Finding a home is challenging. The simplest way to put is to find a person to represent your home 💑.
So you can travel and live with them, always having a home port in life 🚢.
Flying home for 15 hours and sitting in trains for multiple hours makes this a perfect possibility to think about all the nice things for 2024!
Today is Christmas 🎄. Usually, everybody presents pictures of trees and presents.
I want to give the honor of this day to the people I met in Taiwan! 🇹🇼
It is hard to find words for all the love and engagement for me. A simple Thank You, coming from the deepest of my heart can just barely express my thankfulness.
Yes, there is pizza in Taiwan 🍕. There is also spaghetti, which is surprisingly well-made. Apart from the not pan-fried meat and lack of salt, which makes the sauce a little bit feature less.
Following my love for bubble tea, there is also bubble tea pizza 🤩. And the people in my lab ordered it for me, which was lovely 😍.
And there is a Taiwanese type of cola, which tastes exactly as they love it. Sweet and some kind of salty 😅.
I love the mountains and fortunately, this is a love I share with my partner in crime 🉐.
Visiting the mountains with clouds hinders you from taking beautiful Instagram pictures but opens a whole new world of optical impressions.
The play of the wind, shadows, sun, and sky is mesmerizing, and lying down on the ground, enjoying it is often worth it. Try it out! 💤
Taiwan is famous for its jade, this greenish stone for jewelry, and park benches…🪑
Yes, in 花蓮市 (Hualien), there are park benches with jewelry inside. This shiny and blinky idea is also embedded into the sidewalk, which therefore shimmers mystically at night 🌃.
Seven weeks have passed with unbelievable pace, infinite memories (good as well as bad ones), a lot of nice food, lunch breaks, discussions, laughter, and sometimes harsh times.
Going back home with all these impressions will be hard…😥
Even though this trip ends here, this blog will be updated with small stories and anecdotes on my personal travel experience, life, beloved ones, and research. Stay tuned!
If there will be one thing I miss the most back at home, it will be the glorious Bubble Tea. My personal favorite with Red Oolong, Fresh Milk, the big Bubbles, no sugar, and less ice will always have a place in my heart 🧋.
Convenience stores are the backbone of Taiwan 🇹🇼. You can buy food, drinks, Onigiri, Taiwanese beer, noodles, ice cream 🍦, ATM 💸 and many other things.
But you also pay your rent, parking fee, and many other things there…
As introduced, hobbies are ubiquitous in Taipei. And there was a competition, doing slot car racing on fixed slopes 🛤️.
People were standing in line, holding their race cards with honor. And it also shines a light onto the possibilities, even a packed city can provide you with surprises 🚙.
Temples are everywhere in Taipei 🇹🇼. And they are open to the public, serving as a place to gather, hope, and pray for the best (or worst) and enjoy a quiet time in this hectic city 🙏.
Sometimes, they are hidden gems with multi-store buildings. The latter can be climbed and you are rewarded with an overview of the temple and the surrounding city 🎑.
Taiwan is a beautiful place if you have some specific interest in any topic. If you can name it, there is a group of people also interested in doing it 🧑🤝🧑.
Which is awesome! It connects people, lets them have fun together, and empowers them to go shopping for dedicated hardware.
Hence, there are also shops for literally everything. Such as this specific shop for RGB-shiny computer housings 💻.
Christmas in Taiwan is different 🎁. This country is not primarily Christian, therefore Xmas is influenced by the American way of doing things…
This results in a strict concentration on presents, buying stuff, taking pictures, and showing the world what kind of a caring person you are. At least for two days per year while wearing cheap clothes from China and complaining about commercialization. Typed on an iPhone 🤦.
Unlike your run-of-the-mill fish, Koi Carp carries cultural and symbolic weight 🐠.
In Eastern cultures, koi carp are seen as symbols of good fortune, perseverance, and success. Hence, finding them at a temple is a common sight 🏯. But I’ve also seen them in the middle of the forest, owned by an old lady, and maybe just owning them for the joy and relaxation of looking at them 👁️.
Winter has arrived here in Taipei 🍃. A really warm autumn for us European people might be the better description.
On the “cold” days, there are two-digit temperatures in the plus, some sun and you can still walk around in a T-shirt outside. Which is quite nice and will create a harsh arrival back in Germany, where 50cm of snow has fallen the past few days ❄️.
