TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2009 • TAIPEI TIMES

community compass P A G E 4

co m m co mu es. nity@taipeitim Pigeon post Center helps Filipinos get ahead Home from home: Roy and Heidi Villaluna offer their compatriots more Flea Market comes to Taichung than just help with software and networks, providing food and moral support Morrison Academy Taichung campus’ annual Senior’s Flea Market is being held on Saturday from 9am to MARKET By Jenny W. Hsu companies who speaks with a soft The center is open on Sun- 1pm. The school said it will be the biggest event of its Staff Reporter yet determined voice, especially days from 8:30am to 6:30pm and kind in Taichung City with thousands of second-hand For Imelda Constantino, practic- when talking about the center. offers an array of courses rang- items for sale. Refreshments will also be available. Admission ing typing for hours on end in a “My wife and I just want to help ing from computer fundamentals is NT$500. For information on renting a stall or donating items, cramped computer lab is her idea our compatriots. This is something to Windows to troubleshooting contact the school on (04) 2292-1171. of a perfect Sunday. we can do to help them. These all for NT$1,800. The fee includes With her eyes fixed on a com- people are like family to us,” said a lifetime EPC membership and puter monitor, the Filipina care- the computer engineer. unconditional hospitality from the Taipei promotes language contest giver tried hard not to look down Nestled in the heart of Little Villalunas. at her fingers as they danced Manila off Zhongshan N Road in For those who can’t pay, Roy A Mandarin/Hoklo speech contest for foreigners in across the keyboard while typing Taipei, the 30-plus ping (100m²) smiled, shrugged his shoulders CONTEST sponsored by the will words as fast and accurately as she second-floor center is- lo and said, “that’s okay, Heidi and Roy Villaluna stand in front of computer parts in the lecture area of their be held next month. The city government is inviting possibly could. cated a block away from what we really ask for computer center in Taipei last month. PHOTO: Jenny W. Hsu, Taipei Times individuals to share their thoughts about the city and “I am here because I know St Christopher’s Church, a is their dedication and potentially win big prizes. Foreigners who have lived in Taiwan learning more about computers home away from home for sincerity. If they want has been coming to the center for she said, was to follow the sug- for less than six years are eligible to enter the contest. The theme will help me in the future,” she said many Filipinos. to learn, then I will two years and is learning about gestion of Representative Antonio of the contest is “Having Fun in Taipei,” and participants should shyly, whipping her body around The center is divided into teach. They can pay spreadsheets, said her dream was Basilio of the Manila Economic prepare a three-minute speech in Mandarin or Hoklo to share their to get back to her typing. three sections. In the back is whenever they can. If to open her own business when she and Culture Office to organize a recommendations of fun spots in Taipei City, the city government Constantino is one of the 50 a small makeshift mini mart they can’t pay, then gets home. volunteer group with the skills to of overseas Filipino workers en- full of Philippine treats and items. never mind.” “I know what I learn here will be teach computer literacy to Filipi- said. To enter, download application forms at www.rti.org.tw and rolled in E-PC, a data processing Next to it is a lecture area where “We really see them as our very useful for me in the future to nos who cannot travel to Taipei. send them by mail, e-mail or fax to Radio Taiwan International. A and computer literacy center es- Roy can often be seen standing in families. I always cook enough so help me and my family,” she said. In addition to tutorials, the cen- primary round of the contest will be held at 1pm on May 11 at the tablished in 2003 by Roy and Heidi front of a white board scribbling anyone who doesn’t have lunch or Heidi said that a former stu- ter also offers computer services Grand Hotel. The final will be held at 1pm on May 24 at the Warner Villaluna, who said that knowing down computer jargon. dinner is welcome to eat with us. dent who has since returned to the at a low price such as Windows OS Village Pedestrian Area. The winner will take home NT$30,000 their compatriots are benefitting Then the most popular hang- Many of them also tell me about Philippines had opened an Internet and software installation, personal and a Grand Hotel voucher, the city government said. For more from the class is all the reward out: the computer area, lined with their troubles at work and I give café in her home town. Several computer upgrading and assembly, information, visit www.rit.org.tw or www.taipeitravel.net or call they need for the painstaking ef- 20 computers all assembled by them advice and encourage them others, thanks to their computer network layout and laptop and PC (02) 2885 6168 ext.722. forts of maintaining the center. Roy, bustling with eager students not to give up,” said Heidi who knowledge, had found better jobs repair.  