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Some countries share alcohol to bond with people, but Chinese/Taiwanese use the food to be the effective ice-breaker. With chopsticks in hand, varies dishes in front of eyes, it is the time for people to spend some time to enjoy good food and chat. In the U.S.A., preparing for four to five dishes is not common and people prefer easy-cooked meals. During my stay in Finland, I would like to experience something “exotic”- the Chinese food in Oulu.

There are plenty of Chinese restaurants in Oulu. Compared to Angola, the small city where I spent two years studying and teaching Chinese in Indiana State, U.S.A., Oulu is the paradise for Chinese food. I can easily shop for Chinese/Taiwanese ingredients or eat out by bike. When I googled “Chinese restaurants in Oulu,” not much information coming out. However, someone’s blog shares quite an interesting conclusion about Chinese food in Oulu.” Chinese restaurants are among the oldest of all ethnic restaurants in Oulu. The Chinese restaurants in Finland mostly offer sweet Canton Chinese food. This is made of rice and different kind of sauces. Soy sauce replaces salt and sesame oil brings original texture to the food.” Today, I prove it right.

My Finnish friend has a clever idea that we should go to try every Chinese restaurants in Oulu and give some feedback. Our first try is Shenglong (勝龍酒家).

First of all, I feel like explaining one thing that not all the owners of Chinese restaurants can speak Chinese (Mandarin) which is spoken in China and Taiwan. Some owners who are from Hong Kong serve Canton food and speak Cantonese way better than Mandarin or even cannot speak Mandarin. Therefore, I was careful not to speak Mandarin right after I met the owner.

Fortunately, she spoke Chinese with me and I could even read a Chinese menu. We ordered the pork with vegetables and Chicken fried noodles.

Before the courses coming up, we could enjoy the salad bar. It was quite interesting how I saw the Finnish and Chinese culture work together to satisfy customers. In Chinese/Taiwanese families, we have no salad; instead, we consume varies fried vegetables with garlic.

If I listened carefully to the background music, it was pop songs sung by Taiwanese singers about 12 years ago. Due to these Chinese immigrants in 1980s to 1990s, they also bring the classic pop Chinese songs with them around the world. One song caught my friend’s attention, which in English means “Lover.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0vjeHRBWZ8&feature=bf_next&list=FLfMVi9N6UMy8VWnYBxOafrg

Our food was satisfying for my friend. With the 7.5 euro price, we had unlimited salad, drinks, main course and dessert or tea.

To be honest, the courses are quite westernized for natives. For meat cuisine, no matter what you order, all the courses would be sticky with cornstarch and taste-all-the-same sauce. In Taiwan, we do not use cornstarch in daily meals, because it contains extra unnecessary calories.

For noodles, since there are not similar vegetables in Finland, the kitchen replaces with alternative ones. I think in order to attract foreign customers, the Chinese fried noodles no matter in the U.S. or in Finland are a bit salty for me. In Taiwan, the fried noodles are like noodles, vegetables, meat and sauce are in good combination. You can enjoy as a whole. However, the fried noodles here I tried were the noodles, vegetables, chickens and sauce working separately. It was not in such a “harmony” that I always enjoy. Our Taiwanese fried noodles look like this:

If I rate this restaurant from 1 to 10, I would give it 7. Hopefully, after I try all the Chinese restaurants in Oulu and I can find the most authentic one among them. Wish me luck! :P

As we know, Asia is raising. If Finland wants to participate in the huge market, let’s narrow the market down to the market in China and Taiwan, there are some facts we should be aware of.

First of all, the Asia market has been learning examples from Western countries since 18^th century. Asians come to Western countries to study, work, and travel. Also, we Asians are familiar with the Western popular music, movies and series. By Western, I refer to the U.S.. Chinese and Taiwan know no much about Finland. On the other hand, how much do Westerners or Finns know about the Asian culture?

The lack of trading relationship, communication channels, and the interaction with the cultures lead to the current situation- we may be interested in each other but know very little about each other.

Two years ago, I hosted my Finnish friend in Taiwan. My relatives were excited about the fact that it was their first time to meet a Finn. One of my uncles even showed off by lifting his shoe and saying, “Finland, I know! Nike!” Actually, he mistook Nike as Nokia...Since Nike has nothing to do with Finland. As you randomly ask one Taiwanese about Finland, he/she may say, “Oh, it is a country with good social welfare and education.” Nowadays, there are more and more publications introducing Finland to Chinese and Taiwanese.

I read a news about the relationship between China and Finland. It says that in Finland, the Chinese immigrants are rather few. Even with the Chinese students studying aboard in 1980s, the Chinese Finns so far are less 1,000 with more than 3,000 Chinese in Finland- most of them are students and visiting scholars. Besides, quite a few Chinese students who go to work in Finnish companies or research institutions right after they graduate from Finnish schools. In this case, it means by academic interaction, Finland and China can build up a tighter relationship together.  

When I googled “investment in Finland,” I found some information about it. It says the government welcomes foreign investment and implements some policies, tax incentives to attract foreign investment.