🌟 Confucius Chronicles: Divine Wisdom 💫
Meet the illustrious Confucius, the revered sage whose teachings have transcended time! Known as the Goddess of Ancient Wisdom, Confucius shaped the philosophical landscape of China with principles that continue to inspire and guide. Join us on a journey through the essence of her timeless wisdom, where ancient insights meet the modern soul. 📜✨ #ConfuciusChronicles #GoddessOfWisdom
You better believe ChatGPT or you have to call Confucius yourself for better advice 😉.
If this is not the first post you read from this blog, my love for the colors and scenery of the night is obvious. Finding the Lil Drop Café with its unique place on the front windows was a charm ☕.
Check out their Instagram! It is a nice place to get there and work, like a lot of other late-night cafés, which I fell in love with here! Especially after a long day at the lab, if you also like to watch people passing by on the streets 🚶.
This research exchange to Taipei is not for fun, so culture is a must 🎨. Hence, I went to the 臺北市立美術館, the Taipei Municipal Museum of Art.
The entrance fee was low, which surprised me. And the art was different, than what I’d expected. Installations for lights, robotics, sound, and other modern types created a beautiful experience 😊.
This country still works on its rich history with its art, which adds the challenge to reference art to political ideas and therefore satisfies researchers… 🧑🔬.
Taiwan is an island, huge news you may think 🤯. Especially, as a lot of the food is based on meat, rice, noodles, and more meat. There are dedicated vegetarian restaurants, but not as common, at least in my personal food experience.
But in fact, there is a lot of seafood 🍤. And you can have them fresh, directly out of the fish tank onto the grill, and to your plate. I’m not that big of a fan of shrimps and crabs but the fish market in Taipei is worth the visit!
My supervisor mentioned the festival before my arrival here in Taiwan 👯♂️. This seemed a little bit off to me the first time.
But after just a few weeks here in Taipei, I realized the seriousness with which festivals are held here for the most diverse areas. And there were many, from art markets, wedding festivals with their consultants, cosplay, and even Uber Eats 🍲.
They came up with a young rock band, which was nice and gave a glimpse into the party behavior of the otherwise closed Taiwanese people 🔊.
Taiwanese people are one of the most friendly and patient people I have met. Without them being so strict about certain topics, for example having a phone call on public transport, they are just heartwarming to be with 💌.
And they don’t steal anything. You enter any restaurant and put your jacket and mobile phone on any table before going to the bar to order. And you can come back after a few minutes with the mobile phone still there… But they steal certain things, but this is the story of another day ☔.
No, this is not another temple. This is the most recognizable hotel in all of Taipei - and maybe also in Taiwan.
It sits over the city on a small hill to the north and you have a stunning view over the city. It is remarkably symmetric, with a lot of identical balconies, including a huge square in front and a temple-inspired roof 🏨.
After taking the picture of the previous day, I enjoyed the sunset over Taipei, New Taipei City, Shilin, and Tamsui 🛬.
Taipei has got two airports; one for the international long-distance stuff a little bit west and - like London 🇬🇧 - one directly in the city.
Watching the planes arrive, especially their bellies, is nice to watch. Check out the small dot on the orange part, it is not dirt 😉
No, this is not Artificial Intelligence or any software to create pictures. I took this one by myself, against the light in the late afternoon. It only took a minor rise in contrast and I was greeted with this beauty.
It serves as my desktop background exactly at this moment, while I’m writing this blog post. And while doing so, sitting in a Late Night Café might be the thing I will miss the most in Germany… 😢
Temples are omnipresent in Taiwan and Taipei. Hidden in every corner, they always give a nice opportunity to take a picture.
Especially the ones with symmetry in it 📷. And they serve as a nice spot to have a workshop, which I encountered the other day. People brought thousands of Euros of camera equipment and it was stunning to watch, them taking the same picture over and over again.
Give any kid or pupil a pen, piece of paper, and ask them to draw some skyscrapers; I guarantee, some of them will draw the 101 in Taipei 🏢.
Building such a tall building in an earthquake region seems kind of ridiculous. But at the same time, the engineering going into such a build is quite mesmerizing. It towers over the city, seeding a new quarter for Taipei with much more commercial interest than before.
