The Nomad Inside

Seogwipo, South Jeju

라바르 lavarr This was probably my favorite out of all the cafes I visited in Jeju Island. The space is split up into three separate floors and concepts: The first floor is where the cafe with a pretty cool interior that looks as if it used to be a bathroom but converted it an art installation. The second floor is a dedicated exhibition space that showcased some paintings by a local artist. Lastly, the third floor is a working space for those that want to bring their laptops and get some work done.

Everything in this building seemed very carefully curated. I also liked that they are environmentally conscious and serve using aesthetic trays and cups that are made out of recycled coffee grinds. This cafe definitely feels more like somewhere you’d find in a more upscale neighborhood in Seoul but overall I liked how they curated the space.

Indigoterie I discovered this place in passing and somehow ended up staying a whole day here. This space is a unique combination of being a vintage artisan goods store that sells a range of clothing and objects, a cafe and also an art workshop classroom. On Wednesdays, Thursdays and occasionally on the weekends, the owner closes his shop to host a workshop that is centralized on excavating found objects by the Seogwipo shore, formulating a unique design and silkscreening it onto your shirt of choice. Definitely was a fun experience if you are looking for something a bit more tactile and hands on.

서귀포옷가게 Personality This brand is completely local to Jeju and the clothing style definitely hoists a lot of personality. I came across this place randomly on Naver Maps and thought it was worth a visit. It’s unfortunate that when I visited this store, they didn’t have a lot of sizes or colors in stock. I think I visited a day or two before they launched their next line of clothes which might explain the lack of supply. Oh well, will probably have to visit again in the future!

West Jeju

Anthracite Coffee This cafe is located in the west coast of Jeju Island so it’s a bit out of the way from both Jeju city or Seogwipo. The interior is definitely moody and has an industrial theme as the space used to be an old starch factory. It’s perfect for some coffee and conversation, but probably not as much for working. I tried both their iced latte and milk ice cream and thought both were delicious. If you have some additional time, I thought Hanlim was kind of a cute town/village to explore.

Camellia Hill I recommend coming to Camellia Hill on a gorgeous sunny day, as I think it makes strolling through the gardens a much more enlightening experience. I unfortunately wasn’t blessed with the best weather when we arrived as it started raining. I was most impressed with the gardens cape that had the pink muhly, as even on a rainy day, it was really breathtaking.

Osulloc Tea Museum Okay, this is probably the most popular spot that people come to visit when in Jeju, but I felt it was slightly a bit overrated. Or to more explicit, I think I just expected more things to do here. There is not much to “do” or really “see” but if you are looking for a casual afternoon to relax and drink Osulloc (renowned brand in Korea) tea and eat sweets, definitely come for a visit. They also sell a handful of Innisfree products, so you can also come to buy skincare products.

Arte Museum Out of all the interactive art museums I visited during my time in Jeju, this one was probably the most “impressive” and experiential. It’s similar to Tokyo Borderless where it integrates both visual imagery, performance and fragrance to create uniquely themed experiences.

East Jeju

고흐의정원 Van Gogh’s Garden This interactive museum utilizes AR (augmented reality) to create multi-dimensional exhibitions of the different eras of Van Gogh’s paintings. This wasn’t my favorite exhibition but could be worth a visit if you have nothing better to do.

Snoopy Garden This was my favorite place that I visited in Jeju and yes I’m biased because I love Snoopy since he’s my spirit animal. Snoopy Garden felt like a comic book adventure park that is broken down into the very many different personas and eras of Snoopy. I definitely felt like a kid revisiting his childhood after walking through the entire garden, and I’m here for it! In addition, they also have a souvenir store that sells many Snoopy-branded products, a cafe/restaurant on the second floor, and even an ice cream truck!

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Upon reviewing my 2022 song selects, I can’t help but think to myself that the majority of these songs contributed to my personal restoration and growth. This year was without a doubt my most stressful year in this past decade – one where I was constantly in my head and spending a lot of unnecessary time and valuable time on superficial things.

It’s an unbearable and indescribable feeling to be a person that has so much free will, yet feels bounded and unable to breathe. Looking back now, I realized that I was so conflicted because I was trying to find a solution to a problem that wasn’t meant to be solved. At the end of the day, what’s broken is broken and there is only so much you can do and we have to know when to take a step back. I learned a lot from this year about letting go and not trying to fix something that is already broken.

1 – “Walk Away” by Mina Okabe The meaning behind this song is about feeling uncertain and conflicted about deciding to either walk away or wait around to be proven wrong. This song is literally the story of my life this past year, as I have found myself more often than I’d like to admit conflicted in investing even more time in others or just let go and walk away. Lesson learned: be open to giving chances but know when it’s time to walk away.

“You’re messing with my head’ / Cause I wait for you / Maybe I’ve misread all the things you do / Looking for a reason to stay / Why can’t I walk away / Walk away, away from you?”

2- 如果可以 If you’ve watched the movie ‘月老,‘ you would know that this was the theme song for that movie. I’ve never heard Weibird‘s songs before, but I loved how fitting his voice was for this song. Fun note: This was also probably the second or third song that I learned how to sing at KTV!

3 – 踊り子) by Vaundy After two years of Japan’s borders being closed off to tourism, it finally reopened and I was able to celebrate New Year’s with my sister! In lieu with this song’s backstory, I definitely felt like I’ve emerged from this trip stronger and more independent. I don’t understand Japanese but this song’s chorus just encourages adventure and makes me exhilarated to be on the go. An incredibly appropriate song to ring in the new year of 2023.

“Nothing’s gonna change my love for you” by Khalil Fong

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今天就是我在全球疫情的時候跑到世界另一端的一週年。感覺就像是昨天我才有點感傷地，剛搭了一趟單程的飛機到台灣，前往一個未定的未來。

你能相信這個疫情已經在我們的人生裡過了兩年了嗎？在這段時間，全世界也繼續發展、人們也適應了新的環境，我自己的人生也變了很多。之前疫情變嚴重的時候，我正在思考我人生的【下一步】可是不確定那步到底會這麼顯現。幸運的事，有一個出現的時候我就快速利用那些機會。從那以後，我沒有往回看、或者有什麼後悔。

Today officially marks a full year since I officially made my great escape journey to the other side of the world in the midst of a global pandemic. It still feels like only yesterday when I was hit with a flood of sentimental feelings and underlying guilt boarding a one-way flight to Taiwan towards an undetermined future.

Can you believe that the pandemic has been present in our lives for nearly two years already? Not only has the world evolved during this time but my own life has changed monumentally. Just before the pandemic escalated in the States, I remember speculating next “big move” but was uncertain of how it would manifest. Fortunately, an opportunity presented itself and I seized it and ran without looking back.

