TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2008 • TAIPEI TIMES

community compass P A G E 4

co m m co mu es. nity@taipeitim Foreigners flock to Taiwan’s hills natural high: Hailed by travel books as one of the best places in Asia for trekkers, Taiwan can count AIT director Stephen Young as a keen fan of its hiking trails

By Jenny W. Hsu Staff Reporter Chung Cheng Armed Forces Preparatory School President Hsia Yu-Jen, right, and Visitors may have the impression Doris Brougham, the founder of the Studio Classroom magazine, pose on Friday after that Taiwan is a developed coun- signing a contract to help improve the English proficiency of teachers and students at try filled with bustling cities criss- the school. PHOTO: CNA crossed by highways. This is not far from the truth, but there is another side to the country, said some of Taiwan’s for- eign hikers who view the nation’s The promise that mountains as its most treasured tourists attraction. “Taiwan’s hills and mountains led to a mission are incredibly beautiful. There are many hikes around the island that are not too difficult but still offer amazing views of flora and fauna,” to spread English said Andrew Scott, an English teacher from Michigan who has Honor: For her half- came from the temple and said, hiked at more than 30 spots in his century of teaching in ‘I listen to your program, do you three years in Taiwan. think you can get me a Bible?’ So He calls his weekend excur- Taiwan, Doris Brougham it was a good way to keep in touch sions “lifesavers” from his busy received the nation’s with the people, even the fishermen schedule. highest non-military award along the shores,” Brougham said. “My advice to any foreigners She began her English-teaching that come to Taiwan is to get out career in 1960, when she moved of Taipei or Taichung or Kaoshiung Above: AIT Director Stephen Young, left, his son Michael, right, and an AIT colleague are pictured on top of Hsuehshan. By Shelley Huang to Taipei. Staff Reporter or whatever big city you are in as Bottom: Members of Richard Saunders’ hiking club walk the Nankushan trail in Taipei County’s Shihding Township. Photo courtesy of American Institute in Taiwan “I thought, if we make an Eng- often as you can. Thrust yourself It all started with a promise. Do- lish program it has to be more into the mountains of Taiwan be- “It is incredibly beautiful and the rain, rockslides and typhoons ris Brougham was only 11 years interesting than ‘this is a book’ or cause that’s where you will stand quiet. It has less people so it is that Taiwan experiences. Trails in old when she made up her mind ‘this is an apple.’ I thought I could in awe of the true beauty of this not as spoiled as Jade Mountain,” national parks are especially well to help people in Asia. It was at make a studio and we’ll have an island,” he said. he said. maintained. I first hiked up Yushan a Christian rally for young peo- article and people can ask ques- Taiwan is hailed by Lonely Saunders also heads a hik- in 1964 and Hsuehshan (雪山) in ple, where a pastor asked how tions and discuss about it. That Planet and other travel books as ing club that meets periodically 1982, and the trails are much better many of them would be willing to was why it was called Studio one of the best places in Asia for to pound the peaks of northern today than back then,” Young said. go to Asia to help people there. Classroom,” she said. trekkers, both novices and expe- Taiwan. Brougham raised her hand and Brougham said she tried to rienced. Its terrain is “The network of trails thrill seekers made a promise to God. teach people “English that you divided into two major in Taiwan is by far more With more than 3,000 peaks na- “After World War II, a lot of can really use,” instead of things parts — the flat rolling developed and compre- tionwide, Taiwan appeals to Americans were thinking, we need such as slang, because she thought plains of the west and hensive than in many die-hard thrill seekers as well as to go out there and share what we that if people spoke slang in- the rugged forests of the countries,” he said, tout- novices. have with the rest of the world. correctly, they would be looked center and east which ing the national park Saunders suggests starting with For those of us who are church- down upon. include East Asia’s high- service as having done more straightforward hikes such going people, they often chal- “I try to teach English that you est peak, Jade Mountain a good job in clearing as Cing Tian Gang (擎天崗) in Yang- lenged us to go to Africa or Asia don’t have to worry about saying,” or Yushan, (玉山), which reaches some off the beaten track treks for mingshan, Taipei or Pinghsi (平溪) or India,” she said. she said. 3,952m. adventurers. in Ilan County. sky is the limit,” Saunders said. Many foreign residents in Tai- Later on, she had a She also believed that For many Taiwanese, climb- Julie Lanshee, a US writer and Kuanyin Mountain (觀音山) The drawbacks of hiking in wan have already discovered the chance to go to Eastman in order to understand a ing Yu Shan is one of the three member of the hiking club, also on the south shore of Danshui Taiwan for many foreigners is the delights of hiking. Taiwan has School of Music, a pres- culture, learning