EVA Airways

I knew it would be a strange flight as soon as I saw the check-in kiosks. 
Each one had a pink bow on top, and Hello Kitty walked me through the steps as I checked in. 

Hello Kitty Check-In Kiosks

When my boarding card was printed, it had Hello Kitty drawings all over it.

My luggage tag? Hello Kitty.

Hello Kitty Boarding Pass and Luggage Tag

 
From a nearby wall, Hello Kitty wished me a nice trip. 
 
Am I in an airport or a doll house?

Fortunately, the security area was free of any cartoon characters. I thought I was in the clear.

Wishful thinking…

As I walked through the airport, I passed Hello Kitty souvenir shops…

Hello Kitty Souvenir Shop

 
Hello Kitty world clocks…

Hello Kitty Clocks

Hello Kitty departure lounges!

Hello Kitty Departure Lounge

 
As I sat on my Hello Kitty seat and waited for the Hello Kitty monitor to announce the flight boarding, I was so curious about why Taipei has such a huge obsession with this cartoon character. To my surprise, the character did not even originate in Taiwan (it was produced by a Japanese company in 1974).

For no obvious reason, EVA Air (Taiwan’s national airline) has an unusual fascination with Hello Kitty. In 2005, the first “Hello Kitty” jet was launched for flights to various destinations in Japan. Apparently, it was so popular that the airline expanded the “Hello Kitty” fleet to several other destinations – including Hong Kong.

Lucky me.

When I stepped onto the plane, the seatback covers each had Hello Kitty’s face drawn on them. Her bow appeared on the top of the emergency exit cards and her “friends” were even dancing around on the individual TV monitors. 

Hello Kitty entertainment system

 
As the flight prepared to board, I noticed a few more people taking photos of the hilarious display of Hello Kitty and I came to the conclusion that this was the most genius (although frightening) marketing technique for any airline I have flown. 

When I think back on all the flights I have taken throughout my life, very few are memorable. I am usually crammed into a too-small seat, listening to a safety video that I can recite from memory, and reading a dull in-flight magazine until I am given permission to use my electronic devices. I occasionally make small-talk with my neighbors, or look out the window at the ground personnel hard at work. 

For the first time in my life, I was truly entertained by an airline. I smiled. I laughed. I sent photo messages to friends and family. A tiny part of me was concerned that Hello Kitty would emerge from the cockpit, but overall, I was excited to discover the next surprise in store. 

I think it is very rare for a company to create a truly engaging experience for its customers. EVA Air has managed to take that giant leap and I commend them for it. I may not be interested in Hello Kitty, but I was undeniably engaged in the experience of flying on a Hello Kitty jet. 

At this point, the only thing left to do was sit back, relax, and enjoy the Hello Kitty mystery meat and cutlery that adorned my in-flight meal. 

My Hello Kitty-themed in-flight meal

Bravo, EVA Air. You won me over.

Taipei, Taiwan

Riding towards Taipei from the airport, I was surrounded by lush green hills. As we approached the city, mid-level apartment complexes started to emerge. It was a typical modern urban landscape, other than a few temples in the hills and a giant red building with traditional architectural elements, which I learned is the historic Grand Hotel. The highway was elevated, which allowed me to see into the distance from the car. A peaceful river twisted its way through the city, surrounded by lots of green space and bike trails. From my initial back-seat perspective, Taipei looks like a beautiful city with a high quality of life.

My Taipei airport transfer

Once we exited the highway, traffic became heavier and pedestrians filled the streets. My hotel is located in the main shopping district and adjacent to Taipei 101 (the world's tallest skyscraper from 2004 to 2010, when it was surpassed by Burj Khalifa in Dubai). From my window, I got a direct view of the building and the surrounding hills in the background. I was really excited to explore this city.