去年全世界還在隔離的時候，從國外跑回來台灣的朋友們應該會同意，這兩年是很特別、也很難忘的時光。如果我能表達出去年的感覺，就有點像是大一那年，因為新的環境，有很多冒險、自我探索，還會遇到不同的人。我剛來的時候沒有什麼計畫，只有一個目標，就是要利用我在台灣的這段時間，還有不要有期望，我會見到誰還有我的路上會有什麼計畫—我覺得我成功了。

回顧這年，我真的很得意我完成今年的目標。搬來一個完全不一樣的環境真的不容易。我剛來的時候我中文不太流利，認識很少人，還有不太理解台灣的文化。雖然，我還是覺得我還可以在進步不同方面，我很幸運這年有見到很多不錯的人，交到新朋友，我的中文聽力還有寫的能力有進步，還有現在很了解台灣的文化和地理【我現在可以當導遊了】。

Anybody that found their way to Taiwan while the rest of the world was in lockdown will probably agree that this past year will go down in the books as the most memorable year ever. If I could best sum up what this past year felt like, it was a bit déjà vu and reminiscent of my freshman year in college where everyday was filled with new adventures, exploration and new groups of people. I arrived in Taiwan with only a single objective to leverage my time and not have any expectations on who I’d meet, what journeys would lie down the road and its potential impact on my future decision making — and I feel I did just that.

I’m honestly proud of what I’ve accomplished this year. Moving to foreign country with a limited language proficiency and adapting in an unfamiliar environment is no easy feat. Even though there is still much to accomplish and improve on, there have definitely been some wins: my Mandarin has improved a ton, I’ve met and made some amazing friends, and can confidently say that I know enough about Taiwan where I can be a tour guide.

今年我對我的人生的看法變得很多。我很興奮我的未來會有什麼 – 有時後好像需要一個全球疫情會推你去跳還有那個機會變你的人生。我真的很幸運，能有這個機會搬到這世界的另一端。當大家在世界的另一端不能出門、還得在房間裡過得不開心的時候，我還能有彈性、到台灣交到新朋友。有時候我性情不太好的時候，我會提醒自己別人不一定有這個機會像我一樣，所以我不會把這件事當作理所當然。我很興奮我的未來會長得像什麼 好像有時候需要一個全球疫情才能推你去信仰的飛躍。

In light of all the tumultuous news that has taken the world by storm along with other personal struggles, it’s accurate to say that I have been feeling quite “overwhelmed.” Well, sort of. If I was to paint a better picture of this abstract feeling, it would be something along the lines of a person sitting on a pendulum swinging in and out of a hazy smoke, metaphorically symbolizing a “zoned out” headspace. The reality is that the oh so comfortable world that we have grown accustomed is no longer and we have now entered into a completely new era. There is nothing we can really do other than embrace the unfamiliarity of this new space and adapt. I know for a fact that many folks out there are struggling and battling with mental health, at least to some degree. In that sense, I find solace in this odd camaraderie because we are all in this together in what seems to be endless mental loop. Needless to say, this trip to catch the retreating sunset of Belmar did help with restoring some mental clarity.

With such a picturesque backdrop that seems to be a cue for deep personal reflection, you might wonder to yourself what did I ponder about? The majority of my thoughts were centered around the acknowledgement of how different not only this summer but the rest of the year was going to be like.

Everything feels uncertain and decision making seems to be a lot harder to make and twice as precautionary. It’s difficult to comprehend in the moment but I know that there are in fact positives that will come from our current day situation. I’m doing my best to keep my head afloat, be optimistic and think of this whole ordeal as an opportunity. There is a saying that “the horizon is only the limit of our sight,” so lets have foresight to see far and beyond than what’s visible.

And without even so much as a heads up, three years has flown by just like that. I’ve commonly heard the phrase「光陰似箭」”Time flies like an arrow” but could never fully apprehend it until now. As I’m sitting here in ponderment, I can’t help but think just how smooth, linear and on target the trajectory of that arrow I shot three years ago has felt.

1) What was your favorite TAP memory and why?

There is no shortage of TAPpy memories that have uplifted my New York experience but the ones that stand out are those that have emerged from pure spontaneity and total unexpectedness. I often revert back to my favorite TAP-NY memory, filming our iconic ‘Thank U, Next’ lip dub video. To me, that lip dub so accurately encapsulates the down-for-anything attitude, total commitment and unparalleled bond we have as the New York chapter – in a way, it feels oddly emblematic of my three years on board. Several other standout memories that have stayed with me include:

Flying out to Austin to supposedly attend SXSW but instead spending the entirety of that weekend binge watching and crying over ‘This is Us’ with TAP-ATX

Waking up at the crack of dawn to an array of alarm clocks going off at Sundance Film Festival, quickly followed by a mad rush to link and spam tap the mobile app to get on the waitlist for the best screenings

Finding myself Elsewhere at a Bondax concert in Williamsburg on a Thursday night for a board partner date – so absolutely rad

Attending the OCAC trip in Taiwan with other chapters that included many off the path excursions such as getting massages with my roomie, late night shopping at TMS, being wholesome at OMNI, and eating the best street food Taiwan has to offer

Dining on perhaps the best tacos ever, seeing ‘The Chainsmokers’ perform live, and accidentally stepping into the pool at XL in Vegas

“Grocery” shopping, playing rage cage into the late night, downing jello and ski shots, and sitting down for a family dinner at retreat

Making a last minute mad dash to buy eggs at Whole Foods for our oyster omelette booth at Passport to Taiwan circa 2018

Eavesdropping on some very educated guesses from outside spectators on what our Din Tai Fung Halloween costume was

Spearheading two runs of ‘The Amazing TAP Race’ from ideation to execution, running around Times Square to film a teaser with a GoPro attached to my head and discovering my race served as inspiration for an engagement proposal idea

2) How has TAP helped you grow as a person and as a member of this community?

TAP has been a springboard for me to jump far and beyond my comfort zone. From joining as design chair to transitioning to content/marketing and then eventually joining leadership as Vice President, the takeaways I’ve learned in each given role has been invaluable and have directly contributed to my professional and personal development.

I have yet to come across another community as vibrant as TAP and it is truly an honor to be a part of its history. Even though I sadly can’t say my Mandarin improved by being on board (lol), I’ve at least acquired an expansive social network, a new set of skills and a much stronger affinity towards my Taiwanese heritage.

3) What are some words of advice you would give to incoming board members?

At the forefront, come in with an open mind and be prepared to fully give in to the experience. The following words of advice are ones that I personally found to be helpful in making the most of my time on board:

Understand your intent and the “why.”Identifying the origins of your intent from the get go will provide clarity andkeep you focused throughout the duration of your time on board. Without knowing the “why” will only spur indecisiveness and defer you from achieving your goals.

Outsize your own expectations.As a board member, you have certain responsibilities to fulfill but don’t let that stifle your creativity. Dream twice as big, put in the effort to make it a reality and don’t only do the bare minimum. Be fearless in bringing your crazy, unconventional ideas to the front-line because with the support from your board, anything is a go!

Adopt a curious mindset. Be curious about your board members, general membership, alumni network, literally everything. Let your curiosity be the driver in your decision making because it will absolutely take you to new heights and help build more genuine, long lasting relationships.

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“Together Again” by Janet Jackson

It’s been ages since I last listened to or even heard a Janet Jackson song being played but this is one of those classic songs that you get hyped up when it randomly pops up. This song reappeared during lockdown when I was at my parent’s home in New Jersey when one of my friends had the initiative to get all of our friends from all over the world to participate in a full fledged lip dub. It was fun to be a part of this project that captured us all in our habitat during an unusual time, while promoting an optimistic message that we will eventually be together again post-COVID.

