{Behind the Blog} Xander from Primitive Culture // Taiwan Famous

Primitive Culture is one of the most inspiring blogs I read, with food, travel and style insights from globetrotter Xander. He has also just started another blog, Taiwan Famous, chronicling food exploits in his new home. Not only does Xander have a penchant for street eats and local produce, but he seeks out cool cafes wherever he travels, making him something of a kindred blogging spirit of mine! Here's more about Xander:

Where do you live/where are you now?
I have just moved to Hsinchu, Taiwan. It’s about an hour South of Taipei (though only half an hour by high speed rail), with some big city benefits, but a nicely relaxed pace of life.

Hsinchu Night Market

What are you currently...

...reading?
I’ve just started reading “This Side of Paradise”, which will, sadly, be the last new F. Scott Fitzgerald novel for me.

…listening to?
I’ve always had a fondness for old music—I love Big Band. Lately I’ve been playing a lot of goofy happy songs by Doris Day, and moody latin numbers by Xavier Cugat. I’m also just now getting into Podcasts—I love how a relaxed hour of listening can fill me up with so many new ideas. I especially love This American Life and The Splendid Table.

…watching?
While I was in the States recently I finally caught up on watching the rest of Six Feet Under—I still can’t get over what an amazing show it was. It might have ruined me for TV forever—no show could ever be as good.

...cooking?
With so much great, cheap street food around in Taiwan, I’m not cooking too much lately. But I’m excited to be getting a new kitchen soon (we’re still apartment hopping), and to start stocking it with produce from local markets and shops.

…eating?
Hsinchu is a great city for eating local Taiwanese food—it’s especially famous for xiao chi (“little eats”). We’ve discovered some great spots recently—we just found two different places that make delicious duck noodles. My favorite snacks right now are zhua bing, flaky pancakes studded with scallions, and baotze, steamed buns filled with pork.

...drinking?
Not enough, really. With summer in full force I’d love to be mixing some gin and bitters, or maybe a gin fizz, but no apartment means no bar yet!

…wearing?
We were in the states for a few months before moving to Taiwan, and I loaded up at some of my favorite stores. I really miss American Apparel, J. Crew, and H&M—but at least I brought a heavy suitcase with me from the states. I mainly loaded up on clothes in shades of peacock and navy blue. Wearing navy blue is a new thing for me—I used to have to wear navy blue as part of a uniform at Catholic school, so for years I hated the color.

…planning?
We’ve been traveling since January, and I’m getting excited about the idea of having an apartment of our own again, so I’m already figuring how I want to decorate it, what we need to get, what the layout will be… We might have found a place that is just what we were looking for, so we’re hoping to sign a lease soon. It’s a really funky old ‘60s Chinese style place—it looks like something out of a Wong Kar Wai movie.

…obsessed with?
Muji! I wish I had a salary high enough stock my entire apartment with streamlined Muji furniture, but as it is I’m making do with some new Muji bags and clothes. I’m also dreaming of a trip to Japan, partly so I can visit one of the mythically huge Muji stores…

My other obsession right now is my new dog, Japie (an Afrikaans name said like Yaw-pie). Neither my husband or I are dog people, but we’ve always talked about getting a French bull dog some day. Then just after we got to Taiwan, we met someone who was trying to find a home for one… we met him, totally fell for him, and now he’s my sole topic of conversation.

Favourite cuisines?
We found a great Vietnamese place today, a total hole in the wall, and I was once again reminded of what an amazing cuisine that country has. The cool, herby flavors are especially fantastic for summer—a banana flower salad and a glass of lime and soda sounds like the ideal lunch to me. Conversely, I have some very American tastebuds—well made pizza and hamburgers are two of my favorite foods.

Fresh produce in Vietnam

Favourite travel destinations?
Hanoi is one of my favorite cities—great for shopping, eating, taking in culture, and relaxing in cafes. I also think Cape Town might be one of the best destinations in the world. After living there for a year, I don’t think I want to go back full-time, but as a get-away it’s perfect: beautiful beaches, hiking trails, and some excellent cafes.

