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Publication of the <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Center</strong><br />
<strong>Center</strong>ed<br />
on TAIPEI<br />
April 2010, Volume 10, Issue 7<br />
cover story<br />
The Temple of the Love God<br />
Foot Massage<br />
a syMphony oF place @ the red rooM<br />
not Just living happily ever aFter…<br />
calcutta indian Food<br />
as you like it-taipei players<br />
happy Birthday, earth day!<br />
Wine Bling on a Budget<br />
teens unplugged 2<br />
2010 ecct-icrt int’l charity golF cup
CONTENTs April 10 volume 10 issue 7<br />
8<br />
14<br />
10<br />
5 LETTEr FrOM THE EDITOr<br />
6 NATIONAL CONCErT HALL AND THEATEr<br />
AprIL 2010<br />
rICHArD rECOMMENDs<br />
7 CuLTurAL COrNEr<br />
Foot Massage<br />
8 ArOuND TAIpEI<br />
A Symphony of plAce @ The red room<br />
10 COMMuNITy EvENTs: TAs<br />
11 COMMuNITy EvENTs: TEs<br />
12 OuTLOOk<br />
noT JuST living hAppily ever AfTer…<br />
14 CAsuAL DININg<br />
cAlcuTTA indiAn food<br />
15 CHINEsE kITCHEN<br />
LIFEsTyLE<br />
prAcTice<br />
16 TrADITIONAL ArTs<br />
The Temple of The love god<br />
18 ENTErTAINMENT<br />
AS you like iT-TAipei plAyerS<br />
20 ENvIrONMENT<br />
hAppy BirThdAy, eArTh dAy!<br />
21 rEMINIsCINg<br />
22 TAIpEI uNCOrkED<br />
Wine Bling on A BudgeT<br />
23 gALLEry AprIL<br />
24 kINDEr<br />
ping’S AdvenTure in TAiWAn pArT iii<br />
25 TEENs uNpLuggED 2<br />
26 gENErATION y<br />
loSS of creATiviTy<br />
285<br />
28 spOrTs<br />
2010 eccT-icrT inT’l chAriTy golf cup<br />
29 CHArITy<br />
orphAnAge cluB<br />
congo BAll<br />
30 CENTEr COursEs AprIL 2010<br />
32 WOrsHIp DIrECTOry<br />
WOrD FrOM THE DIrECTOr<br />
16<br />
33 COMMuNITy grOups<br />
34 DIrk's TAIWAN 16<br />
18<br />
Cover Image:<br />
SuSIe Brand<br />
Apr 2010<br />
3
4 apr 2010
Letter From the eDitor<br />
publisher:<br />
managing editor:<br />
editor:<br />
Co-editor:<br />
Graphic Design:<br />
Writing and photography<br />
Contributors:<br />
Advertising manager: Paula Lee<br />
tel: 0926 956 844<br />
Fax: 2835 2530<br />
email: paulalee@community.com.tw<br />
<strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong><br />
<strong>Center</strong> editorial panel: Siew Kang, Fred Voigtmann<br />
printed by:<br />
<strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Center</strong>, Taipei<br />
Steven Parker<br />
Roma Mehta<br />
Richard Saunders<br />
Katia Chen<br />
Leat Ahrony<br />
Diane Baker<br />
Susie Brand<br />
Nicole Chu<br />
Dirk Diestel<br />
Ivy Chen<br />
E. M. Chien<br />
H2 Students TES<br />
Amanda Gregan<br />
Farn Mei Printing Co., Ltd.<br />
1F, No. 102, Hou Kang Street, Shilin District, Taipei<br />
Tel: 02 2882 6748 Fax: 02 2882 6749<br />
E-mail: farn.mei@msa.hinet.net<br />
<strong>Community</strong> ServiCeS <strong>Center</strong><br />
www.community.com.tw<br />
Director: Steven Parker<br />
office manager: Grace Ting<br />
Counselors:<br />
Suzan Babcock, Kris Carlson, Fawn Chang, Janice<br />
Englehart, Cerita Hsu, Perry Malcolm, Tina Oelke, Eva<br />
Salazar-Liu, Ming-I Sun, Cindy Teeters, Jay Wilson<br />
newcomer orientation program: Amy Liu<br />
Accountant: Monica Cheng<br />
taipei Living editor: Kath Liu<br />
program and events: : Robin Looney, Rosemary Susa<br />
Chinese teacher: Gloria Gwo<br />
volunteers:<br />
premier Sponsors:<br />
Alex Houghton<br />
Cerita Hsu<br />
Joseph King<br />
Prashantha Lachanna<br />
Amy Liu<br />
Kristen Lowman<br />
Juan Carlos Madrigal<br />
Perry Malcolm<br />
Emily McMurrin<br />
Alison Bai, Jennifer Coye, Neev Exley, Prerna Gurnani,<br />
Grace Hosken, Kath Liu, Bunny Pacheco, Gloria<br />
Peng, Jenni Rosen, Desta Selassie, Ana Stranscak,<br />
Sandy Tsai, Lillian Yiin<br />
3M Taiwan<br />
ANZCham<br />
B & Q International<br />
Bai Win Antiques<br />
BP Taiwan<br />
Breitling<br />
China American Petrochemical Co. Ltd.<br />
Concordia Consulting<br />
Costco<br />
Crown Worldwide Movers Ltd<br />
ECCT<br />
Four Star International Trading<br />
Grand Hyatt Hotel, Taipei<br />
HSBC<br />
ICRT<br />
Metacity Development Corp.<br />
Nan Shan Life Insurance Co. Ltd<br />
Nike Golf<br />
Nokia<br />
ProQC Studio International<br />
Siemens<br />
Standard Chartered Bank, Taipei<br />
William Mooney<br />
Mouse<br />
Mark L. Peterson<br />
Mauro Sacchi<br />
Richard Saunders<br />
Hanscom Smith<br />
TAS Orphanage Club<br />
Keli Yen<br />
the <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Center</strong> (CSC) is a non-profit foundation. CSC provides outreach and<br />
early intervention through counseling, cross-cultural education and life skills programs to meet<br />
the needs of the international community in taipei. CSC offers the opportunity to learn, volunteer,<br />
teach and meet others. Check out our website www.community.com.tw and drop by the <strong>Center</strong> to<br />
chat with us about our programs. you can also email us at csc@community.com.tw.<br />
Roma Mehta<br />
Editor<br />
Richard Saunders<br />
Co-editor<br />
Paula Lee<br />
Advertising Manager<br />
Katia Chen<br />
Designer<br />
"Keep your faith in all beautiful things; in the sun when it<br />
is hidden, in the Spring when it is gone."<br />
— Roy R. Gilson<br />
Wise words. April is that funny month when weather<br />
patterns are a perpetual surprise, and not always happy<br />
ones. In the spirit of Earth Day, we would like to remind<br />
our viewers to walk gently on this earth we call home.<br />
April offers a pick of some fabulous events that are going<br />
to be hard to choose from:<br />
For sports fans, the 2010 ECCT-ICRT Int’l Charity Golf<br />
Cup on April 17 is a not-to-be-missed event for family,<br />
friends and colleagues, so sign up early! Later that day,<br />
enjoy a wonderful evening of ‘back to the rat pack’, at the<br />
American Club Taipei. Both events support The <strong>Center</strong> and<br />
you are sure to find many familiar faces.<br />
As part of the global call to raise awareness around<br />
World Water Day, Aveda Taipei will be organising a ‘Walk<br />
for Water, Taipei’ on April 17, 2010, (contact mavisy@<br />
canmeng.com.tw for more information) and that same<br />
evening, also sponsored by Aveda, for all lovers of word<br />
and sound, an evening of Stage Time and Wine VI @ the<br />
Red Room.<br />
Teens Unplugged 2 is back by popular demand on April<br />
18, at the TES campus on Wen Lin Road. An informal<br />
and informative gathering of graduating seniors and peer<br />
leaders who are recent alumni from international schools, it<br />
promises to be a fun day for all.<br />
If you love comedy theater, don’t miss the Taipei<br />
Players, Taipei’s only English Theater group. They will be<br />
performing An Evening of Shorts 3, April 10 and 11.<br />
The <strong>Center</strong> offers a great line-up of courses to choose<br />
from each month. Our Wednesday coffee mornings are<br />
open for newcomers and old-timers alike. Drop by and<br />
say hello over a cup of coffee or browse the Gallery. If you<br />
would like to contribute to the magazine, whether with<br />
your creative writing or photography, please<br />
write to me (coteditor@community.com.tw).<br />
We welcome your news and views.<br />
<strong>Center</strong>ed on Taipei is a publication of the <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Center</strong>,<br />
25, Lane 290, ZhongShan N. Rd., Sec. 6, Tianmu, Taipei, Taiwan<br />
Tel: 2836 8134, fax: 2835 2530, e-mail: coteditor@community.com.tw<br />
Correspondence may be sent to the editor at coteditor@community.com.tw. Freelance<br />
writers, photographers and illustrators are welcome to contact the editor to discuss editorial<br />
and graphic assignments. Your talent will find a home with us!<br />
Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Material in this publication may not be reproduced<br />
without the written consent of the copyright owner.<br />
<strong>Center</strong>ed on Taipei is printed on 50% post consumer waste content stock. We have also<br />
replaced the glossy laminated cover with a softer aqueous based resin coating which makes<br />
it easier to recycle. By committing to post consumer paper stock we support the market for<br />
recycled fibers and reduce environmental impact.<br />
Recycling paper uses 60% less energy than manufacturing paper from virgin fiber.<br />
"Every ton of recycled paper saves enough electricity to power a 3 bedroom house for an entire<br />
year." (http://www.greenseal.org/index.cfm)<br />
Apr 2010<br />
5
RICHARD<br />
xReCommenDs<br />
RichaRd SaundeRS<br />
national concert hall & Theater<br />
aPrIL 2010<br />
Aside from mega star-power provided by violinist Anne-<br />
Sofie Mutter and by Yo Yo Ma (continuing his easygoing<br />
cross-over experiments with the Silk Road Ensemble),<br />
this month’s offerings at the National Concert Hall are<br />
dominated by a pair of programs devoted to the lighter and<br />
(very) dark sides of Soviet Russia’s greatest composer, as several<br />
of Shostakovich’s greatest works get an uncommon airing in<br />
Taiwan. April 18th is the day to hear the composer’s stunning<br />
Tenth Symphony, an hour-long journey into some very dark<br />
places. This masterpiece kicks off with a heartrending lament<br />
from dark-toned strings, before gradually transforming into a<br />
highly-strung, limping waltz, tension slowly mounting into the<br />
epic tragedy and terror of the first movement’s central section.<br />
After twenty-five emotionally charged minutes the first movement<br />
closes with a pair of chilly piccolos wandering, shell-shocked,<br />
through a sonic wasteland - and then the shattering violence<br />
of the second movement hits without warning. Sure, the Tenth<br />
is heavy stuff, but essential listening for any serious classical<br />
music fan (it’s perhaps the greatest of the composer’s fifteen<br />
symphonies, and one of the orchestral crown jewels of the last<br />
century). Even if the enormous catharsis offered by this trip into<br />
the terrifying reality of life in Soviet Russia under Stalin fails to<br />
appeal, the thrilling orchestral virtuosity demanded by the score is<br />
bound to thrill.<br />
The same concert also includes another (much lighter)<br />
Twentieth Century classic, Ravel’s exquisite Mother Goose Suite,<br />
originally written for a friend’s two daughters (aged just 6 and<br />
7; they must have been very talented young girls!). Ravel later<br />
orchestrated the five pieces, and then turned the suite into a<br />
fantastic ballet lasting twice as long as the original suite. Sad<br />
to say it’s only the orchestral suite that’s being performed in this<br />
concert, but for all its brevity, it’s a charmer. Rounding out the<br />
concert is a work by the NSO’s new resident composer, Susan<br />
Botti. She’s a new name to me, and I’ve never heard any of her<br />
music, but it sounds well worth getting to know. Says a reviewer<br />
in the New York Times: “…it is a rare pleasure these days to<br />
encounter a young composer grappling with real emotional and<br />
psychological issues in fresh and modern terms...".<br />
If Shostakovich Ten seems a little too heavy, try another,<br />
lighter concert of his music airing this month: a program being<br />
played on April 16th dedicated completely to the music of<br />
the master. Under the unusually succinct and rather clever<br />
title ‘Shostakovich’ (the question mark is well chosen), the<br />
program combines the First Violin Concerto (a deeply serious<br />
but extraordinarily beautiful masterpiece) with the composer’s<br />
ebullient Festival Overture (a breathless virtuoso showpiece) and<br />
the rather bizarre Jazz Suites One and Two. Strangest of all<br />
though is the infamous Tahiti Trot (better known to listeners of a<br />
certain age as ‘Tea for Two’). Shostakovich’s orchestration of this<br />
irritating little ditty (in 1927) owes its existence to a challenge from<br />
the great Soviet conductor Nikolai Malko, who bet Shostakovich<br />
a hundred roubles that he couldn’t re-orchestrate the piece<br />
(which he’d just heard for the first time in a recording) from<br />
memory in under an hour. Shostakovich of course accepted the<br />
bet and won – finishing the score in just 45 minutes.<br />
NATIONAL CONCERT HALL<br />
The Classical Clown<br />
Classics for kids<br />
april 2-3<br />
Family Concert<br />
More classics for younger kids,<br />
featuring choral songs from<br />
around the world<br />
april 3<br />
Anne-Sofie Mutter<br />
The world-famous German<br />
violinist performs works by<br />
Brahms and Dvorak<br />
april 9, 14 RR<br />
Shostakovich!<br />
Works exploring the lighter (and<br />
more serious) side of the great<br />
Soviet composer<br />
april 16 RR<br />
Pascal Roge Piano Recital<br />
The great French pianist is back,<br />
playing Faure, Poulenc and<br />
Chopin<br />
april 17 RR<br />
Symphony of Light<br />
Works by Ravel, Shostakovich<br />
and the TSO’s resident composer,<br />
Susan Botti<br />
april 18 rr<br />
Silk Road Ensemble and Yo Yo<br />
Ma<br />
april 22<br />
Sound of Formosa<br />
World premiers of works by local<br />
composers<br />
april 24<br />
H.C. Wille Piano Recital<br />
Music by Ravel, Chopin, Scarlatti<br />
and Beethoven<br />
april 30<br />
RICHARd RECOMMENdS: RR<br />
For full details, please log on to the Culture Express website at<br />
http://express.culture.gov.tw or take a copy of the monthly program<br />
from CKS Cultural <strong>Center</strong>, available from MrT stations, bookshops and<br />
ticketing offices.<br />
Publication of the National Theater and Concert Hall schedule in<br />
<strong>Center</strong>ed on Taipei is sponsored by Cathay Life Insurance.<br />
TICKETING OFFICES: • NTCH: (02) 2343 1647<br />
• ERA: (02) 2709 3788<br />
6<br />
aPr 2010
Amy's<br />
ultural<br />
Corner<br />
台<br />
灣<br />
Foot Massage<br />
reflexology, relaxation and pampering<br />
"What are they doing"<br />
"Interesting! Does it really work"<br />
"Does it hurt Does it really make you relax And does it also cure ailments”<br />
It looks painful and indeed many foreigners shared<br />
that they find their first foot massage experience to<br />
be very uncomfortable, but that when it's over they<br />
actually feel great.<br />
Foot massage can be traced back thousands of years to<br />
ancient China, when Chinese people used foot massages to<br />
treat ailments and to stay healthy. Human feet are believed<br />
to be closely connected to the body's vital organs. Foot<br />
massage stimulates the acupressure points and reflex areas<br />
in the foot to increase blood circulation and metabolism and<br />
boost the immune system. It can also improve health.<br />
Some thirty years ago, if you mentioned massage, others<br />
would think you either meant to visit a 'barbershop'<br />
or wanted to have a treatment given by a visually<br />
impaired massage therapist. 'Barbershop' massages are<br />
stereotypically associated with sexual services. These<br />
shops (not actually barbershops at all, appearing to look<br />
like a barbershop only from the outside) are recognizable<br />