As the information shows, there are some benefits for foreign companies to invest. Please see as below:

• A business environment with minimal red tape
• One of the world’s least corrupt countries (Transparency International)
• Out of all the Nordic countries, Finland has the biggest turnover from innovation
• Finland is the EU leader for utility patents, and has the world’s third biggest R&D spending per capita
• Easy access to venture capital
• One of the first countries to integrate digital and wireless technologies
• Highly developed scientific, technological and telecommunications infrastructures
• Among the highest internet, broadband and mobile phone penetration in the world
• Efficient business start-up process
• Well-developed roads, railways, and airports
• A comprehensive network of waterways, canals and sea-lanes, facilitating vibrant trade with the EU, Russia and Asia.
• Lowest electricity costs of all Nordic countries
• 24 airports, facilitating freight and passenger traffic.
• Helsinki-Vantaa Airport is of the best international airports in the world (surveys conducted by IATA and ASQ), and provides connections to over 120 destinations worldwide.
• Strategically situated in Northern Europe to reach over 80 million consumers
• Highest concentration of scientists and engineers in the world
• A world-renowned educational system, and among the best-reputed research centers in the world.
• Increase in the number of R&D personnel from 40,000 to almost 80,000 in just 10 years, accounting for 2% of the total labor force - the highest figure among the OECD countries.
• The number of doctoral degrees has doubled in the last decade
• 1/3 of Finland’s working population holds a degree or higher qualification
• The new Aalto University in Helsinki will create exciting possibilities for further multidisciplinary education and research

Yes, the infrastructure, human resources, R&D development and technology are the attraction for foreign companies. Then there must be many foreign investment in Finland, right? As a guest in Finland, this is my fourth visit. As far as I observe, the high tax and the limit time for shops to open, Finland definitely is not the shopping paradise or the place to encourage people to consume as much as possible. That is, Finland cannot develop the capitalism model as the U.S. does. Finland just has the first Starbucks in Helsinki recently; the diversity of stores/shops frankly is not that exciting.

However, all of my statement above can be looked on the bright side. Finland is such a country preserving the tradition and values. Their design- the elegant and simple style makes more and more Asians crazy about Finland. Only have been in Finland less than 3 months altogether, I have so much to learn about Finland. Nevertheless,I believe that even though Finland cannot purchase the fruits out of capitalism, or export as much as China does, Finland has her unique role in the world to play. All we should do now is to open up the communication channels and know each other better. It would lead to win-win situation for more foreign investment.   

The Southern Taiwan Science Park (STSP) includes Tainan Science Park (2,578 acres) and Kaohsiung Science Park (1,409 acres). On July 1, 1993, the 2,388th executive meeting of the Executive Yuan approved an Economic Revitalization Project in which the establishment of a science park in southern Taiwan was proposed. The STSP Development Plan (which covered the Phase I Site of the Tainan Science Park) by the National Science Council was approved by the Executive Yuan in May 1995 to mark the beginning of southern Taiwan’s high-tech development.
To help the Park enterprises within 1 kilometer of the High Speed Rail deal with the impact of vibrations, former Premier Chun-Hsiung Chang during his inspection of STSP on May 17, 2001 ordered that the Phase II Site of the Tainan Science Park be accelerated. The expansion plan was approved by the Executive Yuan on September 19, 2001.

As a matter of fact, I am not the export for science and industry but I would like to humbly share some of my personal opinions. During my research about all three science and industrial parks in Taiwan, the Southern Taiwan Science Park maintains the best official website to connect with people in six languages, including Chinese, English, French, Japanese, German and Spanish. (http://www.stsipa.gov.tw/web/indexGroups?frontTarget=ENGLISH)

Besides, there are several videos to introduce themselves and the overall statistics to show their performance. The sales of the park is mostly for integrated circuits ( for example, in 2011, the labor productivity per person is NT$14.4 millions = 387 thousands euros); and for optoelectronics is NT$ 8.32 millions = 223 thousands euros). Obviously, the labor productivity is highly valued and has been tracked.

Meanwhile, one section on the official website interests me the most is the employment of foreigners. Please see the description as below:

“ Application qualification and requirements

Lots of industries acclaim that they want to promote their competition by hiring foreign employees. As we can see from the official website, STSP really takes action. What’s more, they also know how to distinguish themselves from the others by saying their advantage aloud-

The ICT & Electronics industries form one of the key business areas of the region and therefore offer excellent opportunities for investment. Businesses in these fields are in a particularly crucial role in developing Kainuu’s economy.  The main focus areas to be seen in the ICT and electronics industry are measurement and sensoring technologies, vehicle testing systems, the data centre knowledge cluster, wellbeing and sport technologies, gaming and software development and energy technologies.

Technology

As in the majority of other regions across Finland, the ICT & Electronics sector holds significant influence in terms of employment and business.  Kainuu’s technology industries account for 19% of the region’s exports and 73% of ongoing R&D work with a collective turnover of 200 million Euros.  With 5700 professionals employed in the Technology sector, this accounts for approximately 20% of the region’s workforce.

Read more http://www.investinkainuu.com/index.php?id=5

Source: Kainuun Etu / Invest in Kainuu 

Taiwan is an industry –intensive island. There are three science parks cross this 36,000 km² area.Today, I would like to introduce the central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP) to you.

The origins about the park is that in 2002, the Executive Yuan approved the plan for the Central Taiwan Science Park under the authority of the National Science. It is the very first science park in Taiwan that the public construction and the manufacturing plants for Park enterprises were built simultaneously. It took only 10 months and 5 days from plan approval to commencement of construction. By July 28, 2003, the park was open to enterprises, resulting in unprecedented records and efficiency for the Park. On June 27, 2005, Houli Park was approved, and by March 31, 2006, the site was open to enterprises, making for another development record of 9 months and 4 days.