Roy is a project manager at who can’t wait to get on the Web holds a bachelor of science in in- in Taiwan, Canada and Hong Kong, For more information on the STAFF WRITER, WITH CNA the notebook division of one of cam to chat with their friends and formation technology she said. center call (02) 2592-5926 or e-mail Taiwan’s best-known computer families. Caregiver Norma Benevista, who The next step for the Villalunas, [email protected] Japanese walks for world Tourism fair turns long journey: Yuji Miyata has long been interested in provided with shelter and given food spotlight on the green issues and intends to walk around the globe until and water by strangers. “It’s a wonderful feeling camp- splendors of Spain the Earth takes a turn for the better environmentally ing in the wild for the night after having nothing but water for two or staff writer, with cna Staff Writer, with CNA at the age of six after watching a three days,” Miyata said. The Taipei-based Spanish Cham- A 26-year-old Japanese man began television report on holes in the A determined Miyata said even ber of Commerce (CCE) held a a three-month walk around Taiwan ozone layer caused by pollutants in his parents’ worries would not tourism fair last Wednesday in- to raise environmental awareness the atmosphere. change his decision to walk around viting 200 local travel agents to in City on Wednesday. He said he was greatly inspired the globe. explore the diversity of Spain’s Yuji Miyata attended World by Paul Colemen — earthwalker, “I’ll keep walking around the tourism with the aim of increas- Earth Day activities sponsored by tree planter and environmentalist globe until the Earth takes a turn ing the number of visitors from the Tainan City Government before — in late 2007, became a vegetar- for the better environmentally,” he Taiwan. embarking on his walk. He arrived ian and embarked on a global jour- vowed. CCE director-general Jose- in Tainan a day earlier, having com- ney to deliver his message on the After the Taiwan walk, he said Luis Lamas said the fair was pleted walks in Hong Kong, Beijing, environment. he will proceed to other Asian designed not only to promote South Korea and Okinawa over the He said he has walked 4,400km countries before heading for the Spain as a tourist destination past year. through three nations over the past Middle East and Europe. for Taiwanese people but also Miyata said he became con- 14 months. Without much money He said he got to know Chang to increase their awareness and cerned about environmental issues in his pocket, he said, he is often Huang-chen (張皇珍), director of knowledge of the country. Tainan City Government’s Environ- mental Protection Bureau, via a US further afield World Earth Day Web site, prompt- Ignacio Ducasse, director of the ing him to organize the Taiwan leg Spanish Tourism Office in Tokyo of his walk. — which covers Spain’s tourism For his part, Chang said he business in Japan, Taiwan and would write letters to local govern- South Korea — said that while 90 ments nationwide asking them to percent of Spain’s tourists come provide hospitality to Miyata and from Europe, the country wants cheer him along. to boost numbers of visitors from Since 1990, Coleman, a Brit- further afield. ish citizen, has walked 47,500km “We believe that in Taiwan through 39 nations, planting trees we have strong potential for at- and encouraging people to preserve tracting visitors to Spain. For the natural environment, delivering that reason, Taiwan is a very the environmental message from important market for us,” Du- the jungles of the Amazon to the casse said. highlands of Zimbabwe and even into war zones. In 2000, Coleman began a cam- We believe that in paign to plant 100 million trees, one “ for every man, woman and child Taiwan we have strong killed in the last century of war. s w eepi n g c h a n ge potential for attracting Thanks to the support of people A group of young people from the organization “Up With People” cleans up a street in Yuanlin Township, Yuji Miyata, right, who began a three-month walk around Taiwan last Wednesday, shakes around the world, he says, at least Changhua , on Saturday. After giving a performance in Yuanlin on April 19, the group, which is 11,350,000 trees have been planted visitors to Spain. hands with Tainan Mayor Hsu Tain-tsair while attending World Earth Day activities sponsored touring Taiwan, offered community service between last Tuesday and Friday. PHOTO: JUAN YI-YU, TAIPEI TIMES by the Tainan City Government the day before embarking on his walk. PHOTO: TSAI WEN-CHU, TAIPEI TIMES so far. — Ignacio Ducasse, director” of the Spanish Tourism Office

Ducasse said that compared Father Aloisius fights scourge of leprosy with a smile with other Asian countries, Taiwan has one of the highest Helping hand: Father Aloisius Gutheinz had ambitions of being a French horn player One day, a Catholic priest ap- numbers of travelers to Spain, in his youth but an encounter with a priest while mending a fence changed his life proached him and his father while Don’t ever say that leprosy is a punishment. These with an average of 30,000 per the pair were fixing the family year, a number that has been fence. The priest asked his father people“ are human beings who are equally valued in growing steadily over the past By Jenny W. Hsu Gutheinz said that God created Gutheinz said he cried in supplica- if he would allow his second son to decade. Staff Reporter an imperfect world, “so we can tion to God as