipei: It was surprisingly... pastoral: Believe it or not, this farm is on the National Taiwan University (NTU) campus! I was heading to the student center for an appointment that day and the path Google Maps told me to take was under construction,…

Yilan Trip Highlights (Toucheng Old Town, Jiaosi Hot Springs, Yilan City)

The first time I went to Yilan was when I was a child. I went with my family, including my cousins and aunts/uncles. In fact, this trip is still one of my most distinct childhood memories! We had gone to Yilan to "play with water" (玩水), i.e. have fun in a river park. A part…

Do Taiwanese People Consider Frances “Taiwanese”?

"So... do Taiwanese people consider you Taiwanese?" This was a question a Taiwanese-American friend asked me last year. At the time, I had been in Taiwan for only a few months, so didn't have anything insightful to say. It's also not like people can identify that I'm foreign from my looks or my accent. BUT.…

Taipei’s Museum of Contemporary Art (+ History + Technology!)

Last week, Mii-chan, a friend from the Japan office of the company I work for, stayed with me for a week. This was actually my first time hosting, and it felt great, since I'm usually the one crashing at people's places to finally be able to host my friends!! Thanks to her, I also got…

Ghost Festival with the Grandparents + the Origins of the Festival

Last week marked one year of my life in Taiwan. When I arrived last year, I was vaguely aware of Ghost Festival 中元節 and how people believe that the spirits, humorously called "good brothers" 好兄弟 come back around this time of year. I used to visit Taiwan in the summer, so this wasn't news. But...…