On October 27, 2004, AU Optronics Corp. was officially opened for business in CTSP. It took 1 year and 3 months from plant construction to operation, making for a new page of historical records in the Park’s developments. By December 2010, the Park has approved a total of 108 enterprises whose combined investments have totaled to NT$ 2 trillion (US$ 63.694 billion). 79 of these Park enterprises now have fully operational plants. At this point, CTSP’s clusters have begun to define their reputation

On 8^th/9, 2011, the park was visited by delegation of Japanese companies, as the press release shows “The delegation visited potential investors, including M.SETEK (PV mono-crystalline silicon wafers), KOHA (LED light source), ULVAC (FPD, PV, LED vacuum equipment), Mitsubishi Materials (FPD materials), Ohara Optical (optical glass), and Nippon Electric Glass (glass substrates used in TFT-LCDs), as well as the Yokosuka Research Park ("the YRP"), a sister park of the CTSP, and the telecommunications firms in the YRP. The delegation briefed the firms visited on the superior investment environment of the CTSP and the incentives the CTSP provides. The delegation was warmly received and had friendly discussions with the firms. Four of the firms expressed interest in investing in the CTSP and will prepare and submit applications worth approximately NT$12 billion.” Further, it emphasizes Taiwan’s attitude towards the foreign investment- “Currently, Taiwan is aggressively encouraging foreign investment. The delegation's trip to Japan has been fruitful.”

Let’s let the numbers talk. For the investment in 2011, the average investment is more than 20,000,000 million NTD (538,000 million euros). See the chart by month in 2011:

As for human resources, they intend to increase the numbers of high educated employees. So far, the majority have B.A or Master degrees.

Science Park Human Resources Distribution Statistic 2011 as below:

Science Park Human Resources Distribution Statistic 2011

If I look at the park on a macroeconomic perspective, in my opinion, compared to the first science park- Hsinchu Park, the Central Taiwan Science Park has some advantages. First, the location is the central of Taiwan, which means that it connects the North science park and the South science park with the human resources,technology and communication channels. Next, the weather in the central of Taiwan is more comfortable than the other science parks. It would affect employees’ productivity and also attract more visitors. Last, since it is quite a new science park, policies are under way. It means that the park is younger and more flexible to adapt it to fit in the global competition.

Can the Central Taiwan Science Park become the heart of Taiwan to boost the high technology economy and further become the heart of Asia to build up a reputable distinction in the world? We hold our breath to await.

Taiwan’s tech industry, we can say, is all started from Hsinchu Science and Industrial Park ( Chinese: 新竹科學工業園區). In 1980, the government established an industrial park that straddles Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County, the Northwestern of the island of Taiwan.

Hsinchu Science and Industrial Park was founded by Kwoh-Ting Li, former Finance Minister of Republic of China (Taiwan). Inspired by Silicon Valley in the United States, Li consulted Frederick Terman, on how Taiwan could follow its example. From there, Li convinced talents who had gone abroad to build companies in this new Silicon Valley in Taiwan. Among those who returned is Morris Chang, who later leads the Industrial Technology Research Institute(ITRI). Li also introduced the concept of venture capital to the country in the effort to attract funds to finance the startups in the science part (Note: info from Wikipedia).

Hsinchu Science Park (HSP) is now one of the world's most significant areas for semiconductor manufacturing. More than 400 high-tech companies (see the list below), mainly involved in the semiconductor, computer, telecommunication, and optoelectronics industries, have been established in the park since the end of December 2003. Its 400 technology companies accounted for 10% of Taiwan GDP in 2007. It is home to the world's top two semiconductor foundries, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company ( TSMC) and United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), both of which were established at the nearby Industrial Technology Research Institute. Taiwan is the only country that possesses a professional division-of-labor system in the semiconductor industry and also has the highest density of 12-inch wafer-producing fabs, most of which are based in the park.

Next door to the science park are two of Taiwan's science and engineering powerhouses, National Chiao Tung University and National Tsing Hua University. In this way, these companies can directly communicate with the students- the potential employees and the students have more channels to motivate themselves towards their profession. There is also a science-themed amusement park nearby. That is, the Park tries to connect people and technology together.

   Major companies located in the park

• Acer Inc.
• Alpha Networks Inc.
• AU Optronics
• D-Link
• Chimei Innolux
• Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Holtek
• Lite-On
• Logitech
• Macronix International (MXIC)
• MediaTek
• Microtek
• MiTAC
• MStar Semiconductor
• MA-tek Inc.
• Optodisc
• Philips
• Powerchip Semiconductor (PSC)
• ProMos Technologies
• Realtek
• Sunplus
• Silicon Integrated Systems
• Tecom - Tecom Co., Ltd
• TSMC - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd.
• United Microelectronics Corporation
• Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation
• Winbond
• ZyXEL

Promisingly, the technology industry in Taiwan, thanks to Hsinchu Science and Industrial Park, gets to grow and expand. It sets a good example for our neighbors. On 19/5, 2012, the governor of Hunan Province came to visit and exchange some ideas. He said that Hsinchu Park and Optics Valley of China (the industrial park in the central of China- Wuhan) are the important high-tech industry bases in China and Taiwan;therefore, both sides should interact with each other more.

Moreover, the first Chinese company is coming to locate themselves in the Taichung Science and Industrial Park, which opens another new door for the cooperation between China and Taiwan. 

If you see an i-phone, you would know it is an U.S. brand; if you see a Samsung smartphone, you would know it is a S. Korean brand; and if you see a HTC smartphone, you may wonder where it comes from, right? The answer is Taiwan.

What is HTC about? Let’s go back to look at its history:

HTC Corporation (Chinese: 宏達國際電子股份有限公司; pinyin: Hóngdá Guójì Diànzǐ Gǔfèn Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī), formerly High Tech Computer Corporation, is a Taiwanese manufacturer of smartphones and tablets.

The company has a rich heritage of many "firsts", including creating the first Microsoft-powered smartphone (2002) and the first Microsoft 3G phone (2005). Their first major product was made in 2000 and was one of the world's first touch screen smartphones. The Palm Treo 650 and the iPAQ were created by HTC. They started producing 3G-capable phones in early 2005 and made the world's first Android phone in 2008, the HTC Dream (also marketed as the T-Mobile G1). It was first released in the United States for pre-order through T-Mobile USA on September 23, 2008, and became available in U.S. T-Mobile stores on October 22, 2008.

