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A publication of the Community Services Center Centered on TAIPEI Vol. 20|10 2020 AUG 2020/7/28 下午10:05
Aug 20 cover.indd 2 2020/7/28 下午10:05 CONTENTS August 2020 volume 20 issue 10
CSC COMMUNITY From the Editors 5 TES: Bilingual Is Better – How Schools Can Get It Right 8 August 2020 Center Gallery 6 Muscles For Meals – CSC Business Classified 19 How Many Squats Can You Do With Your Furry Friend In Your Arms? 10
CROSS-CULTURL A-Sun Wu & Paloma Chang: A Cross-Cultural Encounter Exhibition Review 12 Sizu 15 Publisher Community Services Center, Taipei The Founders of The Pita Bar: Editor Suzan Babcock Co-editor Richard Saunders Learning And Sharing Different Cultures 18 Advertising Manager Naomi Kaly Magazine Email [email protected] FOOD Tel 02-2836-8134 Fax 02-2835-2530 Taipei Night Market Street Food: Summer Edition 20
Community Services Center Editorial Panel Siew Kang, Fred Voigtmann PHOTOGRAPHY Earl Goodson 22 Printed by Farn Mei Printing Co., Ltd. 1F, No. 102, Hou Kang Street, Shilin A Perfect Graphic Chaos: Taiwan, Through District, Taipei The Lens of Photographer Gregory Garde 24 Tel: 02-2882-6748 Fax: 02-2882-6749 Jing-Shung Hsu 26 E-mail: [email protected] Centered on Taipei is a publication of the Community Services Center, BOOK REVIEW 25, Lane 290, Zhongshan N. Rd., Sec. 6, Tianmu, Taipei, Taiwan Tel: 02-2836-8134 The Imperial Alchemist 27 fax: 02-2835-2530 Circe: A Powerful Tale of Self-discovery 28 e-mail: [email protected] Correspondence may be sent to the editor at coteditor@ ART communitycenter.org.tw. Freelance writers, photographers and illustrators are welcome to contact the editor to discuss editorial and Lo Ch’ing 29 graphic assignments. Your talent will find a home with us!
Copyright 2020. All rights reserved. Material in this publication may not ENVIRONMENT be reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner. The Life of an Expat Farmer in Wulai 30 COT is printed on FSC certified 100% post-consumer recycled fiber. The paper is certified in accordance with the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council which promotes environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and TRAVEL economically viable management of the world's forests. https://ic.fsc.org/ Chiedong Waterfall 32
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August 2020_p3-end.indd 3 2020/7/29 下午4:43 TIGER TOTS PRESCHOOL A LOVING PLACE FOR LEARNING
PRE-K AND KINDERGARTEN (LOCATED INSIDE TAS) TIGGER'S(PRE-2S), 2S AND 3S PLAYGROUPS (TIAN YU CAMPUS) GRADE 1 & 2 : AFTERNOON LANGUAGE & LITERACY PROGRAMS North American Curriculum Engaging Outdoor Playgrounds Qualified Instructors Fun and Educational Daily Activities Low Student/Teacher Ratios Fun After School Enrichment Classes Gymnastics and Music Class Mandarin Playgroups
We’d love to introduce you to our diverse and incredibly special community of learners! Please call to arrange a visitation.
TYPA MAIN OFFICE: (02)2873-1815 www.typa.org.tw
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August 2020_p3-end.indd 4 2020/7/28 下午10:02 COVER IMAGE: by Gregory Garde FROM Please send email submissions, comments, and feedback to [email protected]. For more information, please go to THE our website at www.communitycenter.org.tw EDITORS
It doesn’t seem possible that August has arrived and COT Team we are half-way through this summer’s “Taiwan-on-island- experience”. Thankfully, Taiwan continues to remain COVID-19 stable. Here at the Center, we are gearing up for what is going to be a fun fall and winter season of classes and tours beginning in September. For a sneak peek at course listings check out Suzan Babcock Richard Saunders Naomi Kaly KC Editor Co-editor Advertising Manager Graphic Designer the Center’s website (www.communitycenter.org.tw). Also, coteditor@ [email protected] naomi@communitycenter. graphicdesigntaipei. don’t forget our first morning coffee on September 10th. communitycenter.org.tw org.tw weebly.com This month, Richard Saunders suggests a visit to the beautiful Chiedong Waterfalls in the hills above Xichi, which are midway between Taipei and Keelung. This day trip is a Feature Writers and Photographers perfect way to spend a hot summer afternoon relaxing or splashing in a shallow pool below the lowest waterfall. Until September 26th, The Thermos Foundation is hosting “sizu” a special Taipei Alpinia Garden Exhibition at Studio 94. The word “sizu is the Bunun word for alpinia, a sacred plant
Sara Quattrocchi Earl Goodson James Murray Jing-Shung Lo Ch’ing to the Bunun people. Learn how a cosmopolitan city girl Febles Hsu returned to her home village to become the steward of her tribe’s alpinia garden. Calling all foodies: Sabrina Chang recommends an evening Writing and Photography Contributors stroll through the Shilin Night Market stopping along the way to indulge in some of the best summer desserts on the Mark Blackburn Saloni Meghnani Paloma Chang James Murray planet. Phoebe Chen’s hands down recommendation is “The Sabrina Chang PACK Pita Bar”, a family owned restaurant in Tianmu, specializing in Phoebe Chen Pita Bar authentic Mediterranean food. Lo Ch’ing Joseph Reilly Eowyn Crisfield Richard Saunders Looking for a book to read? The Morning Book Club will Elias Ek Rosemary Susa be reading a light and fast page-turner, “A is for Alibi” by Sara Quattrocchi Febles TES Gregory Garde The Thermos Foundation Sue Grafton. “Circe – A Powerful Tale of Self-discovery” by Earl Goodson Grace Ting Madeline Miller is highly recommended by Saloni Meghnani, Jing-Shung Hsu A-Sun Wu for those already thinking about materialism, spirituality, Pick COT up at: humankind and social hierarchy. Uptown: These are a few of our Centered on Taipei (COT) August Community Services Center, No. 25, Lane 290, Sec. 6, Zhongshan North Rd. issue submissions. We hope that you will enjoy this end-of Sprout – No. 33, Sec. 7, Zhongshan North Rd. -summer issue. George Pai’s Beauty – No. 14, Tienmu East Rd. Downtown: Ooh Cha Cha – 207, Sec.2, Nanchang Rd. Sue and Richard
Accountant Monica Cheng COMMUNITY SERVICES CENTER Programs Manager Rosemary Susa Events Coordinator Joy Meglasson Coffee Mornings Coordinator Mirjam Meidinger The Community Services Center (CSC) is a non-profit foundation. CSC provides Communications outreach and early intervention through counseling, cross-cultural education and Mandarin Chinese Teacher Gloria Gwo life skills programs to meet the needs of the international community in Taipei. Systems Manager Samson Debele CSC offers the opportunity to learn, volunteer, teach and meet others. Check out Ximena Lopez, Sofia Vintimila our website www.communitycenter.org.tw and drop by The Center to chat with us Counseling Interns about our programs. You can also email us at [email protected].
