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Publication of the Community Services CenterCenteredon TAIPEIMarch 2012, Volume 12, Issue 625 years of The CenTer: a hisToryTips for ByoBrunning ulTramaraThonsCollaBoraTive enTrepreneurshipCoffee Corner: Tianmuliving wiTh migraines

4 march 2012 www.communitycenter.org.tw

Letter From The EditorPublisher: Community Services Center, TaipeiManaging Editor: Steven ParkerEditor: Kath LiuCo-editor: Richard SaundersAdvertising Manager: Paula LeeTel: 0926-956-844Fax: 02-2835-2530email: paulalee@communitycenter.org.twWriting and PhotographyContributors: Leat AhronyMarina BuranaIvy ChenJeffrey ChenSarah Chen LinAly CooperNeev ExleyMonica HessTin Tin KaoJulien LaneyrieCommunity ServicesCenter Editorial Panel:Printed by:Siew Kang, Fred VoigtmannFarn Mei Printing Co., Ltd.1F, No. 102, Hou Kang Street, Shilin District, TaipeiTel: 02-2882-6748 Fax: 02-2882-6749E-mail: farn.mei@msa.hinet.netCommunity Services Centerwww.communitycenter.org.twDirector: Steven ParkerOffice Manager: Grace TingCounselors:Newcomer Orientation Consultant: Amy LiuAccountant: Monica ChengCommunications: Kari SchiroPrograms Coordinator: Rosemary SusaEvents Coordinator: Bianca RussellChinese Teacher: Gloria GwoVolunteers:Premier Sponsors:Suzan Babcock, Kris Carlson, Fawn Chang,Wendy Evans, Cerita Hsu, Perry Malcolm, Tina Oelke,Ming-I Sun, Cindy TeetersAlison Bai, Shana Garcia, Robin Looney,John McQuade, Linda Mendenhall, Gloria Peng,Ruth Reynolds, Jenni Rosen, Julia Ruggiere, KariSchiro, Sandra Schnelle, Desta Selassie,Michelle Smith, Anita Town, Lillian Yiin3M TaiwanBai Win AntiquesBP Taiwan Ltd.China American PetrochemicalConcordia ConsultingCostco Wholesale TaiwanCrown Worldwide Movers Ltd.Four Star Int’lGrand Hyatt Hotel, TaipeiHSBCICRTMetacity Development CorpNokia Siemens NetworksProQCSan Fu Gas Co. Ltd.Smerwick LtdSongfu LiStandard Chartered BankAmy LiuRoma MehtaPearl MorrisSteve ParkerMark L. PetersonRichard SaundersKari SchiroKathy Van WilgenburgThe Community Services Center (CSC) is a non-profit foundation. CSC providesoutreach and early intervention through counseling, cross-cultural education and lifeskills programs to meet the needs of the international community in Taipei. CSC offersthe opportunity to learn, volunteer, teach and meet others. Check out our website www.communitycenter.org.tw and drop by The Center to chat with us about our programs.You can also email us at csc@communitycenter.org.tw.There’s something magical about the first few cherryblossoms that peep shyly out from the branches,indicating that the end of winter is not so far away. Thebright pink flower is a promise of something new, afresh start and all of the wonder that spring holds.So too for this issue of Centered on Taipei! We seethe beginnings of something new with the introductionof Aly Cooper’s crusade to find the best cup of coffeein Taipei with her assessment of three wonderfullittle cafes in the Tianmu area. Following the themeof eating and drinking, Marina Burana invites us totake a fresh look at the way we eat in her interviewwith Mark Caltonhill, author of vegetarian blog NotOnly Meatless Monday. We also have stories of newcommunity initiatives within these pages as Kathy VanWilgenburg tells us about the Job Registry project, setup through the ministry of the Taipei InternationalChurch, as well as Roma Mehta’s profile of the creatorof The Founder Squad, David Dupony.At the same time as celebrating the new, we alsocelebrate the well-established. Steven Parker, Directorof The Community Services Center, kicks off our tributeto The Center’s 25th anniversary with a story of howThe Center came to be. This is the beginning of a seriesof articles that will continue throughout the year as wemeet some of the key people who have been involvedthroughout The Center’s history. Reading this pieceabout The Center’s beginnings really made me think —what would Taipei be like for all of us if The Center didnot exist? I for one can’t really imagine, as it is such anessential cornerstone of many of our lives.So join with