Compared to Taiwan’s biggest company- Foxconn, HTC is far more important for the exporting and GDP in Taiwan. Due to “MIT,” which means their products are Made In Taiwan (they actually hire people in Taiwan), though their annual revenue is only 1/7 to 1/8 of Foxconn’s, their influence for Taiwan’s economy growth and employment market is enormous.

On 22.5.2012,CommonWealth Magazine ( one of the biggest magazines in Taiwan) points out that, during these three years, the HTC smartphone exporting is the main driver for the export growth in Taiwan. The official number shows that in 2008, the exporting for the sole company is valued 31.6 billion NTD (equals to 842 million Euros) and in 2011, the amount is tenfold- 415 billion NTD (11.06 billion Euros).  

In Wikipedia, “in April 2011,the company's market value surpassed that of Nokia to become the third largest smartphone maker in the world, only behind Apple and Samsung.”

Unfortunately, things cannot be always right with HTC. The fourth quarter in 2011, the exporting decreased by 4%, and it keeps worsening, especially the electronic and communication products. The markets that shrink the most are in China and the U.S.. Further, the first quarter of 2012, the revenue severely falls by 35% because of Apple and Samsung. According to the IDC market survey, the sale of Samsung grows 267% since 2011, overtaking Apple as the NO.1 in the smartphone market. On the other hand, the sale of HTC declines by 23.3%.

What’s wrong with HTC then? As a customer, one of my Finnish friends honestly told me that he is very satisfied with his HTC smartphone except one disadvantage- the battery. Once he surfs online, the battery quickly dies ,so he needs to frequently charge it. Besides, if you look at the design of HTC, you cannot tell it is Samsung or another brands. Unlike Apple, which has the most recognizable and elegant design to attract customers, the design of HTC, in my opinion, is slightly disappointing. 

The well-being of HTC is not just about the company itself but the economy growth of Taiwan. That is, it is way too important to fail. How should HTC win customers back? It is an urgent question for HTC and the government to answer. 

Rajasthan is an incredible land of India which is popular for many features. The sand dunes is one of the most appealing and attractive feature of the state. The golden sand dunes attracts tourists in such a way that they can’t ignore to take a camel ride. The camel ride is another very temping activity among the tourists. During the sunrise and sunset vacationers love to enjoy the camel ride as want to explore the far distance of the entire desert from the back of camel.

Apart from sand dunes and camel ride, vacationers here explore the majestic forts and palaces of the place. The fantastic places where vacationers can have fun are Ajmer, Alwar, Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Mount Abu, Pushkar, Ranakpur, Sariska and Ranthambore. Rajasthan travel guide vacationers very well to enjoy all these places and have extreme fun. While exploring all these places tourists get to know about various stories of India’s rich background. Rajasthan tour operators have expert guides with them that help tourists to enjoy and experience lots of things from their superlative journey.

Taj Mahal Tour is incomplete if tourists do not enjoy the program of folk music and dance. The cultural music and dance of the place make vacationers forget their all tiredness and sorrows. Apart from the enjoyment, the royal treatment in hotels of Rajasthan make tourists feels that as if they were reached in raja’s era. The colorful and bustling markets of the state also attract tourists to enjoy shopping. It compels tourists to purchase some memorable item for their sweet memories.

Tourists must plan to enjoy their vacations in Rajasthan. On this Rajasthan tour tourists will gather lots of memories with them that compel them to visit again and again. So plan your vacations to enjoy immensely and gather lots sweet memories.

Kerala is one of the most captivating tourist states in India. It is located at Malabar Coast alongside the blue Arabian Sea in South India. Whether you are planning your honeymoon or want to spend some relax time in the lap of nature, Kerala would be the ideal place. The state is mainly famed for its long stretched white sand beaches and 900 km interconnected backwater network.

The state is home of many appealing tourist attractions. Some world-famous beaches are also located along its beautiful coastline. Kovalam is the most visited beach holiday destination in the state located at the outskirts of Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala. Sunbathing, adventures water sports and swimming are the most exciting activities to enjoy over here. Tourists can also take pleasure of Ayurvedic body massage at body massage parlors located in surrounding areas of Kovalam. Varkala, Fort Kochi, Kappad, Cherai and Alappuzha are the other popular beaches in the state.

Kerala is also known for its excellent backwater network. The state has 900 km long interconnected network of several water bodies. Backwater of Kerala is the best way to explore nature grandeur of the state. Tourists will explore many remote and scenic places on sailing through its tranquil backwaters. Alleppey, Kasargod, Kumarakom, Kollam and Kochi are the important backwater destinations of the state. Luxury houseboats are easily available at all these places. Tourists can hire houseboats per day charges or for any preferred tourist circuit according to interest. Houseboats are also favorite accommodation options for lovemaking couples on Tour To Kerala offer romantic solitude to spend memorizing time.

There are much more to explore in Kerala like beautiful hill towns, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, heritage sites, old temples, etc. So, if you are looking for a complete refreshing break, you can select suitable Kerala Travel Packages and embark on the memorizing expedition this wonderland. Many reputed tour and travel service providers available in the country offer specially organized Kerala Tours according tourists’ budgets. You can take their services to plan your trip.

When it comes to electronics industry, we Taiwanese are proud of Foxconn and HTC. Nevertheless, they are very different from each other. Today, I would like to just address some points about Foxconn.

Foxconn is funded by Guo, Tai-ming in Taipei, Taiwan in 1974. In the beginning, the company only manufactures plastic products, in 1981, the company changes the direction into electronic components, in 1988, Guo sets up the first factory in Guangzhou, the province of the southern China and in the end of 2010, Foxconn climbs up to Top 50 companies around the world.

