You know, I don't like this guy. He almost makes me want to change my Chinese name (Zhang Bai Lian - white lotus, not white face though it's a great conversation starter at parties).
Though I'm still not an advocate of beating him up while he was visiting the Confucius temple just because beating people up is what the Evil side does, and I'm all for Good (in this case, Taiwan) - beating people up is what the CCP does to dissidents and what the old KMT did to dissidents, too.
Here's a video of what went down - literally -
I dunno. Some people say it was pushes, kicks and punches plus an attack on the car. Some say it was a 'fall' and no violent action. Some say it was a push, but not with punching.
Looking at it, I see a push, and the guy who picks him up doesn't want to help him; that's dragging. A different guy leads him away. I do see what appear to be a few kicks and some raised fists, but it's true that there aren't any actual punches.
There's definitely an attack on the car, but it wouldn't have done bodily harm to anyone inside.
At the end, it still makes Taiwan look bad - whether or not that's fair, which it isn't, that's what's happening in the press - and that's still not going to help the cause.
I do have to agree with the shouting dude though. Taiwan bu shi Zhongguo de. Right on.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
"Blue Europe, Red Asia"? Methinks not.
This stunning piece of tripe appeared in the Taipei Times today:
Blue Europe, Red Asia
...and I am agog with...well, not just with surprise at the inaccuracy, but with the generality of it, the lack of attention to detail in the overall assessment, and with then supporting those generalizations (when dealing with entire continents one has to be general, fair enough) with precious little evidence.
Anecdotally, it's pretty clear to me that Asians do not, in fact, generally support McCain. Looking at Taiwan, despite the fact that there is a line of argument saying that McCain would be better for Taiwan (something I disagree with, but hey, I covered that in a previous post) the general public consensus is that Obama is the better candidate.
At least when the author discusses China, she uses the term "may very likely" - as in she may very likely not have enough research and is basing that assertion on conjecture. The Chinese people hated Bush - this was all too evident during my time in China, and not just anecdotally. Many now seem to see McCain as an extension of Bush. Whether he is or is not is not worth getting into just now (I think he is, but that's a personal opinion).
I've spent quite a bit of time in India and keep in touch with plenty of people there. This is again anecdotal, but so far the questions I've asked my desi friends about the general consensus of the Indian populace - if there can ever be such a thing - is that Obama is far and away the better candidate.
Of course, surveys awhile back on the Indonesian opinion of Obama held him in favorable regard, and that does not seem to have changed.
So where are these "Red Asians" who lean towards McCain for all of the reasons listed in the article (a preference for traditional security measures, traditional US involvement, and being able to snatch the "mantle of hope" from the USA should McCain be elected)? I certainly don't know any of them. I'm sure they're out there - Asia's big, in case you haven't noticed - but the generalities expressed in this article seem questionable at best, blatantly false at worst....rather like the assertion that McCain will be better for Taiwan just because the party platform language contains more wording about Taiwan. Very shaky indeed.
I won't address Japan - I know precious little on Japanese foreign policy and public consensus so have nothing to add there.
Moisi may have a point that there are governments out there who favor McCain. I could see the Chinese government doing so, though I don't know for sure (I'm not sure anyone really knows for sure; can one really trust anything the Chinese government says about its policies, actions, alliances or...frankly, anything at all?)...I'm less convinced about India. I could go into detail as to why, but this is a blog on Taiwan so I would rather not devote the space to it here.
But the people? Sorry honey...but no. It doesn't seem as though Dominique Moisi has even been to Asia, or she'd have a much better general idea about how people feel here. Even then, it would only be very, very general.
This, however, is brilliant. Very wordy and dense article on alternatives that Asian institutions have at saving their financial markets in lieu of the bank bailouts currently in vogue in G7 countries. Quite intelligent and I have nothing to add lest I sound like an uneducated boor. [name drop] Plus I know the guy who wrote it, and he's a smart fella. [/name drop]
Blue Europe, Red Asia
...and I am agog with...well, not just with surprise at the inaccuracy, but with the generality of it, the lack of attention to detail in the overall assessment, and with then supporting those generalizations (when dealing with entire continents one has to be general, fair enough) with precious little evidence.
