Centered Vol. 21 | 08 MAY on TAIPEI 2021 A publication of the Community Services Center May 21 cover.indd 1 2021/4/27 4:07 PM May 21 cover.indd 2 2021/4/27 4:07 PM CONTENTS May 2021 volume 21 issue 8 CSC COMMUNITY From the Editors 5 Salt Collectiv: Giving Back to Taiwan 8 May 2021 Center Gallery/ Book Club 6 May 2021 Activities Highlights 7 CREATIVE WRITING CSC Business Classified 30 Daisy’s House in the Arms of Merlin 11 OUTLOOK Beauty in the Broken 14 A Dragon Mom’s Bereaved Mother’s Day 16 Publisher Community Services Center, Taipei Editor Suzan Babcock PHOTOGRAPHY Co-editor Richard Saunders Advertising Manager Naomi Kaly Russ McClay 21 Magazine Email [email protected] Katia Chen 22 Tel 02-2836-8134 Nora Liang 23 Fax 02-2835-2530 Kenneth Dickson 24 Printed by Farn Mei Printing Co., Ltd. CULTURE 1F, No. 102, Hou Kang Street, Shilin A Tale of Fortune Telling and Tea 18 District, Taipei Tel: 02-2882-6748 Fax: 02-2882-6749 E-mail: [email protected] ART The Living Art and Styles of Bonsai 25 Centered on Taipei is a publication of the Community Services Center, 25, Lane 290, Zhongshan N. Rd., Sec. 6, Tianmu, Taipei, Taiwan Tel: 02-2836-8134 ENVIRONMENT fax: 02-2835-2530 Dr. Leaf & Container Gardening: The Basics 26 e-mail: [email protected] Correspondence may be sent to the editor at coteditor@ communitycenter.org.tw. Freelance writers, photographers and TRAVEL illustrators are welcome to contact the editor to discuss editorial and East Coast National Scenic Area: Hualien County 28 graphic assignments. Your talent will find a home with us! Copyright 2021. All rights reserved. Material in this publication may not be reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner. 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 economically viable management of the world's forests. https://ic.fsc.org/ www.communitycenter.org.tw MAY 2021 3 May 2021_p3-end.indd 3 2021/4/28 4:37 PM ai16190589199_COT_5.pdf 1 4/22/2021 10:35:21 AM TIGER TOTS PRESCHOOL A LOVING PLACE FOR LEARNING C M Y CM MY CY CMY K PRE-K AND KINDERGARTEN (LOCATED INSIDE TAS) TIGGER'S (PRE-2S), 2S AND 3S PLAYGROUPS (TIAN YU CAMPUS) GRADE 1 & 2 : AFTERNOON STEAM PROGRAMS (STARTING AUG. 2021) North American Curriculum Engaging Outdoor Playgrounds Qualified Instructors Fun and Educational Daily Activities Low Student/Teacher Ratios Fun After School Enrichment Classes Gymnastics, Kidzsports, and Mandarin Playgroups Music Classes 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 WHERE WISDOM, TAIPEI FAITH AND SERVICE ADVENTIST UNITE IN EDUCATION AMERICAN SCHOOL Find out more about our excellence in education at www.taas-taiwan.com 4 MAY 2021 www.communitycenter.org.tw May 2021_p3-end.indd 4 2021/4/27 3:51 PM COVER IMAGE: GREEN FROM Please send email submissions, comments, and feedback to [email protected]. by Katia Chen THE For more information, please go to our website at EDITORS www.communitycenter.org.tw Springtime in Taipei is one of the loveliest seasons of the year. It is a perfect time to be outdoors exploring or revisiting favorite neighborhoods with their funky teahouses, or a city park like COT Team Daan Forest Park for picnics with loved ones or friends. It is a time of being together at fun-filled gatherings, or in gentle solitude. It is spring… a time of renewal, new beginnings and hope. If you want some really great photo moments, get up early and head out to either the Dajia Riverside Park or the Xindian Suzan Babcock Richard Saunders Naomi Kaly KC riverside, where you will see teams of paddlers practicing for this Editor Co-editor Advertising Manager Graphic Designer year’s upcoming annual Dragon Boat Festival. coteditor@ [email protected] naomi@communitycenter. graphicdesigntaipei. communitycenter.org.tw org.tw weebly.com This month’s Photo Gallery features local residents who like to take photos and have learned the art of capturing the essence of Featured Contributors their subject, whatever that may be. Outlook contributions from Aly Cooper (Beauty in the Broken) and Ivonne VIDAL PIZARRO (A Dragon Mom’s Bereaved Mother’s Day) share intimate moments and experiences about motherhood. Jenny Chang Kenneth St. John Dunn Nora Liang Adriana Ng Heather Gatley’s Daisy’s House in the Arms of Merlin is a Dickson memorable tale about her grandmother Daisy’s house, and the special place that it holds in her heart. Container gardening is ideal for those with little or no gardening space, and since having good soil is essential for the Writing, Photography