Volunteers Miyuki Boice, Michelle Collins, John Imbrogulio, Director Adam McMillan Ximena Lopez, Leslie McFarlane, Mirjam Meidinger, John McQuade, Bunny Pacheco, Lucy Torres Office Manager Grace Ting Benefactors Bai Win Antiques Counselors I-wen Chan, Katherine Chang, Hui-shiang Chao, European Chamber of Commerce Jung Chin, Chiao-Feng Chung, Cerita Hsu, Miranda Grand Hyatt Taipei Lin, Emilie Ma, Kuang-Shan Wan Premier Sponsors Concordia Consulting Consultants Wendy Evans, Michael Mullahy, Mary Lagerstrom ICRT San Fu Global Counseling Admin. Joanne Chua
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A percentage of all proceeds of items sold at the Gallery will go to the Center. Please remember that by displaying your items or shopping at the Gallery, you will be helping the Center to continue to provide valuable services to the international community. Gallery@CENTER AUGUST COLLECTION TWO BOOKS BY LOCAL AUTHORS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR HIGHLY BREATHABLE ANTI-BACTERIAL CLOTH PURCHASE AT THE CENTER BEGINNING AUGUST 1ST MASKS (CHILDREN AND ADULTS' SIZES WITH The Imperial Alchemist – a novel by A.H. VARIOUS PATTERNS AND COLORS) AND UV Wang PROTECTION SUMMER CLOTHING The Imperial Alchemist is an archaeological adventure/thriller set in modern-day Taiwan and is an exciting tale of mystery, interwoven with rich historical and cultural facts. A.H. Wang is a contemporary visual artist and author with a deep fascination for ancient history and a passion for adventure. Born in Taiwan and raised in Australia, her travels have taken her across five continents and dozens of countries. Throughout her journey, she became fascinated by the local cultures and the lore of ancient civilizations. Taiwanese Feet: My walk around Taiwan by John Groot This is a book recording John Groot's account of an epic walk around the entire 1200 mile coastline of Taiwan. A special edition of five "OLD PATTERNS IN A NEW LINE" PAINTINGS hundred superior-quality books with color BY REGINA LINKE plates, signed and personally dedicated by the author, will be available only in Taiwan at the same price as the regular paperback edition. All details can be found at https://www.facebook. com/Taiwanese.Feet/ or send an inquiry to [email protected] SAVE
Enjoy a new series of contemporary Chinese THE DATE fine line paintings by Taiwanese-American artist Regina Linke, on display this summer through SEPTEMBER, 10 September 30th. The Center invites you to enjoy these beautiful indigo patterns created in the traditional gongbi or meticulous-style painting technique, using ink and natural pigments on rice paper or stretched silk. We will also display three of Regina's original portraits featuring WELCOME legendary heroines from China's vast folklore. NEWCOMER MORNING BOOK COFFEE MORNING CLUB No. 25, Lane 290 Zhong Shan North Rd., Sec. 6. 290 25 A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton For times and locations, contact Julie Hu at: [email protected]
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August 2020_p3-end.indd 7 2020/7/28 下午10:02 COMMUNITY - TES
Bilingual is Better – How Schools Can Get It Right
TEXT: EOWYN CRISFIELD IMAGES: TES & WEB
language. The better they are in their mother tongue, the more successfully they will learn English at school. This becomes an issue when children start in English-only schools at a very young age, when their Chinese is not fully developed. Spending these formative years focusing on English only at school often means that their Chinese language skills fall behind, and this can cause serious educational issues all through school.
MYTH: AS LONG AS YOU KEEP SPEAKING CHINESE AT HOME, IT WILL BE FINE! Parents often believe that language development will happen naturally if they keep speaking Chinese at home, and the child is surrounded by Chinese outside school. This is often, ver the last decade, the always better. While it is true that but not always, the case for spoken number of students in there are advantages for children who language, and most children educated International English are bilingual from birth (i.e. raised in in English will often remain comfortable Medium Instruction bilingual families) this is not so clearly socialising in Chinese. However, there O(EMI) schools globally has increased the case for children who start learning are two areas of concern. The first is exponentially. This rise is not due to a new language later – at 2-3 years old development of language past a basic increasing numbers of international/ or more. For children learning a new level. The kind of language we use at expatriate children in these schools, but language at school, it may be surprising home and with friends is quite basic, rather to increasing numbers of local to know that the younger a child starts, and relies on simple structures and children. Some parents are seeking the longer it will take for them to vocabulary. School is the place where an international education for their become proficient in the new language. we develop our language skills to children to access different curricula A child who starts at ten years old will meet the demands of more complex or pedagogies. But many parents are quickly catch up with one who started conversations. If school is only in choosing international schools because at four, and research shows that by the English, there is a risk that Chinese the language of instruction is English, end of secondary school, children who will stagnate at a fairly rudimentary and they want their children to have start early (4-5 years old), children who level, which will cause children to the opportunity to learn English from start later in primary schooling (9-10 stop wanting to use Chinese at all. a young age. In this article, we will years old) and those who start at 11-12 The second area of concern is literacy. take a look at some myths and facts years old, finish with a comparable level Spoken and written Chinese are about children and bilingualism, and of language. The only difference is that essentially different systems. While what the research suggests is the best there is a slight advantage in terms of there is a direct connection in English way to give our children a great start accent for younger starters, although between the spoken and written word, educationally and professionally. this is not a guarantee. Another this is not the case in Chinese, where significant finding from research is that learning to read and write fluently MYTH: EARLIER IS ALWAYS BETTER children’s success in learning a new requires the development of a different One of the most common myths language at school is closely linked to approach to the language. Not being about bilingualism is that earlier is their level of development in their own able to read and write fluently in
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Chinese is a serious issue for Taiwanese is that children learn to read and the school situation: teachers; parents; youth; not having full literacy skills in write more easily and successfully in a students. A good dual-language scheme Chinese will cut them off from studying language that they can speak well. Most will focus on providing an education or working in Taiwan. While most dual-language programmes then focus that will allow each child to develop English-medium schools do their best on home language literacy first, while their full potential academically, in to help local students develop Chinese the children learn to speak English, their own language, and in English. literacy, the reality is that when the and then they learn to read and write The Taipei European School British whole curriculum is in English, there is in English. Even between languages Primary Section has been exploring simply not enough time to achieve this. with different writing systems, such and researching the potential of a dual- as Chinese and English, literacy skills language programme, and how a well- THE SOLUTION: DUAL-LANGUAGE transfer from a first, strong language, developed programme could best EDUCATION to the second language, making literacy meet the needs of their students and Over the decades and across many more successful in the second language parents, in accessing an international different contexts, one form of bilingual too. Many parents struggle with this, as British education, in developing fully in schooling has repeatedly been shown they want their children to be quickly both in English and Chinese, to provide to provide the recipe for success. literate in English, so it is important every opportunity for future success for Dual-language education focused on to remember that research shows no graduates from the school. developing full academic proficiency difference in outcomes for children and literacy in the students’ home who start learning to read at a young languages and English. The curriculum age (under six years old) and children is divided across the languages (not who start at 6-7 years old. In fact, the teaching the same thing in both European countries with the strongest languages) and assessment is in both numbers for adult literacy (Sweden and Eowyn Crisfield is a languages as well. The curriculum Finland) start teaching literacy at seven researcher, author, remains the same, but the teaching years old. Earlier is not necessarily consultant, and Senior and assessment is shared by two better for learning a new language, and Lecturer in TESOL at teachers, co-planning, co-teaching, and not necessarily better for learning to Oxford Brookes University. She has co-assessing. read and write either! been working with TES since 2018, There are different models that How schools develop their dual- developing and improving language schools can use, but a basic principle language programme will depend on provisions across the BPS and BSHS.