“Grind and Hustle” by DROELOE

Prior to jumping on my flight to Taiwan, I was contemplating on taking language courses in Taiwan and had been doing research by watching a bunch of Youtube videos on peoples experiences at the various programs offered. I came across a Youtuber that documented his experience taking a gap year after graduating from college. From his videos, it seemed a large portion of that year was spent in Taiwan where he took Mandarin classes at Shida for several months. He used this song in one of his vlogs and really enjoyed it as it was a very upbeat, motivational song.

“刻在我心底的名字” by Crowd Lu Upon completing my 15-day hotel quarantine, I reacquainting myself with things that I haven’t been able to partake in during shelter in place. At the time, I remembered feeling oddly naughty doing something as mundane as watching a movie at a theatre, knowing full well that my friends back in the States were stuck in their homes. This song blew up last year after being the feature song of a popular movie called, “Your Name Engraved Herein” that got five Golden Horse Award nominations. This song definitely helped round out the entire mood and feeling of the movie which was sentimental, romantic, and emotionally frustrating at the same time.

I generally don’t choose Taiwanese films to watch by choice as from the movies I’ve watched before, the acting usually leaves much to be desired but I was pleasantly impressed with this film. They had casted two relatively fresh leads that had great on camera chemistry and the acting felt natural and authentic to me. It was funny because after this movie and song blew up, I would constantly hear this song being played in retail stores, cafes and performances by outdoor street performers where it got almost borderline annoying.

“怪天氣” by YELLOW, 9m88 One of the things that I missed during lockdown was taking my biweekly dance classes at Alvin Ailey in New York City. When I got to Taiwan, I was looking into dance studios in my neighborhood and came across one called “Jimmy Dance Studio” through Youtube. I was sold after watching this dance video from one of their hip hip instructors that used this song in their choreography. I am a huge fan of this sort of style which is more smooth, groovy, and jazzy. In the States, I have found it really difficult to find instructors who have this style so I was pleasantly surprised to come across this on their channel. This led me to taking a few one-off classes before purchasing a class package.

“Butter” by HowZ Upon arrival, it didn’t take long before my Spotify playlist inevitably began populating with Taiwanese songs. Discovered through the radio feature on Spotify, ”Butter” by HowZ was one of the first few songs that I saved from a more local artist. I can’t say that the lyrics are particularly well written but the song is smooth and just oozing with… dare I say, butter? When I attended my first live music concert in Yuanshan, HowZ coincidentally happened to be one of the guest performers and that’s when I was able to officially put a face to the name.

“Joy” by FKJ I love all of FKJ songs because they expertly integrate jazz, groove and hip hop into their songs and it especially sounds amazing in a concert setting. I remember after taking the workshop of one of my hip hop instructors from Jimmy Dance Studio, he extended a public invitation to his students to come attend a performance in Yuanshan that he would be DJ’ing at. I was probably the only one who attended from that group he extended an invitation to but I thoroughly enjoyed it as it had a very “underground” vibe to it. This was the first concert I attended by myself and “Joy” was one of the first few songs that was played to pre-hype the crowd before the performers came on stage.

“I think too much” by Christian French At Ultra (a music festival that happened in Taiwan last year), I met these two English teachers and for one reason or another happened to be discussing a lack of authentic Mexican food in Taiwan. They recommended a decent place called ‘Twinkeyz Tacos’ that was one of the best that they’ve found in Taiwan. I ended up going the next day and happened to take a few live photos of both the food and interior design. Later in the day, I was reviewing photos and because the photos were live photos I caught of snippet of this song being played in the background. I spent an embarrassingly long time with the help of my awesome roommate from New York dissecting the lyrics to this song. I related to this song because in certain aspects of my life, I know that I can be a huge over-thinker which is a trait that I believe I’ve acquired from my mom. Over the years, I have conditioned myself to think less in the greater aspect of things because they don’t actually matter, but I related to this song because there was a lot going on in my mind at the time that provided a lot of unnecessary stress in my life.

“Never change” by enjoihu I first heard of this 18-year old independent musician when first attending one of my favorites bars in Taipei called “Draftland.” That time we went there was some sort of ongoing collaboration featuring both a local graphic artist and musician (in this case, enjoihu). I am a huge advocate of these sort of community-oriented events as they are engaging and adds a level of change to a given space which promotes retention. I remember specifically taking note of enjoihu’s playlist in the second room on the first floor and thought his mix completed the concept of that space very well and gave a rather nice ambient mood. I have since followed him on Soundcloud and I’d say his music is such a mood to me as his work is inspired by the lofi genre, and is my favorite combination of lofi, classical notes, rap and old school hip hop. In my mind, he is considered to be the Tennyson of Taiwan.

“睡不著” by 壞特 ?te This artist was one that also gained a lot of recognition from a local perspective last year and I would commonly hear her songs more often being played at local coffee shops as her style is more mellow, artistic and more suited for those sorts of chillax environments. I applaud her for being able to create such a distinct brand for herself as she never shows her face as its oftentimes hidden by an oversized sunhat. My friend once went to a dinner and told me that some relatively well known female artist with a big hat that covered her entire face was performing and I immediately knew it was her. Initially I thought it was really just her aesthetic but I eventually found out that her day time occupation is a doctor the reason why she dresses like that is because she has to conceal her identity.

“別問很可怕” by J.Sheon

Taipei: A Reservoir is a site-specific publication that transcribes and documents the mnemonic associations I’ve accrued with my annual trips back to Taiwan. Surprisingly, these infrequent trips have played a major role in my personal development and better understanding of my lineal heritage. Through a series of short form stories with illustrations, this project documents the remnants of my childhood memories that are somewhat salvageable and accessible in a country that has remained the same even after all these years.

“Taipei has become a reservoir of preserved memories that I still somewhat have access to.”

The manifesto of this personal project emerged as collateral inspiration to a school project that I worked on for my final project done for my ‘Typography 3’ class. The assignment was to develop a brand and utilize typography to communicate the word “home” and its subjective feeling and meaning to you.

The first time I stayed in Taiwan for more than two weeks, I had just graduated from RISD and was suffering from post-finals burnout and decided to flee to the homeland instead of looking for a new job to take care of my grandma who was sick at the time. During that period of time, I had enough time to embed myself within Taiwanese culture and document the oh so beautiful memories I’ve had up until that point.

And just like that, as quickly as it had arrived, we are already bidding farewell to summer of 2020. It felt like only yesterday when I was in New Jersey brainstorming ideas in my sketchbook on ways I can milk this summer for all that it was worth. Despite it being a bit different compared to a quintessential New York summer where days are lined up with glorious summer block parties, hipster Brooklyn concerts and late night food excursions, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, in more ways than one I almost feel as if it was better.