and Art Contributors success of any garden, Dr. Leaf explains how ordinary kitchen Jenny Chang Nora Liang scraps can become a compost-soil elixir for growing herbs and Katia Chen Russ McClay Salt Collectiv Adriana Ng vegetables that are fit to eat. Aly Cooper Ivonne VIDAL PIZARRO At the Center, there is a lot going on. This May, we have cooking Kenneth Dickson Joseph Reilly classes (Indian Vegetarian Cooking) with Vaishali Meghnani, a St. John Dunn Richard Saunders Heather Gatley Rosemary Susa Saturday class with the famous Taiwanese chef Ivy Chen (From Dr. Leaf Grace Ting Market to Table), beginning at the Shi Dong Market, or a hike Amy Liang Bonsai Museum along the Jiantanshan Trail to Weijianshan with Dory Chung. These are a few of the many Center activities that we have Pick COT up at: planned for you. Be sure to register in advance if you’d like to join. Uptown: If you’re in the area anytime, please feel free to stop in at the Community Services Center, No. 25, Lane 290, Sec. 6, Zhongshan North Rd. Center for a cup of coffee or tea and good conversations. Sprout – No. 33, Sec. 7, Zhongshan North Rd. George Pai’s Beauty – No. 14, Tienmu East Rd. Downtown: Sue and Richard Ooh Cha Cha – 207, Sec.2, Nanchang Rd. Accountant Monica Cheng COMMUNITY SERVICES CENTER Programs Manager Rosemary Susa Events Coordinator Joy Meglasson Coffee Mornings Coordinator Leslie McFarlane The Community Services Center (CSC) is a non-profit foundation. CSC provides Communications Pia Munk-Janson 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]. Director Adam McMillan Volunteers Miyuki Boice, Gwen Harris, John Imbrogulio, Leslie McFarlane, John McQuade, Bunny Pecheco, Office Manager Grace Ting Lucy Torres Counselors I-wen Chan, Katherine Chang, Hui-shiang Chao, Benefactors Bai Win Antiques Anne Cheng, Jung Chin, Chiao-Feng Chung, Cerita Hsu, European Chamber of Commerce Lily Lin, Miranda Lin, Emilie Ma, Kuang-Shan Wan Grand Hyatt Taipei Consultants Anne Cheng, Tom Cole, Wendy Evans, Michael Mullahy, Premier Sponsors Concordia Consulting Mary Lagerstrom ICRT San Fu Global Counseling Admin. Joanne Chua www.communitycenter.org.tw MAY 2021 5 May 2021_p3-end.indd 5 2021/4/27 3:51 PM CSC 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 MAY RACHEL SOUZA'S CERAMIC JEWELRY SAHAR SHAIKH Rachel specializes in handcrafted ceramic jewelry. Her work features dynamic glazes with leather and metal finishes. Each item is unique and cannot be reproduced, Sahar's collection includes making it a one-of-a-kind piece of wearable art that necklaces, chains, hand- expresses your individuality. You can see her artwork at crafted silver jewelry www.ceramicadesigns.com. embedded with semi- precious stones, tops and DIGITAL ARTWORKS BY FUMI FURUTA tunics in cotton prints and silks and lightweight scarves in dazzling, vibrant colors. BAMBOO END TABLE, LADDER AND TRAYS FROM GOLD BAMBOO ART CO. LTD Fumi Furuta’s collections are rooted in inspirations from her personal experiences, embodying everything from the extraordinary moments that shaped her life’s trajectory to the beautifully ordinary experiences of her everyday life. Furuta’s Taiwan collection, particularly the Tianmu pieces, pay tribute to the vibrant, quirky and welcoming community that she loved while living here for four years. The Center seems the perfect home for this collection. MORNING BOOK CLUB The Beekeeper of Aleppo, NEW BOOKS BY LOCAL AUTHORS by Christy Lefteri, 2020 Date: May 11th Never Forgotten - The Story of the Japanese Prisoner of War Nuri is a beekeeper; his wife, Camps in Taiwan during World War II Afra, an artist. They live happily by Michael D. Hurst MBE in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo until the unthinkable ISBN: 978-986-89430-1-8 Price: $1200 happens and they are forced to THE GOLDEN KHAN - flee. But what Afra has seen is so terrible she has gone blind, and they must embark on The secret to absolute power a perilous journey through Turkey and Greece towards by A. H. Wang an uncertain future in Britain. ISBN: 9574383156, Meeting location: BaiWin Collection/ 2 Zhongshan N. 978-9574383153 Rd., Sec 6, Lane 405 Contact Julie Hu at: [email protected] Price: $450 6 MAY 2021 www.communitycenter.org.tw May 2021_p3-end.indd 6 2021/4/27 3:51 PM CSC MAY ACTIVITIES HIGHLIGHTS Indian Vegetarian Cooking Have you ever wondered what moderate inclines and declines Thursday, May 20; Friday, May 7; 10 am - 12 noon: goes on behind the scenes of with ropes for assistance.