Travel

"Travel always transforms us - whether we like it or not - in subtle ways or in permanent ones. It gives us new perspectives, new ideas about ourselves and the world we live in."
Travel + Leisure Sept. 2006

I’m proud to be an American

God Bless the U.S.A.
By Lee Greenwood

If tomorrow all the things were gone I’d worked for all my life,
And I had to start again with just my children and my wife.
I’d thank my lucky stars to be living here today,
‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom and they can’t take that away.

And I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A.

From the lakes of Minnesota, to the hills of Tennessee,
across the plains of Texas, from sea to shining sea,
From Detroit down to Houston and New York to LA,
Well, there’s pride in every American heart,
and it’s time to stand and say:

I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A.

Pretty Photos

taipei moment in space took your breath away

Taipei 101 at night

from this photo club
1-2-3 Taiwan/一二三 到臺灣, 臺灣有個阿里山

by Fishtail a great artist!

How to fight bullies in court

Interesting blog. Bob Parsons' advice to you is simply this: Never let anyone push you around. First, try to defuse the situation. If you can’t do that, stand up and defend yourself.

Web surfing top ranked sites

Top 100 Ranked Sites by # of feeds that reference

Inspirational Junkies

For the inspirational junkies out there, check out The Daily Motivator website http://www.greatday.com/ you can also make this your default home page!

Tampa, Florida

Tampa, FL

Palm Trees!

Nice place if you like lots of sun shines and palm trees.

watch out for alligator!

Busch Gardens

DIY Travel: Taipei 101 - God of Heaven - Year of Dog

Taipei 101 in Forumosa Taiwan-- World's Tallest Building, 1,679-foot-tall

& World's fastest elevators, ground floor to 89th floor in 39 seconds!

Here is a good brief video about Taipei 101. the observatory to the top is interesting. There are several good restaurants in the Taipei 101 Mall. Within walking distance of Taipei 101, there are Warner Village and department stores like Mitsukoshi. many good yummy food everywhere.

the National Palace Museum is an interesting place to visit with many culture things to look at. even though it's a little bit out of the city, but it's worth it. check out this short video. If you're looking for something closer, the National Concert Hall in the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall may have concerts or events. there's a cafe and gift shop. the grounds are beautifully maintained like a park.

Taipei City Guide

Wiki Forumosa

Taipei Lantern Festival - Year of Dog

Celebrate birth of God of Heaven during the lunar new year. Actually, they look kind of ghostly with dark red face and long black beard, maybe to scare of the evil spirits!

Pizza Pub at Lai Lai with our friends Angela, Leo, Jonathan & Lin family. The wood-fired oven pizza is fabulous and their live entertainment takes requests.

DIY Travel: Hawaii 2006

O'AHU - HONOLULU

Rent a car and drive around the island is a lot of fun. Lots of things to see. Prepare to find rainbows in the sky.

Beautiful Sunset at Waikiki

Polynesian Cultural Center has the best hula show! You can also get the package with lei greeting, buffet, and show. Prepare to spend the whole day there!

Dole Pineapple Farm

Learn How to Cut a Pineapple and go through World's Largest MazeWaikiki beach

• All your can eat breakfast buffet at Shore Bird Beach Restaurant by the Outrigger Reef Hotel is our favorite, specially if you can find a table by the open window.
• If you would like to visit Pearl Harbor, look for the USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center.
• If you want to lay by a famous bay, go to Hanauma Bay. Unless you're willing to swim out there, don't bother with the snorkel gears, and we had to wait in the line forever to rent them. It has a beautiful view from the top of the hill. The walk is easy if you don't need wheel chair or no health problems. Dr Beach named this one of the best beach.
• Best place to shop for souvenir is at Aloha Stadium Swap Meet, but they don't have it daily so check for the hours.
• We like to get their local guava juice in Walmart. Things you can't find anywhere else.
• Hilo Hattie is another fun place to buy souvenirs. Look for coupons in the tourist newsletter.
• Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort has beautiful grounds with exotic birds, African Red-Winged Flamingo, Black Swans, waterfowl, turtles, fishes, and even penguins! Don't miss their Music, Songs & Dance of Polynesia Show. They put on a good show.
• Try the almost authenic Japanese Ramen, go to Ramen Nakamura. The sitting place is crowded and tight just like in Japan.
• We enjoyed Buddhist Vegetarian Restaurant by China town- 100 N. Beretania St., Suite 109, Honolulu, HI 96817. 808-532-8218.
• It's easy to go from one island to another. It's like catching a bus. Compare the price between two airlines: Aloha Airlines and Hawaiian Airline. Both are comparable, but watch the weight of your suitecase. It's lower than the international flights and they will charge you for the extra weight.
• If you are on route from another island, and need to stay one night by the airport, Honolulu Airport Hotel is our choice, but ONLY stay in the executive room for just a little more. They're nicer and not as far to walk if you have a lot of luggages. Their free 24-hours airport shuttle is good, use courtesy phones in the baggage claim areas.

