Taiwan

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  TAIWAN News

• Golden Tulip sustains Asian expansion with two more new Thailand properties

  10 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  BANGKOK, Thailand - Global hospitality management conglomerate Golden Tulip has continued its strategic expansion into South-east Asia with the recent signing of two hotels in

• Unstable financial conditions top barrier to Taiwanese businesses

  10 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Unstable financial conditions and marginal profits are top barriers to Taiwan's small businesses seeking to expand cross-border business, according to the results of a biannual

• TANDBERG 3-screen telepresence works with Cisco telepresence

  10 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  TANDBERG (OSLO: TAA.OL) announced it has successfully demonstrated telepresence interoperability between TANDBERG Telepresence and the Cisco CTS 3000. This demonstration, the first of its kind,

• DPP insists on legislative taskforce to supervise ECFA

  10 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  The Legislative Yuan needs to form a taskforce to supervise the eventual Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement with China, the opposition Democratic Progressive Party reiterated yesterday. The

• Taiwan's young malt a surprise whisky winner

  10 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  There are palm groves here, not heather on the heath, but that hasn't stopped a company in northeastern Taiwan from trying to produce a whisky

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  Taipei Times

• Exports, imports soar to 16-month high

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

• NFL: Saints go from chumps to champions

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

• Costa Rica’s first female president wins in landslide

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

• Is monogamy realistic?

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

• Power outage, jumper disrupt two Taipei MRT lines

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

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  TaiwanHeadlines.gov

• Old folks' renewal ceremony testifies to marital love

  7 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

  Tang Po-sheng and Tang Liang Jui-ying, both 90, are the protagonists of a famed love story at the rest home where they reside. Some years back, Tang Po-sheng suffered a stroke that left the left side of his body paralyzed. The couple have been married for 63 years and are inseparable, going everywhere from errands to doctors' appointments together. In October of last year, Mrs. Tang fell from her bed, and found that the left side of her body was no longer moving fluidly. She too was diagnosed as having suffered a stroke. Because she requires professional care, she reluctantly left the…

• Man strives to become coffee expert after accident

  2 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

  20 years ago, Huang Jin-zhong, a former Yunlin County chef, fell three stories to the ground from his roof while he was fixing it during a typhoon. His spine was fractured in three places, forcing the bones up against the nerves. Despite being told by doctors that he would never walk again, Huang, unwilling to spend the rest of his life confined to a wheelchair, was determined to exercise by trying to walk up and down the stairs. Yet he was still unable to stand up. With the encouragement of National Chung Hsing University Professor Ou Zhen-xiung, Huang, an enthusiastic coffee drinker, rented…

• Man hawks his own roast coffee beans from bicycle

  1 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

  Luo Yu-jun rides his bike to sell coffee in Yunlin County's Huashan area each weekend, the aroma of coffee from his mobile coffee shop spreading in the breeze. Luo is also selling franchise rights on his idea, and he has worked with catering outfits and even funeral homes in recent years. Three or four years ago, Luo began riding his mobile coffee shop to venues where large banquets and in some cases even funerals were being held, aiming to create more visibility for his 'Luo Coffee' brand name. On the menus at some of the banquets, one would even find "Luo Coffee and Cheesecake." Seeing his…

• Alternative servicemen clean homes for elderly shut-ins

  31 Jan 2010 | 4:00 pm

  While most people are cleaning their houses to welcome the Chinese Lunar New Year and another spring season, mobility-impaired or physically challenged individuals are unable to do so. To respond to their needs, the Chiayi County Office of Social Services, together with the city and county departments of development and the Chiayi County Survey Station, sent out three teams of alternative service personnel to help clean the homes of disadvantaged elderly residents so that they could welcome the New Year in a clean and comfortable manner. The 80-year-old widow Ah-po, a depression sufferer who…

• Family finds POW camp savior over six decades later

  30 Jan 2010 | 4:00 pm

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  Topix: Taiwan News

• China trade pact crucial: Ma

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

  TAIWAN'S President Ma Ying-jeou said on Tuesday that the island needs a proposed trade pact with China despite warnings that Taipei would become more reliant on its powerful neighbour.