by their bright neon lights outside and darkened windows.<br />
On the other hand, legitimate blind massage services were<br />
commonly provided in hotel rooms or private homes. Blind<br />
therapists either work independently on call, or in their own<br />
shabby, rather dirty-looking premises. I remember seeing<br />
blind therapists hopping on the back of a motorcycle to visit<br />
a customer, and seeing them treat my father at home. Blind<br />
people are known to have a more sensitive sense of touch<br />
and can detect a client's problem areas more efficiently than<br />
most sighted people.<br />
For different reasons the circumstances surrounding both<br />
types of massage meant most people (particularly women)<br />
avoided them; hence in the past most massage services were<br />
used by middle-aged or older men.<br />
Today massage centers are often designed with a Zen<br />
interior, wooden furniture, plasma TV, the calming sound<br />
of flowing water, soothing scents of essential oils, green<br />
plants and bright natural lighting from big windows. They<br />
are now certainly attracting new customers, particularly<br />
the groups of young women who in the past would not<br />
even imagine passing close to a massage parlor. Massage in<br />
Taiwan thus has successfully transformed into an industry<br />
where presently people associate it with therapeutic<br />
treatment and relaxation.<br />
In Taiwan foot massage was 'rediscovered' a few decades<br />
ago by a priest from Switzerland, Father Josef Eugster,<br />
known in Taiwan as 'Father Wu' ( 吳 神 父 ). Foot massage<br />
was simply a self-help therapy some 23 years ago for<br />
Father Wu. He then began promoting the practice and<br />
systematically developed the massage method known as foot<br />
reflexology, which is believed to promote blood flow and<br />
good health.<br />
Now countless foot massage parlors bear the name of<br />
'Father Wu', yet he recently clarified to the public that he<br />
has never authorized anyone to use his name as a trademark.<br />
So what does a foot massage session involve Most foot<br />
massage treatments in Taiwan start with a hot footbath in<br />
Chinese herbal water (the design of these hot water tubs<br />
is often unique and interesting). Generally you also get a<br />
five-minute shoulder and neck rub before beginning the<br />
foot massage session. Massage therapists use their hands,<br />
and sometimes a short wooden massage stick and some<br />
cream to rub, press and push mainly on customers' feet,<br />
while some may work on the calves and up to the knees.<br />
While in session, foot therapists often chat and share that<br />
a healthy person will not feel pain, while a painful spot<br />
reflects a disorder in the associated organ, and that the sore<br />
spots disappear when the ailment is healed. I always seem<br />
to feel that not one organ in my body is healthy at the end<br />
of the session. Nonetheless I do feel relaxed and energized<br />
afterwards. The session is completed with a thorough<br />
cleanse of hot towels to remove traces of cream on the foot<br />
and legs, leaving your feet very warm and relaxed.<br />
In Taiwan, foot massage has been well received and is a<br />
leisure activity appreciated by the locals, while also becoming<br />
popular among international tourists and expatriates living<br />
in Taiwan. The largest concentration of foot massage<br />
businesses can be found by walking along Taipei's Minquan<br />
East Road or Linsen North Road, around tourist spots such<br />
as Danshui, or at night-markets. Night-markets offer the<br />
cheapest rate at about NT$400 for a half-hour massage.<br />
Currently, the price for a foot massage elsewhere is between<br />
NT$500 and NT$700 for thirty minutes. However, since<br />
there is no regulation, the service can vary.<br />
Most foot massage shops in Taiwan are cozy, clean and<br />
peaceful. Unbelievably some of them are open 24 hours<br />
a day and offer various services including (apart from the<br />
standard foot massage) shoulder, neck, head, or wholebody<br />
massage. For someone who is new to the experience,<br />
Taiwanese-style foot massage can be quite forceful and may<br />
be painful. Don't be shy to ask your masseur to relax and<br />
massage more gently. I assure you that you will get used to<br />
this form of relaxing reflexology and want to go back for<br />
more. It surely is good for your health!<br />
Apr 10<br />
7
around taipei<br />
A Symphony of Plac<br />
text: diane baker<br />
images: Joseph king and alex houghton<br />
The color red can be polarizing. In<br />
traditional Chinese culture it is the<br />
color of happiness, of celebration:<br />
‘lucky’ red envelopes, red wedding<br />
outfits, the red of firecrackers. It is also<br />
the color of politics – everything from Mao<br />
Zedong’s ‘Little Red Book’ and ‘the East is<br />
Red’ motto to the red-shirt clad protesters<br />
marching against former president Chen Shuibian<br />
here in Taipei.<br />
The Red Room, however, is a space that<br />
conveys warmth, comfort and excitement; at<br />
least that’s what Ayesha Mehta hopes.<br />
Taipei-raised Ayesha is the impetus behind<br />
Stage Time and Wine @ The Red Room,<br />
a series of informal evenings begun last<br />
November to allow people to share something<br />
that inspires them, from words to music to<br />
elaborate gestures of expressive intent; and<br />
most importantly, a space in which to practice<br />
deep listening. In a telephone interview,<br />
Ayesha explained that she had been looking<br />
for something to do, someplace<br />
to go, after moving back to<br />
Taipei in April 2009 following<br />
six years in Sydney, Australia.<br />
Ayesha was inspired by The<br />
Listening Book: Discovering Your Own Music by W.A.<br />
Mathieu, a poetry night she had experienced in Australia<br />
at “Bardflys,” (spoken-word evenings at pubs, organized<br />
by Tug Dumbly, a performance poet) and the living room<br />
of 154 Devonshire Street, one of her homes in Sydney.<br />
Anybody (and nearly everybody did!) found their way to<br />
154 with open hearts and open minds, listened to each other,<br />
shared, performed, created, read aloud.<br />
Finding these kinds of events, these kinds of spaces was a<br />
struggle in any city in the world, let alone Taipei, she said.<br />
In keeping with what must be the Mehta family motto –<br />
“if you can’t find it, create it” – Ayesha decided that if she<br />
wanted to share aloud in Taipei, she was going to have to<br />
organize the space for it. Finding the right space for such an<br />
“We encourage reading poems in<br />
whatever language you choose.”<br />
event was crucial, and for six months appeared difficult.<br />
Then she met Ping Chu, the entrepreneur behind the Aveda<br />
franchise in Taiwan and Taipei’s Nonzero Restaurant (he was<br />
pro<strong>file</strong>d in the May 2009 edition of <strong>Center</strong>ed on Taipei),<br />
when they were both volunteering in Taitung in the wake of<br />
Typhoon Morokot last August. They became fast friends<br />
and eventually Ayesha told Ping about her Red Room dream.<br />
He became an enthusiastic supporter and cheerleader,<br />
having attended some poetry reading nights years ago in<br />
Minneapolis, Minnesota and one in Hong Kong.<br />
In an email interview, Ping Chu described the instant<br />
connection he felt with Ayesha.<br />
“I just felt that this special soul is my alter ego. Of course, I<br />
have always wanted to do a poetry reading party even though I<br />
am not a poet or good with words,” he wrote.<br />
As fate would have it, Ping, through his company<br />
Canmeng Aveda, could offer just the kind of space Ayesha<br />
was looking for.<br />
Very quickly, the first Stage Time and Wine @ The Red<br />
Room was put together. Ayesha pulled together friends as<br />
volunteers, including help from mother Roma (editor of<br />
<strong>Center</strong>ed on Taipei and co-owner of Sir Speedy, Tianmu)<br />
and brother Manav, sent out<br />
invitations by email and began<br />
designing the space with help<br />
from staff at Canmeng Aveda<br />
and Non-Zero restaurant.<br />
People who wanted to read or sing were told to bring<br />
something they had written or something they liked and<br />
wanted to share. A sign-up sheet and guestbook were set<br />
out at the door and everyone would have the chance to read<br />
at least once during the four-hour event. Musicians were<br />
encouraged to bring their instruments to perform and share<br />
at any point during the night.<br />
Ayesha said that Stage Time and Wine @ The Red Room<br />
is open to whatever people want to do, but the key was that<br />
people have to come willing to listen - really listen.<br />
“There’s a W. A. Mathieu quote from The Listening<br />
Book – my Bible of the moment – in which he explains this<br />
concept of deep listening as a key to engaging in creation,<br />
acknowledging hearing beyond the surface level,” she said.<br />
8<br />
apr 2010
e @ The Red Room<br />
Stage Time & Wine @ The red room<br />
takes place on the 3rd Saturday of each month.<br />
For more information on Stage Time and Wine @ The red room<br />
events, contact red.room.taipei@gmail.com<br />
Asked where the Red Room name came from, Mehta<br />
laughed and said it was a long story.<br />
"It's just a name for the space," she said, giving Manav credit<br />
for coming up with “Stage Time and Wine @ The Red Room.”<br />
November’s Stage Time and Wine @ The Red Room, which<br />
drew about seventy people, was indeed a launch for the event,<br />
Ayesha said, mostly because no one really knew what to expect.<br />
But the succeeding evenings have had that living room<br />
ambience, of friends sitting together and sharing openly,<br />
without fear of judgement or imposed expectations of<br />
performance. New friendships are being formed and<br />
people are connecting through a space that affords them an<br />
opportunity to push themselves beyond<br />
their comfort zones.<br />
“ We ’ r e n o t p u t t i n g a c a p o r<br />
expectation on the evening... just aiming for listening, sharing<br />
and trying to keep the space open,” she said, adding that they<br />
were trying to avoid a specific ‘vibe.’<br />
Both Ayesha and Ping say they want the evenings to be<br />
accessible to everyone, whatever language[s] they speak.<br />
“We encourage reading poems in whatever language you<br />
choose. After all, it is for lovers of word and sound, not<br />
limited to nationality. It is a multi-language event. We had<br />
English, Chinese, Taiwanese, French, Italian poems read so<br />
far,” Ping wrote.<br />
He also wants to get more young Taiwanese to attend,<br />
both to expose them to other cultures and to inspire them to<br />
improve their English.<br />
“My goal is to have at least thirty-percent of people<br />
attending this event to be locals. I started to invite my young<br />
friends to the event now. It’s a window for local youth to<br />
peek into a multinational community,” Ping wrote.<br />
The idea was to keep the evenings low-budget – at NT$200,<br />
admission is less than one might spend for a couple of hours at<br />
a coffee shop or a drink or two at a bar. Asking participants<br />
to contribute a bottle of wine or other beverages to the open<br />
bar (and bring their own cup or glass) as well as a vegetable<br />
or something for the communal stewpot, ensures the limited<br />
budget would stretch no matter how many people show up.<br />
As an entrepreneur, Ping feels that it is crucial for The Red<br />
Room be self-sustaining.<br />
“You create the night...”<br />
“I am a businessmaker first. This is why I insist on a door<br />
fee for The Red Room. Sustainability requires an ecosystem.<br />
We are all in this ecosystem. I think The Red Room will<br />
evolve on her own term[s] over time. At this moment, it is<br />
a private underground party to celebrate intimacy and deep<br />
listening. I would like it to become a Mecca for all creative<br />
people to mingle and network. It is one of the reasons<br />
to create The Red Room. We can become each other’s<br />
Daymaker and Ripplemaker,” he wrote.<br />
Ayesha and Ping say they look forward to seeing The Red<br />
Room evolve organically.<br />
“Ayesha, Roma and Manav all agree that we should<br />
continue it as a grass[roots] movement<br />
that promotes intimacy and sharing.<br />
This is why we set up a committee for<br />
this event … It is our party, not Ayesha’s or mine. It is created<br />
by all lovers of sound and word. We are just a medium or a<br />
vehicle to serve,” Ping wrote, listing about a dozen volunteers<br />
whose help has been crucial in getting events going.<br />
Ping said he felt blessed to have been involved with The<br />
Red Room, because it reflects both his personal and Canmeg<br />
Aveda’s corporate belief that people need to get involved in<br />
their societies to make the world a better place.<br />
“I want to thank Ayesha to allow me to join her to<br />
co-found this dream,” he wrote. “I am honored to launch<br />
this movement that celebrates amateurism. To me, the future<br />
belongs to amateurism. All significant inventions are from<br />
the peripheral. The modern and active amateurs are the new<br />
phenomena in the 21st century. I think The Red Room is on<br />
the right track.”<br />
“You create the night ... what you need and what you<br />
want,” Ayesha said, adding, “Everyone who joins the night<br />
puts in, whether it be simply listening or watching others or<br />
sharing, exactly what they wish the night to be, filling an<br />
individual and communal purpose.<br />
We are all joining to write our own Symphony of Place,<br />
a piece of our own, a quiet observance of sounds, intention<br />
and existence together.”<br />
Diane Baker is a journalist and a long-time resident of<br />
Taipei.<br />
Apr 2010<br />
9
<strong>Community</strong><br />
TAS Annual Flea Market<br />
text: Kristen Lowman<br />
images: taipei american schooL<br />
On Friday, February 5th,<br />
Taipei American School<br />
grade 4 held its annual<br />
F l e a M a r k e t . F o r 2 1<br />
years, the TAS fourth grade has raised<br />
money for less fortunate children<br />
and adults through their community<br />
service project. This year, the grade<br />
four students raised the most money<br />
in the history of the Flea Market:<br />
NT$110,000. Donations are crucial<br />
to the success of this project every<br />
year; TAS community members gave<br />
toys, games, puzzles, books, and<br />
household items to the students to sell.<br />
A lot of work goes into preparing for<br />
the event. TAS teacher Suzanne Fox<br />
commented, “The fourth grade students<br />
made and hung promotional signs,<br />
organized donations as they came into<br />
the classroom, sorted and priced goods<br />
to sell, helped the younger students<br />
shop, and worked as<br />
salespeople on the big<br />
day.”<br />
This year the grade<br />
4 classes gave all of the<br />
money raised to St. Anne’s Home,<br />
which cares for mentally handicapped<br />