Anecdotally, it's pretty clear to me that Asians do not, in fact, generally support McCain. Looking at Taiwan, despite the fact that there is a line of argument saying that McCain would be better for Taiwan (something I disagree with, but hey, I covered that in a previous post) the general public consensus is that Obama is the better candidate.
At least when the author discusses China, she uses the term "may very likely" - as in she may very likely not have enough research and is basing that assertion on conjecture. The Chinese people hated Bush - this was all too evident during my time in China, and not just anecdotally. Many now seem to see McCain as an extension of Bush. Whether he is or is not is not worth getting into just now (I think he is, but that's a personal opinion).
I've spent quite a bit of time in India and keep in touch with plenty of people there. This is again anecdotal, but so far the questions I've asked my desi friends about the general consensus of the Indian populace - if there can ever be such a thing - is that Obama is far and away the better candidate.
Of course, surveys awhile back on the Indonesian opinion of Obama held him in favorable regard, and that does not seem to have changed.
So where are these "Red Asians" who lean towards McCain for all of the reasons listed in the article (a preference for traditional security measures, traditional US involvement, and being able to snatch the "mantle of hope" from the USA should McCain be elected)? I certainly don't know any of them. I'm sure they're out there - Asia's big, in case you haven't noticed - but the generalities expressed in this article seem questionable at best, blatantly false at worst....rather like the assertion that McCain will be better for Taiwan just because the party platform language contains more wording about Taiwan. Very shaky indeed.
I won't address Japan - I know precious little on Japanese foreign policy and public consensus so have nothing to add there.
Moisi may have a point that there are governments out there who favor McCain. I could see the Chinese government doing so, though I don't know for sure (I'm not sure anyone really knows for sure; can one really trust anything the Chinese government says about its policies, actions, alliances or...frankly, anything at all?)...I'm less convinced about India. I could go into detail as to why, but this is a blog on Taiwan so I would rather not devote the space to it here.
But the people? Sorry honey...but no. It doesn't seem as though Dominique Moisi has even been to Asia, or she'd have a much better general idea about how people feel here. Even then, it would only be very, very general.
This, however, is brilliant. Very wordy and dense article on alternatives that Asian institutions have at saving their financial markets in lieu of the bank bailouts currently in vogue in G7 countries. Quite intelligent and I have nothing to add lest I sound like an uneducated boor. [name drop] Plus I know the guy who wrote it, and he's a smart fella. [/name drop]
Friday, October 24, 2008
The Zhang Mingqing Incident
As I commented on The View From Taiwan, I'm disappointed in the perpetrators of the attack on Zhang Mingqing.
Don't get me wrong - I don't like the man's politics. I am also, however, a strong believer in the civilmindedness of Taiwanese society - there will always be bad eggs in any population but it seems that in general, Taiwan is much less hotheaded and self-serving than some other countries I could name (*ahem* China, the USA - I'm looking at you).
The attack - whether it was just a push, whether it was a push and a punch, or as my Chinese teacher said, a push, punch, slam to the back of the head and attack on a car - projects a very poor image and an even worse example. Taiwan should be seeking to maintain its image as being more developed, more civil, more reasonable and more civically oriented than Big Red. It is all of those things, but it sure doesn't show in the light of this incident.
I understand the anger and frustration that led to this happening - I'm not even Taiwanese and I feel the same frustration at times. It hurts, it really does, to see Taiwan so often sidelined. Not by China - being yanked around by them is kind of like being manipulated by a gaggle of sorority girls...you know they're beyotches and what they do only reflects that fact. Rather, by the rest of the world who ought to know better - who does know better - but parks Taiwan on the bench because they have to play nice with the sorority girls of Commie Commie Sig. It's saddening. I get that. It sucks. I get that. It sucks giant hanging balls off a stray dog in Xinzhuang. I get that.
Unfortunately, you still can't vent all of that frustration and sadness by punching an old guy in the face when he's on his way to the Confucius temple for personal, spiritual reasons.
It just doesn't make you look good, and it doesn't make Taiwan look good. Who are the grownups here? Taiwan ought to show that it's them. Fight for real - don't punch an old dude and pretend that it does your cause a jot of good.