View from my window, with Taipei 101 in the foreground

View from the other angle of the hotel

When I walked out the front door of the hotel, my attention was immediately drawn to live music playing in a nearby park. I walked closer and saw people waving flags that said “#HUG for Taipei”. I was confused by the message but I later learned that this was just an election rally (makes sense in retrospect, since it was happening right in front of the City Hall). I admittedly do not know much about Taiwan’s political environment (other than its contentious relationship with China), but I am a fan of any place that turns a campaign rally into a live music concert.

Pre-election rally in front of City Hall

I then walked to the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and arrived just in time to watch the changing of the guard ceremony. I always get mesmerized by the focused and precise movements, even though I’m not sure what they are actually guarding since Yat-sen’s body is not buried there. Adjacent to the main foyer, there is a small museum with various artifacts and clips from Yat-sen’s life as a beloved leader for post-Imperial China. I’m not a museum person, so I breezed through this exhibition.

Exterior of Sun Yatsen Memorial Hall

Guard at Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall

I could hear loud music as soon as I stepped outside, and I noticed that there were at least 5 different dance crews creating and practicing their routines on the landings. I felt like I was at the auditions for a Taiwanese “Battle of the Year” remake, but it was much more entertaining than the museum inside so I stayed around for at least 20 minutes to watch them. The Koreans may have emerged victorious in the "Battle of the Year" movie, but I think the Taiwanese dancers are poised to throw down a challenge!

Dance Crew in front of Memorial Hall

Everyone says that night markets are THE thing to see in Taipei, so I decided to visit one as the next stop on my agenda. I considered trying out the public transport system, but decided instead to grab a bubble tea and enjoy the sights and sounds of Taipei while I walk there. Walking proved to be an excellent decision because I stumbled upon a make-shift stage and theatrical performance on the way. I decided to stop and watch. Of course I couldn’t understand a single word, but it didn’t even matter. The colorful costumes, hilarious choreography, and over-the-top acting was enough to keep me thoroughly entertained until the end of the show.

Impromptu Theatrical Performance

Street performance in Taipei

In case photos don't do it justice, I also took a video clip:

On the other side of the road was a beautiful temple that also piqued my curiosity. I stepped inside and admired all the decorations for a few minutes. There wasn’t a single inch of unused space, which always provides a wonderful sensory overload. As much as I enjoy seeing temples and churches around the world, I feel like I always miss out on so much information by simply appreciating the aesthetic elements, rather than taking the time to learn about what everything means. I could not even determine which religion the temple is dedicated to. I may have ended up with more questions than answers after this stop, but these little discoveries are what make travel so exciting for me.
  

Outside of the temple

Visitors praying

Another scene inside the temple

Scene inside the temple

I finally arrived at Raohe Street Night market and I was instantly amazed by the sheer number of people there. Everyone basically moves with the crowd and no one gets anywhere quickly. However, with all the sights and smells surrounding you, there is really no reason to be in a rush. Most of the vendors in the center of the road were selling junk food, while the shops along both sides were filled with clothing and other inexpensive gifts. I started to build up an appetite, but nothing was appealing enough to try (street markets aren't exactly known for their healthy options). Even though I did not end up buying anything at the market, I can totally see why it is such a famous place for both tourists and locals. If you haven't been to a night market, you haven't seen Taipei.

Entrance to Raohe Street Night Market

Filling some dumplings

Large quantities of food for the evening rush

Meat on a stick

Deep Fried Goodness

Street markets may get all the attention, but I also found downtown Taipei to be a wonderful area for high-street shopping. The mall inside Taipei 101 anchors a pedestrian-only street that is lined with shops and restaurants for at least a half-mile. I was pretty impressed by the range of brands, some of which I had never even heard of before. Although it was not even Thanksgiving back at home, the Taiwanese people wasted no time in putting up Christmas decorations and getting all the shoppers in the festive holiday mood.  