The other day, visiting this building - and the heavy steel ball - is on my bucket list! 🎉
I’ve already visited Denmark 🇩🇰, which is an absolutely lovely country. And one thing. Taiwan and Denmark have in common nice architecture and the will to do something “nice for the eyes” 👁️🗨️.
One thing Taiwan has in common with Germany is building sites 🚧. A lot of building sites…🏗️
Therefore, I enjoyed this nice view from some distance and when I came back a few weeks later, everything was so nice with flowers and a lot of people 🧑🤝🧑.
Taipei is a green city 🪴. As a result, parks surround public areas and often include nice pergolas and plants. And provide a social fusion point for the citizens. The biggest one in Taipei, 大安森林公園 (Daan Park) is near my apartment 🤩. But also other parks are there, with even nicer buildings and pagodas; such as the one from the picture, located in the Chiang Kai-Shek Shilin Residence (士林官邸正館).
I enjoy going to the Parks. They are perfect for meeting friends, and enjoying a calm minute in a vibrant city and are also the perfect spot to go for a run 🏃♂️.
If there is a single building, you have to name or draw anywhere in Taiwan, it might be Taipei 101. Located at the newly seeded quarter at the western end of the capital, it towers dominant over the whole city 🏢.
It can be seen all around the bigger area, from the nearby hills as well as the rooftops and streets. In the foreground, the city airport is also stunning. Planes fly over the city as low, as you almost can touch their belly ✈️.
The National Taiwan University - NTU for short - is by far the most renowned and famous university in Taiwan. Being a student of this institution is a goal for all engaged pupils. Being admitted as a student is hindered by a big test ✍️.
This test is comprised of five different fields, comparable to A-Level. All tests have a maximum of 15 points each, which results in a total of 75 points. To be eligible to study at NTU, you have to reach at least more than 70 of them. So at least, one test needs to be perfect, and the other four at least 95 % percent 🎯.
Hence, the level of students, engagement, motivation, and therefore results is high and I’m honored to be part of this university 🏛️.
Hiking is very special, see the post from November 20, 2023. But there are hidden jams, such as the cave temple 🛕. Many thanks to the incredibly kind and dedicated people here at NTU who recommended the hike🤩.
After going up the Maokong cable car and a walk on some trails (this time without concrete or wood), steep stairs lead down into a damp valley. Some slippery steps later, you get greeted with this amazing-looking waterfall temple 🌊.
The view is amazing, check the picture from the landside, November 18, 2023. Definitely will come back the other day, it is a nice hike before a tea ceremony.
Having a tee ceremony might be one of the must-do while visiting Taiwan ☕.
As 貓空, next to Taipei, is famous for its tea plantation, I was honored to have a tee ceremony with my supervisor 🌿.
I enjoyed the time, talking about various topics, proving that a supervisor needs to be more than a boss or gaffer but more than a head, inspiring your thoughts, and giving some positive energy.
Hiking is special in Taiwan and around Taipei. You commonly and conveniently walk on pavedways with built stairs.
But if you leave these artificial paths, you end up in some very interesting places.
Graveyards 🪦 take up a lot of space. In Europe, they are placed in city centers around churches ⛪. In Taiwan, they are in the woods…
Designed as little temples and arranged very chaotic, they give a quick glimpse, of how Asian people are handling their loved ones.
One thing, that is very different: They can send required stuff to their deceased people by burning whatever they need as a paper sculpture. Hence, you can buy mobile phones, cars, sweets, and especially paper money to burn in a dedicated chimney at the temple.
Taipei and China are separated by around 130km of open seawater. And no, I won’t end up discussing the topic of politics here. At least for the moment.
However, what I expected was a little cheaper electronic products. But this is a fallacy; buying a mechanical keyboard (yes, I will dive into this rabbit hole) costs the same as in Europe ⌨️.
But one thing, that is outstanding: Everybody is using products from Apple - MacBook, iPhone… 🍎. I was expecting a country with a special focus on privacy might be more interested in privacy, and hence Linux 🐧. But the aftereffects of an Austrian guy in Germany and the results for Taiwan from the USA do their thing until today.
Lego ® is a trademark for terminal blocks. Some do like it, many others may think it’s a kid’s game.
I know of people, who do like them, buy them, build them, and show them. Appreciation for their hobby is self-evident.