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August 2020_p3-end.indd 9 2020/7/28 下午10:02 COMMUNITY Serving the International Community in Taiwan for over a Decade Muscles For Meals How Many Squats Can YOU Do With Your Furry Friend In Your Arms?
TEXT: ELIAS EK IMAGES: PACK
Our team of legal experts is operating tirelessly to help our clients move forward Mulberry is one of these dogs. with a happier life, despite COVID 19 She is a 13-year-old mother who was found wandering around the streets, KEY SERVICES pregnant, five years ago. She later gave birth to two beautiful puppies, Raspberry and Strawberry. PACK has By offering: already found new forever homes for Family Law the puppies, but Mulberry will probably 3 Divorce and pre nuptial agreements Former PACK Chair Faye Angevine stay with PACK for the rest of her life. Remote service Child support and custody was one of the first to upload her video. Last year she got cancer and the pain 3 Estate and testament “I have a bad knee, but it was still fun to and treatments turned her off her food. 0 fees until contract signing see how many I could do together with It took a lot of time and patience to win 3 Proficient with cross-cultural divorce my dog Taco,” she says. “I did fifteen back her trust and get her to eat again. Fully bilingual service and custody squats and I am telling all my friends Because she has almost no teeth, she they should get in on this!” can only eat soft food. She is a gentle PACK aims to raise NT$1,000,000 to soul who deserves to live out the rest of Corporate and pay for one year of food for their 266 her life in comfort. Labor Law dogs. It might sound like a lot of money, If you do not have a pet (or would A reputation built on trust & triumph but that is only NT$10 per day per dog! like another), why not adopt a new Litigation and dispute resolution eople for Animal Care and In an ideal world, the ultimate goal friend from PACK? If you are not able v Company formation Kindness (PACK), an animal “fantastic advice to clients” would be to help find all 266 dogs a to commit to a permanent adoption, Commercial contracts welfare organization in northern new forever home, but since many of please consider fostering a dog for a v “Unmatched value for money” PTaiwan, are currently challenging Experienced with both corporate and the dogs that PACK cares for are too few months. You would be doing both employee contracts resolutions animal lovers to do as many squats old or too sick for adoption, they will the dog and PACK a great service, v “the go-to people for cases involving expats in Taiwan” as they can – while holding their pet! probably live at PACK for the rest of because the boy or girl you foster If you’d like to join in, take your furry their lives, and the good people there would then more easily find a forever v “your professionalism and expertise have been top quality, friend in your arms, record your pet are committed to giving them the best home, as he or she will then be used to so thank you for that” Criminal Law exercise on your phone, upload your life possible. living with humans. Felonies footage on social media, and donate Between them, the dogs at PACK eat So make every squat count! Can you Misdemeanors NT$100 for each completed squat. Why about a hundred kilograms of dry food beat Faye’s record of fifteen? Will you Offences not join in, and challenge your friends every day. Due to age or various health accept the challenge, and at the same Contact us to take part too. It’s all for a good conditions, many dogs need a special time help to make life happier for the Successful with drug related offences cause! diet such as canned dog food or fresh PACK’s hundreds of dogs? 02-2715-1533 PACK were inspired to run the event meat. If you have ever fed a dog, you To find out more about PACK and the after seeing that during the COVID-19 know it can get messy, but try feeding Muscle for Meals campaign, please visit [email protected] Traffic Law lockdown many people who exercised 266 of them! It’s a big daily operation, their website: Litigation and Dispute Resolution at home found their pets kept on handled by PACK’s dedicated team of https://packtw.org/muscle-for- www.triumphlaw.com.tw joining in. ten animal caregivers. meals-squat-for-kibble-en/ Accidents Drinking and Driving 9F-11, 101 Fuxing N. Rd., Songshan Dist., Taipei City 105 Negotiations with insurers and judges
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Triump3_dark blue_r1.indd 1 2020/4/27 下午3:07 Serving the International Community in TaiwanCROSS-CULTURAL for over a Decade
Our team of legal experts is operating tirelessly to help our clients move forward with a happier life, despite COVID 19 KEY SERVICES
By offering: Family Law 3 Remote service Divorce and pre nuptial agreements Child support and custody 3 0 fees until contract signing Estate and testament Proficient with cross-cultural divorce 3 Fully bilingual service and custody
Corporate and Labor Law A reputation built on trust & triumph Litigation and dispute resolution v “fantastic advice to clients” Company formation Commercial contracts v “Unmatched value for money” Experienced with both corporate and employee contracts resolutions v “the go-to people for cases involving expats in Taiwan”
v “your professionalism and expertise have been top quality, so thank you for that” Criminal Law Felonies Misdemeanors Contact us Offences Successful with drug related offences 02-2715-1533
[email protected] Traffic Law Litigation and Dispute Resolution www.triumphlaw.com.tw Accidents Drinking and Driving 9F-11, 101 Fuxing N. Rd., Songshan Dist., Taipei City 105 Negotiations with insurers and judges
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A-Sun Wu & Paloma Chang: A Cross-Cultural Encounter Exhibition Review
TEXT: SARA QUATTROCCHI FEBLES IMAGES: A-SUN WU & PALOMA CHANG
works. In fact, living in South America, Africa, Europe and Asia has exposed both Wu and Chang to a vast array of cultures and societies, which have played a role in their artistic practices. On the surface of one of Chang’s vases, - 22 (Dripping Series #22, 2016), she draws a welwitschia, a plant endemic to southwestern Africa. Through the use of direct cross-cultural references, the vases can be interpreted by any viewer. Furthermore, Chang’s mixing of colors and line thicknesses on the porcelain, specifically on - 24 (Rainbow Cell Series #24, 2017), creates a strong flesh-like visual texture. In fact, according to Chang, the colors are meant to represent human flesh while the transparent glaze is the skin. Through the combination of different cultures and the abstract representation of body parts on the porcelain, the room becomes a space open to all visitors, regardless of where they come from, or how they look. Even though Chang and Wu have completely different styles, being placed in the same building demonstrates how besides being husband and wife, they both share similar themes through their focus on human nature and on the different cultures, ethnicities, and environments that they have experienced. Yet, the exhibitors created Paloma Chang, Rainbow Cell Series #24, 2017 porcelain,/40 x 120 cm (Courtesy Paloma Chang) a clear separation between the two through the fifth floor, which acts a his exhibition in Taipei by A-Sun the rest of the world has lived through. model for what an apartment in the Wu and Paloma Chang was not Set in Dazhi Deluxe Private Residence building could look like. meant to happen. Originally, ( ), which is being sold at auction While the focus of this floor is on Tmany of Wu’s works were meant to by Christie’s, the exhibition begins the sale of the house, there are still be exhibited in South Korea, while on the sixth floor with the ceramic a few of Wu’s artworks displayed, Chang’s were intended to be shown porcelain of Wu’s wife, Paloma Chang. such as (Lady, 1987). In fact, in Europe, but because of the current The floor space is surrounded by the exhibition acts as a space for the Covid19 pandemic, plans changed. differently-shaped vases flooded by the artworks to be displayed and as a Displayed in one of the few cities where light coming in from the large windows. reason for the residential space to no one has to maintain social distance While from afar they might remind be viewed by potential clients. Thus, or worry about large gatherings, Wu’s the viewer of classic Chinese-style both the fifth and second floors of and Chang’s works act as a way for porcelain, the abstract line drawings the building remind the viewer of the Taiwanese and expats living in Taiwan and the watercolor effect of the glaze placement of the artworks within this to share the feelings and emotions that transform them into more universal highly commercial context, where the