• Taiwan Matters!: Irony

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:43 am

  One often overlooked part of the R.O.C polity's State structure is the The Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission (MTAC) created in 1928. This body hitherto has had the responsibility for "enhancing Taiwan's relations with Mongolia and the Tibetan government-in-exile". News has now come in that the commission may have undertaken a significant shift in its policy towards "promoting cross-strait exchanges".

• President Ma's new class struggle

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:34 am

  President Ma Ying-jeou is pushing a new class struggle which is more drastic and violent than the one between the proletariat and bourgeoisie described by Karl Marx.

• Taiwan DPP candidate could win Taipei City mayoral election: Poll

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:31 am

  " Former Premier Su Tseng-chang could be elected mayor of Taipei if the opposition Democratic Progressive Party nominates him for the year-end election, a poll said Tuesday.

• It's time to release Taiwan's former president

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:30 am

  The former President Chen Shui-bian, who has been put behind bars for more than 400 days, will spend the Lunar New Year holiday in prison the second time for another two months of custody.

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  NYT > Taiwan

• U.S. Arms for Taiwan Send Beijing a Message

  31 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pm

  In announcing an arms sales package to Taiwan, the U.S. leveled a direct strike at the heart of the most sensitive issue between the two countries.

• U.S. Deal With Taiwan Has China Retaliating

  30 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pm

  China announced an unusually broad series of retaliatory measures in response to the latest U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, including sanctions against some American companies.

• With Defense Test, China Shows Displeasure of U.S.

  12 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pm

  Analysts say they think that China timed the test of its missile interceptor system to express its anger over American approval of arms sales to Taiwan.

• Asian Computer Makers Move Into Riskier Ventures

  5 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pm

  Companies that once built devices to Silicon Valley’s specifications are now investing in start-ups so they can compete with their former customers.

• Taiwan Bans Some U.S. Beef Imports

  5 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pm

  Spurred by lingering concerns over mad cow disease, lawmakers moved to reverse a deal the governments had negotiated.

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  BigNewsNetwork: Taiwan

• Taiwan insists submarines, jets still on arms agenda

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:53 am

  TAIPEI (AFP) - Taiwan on Tuesday dismissed a report saying the island has dropped a request for US submarines, saying the vessels and fighter jets remained on the island's arms procurement agenda....

• Influenza B on rise as H1N1 wanes

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:14 am

  While the number of influenza A(H1N1) cases has continued to wane, cases of seasonal influenza B have continued to increase, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday. Shih Wen-yi, deputy director-g...

• Taiwan's top women's basketball team withdraws from season

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:14 am

  The Cathay Life women's basketball team, which has won 17 straight women's titles in Taiwan's domestic league, announced Tuesday that it will pull out of the 2010 season over a player registration con...

• Taiwan researchers find new correlation between tobacco, lung cancer

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:12 am

  A Taiwanese research team's new discovery of a mechanism by which tobacco causes lung cancer and other smoking-related diseases has made the cover of the February issue of The Journal of Clinical Inve...

• Taiwan denies dropping plan to buy US submarines

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:14 am

  Taipei - Taiwan on Tuesday denied a news report that it dropped plans to buy US submarines, saying the purchase plan is still on the table. Defence Ministry spokesman Yu Sy-tue was commenting on a new...

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  TaiwanNews.net

• Taiwan insists submarines, jets still on arms agenda

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:53 am

  TAIPEI (AFP) - Taiwan on Tuesday dismissed a report saying the island has dropped a request for US submarines, saying the vessels and fighter jets remained on the island's arms procurement agenda....

• Influenza B on rise as H1N1 wanes

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:14 am

  While the number of influenza A(H1N1) cases has continued to wane, cases of seasonal influenza B have continued to increase, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday. Shih Wen-yi, deputy director-g...

• Taiwan's top women's basketball team withdraws from season

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:14 am

  The Cathay Life women's basketball team, which has won 17 straight women's titles in Taiwan's domestic league, announced Tuesday that it will pull out of the 2010 season over a player registration con...

• Taiwan researchers find new correlation between tobacco, lung cancer

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:12 am

  A Taiwanese research team's new discovery of a mechanism by which tobacco causes lung cancer and other smoking-related diseases has made the cover of the February issue of The Journal of Clinical Inve...