Pedestrian shopping mall at night

Another view from the outdoor shopping mall

My hotel was also decorated nicely for the Christmas holidays:

The hotel is ready for Christmas

The next few days in Taipei involved a lot of food. I love the family-style atmosphere of Chinese restaurants, but I inevitably eat more than I need. As a foreigner, I feel even more obligated to try everything that is placed in front of me so I don’t offend anyone with the false impression that I may not want to try the local cuisine. Fortunately for me, I enjoyed it all.

My view at almost every meal this week...

Speaking of food… On my last night in Taipei, I had the pleasure of eating at the famous Din Tai Fung. This location is in the basement of Taipei 101 and I loved the unpretentious atmosphere that allows the high-quality food to speak for itself. Din Tai Fung doesn’t take reservations, so the lobby is always filled with hungry people who are anxiously awaiting their number to be called. Once inside, my eyes were immediately drawn to the show kitchen. The dumpling chefs were crowded around small tables, each wearing a mask and hairnet. They delicately filled each dumpling and placed it on a bamboo steamer. Din Tai Fung may not be a fancy restaurant, but it is an experience that anyone should enjoy in Taipei.

Dim sum chefs at Din Tai Fung

Taipei is a city full of contrasts...
Shortly after watching dance crews push the envelope with an international hip-hop beat, I stumbled across a traditional Chinese theatrical performance.

Taipei is a city full of extremes...
At the same moment that street vendors hastily fill dumplings from a giant vat of mystery meat, nearby restaurants serve dumplings that are made with surgical precision and only using the highest quality ingredients.

Taipei is a city full of surprises...
In a country where Christians comprise only 4% of the population, Christmas decorations fill the streets and hotel lobbies. I felt more in the Christmas spirit here than I did in Paris last December.    

In Taipei, you can walk through the streets without an agenda, but still end up with non-stop entertainment. Despite being a modern industrial economy, Taiwan still retains many cultural traditions. I think this variety is what made the city so exciting for me to visit.

Buildings in downtown Taipei are lit up beautifully at night

Day trip from Bangkok

Even the best cities in the world deserve an escape. Thailand has such a rich culture and identity, but it’s hard to absorb it all in Bangkok. Like any big city, Bangkok has been infused with international chain restaurants, Western fashion brands, and activities that appeal to any international traveler. It is an easy city for tourists to enjoy, but the urban environment is hardly reflective of Thailand’s history. I was excited join a tour with some colleagues and visit a few markets and temples in the outskirts of Bangkok.

Our first destination was the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, which was like a photographer's paradise. Shortly after arriving, we all piled into boats and set off for our shopping adventure on the river. Our driver navigated the busy waterway while we looked around in awe. Some of the vendors sat in narrow boats and sold everything from fresh fruits to fried noodles. The river was also lined with many small shops. To be honest, there were so many things surrounding me that I found it difficult to focus. 

View of the Damnoen Saduak floating market from a bridge over the river

Whenever one of us showed even the smallest interest in anything on display, the shopkeeper would pull in the entire boat using a long stick with a hook attached. It is not possible to get out of the boat and walk around the shop, so all you have to do is point at the things that interest you. The whole experience felt like full-service window shopping. It’s hard to say 'no' to a purchase when you look at the faces of people who have clearly lived a very difficult life and who work hard for every dollar they earn.

Shopkeeper at the floating market

Shopkeeper at the floating market

Two women fill their boats with fruit to sell along the river

There were a lot of traffic jams on the river, while the boats stopped for passengers to buy things. It was obvious that this market no longer caters to locals, but it was fun to get a hint of what the floating markets are like for people living in rural Thailand.

View of the river from our boat

A woman travels down the river

After the first floating market, we had lunch at a very local seafood restaurant located in Don Hoi Lot. The restaurant literally stood above the water on a wide dock, where we could enjoy unobstructed views of the river. Occasionally, a loud motorboat would pass with a lone fisherman on board, but otherwise, the atmosphere was completely peaceful. The restaurant required us to leave our shoes at the entrance and for everyone to sit cross-legged on the floor. I was constantly fidgeting because my knees are not used to this seating arrangement, but the authentic flavors and gracious service made up for the sacrifice in seating comfort. 

