TainoNomad: “Let’s start off with who are you? Who is the Dashing Traveler?”
Dashing Traveler: “hahaha that is a hard one!”
TN: “Talk it out with me! I need to hear the struggle!”
DT: “The struggle is real!”
TN: “Hahaha! Dashing Traveler, what is the objective of you starting this blog?”
DT: “If I had to sum it up, I am just a traveler who loves to move around and have a little more style sense then your average backpacker. These days I have morphed into a more family style traveler and I try to stay more than just a few days in a place, trying to understand that cities lifestyle and live not like a tourist but as a citizen of that city or country.”
TN: “What is it that got you to where you are right now?”
DT: “Studying languages and Asian cultures, my favorite is Japan, but studying Japanese is only useful if you are going to live in Japan and participate in Japanese society. So the next best thing is Chinese, the most spoken language in the world. With that in mind I came to Taiwan, because the Taiwanese lifestyle is suitable with my own. Easy laid back island life, while being cheap and having an active social services to both foreigners and local citizens alike, like free healthcare.”
TN: “Why do you love Japan so much?”
DT: “What is NOT to love about Japan?”
TN : “Haha, you have a great point, but there is always something specific that attracts you to a place, maybe too much anime in your youth!”
DT: “Ah, Japan, it has so much to offer people. A developed society with working public transportation, ease of life, everything is right there when you need it. You don’t have to drive to go to the groceries, cinema, shooting range, some hiking. Japanese people are down to earth and pretty friendly. I like the Japanese language a lot, it sound calm and easy and anime is okay too I guess!”
TN: “hahaha who doesn’t like the toons! Now every country has a slight dark side, what would your personal opinion be for Japan? Be it visiting there or something in particular that you don’t like about their society.”
DT : “Every Country you visit deals with something that is bad. America deals with a bit of Racism that is highlighted because we have the time but when compared to other countries that are dealing with mass starvation and genocide it seems minimal. Japan deals with racism because it isn’t a diverse society like in America. They also have an overly developed bureaucracy that produces tons of laws that don’t let you get out of the box [so to speak]. In a country like China, there is so much growth going on that there is tons of opportunities. There I can use my “whiteness” to get a job as an English teacher even without speaking Chinese.”
TN: “So the old Japanese saying of the nail that sticks out get hammered stands true with your experience. And in China you can use a racial stereotype to get hired? Wow! Now take me to Taiwan, what specifically brought you there?”
DT: “Taiwan, well at Wright State University, where I was studying Chinese, one of my professors was Taiwanese and she is from the city that I am living in currently. It was she who introduced me to Taiwanese culture and society and at first I thought it would be something easy because she would be my connection to this new place. Then I got here and it was so much more! This island is the third of the size of Ohio but with the population of Ohio and 75% isn’t even lived in! It has many surrounding islands and getting to them is truly easy by boat or plane on the cheap. People are so friendly here, you can hitchhike up and down the coast. People offer you to enter their homes all the time. It is ranked as the 3rd safest country in the world. They have Aboriginals in the mountains as well.”
TN: “Tell me more about these Aboriginals! Like from the movie the Warriors of the Rainbow?”
DT: “I don’t think I have actually seen the movie!”
TN: “Oh my God it was amazing! It’s on Netflix, or it was, anyway it is a heart breaking story of the Aboriginal resistance against Japanese occupation! A definite must see.”
DT: “Well there quite a few Aboriginals left, they make up of about 10% of the population and the rest is ethnically from mainland China. Either recent or ancestral migration. A lot of the Aboriginals still do crazy rituals and festivals and wield guns and beat on drums and for that you must go into the mountains to experience that real Taiwan.”
TN: “Have you gone to visit these people in the center of the island?”
DT: “Yea we[wife and baby boy] have traveled up and down the coast and into the mountains but I haven’t taken very many pictures as I am trying to capture the experience outside the lens.”
TN: “I gotta get you in a photography class! I wanna see everything you see! Now for a cliche question, what is your favorite food in Taiwan?”
DT: “What isn’t my favorite food in Taiwan? I mean every day I eat at 3 different places at least. If I haven't had it, or I can’t even read it, I am trying it.”
TN: “There has to be something in particular though! In Spain I could never get enough of the Spanish Serrano or Iberico ham. I loved everything, but the ham above all else.”
DT: “Stinky Tofu fried, because everything fried is better. Green onion pancake, or at least that is how I translate that, is pretty good. Put some eggs on it, some bacon and cheese and fry that! They also do this steak on a sizzling pan with some egg, noodles and black pepper sauce. Ah man, thinking of food is making me so hungry.”