• Taiwan denies dropping plan to buy US submarines

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:14 am

  Taipei - Taiwan on Tuesday denied a news report that it dropped plans to buy US submarines, saying the purchase plan is still on the table. Defence Ministry spokesman Yu Sy-tue was commenting on a new...

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  Global Voices Online » Taiwan (ROC)

• Taiwan: Dark Marketing on Facebook

  Portnoy

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:37 pm

  Mr. Friday on mmdays.com discusses how some people create fraudulent facebook fan page using photos of beautiful girls or logos of famous companies like MSN and Google(zh). The amount of fans can thus be sold to other businesses for promotion and marketing purpose. Mr. Friday asks Facebook to look into this rampant problem among Traditional Chinese users before these “dark marketing” become a viciou circle that ruins Facebook itself.

• Taiwan: Blogger meets with former President

  David Reid

  4 Feb 2010 | 9:53 pm

  Blogger Ben Goren describes his meeting with Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), the former President of Taiwan, in the Tucheng Detention Centre. Chen has been in detention for over a year while on trial for corruption related charges.

• Taiwan: Photoblogger Featured in Windows7 Theme

  Portnoy

  4 Feb 2010 | 1:11 am

  Photoblogger frogfree's 5 sets of photographs are officially recognized and featured in Windows 7 theme. He hopes it could encourage people around the world using Windows 7  to get to know the beauty of Taiwan(zh).

• Taiwan: Studying in a doctoral program

  David Reid

  3 Feb 2010 | 6:14 am

  Scott Sommers writes about his experience in the first semester of a Ph.D. program at National Taiwan Normal University.

• Taiwan: Prison important for education

  David Reid

  2 Feb 2010 | 7:11 am

  Brennpunkt Taipeh writes about the changes to the Jingmei Detention Centre over the past one and half years. He argues that the place is important for educating Taiwanese people about their history. The Jingmei site was used to detain political prisoners during the White Terror period in Taiwan.

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  The View from Taiwan

• Complaints from the Blue Team

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:11 am

  Chen Shui-bian had another two months added to his detention this week. The judges say that Chen, under 24 hour guard as a former president, is a flight risk. Once again, I thank the KMT for keeping Chen in detention, ensuring that he does not disrupt the upcoming elections, enabling DPP Chairman Tsai to carry out a smooth transition to the post-Chen era, and displaying for all to see the political aspects of his prosecution. Apple Daily called for his release on humanitarian grounds.The China Times, pro-KMT but often functioning as a sort of loyal opposition paper, had this to say in an…

• Those Foreign Men

  7 Feb 2010 | 9:59 pm

  Anyone remember the tale of the young lady who had a catfight in the street over the affections of an alleged AIT employee? Reprise that tale on my blog, for the heroine of They're Rogering Our Women! is back with Rogered by Whitey: the Sequel. The Liberty Times has the call in Chinese.Our Heroine claims that the guy somehow hurt her to the tune of NT$5000 in medical fees, which he blithely blew off. Because he used a fake ID and she couldn't find him, she says, she used a pic of one of the female stars of Cape No. 7 to entice him into coming out for a date, then got a friend of hers to pose…

• Trifecta of the Terrible

  6 Feb 2010 | 4:49 pm

  Let's start with the just plain silly: China continues to make noise about the US arms sales. Yesterday at the Munich Security Conference, Chinese FM Yang complains that US arms sales to Taiwan are against international law, and says that Chinese news is more reliable than western news. Yang clearly has a promising second career in comedy.... For bonus reliability of Chinese media hilarity, don't miss China Daily's propaganda piece on Taiwan's people protesting against the arms sales. What, you didn't see any demonstrations? That proves your mind has been controlled by the horribly biased…

• Rounding up ECFA (=Exploiting China to Forego Annihilation)

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:50 am

  Today, in our electricity bill, the government was kind enough to include this pamphlet exhorting us to support ECFA. Note the use of the HSR to invoke visions of modernity and progress. Sorry, DPPers, but you can't complain -- remember when you hung those UN for Taiwan banners on government buildings? The Ma government is trying harder to persuade the public that its suicide pact ECFA will be good for the island.The 'sign or die' theme that dominates the government's approach to ECFA was on display in this recent piece from the CNA on the island's petroleum products industry and ECFA,…