us as we celebrate the new and the notso-newin this month’s magazine! There’s something inhere for everyone.If you would like to contribute to the magazine,whether with your writing or photography, please writeto me with your ideas at coteditor@communitycenter.org.tw. Also, if you would like to write but you’re notreally sure about which topics to cover, let me know.There are always stories waiting for someone to writethem! As always we welcome your news and views.KathKath LiuEditorRichard SaundersCo-editorPaula LeeAdvertising ManagerCentered on Taipei is printed on 50% post consumer waste content stock. We have alsoreplaced the glossy laminated cover with a softer aqueous based resin coating which makesit easier to recycle. By committing to post consumer paper stock we support the market forrecycled fibers and reduce environmental impact.Recycling paper uses 60% less energy than manufacturing paper from virgin fiber."Every ton of recycled paper saves enough electricity to power a 3 bedroom house for an entireyear." (http://www.greenseal.org/index.cfm)www.communitycenter.org.tw march 20125

CSC NEWSRICHARDRecommendsRichard SaundersIt’s an unusually eclectic month at the CKS National CulturalCenter in March, with a rich collection of performancesranging from knotty contemporary classical to cool crossoverand the just plain weird. I’m sure I’m being unfair to LaurieAnderson calling her art ‘weird,’ but I never quite got overthe spectacle, as an impressionable teenager, of seeing hercavorting on Top of the Pops (Britain’s leading pop music TVshow for thirty-odd years) in ‘O Superman.’ Anyway, she’s inTaipei on a repeat visit to perform a much more recent work,Delusion (2010). Certainly this recent multi-media piece strikesme as a much more thought-provoking experience than sittingthrough Rock Symphonies, a concert performance of crossoverviolinist David Garrett’s latest album. I’m ashamed to say I knewnothing of Garrett until I paid a visit to his official website, whereI was startled to learn that (according to Garrett himself, noless), “You have to be a world-class violinist in order to record agood crossover CD.” And I always thought all that was neededwas to look cool and sexy, be able to play reasonably well, andhave great marketing.Modern classical music could certainly do with some bettermarketing – it’s my favorite musical period, and an inexhaustiblemine of treasures (although there’s plenty of fool’s gold inthere as well); if only it could shake its undeserved reputationof being forbidding and inaccessible. The ever-adventurousNational Symphony Orchestra are once again trying to sellthe century’s music, with seasons devoted to two of its mostinfluential composers, Stravinsky and Messiaen. Featured thismonth are several early works by the two masters. Messiaenis represented by two rather beautiful efforts dating fromhis twenties (Les Offrandes Oubliees and l’Ascension) whileStravinsky is represented by an out-and-out masterwork, theRite of Spring on March 23rd. It’s hard to believe that thispeerless creation is a century old next year, especially sinceit continues to this day to stir up strong positive and negativefeelings among music lovers; whatever you think of it, itsextraordinarily elemental power always packs a heady punch(especially in a good concert performance).Another work of astonishingly sustained emotional intensity,Shostakovich’s Eighth Symphony (played on March 10thunder none other than the great Russian conductor GennardiRozhdestvensky) is a product of the dark year of 1943. This,of course, was in the midst of the Second World War, but forcitizens of Soviet Russia, the misery was compounded bythe existence of Stalin’s brutally repressive regime, and bymemories of the horrific pre-war Purges carried out by thedictator against his enemies. The Eighth is Shostakovich’srequiem to the thousands murdered by Stalin’s henchmen, andin some ways its raw emotional impact makes it a challenginglisten (the third movement scherzo, for instance is one ofthe most intimidating yet exhilarating movements