The Weekly Blog

Taipei 101

Hidden Views of Taipei 101 | Fuzhoushan Park 福州山公園

Both locals and people new to Taipei swarm Xiangshan 象山, Taipei’s Elephant Mountain, every day. On weekends, you can bet you’ll see a group of local clad in hiking gear, hiking poles in hand, ready to make the arduous (read: easy 25min) trek up Xiangshan. Xiangshan offers a beautiful nature… Read More »Hidden Views of Taipei 101 | Fuzhoushan Park 福州山公園

Both locals and people new to Taipei swarm Xiangshan 象山, Taipei’s Elephant Mountain, every day. On weekends, you can bet you’ll see a group of local clad in hiking gear, hiking poles in hand, ready to make the arduous (read: easy 25min) trek up Xiangshan. Xiangshan offers a beautiful nature… Read More »Hidden Views of Taipei 101 | Fuzhoushan Park 福州山公園

Entrance - Beitou Springs

Lil Too Close to Friends | Beitou Springs

Finally, after over six months, I’m writing a new post. Today’s post is going to be a quick one; I’d like to start things off slow again. I’m sure you have some questions: Why the long hiatus?; What have I been up to so far?; Have I been keeping true to the spirit of onethingoneweek? I’d like to answer some of these questions.

Finally, after over six months, I’m writing a new post. Today’s post is going to be a quick one; I’d like to start things off slow again. I’m sure you have some questions: Why the long hiatus?; What have I been up to so far?; Have I been keeping true to the spirit of onethingoneweek? I’d like to answer some of these questions.

Studio City Murial

Macau Pt.2 | Taipa in a Day

If you read last week’s post, you know we spent an entire day walking around Macao. But, in the end, I qualified it by saying we walked around Mainland Macao. That means there’s a whole island to the south we didn’t touch on. On this day, we’ll be walking around all of Taipa, as well as going to the Venetian and Studio City. Our first task was crossing over the island to head to our first stop, the Taipa Houses – Museum. To do so, we walked over an hour over a long bridge to Taipa.

If you read last week’s post, you know we spent an entire day walking around Macao. But, in the end, I qualified it by saying we walked around Mainland Macao. That means there’s a whole island to the south we didn’t touch on. On this day, we’ll be walking around all of Taipa, as well as going to the Venetian and Studio City. Our first task was crossing over the island to head to our first stop, the Taipa Houses – Museum. To do so, we walked over an hour over a long bridge to Taipa.

Unexpected Adventure | Macau in a Day

Macao, formerly a Portuguese colony, is a special administrative region (SAR) of China. In recent years, Macao has become a resort city, its gaming industry seven times that of Las Vegas. It has a population of 667,400 and an area of 12.7sq mi (or 32.9km^2), making it the most densely populated region in the world. But, this little island has a lot more to offer than high-stakes gambling and luxury shopping (luxury brand shops can be found everywhere on “the strip”).

Macao, formerly a Portuguese colony, is a special administrative region (SAR) of China. In recent years, Macao has become a resort city, its gaming industry seven times that of Las Vegas. It has a population of 667,400 and an area of 12.7sq mi (or 32.9km^2), making it the most densely populated region in the world. But, this little island has a lot more to offer than high-stakes gambling and luxury shopping (luxury brand shops can be found everywhere on “the strip”).

Heavenly Temple - Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests

A Heavenly Trip | Beijing’s Temple of Heaven

Another week passes by, another day exploring Beijing. Actually, everyone is so busy studying every day, we barely have time to explore. At least Beijing has many attractions, especially cultural, especially in and around the center. Speaking of which, the Heavenly Temple lies in the center of Beijing, near the Forbidden City. Specifically, it lies in the southeastern part of central Beijing, in Dongcheng 东城(dōngchéng). First, let’s talk about history.

Another week passes by, another day exploring Beijing. Actually, everyone is so busy studying every day, we barely have time to explore. At least Beijing has many attractions, especially cultural, especially in and around the center. Speaking of which, the Heavenly Temple lies in the center of Beijing, near the Forbidden City. Specifically, it lies in the southeastern part of central Beijing, in Dongcheng 东城(dōngchéng). First, let’s talk about history.

