Twin Cities Real Estate BlogRecently posted or modified blog posts by tag - International Travelhttps://www.minnesotaconnected.com/blog/Copyright MinnesotaConnected.com2022-10-28T07:13:22-07:00tag:minnesotaconnected.com,2012-09-20:14205The COVID-19 Travel Enigma: Enticing Air Fares, Protecting Your Money and the Fear of Flying
<a href="http://minnesotaconnected.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/JetBlue292Landing-Wikipedia-Andrew-Marino.jpg"><img class="size-large wp-image-1316517 aligncenter" src="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/693/image/minnesotaconnected/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/JetBlue292Landing-Wikipedia-Andrew-Marino.jpg" alt="" width="702" height="449"></a>
In the last year, I was splashed by the surf on the famous Malecon boulevard in Havana and whispered a gasp of wonder when our tour bus emerged onto the Rua do Infante Henrique riverfront in Porto, Portugal. And during the two months of #StayatHomeMN, I have to admit that my mind and Internet searches continually wandered to the daily blogs in Belize and Airbnb searches on the beach in Cartagena, Columbia. The compelling question is whether I can face my fears, strap on my N95 construction mask and tackle the friendly skies again?
There are certainly enticing air fares in every direction. The airlines that I am shopping learned valuable lessons during the 9/11 crisis and I did too. Within four years of 9/11, four of the five major airlines filed bankruptcy. Those same airlines are aggressively using their 9/11 playbooks to steer through the COVID devastation. Momma didn’t raise no fool. Before I purchase my fall or winter vacation, I am going to dig into the new COVID-19 safety environment and at the same time, analyze the finances of our favorite MSP carriers (see table). I invite you to join me as I create an invaluable finance guide to protect your money, reveal those airline 9/11 secrets and review the latest airline safety initiatives that will affect your decision about flying.
9/11 Playbook- Reduced Capacity
Just as in the 2001 crisis, airlines are parking and retiring costly older aircraft in record numbers. Hometown hub carrier Delta surprised the industry by announcing the retirement of their entire Boeing 777 fleet by the end of the year. The move to park those long haul aircraft coming just months after Delta launched a complete cabin remodel of the fleet. And just weeks ago, Delta announced that it was shelving its entire fleet of MD-88 and MD-90s. American responded by retiring its Boeing 767 and 757s and nine Airbus 330s while United has benched 27 Boeing 757-200s and 767-400s to what they call “long term storage.”
What does this all mean to the consumer? Less competition and fewer choices will ultimately lead to higher prices. One could argue that fuel at all time low levels will be a catalyst for fare wars. However, these airlines are coming off of record profit years and one of their main strengths has been capacity discipline. The days of People Express and Valujet are gone. And Southwest is no longer the low cost carrier to hold fares down because they are burdened with some of the highest labor costs in the industry. Whether you are shopping air fares, hotels or cars, prices are at unprecedented lows with the least amount of restrictions. And the low prices are not sustainable so if you have the gumption to climb into an aircraft cabin, now is the time to book that next trip.
Major Safety Innovations<a href="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/693/image/minnesotaconnected/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Aircraft-COVID-Design-Aviointeriors-Facebook.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1316518 aligncenter" src="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/693/image/minnesotaconnected/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Aircraft-COVID-Design-Aviointeriors-Facebook.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="755"></a>
The repercussions of 9/11 revolutionized airline safety. The industry implemented limits on carry-on luggage, screened 100% of bags and collaborated for the Known Traveler Program. COVID-19 is spurring similar leading-edge thinking. Cabin partitions between seats have quickly become a major theme among industry designers. Here is a cool design launched by Aviointeriors SpA of Italy that gives you a taste of what is to come. With the seats facing opposite directions, there is a cocoon of protection for the passenger and the carriers would lose only a few rows of seating (and revenue).
In the Mideast, Emirates is already running international flights with rapid COVID-19 testing in the departure area (see photo).