Don't get me wrong - I don't like the man's politics. I am also, however, a strong believer in the civilmindedness of Taiwanese society - there will always be bad eggs in any population but it seems that in general, Taiwan is much less hotheaded and self-serving than some other countries I could name (*ahem* China, the USA - I'm looking at you).
The attack - whether it was just a push, whether it was a push and a punch, or as my Chinese teacher said, a push, punch, slam to the back of the head and attack on a car - projects a very poor image and an even worse example. Taiwan should be seeking to maintain its image as being more developed, more civil, more reasonable and more civically oriented than Big Red. It is all of those things, but it sure doesn't show in the light of this incident.
I understand the anger and frustration that led to this happening - I'm not even Taiwanese and I feel the same frustration at times. It hurts, it really does, to see Taiwan so often sidelined. Not by China - being yanked around by them is kind of like being manipulated by a gaggle of sorority girls...you know they're beyotches and what they do only reflects that fact. Rather, by the rest of the world who ought to know better - who does know better - but parks Taiwan on the bench because they have to play nice with the sorority girls of Commie Commie Sig. It's saddening. I get that. It sucks. I get that. It sucks giant hanging balls off a stray dog in Xinzhuang. I get that.
Unfortunately, you still can't vent all of that frustration and sadness by punching an old guy in the face when he's on his way to the Confucius temple for personal, spiritual reasons.
It just doesn't make you look good, and it doesn't make Taiwan look good. Who are the grownups here? Taiwan ought to show that it's them. Fight for real - don't punch an old dude and pretend that it does your cause a jot of good.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Reason #3 to Love Taiwan
Inexpensive beauty care! I got a full facial and upper back massage today for $600 NT, about 1/3 the cost of one in the USA. Maybe 1/4.
I had a particularly stressful day today, capping off an almost-complete stressful week. Six new one-on-one social etiquette and writing skills classes (six!) at the Taipei offices of a major IT firm have just started, and I'm well on my way to breaking my monthly earnings record at this job.
Although that's not normally a priority - free time and quality of life are at the top of the list - it's certainly welcome cash as we plan our trip to Egypt, India and the USA next year.
As a special treat to help me unwind I stopped in the beauty care shop in Jingmei Night Market (towards the southern end, just before the food stalls) and got The Works.
First they wiped me down, laid me down on a comfy massage bed and covered my face in sticky goo. Then they covered the goo with layers of paper until I looked (and felt) mummified. While chatting in Taiwanese they rubbed that Icy Hot stuff all over my shoulders and gave me a good old-fashioned pounding until I relaxed and my vertebrae cracked into place. It feels nicer than it sounds.
"Don't talk while it's drying!" they insisted in Chaiwanese - that night-market-centric language that seems to be half Chinese and half Taiwanese.
After it dried, they pulled it up, bringing lots of gunk with it, covered me in more lotion and proceeded to use an electric scrapey thing to coax even more gunk out.
Lovely.
After I'd been scraped down like an Orwellian torture victim, they painted me with runny, milky goo.
I won't tell you what that reminded me of. Heh.
Then they covered me in a face-shaped felt thing and let me sit for about 10 minutes while they pounded me some more (which felt really nice, but slightly violating considering what my face seemed to be covered in).
Then they took that off and wiped me down again.
My skin has never looked better or felt cleaner, and the tension I've carried in my shoulderblades all week is finally gone.
I might just have to get this done every month...
I had a particularly stressful day today, capping off an almost-complete stressful week. Six new one-on-one social etiquette and writing skills classes (six!) at the Taipei offices of a major IT firm have just started, and I'm well on my way to breaking my monthly earnings record at this job.
Although that's not normally a priority - free time and quality of life are at the top of the list - it's certainly welcome cash as we plan our trip to Egypt, India and the USA next year.
As a special treat to help me unwind I stopped in the beauty care shop in Jingmei Night Market (towards the southern end, just before the food stalls) and got The Works.
First they wiped me down, laid me down on a comfy massage bed and covered my face in sticky goo. Then they covered the goo with layers of paper until I looked (and felt) mummified. While chatting in Taiwanese they rubbed that Icy Hot stuff all over my shoulders and gave me a good old-fashioned pounding until I relaxed and my vertebrae cracked into place. It feels nicer than it sounds.
