A personal blog archiving 2020 Fulbright-Wu Jing-Jyi Arts and Culture Fellow, Dr. Nick Bowman (Texas Tech University, USA)
BAR 58, XIMEN, TAIPEI CITY — I’ve had my ID scanned before. I’ve had to pay a cover. I’ve had to tell the bouncer what my zodiac sign was, or pass a sobriety test … even had to prove that I wasn’t under the influence of any prior drink (or anything stronger). A first? Passing…
WENSHAN DISTRICT, TAIPEI — Shopping in Taiwan is an accountant’s dream, because there’s always a paper trail. My personal favorite? A NT$9 receipt for a small package of roasted chicken-flavored Cheetos. To put this in perspective, NT$9 is the equivalent of about $0.30 USD. In fact, if you make a purchase — of nearly any…
CHIH NAN TEMPLE / TAMSUI, TAIPEI — The Lunar New Year season is a time for families and for many in Taiwan, this means time away from the city. For those of us away from our families, it’s a time to reflect.
DIHUA STREET, TAIPEI — Taipei is a city of markets, and I’ve already written about a few of these in previous posts. These markets are open nearly every day and night, and provide so much context for live in a major Taiwanese city: the people, the fashions, the foods, and the conversations. For two weeks…
XINDIAN DISTRICT, NEW TAIPEI CITY — For those who follow communication technology, it is no secret that Taiwan is constantly on the “bleeding edge” of emerging tech. Stemming as far back as the “Taiwan Miracle” economic boon of the latter 20th Century, this island nation has consistently been among the global leaders in information systems…
TAIPEI CITY — A rainy and grey Monday morning set the backdrop for my first official day of work in Taipei. The task? A decidedly bureaucratic one–my first meeting with the Foundation for Scholarly Exchange to arrange for my Alien Resident Card (ARC). It’s an important step in the process, but if my experiences in…
MUZHA MARKET, TAIPEI — It’s hard to think of Taiwan and not immediately think of the market scene. Throughout majors cities such as Taipei, so much commerce, community, and camaraderie takes place in the thousands upon thousands of market stalls. Among the oldest daytime markets in Taipei is Muzha Market, and I’m fortunate enough to…
WENSHAN DISTRICT, TAIPEI — For years now, one of my real passions has been food. It partly explains why I’m a bit north of 200 lbs at the moment (we’ll fix that by July, I promise). It partly explains why I drive Jaime (my partner) absolutely mad: she’s a bit more reserved in her meals,…
LUBBOCK PRESTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT — As with most pre-departure checks, I go through the usual habit of checking pockets, zippers, pouches, and just about any other spot where I can stash documentation. Nerves set is as you realize that you might have forgotten some fragment or artifact — perhaps more so when you’re an alien…
LUBBOCK, TX — 2020. The start of a new year–a new decade–and this one feels a bit different than most. Sure, there’s still the course preparations and general nervousness and excitement that comes with a new semester just around the corner. There’s the list of projects yet finished from 2019, and a growing stack of…