<a href="http://minnesotaconnected.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Emirates-Airlines-Testing-COVID19-Courtesy-of-Emirates.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1316521" src="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/693/image/minnesotaconnected/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Emirates-Airlines-Testing-COVID19-Courtesy-of-Emirates.jpg" alt="" width="702" height="489"></a>While you were quarantining it would have been easy to miss the news that Belize eliminated new COVID-19 cases for more than a month; Vietnam for a week and New Zealand choked the disease to a trickle. Now those nations must make critical decisions about how to effectively reopen their borders and reignite their critical tourism sectors. In the Caribbean, Antigua is opening in June and will require a negative COVID-19 test in order to visit. That will be the new landscape of travel to some of the world’s tourist treasures. So instead of worrying about my sister shoveling my walk this winter, one of my first tasks will likely be a visit to my doctor’s office.
MSP Airline Finance Guide
While I was at Northwest Airlines, I managed the relationships and contracts with other airlines. With Richard Anderson, former Amtrak and Delta Air Lines CEO (name-dropping bell rings) we set up new contracts that protected the airline’s receivables and helped usher PanAm, Midway Airlines, Eastern Airlines, TWA and others into aviation oblivion. One of the key strategies for Northwest and your household is to ensure that your airline purchases are as secure as possible.
The lesson of 9/11 is that cash is king. Southwest CEO Gary Kelly told Forbes recently that planes are flying “virtually empty” which means that airlines are burning through piles of cash. Using the analyst <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/news/us-airlines-cash-reserves-coronavirus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Raymond James’ cash burn rates</a>, I have constructed a helpful Consumer Air Fare Safety chart.
<a href="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/693/image/minnesotaconnected/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Consumer-Safety-Air-Fare-Scorecard.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-1316520 aligncenter" src="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/693/image/minnesotaconnected/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Consumer-Safety-Air-Fare-Scorecard.png" alt="" width="815" height="282"></a>
The combination of cash burn rate and incoming CARE grants provides an excellent barometer for which airlines can weather the storm ahead. Further, I have added their Debt-to-Equity ratios which measure the extent that the business relies on debt obligations. The higher the ratio, the more debt that must be repaid. To make a long story short, Southwest and Delta carry moderate debt loads and hold very large cash reserves that ensure your air travel dollars will be safe, well into the future. Both Spirit and United have intensive debt structures but are positioned to receive sufficient cash for operations, in my view. On the other hand, American is servicing a mother lode, $21.5 billion in debt and actually has a negative debt-to-equity ratio. Unless there is a destination that only American serves, I will look to avoid them during my low fare search.
Because hometown airline Sun Country is privately held, I will use caution because their cash reserves and financial position yield only limited public statistics. The good news for Sun Country is that they have hedged their business by signing a deal to fly ten cargo aircraft for Amazon and all ten planes will be in the air by July. Another savvy move by their CEO Jude Bricker was to cease most of their flying through June 21st, preserving significant cash. The bad news is they still have lease or mortgage payments on 24 other aircraft.
For any carrier which I hold significant concerns, I will use a credit card (not debit) which provides added security should the worst case happen and the airline ends up in bankruptcy court.
Overcoming the Psychological Barrier
Now that I have recognized that this is a great time to buy and found the best airlines to book, I face what may be the biggest hurdle. Walking through the fear and envisioning the logistics of what my air travel will look like. Here are some of the new industry measures in place that will help put me over the hump:
· The TSA will be in full hazmat garb and the key steps of security are now touchless. I will use mobile boarding pass and scan my own ID and boarding pass at security.
· I have a N95 mask
· I will carry a load of Clorox/Lysol wipes and scour all touch areas (tray table, arm rests, air flow, seat recline) around my window seat
· All these airlines have HEPA and high efficiency air filter systems
· I am impressed by the airline updates about vigorous sterilization procedures that I have received from Gary Kelly at Southwest, Ed Bastion-Delta and others.
And finally I penciled in some very good advice from the iconic author and restless traveler Jack Kerouac:
“In the end you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain!”
Let’s go.