Surfers at Oahu's North Shore

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BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII

• When you're on the big island, you getta check out Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Visitor Center. You can tour their factory, free taste test, and they have the best price in town. Bring those freshely made chocolate covered macadamia nuts home for souvenir/gifts.
• If you're by the area, check out Akaka Falls in the Akaka Falls State Park. It's an easy walk to see a 422 feet fall up close.
• There's nothing like it in the world to go see red hot lava! It's adventurous like walking on another planet. Volcano National Park - Prepare to hike through lava rocks. Come prepared! Bring flash light and water. Binocular, video camera. Wear hiking boots and jeans. As you can see in the picture below, you'll have to hike through un-even terrain, for at least 1-2 hours. So you want to start hiking during day light, mid afternoon (depends on when is the sunset). By the time you arrive, it's the best time to view lava, during dusk when you can see glowing red lava without the water vapor smokes. If there's no cloud or moon light, you might even see millions of stars and milky way! It's simply amazing!

Volcano National Park - See lava flow into the Ocean. The view is better during dusk.

H A W A I I Tropical Reef Fish

When you're on the Kailua Kona side of the big island, we always enjoy our stay at Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort. Room with pool view closer to the ocean is the best. Their breakfast buffet is by far our favorite, both American cuisine and Japanese cuisine with guava and miso soup. They have a beautiful grounds, and a terrace where you can look at all kinds of fishes below in the clear water. They have exotic birds and flowers. The sun might go under the clouds and present the most spectacular sunset you have ever seen!

Kahaluu Bay Beach Park is next door, we love to snorkel there (bring your gears or there might be vendors in the parking lot). They had a group of local girls learning hula dance. It's so convenient to be next to the snorkel spot and change in the hotel. Pool towls are by the tour info desk, but they run out fast. We saw turtles and swam next to them. Also bring your underwater camera, we found the digital kind is the best since few shots came out okay. The sunset there is absolutely amazing. It's just a paradise! we wished we stayed there at least two nights...

Orangespine Unicornfish Umaumalei

Octopus with Convict Tang Manini

Green Sea Turtle

Racoon Butterflyfish

Moorish Idol Kihikihi (like the one in Finding Nemo)

If you're coffee lover, when you're in Kona, go check out the coffee farm and see the coffee trees. The coffee in Kona is the best.

If you would like to know a little about the Hawaii culture, go to Pu`uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, A Place of Refuge.

Swanson's UnWritten Rules of Management

When William Swanson joined Raytheon as a young engineer in 1972, he was timid and sat quietly scribbling notes at meetings. Decades of observations and wisdom have been boiled down into 33 concise leadership tips that now Raytheon's Chairman and CEO had printed into a 31/2-by-6-inch booklet called Swanson's UnWritten Rules of Management.

No. 4: "Look for what is missing. Many know how to improve what's there; few can see what isn't there."

No. 13: "Those who speak knowingly and confidently often wind up with the assignment to get the job done."

No. 14: "Strive for brevity and clarity in oral and written reports."

"A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter, or to others, is not a nice person."

No. 23 says to fill the boss in on all the potential risks, not just opportunities.

No. 28 says that we remember one-third of what we read, half of what people tell us, but 100% of what we feel.

Rule 31 advises us to put yourself in your boss' shoes.

Fall Leaves

Heaven on Earth

Caladesi Island State Park, FL
She sells sea shells by the sea shore.

Good advices in life

• Keep Your Feet on the Ground and Keep Reaching for the Stars
• Luck is where opportunity meets preparation
• Tips on building a successful and fulfilling career from Walter Robb, founder of Whole Foods Market. First is passion. Mr. Robb opined that nothing great will happen without passion, and urged the students not to do something if they do not feel passionate about it. Second is compassion. Mr. Robb shared that as a retailer, his natural instinct is to want to compete and win. But as a single father of three kids, he has been trying to develop a more loving side of himself. The challenge lies in bringing love and respect together with the desire to compete and create value.

Beautiful Hualien, Formosa Taiwan

Taroko National Park, Taiwan

Look at that clear blue water...

Rocks are natural spa therapy for the foot

My parents taking a stroll in this majestic Taroko marble canyon!