children and adults. This organization<br />
will use the money to supply resources<br />
and services to the residents. In<br />
addition, everyone will receive a red<br />
envelope of pocket money at Chinese<br />
New Year. After visiting St. Anne’s<br />
Home to make their donation and meet<br />
the children there, the TAS 4th graders<br />
left with an understanding of why it is<br />
so important to donate money to those<br />
who need extra support. Reflecting<br />
on the students’ generosity, TAS Lower<br />
School Principal Dr Catriona Moran<br />
said, “When our students work to help<br />
others, they understand what it really<br />
m e a n s t o s h o w<br />
respect and kindness. The children<br />
in our school are very fortunate and<br />
we want to help them develop a strong<br />
sense of caring and service towards<br />
others.”<br />
Kristen Lowman works at<br />
Taipei American School as the<br />
Communications/Marketing Officer.<br />
She attended international schools as<br />
a child before graduating from Duke<br />
University and moving abroad again.<br />
She recently moved to Taipei from<br />
Shanghai with her husband, Andrew,<br />
and two children, Chloe and Kingston.<br />
10<br />
apr 2010
Compassion for People Living with HIV and AIDS<br />
Taipei European School Service Project 2010<br />
TexT: H2 STudenTS From TeS ImageS: TaIPeI euroPean SCHooL<br />
All students at Taipei European School have to<br />
make a contribution to a project which serves the<br />
community in some way, and this year 16-year-old<br />
students helped Harmony Home, an organization<br />
striving to support people with HIV/AIDS and also those<br />
who are affected by it. The idea of Harmony Home was<br />
first developed 23 years ago when Nicole Yang, its founder,<br />
began taking care of a good friend infected with HIV. After<br />
witnessing her friend being rejected by other friends and<br />
even his own family, she decided to open up her home to<br />
People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLHA for short) and<br />
provide them with a secure shelter. Nicole established<br />
Harmony Home with compassion as its main foundation,<br />
but she encouraged PLHA to assist, support and respect one<br />
another with the hope of reintegration into society.<br />
WArm ATmoSphere<br />
We were first introduced to the Harmony Home service<br />
project when Hana, a few other nannies and some of the<br />
children came to our school and gave a presentation about<br />
their organization, and that very week we began working<br />
on the project. Our aims were to help Harmony Home by<br />
raising money through several events, to raise awareness<br />
about this pressing issue and hopefully to change any<br />
lingering perceptions on HIV/AIDS in our community. All<br />
the students were assigned to one of five committees –<br />
media, action, fundraising, awareness and treasury. Being<br />
in the media committee, my group was the first to go<br />
down to Harmony Home and play with the children and<br />
nannies. The faces of the children lit up as we entered their<br />
playroom and we felt the warmth in the atmosphere. Many<br />
of the students felt this way after their visit. Before going<br />
to Harmony Home, the idea of HIV/AIDS only evoked<br />
sympathy, but after this first-hand experience I was able to<br />
understand their situation through empathy.<br />
mufTi dAy<br />
Apart from visiting Harmony Home, each committee<br />
continued work on their assigned tasks throughout the<br />
two months of the project. The fundraising and action<br />
committees kicked off this project by organizing a ‘Mufti<br />
Day’ in which younger students from Key Stage 3 didn’t<br />
have to wear school uniform. The members of these<br />
committees worked together to design an envelope, which<br />
not only displayed special moments in the children’s lives at<br />
Harmony Home, but was also utilized to collect donations<br />
from students. We wanted these envelopes to be like red<br />
envelopes for Harmony Home as Chinese New Year was<br />
near. Pasting each printed design onto these envelopes<br />
was not an easy task; seven to eight pairs of hands worked<br />
continuously through lunch times and after school, but it<br />
all paid off. After the envelopes were collected, the treasury<br />
committee sat down and counted the money. When they<br />
were done, bright smiles replaced concentrated and serious<br />
expressions. We had raised over NT$85,000. This was the<br />
first event held in the duration of our project and it gave us<br />
the encouragement to try even harder later on.<br />
feeling of AchievemenT<br />
Alongside the donations from Mufti Day, we also<br />
raised money by selling clothes (donated by students and<br />
parents) at Tianmu Square. At three o’clock on the 23rd of<br />
February, large crowds of people flooded into the market<br />
and within a few minutes people were digging through the<br />
piles of clothes. As the money increased and the height of<br />
the piles lessened, the feeling of achievement occupied our<br />
minds. Though the price of the second-hand clothing was<br />
not high, by eight o’clock the biscuit jar which held the<br />
money was filled. To get the best results, we even walked<br />
around the flea market with a decorated donation box,<br />
informing each person about our project and asking for a<br />
donation. Although most people only dropped in a few<br />
coins, by the end of the day it added up to quite a lot.<br />
The ShoeBox AppeAl<br />
The purpose of our project was not only to raise money,<br />
but to get items Harmony Home needed, such as warm<br />
clothing, milk formula and diapers. To achieve this, our<br />
year group came up with the Shoebox Appeal. For this<br />
event, we asked students to fill an empty shoebox with items<br />
on the Harmony Home wish list or with other things for the<br />
children, for example toys and stickers. Those boxes filled<br />
with toys would be given to the children and they got to<br />
keep the items inside. These small gifts may not be worth<br />
much to us, but to these children the toys were a sign of care<br />
and would be something they could keep for themselves,<br />
unlike everything else, which they have to share with dozens<br />
of others.<br />
I’m sure each person in our year group has a different<br />
memory from this project and learned a lot about tolerance,<br />
acceptance and of course, HIV/AIDS and its effects. Because<br />
we are the fortunate ones in our society, this project<br />
provided an opportunity for us to walk in another person’s<br />
shoes and experience a tougher life than the ones we have<br />
now. Our link with Harmony Home will not be broken<br />
after the project; we are going to continue supporting them<br />
by sending students to visit Harmony Home shelters, raising<br />
money and raising awareness in the community. Ultimately,<br />
we wish to make a difference to the lives of people around<br />
us and help those who, because of the circumstances in<br />
which they find themselves, are unable to help themselves<br />
without help from others.<br />
Apr 2010<br />
11
outlook<br />
Not just living<br />
happily ever after…<br />
TexT: CerITa HSu<br />
Many couples enter marriage with the fairytale<br />
dream of living ‘happily ever after.’ However,<br />
it does not take long for the newlyweds<br />
to realize that marriage is not as simple as<br />
reciting heartfelt vows. This all too common occurrence<br />
begs the question: What happened Isn’t love enough to<br />
sustain a happy marriage As these couples quickly learn,<br />
the existence of love does not preclude the existence of<br />
negative emotions in a relationship. While most couples<br />
shy away from admitting the occasional disagreeable<br />
feeling, experiencing a wide range of emotions is<br />
normal in human beings. Denying or repressing<br />
negative emotions can actually be more detrimental to<br />
relationships. For example, studies show that people<br />
who do not recognize and learn how to express anger in<br />
socially acceptable ways usually destroy themselves and<br />
others, whether physically or psychologically. Anger,<br />
resentment, and even hatred, are normal feelings in<br />
human relations. Sooner or later there will be times that<br />
the couple will feel these negative emotions toward each<br />
other. In order to have a successful relationship, both<br />
parties have to learn to recognize and deal with these<br />
feelings in a constructive manner.<br />
One of the more common negative emotions in any<br />
relationship is anger. In a healthy relationship where<br />
there is mutual love and understanding, anger is entitled<br />
to some expression along with love. After anger has been<br />
given verbal expression, the couple can sit down together<br />
and try to figure out a way of solving the problems that<br />
precipitated these feelings. Throughout this process,<br />
the partners must remember that they have the right to<br />
disagree with each other.<br />
Since fighting in any relationship is inevitable, it is<br />
important to know how to have a ‘good fight’ and how<br />
to turn conflict into productive communication. Here are<br />
some helpful tips:<br />
SofTen your STArTup<br />
To some degree, this comes down to having good<br />
manners. It means treating your partner with the same<br />
respect you give to others. A harsh startup usually<br />
makes people feel defensive immediately, as if they need<br />
to pick up their swords and armor to fight; this can lead<br />
to constant bickering and conflict. Sometimes people<br />
may have the opposite reaction — withdrawal and<br />
stonewalling. When one partner chooses to disengage<br />
all of the time to avoid fighting, this will gradually<br />
increase emotional distance and loneliness, which lets the<br />
relationship wither.<br />
A soft startup is complaint without blame. It is<br />
possible to express your anger or disagreement without<br />
attacking or criticizing your partner. Try expressing your<br />
feelings instead of accusing or blaming your partner. For<br />
example, instead of “You always waste money,” say, “I<br />
want us to be more careful with money.” Instead of “You<br />
just don’t care about me,” say, “I feel neglected.”<br />
Describe what is happening, do not judge. Instead<br />
of “You never help out around the house,” say, “I seem<br />
to be the only one doing the chores today.” This will<br />
prevent your partner from feeling he or she is being<br />
accused. Be clear about your complaint. Do not expect<br />
your partner to be a mind reader. “I would appreciate<br />
if you could help me cleaning up the table” works better<br />
than “You left the dining room a total mess!”<br />
keeping cAlm<br />
If your heart rate exceeds 100 beats per minute, you<br />
will not be able to hear what your partner is trying to tell<br />
you no matter how hard both of you try. It is virtually<br />
impossible to have any productive communication when<br />
you are at an emotional peak. The only reasonable<br />
strategy is to let your partner know that you need to<br />
take a break. Make an agreement that both of you<br />
will step back for a moment when the conversation<br />
starts to get heated. Calm down for at least twenty<br />
minutes. It is crucial that during this time you avoid<br />
thoughts of righteous indignation (“I don’t have to take<br />
this anymore”) and innocent victimhood ( “Why is she<br />
always picking on me”) Instead, spend your time doing<br />
something soothing and distracting such as listening to<br />
music or exercising. This technique may be difficult at<br />
the beginning, but after both of you calm down, you will<br />
notice a difference in the way you approach the issue, and<br />
the communication is more likely to be productive.<br />
r here<br />
The CenTer's<br />
Counselors are<br />
for you<br />
Do you have issues with relationships, communication, living in Taiwan,<br />
alcohol or drugs, depression, problems with children, or cultural clashes...<br />
our professional counselors are ready to help with any issues that you may have while living in Taipei. For<br />
more information regarding our counseling services, call The <strong>Center</strong> at (02) 2836-8134 or<br />
(02) 2838-4947. or email: csc@community.com.tw<br />
12 Apr 2010
Compromise<br />
Whether you like it or not, the only solution to<br />
marital arguments is to find a compromise. In a<br />
relationship, it just does not work for you to have<br />
everything your way, even if you are convinced that you<br />
are right. For a compromise to work, you must keep an<br />
open mind with regard to your partner’s opinions and<br />
desires. You do not have to agree with everything your<br />
partner says or believes, but you have to be willing to<br />
listen to his or her position. Remember to search for<br />
the part of your partner’s perspective that, by objective<br />
standards, is reasonable.<br />
Be tolerant of eaCh other’s faults<br />
Too often, a marriage gets bogged down in ‘if onlies.’<br />
If only your partner were taller, richer, smarter, neater,<br />
or sexier, all of your problems would vanish. As long<br />
as this attitude prevails, conflicts will be very difficult<br />
to resolve. Until you accept your partner’s flaws, you<br />
will not be able to compromise successfully. Conflict<br />
resolution is not about one person changing; it is about<br />
negotiating and finding common ground and ways that<br />
you can accommodate each other.<br />
Last but not least, it is important to understand<br />
one truth — some marital arguments just cannot be<br />
resolved. Couples spend year after year trying to<br />
change each other’s mind, but it cannot be done. This<br />
is because most of their disagreements are rooted in<br />
fundamental differences of lifestyle, personality, or<br />
values. This does not mean that there is nothing you<br />
can do about it. It means that you need to understand<br />
the root cause of the conflict between you, and to<br />
learn how to live with it by honoring and respecting<br />
each other. Only then will you be able to build shared<br />
meaning and a sense of purpose into your relationship.<br />
Hyman Spotnitz (1977) used the analogy of dancers<br />
to describe a marriage. “Producing a happy marriage is<br />
like shaping up a good dance team. Even the very best<br />
solo dancer has to learn to coordinate his movements<br />
with his partner, to keep in step, and to master all<br />
the other complexities of dancing in unison. This<br />
requires long and regular practice, and dancers who<br />
do not enjoy working with a partner are unwilling to<br />
subject themselves to the grueling preparation that is<br />
entailed. But there is no other way to develop a good<br />
dance team, and there is no other way to integrate two<br />
separate identities — two different bodies and psyches<br />
— in a marital relationship.”<br />
Further Reading<br />
Gottman, J., M. (1999). The Seven Principles<br />