2020-05-31T22:00:00-07:002022-10-28T07:07:58-07:00Tony Randgaardtag:minnesotaconnected.com,2012-09-20:14405Why Today's Brexit Vote in the UK Matters<a href="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/693/image/minnesotaconnected/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Vote-Leave-Protestors-by-Garry-Knight.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-1110452 aligncenter" alt="Vote Leave Protestors - by Garry Knight" src="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/693/image/minnesotaconnected/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Vote-Leave-Protestors-by-Garry-Knight.jpg" width="513" height="387" /></a>
Many Americans will hear the word "Brexit" for the first time today. No, it's not the name of some newly concocted stock index or a must-try low-calorie cereal; it's in fact the term used to describe United Kingdom leaving (or potentially leaving) the European Union.
Today, June 23rd, the UK is having a referendum on choosing whether to 'Leave' or 'Remain' within the 28 member state body. The outcome is quite uncertain, but resulting tremors will be felt throughout the globe.
Why Should Americans Care?
Financial and stock market focused media has exerted the lion's share of American ink on the Brexit topic. This is mostly because if the UK chooses to leave the EU it would come as an unprecedented development, providing investors ample reason to get jumpy. Yet there is little reason to believe that the inevitable fluctuations (likely to occur with either outcome) will have any lasting impact.
The deeper reason for why Americans should actually care is more in regards to philosophical questions of how the world is developing around us and how other countries are trying to conform to our desires. The European Union in many ways is modeled off of the United States and it attempts to simplify Europe in unity. The EU attempts to <a href="http://www.euronews.com/2009/11/20/kissinger-s-call-question-answered/" target="_blank">answer the Kissinger question</a>: "Who do I call if I want to call Europe." Yet in this attempt to assemble nations in this evermore unifying union many participants including Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Ireland, France and the UK have lashed out in different ways.
Making History
No member state has ever left the EU, though Greenland and Algeria left its predecessor (the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Economic_Community" target="_blank">European Economic Community</a>).
No member state has even allowed its populace a vote to leave the EU. Member states, such as Ireland, have been allowed to hold referendums for certain treaties, but the UK is the first to hold this in-out contest.
Many nation states within the EU will be watching today's Brexit vote very closely, for it could prompt others to want to leave as well.
If the UK votes to remain, there becomes a significant chance that other nations in Europe will not get the same opportunity. This is because the UK is one of the least integrated members (not having the Euro for starters). It simply is the loosest thread in the tapestry with the least to lose by leaving.
Who are the Brits that want to leave?
Often characterized as extremists from both libertarian and socialist camps, those making the case to leave the European Union would have a great deal to disagree upon were this a referendum on any other topic.
Certain industries within the UK have been decimated by policies from the EU. Fishing, for example, has suffered immensely while under the regulations of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Fisheries_Policy" target="_blank">Common Fisheries Policy</a>.
Interestingly, a much smaller percentage of elected representatives in the UK are for leaving the EU than the percentage of the electorate they represent. Recent polls have showed that the contest is on a knife's edge (almost averaging 50% Remain and 50% Leave), but less than a quarter of the House of Commons supports Brexit.
While the pockets of certain industries have suffered under the European Union, large banks and large corporations have thrived. Doing business in Britain and throughout Europe is made easier for international corporations by the lack of barriers between member states. These entities have <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jan/20/goldman-sachs-backs-campaign-keep-britain-in-european-union-referendum" target="_blank">contributed</a> substantial resources in persuading Brits to remain within the EU.
[caption id="attachment_111044" align="aligncenter" width="513"]<a href="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/693/image/minnesotaconnected/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Boat-Leave-by-Gary-Knight-Brexit-Fishermen-Protest.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1110447 " alt="Boat Leave - by Gary Knight - Brexit Fishermen Protest" src="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/693/image/minnesotaconnected/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Boat-Leave-by-Gary-Knight-Brexit-Fishermen-Protest.jpg" width="513" height="387" /></a> British Fishermen floating up the River Thames in support of leaving the EU[/caption]
What makes the EU so appealing?