A few memorable highlights that commemorate this truly one-of-a-kind summer include:

Collaboratively filming a lip dub to one of Janet’s classics, “Together Again” with friends quarantined from all around the world

Tidying, redecorating and improving my room to be more functional and still aesthetically pleasing (with help from Muji, Wayfair and TJ Maxx)

Weekly recurring day drinking in Central Park… details a little blurry

Attending a dino-nugg party with all sorts of fun dinosaur shapes from T-Rex, stegosaurus to pterodactyls. Uh, who says eating food can’t be fun?

Dying from an outdoor HIIT workout at McCarren Park in Williamsburg. It took a week for my legs to recover… no joke!

Deep late night conversations fueled by $2.50 pie slices at Martha’s Country Bakery (a place of high sentiment to me – ask me why)

Getting that ‘glazed doughnut sheen’ with coworkers through an intensive Peloton class over Zoom

Venturing far into Murray Hills, Queens for a haircut and eating affordable freshly made kimbap in Kissena Park afterwards

Learning and performing “The Cup Song” featuring Anna Kendrick from Pitch Perfect at a virtual talent show amongst friends

Making delicious dumplings from scratch with other dumpling-minded individuals at my friend’s online cooking workshop

Attempting to embrace my youth by learning a TikTok dance to ‘Yummy’

Day trip to Edison for a low-key day of Topgolfing, ping pong, pool, and 蛋挞 hunting at Kam Man Chinese Supermarket

Finally getting around to editing two separate vlogs of my trips to Spain and India from a few years ago

Spending an extended July 4th weekend in Killington, Vermont for a summer getaway with old and new friends. Not going to lie, still a tad bitter about not being able to get my Belgian waffle from Waffle Cabin.

Rediscovering my balance in this next leg of my journey

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be leaving this Saturday for Taiwan until at least the end of the year. The idea to go back to Taiwan emerged from a casual conversation I had with a friend a few months ago who told me that she decided to go back to spend the summer. I remember feeling an alien feeling of excitement creep up and knew that it was the right move for me.

This will be a great opportunity for me to spend quality time with extended family but also recollect the balance (平衡) that I have lost over the past few months. The tolls of this imbalance has indefinitely stifled my creativity and it has been challenging to say the least to maintain productivity or feel any sort of inward motivation. Maintaining this so-called balance is a crucial part of who I am and I’m hoping to reclaim at least a part of it during my stay over there.

So, what are my plans while I’m there? This trip is unlike any of the other trips I’ve made back it marks the longest period of time I’ve stayed in Taiwan. Aside from still maintaining a work schedule, I hope to finish the second part of a project that I worked on years ago. In the year 2015, I spent an entire month living in Taiwan after graduation taking care of my grandmother and during that time I worked on a personal project called “Taipei: A Reservoir.” This project was a site-specific publication that documented the “remnants” of my mnemonic associations to the country as a child. It was intended to be a two-part project but that second part never came to fruition due to my sudden move to New York. This time around, I hope to revisit and finish what I’ve started!

In my junior year of high school, I enrolled in a honors creative writing course called ‘Search for Self.’ The class helped students discover personal identity, meaning and purpose through a series of creative writing prompts and literature. A few solid reads that I recall from this class include A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Snows of Kilimanjaro and The Pearl. My favorite assignment that came out of this class was one called ‘Soundtrack of My Life.’ Each student was asked to curate a music album composed of 10 select songs and write a paragraph for each song about its context to your life. It was an assignment that really complemented my “ikigai” and I’ve made a conscious effort to continue doing this assignment periodically over the years. Music is one of the few constants in my life and best illustrates my mental health and headspace in that time and moment. After nearly a decade, it is refreshing to go back and review the different genres of songs I was feeling during that time in my life, as well as which songs have truly stayed with me and still remain in my ‘top 10.’

Bullet Train Fantasy by Ibrahim and Luvbird Considered as part of the “chillhop” lofi family, this song is perfect for one of those days when your head is in the clouds. It is very much a song that I can imagine myself listening to while riding the Shinkansen bullet train while casually eating a bento box and sipping an iced green tea. The past few months have all blurred together and sort of feels like riding a bullet train with no destination in sight (think Snowpiercer). The question in all of our minds is just when will the train stop and we’ll be finally let out to breathe?

“From Now On (앞으로)” by Kim Min Seung (김민승) When shelter-in-place first took place, it had me (along with many others I’m sure) spiral down into a dark rabbit hole of binge watching K-dramas. The first drama I binged was ‘Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo,’ which stars Lee Syung-Kung and Nam Joo Hyuk. Highly recommend this one to anybody looking for a lightweight drama as it is an innocently adorable, quirky and easily consumable slice of life series. “From Now On” was one of the drama’s main theme song that brought an upbeat and optimistic energy whatever scene it was overlaid over. I can confirm that my mood definitely perks whenever I hear it playing!

“Heartburn (Jarami Remix)” by Wafia Very few people know this about me but I actually suffered from constant heartburn during my adolescent years. I never had it diagnosed but my assumption was that the pulses were triggered by a poor diet and lack of exercise. It has since disappeared but was always a mystery to me growing up and I’d always ask myself, “Tell me, why does my heart burn this way?” That being said this time around the relapse is a different sort of heartburn.

“Yummy (Summer Walker Remix)” by Justin Bieber Seriously, don’t even bother asking. I am ashamed to say how weirdly obsessed I am with this song because it’s just so…damn… catchy. And yes, I am well aware that the lyrics are horrendous and the meaning behind the song is pretty disturbing. I do think I gain a few redemption points since I prefer the Summer Walker Remix over the original. Summer’s voice adds just a touch of sophistication and balances an otherwise repetitive song.

“Airplane Mode” by Younha I first heard this song in 2019 but it has since resurfaced. This song helped me build a deeper connection with a person who had a completely different taste in literally everything than me. It was truly a monumental moment to be able to identify commonality. I truly value the importance of turning on airplane mode both literally and figuratively. The song reminds me to disconnect from my phone which seems to be spewing nothing but bad news across the world recently as well as investing in self-care time. A minute detail, but I love how the intro to the song starts with the raw shutter sound of a DSLR camera.

“Crashin” by Saint Wknd & Dirty Radio If there was a song that gives me all the “start of summer” feels, it would be this one. This song had already convinced me that this summer was going to be an amazing one and surprisingly, it was! When I listen to this song, I feel as if I’m ready to go somewhere and gives me the confidence and swagger to go about my everyday routine. If you see me walking around with a bit more pep to my stride, chances are I’m probably listening to this song.

“Paper Hearts” by Tori Kelly I first heard of Tori Kelly from her “Rocketeer” cover with AJ Rafael way back in the day before her rise to fame. From that cover alone, I was sold and convinced that she would eventually blow up. I love Tori’s angelic voice and she’s one of the few artists that sound just as good live (if not better) as online. Last year, I organized at a dance series workshop and the choreographer chose this song which made me fall in love with it. The choreography felt very fitting with the lyrics and definitely challenged the class to “feel” the song more and be more interpretive with the movements.