In Wikipedia, Foxconn “ is the world's largest maker of electronics components and the largest exporter in Mainland China.” In 2008, it occupies 3.9% of China’s exporting. Furthermore, it has factories in Asia (China, Malaysia and India), Europe (Hungry, Slovakia and Czech Republic) and Latin America (Mexico and Brazil), which together assemble around 40 percent of consumer electronics products in the world. The influence of Foxcoon for the economy growth of these countries cannot be underestimated.

Customers worldwide may not be familiar with the brand of Foxconn. But you must be with Apple, Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson or ZTE. Foxconn is the largest OEM (original equipment manufacturer) for these products. It is interesting to realize how small the global village is- the Taiwanese company builds up a factory in China to manufacture the American band smart phones! 

Unlike Samsung to South Korea (which occupies 22% GDP), Foxconn frankly does not bring the economy booming that much to Taiwan. Yes, it is a Taiwanese company and the headquarter is located in Taipei. With only 5,000 employees in Taiwan, Taiwanese cannot feel the prosperity that Foxconn enjoys around the world. On the other hand, in China, there are plenty Foxconn factories and more than 1 MILLION employees working for Foxconn! (Just imagine more than 1/5 Finns in Finland work for Nokia) Therefore, Foxconn helps China tremendously grow instead of Taiwan. In other words, I would say Guo,Tai-ming builds his own “kingdom” in China, where Taiwan could not share together.

Things could get worse- several employee suicide events happened in the factories of China. The media later debunked that the employees were badly treated, which led to poor health and even the danger to their lives. Duo to the lack of the decent communication, the reputation of Apple was affected, since some people called i-phone the products of "blood and sweat". Ever since then, in 2012, the Fair Labor Association was hired by Apple to audit working conditions at Foxconn.

Nowadays, Foxconn obviously is not confined in such a small island like Taiwan, but belongs to the global stage. Hence, how the company sees a big picture to grow, to maintain and to manage is not only involved with 1 million employees in China but also the big companies like Apple.       

My hometown is Taichung City, which is the third biggest city in Taiwan with over 2.6 million population (please imagine half of population in Finland all live in a area as small as 2,214.8968 km² ! ). However, many people means many entertainments. I have hosted several foreign friends in my hometown and I realized that what they enjoyed the most was not always from what travel guides recommended.

There are my favorite places in my hometown:

1. Yi-zhong Street: it must be surprising for foreigners to understand how this street prospers- due to the afterschool education industry! We Taiwanese believe what you learn from high school is not enough to compete with another students so that private class after school becomes more and more popular. Since thousands of students come to the class right after school, they got to eat. Step by step, more and more shops for food, clothes, hairstyle and so on come to play along with these young people. It is an ideal place to observe our youth culture with some snacks in hand. 
   
2. Feng-jia Night Market: it is one of the biggest night markets in Taiwan with more than 1,000 vendors/shops. The night market is near Feng-jia University, so there are a lot of “older (compared to the previous one)” students wandering around in the night market (If you feel like, you can also visit our university campus). If you want to experience the crowdedness; If you want to buy something, drink something and eat something, Feng-jia Night Market is your best choice. Unlike in Finland, it opens almost 24 hours (it depends on vendors/shops).
3. The Third Market: unlike most western big cities, most Taiwanese tend to shop in traditional markets for fresh vegetables and meat. From morning to noon, you can see how lively our traditional markets are. You can even have your local breakfast here. If you have no clue what to eat, then follow the crowd! That is the tip to find what is the most popular among the local. As the picture shows, during Chinese New Year, there are vendors selling decoration and calligraphy.  
4. Holiday KTV: it opens 24/7 and comes with all-you-can-eat buffet. Unlike in Finland, Taiwanese ,in general, dare not to sing in public ( I cannot picture myself singing in public and torturing people’s ears and appetite… ). Lots of people hang out there in their private rooms. It is a good way to know our pop music better and also bond with people.
5. Eslite Parklane: it is a sort of department store but Eslite Bookstore is the spotlight. There are plenty shops and restaurants. If you feel like having some air-conditioning indoor, and please visit the place. You can observe how Taiwanese read and what kind of books interest us. The reason I like this place so much is because they create such a comfortable place for people to read, shop and eat. The vertical garden on the wall is a huge hit. 
6. The good way to know the local better and save your budget for the trip, I would recommend a website- couchsurfing (http://www.couchsurfing.org/). You can stay in their places for free and make friends with them. Also, it is a great way to experience Taiwanese's hospitality! 

In my opinion, the moment upon arriving at the foreign airport is scary. You have no idea where to go, what to do and whom to ask help from. Hopefully my tips as a local Taiwanese would save you a lot of panic. The task is once arriving at the airport, how should we be prepared to meet a Taiwanese colleague? 

- Greeting: Asians generally are shy. We do not hug or kiss on cheeks especially on business occasions. Please shake hands when you meet your Taiwanese colleagues.
- business card: exchanging business cards is important to introduce yourself to a Taiwanese colleague. In Taiwan, the manner matters.

As a receiver, you should receive your colleague’s business card with both hands, and read the title plus the family name. For example, if the colleague is a manager and the family name is Yang, please address him/her “Manager Yang” immediately. Note: we do not like to be called “assistant managers,” which means lower than real managers. Instead, please address an assistant manager by “manager”  to save face.

As a giver, also use your both hands to give your business card to your colleagues. It shows your respect.

- gifts: a small gift which presents your country is much appreciated. The price of a gift does not need to be high. We Taiwanese say “ the heart matters.” A gift can be an excellent ice-breaker and build up a relationship with your Taiwanese colleagues. I would say some Finnish hand-made crafts are ideal choices.

