NBC News
The American Dream Is Alive and Well in Taipei
‘You Get One Shot’: Actress Christine Ko Is Ready For Her Network TV Close-Up
Harvard Grad Cheng Ho Wants to Fix Taiwan’s High School Sports
Hello Kitty Hot Pot Restaurant Gives Visitors Warm Welcome in Taiwan
Meet the Virginia Native Who Could Be the ‘Next Jet Li’
7 Years After She First Sang on TV, Rose Liu Set to Debut Mandarin Album
In Taiwan, Joseph Lin Is Part of a ‘Brave’ New Basketball World
Taiwan’s Same Sex Marriage Law Languishes in Political Purgatory
From Dumplings to Bubble Tea, Asian Street Food Goes Artisanal
VICE
How the ‘Mulan’ Reboot Has Some Asian Actors Hopeful for the End of Hollywood Whitewashing
HOW THE NBA AND NCAA’S FAVORITE FOLDING CHAIR GETS MADE
This Brewery Wants to Make Taiwan the Craft Beer Capital of Asia
How a Taipei Restaurant Turned a Meat-Filled Street Snack Vegan
Mashable
Japan’s dying tradition of women who freedive in the sea for a living
What it takes to make the team in all-girls tug-of-war
Global News
Taiwanese fugitives enter Canada after fleeing on $42M fraud charges: Taiwan officials
Barbara Ehrenreich and other white feminists criticized for racist tweets against Marie Kondo
‘Vogue’ and ‘People’ misidentify actors from ‘Crazy Rich Asians,’ sparking online outrage
Duke University professor warns master’s students not to speak ‘Chinese’
Yahoo Canada News
Is Kellie Leitch Canada’s Donald Trump?
Power drill corn, bottle flipping & rainbow bagels: what you might have missed in YouTube’s rewind video
Al Jazeera English
Will Tsai Ing-wen be Taiwan’s first female president?
Out Magazine
110 Gay Couples Married During World Pride Week at a Toronto Castle
Virgin Music
The Zolas Mix Record in NYC – Virgin.com
Luke LaLonde, Rhythmnals & a terror of Twitter – Virgin.com
The vinyl store selling more than just records – Virgin.com
Diamond Rings live at Webster Hall, New York – Virgin.com
Ohbijou live and in conversation – Virgin.com
[VIDEO] Chop Chop TO profile
The moment I learned that a Taiwanese mom was involved in running this restaurant, I knew it was more than just about food. Thanks to my parents for forcing me to go to Chinese school every Saturday for 10 years…because I interviewed Mama Tiao in Mandarin, making sure she was comfortable enough to tell her […]
5 Things To Do When You’re Jet-lagged in Taipei
(Photo by: Amy Chyan) TFW you’re nodding off early in the evening the day you land, go back to your hotel to “nap” and the next moment that your eyes blink open, it’s somehow past midnight. You wake up groggy, confused and very hangry. Although Taipei isn’t a 24-hour partying city, here are 5 things […]
5 Things To Do For Date Night In Taipei
Even if Taipei doesn’t have the most romantic sunsets or breathtaking coastline views like Taitung (on Taiwan’s East Coast), there are still plenty of quaint scenarios you can insert yourself into that mimics a cheesy Taiwanese rom-drama. Below are my 5 Taipei suggestions for a first date or date night with your partner. 1) [EAT] […]
5 Things To Do With Girlfriends in Taipei
If your gaggle of female friends is anything like mine, it doesn’t really matter where you are or what you do, your collective group of gal pals will still have a great time being obnoxious and embarrassingly loud together. That being said, it doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy having an itinerary to mosey through, slotting […]
I had the best tasting beef (of life) in Toba, Japan
Living in Taipei, I have a lot of friends and co-workers who always rave about Japan. For myself, I never made Japan a goal destination. However, I recently had the chance to visit Toba in Japan – and a surrounding island called Toshijima. (Toba is approximately 3 hours away from Osaka’s Kansai International Airport and Toshijima […]
Chronicles of Taipei
Hi Internet Lovers & Haters, Friends & Strangers, I will be starting a series dedicated to Taipei on this site. Whenever a friend visits Taiwan, I have to go back into my inbox and find my list of suggestions for their Taipei rendezvous – I figure why not share it here. Whether it be what […]
[LINK] Hello Kitty Shabu Shabu in Taipei
Hi Googlers, Sorry I’ve been a bad website updater. I’ve been writing, have you been reading? Here’s something fun I wrote: Hello Kitty Hot Pot Restaurant Gives Visitors Warm Welcome in Taiwan I will try updating more frequently.
