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.