by Victoria Barker

TAIWANESE television presenter Janet Hsieh is what one would call an all-rounder.

Born and raised in the city of Houston in the United States, the 28-year old has dabbled in acting, modelling and even used to work as an emergency medical technician.

As the host of travel show Fun Taiwan, which is in its seventh season, Hsieh, who speaks five languages, explores the country's hidden gems and finds beauty off the beaten track.

my paper chats with her about the show.

How fluent are you in Mandarin?

My Chinese is at the level of a middle-schooler (10- to 13-year-old). (Laughs) I still say the wrong things all the time, and my pronunciation is not up to scratch.

What is the biggest misconception about Taiwan?

People think it's just an industrial island that makes computer chips. Taiwan's image is based too much on its cities. Once you get out of them, you'd be astounded at the beauty you can find there.

Have you had any culture shocks?

When I first got to Taiwan, I was walking by a night market. I smelled something bad and thought I'd stepped on dog poo. As the smell got stronger, I realised it came from one of the stalls. It was stinky tofu!

For more my paper stories click here.