Co-Working With Nature
I’m really growing (pun intended) into our garden – front and back. My herb garden is thriving and being used. The veggies are slowly growing out of their planter size. The peonies, roses, wild flowers, jasmine bush, raspberry bush. The endless floral arrangements I can forage are so beautiful. What a gift from Mother Nature.
“Everything the light touches is our kingdom.”
Taken a top the Empire State Building during a VIP tour. (Photo by: Amy Chyan. April 19, 2014)
Spring in NYC
Waiting for two friends to indulge in some Shake Shack. (Photo by: Amy Chyan. April 17, 2014)
From The Kitchen: Sea Salt Nutella Fudge & Nutella Walnut Cupcakes
My elementary school gal pals and I have a holiday gifting tradition of “hand-made” only. This was prior to Pinterest so we must’ve been poor high school students. I’ve stitched hearts onto fleece blankets, made mason jars full of mulled wine ingredients, boxes of matcha chocolate chip cookies with peppermint bark etc. This year, I […]
A Moment
“I’m so sick of having this view”, said no one ever. This was yesterday’s sunset, being more distracting than the internet. I told Mother Nature to bug off, but the sunset morphed through many ombre colours.
Canadian Thanksgiving 2013
This year, I spent Thanksgiving in Toronto. Like clockwork, the weather was amazing. The bluest of skies and fluffiest of clouds. This was my contribution to dinner.
American Thanksgiving 2012
After I took this photo, I zonked out in a “short nap” on the bed. For this Friendsgiving, we had hot pot. The BFF and I took the train into Chinatown where we overstuffed my old lady trolly with hot pot ingredients. (But so thankful we didn’t have to carry it all by hand.) Not […]
American Thanksgiving 2011
This was my first American Thanksgiving. (My jschool friends and I, all non-New Yorkers, decided to go see the infamous Macy’s Day Parade. We braved the crowds and stationed ourselves at 59th Street, right in front of the Columbus Circle Whole Foods.) At night, my BFF and I booked a turkey dinner at one of […]
Riverside Park
Living a block away from Riverside Park meant running there whenever I wanted. A great trail, flat ground and designated running path looking onto the Hudson. This was taken when I was catching up on my New Yorker issue on a hill in the park, facing the Hudson. I also ran my first 5K race […]
College Walk
Near the holiday season, this is what the Amsterdam gates at Columbia look like. I’m always mesmerized by appropriate lighting. #TBT #NYC
My Grandma
I love this photo of my grandparents in their older living room. I’m most thankful that my Grandma taught me how to be a lady. She loved combing my hair and always held my hand as we walked to the salon. Whether she was getting her hair did or getting a facial, I always had […]
The Pond – CPW
#TBT, a frigid stroll through Central Park West. No matter how many years you’ve lived in NY, Central Park is always a treat.
Broadway & 112
This was my first Fall in New York City, in 2011. I lived a block away and walked passed this beautiful cathedral every day. When I lived in Gramercy the year after, I didn’t take as many photos, but I walked by Gramercy Park every single day and the Empire State’s colour of the day […]
When We Gazed At The Moon
Today is this year’s Mid-Autumn Fest day, calculated through the lunar calendar. Families celebrate by having moon cake, pomelo, tea and gather together to marvel at the moon. In New York, I would commute to Chinatown all the way from Columbia just to get a moon cake. (That’s a 2 hour commute, there and back.) […]
Smith
Smith 553 Church St., Toronto, ON M4Y 2E2 http://www.553church.com Whenever people ask me to go to brunch, I’d like to think it’s more for the idea of brunch, rather than the food. I try to have healthy breakfasts because it makes me feel like my life is on track. Something about waking up, putting on a […]
Digital Nostalgia
I went back to my private blogs and dug up some writing from when I was in my last year of high school and transitioning to college. And even my musings from college. Wide-eyed, full of fervor and with such spontaneity. Youth reigning supreme. Reading some of the entries, made me fall in love with […]
36 Hours in San Francisco
Dear lurkers, readers and digital trespassers: A few days after I flew back to Toronto, I was asked by Inspired Citizen to work on/film a project in SF. I had never been to SF as an adult so I was thrilled. We have now finished editing the profiles for Harmless Harvest and PAWS (Performing Animal […]
Bar Isabel
Bar Isabel 797 College Street, Toronto, ON 1C6 M6G http://www.barisabel.com Bar Isabel is the place I had my first dinner out-out in Toronto since I moved back. We ended up choosing the place because it was highly praised by so many – bloggers, journalists and Yelpers alike. Since the opening of The Black Hoof, an explosion of chefs from […]
Tacombi at Fonda Nolita
Tacombi at Fonda Nolita 267 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10012 http://www.tacombi.com Whatever you do in New York City, just GO EAT A TACO AT TACOMBI.
