Chase A. Wolf's

Archive for the ‘Taiwan’ Category

     By Chase A. Wolf

     Chase’s Log 2.08.2010.  Hong Kong – what on Earth can I say about this city that hasn’t already been written about and shown in countless movies?

Downtown Hong Kong

     Being an eager traveler and excited about the next leg of my journey, I awoke early, shooed the roosters off my Taipei hotel’s window ledge, and, in one leap, jumped into all my carefully arranged travel clothes. 

     Hong Kong – here I come!

More Hong Kong Fog - From My Hotel

     Though I’d made proper supplication to the Travel Godsthe night before in hopes that my flight from Taipei to Hong Kong would be relatively uneventful, I stepped out of the One Season’s lobby and smacked my face into a wall of fog.  Again.  Naturally, the day blindness continued until our flight broke through on approach to Hong Kong International Airport – about 100 feet above the pretty blue water.  This time I prayed to Captain Sully – he of the U.S. Airways Flight 1549 fame – and, since I’m writing this, it apparently worked.

Business as Usual in Hong Kong

     My old friend Peter was there to meet me at the airport.  We caught up on a lot of things during the hour drive into the city.  And there it was – Hong Kong – perhaps my favorite city in the world.  It’s hard to describe this amazing city of more than 3 million people nestled between the harbor and the mountains: crowded, noisy, bustling and shuffling – bursting with energy and beauty. Read the rest of this entry »

     By Chase A. Wolf

     Chase’s Log 2.06.2010.  Taiwan is a wonderful country – crowded, noisy, chaotic – but so alive.  I really love it here.

     Taipei and Taichung are spotless.  People actually sweep and wash the streets in front of their stores several times a day.  Everyone takes pride in their appearance, even the poorer people.  Politeness is a way of life.  It’s amazing how many scooters there are here.  I was told that many people have cars but that they use their cars for grocery shopping or other labor, but scooters for general transportation.  Even two adults and a baby on a scooter is a common sight. 

     Courtesy is just expected – unless it’s with a Westerner, because they know we can be rude – or maybe it’s just direct, I don’t know.  I think in the States, when we’re doing business we get to it quickly because we consider our time valuable and we don’t want to waste others’ time either.  Or maybe we’ve just forgotten that a smile and a pleasantry is just as important in business as it is in any other social activity.    

     My business meetings with agents in Taiwan have been great – very encouraging for Global Shopping Adventures.  Everyone recognizes the hurdles but they’re very positive about the possibilities.  They all understand how dull shopping has become and they all recognize the possible draw of a new marketplace concept in the U.S.  Most of Taiwanese only shop at local marketplaces, not the Western style malls/centers. Read the rest of this entry »

By Chase A. Wolf

     Chase’s Log 2.05.2010   Touched down in Taipei, Taiwan this morning, without seeing anything during the flight from Shanghai to Taipei – nothing, no ground, no sky, no clouds.  My fingernails are gone and I’m now working on my knuckles.  Home Office tells me to quit worrying about ZERO visibility on take-offs and landings – that’s why aircraft have ground proximity warning systems, radar altimeters, etc. – but I don’t see Home Office sitting in the seat next to me, either.

Concierge at the "One Season"

     I grabbed a cab and gave the driver the address to my hotel – the Four Seasons – looking forward a post-flight debriefing at the hotel bar.  When we arrived, the Gods of Travel – those pranksters – had yet another little jest to play on me.  The hotel I’d booked was the One Season, not the Four Seasons.  Sigh. 

     (I’ve reconcile myself to the fact that I appear to have offended only the Gods of Travel Logistics, and not the Gods of Travel Intestinal Discomfort – so far.  I need to find a monk and get this sorted out before things get out of hand.)

     The One Season is a “boutique” hotel in the middle of downtown Taipei where nobody speaks English.   The room is a bit noisy from the traffic but it’s spacious, friendly and comfortable.  I am content and eager to explore the city. Read the rest of this entry »