One of many seafood dishes served to us at lunch

Next, we stopped at Maeklong's Umbrella Market (also called the “railway market”), which was an experience I will never forget. This market was set up alongside railroad tracks and the vendors sell mostly food items that include seafood, produce, and raw meats. At first glance, it looks just like another local market. However, several times each day, the vendors are required to pull back their displays in order to allow a train to pass.

Railway Market

Railway Market

A few minutes before the train arrived, a public announcement was made (in Thai), and suddenly, we witnessed the quiet commotion of the vendors raising their awnings and pulling back their displays. They knew exactly which items would remain safe beneath the train and how far to pull back their displays in order to avoid getting hit.   

Railway market prepares for the train to arrive

I don’t think any of us expected just how wide this train was because we were all in awe as it passed within inches of the food. Within seconds of the train passing, all of the awnings were down again and the market was back in business. 

We all agreed that we would not be excited to eat at any of the nearby restaurants, out of concern that they are serving produce that was literally sitting underneath the passing trains. Sometimes in a foreign country, we are forced to put blind faith in restaurants and just hope that we have strong enough immune systems!

Next, we visited the Wat Bang Kung - also known as the "temple in a tree". I’ll be honest- when I first heard about this place, I imagined it to be more like a tree house. In reality, it is just a regular temple that has become encased in the roots of nearby banyan trees. Outside the temple, people lit candles and prayed quietly. Once inside, they paraded around the Buddha – offering gifts and peeling off small pieces from the gold gilding. 

Outside Wat Bang Kung Temple

Adjacent to the temple is a memorial to commemorate a battle between Siam and Burmese invaders in the 18^th century. Apparently it was an important victory that allowed Siam to maintain control of a nearby naval base (or something like that), but to us, it just looked like a series of strange statues in various martial arts poses. I found the statues to be a little tacky, but they were at least worth a quick photo.

This is Thailand's idea of a memorial

Our final stop for the day was at Amphawa Floating Market. Unlike the market in the morning, this was not entirely located along the river. Instead, the vendors set up on both sides of a narrow road, selling mostly prepared food items. Along the river, there were a few boats selling food, but they were docked and selling to people who walked along the sidewalk. It's a good thing we had just enjoyed a large lunch, because otherwise, I would have wanted to try almost all the food for sale.

One of the boats selling food at Amphawa Floating Market

Amphawa market felt less touristy than the one we visited in the morning, but it was also a lot more crowded. After a quick walk through half of the market, we were all tired of being bumped every 10 seconds, so we stopped at a little waterfront café and had a makeshift happy hour to pass the time. With a beer in one hand and shaved ice in the other, it was a nice way to end our very full day of sightseeing. 

Overall, we had an awesome excursion out of the Bangkok. In some cities, day trips involve relaxation and enjoyment of the relaxing countryside. However, that's just not the way things work in Thailand. Everywhere you go is full of life and energy. Anyone who travels to Bangkok should certainly venture out of the city to see these unique sites, but they shouldn't necessarily expect a quiet and relaxing day. Relaxation can be enjoyed on the Thai beaches!

Enjoying the floating market with some colleagues!

Bangkok Half Marathon

All obsessive runners will have stories about the time(s) they had to wake up early for a race. For me, the Bangkok Half Marathon set a new standard with its 4AM start time.  If that isn’t early enough, the full marathoners actually started at 2:30 – which also happened to be the same time that my alarm went off. I did not enjoy being jolted out of a sound sleep in the middle of the night, but I convinced myself that the feeling of accomplishment at the end of the race would supersede my desire to sleep a few more hours. After only one snooze, I peeled myself out of bed and set off for yet another half marathon.

I was feeling good after my rock star carb loading the night before, with some tasty green curry and mango sticky race for dessert.