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main purpose is the selling of both the artworks and the building. Regardless of the commercial aspect, the different cultures and ideas presented in the works still manage to inundate the viewer and transform the space into one that is neither in Taipei nor anywhere else, but an interim location where no culture is differentiated. This is especially evident with Wu’s works on the third floor, specifically (Evil Avoidance, 2008) and (Middle Eastern Girl, 2014). In Evil Avoidance, Wu uses his characteristic rough and suggestive lines to portray an owl with piercing green eyes in dark, cool tones, unintentionally making it frightening. Normally, he paints owls in a more vibrant and less domineering way, as seen with the owl on the fourth floor, (Quiet and Far Away, 2019). His reason for repeatedly painting owls is because in all cultures A-Sun Wu, Lady/1985/acrylic on canvas/112 x 145 cm across the world, they represent the (Courtesy A-Sun Wu) same human feature: wisdom. This unintentionally frightening owl is placed right across from Middle Eastern Girl, a drawing made with Chinese ink of a woman in a burka, where her only visible features are her eyes. Just like Chang did with the African welwitschia, Wu portrays a Middle Eastern girl using a Chinese medium as a way to combine cultures and break the strict barriers that exist between them. Yet, he portrays her in a very mysterious way, as the piece is dominated by black and the emphasis is solely placed on her eyes. Even though we may be experiencing a cross-culturalization through Wu’s works, there are still some aspects of the other cultures that we cannot quite understand. While the blending of cultures plays a big part in Wu’s body of work, they also present the modernity of his mindset, specifically through the series spread across the whole exhibition that depicts different elements of Huangshan mountain in China. All of the works portray the Yellow Mountain quite abstractedly. Wu uses a black-and-white color scheme with subtle shades of blue to layer different ink washes and create a textured image of the mountain. The most interesting aspect of this series is that Wu never actually visited Huangshan, but based the paintings A-Sun Wu, Evil Avoidance/2008/acrylic on canvas/72.5 x 91 cm (Courtesy A-Sun Wu) on aerial images taken by drones. Wu’s
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use of technology in producing the paintings demonstrates how, as times change, it is necessary to keep up with them and not fall behind. Out of the Huangshan paintings displayed, (Huangshan Powerhouse, 2014) on the second floor intrigued some of its viewers the most, as they interpreted it as a snapshot of warfare; they pictured some of the darker shapes on the rice paper as silhouettes of soldiers riding on horses. (Huangshan Cicada, 2017) on the fourth floor, is also one of the most characteristic pieces of the exhibition, due to the curatorial choice of its display; it is placed directly in front of a large window, so that the colorful cityscape of Taipei is in conversation with the monochromatic landscape of Huangshan. Just like that, two completely different locations are placed within a two-meter distance from each other. The exhibition intends to display small snippets throughout Wu’s life, from playful pieces reminiscent of his childhood to pieces focused on the lack of playfulness of many adults. His and Paloma Chang’s intertwining of elements from different cultures make it difficult to identify them solely as Taiwanese artists, as through their A-Sun Wu, Middle Eastern Girl/2014/ink on rice paper/105 x 74 work, they seem to be born within the cm (Courtesy A-Sun Wu) era of globalization that affects us all more than ever. In fact, Wu’s artworks are a demonstration of the modernity of his mindset, one that looks to move forward in the future and not stay fixed in the past. While many of us long for our comfortable and easy past, we must understand that we cannot go back to it as there was so much wrong with it. Hopefully, the current pandemic and protests against racial injustice will be the last dominoes that will push us, just like Wu, to move with our times and not remain tethered to the past.
Sara is a Spanish and Italian history of art undergraduate student at The Courtauld Institute of Art in London. Her passion for art and writing has led her to spend most of her time in Taipei A-Sun Wu, Huangshan Powerhouse 2014/ink on rice paper/148 x 224 cm (Courtesy A-Sun Wu) visiting different exhibitions and learning about Taiwanese culture.
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SIZU
Visit Information 2020.7.25-9.26 Time Tue. - Sat. 11 am - 6 pm Venue Studio 94 Address No.94, Sec.2, MY LOVE FOR ALPINIA Yangde Blvd., Shilin, Taipei The Story of Alpinia Garden in Taitung Host The Thermos Foundation
About the exhibition “Sizu” is the bunun word for alpinia. In Chinese, I’ve chosen to use characters (pronounced xi lu) to underscore our appreciation for this lovely plant and the diverse usage of every part of it. Moreover, I hope to express how much I admire my ancestors for passing down their expertise and wisdom on alpinia and the forests. It also represents my insistence on how to leverage alpinia as a raw material.
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About the garden
About maslinagan Located at the Kanahcian Village of Haitun 關於台東海端加拿村的「馬斯林恩工作室」 Township in Taitung County, the maslinagan alpinia garden first opened its doors in 2010. Currently, the garden is home of 27 types of alpinia. This space is also the habitat of the garden owner, buni ishahavut’s forefathers. Why the name “maslinagan?” In the bunun language, maslin (singular) means a clear strong voice or beautiful melody. But in its plural form, maslinagan, the word has double meanings. It means “ancestral place” or the piece of land that is so fertile and rich that whatever you plant will grow abundantly. The word also describes the low yet penetrative sound that people make when they are in unison. Before becoming the steward of the alpinia garden, buni was a cosmopolitan girl who spent most of her time traveling around the world attending fashion shows. The passing of her father brought her back to her home village. “Before returning to the tribe, I hardly knew myself. To find myself again, I left my old habits behind and removed my high heels. When my bare foot pressed against the earth, I was able to really feel the soil and that’s when I fell in love with nature’s oldest element – alpinia. Starting from scratch, I learned about alpinia. I studied the cultural significance of alpinia and even learned how to use it to weave. I poured all my energy into reconnecting with my own culture.” The maslinagan alpinia garden is not a typical TAIPEI recreational farm for tourists. It is a culture site. This visit will lead you on a deep exploration Quotes from buni, the owner of the garden: to help you discover the lifespan of alpinia AMERICAN and appreciate the bridge-building role alpinia Goals come from believing but not just for plays between humans and their culture. By one day. entering the garden, you are embarking on a Unwavering belief is the product of SCHOOL journey to understand the past, make sense of consistency and persistence. the present, and work towards the future so the / buni alpinia culture will live on.
