One week into the trip we were both in need of a “do-nothing” morning. We slept late, read emails, I wrote while Tristan played computer games. When we finally got ourselves moving, we headed to Ximending, an area Tristan wanted to explore. That didn’t surprise me, Ximending is known as a “cool” entertainment center geared […]
Breakfast was another extravaganza of flavors and textures; each carefully explained in the multi-page menu. Before departing we did a bit of walking around The One hotel’s grounds. They are as well designed and immaculate as the building. Danny met us for our final day before returning to Taipei. Leaving the hotel, we passed by […]
The buffet at the La Lu Hotel surpassed any I’ve ever experienced, and that is saying a lot. The choices were endless and delicious. I tried several foods for the first time including loofah. Prior to this trip I only thought of a loofah as something to wash with. But Ivy Chen explained that if […]
Leaving the B&B was difficult because our host, Frank, kept bringing more and more fruits for us to try. We had plums and mangos from his garden as well as local lychees, peaches, and bananas. Then it was time for photographs in the garden. When at last we managed to say final goodbyes, we drove […]
We were up early to enter Taroko National Park. Because of the earthquake last year, the road is undergoing major repairs. There is a single tunnel to enter and exit and they are working on it, they only allow a few cars at specified times—6 am, 10am and 12pm were our choices. We took a […]
What’s in a Name? by Mark M. Bello If you read my recent post about Armando Galarraga you know I’m a baseball fan. I was watching a wrap-up show on the MLB Channel the other night, and the show host mentioned two names the caught my attention: Scott Blewitt is a right-hand reliever for the Baltimore Orioles. Can […]
The 28-Out Perfect Game by Mark M. Bello June 2025 marks the 15th anniversary of the 28 out perfect game, a painful event etched in the hearts of most Detroit Tigers fans. The exact date was June 2, 2010, and Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga came within inches—literal inches—of baseball immortality. With two outs in the […]
Elon Musk took a chainsaw to the U.S. Government. How did he miss the MAGATs in Congress? Oh yea! They’re Republicans. My bad. Where’s Musk’s Chainsaw When You Need it? by Eileen Powell Where is Elon Musk when you really need him? DOGE has gone through our government offices, gleefully, with his chainsaw under the […]
“Not if you’re Black” By Mark M. Bello On Tuesday’s episode of The View, Whoopi Goldberg and Alyssa Farah Griffin ignited a passionate debate with global implications: Is life in the United States in 2025 really that different from life in Iran? The discussion, emotionally charged and culturally revealing, fell serendipitously on the eve of […]
Today was all about food and drink. We met up this morning with Ivy Chen for a market tour. Because it was just Tristan and me, we got to ask all the questions we wanted. Ivy is a fount of information. The market is filled with small stalls, each specializing in something different. At the […]
