• Travel

    Taiwan’s High Speed Rail

    September 16, 2024 - By 

    The Taiwan High Speed Rail was a very exciting thing back when I first rode it in 2007, which was also the year it opened. It cut the travel time between the two major cities of Taiwan, Taipei and Kaohsiung, from ~4 1/2 hours to ~1 1/2 hours. It is usually roughly US$50 to travel one-way from one end to the other, so many older people thought and still think it is an unnecessary expense and would rather take a much slower (and cheaper) train or a bus. Tickets can conveniently be purchased online, at the station, or at a…

  • Finance - Travel

    What is COT*PCH627-23633070MA?

    August 30, 2024 - By 

    If you see a description starting with COT*PCH on your Capital One bill, it is probably a Capital One Travel Premium Choice Hotel. Since this is rather nondescript if one books multiple hotels of this type through the portal, I noted what hotel this was on the side. Now that I know what to expect when using the Capital One travel portal (especially after COTHTL844-422-6922MA), the abbreviated item is less suspicious.

  • Travel

    Sleep on History in the Noon-Collins Inn in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, United States

    August 15, 2024 - By 

    The Noon-Collins Inn, originally built in 1834 as a judge’s residence, was also a YMCA, a small library before it became the bed and breakfast it is today. In 2024, it cost US$122.10 for a night. I called to make the booking, but they requested that I just do it online through Expedia. When I booked, they asked us to call ahead to let them know when we would arrive. I told them in a note that it would be 7 or 8 and called on the day of to let them know 7:30. The parking lot belonging the inn…

  • Travel

    An October Day at Universal Studios in Osaka, Japan

    July 26, 2024 - By 

    In 2023, our tickets for Universal Studios in Osaka, Japan, were bought as a group of 6. It sent a single .pdf with 6 tickets. Unlike at Disney, we could not scan the tickets to our individual apps. We had a group talk the night before about what to do if the first pair to go managed to keep the rest of us from scanning the remaining 4 tickets in that .pdf. However, we did not have to all enter at the same time! The two who prefer to arrive early did so and were able to scan the .pdf…

  • Travel

    TSA PreCheck is Not Available for All Airlines

    July 9, 2024 - By 

    TSA PreCheck is wonderful to have at a US airport— unless you cannot actually use it. Whether you can or cannot use it depends on what airline you are flying on. To check whether your outgoing flight is going to let you take advantage of TSA Precheck, see if your airline is on this TSA list: TSA PreCheck® Participating Airlines | Transportation Security Administration. If your airline is not on the list, you will be unable to use the TSA PreCheck line. Why would TSA PreCheck be related to the airline? Because on your ticket, they mark who is eligible…

  • Food - Tea Things

    Afternoon Tea at the Windsor House Tea Room in Lafayette, NJ, United States

    June 24, 2024 - By 

    The Windsor House Tea Room and Bakery in Lafayette, New Jersey, United States, is open from Thursday to Sunday. Afternoon Tea, advertized as “an authentic British tea session (with a few American twists!)”, is served in the tea room on Thursdays at 1 PM; Fridays and Saturdays at 11 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM; and Sundays at 11 AM and 1 PM. The Windsor House does require reservations. My husband was able to make a reservation on Thursday for Sunday at 1 PM. He was allowed to choose 11 AM or 1 PM. He notified the Windsor House of…

  • Travel

    Pretend You are in the Edo Period at Toei Park in Kyoto, Japan

    June 22, 2024 - By 

    Toei Park, or TOEI Kyoto Studio Park, is a fake old-fashioned town where period dramas are sometimes filmed. They bill themselves as the only Jidaigeki theme park in Kyoto. (And they are authentic enough that jigaideki filming takes place here.) The park clearly provides side work for make-up artists and stunt actors through the live shows and the dress-up-like-an-Edo-Period-person experience. The park reminded me of a Renaissance Faire— but Edo period. I had a good impression of them from the beginning. Tickets without an attraction pass were JP¥2400 (~US$16.21 in 2023) per adult if in a group of 25 or…

  • Life

    How to Trade Gold for Gold in Taiwan

    May 17, 2024 - By 

    Before we begin, when we talk about gold here, we are talking about 24k gold specifically. Taiwan, being part of Asia, prefers 24k gold. There is often a cluster of gold shops in larger cities in Taiwan. They will display their gold buying and gold selling price prominently. I think it is per gram, but I have forgotten for the moment. Any gold piece in a gold shop has two numbers: a gold value listed as weight and an artisan cost in Taiwanese dollars. Because the cost of gold fluctuates day to day, they multiply the listed weight and the…

  • Travel

    A Short Stroll Through the Cutler Botanic Garden in Binghamton, New York, US

    May 10, 2024 - By 

    The Cutler Botanic Garden is a small free-to-visit learning and research botanical garden in Binghamton, New York, in the United States. It is meant to help teach visitors about horticulture in self-guided tours with the help of signs that explain what is going on. Visiting in April is a sort of dead time, because of the natural cycle of the plants. For example, the Rose Path was still on its winter Thorn Path variation. However, there are still things to see as things are preparing to bloom or starting to grow— all of which are neatly labeled— and fun landscaping.…

  • Tea Things

    White Tea

    May 2, 2024 - By 

    White tea is renowned for its delicate flavor and health benefits. Unlike black tea or green tea, white tea is minimally processed. The leaves are harvested while still young and tender— before they fully open. This gentle processing method gives white tea a subtle, mild flavor. Unlike black or green tea, white tea has low caffeine. Flavor Profile: delicate, light. Uses for White Tea White tea is one of my favorites. A plain white tea where one just enjoys the quality of a deceptively frail but definitely present tea. What is Commonly Combined with White Tea? White tea is lovely…