• Laos

  4 Feb 2010 | 7:47 pm

  For the last couple of weeks I've been in Thailand and Laos, enjoying sunshine and friendly people. I know it isn't about Taiwan, but I loved Laos, so I'm going to show you a few pictures from the week I spent there with Michael Cannon, Michael Klein, and Hui-chen, Michael K's wife. Here we are about to take the international bus from Khon Kaen, Thailand, to Vientiane, the capital of Laos.Vientiane from the Victory Gate.Breakfast vendors in Vientiane.Laos was colonized by the French. A positive legacy of French colonialism is the excellent bread sold by vendors everywhere.Samples of a…

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  David on Formosa

• Freak Out Beast 2010 edition

  David Reid

  7 Feb 2010 | 10:12 pm

  Freak Out Beast (吵年獸), a music festival featuring a huge line up of Taiwan indie bands, took place on Saturday and Sunday in the space around the Red Theatre in Ximending. I attended both days last year but this year I was only able to attend for one day on Sunday. The event took place on multiple stages around the Red Theatre. At the entrance there were turntables and mixing decks set up for DJs to perform. I had seen this crew performing in Ximending a couple of months earlier. In the evening Kou Chou Ching (拷秋勤) performed their Taiwan-style hip hop. On the south side of the Red…

• Sanying Community celebrates another year

  David Reid

  31 Jan 2010 | 7:48 pm

  On Saturday the Amis community of Sanying (三鶯部落) in Sanxia held its end of year celebration. The event attracted a crowd of about 500 people which was more than last year’s event. The community had also undergone a lot rebuilding after its demolition in February 2008. The afternoon began with dancing by members of Sanying and also the nearby riverside community of Saowac. As the evening approached the dancing ended and there was a generously catered meal enjoyed by everyone in attendance. After the meal there was a great line up of musicians beginning with Kou Chou Ching…

• Books and e-readers at the Taipei Book Exhibition

  David Reid

  28 Jan 2010 | 1:08 am

  The Taipei International Book Exhibition opened yesterday. I visited the exhibition today at the Taipei World Trade Centre to see what was new this year. This year’s special guest exhibitor is France. Francophones will be sure to enjoy the large range of French literature on display. There is also a selection of French films screening every day. One of the new things on display this year is e-readers. I was curious to have a look at them and get some idea of how they look and operate. The one pictured above is the BenQ nReader K60 which was on sale for NT$8,990. It is operated via…

• Books and films a window into Atayal culture

  David Reid

  27 Jan 2010 | 3:15 am

  I saw the short film Msgamil: Once Upon a Time (泰雅千年) while visiting Smangus in August last year. I then saw Through Thousands Years* (走過千年) at the Ethnographic Film Festival. Msgamil is a short film produced by Chen Wen-bin (陳文彬) about the historical migration of the Atayal. Through Thousands Years, by the Atayal director Pilin Yabu, documents the process of the making of Msgamil. I recently visited Taichung to talk with Dr Lin Yih-ren (林益仁) at Providence University (靜宜大學). Dr Lin very kindly gave me DVDs of both films and also two books about the…

• Freestyle motocross at Freedom Square

  David Reid

  16 Jan 2010 | 5:58 pm

  Freedom Square hosted an exhibition of freestyle motocross riding yesterday afternoon. It was part of the Red Bull X-Fighters exhibition tour. The riders pulled off extreme mid-air maneuvers in the space between the National Theatre and the National Concert Hall. Despite having only a short run up to the launching ramp they gained some serious air time. The riders performed a range of stunts including the “Superman seat grab” (shown above) and building up to backflips. The riders paused to enjoy the applause from the crowd. The large crowd sitting on the steps of the National…

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  TheNHBushman.com

• Day 1, Arrival in Thailand

  thenhbushman

  5 Feb 2010 | 7:01 pm

  Photos by MJ Klein and Hui-chen We are pleased to bring you this series on our recent trip to Thailand and Laos! We parked our car in one of those parking lots near the airport, and took a shuttle bus to the airport terminal. Michael Cannon (L) and Michael Turton join Hui-chen and I for shopping in the duty-free terminal before departure. Once we finally landed in Thailand, we took a rest and then got up to walk around and explore a bit.  One of the places we hit up right away, was the car rental agency. The 2 Michaels confront a bus pulling out of a parking lot. The car rental agency is on…

