My First Impression of Shanghai 與上海的第一次接觸

Shanghai is blanketed with a thin layer of tissue–––
the greyish air, the powdery flavor.

上海像是蓋了一層的薄紗–––
灰灰的空氣, 粉粉的味道。

How to Get to Know Taiwan in Five Days 如何在五天之內認識台灣

traditional market in Jiali, Tainan

traditional market in JiaLi, Tainan

AnXi night market in Jiali, Tainan

AnXi night market in JiaLi, Tainan

In my humble opinion, the best way to understand the vernacular culture of Taiwan is to visit traditional markets and night markets.

Well, the tip actually applies to any places in the world.

依我個人的淺見, 如何在短短的五天內認識台灣本土的風格是–––逛市場和遊夜市。

嗯, 我實際上就是用這個撇步遊走世界的。

The Smell of China 中國的味道

The chrysanthemum, is one of the four symbolic seasonal flowers in China (the others are being the orchid for spring, the bamboo for summer, and the plum blossom for winter.) It’s the symbolic of nobility and was first cultivated in China as a flowering herb as far back as the 15th century BC.

I use a big yellow or white incurved chrysanthemum to bring the fall season home. Either alone or pairing with similarly colored flowers, its result can often be exquisitely visual, and its woodsy fresh scent always reminds me of the English author R H Blyth’s Haiku, "Infinity grasped in the hand, before the eyes, the hammering of a nail, the touch of cold water, the smell of chrysanthemums, the smell of this chrysanthemum."

And the smell of China.