Capetown

Next trip planned?
My parents are coming to visit soon, and we’ll be heading off for a few days in Bali, then heading back here so I can show them a little of Taiwan. I’ve never been to Bali, but I might actually be more excited about Taiwan—it’s a fascinating island, and there’s still so much of it I haven’t seen.

If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where and why?
I’m so eager to try living in the US again, especially LA, my favorite city in the world. But I’m also vaguely curious to try living in the South for a while, to explore some swamps and learn more about the fantastic food…

Who/what inspires you?
I am definitely a city person, and the closer to downtown I can live the happier I am. But I’m also really inspired by nature—right now the lush greens of Taiwan’s bamboo forests are filling up my sketchbooks. I love studying the forms and shapes of animals and plants.

3 of your must-read blogs?
Despite sort of being a ‘travel blogger’ I don’t actually read many travel blogs, unless they have a focus on food or style. More than just reading about people going places, I love reading about what people are eating, where they’re enjoying coffee, or what they’re wearing or making.

I love Readymade Magazine, and they have a fantastic set of blogs—my favorite is their food blog, Feast, which always has great ideas for what you should be eating.

I’m also really into David Lebovitz lately. I know he lives in Paris, which is obviously quite a bit different from Taiwan, but reading the culinary explorations of a fellow expatriate make me want to get up and go search out some interesting local ingredients and dishes.

And though its admittedly a little girly, Design*Sponge is one of my favorite daily reads—especially now that food and entertaining seems to be getting expanded coverage on their blog.

Thanks for inviting me to participate!

....................................................................

Thanks Xander!

{FAQ} Having a baby in Bangkok

It's been a bit quiet on the A Girl in Asia blogging front lately - I've been kind of busy having baby number 2! Sofia Camille was born just over a week ago at Samitivej Hospital in Bangkok. She's gorgeous and healthy and doing really well so far!

As I'm often getting emails from readers wanting to know the ins and outs of having a baby in Asia, now seems like a good time to do a Frequently Asked Questions post addressing some of the main things people want to know about. Most questions are relevant to people living in Phnom Penh or Saigon (my Asian homes, past and present), since that's where most of the questions have come from:

Q: Should I have a baby while living in Phnom Penh/Saigon? What's the medical care like? 
A: Yes! Being pregnant in either city is no different to being pregnant anywhere else, provided you're careful with the usual hygiene issues and don't eat anything you're not meant to! International standard medical care is available in both cities (in Phnom Penh I went to SOS, in Saigon, Family Medical Centre) however keep in mind that in PP you will have to travel somewhere else (like Bangkok) for the two main ultrasounds. They can do basic ultrasounds at SOS and at other clinics in the city, but not the more complex ones like the down syndrome screening. For my first pregnancy I travelled to Bangkok for these and had them done at Samitivej Hospital. Another thing to consider is getting a friend or family member to bring you pre-natal vitamins from home, if you have a specific brand in mind. There is a British brand of vitamins, Pregnacare, available at U-Care in Phnom Penh, but in Saigon it's a little harder to come across anything reputable unless you get your doctor to prescribe some.

Q: Where should I have my baby?
A: Most expats in Phnom Penh (in fact, almost all!) leave Cambodia for the birth. Reason being - there aren't any hospitals of international standard - facilities at local hospitals are basic. However - since I left, a branch of a Bangkok hospital called Royal Ratanak opened in Phnom Penh which might be an ok option, but you may need to check it out for yourself! In Saigon, there's a supposed international hospital, FV, where some expats choose to go, however more seem to leave the country to other Asian cities like Bangkok or Singapore, and many return to their home countries.  Some accounts of giving birth at FV paint an ''ok'' picture, but most are quite negative, with particular concerns about poor communication from and between staff, inadequate aftercare with little help in establishing breastfeeding (and giving the baby formula without permission) to incompetent diagnoses of the baby's problems resulting in airlifting to Bangkok(!). The idea of giving birth there didn't fill me with confidence so I chose to return to Samitivej Hospital, Bangkok, where i had my first baby and was really happy with the staff and care and whole experience (except the giving birth bit I mean!).

