Travel Log

Between 2002 and 2005 I made several trips to Taiwan, spending most of my time in and around Taipei. 2003 SARS paranoia In early 2003, I had just graduated from college and had a scholarship opportunity to study Mandarin Chinese language in Taipei, Taiwan.  It was a lucky break for me since my girlfriend at […]

Jamestown Settlement is a living history museum operated by the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is located near the site of Jamestown, the first successful English settlement on the mainland of North America, founded on May 14, 1607.  Jamestown is perhaps most famous for the story of Pocahontas, who lived in the surrounding forest.  The following […]

Back in 2002 my family took a tour throughout the island of Taiwan, except for the mountainous eastern coast where the roads suffered earthquake damage. A tea farm Buddhist warrior god Paiwan aborigines Oyster farmer An old cannon at a former Portuguese fort Where the tea leaves are roasted on a tea farm The famous […]

I lived in Blacksburg, Virginia 1997-2005 while studying at Virginia Tech. In 2002, I bought my first camera. It was a Canon Digital Elph that was small enough to put in my pocket and carry around with me. Photos taken in 2002 A corpse flower about to bloom at the horticulture gardens View from “The […]

I took a trip to Tokyo, Japan in 2003 with my then-girlfriend (and now wife).  We stayed in Ebisu—the area of Tokyo renowned for ramen noodles—and took forays into the city each day of the trip. The famously on-time Japanese trains Hachiko, the famously loyal dog who for several years would wait at the train […]

Taiwan doesn’t have suburbs as Americans know them.  There is Taipei city, then there is Taipei county, which are the areas surrounding Taipei.  My girlfriend back in 2003 (now wife) lived in Tucheng, so I spent a lot of time there. A beautiful morning   Buildings The elementary school with “gongyu” — massive apartment complexes […]