-timing: for formal meetings, it is important to be punctual. On the other hand, if it is a big party event with your friends in Taiwan, being a bit late is acceptable.

- travel to hotel: in fact, the international airport is not located in Taipei (the capital of Taiwan) but in Taoyuan, 40-minute driving distance to Taipei. If you have no one to pick you up from the airport, just follow the sign to lead you to the local buses or taxis. I would suggest you take a bus to the cities and then take a taxi to find your hotel, which is cheaper. There are plenty of bus companies for different destinations, so it would not be long for you to wait.

- visiting an office: please make an appointment before you visit an office. Once you get there, just be professional and polite. Generally Taiwanese are hospitable and talkative; therefore, be ready and try not to feel overwhelmed!

- dress code: for business, for men, it is appropriate to wear a decent shirt with a tie; for women, wearing a suit with a skirt/ a pair of long pants is consider formal and professional. For social event, please wear something comfortable but not sloppy.

 
- visiting at private home: like I mentioned above, Taiwanese are famous for our hospitality. Once you are invited to someone’s home, you are considered as his/her friend. Most likely, you would be invited for an authentic Taiwanese dinner. I would suggest you not to go visiting with empty hands. In other words, please bring some drinks or some dessert to share with.

 
- food and beverages: this section can be connected with the previous one. Taiwanese like to share our food and drinks with visitors. Our food basically is not that different from Chinese food. If you like Chinese food in Chinese restaurants, then that is great for you; if not, at least try everything that your host serve you. Since we like to share so much, once we see your bowl (we do not eat in plates but bowls with chopsticks) is empty, we would keep serving you over and over again until you “explode!” Hence, a tip for you here is to make yourself clear that you are full and completely satisfied. In Chinese, you can say, “Bú yòng ,wǒ chī bǎo le ！不用,我吃飽了！（No more, I am full!）” Furthermore, if you know you cannot force yourself to eat something too “authentic” (I know some Taiwanese food would bring some culture shock to foreign friends like chicken feet as the picture shown)

, and you do not how to politely reject, you could say you are allergic to it. “guò mǐn 過敏 （allergic）.” People would understand it and would not be offended.

For beverages, for business, Chinese/Taiwanese tea would be served. Please smell the tea and take a sip. It is always appreciated if you admire our tea. For social events, tea or beer would be shared. In Taiwan, we would like to drink our own brand of beer- Taiwan beer. It is a good way to bond with your Taiwanese colleagues or friends. Try it and enjoy it!

In the end, I would like to just say please be open-mined to embrace the culture difference. Once you build up a relationship with a Taiwanese, it is a long-term relationship that you would cherish very much. 

Hsuan-chu (Chloe) Lee, last week we spoke about new blog postings featuring Taiwan, China, and Hong-Kong.

How should an European prepare himself / herself?

1. ARRIVING AT THE AIRPORT: how should we be prepared to meet a Taiwanese colleague?
   - business card
   - formalities, customs, etc.
   - gifts, presents, timing
   - meeting at the airport
   - travel to hotel (taxi, subway, public transport)
   - visiting an office
   - dress code
   - visiting at private home
   - food and beverages...
   
   
2. YOUR HOMETOWN: It might be a good idea to present some of your favored shops, tee-houses / cafeterias, shopping centers where you like to go
   - my idea is to add a human interest point of view to the blog postings
   - also consider how to travel to Asia with a small budget, not necessarely staying at five star luxury hotels or traveling first class

Monday morning: could we talk over skype at 10 am. I'll be traveling on Tuesday all day from early morning to late night, so we can cover the writings of the new week.

We used to live and work in Alsace par la route des villages fleuris during the 90's.

It was a great time and  I learned to speak some French.

Good food
Excellent wine

Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area (8,280 km²), and the smallest in metropolitan France.

It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km².

(total population in 2006: 1,815,488; 1 January 2008 estimate: 1,836,000)

Alsace is located on France's eastern border and on the west bank of the upper Rhine adjacent to Germany and Switzerland.

The political, economic and cultural capital as well as largest city of Alsace is Strasbourg. Because that city is the seat of dozens of international organizations and bodies, Alsace is politically one of the most important regions in the European Union.

Indian country is known for its wonderful heritage over the world. There are many popular historical sites located around the country attract large numbers of visitors from far away place. The masterpiece of Taj Mahal in Agra and majestic Amber Fort in Jaipur are the two most interesting heritage sites to visit in North India. Some important information about these two places is following.


Taj Mahal



Taj Mahal is one of the most visited heritage site in India. It is located at the banks of Yamuna River in Agra city. The beautiful monument was built by the great Mughal emperor Shan Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. It was built in 17th century and from more than four hundred years the building has been standing as the epitome of true love. The masterpiece of Taj Mahal is also regarded as the Jewels of Muslim Arts in India. Due to its unique architecture and eye-catching beauty, the Taj Mahal is also included into one of the New Seven Wonders of the World with more than hundred million votes. Many tour operators provide separate
 Taj Mahal tours due to its global popularity. You can explore this wonderful heritage site with a right tour package.


Amber Fort


Amber Fort is the prime tourist attraction of
 India Tours Packages . It is located at the outer edge of Pink City – Jaipur, the capital of the state. The forts was primarily built by the rulers of Meena Dynasty in 12th century and undergone many amendment and additions over the time. It is the largest fort complex in Jaipur built over Aravalli Hills in four levels. It was well designed with separate courtyards, miniature paintings, sculptures, series of gates and gardens. The top front of this majestic fort also offers wonderful views of Maota Lake. Elephant safaris are the popular attraction and best way to explore this majestic fort complex.


