Chronicling my maiden flight aboard a Scoot Boeing 787 Dreamliner to New Chitose Airport in Sapporo, Hokkaido. From sprinting through Taoyuan Airport Terminal 1 check-in counters to observing Scoot's high-density 3x3x3 cabin seating and exploring the 787's electronically dimmable liquid-crystal windows.
Chronicling an unassuming, old-school senior teacher brimming with adventures who shattered my stereotype of what a 'traveler' looks like. She had visited nearly every country on my dream bucket list, yet lived a simple, unpretentious life.
Reflecting on the evolution from spontaneous scooter rambles in Hsinchu to unplanned European adventures. Envisioning London as the starting block on a Monopoly board, alongside an ambitious bucket list spanning Antarctica, Brazil, and the Sahara Desert.
Observing the inadvertent political tug-of-war in daily life. From a plain white calendar that deliberately removed the 'Chinese Lunar Calendar' and the 'Republic of China Calendar,' to the Tamsui anecdote of a news anchor changing to 'North Coast lowest temperature' due to local pressure. Exploring how ideology intervenes in life, and those absurd yet real fragments of society in a traveler's eyes.
Does language really present a barrier when traveling solo in Thailand? Mizu Traveler shares battlefield communication observations across Bangkok and beyond: why thrusting phone dictionaries at locals frequently fails, how mutual broken English magically solves problems, and how cultural empathy conquers travel anxiety.
Boarding a slow train from Bangkok's Hua Lamphong Railway Station to the ancient capital of Ayutthaya, in a crowded, cramped carriage, witnessing a panicked girl blurting out Chinese for help because she got off at the wrong stop. A chance encounter and a lingering mystery on a railway in a foreign land.
An unboxing review of the famous Momotaro Kibidango crafted by Koeido, an esteemed traditional wagashi confectionery from Okayama and Kurashiki. Explore its natural ingredients, adorable packaging, fair pricing, and subtle chewy flavor.
Overhearing a witty airport boarding lounge exchange between a father and daughter at Taoyuan International Airport. Examining contemporary traveler dependence on portable pocket WiFi routers, compared with a daughter's sharp skepticism. Practical tactics for utilizing public WiFi (stations, hotels, convenience stores) across Japan.
A firsthand account of a perilous vehicle pass on the Wuling Farm section of Provincial Highway 7. A detailed record of a mountain-road standoff triggered by a work truck and a VIOS driver who refused to play by the rules. How Mizuc reversed along a cliff edge, faced high-decibel verbal bullying from the passenger seat, and ultimately defused a potential mountain-road conflict with persistence and calm.
There is a mysterious sandy beach by the sea in Nanao, Yilan. For those who like hiking, after arriving at Nanao Station by Taiwan Railways train, remember to first get the contact info of a local taxi. Otherwise, when you have no energy to come back, the blazing summer sun will bake you dry on the beach.