Pre-race carb loading

The hotel also arranged a chauffeur-driven Mercedes to transport me to the starting line at Royal Palace. As I rode through the city at 3AM, it was funny to see all the people coming out of the bars after a long night of partying. As if there was ever any doubt, I am far from the typical tourist.  

When I arrived at the assembly point, it was very quiet. People gradually filtered in – already dressed in full race attire and looking like they were ready to go. They sat patiently on the curb or stretched alone in silence. The adjacent field had a few booths set up for people to win Standard Chartered merchandise, and some vendors were selling race shirts from prior years. Unlike some other races, which have more of a party atmosphere at the starting line, this one was much more focused and serious. 

Bangkok Half Marathon starting line...at 3:08 AM

To avoid feeling sleepy, I walked around aimlessly and scoped out the other runners. Each race bib was printed with the runner’s name, age, and an image of the flag from their home country. I entertained myself by trying to predict everyone’s nationality based on how they looked.  The vast majority of runners were from Thailand, but there was a good number of international runners as well. I was clearly not the only person playing this game because I got a lot of strange looks when people noticed my bib; not because I am American, but because I was running as the HR Director - a 53-year old Thai man named Xuwat. I like to think I could pass as several different nationalities, but Thai is certainly not one of them!

About 10 minutes before the race start, people began lining up and I noticed that I was one of the tallest people around. There was one other runner around my height, who also happened to be an American. I took a picture of him to illustrate how much taller we were than the rest of the crowd. 

Height difference between Americans and Thai people.

The pre-race announcements were in both Thai and English, which I appreciated. I was surprised to hear that this race would be the largest half marathon in Thailand's history, with around 4,500 runners. Just as a frame of reference, the race I ran in Perth earlier this year had ten times as many runners. Between the humidity and the busy streets, I am not surprised that Thai people have yet to embrace a running culture!

I was actually impressed with the course, which took runners on an elevated highway, across a cable bridge, and past several palace-looking structures in central Bangkok. Unfortunately, there was very little crowd support (as can be expected at 4AM). Even though I was running under another person's name, I still pushed myself to finish with a respectable time. Why am I unable to grasp the concept of a "fun run" with a relaxed pace? 

My biggest critique about the race is that the kilometer markings were completely messed up, so I don't really know how far I actually ran. In the middle of the race, the half marathon and full marathon courses merged. From that point on, we followed the same course, yet the mile markers didn't increase at the same pace. For example: 
- sign #1: Full marathon, 32km; Half Marathon, 11km
- sign #2: Full marathon, 34km; Half marathon, 12.5km
How is this possible?

I never run with a Garmin watch, but always I rely on the mile markers as a gauge for how much energy I should be using. I may be crazy, but that last kilometer felt like it would never end.  When I crossed the finish line, my time was a respectable 1:30:13, but it's hard to tell if I really ran 13.1 miles or some other distance!

The end of the race was admittedly pretty exciting because there was a decent amount of crowd support cheering us to the finish line. The sky was still completely dark, but the trees along the road were lit up with white lights. Unlike most half marathons, there were no medals given out at the finish line because they were actually provided at packet pick-up. I literally could have skipped the entire race and still ended up with a medal, which just seemed strange to me. 

2014 Bangkok Half Marathon medal

The sky was completely dark throughout the entire race, but I still managed to work up a sweat (thanks to the humidity). I can't even imagine what it would have been like if the race was scheduled during the daylight hours. Once I crossed the finish line, I really didn't have much reason to hang around, so I just took a quick selfie in front of the marathon poster, found my driver, and returned to the hotel. 

2014 Bangkok Half Marathon Selfie

It is certainly atypical to finish a half marathon and return home before 6AM, but Bangkok is anything but typical. I am grateful to the HR Director for giving me the chance to participate in the event and I am excited to add yet another country to my list of places where I have completed a race. The Bangkok Half Marathon may not have been the most exciting or best organized race in the world, but it was absolutely worth the early morning wake-up call.