ThinkTaiwan » Taiwan Information 關於台灣 http://thinktaiwan.com Connecting the World to Taiwan Sat, 19 May 2012 04:46:13 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Taiwan for Culture Vultures Iphone App http://thinktaiwan.com/2012/01/taiwan-culture-vultures-iphone/ http://thinktaiwan.com/2012/01/taiwan-culture-vultures-iphone/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:24:09 +0000 Mike Price http://thinktaiwan.com/?p=2319 Have you ever been to Taiwan before and wondered where you should go, what you should eat, and what you should do? Well, now you can look no further because my friend Steven Crook has created an amazing Iphone App that will tell you all the things you need to know about Taiwan. It’s called [...]]]> Have you ever been to Taiwan before and wondered where you should go, what you should eat, and what you should do? Well, now you can look no further because my friend Steven Crook has created an amazing Iphone App that will tell you all the things you need to know about Taiwan. It’s called Taiwan for Culture Vultures and is available in the App store for only $2.99!

Steven Crook is an author and long time resident of Taiwan. Steven has visited over 40 countries but this still doesn’t stop him from wanting to live in Taiwan as he has already lived in Taiwan for over 20 years! Taiwan for Culture Vultures has so much fresh insight and expert information from someone who knows Taiwan inside and out.

Below are links to more information about the Taiwan Iphone App itself including the Press Release about Steven Crook’s Taiwan for Culture Vultures App! So try it out today! It is most definitely worth the $2.99 and will help Steven Crook continue to live his dream adventure in the great Island of Bobee!

 http://thinktaiwan.com/taiwan-culture-vultures-press-release/

http://appshopper.com/travel/taiwan-for-culture-vultures

]]> http://thinktaiwan.com/2012/01/taiwan-culture-vultures-iphone/feed/ 0 Gary’s “Taiwan is my Homeland” Brand http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/12/taiwan-homeland-gary/ http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/12/taiwan-homeland-gary/#comments Thu, 22 Dec 2011 18:40:23 +0000 Mike Price http://thinktaiwan.com/?p=2137 Many of the fans of ThinkTaiwan are either living in Taiwan or are from Taiwan. This means that many of you can honestly say that Taiwan is your Homeland. Unfortunately, I am not from Taiwan and I do not currently live in Taiwan. However, as most of you know, my goal is to live in [...]]]> Many of the fans of ThinkTaiwan are either living in Taiwan or are from Taiwan. This means that many of you can honestly say that Taiwan is your Homeland. Unfortunately, I am not from Taiwan and I do not currently live in Taiwan. However, as most of you know, my goal is to live in Taiwan long term eventually. One day I would like to easily say Taiwan is my Homeland.

There is a shirt that is getting really popular in Taiwan that says “Taiwan is my Homeland” which was created by my friend Gary. I am amazed at how popular this shirt got and how fast it got so popular. In fact, I am honored to say that I was the first person to ever get one of these shirts! I didn’t realize this until recently when Gary told me this! How excited I was to hear this!

However, it doesn’t stop at shirts! Gary has created a whole line of products with his Taiwan is my Homeland brand which include Towels, Hats, and even Headphones to listen to your music in Taiwan style! Be proud of being Taiwanese and get your hands on some of his items! Here is how: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=192886370759985

Gary is also the creator of the brand “Sure I’m Taiwanese“, “I’m from Taiwan“, “Love, Faith, Hope“, among others. Below is a video showing the fame and popularity of his brand “Taiwan is my Homeland”. I am proud to say that you can see me in the Taiwan is my Homeland shirt in the “About” section of ThinkTaiwan. Please follow his fan pages and watch this amazing video!

http://www.facebook.com/Taiwan.Is.My.Homeland

http://www.facebook.com/GarysMangrove

Email for more info: Taiwan.Is.My.Homeland@gmail.com

]]> http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/12/taiwan-homeland-gary/feed/ 0 History and Importance of Taiwan Rap http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/12/history-importance-taiwan-rap/ http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/12/history-importance-taiwan-rap/#comments Sun, 11 Dec 2011 03:31:44 +0000 Mike Price http://thinktaiwan.com/?p=2020 If you have been a follower of ThinkTaiwan for awhile, then you will know how often I post something in relation to Taiwan Rap and Taiwan Hip Hop. Some of you might even hate Taiwan Rap and wonder why I continue to feature this music on ThinkTaiwan. To be honest, I always knew in my [...]]]> If you have been a follower of ThinkTaiwan for awhile, then you will know how often I post something in relation to Taiwan Rap and Taiwan Hip Hop. Some of you might even hate Taiwan Rap and wonder why I continue to feature this music on ThinkTaiwan. To be honest, I always knew in my heart that there was something special about Rap music in Taiwan.