for Making Marriage Work. Three Rivers Press.<br />
Spotnitz, H. (1977). Problems of the Marriage<br />
Partnership, Modern Psychoanalysis, 2, 4-14.<br />
Cerita Hsu is a Taiwan Licensed Counseling<br />
Psychologist. She received two master’s degrees in<br />
Psychology and was trained in Marriage and Family<br />
Therapy. She mainly works with adults, couples, and<br />
families at The <strong>Center</strong>.<br />
apr 2010<br />
13
Casual dining<br />
Calcutta<br />
Indian Food<br />
By Hanscom Smith<br />
ImageS: emILY mCmurrIn<br />
CALCUTTA INDIAN FOOD 126 Kunming Street, Ximending. ( 西 門 町 昆 明 街 126 號 ) Tel: 2389-3878.<br />
Ximen’s weather-beaten warren of bars,<br />
shops, and cinemas doesn’t usually figure<br />
on lists of top Taipei dining destinations.<br />
The city’s faded former downtown does,<br />
however, harbor its share of worthwhile restaurants.<br />
Among the most unexpected is Calcutta Indian<br />
Food, one of Taipei’s relatively few outposts of subcontinental<br />
cuisine.<br />
Opened three years ago by ethnic Chinese<br />
from Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), the restaurant<br />
specializes in northern Indian food. As a result, the<br />
menu includes northern staples such as samosas<br />
(in vegetarian and lamb varieties), as well as palak<br />
paneer, a hearty puree of spinach with cottage<br />
cheese. Decadent onion bhaji, or fried onion rings,<br />
and a lentil-based daal soup are among the other<br />
small dishes on offer. Many foreigners don’t always<br />
associate Indian cuisine with salads, but the soothing<br />
yogurt-based raita salad and the tomato-and- onion<br />
laccha, a piquant Delhi specialty, are both worthwhile.<br />
Calcutta offers a cornucopia of well-prepared<br />
curries and sauces, including a creamy murgi malai,<br />
lively garlic and onion masala, and the Portugueseinfluenced<br />
Goan specialty of vindaloo, which melds<br />
wine, garlic, and herbs. The succulent charcoalgrilled<br />
tandoori chicken is a standout on the menu,<br />
along with the delicately-spiced beef korma and the<br />
flavorful chicken bharta, whose sauce combines<br />
roasted eggplant, onion, and tomato. Lamb dishes<br />
include pasanda, a Moghul recipe that combines<br />
yogurt, chili, and herbs, and rogan josh, a curry of<br />
garlic, ginger, coriander, tomato and onion. Seafood<br />
makes an appearance in the form of fish masala and<br />
a curry that combines shrimp, fish, calamari, and<br />
crab. Since Calcutta emphasizes northern Indian<br />
cuisine, sampling the coconut-infused Madras as and<br />
other southern curries shouldn’t be a priority here.<br />
Although I was disappointed not to find cheese<br />
naan among the bread offerings, creditable versions<br />
of the tandoori, garlic, butter, and plain varieties<br />
are all on offer, in addition to chapatti and paratha<br />
breads. Since eastern India is well-known for its<br />
sweets, it’s a bit surprising not to find any desserts<br />
at a restaurant named after the East’s biggest city.<br />
Delicious mango, strawberry, and rose lassis are<br />
available, however, to help sate the sweet tooth.<br />
In addition to consistently appealing cuisine,<br />
Calcutta Indian Food can also boast remarkable rkable<br />
value for money. Almost everything on the menu<br />
is under NT $300, and set menus with soup, bread,<br />
and drinks are also available. A small group can<br />
dine very well indeed for around NT$ 5-600 a head.<br />
Calcutta has only a handful of tables in its cozy little<br />
dining room, which is accented by deep-red walls<br />
and enlivened by a TV screening the latest Bollywood<br />
blockbusters. Service is professional, efficient and<br />
very friendly. The restaurant is open daily for<br />
lunch and dinner, and is closed between 2 and 5<br />
in the afternoon. Reservations are recommended,<br />
especially for groups. The menu is available in<br />
Chinese and English. Credit cards are not accepted.<br />
Hanscom Smith has lived in Taipei since 2006. In<br />
addition to his native United States, he has lived (and<br />
eaten) in France, the United Kingdom, Cameroon,<br />
Denmark, Cambodia, Thailand, and Afghanistan.<br />
14 Apr 2010
Practice<br />
TexT & Image: mauro SaCCHI<br />
lifestyle<br />
TexT & ImageS: IvY CHen<br />
DRIED SHRIMP<br />
蝦 米 [xiami]<br />
D r i e d s h r i m p<br />
(shelled and sund<br />
r i e d) i s o n e o f<br />
the key flavoring<br />
i n g r e d i e n t s i n<br />
Chinese Cooking.<br />
Choose dried shrimp which have a natural-looking<br />
orange color and are completely dry. Don’t buy any<br />
that are dull in color, or are slimy to the touch. Dried<br />
shrimp should be stored in the refrigerator after buying,<br />
and is cooked with various vegetables, stir-fried with<br />
rice noodles, and used in the famous XO sauce. There<br />
are three types of dried shrimp found in the market.<br />
Shelled orange shrimp is the regular type, used for all<br />
kinds of cooking. Small pink shrimp ( 蝦 皮 xiapi, still<br />
in the shell) is a special type from Penghu ( 澎 湖 ), and<br />
is often used in ‘chive box’ ( 韭 菜 盒 子 jiucai hezi) and<br />
Penghu-style cooking. Another red orange kind, with<br />
a slightly larger shell, called sergestid shrimp ( 櫻 花 蝦<br />
yinghua xia) comes from Donggang ( 東 港 , south of<br />
Kaohsiung). This is a precious and protected shrimp,<br />
which may be caught only between November and May.<br />
DRIED SMALL<br />
FISH 小 魚 乾<br />
[xiao yugan]<br />
Dried small fish<br />
is a group of smallsized<br />
fish and baby<br />
fish, such as anchovy<br />
or sardine. They<br />
are very nutritious<br />
and rich in calcium. Choose hard and very dry fish<br />
rather than soft (moist) ones. The fish heads should be<br />
attached to the bodies rather than falling apart. Dried<br />
small fish should be stored in the refrigerator after<br />
purchasing. Chinese use dried small fish to make fish<br />
stock or cook them as a starter or tapas.<br />
FRIED PEANUTS<br />
WITH DRIED<br />
SMALL FISH<br />
花 生 小 魚 乾<br />
Ingredients: 150g<br />
dried small fish,<br />
1C fried or toasted<br />
peanuts, and one<br />
each of sliced green<br />
and red chili<br />
Seasoning: 1T soy sauce, 1T sugar, 1t rice wine<br />
Directions:<br />
1. Heat 3C oil, fry dried small fish for 1 minute or until<br />
they turn golden; drain well.<br />
2. Heat 1T oil, stir-fry chili until fragrance is released. Add<br />
fried fish and seasoning; toss with fried peanuts.<br />
I<br />
fell in love with Taipei five years ago, when I spent time in residency<br />
at the Taipei Artist Village, and decided to move here to see if I<br />
could connect my art and my heart into a cohesive whole. Looking<br />
for challenges, I found plenty - sometimes too many. I’ve lived<br />
many lives here: currently, I’m a theater/dance practitioner, a fulltime<br />
graduate student at the Taipei National University of the Arts, a<br />
copywriter, a teacher of physical theater and contact improvisation.<br />
I love Taiwan with a passion, but it can get messy: Taipei has its way<br />
of feeling at once small-townish and huge, friendly and overwhelming,<br />
comfortable and insanely intense. It has everything - an affordable mix of<br />
East and West that is both haphazard and fascinating - so how to choose<br />
How do you make a life as an expat here, while doing something<br />
meaningful for yourself and others How do you keep a balance, albeit<br />
a constantly shifting, surprising one How do you overcome your<br />
struggles, and truly learn<br />
Which community do you tap into for support<br />
Aside from the big funky family of Taipei artists, I’ve been blessed<br />
to find correspondence and helpful practices within a supportive<br />
community of people who, like me, are interested in meditation,<br />
Qigong, Taoism, Buddhism, Taichi, and delicious tea. We’ve made a<br />
‘home’ for ourselves here in Asia at the Tsalpa Kagyu <strong>Center</strong>, located<br />
near DaAn MRT station, under the guidance of the Venerable Kenchen<br />
Rinpoche, who is versed in Tibetan and Zen Buddhism, Taoism,<br />
internal and external martial arts and, well, the art of life. It is a<br />
comfortable, welcoming, powerful place: a place to focus and breathe,<br />
to study and share, to unwind from our daily chores and discover the<br />
space within and without.<br />
We come from all walks of life (and all continents, except Antarctica!);<br />
we meet to learn about our mind and about compassion, to understand,<br />
in practice, that meditation is not just sitting with your legs crossed and<br />
your eyes closed: it is in every moment of every day, anywhere, and it<br />
begins and ends with a calm awareness of one’s mind and thoughts.<br />
As it happens, ‘practice’ is not just for athletes, or musicians, or artists.<br />
It is for one’s life: for a better, happier, truly more artful life.<br />
Despite the hectic pace of my life as a non-famous artist, I’ve been able<br />
to incorporate bodily and mental practices I’ve learned at the <strong>Center</strong> into<br />
my daily routine: more and more every day, I experience how these very<br />
practices are what help me stay grounded, more healthy, more in touch<br />
with myself, more open to others. Try this, now: sit where you are, relax<br />
your neck and shoulders, smile, and breathe deeply, softly and consciously<br />
into your belly a few times. Then do the same every morning upon<br />
waking, with awareness. You’ll soon notice the subtle difference it makes.<br />
And if you feel like practicing and experiencing more, if you’d like<br />
to come visit, and become part of our community, get in touch with us:<br />
there’s surely something interesting for you to learn here at the Tsalpa<br />
Kagyu <strong>Center</strong>.<br />
You can find us online at http://tsalpakagyucenter.blogspot.com, or<br />
email us at tsalpakagyucenter@gmail.com.<br />
The Tsalpa Kagyu <strong>Center</strong> will be organizing weekend-long<br />
meditation retreats in the greater Taipei area in the next months.<br />
Contact us directly for more information.<br />
Mauro studies dance and theater, writes, performs and teaches<br />
workshops in movement, physical theater and contact improvisation.<br />
Mauro loves beets, bumblebees, cooking, rhythm and laughter.<br />
He is very thankful to his many teachers. You can reach him at<br />
maurocsacchi@gmail.com.<br />
Apr 2010<br />
15
traditional arts<br />
The Temple of the<br />
Love God<br />
TexT: WILLIam mooneY ImageS: SuSIe Brand<br />
Saturday night on Dihua<br />
Street - not a place you’d<br />
figure on finding Taipei’s<br />
youth. But the savvy ones<br />
flock here in search of their favorite<br />
deity, but not to help them pass a test<br />
or even make them wealthy. Instead<br />
they come in search of answers for<br />
their hopeful hearts. They come to<br />
see the Matchmaker.<br />
“Yue Lao” (the old man in the<br />
moonlight of Chinese mythology)<br />
the ‘Matchmaker’ deity, is the big<br />
draw at the Xiahai City God Temple,<br />
nestled at the south end of one of<br />
Taipei’s most historic streets, in<br />
the block between Minsheng and<br />
Nanjing West Roads.<br />
Tracy Chen, the round-faced,<br />
robust temple ‘doorkeeper’ (manager),<br />
whose family’s connection with the<br />
temple dates back six generations,<br />
explains the temple this way: “Pray to<br />
the City God if you want money very<br />
soon. Pray to the Matchmaker if you<br />
want [to meet your perfect match]<br />
very soon.” No one personifies the<br />
temple’s energy more than Chen,<br />
who punctuates her points with<br />
spontaneous bursts of laughter,<br />
surprising even herself with her ability<br />
to use just enough English to explain<br />
key temple rituals and history.<br />
A cruciAl role<br />
Relatively small, the temple<br />
nevertheless plays a crucial role in<br />
the surrounding Dadaocheng district,<br />
Taipei city’s oldest area. When a new<br />
police chief is appointed, he comes<br />
to the City God Temple to pray<br />
for protection. Local politicians,<br />
likewise, are frequent visitors. When<br />
current president Ma Ying-jeou was<br />
mayor of Taipei his wife visited the<br />
temple every winter on her husband’s<br />
behalf. The temple enjoys a close<br />
relationship with Taipei City Hall<br />
and is a major sponsor of community<br />
events, movies, traditional operas,<br />
and the popular Dihua Street Chinese<br />
New Year Shopping Carnival.<br />
S e e a y o u n g p e r s o n a t t h e<br />
temple though, and he or she is<br />
likely there for the Matchmaker.<br />
Single and hopeful, they come in<br />
droves. Dr. Robin Ruizendaal,<br />
co-founder and creative director of<br />
the nearby TTT Puppet Centre, says<br />
he visits the temple occasionally<br />
just to revel in the atmosphere.<br />
Among his observations is that<br />
more females than males come to<br />
see the Matchmaker. “Women<br />
[after all] always work harder in<br />
relationships,” he says.<br />
16<br />
Apr 2010
geTTing There:<br />
xiahai city god Temple 61, Dihua street, section 1<br />
Take the MrT red line to shuanglian station and leave by exit 1. Turn left, and after a<br />
20-minute walk along Minsheng West road, turn left again into Dihua street. you’ll soon<br />
see the temple on your left.<br />
Like any landmark worth its<br />
salt, the City God Temple boasts<br />
a colorful and sometimes violent<br />
history. In 1821 early Fujian settlers<br />
established the original Xiahai City<br />
God Temple in what is now Taipei’s<br />
Wanhua district. Clashes among<br />
the Han Chinese soon followed and<br />
in 1853 fleeing settlers moved the<br />
temple north to Dadaocheng, where<br />
construction was completed at its<br />
current site in 1859. Thirty-eight<br />
volunteers lost their lives during the<br />
transport and the temple still honors<br />
their memory today with offerings.<br />
hope And humor<br />
Nowadays, a sense of hope prevails<br />
at the temple. Humor, too. Besides<br />
offering thanks to the Matchmaker,<br />
worried wives can venture inside the<br />
temple to safeguard their marriage<br />
by obtaining ‘Fortune Shoes’ that,<br />
purportedly, ‘tame’ a wayward<br />
husband’s wanton inclinations.<br />
F o r e i g n v i s i t o r s, e v e n t h o s e<br />
already blissfully attached, can still<br />
come to the temple and appreciate<br />
the pageantry. Since the City<br />
God Temple is a featured stop on<br />
city tours, English explanations<br />
accompany most displays. For<br />
those thirsting for an authentic local<br />
experience, the Matchmaker deity<br />
apparently also understands foreignlanguage<br />
requests. Some familiarity<br />
with the procedures helps, though.<br />
Before asking the Matchmaker to<br />
act on your behalf, obtain from the<br />
temple some candy, ‘spirit money’<br />
and red thread as offerings. In<br />
Chinese mythology, the red thread<br />
symbolizes an ‘invisible thread,’ one<br />
end of which each of us has on our<br />