“If You Were Here I’d be Okay” by David Choi This was one of those songs that I distinctly remember binge listening to in the car during my adolescent years. It would give me the energy to get me through the morning grind (clearly this was before I discovered coffee). I’ve recently been on a mission to clean out my files and just happened to stumble across this song amongst my old journal entries. To this day, I’m still shocked that this song didn’t blow and gain the recognition it deserved. The only live video I could find of David performing this song is here – check it out. (skip to 1:18)

“Less of You” by Keshi Yes, yet another lofi song has made my top 10 list! I love all of Keshi’s songs but this one in particular really captures the rawness of his voice which is complimented with the guitar instrumental. There is a sentimental quality to the undertones that really add to the “pain” of the song that is very relatable. I would also like to call out the looping gif on Spotify of this song because it’s truly a mood.

Places covered in this post: Imun Seollongtang, Insadong, Ssamzil, The Booth Brewing Company

When you have finished the first full day in a new country, you can immediately feel the aftermath of the day taking a heavy toll on your body. Your body has still yet to fully adapt to not only the time difference but spike in daily physical activity. I also tend to find myself parched and a bit dehydrated the day after because I forgot to drink more water than I normally do to account for that added activity. Thus, I prefer to keep the the first two days relatively low key and then gradually tack on more strenuous activities for later in the itinerary.

My second morning in Seoul began with a 10-15 minute walk from my hotel in Myeong-dong to a cafe called ‘FELT Coffee.’ As a self-proclaimed cafe addict, this typically tends to be the very first thing I do in the morning to get me pumped for the day. It is one of the many thrills when traveling abroad, just simply knowing that there is unchartered territory just overflowing with adorable local coffee shops just waiting to be discovered. There is no better place to explore cafe culture than Korea because people are obsessed over here. Seriously, there is no shortage of quality cafes here and it seems very much integrated with the everyday lifestyle here. Read more about all the favorite cafes I visited in Korea here: (link here)

Imun Seoollongtang: Restaurant Review

‘Seollongtang’ is a clean healthy and protein-rich soup made primarily of ox bones and this restaurant gained recognition for boiling their soup for over 17 hours!

For brunch, I ate at a well-known restaurant called ‘Imun Seollongtang,’ which came highly recommended by the same friend that suggested ‘FELT Coffee.’ For first timers, you might have a bit of difficulty spotting this location because the restaurant is tucked away on the side of a parking lot. Normally this dish isn’t one that I crave out of all the delicious Korean dishes but it actually felt perfect for a winters day especially as the first meal of the day. In my opinion, Seollongtang is much more suited for breakfast than kalguksoo as it is a much lighter dish but still fill you up. The taste of this soup is typically quite bland but you can customize it and add salt accordingly based off your preference. The ox bone soup had a generous amount of meat and chunks of gelatinous tendon as well as a solid amount of noodles and rice. If the soup is not filling enough, they also had a few trays containing homemade kimchi, Kkakdugi otherwise known as “kimchi radish(깍두기),” soup salt and chopped scallions.

Insadong: Ssamzil

Insadong is one of the few places that I distinctly remember from my trip 8 years ago! The street itself hadn’t changed much aside from a new line up of stores, but besides that it pretty much is exactly how I remember it to be. I distinctly recall being mesmerized by the “whiskers” of Kkul-tarae (꿀타래, dragon’s beard candy) here and happily getting sugar stuck in my teeth while paying a nearby visit to Changdeokgung Palace. Inside Insadong there is a creative mall filled with small local businesses called ‘Ssamji-Gil.’ The mall has four floors and you can easily reach to the top by walking up in a reverse funnel pattern. Each floor has a handful of highly curated local artist shops that sell a wide range of items from handmade fragrances, Korean ceramics, and more. They also offer have a few more engaging and “interactive” activities such as a leather making workshop, painting and etc. I even got my own custom design embroidered on a luggage tag here! Disclaimer: I spent an annoyingly long time perfecting my luggage design, only for them to just pick out a pre-designed logo for me. Sad.

If you have some additional time to kill, there is a pretty neat shopping mall nearby called Insadong Anyoung.

The Booth Brewing Company: Beer & Pizza

The Booth is a Korean micro brewery that originally was a small pizza pub but has since evolved and even found its way into the American market.

To finish the day strong, I ended up grabbing dinner around Gangnam and stopping by The Booth Brewing Company in their Jongnu location to a nice cap to the day. I believe this is their original location but have other micropubs around Seoul. I am a huge fan of their brand identity as it is very distinct and memorable. Their logo is an alien that reminds me of Monsters Inc and feels very hipster, young and trendy. The actual pub itself was difficult to find as it’s on the second floor and hidden in a corner but I eventually found it through a pullup banner outside. It seemed quite popular and seemed to specifically draw out many Korean Americans. I didn’t try their pizza during this run because I had already eaten dinner but would highly recommend it as the people next to me seemed to enjoy it.

Places covered in this post: Myeong-dong (명동), Myeondong Kyoja (명동교자), Namdaemun Market (남대문시장), Dongdaemun Design Plaza (동대문디자인플라자 (DDP)), Lotte World (롯데월드)

It’s been 8 years since I’ve last visited Korea, so coming back to the country in a way reminded me of attending a 5-year high school reunion. It felt as if I was back to evaluate and access just much the country has not only changed but also stayed the same. Time really flies!

But wait, let’s first pause and rewind…

The first time I ever set foot in Korea was the summer of 2012 when my sister had just graduated from college and my family was on an Asia tour which consisted of Taiwan, Japan and Korea. The five of us (my mother, father, sister, grandma and I) stayed at a bed and breakfast called “Hongsi Guesthouse.” My sister had stayed here the summer before when she was interning in Korea. This adorable B&B was situated in the Mapo area and was hosted by a high-energy Korean lady who lived there with her two sons named 이강산 and Yun Whan, both of whom were aspiring artists. Everything inside the house felt very cheerful, positive and mundane: from the bed sheets they used all the way down to the interior decoration. The dining room was adorned with letters that were from visiting travelers from around the world and Polaroid photos. I’m sure my family photo is still hanging up there, assuming they still live in the same house.

The common area also had a little DIY station which would be replenished daily with local bread, basic spreads such as peanut butter and jam and a good ol’ carton of concentrated OJ. It was a really simple breakfast but weirdly felt “on brand” with the simplistic and positive vibes of the B&B. Oh, and how could I forget?! They also had an adorable puppy named Bpoom! That trip was so fun and I was left with amazing memories of Korea such as attending a live concert of Idiotape, eating spicy tteokbokki (떡볶이) that literally burned a hole in my mouth, going to a cat cafe near Ewha University, eating Dragon’s beard candy (꿀타래) in Insa-dong and more. Sadly today, they no longer operate as a B&B after closing their doors during the SARS pandemic and never reopened.

We named him Fashionkitty

First meal in Seoul

The 떡볶이 that killed me

Fresh juice vendor

How Koreans line up

Let’s make history

Idiotape concert, let’s goooooooo!