TN: “That sounds amazing but how on God’s green earth are you tracking all the food you are eating?”
DT: “Every time I go to a new restaurant I take the menu home to learn it or I write it down. Taiwan is also very known for their beef. They have this beef soup that is just delicious, its like two pounds of beef in some stock that has been simmering for ever or you can get it half beef and half fat and its so delicious. Taiwan has some Japanese and Portuguese influence in their cuisine because they both conquered the island before. You see it in the streets as well as the food, you can get Okonomyaki (Japanese Pizza), not to mention the Chinese food influence, this is the ultimate foodie place to live.”
TN: “Okay I am salivating.”
DT: “That is my eternal quest, I want all the food that you [Taiwan] can give me.”
TN: “What would be the number 1 travel advise for Taiwan that you would give?”
DT: “Come to Tainan to eat. Don’t go to the beach or the museum or the historical sites, just spend one week eating. GO for the FOOD. Because this city is mostly populated by locals more than tourists, and the locals also love to eat, their restaurants and street stands are set up for “little eats” so that you try as much as you can without getting full. Let me revise that, Go local. Go eat local, do local, shop local.”
TN: “That sounds delicious. Now tell me how you made this entire dream possible. Are you working over there?”
DT: “Right now I got a scholarship to study Chinese from the Taiwanese Government, and after that is finished I have been doing some on and off substitute teaching jobs which pays about 20 dollars an hour and that translates to 4 days of work a month covers my rent. It is pretty easy to get by here, especially if you go local.”
TN: “That is amazing!”
DT: “Yea… Just a little bit!” 😉
TN: “Now I know you are big into economy travel. I know you have backpacked Asia, and I got a lot of respect for that. What would be one of the biggest way to save money while traveling, in your experienced opinion?”
DT: “Well to save money, you must look at your base expenses when travelling abroad. The biggest expense is your flight or whatever means of transportation you are using to get to that country. Some Travel Hacking will help with that. Your second biggest cost is your hotel stays. If you really want to cut that out, you can do couch surfing. If you don’t want to stay with a random person, then do hostels. If you are travelling with more than one person, AirBnB or local home-stays could be good, just ask some local people the day you arrive, “Hey do you know of a place I can stay that is cheap?” Sometimes they offer you stay with them. Then you look at your food and you either cook at your AirBnB or you look at where the locals eats and go there.”
TN: “Solid advise. What is the weirdest thing you have done to save money?”
DT: “When I was young, maybe 16 or 17 years old. The thing about travelling alone at that age, it can be done, but you have no fail safe plans. No credit cards, usually, unless you come from a rich family that add you to theirs. So I was in Japan for about a month and I ended up sleeping on a bench a few times or at McDonalds because I didnt plan out my money and I had a few weeks left. I went a week without food. These are all part of the learning experience. Most people plan on say spending 50 dollars a day while travelling but what they dont plan on is the unforeseen expenses. I always tell people if you budget for 50 a day, make it 60 and dont spend those extra 10 dollars. Say you are in Japan and you get lost and you MUST buy a taxi, which can go for over 100 dollars or you are lost and must stay at a different hotel that night.”
TN: “Those sound like some hard learned lessons, but clearly it has paid off! Now tell me, What have you learned that surprised you the most while travelling?”
DT: “I say that you if you have to ask, ask. Ask for help. From the American TV perspective we are led to believe that you can’t walk up to a person and ask for something but you really can. People are better than how they are perceived around the world.”
TN: “I can totally relate to that sentiment. When talking to some of my American friends in Ohio, I often get commented that “oh why would you go there? They hate us over there!” and I always have to correct them and say no! People are just people all over the world. Going back to Taiwan, what is a memory or image that comes to mind when you think on that country?”
DT: “All the food and all the places I still need to go and try! It’s like what people say about Paris, you can dine on something new every day until you died and you would still not try everything. I get that same sensation here in Taiwan.”
TN: “The traveler's dilemma, always more to see, and more to taste! I wish you luck in your endeavor and I thank you for taking the time to speak with me!”
DT: “Taiwan is Definitely a foodie heaven, good cheap food that won’t make you sick. But it is also whatever you are into, if you are into hiking and climbing, the east side of the island is for you! If you want to beach bum come to the south of the island! It always depends what you into but Taiwan always something for you. I expect a Skype date with you soon and a visit to Taiwan proper from you my friend!”
TN: “You know I am coming! You just wait!”
DT: “YOU better man!”
To check out more from The Dashing Traveler, check out his blog here, and for more from Taino Nomad check out my blog here!
As always thank you for reading, please feel free to like, comment and share! 🙂
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