These are the two must watch heritage places in North India. If you want to explore these interesting sites, you can take help of
 Rajasthan Tour operators to plan your expedition. Many reputed tour operators of the state offer well organized tour packages including Amber Fort and Taj Mahal.

Kerala is one of the most alluring and preferred destinations of India for vacations. Kerala is also known as the green paradise. The natural loveliness of the place heels all sorrows of vacationers and compels them to enjoy to the fullest. The cool and breezy atmosphere of the state make vacationers feels relaxed. Kerala comprises with numbers of excellent features such as spellbound hills, stunning waterfalls, soothing lakes, sunny beaches, beautiful backwaters and lush green forests. Vacationers will experience lots of fantastic things on their amazing journey.

Holidays in Kerala becomes memorable when vacationers enjoy the striking backwaters of the place. They all are quite appealing and tempting. Tourists can have fun on backwater through Kerala houseboats. In this state tourists will enjoy the blessed nature through the houseboat which is certainly amazing for them. To enjoy the journey more passionately vacationers can take the Kerala Travel Packages.

The famous backwaters where vacationers love to visit are Alappuzha, Kollam, Kochi, Kottayam and Thiruvallam. Apart from these places vacationers can also enjoy at various beaches of the place. They can take pleasure though the sun bath and playing few games. The sun kissed beaches make vacationers feel relaxed. Some of the widely visited beaches are Alappuzha, Bekal, Beypore, Cherai, Dharmadam, Ezhimala and Fort Kochi.

Apart from backwater and beaches vacationers can also visit the hill stations of the state to enjoy the panoramic view. Chembra Peak, Idukki, Lakkidi, Devikulam, and Chithirapuram are famous hill stations that win heart of tourists.
Tourists can take the help of travel guides as they have superlative 
Tour to kerala to make the journey awesome.

Travelers must not think much to make plan for their vacations. They must start packing their bags and get ready to reach the place to have fun to the fullest. Holiday package Kerala assures that they make your trip memorable for lifetime.

India is an amazing place to have vacations. It is quite famous for its natural beauty, which includes Himalayan Mountain range, northern plains, Thar Desert, beaches and coastal area in the south and many more. Besides the natural beauty, India is full of man-made creations. These include many hundreds of year-old temples, monuments, mosques, luxurious palaces and war hardened forts. India Tours are a great way to explore these astonishing places and vacations spent here is surely an amazing experience.

International tourists will have their hands full because of the endless list of place to visit in India. It has vacation options for every type of tourists. One can choose from a variety of vacation options in India. It depends on the requirements and time schedule of the tourist. One can go to a honeymoon destination or can explore the culture and traditions of India. When to visit India and what to see can become a hard question because of the many tour options available in India. Guided Tours of India are an ideal choice because they give you more fun out of your tours without wasting any time. A planned vacation trip gives the tourist more time to enjoy with family and friends even they don't think about the minor details.

The key for a great vacation in India is to select the destination according to the needs. A honeymoon couple would like to spend more time together. So a hill station would be a great place to go because the weather is pleasant and romantic there. Some of the famous hill stations in India are Kashmir, Leh Ladakh, Dalhousie, Mussoorie, Darjeeling, Kullu, Shimla, Manali, Nainital and Ooty. These hill stations are also great summer retreats. Besides hill stations, beaches of Goa and Kerala are also becoming popular as honeymoon destination.

The culture and traditions of India are an important factor that attracts tourists from other countries. Cities like Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, etc. holds many of the architectural wonders, which have seen and lived the history. Most India tours are incomplete without a visit to Taj Mahal. There is so much to see in India. Those seeking a pilgrimage destination can go to Varanasi, Puskar, Amaranth, Haridwar, Tirupati and many more. The holy and spiritual atmosphere of these cities has an enchanting effect upon the mind and soul. The festive season in India brings everything alive. Visit India during any Indian festival and see how lively the atmosphere becomes.

Besides all these mortal creations Mother Nature, also has showered her full blessings on India. It has many national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and bird sanctuaries those are preserving the natural wealth of India. Thousands of wildlife lovers from across the globe visit India to explore the nature’s realm. Lion and Tiger reserves are also very famous, and a lot of international tourists visit them each year to see these magical predators closely. All these things make India a delight for holidays. With the help of an experienced tour operator in India, one can create beautiful holiday memories and cherish them for the lifetime.

Explore India with 
Guided Tours India, which will be available with you throughout the
 India Tours.

Author: Swati Singh

India called incredible India because of many reasons. One of them is that it is one of the oldest civilizations in the world. This is the reason that India has such a vast culture. Many tourists have created so many wonderful memories on their incredible India tours. If someone wants to have a holiday full of amazing experiences than India is the place to visit. The variant geography, rich culture, unique traditions, architectural marvels and raw wildlife are some of its amazing features that attract tourists. It is a country unlike any other in the world.


India blessed with so many unique geographical features. The Himalayan Mountain, the world's highest mountain range, in the north is like a crown on India's head. This gives tourists a lot of hill stations to choose from. The Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal surround the west; south and the east side of India. As a result, India has wide variety of beaches. The Thar Desert in the north-west part of country gives tourists another option of desert tours. India tours give the traveler a better chance to explore the incredible India.


India called the Golden Bird in the ancient period. Its rich culture and history are very famous between international tourists. The 5000 years-old culture is an amazing mixture of different religions. This makes India a hot tourist destination all over the world. There is so much to experience and explore in India. The heritage of India is well-preserved in the form of buildings and monuments. From cultural point of view, India outclasses everyone. Cities like Agra, Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Mysore, Varanasi, etc. can give the tourists glimpse of the unique culture that India holds.