For those interested in watching the vlog I filmed for my Asia tour back in 2012, click the following link: https://vimeo.com/45953033

Fast forward to revisiting Seoul 8 years later…

I came here knowing quite well that this trip would be a totally different experience than my first one, especially coming as a solo traveler. My intent and purpose has changed drastically since the last time I traveled here. Also, as I’m much older this time around, I have a developed a specific way of traveling and know what things I like and don’t like. Following a Taiwan trip for Lunar New Years, I arrived in Seoul and was taken aback on how freezing it was! I’ve always heard about the brutal winters of Seoul but it was honestly a lot colder than I anticipated. I have a friend back in New York who always teases me that I’m always overdressed (as in wearing too much clothes than necessary). Sadly it doesn’t apply here as I had JUST enough clothing and basically piled on all my thicker clothing.

My flight arrived at the Incheon International Airport quite late at around 11pm and took a public charter bus towards the city center. The bus was rather empty with only one passenger besides me and it took approximately around an hour to get to Seoul. The bus dropped me off at the stop right outside of a Hilton hotel, which was a few blocks from my hotel in Myeongdong. After checking into the hotel, I went around my block in search for some quick eats and came across a 24-hour restaurant owned by a grandma where I ordered what I craved the most: soondobu and mandoo and then went back to rest.

Namdaemun Market (남대문시장)

The next day, I woke up early to get a head start to my day. I was only in Seoul for a few days so I didn’t have much time to waste. My first stop was Namdaemun Market (남대문시장) and it was only a 8-minute walk from where I stayed at (which seemed twice as long due to the freezing temperature). When I got there, most of the vendors were still setting up shop but there were a few thrift stores and boutique shops that were ready for browsing. I didn’t spend a whole lot of time here as the first thing on my mind was breakfast.

Delicious Kimchi at Myeongdong Kyoja

For those that don’t know, Myeong-dong (명동) is the shopping mecca for tourists as it has a wide variety of retail stores from Korean cosmetics to luxury fashion shops. It is easily accessible to all public transportation. I would definitely recommend staying at a hotel around here if you plan to spend most of your time in the city center. Some other areas that you could consider staying are Namyeong and Itaewon.

My first mission of the day was to eat breakfast at “Myeongdong Kyoja,” a Michelin-recommended eatery that is known for their noodle soups, kimchi and mandoo. When I arrived, the restaurant was already jam-packed with customers happily slurping on their noodles. I was a bit surprised at the popularity especially in the early morning as to me noodles aren’t the typical breakfast item. I ordered their most popular dish, the kalgaksu, which was delicious but I wasn’t actually a fan of the noodles, as the noodles felt gummy and lacked body to them. The broth, however, was very flavorful and enjoyable – and actually, perfect for a winter day! What I enjoyed the most about the restaurants was actually kimchi, as it had a unique taste to it. The kimchi had been fermented for a longer period of time and had a sort of licorice aftertaste to it that had me coming back for seconds and thirds to further identify the ingredients used and analyze the flavors. According to their website, their kimchi recipe is designed to compliment kalgaksu and mandu, which I definitely thought it did well.

By the time I finished breakfast, it was already 11:30am and Myeong-dong had become much more lively and all of the retail stores had opened. I didn’t plan to visit this area again so I did explore the area some more and looked at some shops including: Ziozia, ALAND flagship store, Mind Bridge

Dongdaemun Design Plaza (동대문디자인플라자 (DDP))

Lotto World & Mall: Seoul 101

“몰라몰라” – Confused taxi driver

I ended up chilling at some cafe around Gangnam and browsing through the underground mall right before my hair appointment. And that was the end of my first day in Korea: it was quite exhausting as I literally went all around Seoul but it was a jam-packed day and that is all I can ask for. Needless to say, I fell asleep in a slump right when I got back to my hotel.

Not by popular opinion, I truly believe that summer is the prime season to visit Taiwan. I have always noticed an undeniable feverish buzz that permeates through the city, especially during the summers. As Taiwan is very community-focused, there is always a wide variety of emerging pop-up shops, community fairs and local events to participate in – everyday truly feels like a new adventure!I created a video mash of highlights from this trip using the app, 1SecondEveryday

Embarking on a week-long journey with my #taclfam

Earlier this summer, I joined a total of 38 representatives and leaders from various TAP chapters, TACL National Board (our parent organization), Political Internship Program (PIP) and Leading Youth Forward (LYF) camp to embark on a week-long adventure to Taiwan. This trip was sponsored by OCAC (Overseas Community Affairs Council), a cabinet-level council whose main purpose is to create international programs to further bridge the gap between Taiwan and America by engaging Taiwanese youth. In the past, I’ve primarily only visited Taiwan to spend time with family so I was excited to embark on this journey with an entirely new group of people.

As the purpose of this overseas trip is to engage millennial professionals, we participated in a lot of government-related activities such as lectures, workshops and tours. We visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and also toured the Presidential Office Building, which is currently in its 100th anniversary of being built! One of the biggest highlights of this trip was participating in a formal cabinet-level discussion with the Vice President, Chen Chien-Jen (陳建仁), where we were encouraged to speak our minds and ask any questions we had in regards to Taiwan. It was definitely super informative to hear more about his perspective on certain topics as well as his ideas on how we can be more active in further bridging that gap.

Group photo with the Vice President

We also attended workshops where we learned about industries in Taiwan, indigenous tribes and even got to interact with working professionals! In my visits back, I seldom encounter TA professionals who have successfully uprooted their life in the States to make “the big move” to work in Taiwan. One standout professional’s workshop that I had the pleasure of attending was named Sunny Yang. A Teach-for-America alumni, Sunny works as the Director of Licensing for a non-profit organization called “City Wanderer.” City Wanderer is an educational program that utilizes gamification as an innovative way to aspire youth to step outside of their comfort zones and discover the limitless prospects for their future.

How the game works: In teams of three, participants are assigned a total of 30 “missions” to complete within a three-week period. The missions vary in that they challenge the youth to engage with minorities, interact with other cultural groups and more.

In a way, I see a lot of similarities with City Wanderer and one of the events that I spearhead called ‘The Amazing TAP Race,’ except that it is more targeted and purposeful. After attending the workshop, I was brimming with ideas on how to reiterate and potentially expand the gameplay to enter different avenues and territories for social impact!

Getting in touch with our cultural roots

Of course, this trip wasn’t entirely focused on professional because, I mean, what fun would that be? It just wouldn’t be Taiwan without the obligatory cultural excursions that help educate us about Taiwanese history.

During our visit to the largest interactive museum in Taiwan, PingLin Tea Museum (坪林茶業博物館), we learned firsthand about the tea-making process and how tea differs from culture to culture. Did you know that in the country of Turkey that if you have a crush on somebody, you add sugar to the other person’s cup of tea? On the other hand, if you ever taste a hint of salt in your tea, you might want to avoid that person in the future…

The first (pictured above) was, at first glance, just an installation made out of tangled wires. However, underneath a different lighting, the shadows of the wires revealed the translation, “Beyond formidable obstacles a brighter future shines.” The second quote I came across stated that, “If you aren’t innovating, then you aren’t progressing.” These quotes are a constant reminder that we shouldn’t be scared to be innovative even at the risk of failure, because success is a result of failure.

