I have one more brief interlude, and then I will get back to the Japan posts. I promise! I had a quick work trip last week to Taiwan. Taiwan was a new country for me, and after this too quick visit, I hope I’ll be able to get back there again. We have an office in Taipei and many of our most important partners/suppliers are based out of the same area. It was a bit of a whirlwind, and I don’t have a lot to share so it should be a pretty quick one.
I was heading to Taiwan and the capital city of Taipei for a very brief work trip. It was all about meeting many of my coworkers from Taiwan in person and sitting down face to face with our most important partners that build our products. I have a new product in the works, and we needed to catch up on their progress. It was a fast trip - I left late Saturday night and arrived into Taiwan very early Monday morning local time. I was travelling with our head of engineering Steve, who had been to Taiwan many times (more than 30!), and so I was in good hands. We had pre booked our hotels for the day before so we could head straight to the hotel to shower and try and get a bit of sleep, beofre our meetings which started around 10:30 am.
The rooms at the Marriott Taipei are quite nice.
I had a view out over downtown. You can just see Taipei 101 peeking through the clouds. We arrived to the same weather as Vancouver - just a lot warmer!
And right next door was a big mall with a Ferris Wheel. Sadly, I never made it inside.
The first couple of days were a whirlwind of meetings. I basically went back and forth between our hotel and the office of our main partner. We ended up eating in the lounge at the hotel the first couple of nights. It was kind of sad. It was up early for meetings with Vancouver, work until we headed to the supplier’s office, then back to the hotel to crash and fall asleep. Glamorous stuff.
Finally on Tuesday night we headed out for dinner. Steve, Kaveh (another coworker in the engineering team) and I headed out to have, what I have been told, is a Taiwanese tradition - Din Tai Fung. Superb dumplings! Din Tai Fung is a globally recognized Taiwanese restaurant chain that specializes in, interestingly enough, Chinese cuisine, most famously for its exquisite xiaolongbao (steamed pork soup dumplings), which are known for their paper-thin wrappers, juicy filling, and rich broth. Each dumpling is meticulously hand-folded with a precise number of pleats (often 18).
Before dinner, while we were waiting, we wandered out onto the street and found a bar to have a drink at. They had a decent whiskey selection, so I recommended one that we had tried in Japan, which went over well with the guys.
The weather cleared up a bit, as did my view of the skyline.
The tall building is Taipei 101, a soaring symbol of modern Taiwan that masterfully blends cutting-edge technology with traditional Asian aesthetics. Once the world's tallest building (until passed by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai), this 101-story marvel dominates the capital's skyline.
Designed to resemble a colossal stalk of bamboo and composed of eight stacked modules (with eight being a number of prosperity in Chinese culture), the tower is deeply rooted in Feng Shui philosophy. Beyond its stunning exterior, Taipei 101 houses an engineering feat: the world's largest visible Tuned Mass Damper. This massive, 660-ton steel pendulum hangs between the 87th and 92nd floors, working like a giant shock absorber to stabilize the building against the region's frequent typhoons and earthquakes.
On the list for the next trip, you get to the main observatory on the 89th floor in just 37 seconds—a thrilling ride in one of the world's fastest elevators! From the top, you're treated to a spectacular 360-degree panoramic view of the city and its surrounding mountains, making it the perfect spot to capture a breathtaking Taipei sunset. Sadly I did not have time to do it this trip. Next time.
On Wednesday night, we ate in the restaurant at the top of the hotel. It had a great rooftop patio that let you wander outside and see the skyline at night.
You’re (rightly) going to think that the only thing we did that was interesting was eat. I have to say the food was pretty amazing. Everything we ate was great. Thursday night Steve took me out to a traditional Taiwanese restaurant. He described it as Taiwanese tapas - lots of small, shared dishes. We went to this small hole-in-the-wall restaurant a short walk from the hotel. It was a great, authentic (we were to only non-locals in the place) expereince, and the food was amazing.
After dinner, we hopped in an uber and headed over to one of Taiwan’s famous night markets. Taiwanese night markets are a defining element of the local culture, operating across the island when the day concludes. They function as dynamic street food hubs and commercial centers.
These markets offer an extensive selection of xiaochi (small eats), encompassing both savory and sweet items. Common finds include oyster omelets, stinky tofu, and various skewers and beverages. Beyond food, the markets typically feature vendors selling clothes, accessories, and small games. The atmosphere is generally lively and crowded. We headed to Shilin Market, arguably the most well known of the bunch. We wandered the streets for a while, a bit overwhelmed by the sights and sounds and smells. We sampled some food and I found a whiskey shop with great prices. It was a successful night! And good to get out and explore a little bit.
And sadly, that about wraps it up for the trip. We worked until our flight at 11:30 pm on Friday night. Triop back from Asia are funny - we arrived back in Vancouver at 7:30 pm Friday night - before we left!
I’ll get back to those Japan posts now…