Swimming in Sweat
See that sheen on my face? How it looks like I just jumped out of a pool?
While I may be soaked as if I went swimming, that’s all sweat. Hot, man-sweat from a 10km run in downtown Manila. Downtown Manila after a thunderstorm, which means its only around 110% humidity, enough that I soak through my shirt before I even get around the block.
Read MoreMy Machismo in Manila
The Peninsula Hotel, Manila pool is breathtaking, a clear blue oasis that calls to me irresistibly after a week in Typhoon Taipei. The sun is warm on my skin, and I yearn for a day of pool-side bliss. Into this perfect vision, I find a deck chair positioned just right, and start to recline it for maximum sunage, when…
AAAGGGGHHHHH!!!!
Read MoreTyphoon Taipei
It’s my last day in Taipei and I can’t wait to leave. It’s not that I dislike the Japan with Chinese characteristics culture or the constant rejections by the Computex Sales Girl Soft Porn, it’s the constant, never-ending, tropical-storm strength torrential rains that are getting to me. I am tired of Typhoon Taipei
Read MoreSpace is Tight in Taipei
Taiwan may be a big island, but in Taipei, as in most Asian capitols, space is tight. Tight because of a constantly growing population, increasing through emigration as well as births, and land policy restrictions that keep sprawl in check.
How tight is space in Taipei, you ask? Well check out this vertical church to the left.
Read MoreScooting by Taipei on a Moped
Who knows what the difference between a scooter and a moped, and who cares? They are not motorcycles and not bicycles, they are that fuzzy areas in the middle and they are everywhere in Taipei. And I mean everywhere.
In every street, on most sidewalks, and close to killing you at any time, they are the most ubiquitous transportation in Taipei. While not approaching the density of bicycles in Beijing, they are none the less overwhelming.
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