Like our <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Free_Trade_Agreement" target="_blank">North American Free Trade Agreement</a>, the European Union has provided a common market, producing a mix of benefits and challenges. Certain industries thrive, others suffer, but overall it's clear that such wide-scale promotion of trade improves the average living standard of all participants.
The European Union simplifies business on the continent. From an American perspective, travel between countries gets easier as movement from one country to the next doesn't require passport checks.
From a tax and spend viewpoint the European Union (which unofficially has a thrifty Germany sitting at its economic helm) expects its member states to spend within their means. Through bail-outs in Greece, for example, the EU was able to implement austerity reforms in the country to persuade its government away from frivolous spending.
All these arguments (and many more) swirl together into the notion that the United Kingdom actually needs to be in the European Union.
...but democracy must prevail.
Ultimately though, the European Union holds innate problems as far as representative government is concerned. Even though the European Parliament is elected by the populations of the member states, the real legislative power is in the European Commission, which is appointed by less-than democratic means. It is not an exaggeration to say that the EU bureaucracy operates more like the Soviet Union than the USA.
Great ideas aren't nearly as great when forced. Even if Germany's plan for Greece's economy is better than that of the Greeks, the implementation pushes the populace into a feeling of powerlessness. Extreme nationalist and socialist parties from what might be called the "right" and "left" (<a href="http://minnesotaconnected.com/news/politics/right-wing-and-left-wing-terms-void-of-denotation_170607/" target="_blank">though I dislike the term</a>) are rising throughout Europe. A feeling of frustration against a super-government that doesn't respond to referendums is growing. The Brexit referendum is the first of its kind to have such weight, a vote to 'leave' will force clear action within the EU.
We Americans want Europe to be a simple block of states (like our own): easy to do business with and easy to backpack across. Yet, should this come at the price of democracy? Perhaps, Europe is better off as a quilt of nation-states. A complex yet peaceful patchwork promises benefits that might just surpass the monochrome blanket of continental coercion.
Photos by: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/garryknight/" target="_blank">Garry Knight</a>
2016-06-22T22:00:00-07:002022-10-28T07:09:21-07:00Erik Bergstag:minnesotaconnected.com,2012-09-20:14635Why is Mayor Hodges Visiting the Coldest Major City in China... Now?<a href="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/693/image/minnesotaconnected/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Harbin-Ice-City-Emma-Gawen.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-396678 aligncenter" alt="Harbin Ice City (Emma Gawen)" src="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/693/image/minnesotaconnected/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Harbin-Ice-City-Emma-Gawen.jpg" width="570" height="380" /></a>
Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges and City Council Member John Quincy (Ward 11) are joining leaders from 'Meet Minneapolis' for a winter adventure in the heart of Manchuria. Though they're not going halfway around the world for a vacation. They're participating in a timely forum for cold cities to exchange ideas in Harbin (China's eighth largest city).
Harbin, which has a very similar climate to the Twin Cities, has been a Sister City to Minneapolis since 1992. Resembling the City of Lakes is its embrace of its frigid winter as an identity source, Harbin has certainly taken its love of all things frosty to the next level. The city actually has booming winter tourism (something that hasn't seemed to take root in virtually any part of Minnesota).
What are the secrets to Harbin's success? Snow sculptures, ice buildings and a <a href="http://www.icefestivalharbin.com/attraction-p21-siberian-tiger-park.html" target="_blank">Siberian Tiger Park</a> are the main attractions. Museums, skiing and a variety of historical buildings left by its rich history (the city swapped hands a number of times between neighboring countries, including Russia) offer <a href="http://www.icefestivalharbin.com/harbin-attractions.html" target="_blank">plenty to see</a> on a winter visit too. The Minneapolis team is hoping pick up some ideas from the city and forum which also includes representatives from other cold cities in Russia, Japan, Finland, Denmark and Canada.
With the <a href="http://minnesotaconnected.com/news/editorial/could-minnesota-ever-host-the-winter-olympics_173775/" target="_blank">dream of hosting Winter Olympics</a> pretty much out of reach and plans of turning the Chain of Lakes into a big cat snow-safari being far-fetched, it's doubtful that colossal ideas will be brought home from Manchuria. But perhaps there will be some food for thought in regards to the groundwork needed to actualize more moderate-sized winter initiatives. With the coming <a href="http://minnesotaconnected.com/news/local-happenings/the-mall-of-america-will-be-even-bigger-with-300-million-expansion_179902/" target="_blank">expansion of the Mall of America</a> and St. Paul's <a href="http://www.redbullcrashedice.com/en_US/event/saint-paul" target="_blank">Crashed Ice</a>, there certainly are elements on which to bolster the Metro's winter tourism; but the role of Minneapolis itself is still a large question mark.
[caption id="attachment_396679" align="aligncenter" width="570"]<a href="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/693/image/minnesotaconnected/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Harbin-Largest-Snow-Sculpture-in-the-World-Emma-Gawen.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-396679 " alt="Harbin Largest Snow Sculpture in the World (Emma Gawen)" src="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/693/image/minnesotaconnected/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Harbin-Largest-Snow-Sculpture-in-the-World-Emma-Gawen.jpg" width="570" height="380" /></a> Harbin has the largest snow sculptures in the world every winter![/caption]
The main portion of this visit will be January 2-7. With temperatures essentially mirroring those they left back home, Hodges and the other Minneapolitans might be pining to go to one of the other Sister Cities. Cuernavaca, Mexico, for example, will be enjoying a week in the low 80s and Santiago, Chile will be downright hot reaching well into the 90s.
Photos by: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/emmajg/" target="_blank">Emma Gawen</a>2015-01-04T23:00:00-07:002022-10-28T07:10:59-07:00Erik Bergstag:minnesotaconnected.com,2012-09-20:14984Traveling the Diverse Landscapes of Taipei [caption id="attachment_259872" align="aligncenter" width="399"]<a href="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/693/image/minnesotaconnected/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/This-Minnesotan-Atop-the-Chiang-Kai-Shek-Memorial.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-259872 " alt="This Minnesotan Atop the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial" src="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/693/image/minnesotaconnected/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/This-Minnesotan-Atop-the-Chiang-Kai-Shek-Memorial.jpg" width="399" height="301" /></a> Selfie while atop the stairs of the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial[/caption]
The vibrancy and excitement found in Taipei surpasses New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo. It's a city where street performances are done just for the sake of performing, where most of the locals are eager to try their English and where the collage of cultures supersedes even the USA (in many ways).
The streets aren't clean, the food probably isn't all that safe, traffic is pure chaos and the nightlife is addictive; but the city, for all its flaws, should rank at the top of bucket lists.
Stuff to Do
Taipei is packed with all sorts of museums and monuments. (The Republic of China essentially considers it to be the capital of the entire mainland, so there's lots of measuring up to do.) The massive Chiang Kai-Shek memorial and surrounding plaza is a necessary spot to visit; the most necessary however is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101" target="_blank">Taipei 101</a>, which was once the tallest building in the world (and remains the "greenest" skyscraper in the world). Other than these two necessary items, the city caters to a wide variety of interests: temples, shopping, food and night life.
The food is a necessary highlight because I am a fan of all things spicy and most things exotic. Taiwan has an unreal cuisine convergence from China, Korea, Japan, the Philippines, other parts of southeast Asia and even the USA; the flavors and styles are combined in a flavorful, bold and often fiery way. Picky eaters might find the street food challenging, but I couldn't get enough.
The club scene is also top notch. There's no better place to be than young and in Taipei. The locals are outgoing and curious, which makes westerners both approachable and interesting (which is exactly what you want to be when dancing the night away). I also found it (and understood it) to be a distinctly safe country (which is good if you plan to drink heavily), not as ridiculously safe as Japan though (so be reasonably vigilant).
If I were forced to place a third necessity in visiting Taipei, it would have to be the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maokong_Gondola" target="_blank">Maokong Gondola</a>. After taking in so much of the city, the cable cars that penetrated deep into the forested mountains were a welcome break. The temple at the end of the ride wasn't mind-blowing, but the view back at the city, the lushness of the forest and the freshly sautéed snacks were. The gondola proves that even an island as densely populated as Taiwan, can still contain a great deal of wilderness.