wrist. The trick in finding the perfect<br />
match is to discover who has the<br />
other end. No easy task, but that’s<br />
where the Matchmaker comes in.<br />
Temple eTiqueTTe<br />
Not surprisingly, the Matchmaker,<br />
according to Tracy Chen, is “very<br />
busy.” So busy, in fact, that he’s<br />
too popular to keep inside the<br />
temple. Those with requests must<br />
seek his blessing outside, at the<br />
temple’s lone incense burner. The<br />
ebullient Chen, who conveys the<br />
energy of a sizzling firecracker fuse<br />
with her enthusiasm for the temple,<br />
emphasizes the importance of some<br />
other procedures. “Make sure to<br />
let your [three] incense sticks burn<br />
completely [before placing them<br />
in the burner].” The burning of<br />
the incense, she says, serves as a<br />
“telephone line” or “connection” to<br />
the God and to extinguish the incense<br />
too early would be comparable<br />
to having your call disconnected.<br />
The other procedure involves body<br />
language. “You must bow three<br />
times. [Doing so] empowers your<br />
body. This gesture is very important<br />
to this temple,” she stresses. She<br />
also encourages visitors to drink<br />
the temple’s famous “blessed red<br />
date tea.” Besides being part of<br />
the worship ritual itself, the tea has<br />
salubrious effects, especially for<br />
females. “The sweet taste,” she says,<br />
“is a reminder that it’s good for a<br />
female’s health.”<br />
F i n a l l y, i f y o u’r e a m o n g t h e<br />
fortunate many (in one year alone,<br />
claims a temple publication, over<br />
6,000 couples married thanks to<br />
the Matchmaker’s intervention)<br />
remember to return to the temple<br />
to offer thanks. This gesture of<br />
gratitude typically involves flowers<br />
and, and if your dream really comes<br />
true, engagement cookies.<br />
S o m e w h e r e o n t h e e a s t s i d e<br />
of town, probably at a trendy,<br />
overpriced lounge bar, some poor<br />
lonely heart saunters up to the bar to<br />
ask a pretty girl if he can buy her a<br />
drink. She might look up from her<br />
cell phone long enough to shrug in<br />
indifferent acceptance, maybe not.<br />
Regardless, any relationship that<br />
ensues will likely last no longer than<br />
the latest Mando pop star’s career.<br />
But those who yearn to meet their<br />
true match “very soon” know where<br />
to look – at the little temple on old<br />
Dihua Street, in decidedly untrendy<br />
West Taipei. Follow the scent of<br />
burning incense and sweet red date<br />
tea to the Matchmaker and perhaps<br />
discover who is on the other end of<br />
your invisible thread.<br />
William Mooney is an American. He<br />
first came to Taiwan in 1990, and<br />
has taught English at the Chinese<br />
Culture University since 2004.<br />
Apr 2010<br />
17
entertainment<br />
As you like it –<br />
Taipei Players brings the Best of<br />
Comedy Theater to Taipei<br />
TexT: PraSHanTHa LaCHanna<br />
ImageS: mouSe<br />
building, contemplating whether he should jump or<br />
not. A woman and man meet, fall in love, get married<br />
and live happily ever after…or do they An Arctic<br />
adventurer on the grueling Nordic Track rows up the<br />
Charles River on his stationary bike in hot pursuit of<br />
the woman of his dreams. Will he be successful<br />
The man stands on the ledge of an apartment<br />
Herein, dear audience lies the born actress and singer, completed<br />
general timbre of hilarity her degree in Drama at Queen’s<br />
and the necessary element University in Canada. While touring<br />
of the absurd in the next the globe, she has been involved in<br />
installation of short play shows, An numerous productions on stage in<br />
Evening of Shorts 3, performed by the Canada, Australia, South Korea, and<br />
Taipei Players, Taipei’s only English most recently in Taiwan. The two<br />
theater group, formed about a year paired up and intuited a working<br />
ago under the direction of Sarah relationship together, in which<br />
Zittrer and Mandy Roveda.<br />
they would bring English theater<br />
Enter stage left, Sarah Zittrer, tall to Taipei. At the beginning it was<br />
and willowy, with eyes that carelessly challenging as there were no other<br />
resemble precious stones and a smile English Theater groups to collaborate<br />
that makes angels quiver. Zittrer with, nor was there any financial<br />
has the skill to convey the most support available with which to start<br />
heart-wrenching of drama alongside their own company.<br />
side-splitting comedy at the tick<br />
of a second, with precision. Enter A STerling record<br />
stage right, Mandy Roveda, with a P e r s o n a l l y f i n a n c i n g t h e i r<br />
presence that is sensual yet daring. productions, Zittrer and Roveda<br />
Roveda’s portrayals of archetypal gathered a whooping crowd of eager<br />
characters are seamless, bold and wry. expats and English-speaking locals,<br />
Both Roveda and Zittrer have wellforged<br />
careers in the world of theater, without, all thirsting to be involved<br />
both with acting experience and<br />
film and TV. Roveda, a trained actress in English theater productions.<br />
and musician, completed her degree Working on fractured schedules,<br />
at York University in Canada,<br />
borrowed time and anorexic<br />
specializing in Acting.<br />
finances, the Taipei Players<br />
S h e h a s<br />
have a sterling record of<br />
performed on<br />
packed houses and sold-out<br />
stages around<br />
s h o w s o n a l l t h r e e o f<br />
the globe before<br />
their previous offerings.<br />
settling in Taipei<br />
Apparently, these feather<br />
a year ago, where<br />
boa-ed drama queens<br />
s h e m e t f e l l o w<br />
k n o w w h a t t h e y’r e<br />
thespian, Zittrer.<br />
doing. The plays they<br />
Zittrer, a Toronto-<br />
select are based on an<br />
18 Apr 2010<br />
innate understanding of what appeals<br />
to mass audiences. Their audiences<br />
are spectral in their make up. There<br />
are sensibilities and sensitivities of<br />
the American, British, South African,<br />
Ecuadorian, French, Italian, Russian,<br />
Indian, Mexican, Taiwanese, and<br />
then some, to contend with. How<br />
is it that every smile in the room<br />
is matched and every expulsion of<br />
laughter just as vivaciously resonant<br />
What makes it work<br />
“Comedy!” giggle Zittrer and<br />
Roveda, gleefully.<br />
ABSurd reAliTy<br />
In his 1942 essay, The Myth of<br />
Sisyphus, French philosopher, Albert<br />
Camus defines the human condition<br />
as meaningless. Camus contended<br />
that a reasonable explanation of<br />
the universe was beyond the reach<br />
of humanity’s grasp, and so the<br />
world must ultimately be absurd.<br />
Considering the reality of what we<br />
live with, this must be true. Yet, it<br />
is also true that within the deep well<br />
of the absurd, sprouts the weapon<br />
of comedy, that great healer, that<br />
wondrous fool, that benevolent<br />
maid, comedy.<br />
It is with this innate knowledge<br />
that Zittrer and Roveda select the<br />
plays they perform. Their selection<br />
is not based on the best-loved of<br />
comedy playwrights, but on how<br />
each play personally speaks to
the pair. Prerequisites are for the<br />
plays to be provocative, salty and<br />
of course, effervescent in their<br />
humor. If the play speaks, Zittrer<br />
and Roveda look into the logistics<br />
of putting it together, finding the<br />
right actors to play the parts and<br />
making sure it coalesces with the<br />
other selected plays for the night.<br />
The fact that they are short plays<br />
means that lots more actors can be<br />
involved in the show and that gives<br />
the actors, directors and audience an<br />
opportunity to engage with different<br />
tempos of comedy whilst the rapidity<br />
a succession of short plays affords,<br />
allows our flea-bitten attention spans<br />
instant satisfaction. It’s all a bit of a<br />
balancing act.<br />
Tons of supporT<br />
In spite of a severe lack of funding,<br />
the Taipei Players’ shows have<br />
drawn tons of support. Shows have<br />
taken place in packed bars, airless<br />
clubs and cramped sound studios,<br />
but always with a heaving audience<br />
in attendance. Audience support<br />
has been phenomenal. The Players<br />
hope for a proper venue which will<br />
allow for larger audience capacity<br />
and (of course) funding which will<br />
allow them to invest in said venue,<br />
a proper rehearsal space and maybe<br />
allow them to buy props. With<br />
good humor and a nostalgic chuckle,<br />
Roveda recalls having to borrow<br />
stools from a local temple. The<br />
audience was a little nervous about<br />
sitting on them as they had melted<br />
due to a gregarious bursting of<br />
temple fireworks near their vicinity.<br />
Bottoms were spared and in proof<br />
of their loyalty, ticket sales for their<br />
very next show, An Evening of Shorts<br />
3, are already on the rise. The show<br />
is happening on the 10th and 11th<br />
of April at 2:30 and 7:30 pm at the<br />
Guling Street Theater. The highlyacclaimed<br />
director, Brook Hall,<br />
who brought Taipei the incredibly<br />
successful Broadway<br />
m u s i c a l S m o k e y<br />
Joe’s Café, will be<br />
directing some of<br />
the plays in The<br />
P l a y e r s ’ l a t e s t<br />
offering. Another<br />
exciting addition<br />
is that up-andcoming<br />
sound<br />
artist Leo37 will<br />
be providing hip-grinding<br />
sounds between plays.<br />
Prashantha Lachanna has been living<br />
and working in Taiwan for five years<br />
and is currently running her own<br />
events company.<br />
An Evening of shorts 3 Guling street Theater 2, Lane 5, Guling St., Zhongzheng District<br />
Tickets can be bought at Toasteria, 2, Lane 248, Zhongxiao East road, Section 4, or at Toasteria in Shida, address: 1, Lane 72, Yunhe<br />
Street for NT$300 or at the door for NT$400. For more information email taipeiplayers@gmail.com or call Sarah Zittrer on 0938 437 161.<br />
apr 2010<br />
19
environment<br />
Happy Birthday,<br />
Earth Day!<br />
The Planet’s Largest Environmental Organization is Forty-Years-Old this Month<br />
tExt: RiCHaRD SaunDERS<br />
As with so many great ideas, it started as a<br />
relatively small initiative, when in early fall of<br />
1969 senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin<br />
announced the idea of a nationwide teach-in day<br />
on the environment during a speech to a conservation<br />
group in Seattle. As fall turned to winter, the event,<br />
originally answering to the rather cumbersome title<br />
‘Nationwide Environment Teach-in,’ became known<br />
by the far catchier moniker by which it’s called today,<br />
and on 22nd April 1970 (when the first Earth Day was<br />
marked by about twenty million Americans), the modern<br />
environmental movement was born.<br />
That first Earth Day was a great success, although<br />
not everyone was impressed. The day (apparently<br />
accidentally) coincided with the one-hundredth<br />
anniversary of Lenin’s birth, which led certain quarters<br />
to proclaim the event as being organized by Communist<br />
sympathizers – it’s even alleged that the FBI turned up to<br />
make sure there were no subversive political undertones!<br />
The idea of an annual Earth Day caught on, and the<br />
event has been held on April 22nd every year since,<br />
growing in size and influence until becoming, according<br />
to the Earth Day Network, “the largest secular holiday in<br />
the world, celebrated by more than a half billion people<br />
every year.”<br />
The Earth Day Network (EDN), established in 1970<br />
by the organizers of the first Earth Day to promote yearround<br />
environmental awareness both in the States and<br />
internationally, has had similarly spectacular success, and<br />
now incorporates a staggering 19,000-plus organizations<br />
in 192 countries.<br />
For the fortieth anniversary of Earth Day in 2010,<br />
the EDN have created a number of global initiatives,<br />
including a ‘Global Day of Conversation’ with city<br />
mayors worldwide, focusing on bringing green<br />
investment and building a green economy, and the ‘a<br />
Billion Acts of Green Campaign’ which asks individuals<br />
and groups from around the world to make a resolution<br />
to ‘act green,’ and log their commitment on the official<br />
Website (http://billionactsofgreen.net/). As of March<br />
20th, over five million people have committed on-line to<br />
Acts of Green ranging from avoiding bottled water and<br />
requesting paper bags to “walking to work every day,<br />
even when it rains”!<br />
“Hope in a<br />
Changing Climate”<br />
tExt: juan CaRloS maDRigal<br />
Wh a t w o u l d y o u d o i f<br />
you discovered a way to<br />
combat climate change,<br />
e l i m i n a t e p o v e r t y a n d r e s t o r e<br />
damaged ecosystems in regions<br />
the size of European countries<br />
When John D. Liu was faced with<br />
t h i s q u e s t i o n, h e f o u n d e d t h e<br />
Environmental Education Media<br />
Project (EEMP) a not-for-profit<br />
organization dedicated to placing<br />
ecosystem restoration at the center of<br />
global discussions on climate change,<br />
poverty, and sustainable agriculture.<br />
‘Hope in a Changing Climate’<br />
is the latest effort by EEMP to<br />
educate businesses, governments and<br />
individuals about the role large-scale<br />
ecosystem rehabilitation plays in<br />
issues as varied as food security, fresh<br />
water source protection, poverty<br />
alleviation and climate change. The<br />
film was aired globally by the BBC<br />
World Service and screened for world<br />
leaders attending the COP 15 climate<br />
change summit last November in<br />
Copenhagen.<br />
’Hope in a Changing Climate’<br />
demonstrates that it is possible to<br />
rehabilitate large-scale damaged<br />
ecosystems, to restore ecosystem<br />
functions in areas where they<br />
have been lost, to fundamentally<br />
improve the lives of people who<br />
have been trapped in poverty for<br />
generations, and to sequester carbon<br />
naturally. This approach has been<br />
dramatically proven on the Loess<br />
Plateau in China; the birthplace of<br />
the Han Chinese, headwaters of<br />
The Yellow River and home to a<br />
new environmental and economic<br />
From arid wasteland to lush farmland<br />
paradigm. What was once an arid<br />
wasteland the size of Belgium now<br />
teems with life and supports the<br />
sustainable economic, social, and<br />
agricultural activities of its people.<br />
T h e f i l m f e a t u r e s a d i v e r s e<br />
collection of interviews, from world<br />
leaders such as the president of<br />
Rwanda, to local farmers telling their<br />
own stories. The film is presented<br />
by John Liu and directed by Jeremy<br />
Bristow, producer of award-winning<br />
BBC documentaries featuring Sir<br />
David Attenborough.<br />
To watch the film, learn more<br />
about ecosystem rehabilitation and<br />
