Kia Ora, it's New Zealand, bro!

America has a bit of a love-hate relationship with its neighbour to the north, Canada. In Australia, we have a similar friendly rivalry with our neighbour to the east. But the reality is, New Zealand and Australia have a lot in common. We have very similar personalities, tastes in food, and our love for sport goes right down to the bone. And while we Aussies do give the Kiwis a bit of flack for their quirky accent, and their supposed extra-marital activities with their woolly ovine friends, I have always thoroughly enjoyed my trips "across the ditch".

My First Little Taste of the United States

Late in 2011, I was on a job in Christchurch, New Zealand (I promise I will blog about the Kiwis later!). After a day of work, my boss called me and asked me if I would be okay to take on a quick trip to the USA. I'd never set foot on American soil, and this would turn out to be first of about 5 trips over the next 12 months, so here is a bit about my first experience over the other side of the Pacific.

 

Tea is Good for the Soul

Okay, so this post isn't really about travelling. But it's inspired by things learnt from travelling! One of my customers in Taiwan always offer me Oolong tea when we sit for a meeting. On a recent visit, the boss was nice enough to give me 2 bags of his favourite leaves. Complete with a teapot and cups from my girlfriend, I have been getting into a nightly pot or two. For those who don't frequent their teapot, I thought a quick guide on how to brew a tasty Asian tea would be a nice addition to my blog.

A Little Exploring in Taiwan on Foot

As I mentioned previously in this post, Taiwan has become one of my most frequented destinations over the past 5 years. Even more so recently, now that I'm dating a local. Coming from Australia, Taiwan is rather amazing in its density; the country itself is less than 0.5% the size of Australia, and yet it has roughly the same population. The majority of the population live in cities along the west coast, as the east of the island is very mountainous. So as you can imagine, so many people in such a small area gives rise to a phenomenal amount of culture available to be experienced.