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A good craftsman understands his materials and appreciates the values of preparation work. /buni
When my mother starts to prepare raw material for an alpinia weaving session, I know she thinks of her mother. It was her mother who taught her this process. I want to follow in my mother and grandmother’s footsteps, fervently safeguarding the fate of alpinia so such art will be passed down to generations to come. / buni
TAIPEI AMERICAN SCHOOL
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August 2020_p3-end.indd 17 2020/7/28 下午10:02 CROSS-CULTURAL
The Founders Of The Pita Bar: Learning And Sharing Different Cultures
TEXT: PHOEBE CHEN IMAGES: PHOEBE CHEN & PITA BAR
very morning at 5 am, Hagar from their previous Israeli lives. Little School Spring Sale one year that the Chason, co-founder of The did the Chasons know, in just eight family began considering starting their Pita Bar, makes her way to her years, they would be running their own own business. cooking workshop to start a business and restaurant. “I realized that there was a demand Elengthy morning of preparing pita and Prior to settling down in Taiwan, for Mediterranean food, and since I was hummus. She works for six long hours the Chason family had grown used already making similar food at home, it before she meets her husband and to traveling internationally to wasn’t difficult to kickstart the business co-founder of The Pita Bar, Eran Chason accommodate Eran's job. and begin selling food regularly,” Hagar to open up the business, their family- said. owned Mediterranean restaurant. After From then on, the family began many tireless hours the work day finally taking online orders and cooking from begins, and customers start arriving at home. As customer demand grew the restaurant. exponentially, however, it became clear Moving to Taiwan meant a lot of to the family that it was time to expand things to the Chason family: touring an their business. unknown country, finding a new home “The business was really growing and discovering a completely different fast,” Hagar said. “So, I decided to buy culture. The move meant becoming a special oven from Israel for making part of a new society, and loosening ties pita. I had to find a place outside of my
“We originally came to Taiwan for my husband’s work,” mother of the family and co-founder of The Pita Bar, Hagar Chason, said. “We definitely did not plan to start a business; [moving to Taiwan] was like other [work] assignments Eran had before in other countries.” It wasn’t until Hagar was asked to be a substitute cook at the Taipei American
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home to mass produce food. “It was I still often pop by to help at the cash is a good thing,” Hagar claimed. “More hard to find, but eventually I shared a register.” options and new things are always good space with a patisserie lady and started Opening The Pita Bar changed in a growing community; if you’re a selling the pita from there.” the Chason family indefinitely. “It foreigner and you have something you As demand continued to soar, the changed our family life, since we want to share and pursue, do it!” family decided to take their biggest leap made the decision to stay in Taiwan of faith yet — opening The Pita Bar. instead of going back to Israel or going “Opening the restaurant truly was a elsewhere,” Hagar said. family effort,” Roni Chason, daughter Ultimately, the Chason family of Eran and Hagar, said. “Setting up, recommends expats settled in Taiwan Phoebe Chen is a rising promoting and finding the perfect spot to also consider establishing their own senior at Taipei American were all important and difficult factors trade or business. School (TAS). She enjoys we had to consider. Also, even though “Bringing new ideas and helping in writing for the student the restaurant is up and running now, widening the local Taiwanese business newspaper as well as contributing to outside publications. CSC BUSINESS CLASSIFIED
#14 Tienmu E. Road | Telephone 2871-1515 | [email protected]
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August 2020_p3-end.indd 19 2020/7/28 下午10:02 FOOD
he sweltering Taipei summer heat has been hitting hard. However, this has not restricted locals and tourists alike to their air-conditioned apartments. The Shilin Night Market continues to be a bustling Tplace when the sun sets and dusk settles in, with people enjoying the wide variety of tasty Taiwanese street food offered there daily. However, the humidity does affect people’s cravings, so it’s out with hot noodle soup and in with icy drinks and desserts topped with seasonal fruits. Some of the most popular summer street desserts found at almost every night market include douhua, shaved ice, fresh fruit tea, juice, and candied fruit skewers. For those looking for something more substantial, but still cool and refreshing, there are plenty of other choices to opt for, such as dry sesame noodles or corn on the cob. These food and drink stands can be easily found along the streets of the Shilin Night Market, or at the air-conditioned food court underneath, which is a great place to escape the heat. Douhua, also referred to as tofu pudding, is an extremely popular dessert in Taiwanese cuisine. Customers can choose from all types of sweet toppings to customize their bowl, including tapioca, cooked peanuts or barley, red bean, or various types of fruit jelly. Syrup is then added for extra flavor. Taipei Night In the summer, douhua is served with crushed ice on top to help battle the heat. The best and most unique part about Market Street douhua is its texture, which is often deemed “QQ,” or chewy, by locals. A store located in the Shilin Night Market has been standing since 1981, with many other chain stores in the city's Food: other night markets. Shaved ice, a dessert similar to douhua and often sold at Summer Edition the same stands, is usually made with ice and condensed milk, and its soft, fluffy texture melts on the tongue. It's often topped with heaps of refreshing, locally grown mangoes and TEXT & IMAGES: SABRINA CHANG strawberries. Other popular flavors include red bean and bubble milk tea. The shaved ice industry has grown extremely
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creating a glazed outer coating. This Taiwanese take on American barbeque-style corn on the cob is perfect to enjoy while strolling through the market. The owner of the stand even exclaims to onlookers: “After you try it, you’ll definitely come back tomorrow for more!” Escaping the summer heat does not have to mean locking yourself inside all day. Instead, take a quick trip to any of the night markets around the city and cool off with some cheap, famous Taiwanese street food. Take advantage of the variety of flavorful meals, sweet desserts, and fruit drinks offered throughout the summer and enjoy the bustling nightlife that is central to the Taiwan experience!
Sabrina is a high school journalism student and editor. She hopes to pursue her passions in writing and teaching, drawing inspiration from her frequent travels around Asia and California as well as her experiences mentoring younger students and playing sports.
big in Taipei, with branded stores like Ice Monster expanding across the sea. However, cheaper options can be found at night markets, and are just as fresh and delicious. Taiwan is extremely well-known for fresh fruit tea and juice. Several stands cluster along most night market alleyways, massive containers of juice glowing under the neon signs. From winter melon and plum teas to kumquat and watermelon juices, the range of drinks is essentially endless. The sweet-yet-tangy fruit tea and juice choices serve as perfect thirst quenchers while exploring the night market. Almost every fruit you can think of will probably be available in tea or juice form, and you’ll definitely want to gulp down more than one cup! Candied fruit skewers, also called tanghulu, are found everywhere in Taiwanese night markets. Different types of fruit (the most popular being strawberries and tomatoes) are placed on skewers and covered in a hard sugar candy coating. They are usually displayed beautifully under luminous lights to show off the glistening candied coat. This is a sweet, refreshing treat that is suitable for warm summer evenings in Taipei. If you would like to opt for a solid dinner before diving into the sweets, cold sesame noodles (zha jiang mian), is a great choice. The perfectly chewy noodles are topped with creamy sesame or peanut sauce, crisp cucumber and carrot slices, and sometimes diced tofu or ground pork. This simple, cheap dish is ideal for those nights where it is too hot for the well-known noodle soups also served at night markets. It is an impeccable blend of savory sauce mixed with refreshing vegetables for a satisfactory (and not too unhealthy) meal to start off the night, while still leaving room for dessert. It's rare to visit a night market in Taipei without encountering a grilled corn stand. At a stand in the Shilin Night Market, the cobs are displayed for customers to choose from, and select their desired flavor: original pepper, black pepper, hot spice, mustard, sweet spice, and curry. The owner then grills the corn to a flawless chewy yet crispy texture, then sprinkles it with spices and the selected flavor,
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August 2020_p3-end.indd 21 2020/7/28 下午10:02 PHOTOGRAPHY Earl Goodson
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August 2020_p3-end.indd 22 2020/7/28 下午10:02 PHOTOGRAPHY
As a photographer, it was my goal to present the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests in Milwaukee, USA, in a way that emphasized the complexity and emotions of the event. People tend to form opinions based on a simplistic take of the motivations of those involved. "The cops are like this." "The protesters are like that." Thugs. Looters. Criminals. Pigs. Good. Bad. Despite there being an entire spectrum of emotional avenues that all people shift through, we, as viewers, feel best when we have an easily digested caricature of an event or someone's motivations. To distill people into caricatures you can agree or disagree with is a disservice to their humanity and to a movement historic in its scope and far-reaching in its influence. Life simply isn't as tidy as all that, no matter how we wish it were so. While these images were taken solely in the city of Milwaukee, thousands of moments like these are happening thousands of times a day across the United States. So I invite you to reflect on the notions you hold about the Movement and the people involved. What do you see and how do you think the subjects of my images feel? Do your interpretations confirm or confound pre-existing ideas? What do you think is actually going on in each distinct scene?