Posto
Posto Thin Crust Pizza 310 Second Avenue NY, NY 10003 http://www.postothincrust.com I’m not a pizza lover even though I know loving pizza is as trendy as loving Lebron James or Kanye. And especially New York pizza, which to me is far too sloppy, cheesy, gooey — everything someone wants in a slice of za. But […]
Ruby’s
Ruby’s 219 Mulberry St New York, NY 10012 http://www.rubyscafe.com There was this one time in the office, when I was interning in SoHo, that Shannon and I planned on going for lunch. We were office brats, eager to go out for a walk and get some fresh air. (The day before she dragged me onto the blocked […]
BCD Tofu House
BCD Tofu House 5 W 32nd St, New York, 10001 http://www.bcdtofu.com BCD Tofu House has a cult following, and not just with drunkards stumbling into ktown after a night out. (Hello, open 24 hours!)
From the Kitchen: Things I Make
I don’t always eat out, despite what these food reviews make it look like. In fact, cooking and having dinner parties is something I enjoy tremendously. During grad school, I had a “breakfast club” and threw weekend dinner parties. There’s something so wonderful about friends, wine, food and concentrated laughter. Here are some other homemade […]
Nom Wah Tea Parlour
Nom Wah Tea Parlour 3 Doyers St, New York, NY 10013 http://www.nomwah.com Nom Wah is hidden in the nooks and crannies of New York’s Chinatown. Even after walking through these allies in daylight several times, I still get lost and rely on extra time to get me there. They boast to be Chinatown’s first dim […]
Congee Village (Allen Street)
Congee Village 100 Allen St, New York, NY 10002 http://www.congeevillagerestaurants.com There’s nothing more comforting than congee, scalding in temperature, for when you’re feeling sick. Cantonese congee is boiled for such a long period of time that each millet of rice has melted into a porridge state. The balance of the rice’s earthiness and salt is […]
Union Square Cafe
Union Square Cafe 21 E 16th St, New York, NY 10003 http://www.unionsquarecafe.com Union Square Cafe is an institution in New York City. At least one that won’t break the bank like Per Se or Eleven Madison.
Via Quadronno
Via Quadronno 25 E 73rd St, New York, NY 10021 viaquadronno.com I never thought there’d be a day when I’d say “I hate this sandwich.” But today might be that day. Unfortunately, it cost me $16 and I ate it on the bench outside the tiny cafe. I’d like to think sandwiches are the universal […]
Balthazar
Balthazar 80 Spring St, New York, NY 10012 http://www.balthazarny.com If I couldn’t afford to eat at Balthazar’s, at least I could get a drink from their to-go shack, I thought to myself. Although shack isn’t quite the appropriate diction to describe a place like Balthazar. To preface this place, this famous SoHo French patisserie serves […]
Healthcare Debate: A Canadian’s Uninsured ER Visit in NYC
Never Google your symptoms, everyone knows that. But I couldn’t help it. I am uninsured, a non-resident alien and unemployed.
Blockheads Shavery (Los Angeles)
Blockheads Shavery 11311 Mississippi Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90025 http://www.blockheadsla.com/ If there’s one single thing, food wise, that LA does better than NYC, it’s their Taiwanese food. And I am a Taiwanese food expert. After a quick snack at Seoul Sausage, we lined up for Blockheads Shavery. It’s right beside each other on the plaza’s strip. […]
Urth Caffe (Santa Monica)
Urth Caffe 2327 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405 http://www.urthcaffe.com On my trip to LA, there were a handful of places I had FourSquared and Yelped. Like any trendy New York cafe, I needed to try Urth Caffe. (I believe I read on the menu that things were organic and locally sourced.)
