Tag Archives: Asia

Taiwan

[Taiwan] ~ Hours of Firsts and Goodbye

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I’ve been to many beaches but this was first when I am in no swimsuit. I’ve been to many bars but this was first I was tucked in a blanket -02.21-22.16

After braving the chill in YEHLIU GEOPARK, I again hopped on the tour bus on the way to another destination which is the kind of place I consider my sanctuary – the beach.  It was different from most kinds I have been in though because it was on its off-peak season the only people I was with was two kite-flyers and small group of friends who waded in the water for a few minutes then left. After beach is beer again on that spot behind the Red House. It was the usual beer night except another first that I was in a blanket as comfort from the cold.

A day of firsts then followed by my last in the country. But before that was xiao long bao someplace in the city.

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Asia, Taiwan

[Northern Taiwan]~Braved the Cold in Yehliu

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  It was a visit to  this landscape formed by sea and wind – 02.21.16

My second day in Taipei was spent upnorth as I visited a park structured by nature. It was a walk around a place filled with interesting shapes – as I hold on tightly to my coat during that rather chilly and windy midday – one that almost did not happen should my wallet has not been lost and found.

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Asia, Taiwan

[Taipei, Taiwan] ~ City at night

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  When I saw too many lights in a nighlife – 02.20.16

After a day that is packed with tourist spots and random discoveries, what followed was a night as filled – with a LANTERN FESTIVAL,  more MARKET and STREET FOOD finds and beer in XIMENDING and all else random in between.

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Elsewhere, Taiwan

[Taipei, Taiwan] ~ Little finds in a factory turned park

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 An afternoon of all things (forgive the word) cute – 02.20.16

What followed my visit to an ‘artist village’ is to a so-called ‘creative park’. It was not exactly the name that intrigued me though but the idea that the area used to be an abandoned wine factory converted into a place for cultural events and other exhibitions. My afternoon spent there turned out fun being a fan of trinkets (called “abubots” in Filipino) with a rather similar scene in my country wherein local artists share their crafts in pop-up bazaars and markets.

Indeed it was an afternoon filled with (window-) shopping for stickers, postcards, notebooks etc.

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Asia, SE Asia, Taiwan

[Taiwan] ~ Taipei morning in temple and plaza

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 A surprisingly good one spent on a temple and a plaza – 02.20.16

Couldn’t remember exactly why but this was a city I wanted to revisit. My revisit February from last year was a discovery on what is interesting with the city and other places accessible via trains and buses.

This is about the trip kick-off – a surprisingly calming moment at a temple despite not being a spiritual person followed by fascination at vastness in a plaza.

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Asia, Brunei, Malaysia

Plan B : Plan Brunei

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This day I found a happy workaround in a misadventure – 11.19.15

Previous day’s visit to Penang’s beaches ended on a rather gloomy note as on my way back to Georgetown, I got a text message from the airline informing me that my flight back to Manila has been cancelled due to APEC .

As I needed to be back on that day in time for an event at work, I had to think of an alternative – one that gave me a window to briefly explore another country.

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Asia, Malaysia, Penang

[Penang, Malaysia] ~ Some things to do when there’s nothing planned

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   A destinationless afternoon and some random discoveries – 11.16.15

After Camera Museum, rest of my afternoon was free that I just walked, stopping in shops that seemed to sell interesting stuff, grabbing some beer, discovering more street art and discreetly and briefly immersing oneself in a quiet afternoon of locals from the jetty villages.

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Asia, Malaysia, Penang

[Penang, Malaysia] ~ Photos from a Camera Museum

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All those cameras captured by its ‘great grandbaby’ the smartphone – 11.16.15

After morning was spent walking around to discover steel rod installations and murals around town, I had some more relaxed early afternoon at a museum on the same street as my hostel – one I learned about on that same day.

PENANG’S CAMERA MUSEUM is a recently opened two-storey venue for exhibition of vintage cameras. Compared to most museums, its specificity in its collection makes one’s visit more intimate and not as intimidating. This worked as an advantage on my end  as unlike previous visits to museums so overwhelming that I almost always end up hungry or with some headache (and I rarely get one!), this was palatable.

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What greets you

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My experience with cameras is limited to digital one when I was in college followed by an attempt to play more with an DSLR a few years back until there were smartphones and action cameras. My visit to the museum is then more of the visual pleasure and an awe at the basics.

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Malaysia, Penang

[Penang, Malaysia] ~ History in Iron Caricatures around George Town

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My interest in the island of Penang was mainly due to convenience given its relative accessibility from Kuala Lumpur. It turned out to be one of my favorite places as such a charming town of contradictions – its center both sleepy and vibrant, its streets reminiscent of both old and modern. While recognized as one of UNESCO World Heritage sites, to me it was simply a place friendly for walking – with each turn filled with surprises from iron sculptures retelling the place’ story to hand paints that make use of the raw structures in place. Combine walking and glimpses of the ordinary equal my dose of happy.

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Asia, Malaysia

[Malaysia]~ A Day in KL (Quiet and Otherwise)

A morning of quiet and after noon, one of chaos – 11.15.15

After spending a night dining in the dark and diner-seeing in KL, following day was spent visiting TITIWANGSA PARK where a scene from a favorite local film was shot. Unfortunately unable to find such but after minutes of sweat was able to find a decent spot with a view of the Petronas, KL/Menara Tower and Istana Budaya (which to me is version of Sydney’s Opera House). Prior to 4PM trip to Penang were failed visits to some city landmarks that were either under construction or closed due to some event before that who-cares-about-this-heavy-backpack windowshopping at PETALING STREET.
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