It was difficult for me to put into words exactly how important Taiwan Rap and Hip Hop is to the great Country of Taiwan. In fact, I never liked Rap music here in the United States. Rap music in the United States has a very different purpose than does rap music in Taiwan. I will do my best to explain.

Rap music in the United States is usually created by misfits and criminals who have nothing better to do than cause trouble and hurt people, whether it be emotionally or physically. However, this is not true for Taiwan Rap music. Rap and Hip Hop music in Taiwan serves as an emotional outlet for Taiwanese youth who are upset with the way society treats each other.

Taiwan Rap music seeks to upset the “system” through music, a peaceful way of protest. Every Country in the world has its problems and issues that need to be corrected and each Country has its own way of dealing with such troubles. Taiwanese youth have discovered that Rap and Hip hop is their way to express themselves freely against any injustices they see in society.

Just a few minutes ago, I discovered a fantastic video that explains exactly what I have been feeling about Taiwan Rap for quite some time now. I literally almost jumped out of my seat when finding this really  great video about the history and importance of Taiwan Rap music.

It appears that this video was done by an American who is also interested in Taiwanese culture. I would love it if you would take 7 minutes of your time to watch the video below which does a wonderful job of explaining both the history and importance of Taiwan Rap music. Be sure to “Like” the video and maybe even “Subscribe” to his Youtube Channel. Let me know what you think in the comment section below!

Jac007que’s YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/jac007que

]]> http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/12/history-importance-taiwan-rap/feed/ 0 Taiwan Trip Video 2011: 烏來 http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/12/taiwantripvideo2011/ http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/12/taiwantripvideo2011/#comments Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:29:10 +0000 Mike Price http://thinktaiwan.com/?p=2004 As usual, I was browsing the web for videos relating to Taiwan because I am still “Homesick” for Taiwan these days! And this morning, I came across a Youtube user who has a lot of videos of his recent Taiwan Trip with his family! I am very excited to find these videos about [...]]]> As usual, I was browsing the web for videos relating to Taiwan because I am still “Homesick” for Taiwan these days! And this morning, I came across a Youtube user who has a lot of videos of his recent Taiwan Trip with his family! I am very excited to find these videos about his family’s trip to Taiwan and wanted to share with you one of his great videos.

The guy who created these videos of his Taiwan Trip is from Pasadena, California! And because he has so many videos of his trip to Taiwan, I encourage you to subscribe to his Youtube account: http://www.youtube.com/user/toorima2011 I also found you can follow him on Twitter for updates on his video too!: https://twitter.com/toorima

I would love for you to watch the below video because it shows Taiwan up close and personal with great detail as it was filmed in high quality. This video makes me miss Taiwan so much more and I look forward to my next trip there, which I hope is really soon! It is difficult to wait to long!

So go ahead, watch the video below and let me know what you think about it in the comments section below the video. Or, if you like it just click on the “Like” button to share it with your friends! Let’s show the whole world how beautiful and wonderful the Island of Bobee (Taiwan) is!

]]> http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/12/taiwantripvideo2011/feed/ 0 Traditional Taiwan Folk Music: Naluwan http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/11/pangcah-dance-taiwan/ http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/11/pangcah-dance-taiwan/#comments Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:31:41 +0000 Mike Price http://thinktaiwan.com/?p=1595 My friend Jewar Alex is part of the Pangcah Aboriginal Tribe of Taiwan also known as Amis 阿美族. Most people refer to this Tribe as Amis 阿美族 however the tribe itself calls themselves Pangcah which translated means human or people of our kind. I find the Aboriginal tribes of Taiwan to be absolutely fascinating with their culture [...]]]> My friend Jewar Alex is part of the Pangcah Aboriginal Tribe of Taiwan also known as Amis 阿美族. Most people refer to this Tribe as Amis 阿美族 however the tribe itself calls themselves Pangcah which translated means human or people of our kind. I find the Aboriginal tribes of Taiwan to be absolutely fascinating with their culture and dance rituals.

My friend Jewar is actually a dancer for this tribe and performs in many of these popular Pangcah dance rituals. The drama and beauty of these performances is spectacular and something very unique to the Formosa. The famous dance of the Pangcah (Amis) people is called 那魯灣舞曲 meaning Naruwan dance. Naruwan meaning “How are you?” or “Welcome”.

And I feel the spirit of the Pangcah is exactly that, welcoming. Their famous dance itself is called the Welcome Dance. How much more inviting could you get? I am including a video below that my friend Jewar Alex showed me of his people and the famous 那魯灣舞曲 Naruwan dance. You will notice a term in their song which is Naluwan.

