Category Archives: travel

Shark’s Cove

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One of my favorite snorkeling places on the island of Oahu is Shark’s cove. (But trust me, there aren’t any sharks there. Maybe those little reef ones that sleep during the day and only eat fish and stuff. But I’ve never seen one in all my trips out there.)

The cove is inside this little bay area, and the water is pretty deep in the middle, about 15 feet. It’s deep enough for people to scuba, and there are these large rocks that create tunnels that you can swim through if you’re brave enough with snorkeling gear.

And the fish! Just schools and schools of different kinds of fish feeding on the coral and rocks, and on most days, the water is so calm since there aren’t any waves breaking and it’s totally relaxing. I like it a bit better than Hanauma, because there’s a lot more water between you and the rocks/coral, so it doesn’t feel as claustrophobic.

We also put a swing up there. If you ever go, please let me know if it’s still up!

Tipping

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You’re an Adult, Learn How to Tip!

Read the blog post above. As a former server, tipping poorly/not at all is a deal breaker for me.

In the US, tipping is part of the cost of eating out, among other activities. It really shouldn’t be optional, and it should be calculated into the budget when you’re traveling or going out. It’s like having to pay sales tax. If the service is awful, say something and then tip accordingly, but service is still a luxury, and you need to pay for it. That’s why in some countries, there’s a 10% service charge added. It really would be easier if it was just automatically added to the bill, but here you have a choice, where the culture doesn’t dictate that service should be beyond satisfactory and tipping is not required. (Re: Tipping in Taiwan)

P.S. If you’re not so good at the math-stuffs, in Nashville, just double the tax. That’s at least 15%.

Hanauma Bay

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An awesome place in Hawaii is Hanauma Bay. It’s an amazing preserved place where you can snorkel your heart out. You have to pay for parking and admissions, but if you don’t feel comfortable about snorkeling in the wild, this is definitely the place for you.

It’s a great place for beginners, although I kind of freaked out a bit when I went there the first time. The welcome video that everyone is required to watch before they enter the premises strictly states that you’re not allowed to touch the reef. The surface of the water is pretty close to the reef, and the reef is so expansive, so I got scared about skimming the reefs while swimming around and having my tummy exposed to the holes in the reefs because there might be eels or reef sharks or something, you know.

But the sights are amazing, and there are tons of fish and maybe even a turtle or two if you’re lucky.

Hawaii

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If you’ve never been to Hawaii, this is something to encourage you.  I think about this weather all the time. The sun shines every day. Literally. It only rains for a few minutes to a few hours if it does, and then the sun is back. Hence, the Rainbow State.

End of an Era

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I arrived in Taipei two years ago on August 8th. I will be returning to Nashville on August 8th. It will be officially two years to the day since my adventures in Taiwan began. (Did I mean to buy the tickets like that? You got me.)

What will I do when I get back to Nashville? Quick preview: seeing friends, job, GRE, grad school applications.

In the meantime, I’m just going to focus on how am I going to cram two years of stuff into two luggages that have to weigh under 23 kg each. This may be my biggest challenge yet.