learn how to support this critically<br />
important initiative, visit http://<br />
www.eempc.org<br />
20 apr 2010
Taiwan's ‘First Green<br />
Conference,’ April 30 th<br />
to May 2 nd 2010<br />
TExT: kEli yEn<br />
Reminiscing<br />
By E.M. ChiEn<br />
This is a place my day unwinds and<br />
stretches out ‘cross little lines.<br />
I loved.<br />
I laughed.<br />
I sang.<br />
I danced.<br />
A star that flickered in the night, hoped<br />
someone else could use its light.<br />
For in the dark when no one shines, hatred<br />
lurks and fear is rife.<br />
So, I shined.<br />
E.M. Chien believes life is a conundrum and<br />
words are empowered with the vitality we<br />
need to not only define our lives but delineate<br />
the changes we plan to affect.<br />
From 30th April to 2nd May 2010, join a gathering<br />
of internationally renowned environmental activists,<br />
delegates from Green Parties and NGOs spanning<br />
over twenty countries. The aim is to not only share<br />
knowledge of, and responsibility for, environmental and<br />
social issues in the Asia Pacific region, but to aim to<br />
establish coordinated strategy and networks to advance<br />
focused environmental protection actions across the region.<br />
With the idea of ‘Fair Share’ for a theme, the program<br />
opens a highly participatory space for discussion on<br />
climate change, governance & accountability, justice,<br />
community empowerment, energy, food & water, natural<br />
disasters, business, peace, nuclear, and any topic that you<br />
may wish to raise from the floor.<br />
Keynote Speakers include Dr Vandana Shiva, Right<br />
Livelihood Award winner, eco-feminist and author, and<br />
Senator Bob Brown, Leader of the Australian Greens<br />
(Australia's third largest political party) and a determined<br />
and energetic activist.<br />
Taiwan’s first ‘green conference’ will convene on April<br />
30th. The organizers are The Green Party Taiwan and<br />
the Taiwan Friends of the Global Greens, groups striving<br />
to forge a common consensus among Asia Pacific Greens<br />
culminating in a formal declaration, resolutions, elections,<br />
and a five-year action plan for the APGN.<br />
An Asia Pacific Young Greens pre-congress event will<br />
be held on 29 April, one day before the formal APGN<br />
Congress. To register & learn about the core Green<br />
Values of ecological wisdom, social justice, participatory<br />
democracy, nonviolence, sustainability and respect<br />
for diversity, visit the APGN 2010 website at http://<br />
apgn2010.org/<br />
The conference will be held at Tianmu Convention<br />
<strong>Center</strong>, 113 Zhongshan North Road Section 7. Email:<br />
apgn2010@gmail.com<br />
Join APGN online Social networks<br />
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Apr 2010<br />
21
Taipei Uncorked<br />
WINE BLING on a<br />
BUDGET<br />
“Drink moderately, for drunkenness neither keeps a secret<br />
nor observes a promise.”<br />
Mark L. peTerson<br />
The fashion and design worlds have a concept style<br />
mavens call ‘high/low.’ It’s the savvy shopper’s secret,<br />
a way to achieve a posh look on a student’s part-time<br />
salary. You carefully shop the bargain bins for items<br />
that either eerily mimic the latest overpriced designer wear<br />
or that match well with the latter in a yin-yang sort of way.<br />
Say, a NT $250 Jockey T-shirt from Costco worn with a NT<br />
$21,000 pair of Christian Louboutin heels from Sogo.<br />
You can do the same with wine. Many premium styles<br />
have what I would describe as more affordable analogues<br />
that don’t carry the usurious built-in brand premiums. As<br />
with style and design, finding a good knockoff takes a<br />
modicum of knowledge as well as healthy confidence and<br />
creative imagination. I’ve become aware that people are<br />
somewhat dubious concerning taking risks with wine. I’ve<br />
heard it first-hand from friends and clients who’ve voiced their<br />
disappointment at having to negotiate the minefield of buying<br />
wine at the big box stores and supermarkets here in Taipei.<br />
Says Stéphane Castera, director of food and beverage for Four<br />
Seasons Hotel Vancouver: “You can’t always buy Prada, but<br />
you can buy something which looks really good, which is well<br />
made, and which can satisfy your needs.”<br />
A perfect example, when talking wine, is California red<br />
zinfandel (‘high’) compared with Italian Primitivo (‘low’).<br />
Decent versions of California’s signature grape start at about<br />
NT$1,500, while top-quality zinfandels sell for upward of<br />
NT$3,000. Fullbodied and jammy, red zinfandel is often<br />
recommended in cookbooks as the ideal pairing for sweet-spicy<br />
barbecued meats as well as pizza, burgers and game-day snacks<br />
such as chicken wings and chili. Yet many zin fans don’t know<br />
that primitivo, made mostly on the south-Italian peninsula of<br />
Puglia and usually costing NT$300 to 900, is made from the<br />
same grape and shares the basic flavor pro<strong>file</strong> of its Californian<br />
cousin. The structure of the wine is going to be the same.<br />
Now, is the wine going to have the richness of a Ridge or a<br />
Seghesio (two top California zinfandel producers) No. But<br />
it’s a good wine at a good price. It’s not mass produced and<br />
it’s not a boxed wine.<br />
Allow me to offer a few other stylistic high/low counterparts.<br />
Red BoRdeaux vs. Chilean-aRgentinan<br />
CaBeRnet sauvignon<br />
Chile and Argentina’s main wine-growing regions are sunny,<br />
yielding riper, more opulent fruit flavors than generally is the<br />
case in Bordeaux. But if you want good cabernet sauvignon or<br />
merlot and can’t afford the NT$2,000-plus of a classified red<br />
Bordeaux (I can’t), I’d recommend going with a NT$450 to<br />
1,000 Chilean or Argentinian. It will likely beat the pants off<br />
(Cervantes, Don Quixote)<br />
any other sub-NT$1,000 cabernet, including those inexpensive<br />
big brands from Bordeaux itself. I love the Los Vascos Grand<br />
Reserve for NT$900, part of the Lafite Rosthchild family of<br />
wines. Among Spanish reds from the Ribera del Duero region<br />
(often a blend of tempranillo with cabernet or merlot) try<br />
the Fontana-Fontal Temperanillo Mesta at NT$475, also the<br />
Penedes region wines are generally good bets for satisfaction.<br />
Red BuRgundy vs. CRu Beaujolais<br />
Great red Burgundy, perhaps the most recherché wine<br />
category of all, is made from pinot noir. Good ones tend to<br />
be made in small quantities by tiny producers with spotty<br />
distribution and run about NT$3,000 or more. In recent<br />
years, Burgundy addicts have increasingly experimented with<br />
alternative sources of pinot noir from such copycat regions as<br />
Oregon, Carneros and Russian River in California and, most<br />
recently, New Zealand. As a money-saving strategy, though, it<br />
has become all but fruitless. Those ‘alternative’ regions often<br />
now charge just as much or more for decent pinot. The key<br />
here is to think laterally.<br />
Stylistically, the best alternative to good red Burgundy, for<br />
my money, is quality Beaujolais. It’s made from gamay instead<br />
of pinot noir, but when it’s good, it’s way more satisfying<br />
than bargain pinot noir. I speak here of quality Beaujolais<br />
specifically from the ten best hillside towns of the Beaujolais<br />
region. These so-called cru Beaujolais (which carry such place<br />
names as Chénas, Brouilly, Juliénas and Morgon rather than<br />
Beaujolais) can pass for good pinot noir in professional blind<br />
tastings. I’ve seen it happen. I’d do a Chénas (as a substitute<br />
for red Burgundy). The crus are up the hill. They’re not on the<br />
lower section of Beaujolais. They don’t have the juicy fruitiness.<br />
They have a bit more body and structure. Part of the reason<br />
is that the vines tend to be older and yield less but more<br />
concentrated fruit. At about NT$500 to 1,500 per bottle, Cru<br />
Beaujolais is the savvy buyers poor man's red Burgundy<br />
My two cents worth, Valdivieso Reserve Pinot Noir 2006<br />
(from - you guessed it - Chile), robust, sweet fruit, med-full<br />
body at NT$550 and the Trapiche Old Oak Pinot Noir 2006<br />
(Argentina) nicely weighted, spiked with ripe red fruit, elegant<br />
and well balanced at $599 are two great bets for Pinot lovers.<br />
Chianti vs. MontepulCiano d’aBRuzzo<br />
I am, again, thinking laterally here. Chianti is a mediumbodied<br />
red made from the sangiovese grape in a central Tuscan<br />
district. Good examples now almost all cost more than<br />
NT$1,000, unfortunately. Bright red cherry, firm acidity and<br />
an undercurrent of earthiness hinting at mushroom and tobacco<br />
are all classic elements of the flavor. You can often find similar<br />
Mark loves to hear from you with all your questions concerning the world of wine and spirits. Feel free to email him at: mark.vinvinowine@<br />
gmail.com or visit his informative site at www.vinvinowine.asia.<br />
22 apr 2010
nuances and structure in a grape called montepulciano (not to<br />
be confused with the Tuscan town of Montepulciano, where<br />
they make something called Vino Nobile based on sangiovese).<br />
Montepulciano – the grape – is widely grown in the lowercost<br />
region of central Italy called Abruzzo. Drinkable<br />
examples are as low as NT$350, and very good ones can be<br />
had for NT$400 to 700. Another option is the sangiovesebased<br />
reds from Tuscany’s neighboring (and generally less<br />
expensive) region of Umbria. A good choice is the Aldiano<br />
Montepulcino D’Abruzzo DOC 2007 at NT$750, it’s quite<br />
suave, but not Soave.<br />
BArolo vS. gATTinArA<br />
The so-called king of Italian reds, Barolo, now costs a king’s<br />
ransom: roughly NT$2,500 and up a bottle. It’s made in the<br />
Piedmont region from the highly tannic, acidic nebbiolo grape.<br />
And, quite frankly, it tastes like no wine produced in any<br />
other region in the world. Which is why the best substitute<br />
may be Gattinara, a red based mainly or entirely on nebbiolo<br />
in a town not far from Barolo in Piedmont. Prices for<br />
Gattinara, which tends to have less endurance in the cellar,<br />
are about half those of Barolo. I think you can find some<br />
great wines in Gattinara, although not often found here in<br />
Taiwan. I can't really find a drinking substitute for Borolo<br />
other than Borolo here in Taipei, so I am drinking the Zonin<br />
Valpolicella Ripasso 2007 (NT 800) made from the Corvina<br />
and Rondinella grapes, although bolder, spicier and juicier<br />
than Borolo's Nebiolo grape, this satisfies my Italian craving<br />
just fine. A big unctuous mouthful of yummy, let it breathe.<br />
I can't really find a drinking substitute for Borolo other<br />
than Borolo here in Taipei, so I am drinking the Zonin<br />
Valpolicella Ripasso 2007 (NT 800) made from the Corvina<br />
and Rondinella grapes, although bolder, spicier and juicier<br />
than Borolo's Nebiolo grape, this satisfies my Italian craving<br />
just fine. A big unctuous mouthful of yummy, let it breathe.<br />
SAncerre vS. TourAine<br />
A crisp, grassy, iconic white, Sancerre is made from<br />
sauvignon blanc in the Sancerre district of France’s Loire<br />
Valley, where the grape achieves a sublime balance of citruslike<br />
fruitiness, herbal-grassy notes and a sort of stone-like<br />
mineral quality. It’s the perfect spring tonic, a fine match for<br />
lightly dressed salads and vegetable dishes as well as a variety<br />
of cheeses (especially goat). Sancerres usually cost between<br />
NT$800 and 1,400 a bottle though, which is serious coin<br />
for most people. At about half the price you could uncork<br />
a lesser-known Touraine. Made from the same white grape<br />
not far from Sancerre, Touraine wines usually are priced from<br />
NT$NT350 to 600 and do an impressive Sancerre imitation.<br />
My favorites because of their availability here in Taipei are the<br />
many fine Sauvignon Blancs, especially the Reserve designations<br />
coming out of the Chilean Valleys. NT$350 - 700 buys good<br />
value with a lot of diversity in their flavor pro<strong>file</strong>s. Valdivieso’s<br />
2007 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc at NT$550 is awesome, and its<br />
sibling 2007 Sauvignon Blanc is a best buy at NT$350.<br />
chArdonnAy vS. chArdonnAy<br />
Here it’s Old World white Burgundy and expensive<br />
California and New Zealand ‘Brands’ versus New World<br />
affordability. There is no comparison between the two, but<br />
there is satisfaction to be had. South Africa, Australia, Chile<br />
and Argentina are abundant and affordable here in Taiwan.<br />
Argentine’s Dona Paula 2007 Estate Chardonnay at NT$550<br />
is sophisticated, while Valdivieso’s 2006 Reserve Chardonnay<br />
has bottle age and is drinking beautifully at NT$550. For<br />
ultra value try Valdivieso’s 2008 Chardonnay for NT$350;<br />
your money goes a long way here.<br />
chAmpAgne vS. cAvA<br />
My preference is for the dry sparkling wines of northeast<br />
Spain as a dirt cheap substitute for NT$2,000 and up<br />
Champagne. Made using the traditional, labor-intensive<br />
process perfected in the Champagne region of France (in<br />
which the bubbles form naturally inside the bottle with the<br />
addition of yeast and sugar), Cavas generally cost between<br />
NT$600 and 900. Cavas are my preference compared with<br />
today’s trendier choice, Prosecco. Good Prosecco from Italy<br />
is a riskier navigation, but if you stick with the Gancia label<br />
(Italy’s oldest producer) you will be delighted. Gancia’s Pinot<br />
di Pinot “Rose” for NT$540 is dry enough and satisfies while<br />
Jane Ventura Cava at NT$599 is delightfully elegant.<br />
Well that’s it for this month’s quaff. See you out and about<br />
town my friends.<br />
Bon Boire.<br />
april 2010 gAllery<br />
oil paintings by Ah-ping Wu<br />
a dancing Soul From the Beginning<br />
Ping is a local artist from Beitou who has<br />
dedicated herself to children’s art education<br />
for over three decades. as an artist her<br />
skill is mature, yet her paintings glow with<br />
a child’s heart, sentiment, thoughtfulness,<br />
and innocence. In her exhibition at<br />
The <strong>Center</strong>, Ping explores in a way that<br />
approximates a kind of Zen, the essence of<br />
life through painting freely and joyfully.<br />
great pottery items<br />
elizabeth S T Lim brings you beautiful<br />
mugs, aromatherapy oil bottle necklaces<br />
and other great pottery items for yourself<br />
and your loved ones. all items are made<br />
in Yingge, Taiwan's home of pottery.<br />
handmade cotton bags from "gide"<br />
meili Kou offers a selection of handmade<br />
cotton bags from her company, gide.<br />
Select from small bags for jewelry to<br />
shopping bags to backpacks. many<br />
are decorated with cats and traditional<br />
Chinese gold nuggets. You will find many<br />
uses for these versatile bags.<br />