• 2010 Thailand/Laos Trip

  thenhbushman

  4 Feb 2010 | 8:16 pm

  Photo by MJ Klein Hui-chen and I just returned from an 11 day trip to Thailand and Laos.  It was a fantastic trip that we shared with bloggers Michael Turton and Michael Cannon.  We’ll be bringing you many articles in this new series and hopefully give you an idea of what it’s like to travel with us to these exotic destinations. We look forward to your comments on this upcoming series! Next in series Last in series

• The Plain of Jars

  thenhbushman

  3 Feb 2010 | 3:50 pm

  The Plain of Jars, originally uploaded by TheNHBushman.com. One of the most amazing archeological sites in the world!

• Vang Vieng

  thenhbushman

  2 Feb 2010 | 7:07 pm

  Vang Vieng, originally uploaded by TheNHBushman.com. Beautiful views from Laos!

• Prasat Puey Noi

  thenhbushman

  27 Jan 2010 | 1:24 am

  Prasat Puey Noi, originally uploaded by TheNHBushman.com. Our second visit to the famous archeological site in Isaan.

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  Bloggers In Taiwan

• Featured Blog - "kidzone-tw"

  andre

  31 Jan 2010 | 2:38 am

  kidzone-tw"An information site designed to enrich the lives of children of English-speaking families in Taiwan. Making child-friendly events, spaces and activities more accessible for all."by Katrina Brown

• Featured Blog - "Peggy Teaches Chinese"

  andre

  23 Jan 2010 | 11:06 pm

  Peggy Teaches Chinese"PeggyTeachesChinese is an online community for people who are interested in learning Mandarin. It is created by Peggy Lee, a college student in Taiwan. It started as a YouTube channel and is gradually growing.We’ve provided an hub for our visitors to communicate with people with the same niche worldwide, be it learning Chinese through videos provided by Peggy Lee, discussions on our forum or reading Chinese related articules and blogs.Please don't hesitate to express yourself freely and ask questions.Happy Learning! :)謝 謝 (Xie4 Xie4)"by Peggy Lee

• Featured Blog - "The Hungry Donkeys"

  andre

  16 Jan 2010 | 9:52 pm

  The Hungry Donkeys"Exploring and Exploiting the Best and Worst Food Experiences in Taiwan and Abroad"by Chuck Sands

• Featured Blog - "Memories of Past Tense"

  andre

  9 Jan 2010 | 10:23 pm

  Memories of Past Tenseby Diane Wu

• Featured Blog - "Life In Taiwan"

  andre

  1 Jan 2010 | 9:57 pm

  Life In Taiwanby Tony Coolidge

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  Taiwan Matters!

• Debate on erosion of justice in Taiwan continues

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:55 pm

  Part XIIIMichael Danielsen, chairman of Denmark's Taiwan Corner and one of the signatories of the Open letter to President Ma Ying-jeou last November, rebuts Government Information Office Minister Su Jun-pin's (蘇俊賓) response to Richard Kagan last month with a piece in today's Taipei Times titled "Democratic liberty is fundamental."Here are some excerpts from Danielsen's piece:[Su] states that the government will give "due attention to possible flaws in our judicial system" and continued by stating that it will "keep pushing forward on these fronts."I look forward to actual steps that go…

• Irony

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:05 am

  One often overlooked part of the R.O.C polity's State structure is the The Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission (MTAC) created in 1928. This body hitherto has had the responsibility for "enhancing Taiwan’s relations with Mongolia and the Tibetan government-in-exile". News has now come in that the commission may have undertaken a significant shift in its policy towards "promoting cross-strait exchanges". I'll leave you the kind reader to follow up on the details but a quote at the bottom of the piece struck me as hugely ironic:Asked by the Taipei Times why MTAC would not accept the…

• On the level

  1 Feb 2010 | 9:54 am

  Last night, Taiwan's MAC Deputy Minister Liu Te-shun (劉德勳) argued that China would not be able to tolerate an ECFA with Taiwan when any pro-Taiwan independence party was in power. In Liu's own words, "The ECFA is a political and economic asset that the KMT has fought to give the Taiwan people. How could we let a pro-Taiwanese Independence party plunder or ruin it?"The DPP has long complained that the ECFA agreement is meant to bind Taiwan to "One China" both politically and economically. The CCP, likewise, made it obvious that political unification was the ultimate objective.But only…