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A Perfect Graphic Chaos: Taiwan, Through The Lens of Photographer Gregory Garde
TEXT: RICHARD SAUNDERS IMAGES: GREGORY GARDE
renchman Gregory Garde to photography (albeit from necessity) started photography quite while DJing and running house music late, after saving money from and techno events in Paris from 2007. a summer job and buying his At first, to save money Gregory and firstF camera (a Nikon fm2 with 28mm his partners had to do much of the lens) on his eighteenth birthday. After background work to get the events waiting days for the developed prints up and running themselves. Gregory to return, he was often disappointed was responsible for decoration and by his lack of technique, but amazed by graphic design, and took on the role the magic of taking pictures. of event photographer. He found the In his twenties he took a break from work interesting, but at the same photography for a period while he time really frustrating, as he couldn’t studied at Ecole Nationale de Beaux indulge his taste for more personal Arts de Lyon, where he studied mostly work. Ever since he was a child, he had conceptual art and installation art. devoured the stunning photos in issues “Sometimes we do things to avoid of National Geographic and Science doing the things we really love” he magazine, and these also fed his hunger reflects. Finally, however, he returned for returning to photography. In 2015 (after eight years of organising parties) he decided to take a trip to Asia for three months, and made a 3,000 km photo road-trip, across northern Vietnam (following the Chinese border) through south Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, and (naturally) to Taiwan, where he originally intended to stay just three weeks. When he was a kid, Gregory noticed that almost everything seemed to be “made in Taiwan,” and he was curious about the island. In the event, that original three-week trip became a year, after which he returned to France, sold everything, and moved back to Taipei. What does he especially love about Taiwan? “Well first the people of
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course,” he says. “… [the] Taiwanese, an ‘add-on,’ and when you add all the and also some old timers who have Chinese ads and shop signs, it makes Richard Saunders is lived here for over twenty years.” a perfect graphic chaos, which is very a trained classical Then there’s the wonderful scenery. valuable to a photographer.” musician and writer “Taiwan is filled with well preserved, Gregory has now lived in Taipei who lived in Taipei accessible [and] wonderful landscapes. for nearly five years, and is no longer from 1993 to 2018. The cities are really interesting to interested in tourist clichés or just street He has written several me too, as they represent a growing photography. Instead he’s working on hiking and guide books (available at chaos.” Taipei, he says, has developed documentary photography projects the Center and in bookshops around in the opposite way to Paris, where on Taiwan culture, issues such as the Taipei) covering the whole of Taiwan, Haussmann’s urban planning resulted struggle of Taiwanese youth between and its offshore islands. in clean building lines and boulevards, tradition and modernism, Taiwan’s or Versailles, with its jardins à la “ghost Island” woes (a term that française, laid out in neat, geometric describes Taiwanese youth who feel designs. Gregory admits that the tidy stuck in Taiwan, and aspire to discover lines and order of Parisian street and the West), and the lives of single parent garden design is good for photography, families in Taiwan. His idea is to get but adds: “…it's harder to find the more involved in a cultural exchange geometry in chaos but more rewarding. and learn more about this maybe not Everything in Taipei seems to be built as perfect, but very beautiful, country.
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August 2020_p3-end.indd 25 2020/7/28 下午10:02 PHOTOGRAPHY Spring Jing- Shung
Hsu Summer Autumn
Jing-Shung Hsu loves photography including landscape and portrait. He has recently focused more on people and artistic
photography. Winter
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August 2020_p3-end.indd 26 2020/7/28 下午10:02 BOOK REVIEW THE IMPERIAL ALCHEMIST
TEXT: MARK BLACKBURN IMAGES: WEB
he Imperial Alchemist by A. H. Wang is an archaeological thriller set in Taiwan and full of Chinese history, legend and mysticism. The book has been described by some reviewers as an East Asian variation on The Da Vinci Code. In my opinion, however, A.H. TWang’s mystery thriller is of a higher order of literature than Dan Brown’s. Thousands of years ago, Emperor Qin of China sent out an expedition in search of the elixir of life. Now, professor of archaeology Dr. Georgia Lee has been given the opportunity to pick up where that lost expedition left off. By tracing the clues across East Asia, she hopes to make a few new discoveries about a world-shaping period of Chinese history and perhaps secure the funding to save her research department, but before long, she finds herself chasing the secrets of her own past and of human mortality itself. The novel features strong and compelling female characters. It is impossible not to sympathize with the protagonist, archaeologist Georgia Lee, as she searches for the deeper meaning in her own life. Georgia’s driving ambition is counterbalanced by the earthy humor and practicality of her “tiger mum” assistant Sarah, a riot of a character in her own right. And the personal history of Georgia’s amah or grandmother inhabits a beautifully crafted subplot. The maps and drawings add another dimension to the text. The reader seems to discover these scattered artifacts along with Georgia, helping her piece the puzzle together and construct a narrative which links the present Bibliographic information to the past. Overall, this well-researched book offers an excellent introduction to the Title The Imperial Alchemist ancient history of the Far East. What better way to develop some fascinating Author A. H. Wang perspectives on modern and ancient Taiwan, China, Japan, and Australia, Publisher A. H. Wang, 2018 whilst having a rollicking good time. ISBN 9574360121, I highly recommend The Imperial Alchemist both to the general reader 9789574360123 and to those with a specific interest in Asian culture and history. Length 390 pages
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August 2020_p3-end.indd 27 2020/7/28 下午10:02 BOOK REVIEW
CIRCE: A Powerful Tale of Self- discovery
TEXT: SALONI MEGHNANI IMAGE: WEB
Bibliographic information adeline Miller’s Circe We don’t immediately root for reimagines the Odyssey Circe. The author creates a delicate Title Circe by focusing on the link between us and the protagonist, Author Madeline Miller character of the exiled which she gently reinforces until we Publisher Little, Brown and Company; enchantress,M revolving around Circe's feel as though we embody the goddess. 1st Edition edition (April 10, self-discovery, development and The book opens in Helios, the sun 2018) empowerment as a woman. All of god’s court, and we are given a close which makes the novel a treasure insight on her futile attempts to get in ISBN 0316556343 trove of morals and lessons for readers her father’s good graces. As a young, 978-0316556347 to take away and implement in their powerless nymph, Circe is bitter and Length 400 pages lives. Miller strikes the perfect balance insecure, she is unable to compete with between drawing in and distancing the attention that her siblings, Aeëtes, the reader, subsequently heightening Pasiphaë, and Perses, get for their of what godhood looks like. Circe is the acuteness of their emotions. The talents. But she discovers her affinity exiled when she is unable to submit to cover of the book is an embossed and with witchcraft, which is misunderstood the suffocating confinements of her minimalistic imagining of Circe, and and condemned by her family. Banished father, Helios', kingdom. Thereafter, she what she represents. to the island of Aeaea, she finds bliss goes through a lifetime containing vivid Circe features classic Greek rather than a dungeon. However the periods of suffering, desire, isolation, characters and reimagines them with relief and freedom wear off as she passion, insecurity, hatred and violence. a breath of fresh air. The novel flows comes to terms with the eternity she Something that struck a chord deep like a song, it is lyrical prose without has in solitary. within me as a reader was that even lengthy and suffocating descriptions. Miller introduces several classic tales millennia of misery couldn’t rob Circe of Miller creates an airy but concise tale in Circe and we get to read about well- grace and tenderness. Her solitude and of a complex period. Her sentences still known characters through the unique anguish propelled her forward to forge retain the feeling of Ancient Greece lens of a nymph’s thoughts. Circe her reputation and character. with a flawless blend of modern goes through several transformations “Whatever you do, I wanted to say, issues that still impact women. This throughout the book owing to figures do not be too happy. It will bring down makes Circe stand out, despite being like