"Don't talk while it's drying!" they insisted in Chaiwanese - that night-market-centric language that seems to be half Chinese and half Taiwanese.
After it dried, they pulled it up, bringing lots of gunk with it, covered me in more lotion and proceeded to use an electric scrapey thing to coax even more gunk out.
Lovely.
After I'd been scraped down like an Orwellian torture victim, they painted me with runny, milky goo.
I won't tell you what that reminded me of. Heh.
Then they covered me in a face-shaped felt thing and let me sit for about 10 minutes while they pounded me some more (which felt really nice, but slightly violating considering what my face seemed to be covered in).
Then they took that off and wiped me down again.
My skin has never looked better or felt cleaner, and the tension I've carried in my shoulderblades all week is finally gone.
I might just have to get this done every month...
GAH!
So I received and sent in my absentee ballot from the Virginia elections board - I bet you can all guess who I'm voting for.
The envelope the ballot came in was addressed to me in "Taipei, Taiwan, Province of China".
GAAAAAH!
The one I got from Arlington Democrats before the ballot came (funny, I was pretty sure I chose "independent" as my affiliation when I registered to vote. Huh) was just as bad, if not worse: Taiwan, PR China.
PR China! For effing eff's god-forsaking goodness gosh-diddly-arned I-wanna-swear-so-bad sake! Never have the letters "W", "T" and "F" been so appropriate.
Again, GAAAH!
It happened awhile back, but coming across the envelope again, I'm still annoyed...and I'm not even Taiwanese!
I checked my boyfriend's ballot envelope from Maine, and they just addressed it as "Taiwan". I'm waiting to hear on the address noted for my friend registered in New York, and wondering what other states use the offensive designation of "China" in their election mail.
I realize that there's some "standard" list out there that has Taiwan down as "Province of China" - that's something I dealt with on my favorite message board, as well (they changed it; they hadn't noticed it and when they did it was also offensive to them). That doesn't mean it's right, doesn't mean it's fair, and really does not mean it's OK.
I'll have to write to Virginia and Arlington Democrats (may as well stay on their mailing list, I'm "independent" but pretty much never vote Republican 'cause I'm far too socially liberal and all the socially liberal Republicans seem to be in Maine) after the election, when they have time on their hands and at least register a complaint.
Might not change anything. Probably won't. But I have to try.
If anyone cares to leave a comment letting me know what their state designates for Taiwan on absentee voter mail, I'd love to hear it. If I can find that many states do not use the ire-inducing "Province of China" moniker, it will build a stronger case.
The envelope the ballot came in was addressed to me in "Taipei, Taiwan, Province of China".
GAAAAAH!
The one I got from Arlington Democrats before the ballot came (funny, I was pretty sure I chose "independent" as my affiliation when I registered to vote. Huh) was just as bad, if not worse: Taiwan, PR China.
PR China! For effing eff's god-forsaking goodness gosh-diddly-arned I-wanna-swear-so-bad sake! Never have the letters "W", "T" and "F" been so appropriate.
Again, GAAAH!
It happened awhile back, but coming across the envelope again, I'm still annoyed...and I'm not even Taiwanese!
I checked my boyfriend's ballot envelope from Maine, and they just addressed it as "Taiwan". I'm waiting to hear on the address noted for my friend registered in New York, and wondering what other states use the offensive designation of "China" in their election mail.
I realize that there's some "standard" list out there that has Taiwan down as "Province of China" - that's something I dealt with on my favorite message board, as well (they changed it; they hadn't noticed it and when they did it was also offensive to them). That doesn't mean it's right, doesn't mean it's fair, and really does not mean it's OK.
I'll have to write to Virginia and Arlington Democrats (may as well stay on their mailing list, I'm "independent" but pretty much never vote Republican 'cause I'm far too socially liberal and all the socially liberal Republicans seem to be in Maine) after the election, when they have time on their hands and at least register a complaint.
Might not change anything. Probably won't. But I have to try.