A percentage of all proceeds of items sold at the Gallery go to The <strong>Center</strong>, so please remember that by displaying and<br />
shopping here you are helping us to provide much needed services to the international community.<br />
Apr 2010<br />
23
kinder<br />
‘ping's Adventure in Taiwan’ has been written and illustrated by Amanda gregan.<br />
look for a continuation of ping's adventures in following issues of <strong>Center</strong>ed on taipei.<br />
24<br />
Apr 2010
Teens Unplugged<br />
Teens Unplugged 2<br />
We survived our first year after High School! You can too!<br />
Last year, local parents and the <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong><br />
<strong>Center</strong> developed and put on a targeted workshop<br />
for graduating seniors in the international<br />
community who were, for the first time, going<br />
to live away from home (perhaps abroad) or go into the<br />
world of work. This workshop was conceived to address<br />
the fact that many teens who attend college overseas or<br />
work, even if it is in their country of origin, while prepared<br />
academically, may be unprepared in terms of many aspects<br />
of living independently for the first time.<br />
This year, we are pleased to announce that this free,<br />
half-day workshop will be held at Taipei European School’s<br />
Primary Campus on Wen Lin Road in Shilin on Sunday<br />
April 18th, from 1-5 pm. Refreshments will be offered<br />
along with door prizes.<br />
The format, which was favorably received by the teen<br />
participants last year, is a series of informal topic group<br />
discussions. Returning are several of last year’s dynamic<br />
‘peer’ group leaders who are recent alumni from TAS, TES<br />
and other international schools. These leaders are close<br />
to the graduates in age and background and can provide<br />
healthy encouragement in terms of having successfully<br />
‘survived’ the first year after high school.<br />
Topics will include the more practical aspects of living<br />
independently in a college atmosphere or work field, such as:<br />
Living without Parents (which covers independent living<br />
skills such as laundry, cooking and managing finances.)<br />
Fitting In (Social connection, adjustment, college social<br />
clubs, finding one’s niche)<br />
Avoiding the Traps (Sex, drugs and rock n roll; negative<br />
relationships; isolation, etc.)<br />
Sign-up sheets will be available at each of the<br />
international schools and, for the first time, through a<br />
Facebook page that will be made available to teens through<br />
their school’s PTA and website.<br />
The intention is not only to make this retreat fun and<br />
useful for graduating seniors, but also to provide some key<br />
missing elements that will allow them to bloom where they<br />
are planted!<br />
Finally, The <strong>Center</strong> is looking for a parent-volunteer for<br />
next year to act as a community liaison to help continue<br />
this project into the future. For info, please contact Roma<br />
Mehta at coteditor@community.com.tw.<br />
teens unplugged<br />
Apr 2010<br />
25
generation y<br />
o<br />
L ss<br />
of<br />
Creativity<br />
Expository writing: LEat ahrony<br />
Growing up in an Asian society, while receiving<br />
a Western education, I can’t help but ask<br />
myself year after year when will this erosion<br />
of creativity stop My heart aches when I<br />
witness the worn-out bodies of local students, dragging<br />
their aching backs in the pure darkness at nine o’clock.<br />
There is no question that doing well in academics has its<br />
benefits; however, the way I was taught, was that health<br />
and happiness came first. Every parent wishes to see their<br />
children grow up to be successful individuals, and to be<br />
able to make influences, but there comes a time when too<br />
much is really too much!<br />
Is it true that Asians are known for their high test<br />
scores Yes. Is it true that Asians are known for their<br />
fast thinking skills Yes. Is it true that Asians are known<br />
for their creativity and independence Hmm…. I always<br />
hesitate on this one. I find myself leaning toward the no<br />
end of the line more than the yes. I have observed the way<br />
children are taught in Taiwan, and I’ve even experienced it<br />
myself. I only attended local school till the 4th grade, but<br />
I remember my parents telling me that I was only there for<br />
one purpose: to learn Chinese. They did not force a million<br />
tutors into my schedule, and all they expected from me was<br />
that I would try my best, and always speak out.<br />
On my first day of school, my father looked me in the<br />
eye and said: “Always ask if you don’t understand, and<br />
keep asking until you do understand; don’t be ashamed<br />
because there is nothing to be ashamed of.” Till today,<br />
these priceless words of my parents follow me everywhere<br />
I go. I realized that many local students are afraid to speak<br />
out, simply because they have this idea of appearing stupid<br />
if they don’t understand something and also because<br />
they were never encouraged to ask questions. In local<br />
schools, very few hands go up in the air during class; it<br />
is considered to be rude to ‘interrupt’ the teacher. Rude,<br />
Shmood; if I did not understand something, my hands flew<br />
26 apr 2010
up like a darting bullet. As my father had mentioned,<br />
“if you don’t ask, you will never know.” I don’t blame<br />
the helpless students walking under street lights in the<br />
darkness of the late night, for this ’loss of creativity’ was<br />
never their fault in the first place.<br />
A Russian friend previously worked in an English<br />
bushiban in Jubei. While opening the class book titled<br />
‘Creative Writing,’ She turned to page three, and read the<br />
directions: “please write about a special moment that you<br />
remember best. Write about the events that happened, and<br />
why you liked it so much.” Below the instructions was an<br />
example paragraph.<br />
“Two out of my fourteen students picked up their<br />
pencils and started writing immediately. The rest just<br />
stared blankly at my face,” she recalled. As she was<br />
marking the notebooks, she realized that all those blank<br />
faces had simply copied the example paragraph directly<br />
from the workbook, with a couple of changed names here<br />
and there. Her mind was filled with questions she could<br />
not answer, but she did her job as a teacher, and gave each<br />
of them a grade. She gave the two truly creative students<br />
an ‘excellent’,’ and the rest received a ‘good’ or ‘not bad’<br />
on their papers.”<br />
Unfortunately, this was not the end of it. In this<br />
particular bushiban, there was a supervisor for every<br />
class, making sure that each teacher was following the<br />
guidebook precisely. After my friend had graded the<br />
works of the children, it was time for the supervisor to do<br />
the second round of grading.<br />
Holding the notebooks in her hands, the supervisor<br />
stampeded towards my friend and directly asked her<br />
“what is this Why did you give an “excellent” to these<br />
two students Their work is rubbish!” The supervisor<br />
instead proclaimed that the rest of the students deserved a<br />
perfect score.<br />
“But they just copied the book word by word,” our<br />
friend protested.<br />
“That is what they are supposed to do!” the supervisor<br />
retorted.<br />
“But where is the creativity It is “creative” writing<br />
after all, isn’t it”<br />
“No. They are not supposed to be creative. They are<br />
supposed to be perfect, and copying from the book means<br />
that their writing will be perfect; when their parents see<br />
their perfect English writings, they will be pleased.”<br />
Two months later, our friend could not take it anymore,<br />
and resigned. She mentioned that she could not stand to<br />
be the evil villain, erasing the creativity of these young<br />
children.<br />
I wonder at times whether my poor memorization skills<br />
for history maps and dates are due to the lack of training<br />
during my childhood years, or is it because of my lack of<br />
interest in the subject. I wonder if taking an SAT prep<br />
course would really boost my SAT scores significantly. I<br />
wonder if coming 1st or 2nd is really the crux of life No<br />
matter which education system we side with, I believe<br />
that every child is unique in his or her own way, and that<br />
sometimes it is not the books or scores that make them<br />
stand out in a crowd, but instead it is their creativity,<br />
their unique minds, personalities, and talents that leaves<br />
their faces imprinted in our minds. I hope that someday<br />
the brighter Asian minds of the 21st century will come to<br />
realize the significance of creativity, and how it should be<br />
valued instead of being shunned.<br />
285<br />
Expository writing: nicolE chu<br />
Knowledge is weighing me down -<br />
textbooks, notebooks, MacBook.<br />
Hunkered under a metal map<br />
I wait<br />
In the windiest of windy days<br />
On the rainiest of rainy days<br />
When the sun‘s rays are fire ants<br />
And the cold is an icy spear in the rib<br />
I stand. Alone. With a friend. With my books.<br />
With a sandwich. With a stranger.<br />
I patiently wait for my prince<br />
For his mighty steed to take me away.<br />
Something comes.<br />
The faux-leather seat squeals against my thighs.<br />
Without a wince or a second thought,<br />
I rub the raw skin<br />
A tattered Kipling bag drags across my lap<br />
A shuddering glass window<br />
A rumbling engine in my skull.<br />
Unit Circle, in class essay, Shakespeare, coversheets<br />
Vacant pupils on white road lines.<br />
Better than sheep.<br />
One. Two. Three, Four, Five -<br />
One continuous ribbon racing along<br />
Dreams slide their way into my consciousness, or<br />
consciousness eases itself into a dream.<br />
Infinitesimal flickering - on, off, on, off<br />
THWAK.<br />
All I can see are pink sparks, but I look at my watch<br />
anyway, desperately hoping I have not missed my stop.<br />
I punch the STOP button and teeter to the front of the bus.<br />
The bus stops abruptly, but I don’t. A pole catches my left<br />
shoulder – as if my day could get any better.<br />
The night air gently blows the hair off my face and I can<br />
catch my breath for the first time today.<br />
Some people go to Bali to slip away from their troubles.<br />
I get to spend an hour of guiltless nonexistence on the<br />
bus ride home.<br />
Apr 2010<br />
27
sports<br />
2010 ECCT-ICRT Int’l Charity Golf Cup<br />
Saturday, 17 April 2010<br />
Royal Kuan Hsi Golf & Country Club, Hsinchu<br />
( 新 竹 老 爺 關 西 球 場 )<br />
Tee-off: 07:00 AM<br />
What better way to warm up for your spring holidays than a relaxing game of golf on a superb course and a fun-filled<br />
party And all for an excellent cause!<br />
The European Chamber of Commerce Taipei (ECCT) and International <strong>Community</strong> Radio Taipei (ICRT) have for the<br />
seventh consecutive year again teamed up to organize the 2010 International Charity Golf Cup. This year we will be<br />
returning to Royal Kuan Hsi golf course, home to the first and several subsequent Charity Cups. In response to popular<br />
demand, we have moved this event back to the weekend so that more players can participate in the fun tournament.<br />
Participants will be competing in teams of four, with each team representing a company, an organization, or a country.<br />
There will be some fantastic prizes for best team score, closest to the pin and longest drive as well as a Smart car for a<br />
hole in one. As a maximum of 25 teams will be admitted to the tournament, members are invited to book places for<br />
their teams as soon as possible.<br />
Thanks to this year’s Gold Sponsors, Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) and Standard Chartered Bank; Silver Sponsors,<br />
Capital Motors Inc. and HSBC, proceeds of the tournament will be going to the <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Center</strong> (CSC), the<br />
non-profit foundation that offers counseling, information and support services to the entire international community in<br />
Taiwan. ICRT, a fixture of Taiwan’s international community, will be running a series of promotions in the lead-up to -<br />
and on the day of - the event including live reports from the course. This year, immediately following the tournament,<br />
an award ceremony luncheon will be held at the Royal Kuan Hsi Golf & Country Club, including drinks, a late lunch<br />
and lots of prizes. This year for the first time we will be using a handicapping system so no matter what your level<br />
of skill, your team will have a chance to win the team prize. Sign up your family, friends and colleagues for this great<br />
weekend event.<br />
Cost per team: NT$24,000 (includes green fees, caddie fees and awards luncheon)<br />
SPONSORSHIP<br />
Gold sponsorship (NT$200,000)<br />
Silver sponsorship (NT$90,000)<br />
Hole sponsorship (NT$25,000 per hole)<br />
ECCT General Sponsor (NT$20,000)<br />
For further information regarding sponsorship opportunities or event inquiries, please contact Ms. Ada Wang<br />
at 2740-0236 ext. 14 / ada.wang@ecct.com.tw / Fax: 2772-0530<br />
Main sponsors<br />
28 Apr 2010
Orphanage Club<br />
The Orphanage Club thanks all those who supported the club by purchasing raffle<br />
tickets. Thanks to your support, we can continue to host our outings and other events.<br />
Charity<br />
tHunger Week<br />
March 29th to April 2nd<br />
Fast and donate on April 2nd ! You can also submit an<br />
artwork of any medium to the art department expressing<br />
your opinion on hunger. Go to www.thehungersite.com or<br />
www.freerice.com to donate daily at the click of a mouse.<br />
Rummage Workday<br />
April 3rd 9 am - 5 pm<br />
Drop by any time at the TAS basement! We are continuously<br />
collecting any books, new (or washed and ironed) clothes, and<br />
household items for our rummage/flea market sales. They can<br />
be left in the brown box in the courtyard, at the right side just<br />
outside the back door of the lobby.<br />
If you would like to have a booth for the Flea Market<br />
Sale at TAS on May 15th, it’s time to register for your table!<br />
Registration will take place in TAS lobby on the right-hand<br />
side of the lobby entrance. Registration begins on April 27th,<br />
every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm, until<br />
all tables are sold out. One table in the cafeteria — NT$1,200<br />
One table in the hallway — NT$1,500 Mandatory<br />
refundable cleaning fee deposit — NT$300<br />
Chung- Yi Outing<br />
April 11th 7:45 am - 5 pm<br />
It's a wonderful experience as members play with the kids<br />
and have a delicious lunch. Members of the TAS community<br />
are welcome to join us.<br />
Cathwel Outing<br />
April 17th 7:45 am - 5 pm<br />
Any questions Visit www.orphanageclub.com.<br />
Alternatively, e-mail or call Mr Arnold [arnoldr@tas.edu.<br />