And the same applies to every hobby, people come up with. Taiwanese people love to work hard and transfer that into their hobbies.
Therefore, various groups exist: Photography 📷, filmmaking 🎥, Swimming 🏊♂️, Hiking 🥾, Coffee Shop Walks 🚶… If you can name it, there is a group to be found here in Taipei, sharing their enthusiasm in the evenings and just having a great time together in public.
Hiking and walking in Taipei is different from in the Alps ⛰️.
It includes cable cars 🚠, paved ways, ropes on easy steps, a lot of photos and selfies 🤳, and not a lot of positive lonesomeness.
Instead, you walk around on build paths. But it gives the chance to let the eyes enjoy the view, so no staring on the way is required.
There are some germs hidden, such as the sketchy hike, which ended up losing the path and getting lost in a graveyard.
Research is an all-demanding and sometimes exhausting process… 🔬. It is essential, to have discussions and feedback. Sometimes, they end up in justified criticism, but most often in positive energy.
Being able to motivate and guide a researcher is - in my opinion - the most crucial function of a supervisor. As part of my research exchange, my supervisor came from home, to visit us, empowering new research directions, and having a great time during the evenings.
Hard to put all his efforts into a single post. Maybe just one snippet:
The proof of skill is in the doing
Thank you for making my research abroad and at home possible and meaningful!
Leaving the city is required to get rid of all the stress and screen time in the lab 💻. And as my supervisor came for a visit, we took the chance and went for a hike at Maokong.
There is a cable car, bringing the visitors up; as you might guess, this ends in a lot of tourists. Walking a couple of minutes on a paved trail leaves also the crowd behind you.
And after half an hour and some (steep and slippery) steps, you can reach this view! 🏞️
Taipei 101 can be seen overall in the city and the surrounding mountains. And from our rooftop 🌇.
I try to go there regularly, it feels calm and a little bit like hovering over the city. Like an eagle, hovering over the city and enjoying the hustle and bustle 🏙️.
I’ve traveled a lot in Europe; the Alps 🏔️, Croatia 🇭🇷, Greece 🇬🇷, Italy 🇮🇹, Spain 🇪🇸, Portugal 🇵🇹…
All these countries make it quite convenient. You can read the letters… This differs here 🇹🇼. And it is challenging and most often disappointing 🧧. Learning this language might be possible, having the time and patience to do it.
At the moment, I’m just admiring the look of the characters. The guys are explaining to me a lot about the language, its symbols, heritage, and future. And as I get the idea and enthusiasm, time investment into this language may be worth it
Eating in a foreign country is another thing, that can be challenging. Especially here in Asia 🌏.
This problem exists in two ways:
Lucky for me, the lab guys are so helpful, patient, and supportive; they always recommend me the best food, and I’m so grateful for that!
But there is one thing, at 7-Eleven, that always helps. And that’s the small rice triangle, filled with stuff and wrapped in seaweed… Japanese Onigiri Rice Triangles 😍
This post is a little bit out of scope. It is not about any problems I had to get an SIM card 📲. Or the fact that you get a cheap phone contract if you are a student by presenting your student ID. And you get the student ID if you have a Taiwanese phone number… 🤦.
I admire the capabilities of eduroam, empowering fast internet all around the globe at research facilities.
But I don’t like the roundtrip times to my hometown university, annoying me with failed cloud synchronization.
Working in the lab here at NTU gives me a lot of new insights, discussions, and ideas. I like the vibe and general motivation of the people. Staying late in the lab after lunch is a thing I miss at home.
These are the moments, where the difference is created between the casual research associate and the people who work eagerly to achieve their PhD 🎓. I try to become one of the latter; keeping this in balance with my social life, however, is challenging.
Finding a good coffee shop in Taipei is a task. Coffee is available but at a price, compared to food. Therefore, choosing a nice place is important.
Home is where the Coffee tastes good…
And so, I’m sitting here in a chosen place, enjoying time and people around me working as well.
Writing a blog may take place a couple of times more here at
樓上的嬉皮與笑臉男
As some of you may have heard, we do like going outdoors, doing and exploring stuff. And the latter was a full success…finding spiders in the woods 🕷️.
And they are unfortunately rather large, comparable to the size of a handprint. Meeting them in the middle of the way can give you a moment of surprise and will bring you back to reality quickly. We were lucky, nobody ran into the net… 🕸️.