• ECFA is being signed under a one-China framework

  25 Jan 2010 | 1:28 pm

  In case you still had any doubts...It should be obvious to anyone not in a persistent vegetative state (and even that might not be enough of an obstacle to miss this) that the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) being "negotiated" between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) in Taiwan and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is annexing Taiwan to China.Today's Taipei Times contains the money quotes:MAC [Maddog note: the so-called "Mainland" Affairs Council] Deputy Minister Liu Te-shun (劉德勳) said that under the Act Governing Relations between the Peoples of the Taiwan Area and…

• GIO goes after PTS again

  22 Jan 2010 | 3:45 am

  Taiwan News is reporting that the GIO is piling the pressure on the PTS Chairman Cheng Tung-liao who filed a lawsuit against the Government for illegally planting 8 new board members, most of whom were chosen for their support for the Government or President:The GIO accused Cheng of illegally using NT$2 million in foundation money to finance the case against the eight new board members. The use of the funds hampered the normal functioning of the foundation and harmed public interest, the GIO said.The government department said it was considering demanding Cheng’s removal as board chairman…

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  The Daily Bubble Tea

• Daily Photo – Mozartsteg

  Todd Alperovitz

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:26 am

  I promise myself to have all the pictures from our honeymoon trip to Europe finished by the end of Chinese New Year.

• Dihua Street

  Todd Alperovitz

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:44 am

  Yesterday, I visited Dihua Street [迪化街], Taipei’s biggest Chinese New Year market.  The last time I visited was during Chinese New Year, so most of the crowds and many of the stalls were already gone.  This time was extremely busy.  Despite how crowded it was, everyone was in a good mood and in the holiday spirit.  If you visit, be sure to go on an empty stomach, because most of the vendors give out plenty of free samples. There were a couple of different crews filming when I visited, the young woman above was hosting either a travel show or a news piece.  Another crew I…

• DIY Chocolate in Miaoli

  Todd Alperovitz

  4 Feb 2010 | 6:30 am

  Earlier this week my school took a field trip to Miaoli for some DIY chocolate at Schokolake [巧克力雲莊].  This was one of three stops during our school’s Miaoli trip and I’m pretty sure our students had the most fun here.  The area outside the chocolate factory is quite lovely with several flowering trees such as these Cherry Blossoms [櫻花] that were in full bloom during our visit: In addition to the Cherry Blossoms were these Plum Blossoms [梅花], the national flower of the Republic of China: Once all the teachers and parents were finished taking pictures of flowers…

• Weekly Links – February 4, 2010

  Todd Alperovitz

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:47 am

  Rich Matheson on the origins of the Bajiajiang. Jim visits Shanchiao Elementary School in Miaoli. Shuflies reports on the best macaroons in Taipei. Carrie interviews Matt Gibson, the publisher of Xpat Magazine. David attends the Amis community end of year celebration in Sanying. Two for Tainan: The Tainan City Guide with information on the Golden Beach and Wandering Taiwan visits Tainan’s Anping Tree House. The Far-Eastern Sweet Potato reports that the arms sale will not affect ECFA talks. EVENTS: Taipei Big Street New Year Shopping Festival January 29 through February 12. Freak Out…

• Images from Bopiliao Old Street

  Todd Alperovitz

  3 Feb 2010 | 8:09 am

  Although now a back alley, this Qing Dynasty street used to be an important passage between Monga [present-day Wanhua] and Guting Districts prior to losing its status to Guangzhou Street as the major link between the two districts. There are conflicting stories as to how Bopiliao [剝皮寮] got its name:  Some sources say that the name originates from when the area was used to peel timber that was imported from Fuzhou Province [Bopi means "to peel"], while another legend suggests that the name comes from the skinning of animal pelts. Restoration of the area began in 2003 and was recently…

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  andre in taiwan

• the levee park in wugu

  andre

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:18 am

  last weekend with the sun out and temperature hovering around mid to low 20's, we decided to step out to the levee park in wugu for a walk and take olivia to look at the goats there.....the weather was great.our main purpose was to check out the goats they've got at the park since olivia had been bugging us for days that she wanted to see them.soon after we arrived, these two little guys started a stare down then proceeded to ram each other in a fight.fight!just like us humans, mom steps in to break up the fight and lecture them while dad steps to the side pretending to look busy and not…

• ah-miao & polin's wedding

  andre

  5 Feb 2010 | 11:20 pm

  karen's cousin got married last month and olivia along with my nephew ethan were the flower girl and boy for his wedding.....here are some photos from the wedding reception.....