the lan- must-complete feats in order to credited the government with put- or hikes in Taipei’s Muzha area, lack of material readily available in Yushan, the tallest mountain in tigious music school, but guage is a must. be a “true Taiwanese,” the other ting great effort into creating and Young said, are also good places English or in pinyin. Northeast Asia, and there are gave it up to go to China “We can be different two being swimming across Sun maintaining the trails, such as for novices. many other challenging peaks instead, because “if you but still understand. We Moon Lake and cycling around the stone steps seen in several spots in “My favorite beginners hike is english that foreigners might come here promised, you have to do can appreciate each oth- island. the Yangmingshan National Park, the Teapot Mountain (茶壺山) in “Taiwan could become more ap- to climb if they knew about them, it.” er’s cultures better and However, for a keen climber to make hiking possible even in Chiufen. It is relatively easy and pealing to foreign hikers by putting he said. Brougham grew up to become take the best out of each culture,” such as Briton Richard Saunders, the rain. when you get to the top, you get a out more information about hiking For more English informa- a teacher, CEO, editor-in-chief, she said. who has written two books on hik- American Institute in Taiwan gorgeous view of the old gold min- trails in English on the Internet. tion on hiking in Taiwan, check trumpet player, leader in the Brougham uses a lot of music ing in Taiwan with a third coming Director Stephen Young is another ing town. After the hike, you can There are Web sites worldwide for out www.hiketaiwan.com or the Christian community, permanent in her lessons because she be- out, the beauty of Yushan is second fan of Taiwan’s hiking delights. soak up Taiwan’s tea culture by hiking enthusiasts that have de- Taiwan Tourism Bureau. Saun- resident of Taiwan, and founder lieves that using music can speed only to his favorite spot, Jiaming “I find the trails on the main going to some of the tea shops in scriptions of various hikes as well ders’ books are available in major of Overseas Radio and Televi- up the learning process and make Lake (嘉明湖) in Taitung, which was hiking mountains to be well main- the area,” he said. as contributions from bloggers,” bookstores or at the Community sion, which produces radio and it more fun. created by a fallen meteorite. tained, which is not easy given For more advanced hikes, “the Young said. Center. television programs all over the “Music is the language of the world. Now 82, Brougham has soul,” she said. “Words get into taught English to hundreds of your mind, but music touches thousands of people in Taiwan, your heart.” Why are many foreigners who pay taxes and contribute and her English-teaching maga- Having been a teacher for al- Indian community holds zine, Studio Classroom, is read most all of her life, Brougham saw to the economy being excluded from the consumer by 600,000 people every month. teaching as a process of taking vouchers scheme? “I was on a mission,” she said. away people’s fears. For example, Pierre LaPorte vigil for Mumbai victims When she was only 21 years old, a swimming teacher has to take Chiayi City she traveled to China by ship for away people’s fear of the water, By Loa Iok-sin state, but against an ideology of strongly about the tragedy as a na- six weeks. she said. Staff Reporter hatred, an ideology that believes tive of Mumbai. However, he also “When you get on a boat, it’s a “If you make things less compli- A-hok says: Members of the Indian commu- in using violence against innocent believed that the attack was not on lot harder to go back home. The cated, you can have fun and go to nity in Taiwan held a candlelit civilians for resolving problems,” Mumbai alone. boat slowly pulls out and you keep the next step. In teaching, you have The Ministry of the Interior (MOI), authorized by the Special vigil in Taipei on Sunday to re- he said. “Indians often say ‘the world is seeing the people on the shore,” to lead people. Make it simple. Take Statute for Distributing Consumer Vouchers to Boost the Economy member those who died in the A massive terrorist attack tar- my family,’” he said. “So, it’s not Brougham said. away the fear of embarrassment or 振興經濟消費券發放特別條例 ( ), set the criteria for the vouchers. terrorist attack in Mumbai last geting landmarks in Mumbai last only [an attack] on India, but on Having been evacuated sev- failure,” Brougham said. Foreigners from China, Hong Kong and Macau who are month. month killed more than 172 people the whole world — everybody in eral times due to the Civil War in Brougham says she doesn’t married to Taiwanese nationals and have residency in Taiwan are “This is not the first time that — including about 30 foreigners this world must stand united.” China, Brougham could only take want to retire yet because she eligible, as are foreigners from other all countries who are married India has suffered a terrorist at- — and injured nearly 300. While shocked by the attack, her trumpet with her and had to loves her job, which to her isn’t to Taiwanese nationals and have residency and a registered tack — we’ve lost two prime