Janet Hsieh does what most of us just dream of — travel the world. The excitement comes through when she says, “I had travelled to 20 countries by the time I graduated. And in the next 10 years I added 20 more countries to that list.” Janet Hsieh will host a new series, Fun Asia , on TLC (Travel and Living Channel), beginning tomorrow, December 6; 10 p.m.
Janet is now shooting in India, in Gujarat and Orissa, for a few episodes in this series. “This is my third visit to India. This country is so vast and vibrant that you can spend 10 life times exploring it and still not see every bit of it. It is so magical. During my first visit, I was working with an NGO in Jamshedpur for a month. And on my second visit, I managed to travel across the country — Goa, Rajasthan, Kerala, Sikkim, Agra, Mumbai and Nasik. I also spent a month learning yoga at an ashram”
She's backpacked across all Asian countries and says that her job is to project Asia like never before. She wants to steer clear of tourist spots and take viewers into smaller gullies and unearth hidden facets of the continent. “I want people get a feeling that they are backpacking with me and discovering the continent all over again. I am not going to take them to popular restaurants but to food that is cooked in humble homes. Every street and every community has fascinating stories to share. In India, you think of Bollywood. Come to Gujarat and discover how vibrant ‘Gollywood' or the local film industry is,” she cites.
In the episodes that will focus on India, Janet will travel through Gujarat and Orissa. “We spent some time at the Gandhi Ashram. I got to learn more about Gandhi's personal side and the NGOs that still work to keep up his ideals. We also captured the massive number of people that come to shop at the Ahmedabad Sunday market. The Ahmedabad Jama Masjid is another unforgettable place. I shot more than 400 photographs for myself in Gujarat. The one thing I notice about people in India is that they are warm and open to being photographed. The minute the camera focuses on them, be it in Champaner or Bhuj or anywhere, they are all smiles.”
Janet was born and raised in Texas but traces her roots to Taiwan. Skilled in music, martial arts, modeling and adventure sports, she graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Thanks to her extensive travel, she speaks fluently in English, Spanish, French, Hokkein (Taiwanese) and Mandarin.
“We have a great team that helps me do the homework before visiting any country and zeroing in on the places and things that we should be covering in each episode. Also, with local friends and guides, we unearth newer things that can be fun. I've tried elephant polo in Northeren Thailand, snorkeling in Phuket, rock climbing in Krabi and witnessed sunrise from a hot air balloon in Queensland,” Janet says. That she loves to travel and the experiences that come with it is an understatement.
(Fun Asia airs tomorrow on TLC at 10 p.m.)