Gloom and Bloom | Beijing Horticultural Expo

This week we took a trip to the Beijing Horticultural expo. The venue covers a whopping 6 hectares, displaying a variety of flowers, trees, and other greenery. It definitely lives up to its theme “Live Green, Live Better” It’s actually a pretty impressive event in its own right, an effort to increase China’s soft power, garnering the support and participation of over 70 countries and organizations. It’s also an embodiment of China’s promise to become a greener country.

This week we took a trip to the Beijing Horticultural expo. The venue covers a whopping 6 hectares, displaying a variety of flowers, trees, and other greenery. It definitely lives up to its theme “Live Green, Live Better” It’s actually a pretty impressive event in its own right, an effort to increase China’s soft power, garnering the support and participation of over 70 countries and organizations. It’s also an embodiment of China’s promise to become a greener country.

The Great Wall of China Bird's Eye

Jumping over Walls | The Great Wall of China

The place we went to was 金山岭长城 or jīnshānlǐng. Apparently fewer tourists go to this section of the wall, so we were excited to be one of the few there. Of course, it was like 200 of us attending so maybe not that few people. We took some buses provided by PiB to the main entrance. Then walked a long way through some yellow, wooden bridges, down a long, long road, until we arrived at the foot of the wall. It was actually very commercialized, with carts ferrying people willing to pay up, and many vendors and small restaurants all the way up. Not the Great Wall I envisioned but nice nonetheless.

The place we went to was 金山岭长城 or jīnshānlǐng. Apparently fewer tourists go to this section of the wall, so we were excited to be one of the few there. Of course, it was like 200 of us attending so maybe not that few people. We took some buses provided by PiB to the main entrance. Then walked a long way through some yellow, wooden bridges, down a long, long road, until we arrived at the foot of the wall. It was actually very commercialized, with carts ferrying people willing to pay up, and many vendors and small restaurants all the way up. Not the Great Wall I envisioned but nice nonetheless.

Back to the Appalachian | Buttermilk Falls

It seems that every time we decide to go hiking, it’s a trail on the Appalachian. It makes sense though, given its proximity to NY. One of these days we’ll plan a longer trip, one that’ll take us a little farther from NYC. But for now, we’re off to our neighbors to the west, New Jersey.

It seems that every time we decide to go hiking, it’s a trail on the Appalachian. It makes sense though, given its proximity to NY. One of these days we’ll plan a longer trip, one that’ll take us a little farther from NYC. But for now, we’re off to our neighbors to the west, New Jersey.

The Guggenheim's Ceiling

A Modern Experience | The Guggenheim

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is located at 1071 fifth avenue, right across the Central Park at the corner of 89th street. It has a continuously expanding collection of Modern art. Well actually, it includes Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern and Contemporary art, but a lot of what we saw was Modern Art. It seems we are really good at picking bad days to visit places, as the spiral staircase was closed for construction and some exhibits were not bailable for viewing.

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is located at 1071 fifth avenue, right across the Central Park at the corner of 89th street. It has a continuously expanding collection of Modern art. Well actually, it includes Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern and Contemporary art, but a lot of what we saw was Modern Art. It seems we are really good at picking bad days to visit places, as the spiral staircase was closed for construction and some exhibits were not bailable for viewing.

Hive | Hudson Yards

The Hive | Quick One on the Hudson Yards

We went over to the Hudson Yards as a class project. Basically, we were acting as tour guides, guiding a group of Chinese tourists from our first stop at the Chelsea Hotel to our last stop at Hudson Yards. And when I mean group, I mean one, single tourist. Bad weather means most people who agreed to go canceled on us.

We went over to the Hudson Yards as a class project. Basically, we were acting as tour guides, guiding a group of Chinese tourists from our first stop at the Chelsea Hotel to our last stop at Hudson Yards. And when I mean group, I mean one, single tourist. Bad weather means most people who agreed to go canceled on us.