Eating our way through local Taiwanese cuisine

Without a doubt, the most authentic way to experience the local food culture in Taiwan (or really any country that has them) are through the night markets. It can be overwhelming your first time due to congestion but you will find yourself being drawn to the many delicious “small eats.” During our late night run to the NingXia Night Market (寧夏夜市), we were reunited with the classic favorites such as lu rou fan, peanut ice cream cilantro rolls, and, of course, the infamous stinky tofu.

We found ourselves in quite the sticky situation at the Vigor Kobo Pineapple Cake Factory (維格餅家鳳梨酥夢工場) where we hand-made our own, fresh pineapple cakes! Pineapple cakes are considered a staple in Taiwan, and it’s a common gift to bring back for friends and family. It was way too much fun making balls of the filling, rolling out the dough, molding them and watching the cakes get baked. The entire factory smelled like butter and pineapples — it was absolutely divine!

Learning about film and performing arts in Taiwan

During the trip, we made a detour to visit the Arrow Cinematic Group. They are universally recognized for their work in film production and have produced countless MV’s featuring famous celebrities. We had the opportunity to explore the production set and learn about the equipment they used. They also took some professional photos of us! It was… quite amusing to watch the creativity that went into some of the poses.

We also made a trip to U-Theatre, which is known for performance art and theatre. We learned about the philosophy,”The Tao and Art as One” where “The Tao” means the training of one’s life while “Art” refers to the practice of aesthetics. During the visit, our group was tasked with the difficult challenge of learning both a drumming and dancing routine. Stakes were already set at an all-time high from witnessing a remarkable performance from the high school troupe, but we gave it our all!

…and that concludes the OCAC Taiwan trip recap!

Truly, what an amazing experience this was! Even today, I oftentimes find myself daydreaming about all the fond memories I’ve made on this trip. From visiting a MRT-themed bar to rushing like a madman to cram a Chun Shui Tang (春水堂) boba run in to receiving the best massage ever at Ximending (西門町), I couldn’t have been more grateful to be given this opportunity!

A HUGE shoutout to OCAC for sponsoring this trip, the TACL National Board for making everything run so smoothly and lastly the representatives that participated in this trip for making it as fun as it was. I can’t wait for the next adventure!

After a relaxing, peaceful and glorious night spent at The Lalu, I finally departed and headed towards my next destination which was QingJing Farm (清境農場). To request a hired car, I was instructed to go to downtown area where there are multiple taxi services that can help you call one. A hired car, otherwise known as 包车 (pronounced bao che) basically transforms the cab driver into your own personal tour guide. Depending on the circumstance, the driver will typically take you to as many places you want within a duration of time for a set price. Hired cars can often get pricey but if you are traveling to somewhere that isn’t convenient or want to stop by different stops, then I would just consider it an investment. You’ll be able to see a lot more of Taiwan with the hired car within a day’s time. Usually the best drivers are the ones that personally make it their duty to talk you through the history of every stop during the ride. Most often cab drivers are very familiar with the area and knows all the tourists spots to bring you to.

The taxi driver that I ended up getting from Sun Moon Lake unfortunately wasn’t one of the better ones—the guy didn’t seem enthusiastic at all but he got us from point A to point B so I guess I can’t complain. It took approximately 2 hours to get to QingJing Farm — it would probably be around an hour travel time if we hadn’t stopped at other locations. In total, I spent 2000 NTD (70 dollars) for the entire ride, in which we stopped by four different locations.

Sun Moon Lake Antique Assam Tea Farm

Puli Wine Factory

Middle of Taiwan, stone

Eat lunch at Mama Shun Noodle shop (Puli)

As QingJing Farm is located all the way up in the mountains in the Re’nai Township, there were a heck of a lot of winding swerving roads. By the time we arrived to our resort, I was definitely feeling a little lightheaded from motion sickness.

Swiss Garden: Taiwan’s Little Switzerland

Once you walk past the installation, you find yourself in this little common outdoor space where there are tiny souvenir shops, a 7-11, little stalls and ice cream! The interior had these colorful umbrellas that hung from the ceiling which looked incredibly beautiful on this particular sunny day. On the very right side of the entrance, there is a little hole in the wall stall where you can purchase a ticket into the actual garden, which cost around 100NTD.

I must say that I was pleasantly surprised visiting this Swiss Garden—it felt like being in a scene from Alice in the Wonderland. The inner child inside me was for sure impressed with this vibrant garden as everything was just so colorful, happy and whimsical. I’m not sure if this garden was sponsored by 7-11 but part of me believes so because there were a lot of OG characters showcased within this garden as well as advertisements. Also, throughout the day, the Swiss Garden occasionally has a water performance as well as a Waterfire lighting (man, missing Providence right now). I would say that walking around the entire garden and taking photos took around 45 minutes to an hour.

Hey world! My name is Jordan Hu and I’m beyond excited to be revitalizing this blog after many years. To provide a bit of context, I first started “The Nomad Inside” back in the summer of 2018. I distinctly remember being at my grandparents house in Taichung in an uncomfortable bench thinking of what direction I could pursue with this blog. Ever since I was in high school, I saw the importance of blogging as it was a means to express, document and most importantly reflect. After much contemplation in an uncomfortable wooden bench, I realized that where I can add the most value to my readers is sharing through an archive of my own personal stories, observations and learning. Of course not every reader is going to agree with my thoughts or even find my content valuable but if there is one thing that I’d like you to take away from this blog is a better sense of who I am and how I choose to live my life.

So how did the name “The Nomad Inside” come up and what exactly does it mean? By definition, a nomad is “an individual with not settled, constantly moving from place to place.” I’ve always been somebody who was curious about the world we live in constantly on “the go” to find new things to do, checking out new spots and attempting to break the routine we tend to get too comfortable in. This blog’s name alludes to the adoption of a “nomadic mindset” and applying it to your everyday life in, whatever circumstance you are in. By adopting this mentality, you’ll develop a zest for getting outside of your comfort zone and search for something different. For me at least, it makes life that much more interesting and exciting. You only live once so… make it count!

I want to clarify that my intent is NOT to communicate that you need to necessarily be traveling in order to adopt this mindset. If anything it is more about developing a mentality that allows you to find excitement regardless of geographic location. Everybody lives a different lifestyle, has a different financial situation and responsibilities and duties that oftentimes is a huge blocker for us to live our life. I’m sure if we all have the time and money to do so, we’d all be exploring the world but unfortunately that is just not realistic for the majority of people. So my overall message is more how you can apply this to your life in how you see fit.

If you haven’t yet visited Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) in Nantou county, you might want to consider adding it to your “places to visit” list for the future. Having claimed the title of Taiwan’s largest lake, it has become one of the most popular tourism attractions and easily attracts a few million visitors per year. I highly recommend visiting Sun Moon Lake after a few days in Taipei, as it provides a much needed slower change of pace following a busy schedule.

During this trip, Taiwan had just went through two typhoons and my mother was able to claim an amazing deal for an overnight stay at The Lalu via hotels.com. I’m guessing that they had an influx of cancellations from visitors leading to quite a lot of vacancies and were just trying to fill up the vacant rooms.