Q: When do I have to fly to Bangkok/Singapore/wherever else I'm giving birth?
A: This is entirely up to the airlines, rather than your doctor. You need to find out what your particular airline accepts as the latest you can fly, however most (including Thai Airways) cite 36 weeks as the latest in your pregnancy you can fly. You also need a medical certificate or letter from your doctor stating how many weeks you are and your due date, and that you're fit to fly which you need to present upon check-in. I also got a letter to show from when I was 6 months pregnant onwards, just in case they thought I was too pregnant to fly. I'm glad I did as after 6 months (and I was flying all the time!) I kept getting asked for a doctor's letter before boarding.

Q: What are the hospitals like in Bangkok?
A: I can only really speak for Samitivej (where the majority of expats in Cambodia and Laos seem to go, and some from Vietnam) - but it's great! Like a 5-star hotel turned hospital. The staff (all Thai) are so efficient and offer amazing customer service, the doctors very competent and friendly and wonderful, and the aftercare and rooms are great too (they come with a couch bed for partners to sleep on so they can stay in the room with  you, there's internet, a flat-screen tv, and you can get delivery to your room from food outlets in the hospital like Starbucks and Au Bon Pain). Even the hospital food is good! But really, the best bit was the all the advice and support from the nurses and nursery staff in the days after the birth.

Q: Where should I stay before and after the birth?
A: I've found the best option considering the duration of the stay before and after is a serviced apartment. We found ours (Tropical Residence) by chance and luck, before our first Bangkok birth, simply by walking around the neighbourhood near Samitivej Hospital going in and asking to inspect any nice looking serviced apartment buildings we came across! Many only accepted stays by the year or more, but fortunately, Tropical Residence is for short term stays too, either by the week or the month. It has a pool, a small gym, mini-golf on the roof, a complimentary tuk-tuk to take you to nearby shops and skytrain stations (and the hospital) which is so convenient, and best of all is walking distance to lots of great cafes and restaurants and massage places in Thonglor (a cool Bangkok neighbourhood). For other hospitals or other cities, it's best to do some online research, and if all else fails, go and inspect places in person on any pre-baby trips there so you can see for yourself what they're like.

Q: What about visas? And the citizenship and passport for the baby once it's born?
A: These things depend on where you're going and your nationality so a little research is called for. I got a 2 month visa in advance from the Thai embassy in Saigon before I came to Bangkok, otherwise (as an Australian) I would have only been stamped in for 30 days upon arrival. I did the same in Phnom Penh at the Thai embassy there before I left for Bangkok for baby number one. As for the citizenship and passport process, it can be easy or painfully long, depending on your nationality and the whims of your country's embassy! Unfortunately I fall in the latter camp, with the process for Australians a long one. First, Samitivej gets the Thai birth certificate translated into English and they also take the baby's passport photo (so cute!). The translation service takes up to 7 working days, however this time we got ours back around day 5. Then - it's paperwork aplenty before applying at the Australian embassy for citizenship (this is the stage we're up to now). They say it could take up to 10 working days. Then once we have that, it's passport application time (more paperwork, more red tape) and another wait of up to 10 working days. So overall - with the arrival in Bangkok at 36 weeks and all the waiting afterwards, it's around a 2 month stay away from Saigon. Don't be put off though - it sounds like Australians have the worst deal. Other people we know who are French and German have had their baby's passport all done and ready much, much quicker. To find out exactly what you need to do and how long it will take, you need to contact your embassy in the country you're giving birth.

Phew! That about covers the main things I've been asked. If you're having a baby in SE Asia (or thinking about it) I hope you find this a useful starting point!!

Useful links

Tropical Residence (serviced apartments near Samitivej Hospital, Bangkok):
http://www.thaiapartment.com/ServicedApartment/The_Tropical_Residence_Detail.asp

Samitivej Hospital (Bangkok):
http://www.samitivej.info/sukhumvit/birth_unit_en.aspx

My article in AsiaLIFE Guide Phnom Penh on giving birth in Asia:
http://www.asialifeguide.com/Feature/what-to-expect-when-expecting-in-phnom-penh.html