Aloha Taipei! To market, to market
The line for shao bing at Hua Shan Market, 7 a.m.When in Taiwan, you have to try a traditional breakfast at least once. Jook or congee is good, but you have to go out to get a freshly-baked shao bing,…
Hawaiian Airlines
Aloha Taipei! Food, shopping and temples
I actually wanted to break this blog up into two parts because we covered so much ground in one day. The photos here, as usual, are just the highlights, but you’ll be amazed when you check out the full gallery…
Aloha Taipei! Discovering the city
Our tour guide, Theresa, at right, with Sherrie from Big Island Candies.Back to our regular programming … we had a full day, with a tour of the National Palace Museum, Taipei 101, and lunch at Din Tai Fung during the…
Aloha Taipei! Weathering the storm
I’m going out of order on my blog posts for obvious reasons today: As you know, Typhoon Soulik hit Taiwan yesterday, a category 3 typhoon that caused quite a bit of havoc on the coast of this island nation. Fortunately,…
Aloha Taipei! The Shi Lin night market
As you read this, we’re awaiting Typhoon Soulik to hit Taiwan, but in the meantime you can read about what we did on our first night.The Shi Lin night market is Taipei’s largest one, with 540 stalls in a maze…
Aloha Taipei! Day 1
I’m a day behind in my blogs due to a different work schedule from Cat Toth (@Thedailydish), who is with me on this Taiwan adventure, but hopefully you will find this useful.As you know, Hawaiian Airlines launched their inaugural direct…
Chinee like me: Aloha Taipei!
Shilin Night Market, Taipei, Taiwan. 士林夜市 by druchoyActually, the above title may not be appropriate, since Taiwanese people do not want to be known as part of China. The true PC way to refer to Taiwan and its people is…
Hawaii: In Real Life ~ Haute Confectionery Boutique
The next time you’re headed to the mainland and realize you’ve forgotten to get a couple of local gifts for friends, don’t fret … well, not if you’re on Hawaiian Airlines. You now have another omiyage option that will appeal…
Aloha Brisbane! Our last day
We had almost one full day left in Brisbane, and it was a Sunday. What to do? We needed to do something in the city to ensure we got to the airport on time, but not too strenuous. I wanted…
Aloha Brisbane! The Gold Coast
Wow, I can’t believe it’s taking me so long to pump out my Brisbane blogs. Usually, when I travel, I blog each night, but it was difficult due to connectivity problems. For you geeks: the wifi issue is not just…
Aloha Brisbane! Cuddling koalas and more
As with every Hawaiian Airlines inaugural flight, there is a media day tour to show the highlights of the destination. When you go to Australia, if nothing else, you absolutely must go to a zoo that features all of the…
Aloha Brisbane! Hawaii: In Real Life
Yes, I’m blending the two by making today’s trip blog about meeting people in real life. We actually met Hawaii girl Lisa Yanger (LisaYanger on Instagram, no Twitter), who had just moved to Brisbane the week we arrived. She’s going…
Aloha Brisbane! Exploring the city
The faces of meat pie at Pie FaceThere’s nothing like having Cat Toth wake me up at 6:30 a.m. by pounding on my door, as I rush to answer it with no pants on. I’m sure Ed Sugimoto felt almost…
Aloha Brisbane!
Right on the heels of its Sapporo flight launch, Hawaiian Air started direct flights to Brisbane last week. I was fortunate to get a seat on the inaugural flight, thanks to chef Chai Chaowasaree. I brought one of my favorite…
Sapporo faves
I had no idea that Sapporo — or Hokkaido, really — was such a destination. When you think of Japan, you usually think of Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, but Sapporo should be added to that list.We did a lot in…
Aloha Sapporo! Last day in the city
Hawaiian Airlines’ flights from Sapporo to Honolulu are on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 9:30 p.m. (arrives in Honolulu at about 10 a.m.). We spent one last night in the city, but due to the late flight, were given the…
Hawaii: In Real Life ~ Primo Popcorn
You may have heard that Hawaiian Airlines revamped its snack service and product offerings this past summer. In addition to complimentary meals and wine, they have a new “pau hana snack bar” on mainland flights, where passengers can mosey up…
Aloha Sapporo! Visiting Noboribetsu
Here's all you get to cover up at an onsen. Cel phone shows scale.Many Japanese people visit the spa town of Noboribetsu, Hokkaido’s most famous hot spring resort, so we thought we should do the same. Noboribetsu is a haven…
Aloha Sapporo! Sightseeing
Okay, so Sapporo is not all about eating and drinking, although we’d like to think it is. There’s culture and sightseeing, as well. We had a whirlwind tour of Sapporo’s highlights with some Japanese bloggers, who took us to a…
Aloha Sapporo! Day 1
It’s been quite a long day, with 10 hours of flying, a long bus ride in, then a two-hour party followed by ramen. But we made it to Sapporo, located on Japan’s northernmost island, to see what Hawaiian Airlines’ newest…
Aloha Sapporo!
As you read this, I’ll be on my way to Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island, as Hawaiian Airlines (@HawaiianAir) launches its direct flights to Sapporo. As with previous inaugural flights, they’re taking travel industry executives, employees, musicians, and media, and I’ll…
Fukuoka faves
When people head to Japan, most times they think of going to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka — but many don’t realize that there’s a strong Hawaii tie to Fukuoka. Gov. George Ariyoshi, one of many local residents whose family is…
M&M eats: Weird Japanese snacks
Those Japanese. The people who invented scallop-flavored potato chips and chicken wing ice cream are still at it, churning out snackage the world is trying to wrap its brain around. Or not.Fresh off the plane from her trip to Fukuoka,…
Aloha Fukuoka! Let’s go shopping!
Performers emulating Naruto at Canal City's Anime/Manga FestivalI apologize for being so late with my Fukuoka blogs — since I got home, it’s been nonstop for Nonstop, but there’s still so much more to show!When you get to Japan, there…
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