• new year's day dinner

  andre

  15 Jan 2010 | 11:55 pm

  on new year's day, we went to have dinner at the landmark hotel just across the street from our house.....

• hong kong trip 2009 - part 2

  andre

  29 Dec 2009 | 11:52 pm

  continuing with our trip to hong kong earlier this month.....we spent our entire second day inside the disneyland theme park.once inside you can immediately feel the x'mas spirit and atmosphere in the air.even the mascots had x'mas themed clothes on. olivia was super excited when we first saw them but she was pretty scared when we walked up to them. guess they are a lot bigger in person than on tv!the "main street" where they had tons of shops and stores of all sorts.ups seemed to have paid big bucks because their presence was pretty eminent all over the place.just about everywhere you went,…

• MERRY X'MAS 2009!

  andre

  25 Dec 2009 | 1:28 am

  from olivia, karen & yours truly.....we wish MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of you and your families. have a safe holiday season.Send your own ElfYourself eCards

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  FILI'S WORLD

• Pat Sing Leng Country Park Hiking Trail

  Fili

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:40 am

  Hong Kong has some spectacular nature. Every time I go hiking in Hong Kong it just takes my breath away. This one, Pat Sing Leng Country Park, north-east of Hong Kong’s New Territories, is one of the tougher ones I’ve done. Rated difficulty 4 and going for 12.5km across a range of mountain tops, I was struggling a bit. Of the 6 hours hike, I’d say more than 2 hours are spent hiking up and we’re not talking a minor decline. Pat Sing Leng – or the 8 immortals (/Gods) – features 8 peaks each named after a different immortal, the highest one going as high as 600m, which is not bad…

• Kowloon Walled City Park

  Fili

  6 Feb 2010 | 9:36 am

  A Qing dynasty style garden was put in place to replace one of Hong Kong’s worst urban atrocities, and what a lovely little place that is. Pavilions, pagodas, gardens, streams, ponds and small waterfalls, the little park is a hidden gem. A stroll in the park during evening time is especially magical…   Before this became a beautiful park it was an utter Hong Kong monstrosity. You simply HAVE to check out those posts for what Kowloon Walled City looked like - My father lived in Kowloon Walled City Kowloon Walled City City Discussions – The Walled City Of Kowloon Kowloon Walled…

• Stitch visits Lamma Island

  Fili

  4 Feb 2010 | 10:12 pm

  Although a while back, Stitch’s visit to Lamma Island shall not be forgotten. It’s been quite a few weeks since two lovely gals and myself accompanied Stitch for his visit to Hong Kong’s Lamma Island.     It’s my second visit to Lamma, and it is a gorgeous place to visit. There are places in Hong Kong with better scenery, but I especially like how laid back every thing is and how far away the whole island seems from the hustle bustle of central Hong Kong.           The weather, moving between cloudy to sunny, was very pleasant, and allowed us some…

• A Year in Hong Kong – 3 Years in Asia

  Fili

  2 Feb 2010 | 10:59 am

  Today, a year ago, I moved from Taiwan to Hong Kong to begin a new academic adventure with Hong Kong’s University of Science and Technology. Looking back on this year, it’s hard to believe how quickly it all passed. All together, with 2 years accumulated in Taiwan, this also marks about 3 years of living in Asia, which is remarkable given the fact that if you asked me a few years ago where Taiwan is or what Hong Kong is all about I probably wouldn’t know what you’re talking about. It has been a humbling experience. For some people, like myself, it does sometimes take getting out of…