Juice Press (E 1st store)
Juice Press 70 E 1st St, New York, NY 10003 http://www.juicepress.com Everyone’s juicing these days. I see green juice like I see tomatos. I eat tomatos because I know they’re good for me. Likewise, I drink green juice when I’m not feeling 100% and want to feel like my gut is getting the flora it […]
Russ & Daughters
Russ & Daughters 179 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002 http://www.russanddaughters.com For a while, I was scared of bagels. Breakfast was most of the time, bagel with a fried egg. (Mother&Co. had to make breakfast and lunch for 4 kids — I can’t blame her.) Then I started really liking bagels once I discovered […]
Bao Haus (14th Street)
Bao Haus 238 E 14th St, New York, NY 10003 http://www.baohausnyc.com I really wanted to like this, I really did. The combination of Bao Haus being a Taiwanese second gen thing through Eddie Huang, the owner, and his family, made it kind of a motherland connection. This wasn’t my first time at Bao Haus. I’ve probably been […]
Momofuku Milk Bar (East Village)
Momofuku Milk Bar 251 E 13th St, New York, NY 10003 http://www.milkbarstore.com Ice cream is always an after thought for me. As a kid, soft serve meant overly sweet McDonald’s sundaes or after we chased the ice cream truck down on our bikes. Oh and of course Ikea “frozen yogurt”. But all of them had […]
Takashi NYC
Takashi 456 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014 http://www.takashinyc.com After reading about Takashi’s uni and raw beef combo (pictured above) on Serious Eats, I emailed the article to my best friend, who I knew loves meat. I actually don’t love meat, but I had to try this place. It also added to the hype […]
NEW CHURCH CITY (trailer)
This is the trailer for “New Church City”, the mini doc that ended up turning into a feature. (I truly learned what a ~story~ is and what it’s not. In our MMST class, the running joke was: Once upon a time, the end.)
Spring Break (jschool style)
I’m currently producing, filming, transcoding, screen grabbin’ a yet to be titled documentary on a church in New York. This is the first time I’m shooting entirely on a DSLR and working alone. (Miss my SBM team so dearly, though V is now in Williamsburg.) I’m learning a lot and so thankful to have such […]
Brooklyn Artist Embraces Nature For Inspiration
Originally published on NYCityLens.com. By Amy Chyan She hovered over the house plant and watched the ants crawl. This is what Mi Ju, 27, a Korean-born painter, installation artist and master’s of fine arts student at the Pratt Institute, does, to gather inspiration for her art. “She’s manically obsessed over nature,” teased Hiba Schahbaz, Ju’s […]
VIDEO: A Brooklyn Painter Opens Up His Studio
Originally published on NYCityLens.com. Camera: Amy Chyan Editing: Amy Chyan Script: Kristen Holmes Every year hundreds of artists move to New York City to try to make it in the industry. In Brooklyn, one painter puts an authentic style and hardened attitude into the mix. Kristen Holmes reports.
Lightyear Looked to Impress with Third Show
Originally published on Virgin Media’s Red Room Blog. By Amy Chyan She sang and played guitar and wrote her own music, but wanted to break away from the singer songwriter stereotype that most female musicians face. “I basically felt trapped in the singer songwriter genre,” said Lauren Zettler before her Brooklyn show at The Rock […]
Ohbijou live and in conversation at The Rock Shop, NYC
Originally published on Virgin Media’s Red Room Blog. By Amy Chyan The audience capacity at The Rock Shop in Brooklyn, New York is 120 patrons. The audience capacity at Trinity-St. Paul’s United Church in Toronto, Canada, where Ohbijou played a sold-out show for the release of their third full length album ‘Metal Meets’, is 770. […]
Crowd Buzzes with Energy from Foley Square to Brooklyn Bridge
Originally published on NYCityLens.com as a collaborative, special coverage of Occupy Wall Street’s ‘Day of Action’. By Amy Chyan and Julie Percha Hundreds of protesters took to Foley Square Thursday, braving the chilly temperatures for a Brooklyn Bridge march to support the Occupy Wall Street movement. Demonstrators brandishing trombones, snare drums, tambourines and even plastic […]
Mile 16: Cheering on the Stragglers
Originally published on NYCityLens.com. By Amy Chyan They don’t qualify for the elite men’s or women’s running group nor do they run on pace with the other 47 000 marathon runners. The last of the runners—the stragglers—power through at their own pace, determined to finish the 26.2 miles of the 2011 New York City Marathon. […]
Harlem Business Owners Worry About Possible Wal-Mart
Originally published on NYCityLens.com. By Amy Chyan Yellow smiley faces and employees’ royal-blue vests, immediately bring Wal-Mart to mind. But there are no smiley faces here in Harlem where some residents and small businesses are protesting the possibility that the national retailer will set up shop on the vacant lot at 125th Street and Lenox […]
Diamond Rings Leaves Webster Hall With More Than 14 Fans
Originally published on Virgin Media’s Red Room Blog. By Amy Chyan There were definitely more than 14 and a half fans shoulder dancing and foot tapping when Diamond Rings opened for Twin Shadow at Webster Hall on Friday night (Oct. 7). John O’Reagan (Diamond Rings) joked that when he played New York City two years […]