Hermes and Athena, Icarus and his fire on your head” - Circe based on a goddess’ consciousness, it father Daedalus, Odysseus, Minotaur, I fondly recall my early introduction successfully enthralls contemporary and Prometheus. All these myths are to Ancient Greece and Greek mythology audiences. impeccably described in Circe, but they owing to Rick Riordan. This translated Miller weaves a tapestry of don’t feel forced, they fit into Circe’s onto my fervent passion for learning everything we know about Ancient life and don’t overstay their welcome. and reading about this genre. Later Greece and then adds the colorful These illustrious characters don’t in high school, I gained a broader threads of her own imagination. She overshadow her. insight through Euripides' Medea embroidered a masterpiece that The writer is highly successful in and Aeschylus' Agamemnon. What presents readers with both the stunning creating a piece of art that reaches into I didn’t anticipate was the power and grotesque aspects of this era. the hearts and minds of readers and that literature had to change me as a The novel explores the divinity and settles there. She captures the pace of person. It certainly wasn’t waking up grandeur of a godhood and reveals the story with skill and experience. and seeing the world differently, but parallels of just how tangible and grim The book spans many generations, as weeks went on, I began to think immortality can be. painting a fantastically detailed picture about old things another way. This book
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opened me up to a more vulnerable wishing to live forever and that we disobedience. She progressed from and broken side of what divinity is like, fear that we are wasting or running reliance to rebellion. Madeline but more importantly, what being an out of time. Yet, Circe’s desperation Miller bridged a gap between Greek underestimated woman is like. I believe and hostility towards immortality mythology and modern-day struggles Circe is one of those novels that you fill me with heartache as a reader. I of women. Despite being an ancient pick up to re-read at various stages can’t help but relate to her distressed myth, it resonates with audiences now in your life and come out with fresh state. She appears to not quite have because the underlying gender issues ideas and thoughts. There aren’t many understood the true nature of godhood with our society remain perpetual. modern novels that can repaint this era and questions time itself. This gives Circe exudes confidence. Its a with swift and confident strokes and the reader insight as what we may tale about surviving and coming out Circe stands out. wish for as humans often has bleak stronger, by embracing who we are at Circe lacks the expected misogyny repercussions. The quote is so simple our core. The story propelled me down from Greek tales or a problematic and yet conveys so much about her a road to self-discovery, of accepting my male protagonist with hubris. This is drained state of mind and it doesn’t at past and yearning for a better future. what I relish about female-focused all mirror the immaculate portrayal of Circe reminds readers of the sheer Greek tales, much like Medea, this is other Greek gods. vigour and courage that lies within about a woman coming to terms with us and highlights the magic inside her identity. As Miller says herself, "I “Overhead the constellations dip and outcasts. see Circe as a coming-of-age story, wheel. My divinity shines in me like the I recommend this to anyone who the story of a woman in a society last rays of the sun before they drown feels lost and alone. To anyone who that is really hostile to her power and in the sea. I thought once that gods are needs a little inspiration. To anyone to her wielding power and having the opposite of death, but I see now who loves Ancient Greece. Circe will independence, finding a way to they are more dead than anything, hold your hand and walk you down a power and independence, and sort of for they are unchanging, and can hold path of self-discovery. discovering who she is." nothing in their hands.” - Circe “Surely there was some divine trick to make the hours go faster. To let them Circe will touch the minds of those Saloni is a university slip past unseen, to sleep for years who read it and make them think a little student, a freelance so that when I woke again the world harder about materialism, spirituality, writer and an avid would be new” - Circe mankind and social hierarchy. Circe, reader. She is working This quote resonated with me who was introduced as a lowly towards a Bachelor's in because it presents a paradoxical view nymph, grew out of her dependence Journalism and loves hiking, swimming on eternity. Often we find ourselves through an eternal journey to rightful or taking pictures in her spare time.
Lo Ch’ing ART
The Alphabet of BREATHing
Without E, I can’t breath Whatsoever that E should represent With A, I can’t breath Whatsoever that A should represent With R, I can’t breath Whatsoever that R should represent With T, I can’t breath Whatsoever that T should represent With H, I can’t breath Whatsoever that H should represent But by blending them into E.A.R.T.H.H.E.A.R.T That should breathe me into a gentle morning breeze So achingly whispers the b under the knee of The Chinese character I ( ) is hacked and smashed by the “Mouth ” radical of the character the R beside the E. Phrase “Breathe ”
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August 2020_p3-end.indd 29 2020/7/29 下午4:48 ENVIRONMENT
New Zealand expat James Murray swapped his English teaching job in The Life of Taipei for a rather more unusual career path. Here’s an Expat his eventful account of how he transformed from teacher to farmer to small Farmer in businessman. Wulai
TEXT & IMAGES: JAMES MURRAY
y name is James Murray. for the first time, and pondered what I In 2000, while working really wanted to do in the future. Then as a History Technician I made a fateful decision. I decided to at Canterbury Museum quit teaching, find an old farmhouse my farm. Local resident expats Tammy inM Christchurch, New Zealand, I got and start my own garden-to-table Turner and Philip Diller, who are active itchy feet, packed my bags and, after restaurant and homestay. conservationists, visited and shared traveling in India for a few months, I searched every weekend for with me the much-needed framework ended up on a mate’s sofa in Taipei in months, with my girlfriend Erika I had been seeking in permaculture, a early 2001. In Taipei I started teaching assisting as a translator, and eventually growing method that seeks to create English, which I continued exclusively we found a run-down, beat-up old self-sustainability, where energy from until about six years ago. shack in the hills outside Wulai. the sun, water, and nutrients are After a trip back home to NZ, where Elephant grass infested the place, the continuously regenerating within the I had an unfortunate accident and previous tenants had left a mountain of system. lost the end of a finger while climbing rubbish, and the site was inhabited by Everything was going well. Erika had the country’s 12th highest mountain, snakes and rats, but it had lots of land quit her day job and had moved to the I returned to Taipei with a fresh and, most importantly, it was isolated, farm, and we were on a high. Things perspective. I had always been into the with uninterrupted jungle behind the were growing both in the ground and outdoors (especially hiking, or what house and sweeping views in front. It in our hearts and heads. Then came New Zealanders call “tramping”). In was perfect. At night the only building Typhoon Sudelor. Taiwan, I had been exploring the river lights we could see were on the top of Sudelor slammed straight into valleys around the aboriginal village Taipei 101 in the distance. Wulai on August 7, 2015, dropping a of Wulai, south of Taipei city, but my After months of basic renovations whopping 632 mm of rain over twelve injured finger rendered me unable to and cleaning up, we were ready to open hours. At first, we thought we would ride a scooter. On day trips in the valley, our porch to local tourists. At first, I be fine, but then the scariest of nights I admired the landscapes as a passenger served a mixture of outside sourced had us sleepless and on edge. We were food and my own produce. As I began exposed at the top of the ridge, and the to farm the land and gain confidence, house shook. Water leaked through the I learned to observe the seasons and electrical sockets and under the doors, I started serving more dishes from and every time a gust of wind rocked my harvest. I even served my own the house a spray of water rinsed us homebrew ginger beer, and the sweet from under the eaves. Trees were falling treats my Nana had taught me how to around us and the tool shed adjoining bake when I was a kid. The feeling of the side of our house collapsed, pulling satisfaction was palpable. I had found the electricity connection with it. More my calling. worrying was the threat of a landslide, My father, Arch, a semi-retired which became reality when a twenty- irrigation engineer, visited from New meter-long mudslide missed our house Zealand for a month, and helped set up by just fifty meters.