• Perspectives on HK : Featuring Garret M Clarke

  Fili

  29 Jan 2010 | 9:19 am

  Garret Clarke, a talented young photographer I’ve had the pleasure of shortly studying with at Taiwan, has recently visited Hong Kong. I’ve been meaning to try and promote some of his work and the artistic side projects I saw him do across Taiwan’s Tainan, but it’s only after I came across some of the recent Hong Kong photos he took on his trip to Hong Kong that I finally decided to take the opportunity. Garret M Clarke www.garretmclarke.com ; http://garretmclarke.blogspot.com/ Here’s some of Garret’s perspective on Hong Kong … (click on the images for the full-size photo) I…

• 
  Mark Forman/BBluesman

• Architect(ed)

  Mark Forman

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:59 pm

  The Central Taiwan Science Park in Taichung, Taiwan is home to the major producers of LCD large screens for TV's and monitors. It is quite huge and usually appears deserted from the outside. The land is owned by TaiSugar a government owned company and the largest landlord in Taiwan. It's area is about the size of a good sized airport and spans from the western edge of DaYa to Taichung by TungHai University. The Building-Looptroop Rockers video.

• The Scholar god

  Mark Forman

  6 Feb 2010 | 12:49 pm

  The WenChang Temple is one of Taichung's oldest(1825) and dates back to the Ching Dynasty. It is dedicated to the scholar god so many students go there to pray for good exam scores which are crucial for their placement into the better schools and a better life.

• Amelia

  Mark Forman

  4 Feb 2010 | 1:14 pm

  Joni Mitchell has an amazing voice and she is a gifted musician as well. The thing I love about her the most is how she takes risks and continually experiments challenging herself and developing her art. Amelia is a song that she did with Jaco Pastorious one of the greatest musicians and bass players that ever lived.

• Amazona

  Mark Forman

  30 Jan 2010 | 1:46 pm

  Flower head-ever get all preened and looking great but get the sense you're still missing something? Swinging-sometimes it's nice to get lost in the shadows or drift between shadow and light. Cow vs. Cat-who's side are you on? Don't believe Gaylord Focker-you can't milk cats... Overworked-here's a bonus  for when you are working hard (for your ears). Roxy Music was one of the coolest bands from back in the day. Amazona is one of their more prominent guitar songs.

• Fear of Music

  Mark Forman

  28 Jan 2010 | 1:03 pm

  Admittedly Talking Heads is one of my favorite bands of all time. I'm very happy that I got to see them twice and during the Fear of Music period. Mind is from that album.

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  Gruvr.com: Taiwan Concerts

• Wednesday 10th: Laurent HOUNSAVI at BROWN SUGAR - TAIPEI - (Taiwan) Taipei

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:40 pm

  at BROWN SUGAR - TAIPEI - (Taiwan) Taipei on 2010-02-10

• Sunday 14th: DJ ZEGON at T.B.A Rio de Janeiro

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:36 pm

  at T.B.A Rio de Janeiro on 2010-02-14

• Sunday Feb 21st: Do Make Say Think at v-Hall Seoul

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:33 pm

  at v-Hall Seoul on 2010-02-21

• Saturday Feb 27th: Anti-Nowhere League Official myspace at Poland - Lodz - Dekompresja

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:30 pm

  at Poland - Lodz - Dekompresja ul.Limanowskiego 200 ANWL on 2010-02-27

• Monday Mar 1st: Valentin at BERLIN, ST.MARIEN AM BEHNITZ t.b.a A TOUCH OF SWING

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:26 pm

  at BERLIN, ST.MARIEN AM BEHNITZ t.b.a A TOUCH OF SWING on 2010-03-01

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  Taiwan Photographers

• Nanjing East Road

  carrie

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:35 am

  Photo by Brian Q. Webb Nanjing East Road is a post from: Taiwan Photographers Share and Enjoy:

• Despair

  carrie

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:33 am

  Photo by Angus Despair is a post from: Taiwan Photographers Share and Enjoy:

• Moving Day

  carrie

  7 Feb 2010 | 6:31 am

  Photo by Siegfy Moving Day is a post from: Taiwan Photographers Share and Enjoy:

• Secrets

  carrie

  6 Feb 2010 | 6:29 am

  Photo by Linyijen. Secrets is a post from: Taiwan Photographers Share and Enjoy:

• Art

  carrie

  5 Feb 2010 | 6:28 am

  Photo by Chlld. Art is a post from: Taiwan Photographers Share and Enjoy: