IMMERSIVE "ONE DAY IN TAIWAN" EXPERIENCE

A fun hands-on afternoon featuring DIY Xiao Long Bao (Taiwanese dumpling) making and oil-paper umbrella painting gave us media folks and some Malaysian artists, YouTubers, and travel trade attendees an immersive “One Day in Taiwan” experience.

Taiwan Visitors Association hosted the workshop together with Taiwan’s related tourism organisations, to promote the island’s diverse tourism attractions including Taiwanese cuisine, popular destinations and diverse culture activities.

Taiwan Visitors Association Kuala Lumpur Office Director, Abe Chou urged Malaysians to visit and discover Taiwan before those present dived into making chocolate-filled Xiao Long Bao.

 

 

 

A master of traditional oiled-paper umbrella painting then guided us on how to paint our own oiled-paper brolly – an interactive way to educate us on the Hakka craftsmanship from Meinong District in southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City.

A form of customary wedding gift, the Hakka words of “oiled paper” and “have son” are auspicious homonyms. Also, the Chinese character of “umbrella” also represents a blessing for newlyweds to have children and grandchildren.

 Refreshments include Taiwan’s famed Bubble Tea, baked mini pineapple cakes and taro pastries. Adding to the afternoon’s lively pace are informative and fast-paced online quiz and bingo games incorporating interesting facts and different attractions in Taiwan.

 

I nearly won one of the return KL-Taipei flight tickets but sadly, Lady Luck wasn’t on my side that day. A case of so near yet so far. Still, it was an afternoon well spent and credit must go to the organisers for upping the ante in making it such a memorable event.

 

Packed with a myriad of travel resources, Taiwan is listed eighth in 2019 Top 10 Travel Destinations by Globe Spots. Booking.com also ranked Taiwan as the world’s friendliest country in 2018 while Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) cited Taiwan as the 3^rd most attractive country for international Muslim travellers.

 

READ, PLAY, ACT AND INFINITE POSSIBILITIES AT THE STORY BOOK

Everyone loves a good story. In our world where ‘smart’ gadgets and digital connectivity dominate modern life, The Story Book — Malaysia’s first ever story book themed event space — aims to stimulate fresh interest, keep the art of story telling alive and sow a greater love for reading and good story books among the general populace.

A bold venture founded by Jeanisha Wan, director of The Story World Sdn Bhd, The Story Book opened its doors at Plaza Arkadia, Desa ParkCity recently. I admire her guts, courage and fearlessness, going into an unexplored territory where eagles fear to tread. Like the humble but brave Frodo in The Lord of The Rings, Jeanisha is unafraid of reaching for the stars while her feet remains firmly on the ground.

After working tireless around the clock, The Story Book team should be applauded for successfully pulling off the short but sweet and interesting opening day programme. Perdana Parkcity Sdn Bhd, township management general manager Sukhdev Singh lauded Jeanisha for her innovative enterprise which has started to garner mutual collaboration between fellow tenants in Plaza Arkadia.

True to The Story Book's tagline "Where Stories Live", invited guests were greeted by story book characters: Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, one of The Musketeers, Gandalf from JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series and a dinosaur mascot on the opening day. The simple launch gambit saw the founder 'stepping out' from a 'story book cover' followed by the various characters.

While guests were feted to a delicious tea spread by The Hermitage All Day Dining, some of us browsed through the books on display sourced from Bookalicious and whimsical knick-knacks such as bookmarks, puzzles, games and writing paraphernalia from Kadeiloscope – lifestyle store.

The Story Book already got off to a flying start with a series of well-attended children’s reading and activities workshops. Coming in April and the months ahead will be adult-centric workshops and programmes, ranging from author readings to hands-on writing workshops.

You can also be a member of The Story Book and enjoy first dibs for discounts, event reservations and various other perks. Annual membership fee is only RM30 per person.  

For more information, call The Story Book, tel: 018-229 4361 or visit: https://www.facebook.com/thestorybooklives/