After receiving our room keys, we were invited to sit in a common lounge area, where they provided complimentary freshly toasted almonds, a cup of what tasted like a decadent version of lemon iced tea, and damp cloths to wash your face with. The common lounge area also had a classy bar and cafe next to it. After finishing the complimentary snacks, we headed up to our room. 

Amenities: 5 out of 5 – Some amenities that they provided was an “onsen,” commonly known to be a Japanese bathhouse and yes, you are expected to be au natural. The men’s onsen was rather small but was clean and empty when I entered, so it felt like a private bath. Note: the onsen times for men and women are different and they have a co-ed common lounge area that you can sit and relax after taking your bath. The onsen is quite small actually and wouldn’t be able to fit a whole crowd of people which makes me think that not a lot of people use it a lot. – They also have an outdoor pool which during the day looks out of this world because you can see the skyline reflected on top of the waters. I noticed that it was mostly empty throughout the day and night, but that might be because of the lack of visitors. If you plan to use the pool, be informed that they don’t have a proper men’s locker room and only a public bathroom that had a shower which can fit a maximum 2 people.

After dinner, I went outside to explore the resort at night. I’d definitely recommend going out for a late night stroll after your belly is full and its almost pitch dark. The ambiance and resort looks totally different and transforms from peace to more romantic.

The morning of my departure, I decided to check out the gym and get an early morning workout in. It was located in the spa area in the basement and lacked any sort of charisma. To be frank, it seemed out of place and looked like a dungeon to this upscale resort. The gym was located in a windowless, poorly lit room that only offered very basic equipments such as a treadmill, ellipiticals, a few weights, and lat machines. It didn’t seem like a lot of the customers here used the gym but maybe visitors don’t exercise when they visit. I think it would have been really nice if the gym was placed on the eighth floor with a full span horizontal windows so that visitors can have an amazing view while working out.

Overall, the Lalu was an incredible experience even though it was definitely pricey. But hey, if you are on vacation and want to treat yourself, I would definitely consider treating yourself to this place at least for a night! After my overnight stay, I can absolutely understand why Chiang Kai-Shek chose this area for relaxation, recharging and refocus. I think it’s fair to say that this will be probably be the only opportunity I’ll have to stay at such a luxurious and upscale hotel again in my lifetime and it most definitely lived up to its expectations.

Back in mid-January, I made a spontaneous last minute decision to visit a close friend in Atlanta, GA. This long-awaited excursion down to the South had been an ongoing discussion amongst my friend group for approximately two years but it all never amounted to anything except talk and speculation! Our musing had dragged on two years too long but in the end, I’m glad that we were finally about to make this trip a reality.

We decided to only spend a long weekend there, so not a whole lot of time to explore but just enough to get a taste of the South. I find it truly a fascinating idea to be able to visit an entirely different geographic location within the span of just a weekend. As I’m currently in my senior year, I have been wondering about how to maintain a balance of work and play once entering the dreaded territory we all acknowledge as “the real world.” It’s probably unrealistic to believe that one can do these sort of weekend trips, but hey I can dream right?

As this was my first time flying to the South, I really had no idea what to expect, which was in a way sort of thrilling. Immediately after landing and stepping into the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport, I was struck with the permeating smell of fried chicken.

The first thought that came across my mind was, “Oh, I’m most definitely in the South.”

Seriously, the entire airport smelled like greasy, fried chicken heaven. I would never have expected it but the Atlanta Airport is mad huge and it took what seemed like forever just to get from my terminal to the other end of the airport. I purchased a “Breeze” card which is what people here use to get around and took the Marta, a local train that I kept mistaking for “Martha” to the North Avenue Station.

After getting off the train, I was able to take a stroll around the campus, soak up Georgia in all its beauty and meet up with my friend. What I love about Georgia is the colors from the sky—everything looks as if it has a pink/peach hue filter overlaid on top of it. Is this also another reason why Georgia’s namesake is the peach?

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Conveniently enough, located right next to the World of Coca-Cola was our next expedition—the Georgia Aquarium. The Aquarium was super spacious (at least comparatively to the Boston Aquarium I went to last week with some friends) that contained a wide variety of creatures I haven’t seen elsewhere. I spent maybe way too much time intently observing penguins waddling around and ruffling their feathers. There is something so therapeutic about browsing through an Aquarium, possibly because everything is filtered in a cool blue hue. As Tom Ockerse always says, blue is the most pleasing and relaxing color. I also was able to see a Beluga whale for the first time. I swear I made eye contact with one for a hot second.

The rest of the trip primarily included exploring the campus, learning about the pros and cons to Georgia, eating a sinful amount of unhealthy Southern food, drinking, playing card games, and a surprise celebration for my birthday! The morning my friend and I were supposed to leave early for the airport, both of us overslept. I woke up approximately an hour and a half before our flight—woke up my friend, rushed through packing, ran all the way to the Marta train station, took a 20 minute ride to the airport, caught a transfer train to our stop, printed our boarding tickets, breezed through security and ran to my gate. I made it with less than 5 minutes before the flight left. Living life dangerously tsk tsk.

“Home by Definition” is a personal photojournalistic narrative that explores the definition of a “home” and death’s effect on it. This was written and published during a journalism workshop in school called “Writing with Your Feet,” taught by master birdwatcher Mike Fink.

It’s been a few years since my family received the shocking news that she had cancer. At the time, it didn’t have an emotional impact on me because in spite of her illness, she remained the same. There was indefinitely a noticeable shift within the overall atmosphere, but for the most part nothing changed and life continued. She was able to maintain a healthy complexion and went about her daily routines as if purposely shunning cancer into feeling negligible. The thought of her incurable malady even began to dissipate from my mind. As a few more years flew by, I began to notice that with every passing visit that she would lose little of her vibrant complexion, weight, and energy.

During my two-week long stay in Taipei, I had a long-awaited epiphany. Sitting with my sister in our upstairs bedroom, I remember her saying,

“It will never be the same, you know. When she is gone, Taiwan will no longer feel like home.”

The gravity of her words latched onto me and it remained a lingering thought at the back of my head throughout the rest of my stay. I hadn’t considered the ramifications after she was gone and its effect on our annual trips back. Suddenly, it seemed as if I had no purpose in going back to Taiwan if she wasn’t present. This long-awaited epiphany left me questioning the terminology “home” and the cognitive implications that come with it.

What defines a home?

To me, the definition of a home is “a place where you don’t feel alone” (“To Build a Home” by Patrick Watson) and feel a sense of belonging. In a weird way, I almost associate that word more with Taiwan as opposed to my hometown in New Jersey. Despite only going visiting once a year, that feeling is only truly encapsulated in Taiwan. As progression is slow and almost nonexistent over there, the individual memories that make up my childhood still somewhat exist and are for the most part accessible.

However, the walls of this impalpable perception of a “home” has slowly but surely started to deteriorate alongside her health. As she was the blueprint that held up those walls of memories, I’m terrified that everything will come crashing down when she’s no longer there. If it does come down to that, it is an opportunity to build an even stronger foundation to reconstruct those walls of memories that make up the place I call home.

The photographs were taken with a Canon EOS 600D and a Samsung Galaxy S5 in Taipei, Taiwan throughout a course of two-weeks time.