Life long friends...

Washington Monument and

the Reflection Pool at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.

all grown up...

DIY Travel: Taipei, Formosa Taiwan

The island of Taiwan was historically known as Formosa - Portuguese for a beautiful island

What to do & where to eat in Taipei - click here

World's tallest building - Taipei 101

The Grand Hotel

Subway / Metro (MRT)

English signs everywhere, best way to go around town.

People actually line up and wait to go in the train. Nicely organized.

People, cars, billboards and shopping everywhere you go.

Close your eyes when you ride those taxi, they go fast!

Ximen station

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

They have a nice concert hall and beautiful gardensMy lovely parents!

Yummy food everywhere you go

EPCOT - Disney World

Walt Disney World Mr. Walt Disney and Mickey

EPCOT - Disney World

He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother...

Almost going away party

Thanks! We're so touched by the suprise :)
Our Wang family here is getting bigger!

Wei Family Time

Family's favorite -- fresh good food

If you like Asian food and sushi, Todai buffet has a good selection. They have Japanese noodle soup, hot food, fruits, desert, salad, all kinds of sushi, and barbeque.

Favorite summer past time -- swimming!

Cool off from the heat

DIY Travel - Tampa and Orlando

Beach

Overview of St. Petersburg Clearwater in Florida

Caladesi Island State Park - Nation's best beach by Dr. Beach!
1 Causeway Blvd. Dunedin, FL 34698(727) 469-5918 Turn left soon after you pay the park fee! The 15 minutes ferry ride. Boat departs on the hour, make sure you catch the last boat at 4 PM. If you want to walk around the beach, make sure you have at least 4 hours on the island. You can find seashells and sand dollars. Bathroom and outdoor shower is available. Don't miss the last boat out of the island, or you'll be on a survivor's island!

"Heaven On Earth"

Fred Howard Park (palm trees) 1700 Sunset Dr., Tarpon Springs, FL 34689 Phone 727.943.4081

Gulf of Mexico, Florida

Fort DeSoto Park -- "Dr. Beach" named Fort De Soto Park the North America's Best 2005 Beach (white sand) 3500 Pinellas Bayway S.,Tierra Verde, FL 33715 Park Office- 727.582.2267

Tampa International Airport = TPA
Southwest Airline is our favorite airline. No penalty for itinerary change.

Waterfront restaurants to see the sunset!

A true Red Sox fan with his favorite players in the Red Devil's Tropicana Stadium.

Busch Gardens, Tampa * Edge of Africa* Serengeti Express Railway* Rhino Rally* Daily Shows* Kids rides

Grocery Stores
Oriental Market 1106 E Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL 33612(813) 868-1688

Restaurants

Sukho Thai
Crazy Buffet 2702 N Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL
China Yuan Restaurant 8502 N Armenia Ave Ste 1A, Tampa, FL
Pho Bien Vietnamese Restaurant 4505 Park Blvd, Pinellas Park, FL

Affordable America: Best budget restaurants in Tampa

Tampa landmarks restaurants - Bern's. the Columbia.

upscale Mexican - Red Mesa in St. Petersburg.

cozy casual Euro eats - NoHo Bistro on Armenia Ave. Tampa

burrito El Taconazo on Hillsborough Ave. Tampa

Shopping Mall at Tampa
International Mall (closer to TPA airport). University Mall (closer to Busch Gardens).

Orlando:

Outlet Shopping at Orlando
8200 Vineland Avenue, Orlando, FL 32821(407) 238-7787Mon-Sat 10am-10pm, Sun 10am-9pm Open Sun, Apr 16: 10am-9pm

DISNEY and EPCOT, Orlando
Tip: Get free advance pass, so you don't have to wait in line too long!
1) Best ride -- "Soaring!"
2) "Mission: SPACE" (ONLY for HEALTHY ADULTS, PAY ATTENTION TO WARNINGS) They using G force, so it'll be like going up to the space.

Sea World and Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios
as soon as the park opens, go to the spider-man ride. It's a lot of fun. We went around and rode it twice. It's not a roller coaster, but the ilusion makes it look like you're falling.

Priceline has a good bargain to bid on theme park hotels.

Vietnamese Town - Colonial Drive, Orlando

Saigon Market 1232 E. Colonial Dr. Orlando, FL 32803 Tel (407) 898-6899 sometimes they have guava or lychee

Chinatown, 1st Oriental Supermarket, Westside Crossing Plaza, 5132 West Colonial Dr. Orlando, FL 32808. 8:30AM-9PM daily. (407)292-3668

Swim, snorkel, or canoe in the clear Wekiwa Springs.