an attempt to find an study to enter the Church. the eyes of God. While Taiwanese are famil- Donning a black fishing hat and red have a chance to learn how to love answer to justify the utter despair “My father was so taken back,” iar with Spain for its culture, sweater, Father Aloisius Gutheinz the way God loves. We wouldn’t he witnessed. he said, but he left the decision for — Aloisius Gutheinz,” founder of the Chinese Leprosy Service art, sports, fashion and food, looked like a typical grandfather have to the chance to love differ- “I said to God, you cannot his son to make, a gesture Gutheinz Spain has much more to offer, repeating tales of his fishing expe- ent type of people if the world was permit this Lord. I am against it. said he was grateful for. he said. ditions back in the good old days. perfect.” I cannot agree with it,” he said. Retreating to his safe place my mom, ‘you come with me to not infectious, he said. But instead, the silver-haired But even Gutheinz, who an- “Half an hour later, peace swelled — a nearby chapel — the young China. You love China so much. Looking towards the future, sunny man with a permanent smile across swered the call to become a priest up from the depth of my heart and Gutheinz sought clarity from You come with me,’ and she did Gutheinz said the next step was to Maria-Luisa Fernandez, deputy di- his face throughout his two-hour when he was a high school sopho- I heard God say to me in Chinese, God on what he should do. The and she still does,” he said, adding educate the public to remove the rector of new markets for Spain’s interview with the Taipei more, had to wrangle with Father Gu, you go ahead and do next day, he told his family that that he believes his mother is lov- stigma that many have about the Institute of Tourism, said Spain is Times had a far more so- his share of struggles you what you need to do for the he wished to enter a seminary. ing every minute of his Taiwanese disease. a “green, sunny and modern tour- ber tale to tell about the when he first met people lepers and I will take care of the With the full blessing of his fam- adventure. “You can shake their [lepers] ist destination.” lives of leprosy sufferers with leprosy, or Hansen’s rest.” ily, Gutheinz eventually entered When Gutheinz began his work hands, you can hug them. Just The country also has a rich in Taiwan. Disease, in September Describing that moment in the the Society of Jesus and began his with the leprosy patients in Lo come and spend time with them,” cultural legacy with some 40 his- Founder of the Chinese 1975, 14 years after he ar- chapel as his third vocation in life, lifelong work. Sheng Sanitorium in 1975, the cen- he said, urging more volunteers to toric sites and 13 cities declared Leprosy Service (CLS), rived in Taiwan. Gutheinz said from then on, he had Gutheinz recalled that when ter housed more than 800 people. go to Lo Sheng to see the sanito- as UNESCO world heritage sites, Gutheinz, also know as “An Italian father took neither fears nor doubts that he his mother received the news that Now, the number is down to 247. rium for themselves. she said. Father Gu Han-song (谷寒松), said me to visit a place called Yi-yuan was to serve those suffering from her son was heading to China on Thanks to a multi-drug ther- Now the leprosy situation in These include the Alhambra during his 30-year association with (怡園). I had no idea what it was be- the disease. his mission, her only fear was that apy (MDT), all the residents at Taiwan is under control, Gutheinz in Granada, the architectural leg- those afflicted with the degenera- fore I went there. When I got there, Working closely with people he would not be able to tell the Lo Sheng have been cured, even is looking to expand the CLS ser- acy of Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona tive condition, not once did he fear I saw 12 people [burdened] with battling with leprosy is not what locals apart because “all Chinese though many are scarred for life. vices to China, where there are and El Escorial in Madrid. catching the disease that often two heavy illnesses. One was lep- Gutheinz had in mind as a career look so much alike,” he said with Gutheinz said there was a huge an estimated 30,000 plus people The tourism fair provided leaves its victims deformed. rosy and the other was mental ill- when growing up in Europe. a chuckle. misunderstanding that people af- with the disease in more than 800 travel agents with the latest tour- “Don’t ever say that leprosy is a ness. I trembled when I saw that,” Born in 1933 in a small Aus- Tragically, Gutheinz’s mother fected with leprosy are contagious. leprosy villages. ist information and will help punishment. These people are hu- he said, describing the feeling of trian town near the Alps, the future died of a heart attack three days The fact is, as long as a sufferer For more information about vol- them organize various kinds of man beings who are equally valued injustice and frustration he felt. Jesuit priest aspired to become a prior to his departure. adheres to their MDT regiment, the unteering at Lo Sheng, see: www.lslp. tourist itineraries for Taiwanese in the eyes of God,” he said. Kneeling inside a chapel, surgeon or a French Horn player. “I was so sad, but I said to bacteria are contained and they are doh.gov.tw or call (02) 8200-6600. customers, Fernandez said.