Germany and Beer; 🇩🇪 and 🍺
One thing, everybody knows about Bavaria is the “Oktoberfest”. The next association is the beer. Therefore, I was quite excited to try my first “real” Taiwanese beer. It was also recommended by my supervisor from the university.
Taiwan Beer tastes rather mildly, in fact just perfect for the hot and - especially in summer - steamy weather conditions. I enjoyed it in a park, where there are a lot in Taipei. It also gave me the chance to call back home during this calm moment and speak to my loved ones in freezing Germany.
Meeting friends in a foreign country is always a demanding task. I’m glad my roommate took me so many times with me. She is so lovely, and it was nice to have her at the apartment. The other day, I was glad I could help her, while she got hurt during a trip; so I could at least make up a little bit of her engagement. Following her, I ended up in an art depot, where we were tasked with drawing apples.
As a security researcher, geeky things come to mind. This ended up in a drawing of a Pac-Man-style apple 🍎.
I left it at the Art Depot, next to a lot nicer drawings of apples. Even though I enjoyed the time, drawing stuff will not become my favorite hobby 🎨.
The Taiwanese people commute in various ways: buses, the famous MRT, YouBike, and rarely on foot… But the most common thing is a scooter 🛵. To say, there are a lot of them is an understatement. All in line, are parked near Gongguan station.
Getting hit by a scooter is a common thing. So watch out while you cross the street or wander around and listen to music 🎵.
If there is one thing, everybody knows about Taiwan and especially Taipei, it’s the Night Markets. Hundreds of people are in the streets, surrounded and crammed together by food stalls to either side.
I love it! - From the first impression until the last day of my stay.
Apart from the stench of the stinky tofu, the food is awesome and so different. You can get some mushrooms, grilled over charcoal; have some fried dumplings or some beans, filled with various stuff, and backed over an open fire. There are a lot of them, and the most famous one might be the 士林夜市 or Shilin Night Market from the picture.
I study at National Taiwan University (NTU) in the scope of the security of IoT devices. And security research is sometimes an elongated process.
Hence, leaving the lab late is quite common. But in contrast to Germany, here in Taipei people like to work. And they work all the time if they are not eating or commuting. Quite a changeover, coming from the western hemisphere.
I do like the vibe of the campus, with its coconut trees; they are even part of the logo. And having all this motivation around helps a lot to focus on research.
If there is a single thing about Taipei and Taiwan in general, it is the omnipresence of temples.
Sometimes, at the beginning of night markets, sometimes as little as a simple table and a goddess.
The procedures in a temple are complex, from bringing a sacrifice via moon stones and prayers to the very important entry. Please do not step on the doorstep - the ghosts can not cross it, but they can hold onto your shoes if you step onto the door threshold.
As soon as the sun sets, cities change their face. And Taipei changes dramatically. The night markets, the people, the small locals.
I started taking pictures and fell in love with the look. Thanks, I was strongly advised to bring my camera 📸.
The second glimpse of Taipei was more astonishing. After crossing the 228 memorial park, I arrived at the main concert and theater hall.
And it is impressive, to say the least. The square also includes the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial, which is a must-see in Taipei! At that moment, Taipei started to show its history and beautiful parks.
The trip to Taiwan went absolutely as planned, I arrived in the morning. Immigration was not an issue, so I found myself in the MRT later on.
The MRT is the epitome of good public transport. I’ll let you know about that in a later post.
I planned on walking the first five km to the apartment to get a glimpse and the city. Which was not as good as I had hoped for. But stay tuned, since this first impression, Taipei truly converted itself.
After a long night at the Airport, I boarded the plane after a shitty night. The plan was successful, to say the least.
Speaking of which, the idea was to not sleep the night before the flight, leaving at 10 a.m. I secured myself a place at the window and sat next to a crying baby.
Oh lord, have mercy. And good Noise-Cancelling headphones… 🎧
Today is the day of leaving Germany for the next weeks. Specifically, coming back to Christmas seems so far away.
I got accommodated by a lovely partner to the train station, before leaving at 10 p.m. for Frankfurt airport. The train ride went surprisingly well, with no delay, and even found a seat.
The “Brotzeit” was the last time I’d taste some “real” bread. The warning did already come to my ear, bread is something different in Taiwan.