min- “All Indians, in spite of differ- Indians’ Association of Taipei leave much of her teaching mate- really a job, but her way of life. household in Taiwan. isters to terrorist violence and, ences in religion, social customs, president Lal Gajwani remains rials and notes behind. When she “Are you going to stop helping since 2002, over 6,000 people have languages and traditions, stand hopeful that the power of love may arrived in Taiwan in 1951, people people just because you get older? Approximately 3,000 foreigners living in Taiwan without lost their lives in India in these as one in opposing this ideology prevail. were still calling it Formosa. It depends on how you look at Taiwanese spouses are excluded from the scheme, even though mindless acts of violence,” Amit of hatred and violence,” Narang “Terrorist acts are done by mis- “The east coast [of Taiwan] what you do, if it’s just a job, you they have residency and pay income tax. Narang, deputy director-general of said. guided people with no religion or was a place that really needed a should retire. If you hate your job, Minister of the Interior Liao Liou-yi (廖了以) said the reason the India-Taipei Association, told After the brief remarks by Na- state in mind,” he said. lot of young people to help be- then you should retire at 50 or 40. why foreigners without Taiwanese spouses were not included is a crowd of more than 250 Indians rang, the Indian national anthem “Hopefully, these misguided cause it wasn’t very advanced. So But if you like what you’re doing, that they were neither citizens nor very likely to become citizens. living in Taiwan gathered for the was sung and a minute of silence people will realize one day the I went to help the tribes people in it’s not a job, it’s just being you,” Foreign spouses may obtain Taiwanese citizenship after they meet vigil. observed. power of love, peace and non- Hualien City high schools. I taught she said. the requirements stipulated in the Immigration Act (入出國及移民 “All Indians are feeling this M.G. Patel, better known as violence, then we can bring them music, children’s education, as For her half a century of teach- 法), Liao said. deep sense of outrage and anguish “Kaka” in the Indian community back to the right track,” Gajwani well as the Bible, whatever people ing and contribution to Taiwan, —not against any organization or in Taiwan, said he felt especially said. needed,” she said. she was awarded the Order of the “[Foreigners] pay taxes because they earn an income. But In 1951, she started her first Brilliant Star with Special Grand the consumer vouchers are for radio program. Using one of the Cordon, the nation’s highest non- nationals, which is a practice first tape recorders in Taiwan, she military decoration, by former consistent with other countries,” K A-HO Mormons remember Christmas story made her home into a recording president Chen Shui-bian in 2002. Liao said. S K studio and recorded gospel music “I think Taiwan has a very en- A Vice Minister of the Interior By Jenny W. Hsu like for Mary to travel so far on a the birth of the Savior is what programs for women and children. couraging future. We can be proud Chien Tai-lang (簡太郎) said Staff Reporter donkey while pregnant. Christmas is really all about,” he “You can reach more people by of what we’ve done, and we have to foreigners with Taiwanese More than 1,000 people traveled “I didn’t know what I was get- said. broadcast. People from the Bud- keep the young people on the right spouses were considered “quasi- back 2,000 years at the week- ting into when I said yes to the Chiles said that for many for- dhist temples listened to our pro- track,” she said. “That’s what Stu- nationals.” end to witness the birth of Jesus part. But I do feel the spirit when- eigners in Taiwan the pageant is grams, too. Once, a Buddhist nun dio Classroom wants to teach.” Christ in a Bethlehem manger as ever I am playing the character,” a slice of nostalgia of what the Having married a Taiwanese the English-speaking members she said, explaining the feeling of holiday is like back home. is a prerequisite for foreigners to of the Church of Jesus Christ of the spirit as a “warm and fuzzy” “I was so touched when ev- If you have suggestions for receive the vouchers because it Latter-day Saints presented their feeling in her heart. eryone sang the Christmas carols events, INTERVIEWS OR TOPICS means they are a more integrated eighth annual Christmas pageant Ross Chiles, the bishop of the together. It was a wonderful feel- part of the community, Chien said. at the Tianmu amphitheater. English ward and an entrepreneur, ing to listen to the beautiful music. you would like to Sitting on a horse led by her said the pageant is a wonderful re- This is the first time I have really see covered on thIS page husband, Leone Grimley, who minder for people that “Christmas heard the story of Christmas and please send your ideas to: If you have something you’d like to ask, please write to played Mary, said the experience spirit is not found in a shopping I am so glad I came,” said Deng [email protected]. was a bit uncomfortable and made mall.” Mei-li (鄧美麗), a member of the [email protected] her wonder what it must have been “The story of the nativity and audience.