tw, Tel: 2873-9900 ext. 239], or Mrs Koh [weehueykoh@<br />
yahoo.com]<br />
Kao Iwashita& Charlene Liao, co-secretaries of OC<br />
(seniors).<br />
Apr 2010<br />
29
<strong>Center</strong> Courses<br />
Apr 2010<br />
To sign up, please call The <strong>Center</strong><br />
at 2836-8134 or 2838-4947.<br />
culTure & TourS in TAiWAn<br />
>><br />
sANxIA OLD sTrEET<br />
& TEMpLE TOur<br />
Tuesday april 13th<br />
9 am – 2 pm<br />
nT$1000<br />
meet @ The <strong>Center</strong><br />
Jennifer Tong<br />
FOLK ArTs MusEuM<br />
Tour & Lunch<br />
Thursday april 22nd<br />
10 am – 1:30 pm<br />
nT$1400<br />
meet @ The <strong>Center</strong><br />
Michelle Chiu<br />
NOrTHEAsT COAsT<br />
Scenic Tour & Walk<br />
Thursday april 29th<br />
9 am – 2 pm<br />
nT$1000<br />
meet @ The <strong>Center</strong><br />
CHINEsE FOr COOKINg &<br />
sHOppINg, pLus MArKET TOur<br />
Friday april 30th<br />
9 am – 12 noon<br />
nT$600<br />
meet @ The <strong>Center</strong><br />
Ivy Chen<br />
JuMINg MusEuM<br />
Thursday may 6th<br />
9 am – 2 pm<br />
nT$1400<br />
meet @ The <strong>Center</strong><br />
Michele Chiu<br />
LAO MEI WATErFALL HIKE &<br />
TOur<br />
Thursday may 13th<br />
9 am – 2 pm<br />
nT$1000<br />
meet @ The <strong>Center</strong><br />
Richard Saunders<br />
fAmily & heAlTh >><br />
COpINg WITH sTrEss<br />
Thursdays<br />
Begins april 15th<br />
9 am – 10:30 am<br />
nT$1800<br />
5 sessions @ The <strong>Center</strong><br />
Warren Carey<br />
WATCH yOur BACK!<br />
Thursday april 15th<br />
12 noon – 1:30 pm<br />
nT$500<br />
1 session @ The <strong>Center</strong><br />
Dr. Mark Griffin DC<br />
BEgINNINg gOLF<br />
Fridays<br />
Begins april 16th<br />
12 noon – 2 pm<br />
nT$4800 (Cost of practice balls @<br />
nT$70<br />
per bucket, not included)<br />
6 sessions @ miramar driving<br />
range<br />
Benjamin Lu<br />
CHINEsE FOOD THErApy<br />
monday may 3rd<br />
12 noon – 1:30 pm<br />
nT$500<br />
1 session @ The <strong>Center</strong><br />
Dr. Dustin Wu<br />
hoBBieS & SkillS >><br />
CHAIN MAILLE<br />
Wednesdays<br />
april 14th and 21st<br />
12 noon – 2 pm<br />
nT$1800<br />
2 sessions @ The <strong>Center</strong><br />
Jennifer Chau<br />
CHINEsE CALLIgrApHy<br />
Tuesdays<br />
Begins april 20th<br />
12 noon – 2 pm<br />
nT$2500<br />
4 sessions @ The <strong>Center</strong><br />
Jennifer Tong<br />
WhAT’S cooking >><br />
CHINEsE BuNs AND<br />
pANCAKEs<br />
Friday april 16th<br />
10 am – 12 noon<br />
nT$1000<br />
1 session @ The <strong>Center</strong><br />
Ivy Chen<br />
MALAysIAN CuIsINE<br />
Friday may 7th<br />
10 am – 12 noon<br />
nT$1000<br />
1 session @ The <strong>Center</strong><br />
Ivy Chen<br />
DINNErs IN A MINuTE<br />
Friday may 14th<br />
10 am – 12 noon<br />
nT$1000<br />
1 session @ The <strong>Center</strong><br />
Robin Looney<br />
APRIL 2010 EVENTS<br />
April 10, 11 - An Evening of shorts 3 -Taipei players –<br />
p18<br />
April 17 - stage Time & Wine @ The red room – p8<br />
April 17 - 2010 ECCT-ICrT Int’L Charity golf Cup – p28<br />
April 17 - Back to the rat pack – p30<br />
April 18 - Teens unplugged 2 – p25<br />
April 22 - Happy Birthday, Earth Day! – p20<br />
Back to The rat pack...<br />
Don't Miss<br />
Contact:<br />
Jenny Wang<br />
Robert Liu<br />
Danny Shih<br />
Tel: 02-2836-1000<br />
Fax: 02-2831-9942<br />
E-mail: info@alliedpickfords.com.tw<br />
A DIVISION OF<br />
INTERNATIONAL<br />
30 Apr 2010
CSC buSineSS ClASSified<br />
antiQues<br />
beautY<br />
web consultant<br />
hair dresser<br />
web consultant<br />
education<br />
Whole Child Education<br />
Developing Active & Happy Children<br />
preschool for kids from 2-6 years old<br />
Da Zhi Branch No.18, Ln. 606, Mingshui Rd., Taipei TEL:85021798<br />
Tian Mu Branch No.17, Ln. 81, Dexing E. Rd., Taipei TEL:28368002<br />
web consultant<br />
Apr 2010<br />
31
Worship Directory<br />
(For full details of services please refer to Taipei Living or contact the church organization directly)<br />
Agape<br />
3F, 21 ChangChun Road, Taipei, Taiwan<br />
Tel: 2598-1009 (office)<br />
csc@agapeicataipei.org<br />
www.agapeicataipei.org<br />
Anglican Episcopal Church<br />
Church of the Good Shepherd<br />
509 ZhongCheng Rd., Shilin<br />
Tel: 2873-8104, 2882-2462<br />
www.goodshepherd.com.tw/english/<br />
Calvary International Baptist Church<br />
21, YangDe Blvd., Sec. 2, Yangmingshan<br />
Tel: 2831-3458 Fax: 2838-5792<br />
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints<br />
5, Lane 183, JinHua Street<br />
Tel: 2321-9195, 0939-687-178<br />
City Revival Church<br />
B1, 210, ZhongXiao E. Rd., Sec. 4<br />
Tel: 8921-8250 Fax: 8921-8272<br />
doris.henry@msa.hinet.net<br />
Friendship Presbyterian Church<br />
5, Lane 269, Roosevelt Rd., Sec. 3<br />
Tel: 2362-1395<br />
Grace Baptist Church<br />
90 XinSheng S. Rd., Sec. 3<br />
Tel: 2362-5321 ext. 135<br />
Jewish <strong>Community</strong><br />
For information call Ahrony Yoram on 0939-<br />
763-135<br />
Living Word Church<br />
B1, 304, ShiDong Road, Shilin<br />
Tel: 2834-6549<br />
Mother of God Catholic Church<br />
171 ZhongShan N. Rd., Sec. 7, Tianmu<br />
Tel: 2871-5168 Fax: 2871-7972<br />
www.geocities.com/mother_of_god_church<br />
vanaert@iplus.net.tw<br />
New Apostolic Church<br />
2F, No. 5, Lane 39, Keelung Rd, sec. 2, Taipei<br />
www.nac-taiwan.org, info@nac-taiwan.org<br />
New Life International Seventh-day<br />
Adventist Church<br />
4th Fl. Health <strong>Center</strong>- Taipei Adventist Hospital<br />
424 Ba De Rd. Sec. 2, Taipei 105<br />
Pr. Robbie Berghan 0958-732-704<br />
www.nlisda.org<br />
email: rberghan@twcadventist.org.tw<br />
Oasis Bread of Life Christian Church<br />
10F, #55, ZhongCheng Rd, Sec. 2<br />
(DaYeh Takashimaya, Tian Mu)<br />
Tel: 28310299 Fax: 28317214<br />
http://www.oasis.org.tw email: oasis@oasiscf.org.tw<br />
Suang-Lien Presbyterian Church, English<br />
Ministry<br />
Zhongshan N. Road, Section 2, Taipei<br />
www.slpcenglish.org<br />
Taipei Holiness Church<br />
(Charismatic International Service)<br />
Every Sunday morning at 10.45am with Pastor<br />
Sandra Ee<br />
5F, #107 Nanking East Road Section 4, Taipei<br />
Te: 27123242<br />
Taipei International Church<br />
Meets at the Taipei American School<br />
800 ZhongShan N. Rd., Sec. 6, Tianmu<br />
Tel: 2833-7444 Fax: 2835-2778<br />
www.taipeichurch.org/ gateway.htm<br />
Transforming Faith Church<br />
(f.k.a. Bread of Life Christian Church)<br />
5F, 295 ZhongXiao E. Rd., Sec. 4<br />
Tel: 8772-2207 Fax: 8772-2210<br />
fellowship@transformingfaith.org.tw<br />
Word from the director<br />
Hi Everyone<br />
It seems that this month every conversation I have had has inevitably at some point swung round to a discussion of the<br />
Academy Awards. My conversations have revolved around movies and what “makes the difference” in a good movie or a<br />
good performance. I can’t speak for everyone but the memorable parts of actors’ performances for me are the little things;<br />
the things that they do that are special to each individual role, performance, and character. To give you an idea, some of the<br />
‘little things’ that stand out for me among the movies I have seen over the years are:<br />
• The way Jack Nicholson curls his foot outside the covers at the last moment every time he goes to bed in Something’s<br />
Got to Give, giving his character a personality beyond what the script might bring.<br />
• The aggressive way Robert de Niro chomps down on a sandwich mid-film as Jake La Motta in Raging Bull tells us more<br />
about the character’s anger at that moment than any amount of dialogue could.<br />
• The way Andrew Lincoln taps his finger twice along a cold metal railing in London in Love Actually after having his love<br />
for Keira Knightley outed is a defining moment of decision for the character that would be lost with out this simple act.<br />
• Any number of mannerisms that Meryl Streep adopted for Julia Childs in Julie and Julia; these take the actor out of the<br />
film and leave us only with Julia Childs herself.<br />
The small details obviously improve the performance but it is in the willingness of these actors to go to these extra lengths,<br />
to ‘make a difference,’ that inspires me I think. It is already virtuous to do what is expected, what is promised. But when<br />
we can make the effort and take the time to do that little bit extra that surprises, then we elevate Work to the level of Art, we<br />
raise people’s Hopes to the level of Possibility.<br />
I know it is a stretch to draw comparison between the Academy Awards and the work we do at The <strong>Center</strong> but the<br />
counselors, staff, teachers and volunteers that I work with really do surprise me daily with the extra they give and their<br />
ability to ‘make a difference’ in people’s lives. It would be corny to say that I think they should all get Oscars for the work<br />
they do so I won't say it. But you know I am thinking it….<br />
So let’s hear it for the wonderful staff at The <strong>Center</strong>. To the people we have helped and saved, to the newcomers we have<br />
assisted, to the people we have taught, and to the joy that we have brought. The <strong>Center</strong> really does make a difference.<br />
See you soon.<br />
Steve<br />
Director<br />
32 APR 2010
COMMUNITY GROUPS<br />
OrgAnizATiOn TeLepHOne WebSiTe/emAiL AddreSS<br />
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) 2836-6994 caliq17@yahoo.com<br />
http://www.aataiwan.atfreeweb.com/english.htm<br />
Al-anon (English speaking)<br />
alanonfamilygroup@hotmail.com<br />
Alliance Française de Taiwan 2364-8833/ 2364-1919 info@alliancefrancaise.org.tw www.alliancefrancaise.org.tw<br />
American Chamber of Commerce 2718-8226 amcham@amcham.com.tw<br />
American Club in China 2885-8260 www.americanclub.org.tw<br />
American Institute in Taiwan 2162-2000 www.ait.org.tw<br />
Amnesty International 2709-4162 amnesty.taiwan@gmail.com, www.aitaiwan.org.tw<br />
Australia & New Zealand Chamber of Commerce (ANZCham) 7701 0818/ 0922 109 089 secretary@anzcham.org.tw www.anzcham.org.tw<br />
British Chamber of Commerce 2547-1199 www.bcctaipei.com<br />
Canadian Society 2757-6977 www.canadiansociety.org<br />
Christian Salvation Service 2729-0265 www.csstpe.org.tw<br />
<strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Center</strong> 2836-8134 www.community.com.tw<br />
Democrats Abroad (Tammy Turner)<br />
democratsabroadtaiwan@gmail.com<br />
Dutch Speaking Association (VNT)<br />
www.vntonline.org<br />
European Chamber of Commerce 2740-0236 www.ecct.com.tw<br />
Gateway 2833-7444 gateway@taipeichurch.org<br />
German Institute 2501-6188 www.taipei.diplo.de<br />
German Trade Office 2506-9028 www.dwb-taipei.org.tw<br />
Goethe-Institut Taipei 2506-9028 www.goethe.de/taipei<br />
Indians' Association of Taipei 2542-8091 lalduru@seed.net.tw<br />
International <strong>Community</strong> Choir 2533-4272 internationalchoir@gmail.com<br />
La Leche League (Breastfeeding Support)<br />
www.lalecheleague.org<br />
lé the francophone<br />
thefrancopnone@hotmail.fr , http://thefrancophone.unblog.fr/<br />
Lions Downtown Club Taipei, English speaking (Peter Wu) 2701-1811 www.tapeidowntowntw.lionwap.org<br />
Oasis Youth Group 2831-0299<br />
Overseas Trailing Talent in Taiwan<br />
TaipeiTalent@yahoo.com<br />
Paradyme Youth Group 2833-7444 www.paradymeyouth.org<br />
POW Camps Memorial Society (Michael Hurst) 8660-8438 www.powtaiwan.org<br />
Republicans Abroad Taiwan 2592 2840 einhorn@ttn.net<br />
Shilin District Office 2882-6200 www.sld.gov.tw<br />
Tagalog Hotline 2834-4127 paultic@ispeed.com<br />
Taipei International Women’s Club 2331-9403 www.tiwc.org<br />
TYPA (Taipei Youth Program Association) 2873-1815 www.typa.org.tw<br />
SCHOOLS<br />
Dominican International School 2533-8451 www.dishs.tp.edu.tw<br />
Grace Christian Academy 2785-7233 www.gca.tp.edu.tw<br />
Morrison Academy 2365-9691 www.mca.org.tw<br />
Taipei Adventist American School 2861-6400 www.taas-taiwan.com<br />
Taipei American School 2873-9900 www.tas.edu.tw<br />
Taipei European School 8145-9007 www.taipeieuropeanschool.com<br />
Taipei Japanese School 2872-3833 www.taipeijf.org<br />
SpOrTS<br />
Biking Site in Taiwan<br />
http://www.cycletaiwan.com/<br />
Hash House Harriers 0952-025-116 www.chinahash.com<br />
International Golf Society of Taipei<br />
www.taiwan-golf.com<br />
Scottish Country Dancing (May Chen) 2706 3179 maychen321@pchome.com.tw<br />
Taipei Women’s International Golf Group (TWIGG) 2691 5912 twiggtaipei@hotmail.com<br />
Tai Tai’s Women’s Touch Rugby 0981-180-020 blandm@tas.edu.tw<br />
Taipei Baboons Rugby Club - Taiwan 0952 67 1995 bernierua@gmail.com<br />
Taipei Shebabs Women’s Touch Rugby 0913-602-071 johnnayoder@yahoo.com<br />
COUnTrY repreSenTATiVeS in TAiWAn<br />
COUnTrY TeLepHOne COUnTrY TeLepHOne COUnTrY TeLepHOne<br />
Argentina 2757-6556<br />
Australia 8725-4100<br />
Austria 2712-8597<br />
Belgium 2715-1215<br />
Belize 2876-0894<br />
Bolivia 2723-8721<br />
Brazil 2835-7388<br />
Britain 8758-2088<br />
Brunei 2506-3767<br />
Burkina Faso 2873-3096<br />
Canada 2544-3000<br />
Chad 2874-2943<br />
Chile 2723-0329<br />
Costa Rica 2875-2964<br />
Czech Republic 2738-9768<br />
Denmark 2718-2101<br />
Dominican Republic 2875-1357<br />
El Salvador 2876-3509<br />
Fiji 2757-9596<br />
Finland 2722-0764<br />
France 3518-5151<br />
Gambia 2875-3911<br />
German Institute 2501-6188<br />
Guatemala 2875-6952<br />
Haiti 2876-6718<br />
Honduras 2875-5512<br />
Hungary 8501-1200<br />
India 2757-6112<br />
Indonesia 8752-6179<br />
Ireland 2725-1691<br />
Israel 2757-9692<br />
Italy 2725-1542<br />
Japan 2713-8000<br />
Jordan 2871-7712<br />
Korea 2725-2324<br />
Malaysia 2713-2626<br />
Mexico 2757-6566<br />
Netherlands 2713-5760<br />
New Zealand 2757-6725<br />
Nicaragua 2874-9034<br />
Nigeria 2757-6987<br />
Norway 2543-5484<br />
Oman 2722-0684<br />
Panama 2509-9189<br />
Paraguay 2873-6310<br />
Peru 2757-7017<br />
Philippines 2723-2527<br />
Poland 2757-6140<br />
Russia 8780-3011<br />
Saudi Arabia 2876-1444<br />
Senegal 2876-6519<br />
Singapore 2772-1940<br />
Slovak Republic 8780-3231<br />
South Africa 2715-3251<br />
Spain 2518-4901<br />
Swaziland 2872-5934<br />
Sweden 2757-6573<br />
Switzerland 2720-1001<br />
Thailand 2723-1800<br />
Turkey 2757-7318<br />
United States 2162-2000<br />
Vietnam 2516-6626<br />
Apr 2010<br />
33
dirk's taiwan<br />
dirk<br />
DIEsTEL<br />
took this photo 2-3 years ago in Taipei downtown near main<br />
I station. But I could have taken it anywhere in the city. In Taiwan,<br />
it is an age-old tradition for every neighbourhood to have its own<br />
unofficial recycling officers. They are mostly elderly people who use<br />
a transport-bicycle or even an old discarded baby stroller. This is a<br />
wonderful system by the society; not only for the people who have a<br />
chance to make a little money, but also for our environment. In many<br />
cities in Europe or elsewhere, you see lots of trash like empty bottles<br />
on the roads. But Taipei is clean. Thanks to our trash collectors.<br />
Dirk's website: www.taiwan-foto.de<br />
34 Apr 2010