[caption id="attachment_259873" align="aligncenter" width="418"]<a href="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/693/image/minnesotaconnected/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/This-Minnesotan-Stands-Before-Taipei-101.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-259873 " alt="This Minnesotan Stands Before Taipei 101" src="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/693/image/minnesotaconnected/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/This-Minnesotan-Stands-Before-Taipei-101.jpg" width="418" height="560" /></a> A peaceful Taipei 101[/caption]
Transportation
Getting to Taipei is pretty straightforward from the states. It's about average as far as prices to Asian countries go. Eva Air (Taiwan's second largest airline) was my choice and by a remarkable event of luck I ended up taking the trip to the island on the infamous <a href="http://evakitty.evaair.com/en/" target="_blank">Hello Kitty Plane</a> (when taking the link, utilize the un-mute button at the top of the screen for full effect). This flying anomaly is Hello Kitty themed down to the compressed fish-paste-cake; I walked away from the experience with Hello Kitty themed eating utensils, playing cards and postcards (I refrained from taking the pink headrest cover). Like many airlines of the region, Eva Air had fantastic service and was very friendly to English speakers.
Once in Taipei, travelers will likely need to take a taxi. Taxi drivers were some of the only people who didn't readily speak English, but I was able to bypass any confusion by simply pointing at a map and gesturing.
Though for general travel around Taipei, I found that the Subway system worked better than anything. The trains were frequent, somewhat crowded (not bad though by Tokyo standards) and overall had a good vibe. It may have helped that I had a resident friend helping me (thanks Abe) for much of it, but I never felt lost in the stations.
[caption id="attachment_259874" align="aligncenter" width="418"]<a href="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/693/image/minnesotaconnected/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/The-City-of-Taipei-runs-straight-into-forested-hills-View-from-Taipei-101.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-259874 " alt="The City of Taipei runs straight into forested hills (View from Taipei 101)" src="https://assets.site-static.com/userfiles/693/image/minnesotaconnected/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/The-City-of-Taipei-runs-straight-into-forested-hills-View-from-Taipei-101.jpg" width="418" height="560" /></a> Forested hills run up right to the edge of the city.[/caption]
A Country with Everything and Nothing to Lose
While conversing with Taiwanese, I sensed an undertone of both fear and freedom from the very nature of their country. The government (The Republic of China) of the island claims to control all of mainland China (thus declaring itself the largest country by population in the world). This lingering effect of a fifty-year-old civil war weighs on the islanders. There is the prospect of being wiped out, at any moment, by the other China hanging over their heads at all times.
The fear and freedom of this prospect combine to cultivate a deep sense of impermanence and celebration for the present moment. Even the deep inner divides between Mandarin Chinese (who came in droves from the mainland due to the civil war) and native Taiwanese (who have seen their fair share of would-be masters) seems to disperse in most situations in favor of embracing a budding, eclectic, creative and diverse culture. Taipei is the nexus to it all.
In a weird way Taiwan is like the USA in an alternate universe. Many of its fundamental problems are the same, but they are different in their respective scale and manner; but for both Taiwanese and Americans, if we really look at each other we'll like what we see.
Globalization in all its Forms: Many Taiwanese-Americans in Taipei
Unlike Japanese-Americans or even Korean-Americans, many Taiwanese-Americans move back to the island or are frequent visitors. I don't think they move back to Taiwan completely out of necessity or for its inexpensive living cost and generally nice climate. I think it's a place people don't want to give up on. Big dreams still rub off on the islanders and there is a deep love for the many virtues the island has gained from its respective influences.
With an adventurous and outgoing attitude, Americans (and Minnesotans in particular) will find a great deal of fun and inspiration in Taipei.
Photos by: Erik Bergs
2014-05-26T22:00:00-07:002022-10-28T07:13:22-07:00Erik Bergs