Naluwan in English means “Hometown” And as you see in this video this term seems to be very special to the Pangcah people as I feel it is also very special to many Taiwanese people. The idea of “Home” or your “Hometown” has special power and feeling in Taiwan which I find very touching. Family and “welcoming” strangers is what Taiwanese do best. Watch this wonderful video and allow it to make you feel “welcome” to the beautiful Island and Country of Taiwan!

]]> http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/11/pangcah-dance-taiwan/feed/ 0 Gumhoo: Shopping Advice from Friends http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/11/gumhoo-shopping-advice/ http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/11/gumhoo-shopping-advice/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 07:10:05 +0000 Mike Price http://thinktaiwan.com/?p=1584 I want to introduce you to a brand new way to shop with your friends brought to you by a brilliant Taiwanese Entrepreneur, Tai Ku Chen.  It’s called Gumhoo, a start up currently in “beta” stage. Gumhoo comes from the Taiwanese term 干厚 which means “is it good?” or “should I do this?”. This is exactly what Gumhoo is all [...]]]> I want to introduce you to a brand new way to shop with your friends brought to you by a brilliant Taiwanese Entrepreneur, Tai Ku Chen.  It’s called Gumhoo, a start up currently in “beta” stage. Gumhoo comes from the Taiwanese term 干厚 which means “is it good?” or “should I do this?”. This is exactly what Gumhoo is all about, shopping advice from your friends!

Tai Ku Chen and his team have managed to create a wonderful product that allows shoppers to get instant advice from their friends using their mobile device. If you are in Taiwan at a night market or at a shopping mall in America you can use the Gumhoo mobile app to take a picture of the item you are considering to buy. You can instantly send this photo to a friend or group of friends asking them to say “Get it” or “Hold it”.

They can then instantly respond with their advice on whether or not you should buy that particular item! This is a fantastic new way to shop with your friends when your friends can’t be by your side at that moment. No longer do you have to shop alone even if you are physically alone! This is the brilliance of the Gumhoo mobile app.

Gumhoo also has an online platform in which users can create shopping lists of things they have found on the web that they are considering to buy, but would first like the advice of their friends. Alternatively, you can also use their online platform for creating a unique bridal registry. Personally, I love the idea of using Gumhoo for a bridal registry because it is so simple.

Tai Ku Chen mentions in the video below that one amazing benefit of his product is the fact that you are not confined to one store or one website when using this tool so that gifts for the Bridal Registry can be unique and varied. I highly encourage you to share this tool with your friends especially those trying to plan a wedding!

Gumhoo mobile app is amazing! I hope that you will download the app now and find out how fun and cool it is to play with. This app works anywhere like I said before even if you are at a night market clothing booth in Taiwan or at a Macy’s in America. I am very proud to call Tai Ku Chen a friend as he has done an amazing job at getting this product created and released.

Tai Ku Chen is originally from Taichung, Taiwan but now lives in Taipei. I truly hope that Taiwan continues to develop such amazing talented Entrepreneurs so that the world can know how wonderful a place Taiwan is for many many things. Please watch the demo video below for Gumhoo to get a better idea of how it works. Also, please check out their website as well and sign up, it’s FREE! Oh, and “Like” their Fan page too Thanks !

www.gumhoo.com.tw

http://www.facebook.com/GumhooPage

]]> http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/11/gumhoo-shopping-advice/feed/ 0 Where in the World is Taiwan? http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/10/where-in-world-is-taiwan/ http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/10/where-in-world-is-taiwan/#comments Sun, 02 Oct 2011 22:26:57 +0000 Mike Price http://thinktaiwan.com/?p=1373 Update!: The Taiwan Guy’s next world trip will be in Los Angeles, CA February 21st-24th! Stay tuned for more!

I created ThinkTaiwan over 1 year ago in July 2010 because I was upset about how many people didn’t know where Taiwan was in the world. But not only that, they didn’t even know anything about Taiwan! Every [...]]]> Update!: The Taiwan Guy’s next world trip will be in Los Angeles, CA February 21st-24th! Stay tuned for more!

I created ThinkTaiwan over 1 year ago in July 2010 because I was upset about how many people didn’t know where Taiwan was in the world. But not only that, they didn’t even know anything about Taiwan! Every time I told someone that I went to Taiwan they thought I was in Thailand. I had to explain over and over again that Taiwan is NOT Thailand.