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The typhoon lasted a full day, and we were trapped. All of the local roads were blocked by rocks, water and mud, and the road connecting Wulai with the outside world was closed for months afterwards. On the second morning we saw helicopters flying over and we knew other people were probably hit even harder than us. Our only neighbour cranked a generator and we got some cell coverage to find out what was going on, and let everyone know we were fine. Three days later a squad of soldiers came to assist our retreat. grown on balcony spaces at my new customers can recycle or compost them Because I had stocks of beer from my place in the Wulai valley. Growing herbs after use. porch cafe it was nice to share a bottle in pots has its advantages. Since I can More recently I have started making with them before we descended. move the plants, they get their sun and nut butters (with no preservatives or In the end we had to leave our farm. shade, shelter and water needs met cheap palm oil). We like eating clean It was a rental property that needed with more precision, according to the and we make what we already like to a lot of repair after the typhoon. But, season. Also, when a typhoon strikes, eat ourselves. where there is loss there is also hope, I can bring my plants indoors and save In all, looking back, it’s been a crazy, and a new challenge. Through Buzz, a them for another day! hard-working, at times heart-breaking local Kiwi expat mate, we managed to Erika and I are now married and our ride. But I’m really glad I have had find a plot of land to rent for farming. artisan pesto and sauce business, James the chance to explore myself and life We couldn’t find a live-in-farm site, but & Erika’s Garden, has been going well. I through a passion that had, up until I many friends in the valley supported us still teach English part-time, but I spend started the journey, just been a dream. with help in finding a place to stay while a lot of my time tending my gardens Connecting food and people through we transitioned. and making our products. We use our the land is a privilege and to me one of With a friend, Jeremy, now working sweet basil, oregano, flat leaf parsley, the most tangibly human things we can with organic dairy farms in the UK, coriander, arugula, tomatoes, curry experience in an increasingly confused I designed and built a food forest- leaves, cucumbers, chili and turmeric and complicated world. come-market garden farmlet, the idea crops as fresh ingredients in our If you want to follow our journey, or being to grow herbs and start a pesto homemade sauces and pestos, which have any inquiries, please check us out business with an outdoor kitchen for we sell online, and locally at Yong Kang on Facebook or Instagram at James & food events. Small Farmer’s Market in Taipei. Erika’s Garden. You can contact me Although we still grow some herbs We try to focus on growing plants directly on LINE: farmerjames or visit us there, in recent months management of that do well together and are suited at Yong Kang Park Farmer’s Market in the site has moved to my permaculture to the local climate and conditions. the cooler months. mentor and friend, Tammy Turner, who They can be cut and regrown easily works throughout Taiwan and Asia as and are often hard to find in traditional an instructor with ZiRan Permaculture. markets. If our crops have long growing She uses the site as an educational seasons then it’s more efficient garden and gives, shares and trades farming. the food surplus with volunteers and All of our pestos and sauces come friends. in glass jars that I buy back from Now most of my pesto herbs are customers. We use paper bags so
James is a Kiwi expat living and working in the Wulai Valley. He and his wife Erika grow spray- free herbs for making pestos, sauces and nut butters. Contact them at James & Erika's Garden on Facebook, Instagram or LINE: farmerjames.
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RICHARD SAUNDERS EXPLORES TAIWAN'S LESS-TRODDEN PATHS
rather than grand or imposing, and it’s the perfect place to spend a hot summer afternoon, assuming you’ve Chiedong lucked out and you have the place completely to yourself. Below the lowest fall is a large, shallow pool, great Waterfall for paddling. One extremely important word of warning, however, while visiting TEXT & IMAGES: RICHARD SAUNDERS streams, rivers and waterfalls during the summer rainy season. Afternoon torrential downpours are very common during the Taiwanese summer, and can occur with little or no warning. While getting soaking wet might spoil your day, it could be far, far worse. At these times, flash floods can occur unbelievably quickly, and although river tracers are most affected by these extremely dangerous conditions, pay attention if taking a paddle or exploring the rocky glens in places like Chiedong Waterfall. It may not even be raining where you are, but on hot summer afternoons, extremely localized storms sometimes drop enormous amounts of rain over high ridges, which can turn an idyllic mountain stream into a deadly, raging torrent in just a couple of minutes. Over the course of twenty Chiedong Waterfall in dry weather... years’ hiking in Taiwan, I’ve directly encountered flash floods just twice, onsidering their location Xiufeng Waterfall just below it, ignore but both were among the scariest dices right beside a road, and the turnoff at a sharp bend on the left with danger in my three decades of the many cool, shady halfway up the hill, assuming from the hiking experience. spots in the glen below guardhouse and smart houses lining the Be careful out there! theC falls, perfect for a hot summer day, road that the area is nothing more than it’s a surprise to find that the beautiful a private housing estate. However, drive Chiedong Waterfalls, in the hills above in and soon the houses are replaced Xichi (about midway between Taipei by a country lane winding through the and Keelung), aren’t more popular. wooded hills for a kilometer or two, The blame (or rather the credit) for until the lowest of the three Chiedong this lies with the large private housing waterfalls is glimpsed to the right, as estate that stands at the start of the the road crosses a small bridge over the only road to the waterfalls. Almost all stream. the cars climbing up the steep road Just above the road the stream from Xichi to the town’s most popular drops over three beautiful falls. The scenic spots, Big Sharp Mountain and scenery of the sylvan glen here is gentle
Richard Saunders is a trained classical musician and writer who lived in Taipei from 1993 to 2018. He has written several hiking and guide books (available at the Center and in bookshops around Taipei) covering the whole of Taiwan, and its offshore islands. ...and during a flash flood
32 AUGUST 2020 www.communitycenter.org.tw
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www.communitycenter.org.tw AUGUST 2020 33
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