There are so many kinds of vacation options one can choose from. One can visit cities with historical importance like Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, etc. One can also take a Pilgrimage tour as there are so many holy places of worship of different religions. Different parts of India provide types of tour options. Those looking for a beautiful and calm place can surely consider Kashmir and Ladakh as ideal places. Wildlife lovers will find the wilderness of Indian forests very captivating. With more than 441 wildlife sanctuaries and 80 national parks, one can see plenty of wild creatures. There are so many hill stations, which are ideal for honeymoon couples.


Vacations are the time to relax and to enjoy. While planning to visit India, one should thinking about how much fun he can have rather thinking about all those issues like ticket and hotel booking, travel arrangements and so on. It is always better to let an expert handle these things. A travel agent will know which places are there to visit, which hotel is better under which star category and so on. A good travel agent can also customize the tour according to requirements of the tourist. This allows the tourist to have more time so that he can have more fun.


Tourists around the globe love to have an
 Incredible India Tours and exploring the ancient monuments of the country and
 Golden Triangle Tours is famous one in 
Incredible India.

Author: Swati Singh

If you have never been to Taiwan for business, you definitely need some tips for it. As a Taiwanese, who travels back and forth to Oulu,Finland, I would like to share my own experience with you.

*The first step is to book a flight ticket from Helsinki to Taiwan. Remember, it is a lot more expensive if you travel directly from Oulu to Taiwan. The international airport in Taiwan is located in Taipei, Taiwan - Chiang Kai Shek Airport (TPE).  The airline I recommend is Cathay Pacific, an airline run by one Hong Kong cop.. The food and service is good,the price is reasonable and you will have an experience to transfer from Hong Kong International Airport,which operates one of the world's largest passenger terminal buildings. While waiting, you can shop to kill time!

* The next step is to plan your transportation from Oulu to Helsinki. An 8-hour road trip from Oulu to Helsinki absolutely is a pain, so I recommend you take a cheap flight by Norwegian Airline. On weekdays, you can even find one-way ticket with the price just around 30 euros. It is even cheaper than a train ticket and save you lots of time!

* The last step is to prepare for the currency, New Taiwan Dollar (NTD), the converter for your electronics and a cellphone in Taiwan.

Most foreigners would exchange their currencies in the airport right after they arrive in Taiwan. My suggestion is that if you have some local  guides, please just exchange little money for you to survive the first two days, and go to another banks to exchange the rest of your budget since the bank in the airport would not provide the most ideal rate for you even though they acclaim "no commission."  Here is the bills ( currently 1 EURO = 37.68 NTD):

The plugs are different from the ones in Europe, so you need a converter (6A/250V) in Taiwan. If you happen to forget it, you can buy it in some grocery shops. It looks like this:

The last step is to get yourself a local cellphone. I would suggest you take your own phone with you and go to a convenience store, such as 7-11, to get a local phone number for your short visit. It would be better if you ask a help from your local guides. 

By the way, 7-11 is the most popular convenience store in Taiwan- there are more than 5,000 stores in such a small island. If you need to make a copy, fax, buy bus/train/movie/concert tickets or print files out from your USB, it will be the place for you.

Hope the tips help. Enjoy your trip in Taiwan! 

Imagine you plan a trip to Asia, among China and Taiwan these two options, what would you choose?

If people ask me what is the difference between a trip to China and to Taiwan, I would say you could enjoy the warmth and hospitality from Taiwanese and the delicate aspect of Chinese culture that you may not find in China.

As a Taiwanese being eager to share my culture with foreigners, I have been hosting my foreign friends several times for Chinese New Year celebration. No matter where they are from , they were impressed by our people and tradition. There are four must you definitely cannot miss- night markets, temples, (foot) massages and Taiwanese karaoke.

The most popular thing about Taiwan is night markets. Unlike some Western countries, the later you stay outside, the more lively atmosphere you can enjoy in night markets! There are plenty food vendors for unique Taiwanese cuisine, such as stinky tofu (actually it smells quite good to the local), oyster omelet, bubble tea (tapioca with milk tea), seafood ,chopped ice with fruits and sweets and so on and so on! When it comes to Taiwanese food, I can talk about it for pages and pages. You just need to appreciate it yourself! Plus, the price in Taiwan is pretty low for food, so you can satisfy yourself with 5-euro budget in night markets.

Second, Taiwan luckily preserves the tradition of religions. There are temples everywhere in urban and rural areas. The temples themselves are artworks with colorful hand-made crafts on roofs, gates, and altars. The way we worship gods or goddesses shows how Taiwanese are awed by nature or fatalism; also, how grateful we are to the world, society and family.

Third, (foot) massages are not only welcomed by tourists but local people .The masters of foot massages believe that foot massages can help you improve or maintain health. If you suffer a lot from the foot massage, which means there is something wrong with your organs. The master will even tell you which organ by just massaging your foot! There are another choices if you are not comfortable with people touching your foot. A massage on your shoulders would be nice for the rest of your trip!

Last but not least is Taiwanese karaoke. More and more people even install karaoke at home to sing along whenever they feel like. Our businessmen are so smart that they combine all-you-can-eat buffet and karaoke together. You can sing, drink, and eat Taiwanese cuisine or some fast food as much as possible! It is the best way to quickly admire Taiwanese pop music culture and bond with people. For your information, Taiwanese music industry is one of the most important roots for Asian pop music.

If you are adventurous enough, I would suggest you take an independent trip instead of a group trip. However, a local guide would help you so much in Taiwan. There is a really good website called "couchsurfing (http://www.couchsurfing.org/)," where people can make friends around the world. It helped me tremendously while I traveled in Europe for 100 days! On the website, you can find some people to host you or to give you some tours for free. In this case, you absolutely save a lot money and time to experience the authentic Chinese culture in Taiwan!

Taiwan is such a country that you start to appreciate her once you get to know her in person! Wanna an adventure? Come to Taiwan then!