After being in Taiwan twice, once for 2 months, I realized that Taiwan has so much to offer the entire world, if only somehow the world would open its mind and hearts to the Formosa. I created my own name for Taiwan, “The Island of Bobee (保庇)” meaning the Island filled with the blessings of the gods.

This is how I honestly feel about the great Country of Taiwan. Taiwan has the most friendly people, fantastic food, wonderful nightlife which include lively night markets and Temples! Not to mention the various bars and club which are opening and welcoming to every one no matter where you come from in the world!

I came across a very heart warming and touching video that showcases Taiwan to many Countries around the world. A Taiwanese guy decided to take it upon himself to show the World what Taiwan is all about by putting on a costume of one of the many awesome gods Taiwan has and dancing around the globe making people around the world smile! Check out the video below, it truly made me tear up a bit! Well done video that I hope you share with others! Remember, Taiwan is the “Island of Bobee (保庇)”

Please check out this wonderful guy’s Facebook page and “Like” it to help him spread the message about Taiwan!: http://www.facebook.com/taiwan.sometimes

]]> http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/10/where-in-world-is-taiwan/feed/ 0 北關海潮公園 Beiguan Tidal Park Video http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/09/beiguan-tidal-park-taiwan-2/ http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/09/beiguan-tidal-park-taiwan-2/#comments Mon, 19 Sep 2011 16:39:22 +0000 Mike Price http://thinktaiwan.com/?p=1359 I wanted to share with you a well done homemade video of 北關海潮公園 Beiguan Tidal Park in Taiwan that was created by a friend of mine by the name of 藍子倫 (頓悟). He just began recording his own videos throughout Taiwan to share with his friends and people who want to [...]]]> I wanted to share with you a well done homemade video of 北關海潮公園 Beiguan Tidal Park in Taiwan that was created by a friend of mine by the name of 藍子倫 (頓悟). He just began recording his own videos throughout Taiwan to share with his friends and people who want to know more about Taiwan. I think he does a great job for someone who has just started doing this.

So far, he has created two videos and the one I have included below is of a park in Taiwan called 北關海潮公園 and in English Beiguan Tidal Park. What I find fascinating is that you cannot find much on Google for this park if you type in the English name Beiguan Tidal Park. You can only find information in Chinese which makes me curious to visit this place even more!

I do think the place looks beautiful and would be amazing if it is not well known among foreigners and tourists. It could be under the name of something else in English but so far this is all I could find. It is also the name of the park on the Tourist guide sign inside the actual park which you will see in the video.

I have included 藍子倫 (頓悟) contact information below including his new Youtube Channel! Check it out and feel free to friend him on Facebook!

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cool20379

Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ffighterilan 

]]> http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/09/beiguan-tidal-park-taiwan-2/feed/ 0 Video of National Taiwan University http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/02/introduction-video-ntu-taiwan/ http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/02/introduction-video-ntu-taiwan/#comments Mon, 14 Feb 2011 04:35:16 +0000 Mike Price http://thinktaiwan.com/?p=859 Previously, I posted a video about Studying Abroad in Taiwan. However, today someone kindly introduced me to a video about the National Taiwan University located in Taipei, Taiwan. This video was created by an actual student at NTU and boy did he do a great job welcoming everyone to the University.

[...]]]> Previously, I posted a video about Studying Abroad in Taiwan. However, today someone kindly introduced me to a video about the National Taiwan University located in Taipei, Taiwan. This video was created by an actual student at NTU and boy did he do a great job welcoming everyone to the University.

This introduction video to National Taiwan University (NTU) done by Ying-Chia Yang (aka Curtis) has some very good music as well. The way Ying-Chia Yang describes NTU will make lots of people want to learn more about this school in Taipei. I really hope the University decides to put this video on their website! I think it would be a great idea.

]]> http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/02/introduction-video-ntu-taiwan/feed/ 0 Study Abroad in Taiwan for A Great Experience! http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/01/study-abroad-taiwan/ http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/01/study-abroad-taiwan/#comments Tue, 25 Jan 2011 02:11:50 +0000 Mike Price http://thinktaiwan.com/?p=727 For anyone considering studying abroad for a semester or two, I would highly recommend Taiwan as your destination! All over this website you will find many wonderful reasons why you should choose Taiwan as your number one study destination. However, if those reasons were still not convincing enough I would like to direct your attention [...]]]> For anyone considering studying abroad for a semester or two, I would highly recommend Taiwan as your destination! All over this website you will find many wonderful reasons why you should choose Taiwan as your number one study destination. However, if those reasons were still not convincing enough I would like to direct your attention to the below video. This video was created by an international student studying abroad in Taiwan!

]]> http://thinktaiwan.com/2011/01/study-abroad-taiwan/feed/ 0