If anyone cares to leave a comment letting me know what their state designates for Taiwan on absentee voter mail, I'd love to hear it. If I can find that many states do not use the ire-inducing "Province of China" moniker, it will build a stronger case.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
The Camotes
Obligatory Beautiful Sunset, Mangodlong, Camotes
As I mentioned a few entries ago, Brendan and I spent Double Ten weekend back in the Philippines. I haven't posted about it because I have been too lazy to upload my photos until now. We went to the Camotes, which is relevant to Taiwan in approximately zero ways......well, maybe one.
Many people who find themselves based in Taiwan are interested in visiting neighboring countries such as China, Japan and - yes - the Philippines. Writing about our time there is a bit of information that can help people get a feel for the place if they haven't been to Southeast Asia before. What I love about the place, though, is that it's totally unlike the rest of SE Asia. It's been influenced more by Western colonialism (English is an effortless second language for most Filipinos and the country is overwhelmingly Christian) and Oceanic cultural norms than the rest of the SE Asian subcontinent.
Oh, and the beaches are better.
I'll write more about the trip later; we have to get up early tomorrow and I have to go to bed soon. But here are some photos:
Danao (Cebu Island) Coral Stone Church
Sunset on Pacijan Island
Sunset on Pacijan Island
Little Girl Who Laughed - Then Cried (Danao)
Adorable Kid on a Banca (motorized passenger boat)
Mangodlong Rock Resort - Pacijan Island
Kids and a Bike, Danao
Kids Behind a Fence, Tulag Island
Grandmother, Tulag Island
Tulag Island Village
More Tulag Island
Green Lake Flowers
Green Lake Tree
Green Lake Flowers
Green Lake Tree
Altavista View, Poro Island
Two Boaters, Mangodlong, Pacijan Island
(This isn't a very good photo from a technical point of view, but I am drawn to it. I don't know why I like it so much.)
(This isn't a very good photo from a technical point of view, but I am drawn to it. I don't know why I like it so much.)
Things You Never Knew Until You Looked
We decided to spend the day - sun! Finally! - lolling about Dihua Street and looking at the puppetry (bu dai xi) museum one block over (coming from Nanjing E. Road, turn left at Xiahai temple on Dihua and it's at the end of the lane on the right).
Afterwards we got shaved ice at the old-skool place under the old Dihua market facade; the famous one with only three flavors of ice - red bean, green bean and almond - and coffee around the corner. That's when I noticed that the ugly newer building behind the old market facade had businesses in it! I'd assumed it was closed because the only other time I looked, it seemed abandoned.
The only market I knew about was the fairly small one that doesn't seem to be connected to this one, also with lots of fabric vendors, but including fruit, meat and religious item stores as well.
It's not abandoned - the inside is a massive fabric, clothing making, alterations and clothing accessory/bead/feather/ribbon/string market. You can buy any cloth imaginable - from silver tutu fluff to elaborate Chinese silk to fake black fur with white fur hearts on it to old-fashioned floral-print cottons. You can get the cloth made into almost anything, or get old clothes altered or repaired.
And to think - I used to believe that the best way to shop for fabric at Dihua Street (well-known among locals and in guidebooks as a mecca for cloth) was to go into each separate store and vet their inventory!
Afterwards we got shaved ice at the old-skool place under the old Dihua market facade; the famous one with only three flavors of ice - red bean, green bean and almond - and coffee around the corner. That's when I noticed that the ugly newer building behind the old market facade had businesses in it! I'd assumed it was closed because the only other time I looked, it seemed abandoned.
The only market I knew about was the fairly small one that doesn't seem to be connected to this one, also with lots of fabric vendors, but including fruit, meat and religious item stores as well.
It's not abandoned - the inside is a massive fabric, clothing making, alterations and clothing accessory/bead/feather/ribbon/string market. You can buy any cloth imaginable - from silver tutu fluff to elaborate Chinese silk to fake black fur with white fur hearts on it to old-fashioned floral-print cottons. You can get the cloth made into almost anything, or get old clothes altered or repaired.
And to think - I used to believe that the best way to shop for fabric at Dihua Street (well-known among locals and in guidebooks as a mecca for cloth) was to go into each separate store and vet their inventory!
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