in Westernmusic). On the other hand, it can stand alongside Beethoven’sNinth, Bruckner’s Eighth, and a very small number of othergreat masterpieces, as a work of almost religious profundity.Stalin may be long gone, but these days the work’s stiflingcombination of urgency, numbed grief, brutal violence, and(perhaps) a little hope, seem oddly topical, bringing to mind asit does another country presently suffering unimaginable horrorsunder the hand of a brutally repressive regime – Syria.National Theater & Concert Hallmarch 2012National TheaterMourad Merzouki Yogee TiModern dance from FranceMarch 3-4Peter Brook: A Magic FluteBrook’s interpretation of Mozart’soperaMarch 8-10Hofesh Shechter CompanyPolitical MotherMore modern danceMarch 16-17The King and Queen of theShang DynastyMarch 23-25NATIONAL CONCERT HALLLaurie Anderson DelusionBack in Taipei with a work from2010March 3David Garrett Rock SymphoniesThe cross-over violinist plays hislatest albumMarch 4Wu Tien-hsin Violin RecitalWorks by Franck, Mozart,Schumann and MozartMarch 7Gavriel Lipkind Cello RecitalMusic by Bach, Cassado and LigetiMarch 9Centennial RussiaGennardi Rozhdestvenskyconducts Shostakovich eight!March 10 RRBach St Matthew PassionAmazingly, receiving its firstperformance in Taiwan!March 12-13Lifschitz Piano Marathon:classicBach’s Goldberg VariationsMarch 21Lifschitz Piano Marathon:RomanceSchumann’s Fantasy and Liszt’sPiano SonataMarch 22 RRDrum Beat in Spring TimeOrchestral music by Messiaen andStravinsky, and two concertos forpercussionMarch 23 RRWu Man and Aboriginal FriendsA world-famous Pipa playercollaborates with aboriginalmusiciansMarch 24Lifschitz Piano Marathon:ModernShostakovich’s 24 Preludes andFuguesMarch 25Suor AngelicaPuccini’s short opera, andMessiaen’s l’AscensionMarch 29, 21 RRAlexander Gavrylyuk PianoRecitalThe young Ukrainian pianist givesworks by Debussy, Rachmaninovand LisztMarch 30RR: Richard RecommendsFor full details, please log on to the Culture Express website athttp://express.culture.gov.tw or take a copy of the monthly programfrom CKS Cultural Center, available from MRT stations, bookshops andticketing offices.Publication of the National Theater and Concert Hall schedule inCentered on Taipei is sponsored by Cathay Life Insurance.TICKETING OFFICES: • NTCH: (02) 2343 1647• ERA: (02) 2709 37886march 2012 www.communitycenter.org.tw

Amy'sulturalCorner台灣Oolong TeaTaiwan’s best brewTea has been a traditionalChinese beverage forthousands of years. I amvery proud to share thatTaiwan produces some of the bestteas in the world, and it is especiallyrenowned for its oolong tea. Teahas been an important agriculturalproduct here for over a century.It was once produced mainly forexport, and it was not until the1970s that tea lovers in Taiwanbegan to discover and enjoy the teagrown on their own doorstep. All teacomes from the same plant, Cameliasinensis. The difference betweenteas depends on where it is grownand the way it has been processedafter harvesting. Chinese tea isclassified according to the degree offermentation it undergoes.TYPES OF TEAGreen tea ( 綠 茶 , lu cha) is a nonfermentedtea, produced mainlyin Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli andTaipei counties. It has the highestcaffeine content. The tea color ispale yellow-green.Baozhong tea ( 包 種 茶 , baozhongcha) is 10% fermented. It is grownin the northern mountain areas ofTaiwan, including in the hills aroundthe village of Pinglin ( 坪 林 ) southeastof Taipei, which are famous for thegood quality of baozhong tea grownthere. The color of the brew is lightgolden-green and it has a smooth,faintly sweet taste that soothes andcomforts the throat.Oolong tea ( 烏 龍 茶 , wu long cha)is semi-fermented (20-40%). ‘Highmountain’ oolong tea is grown atan altitude of 1,000 meters or more.The mountains around Alishan inChiayi County are especially famousfor their high-mountain tea, whichis grown at between 1,000 and2,300 meters above sea level. Theever-present fog in the morning andevening, low temperatures and puremountain spring water found hereprovide ideal conditions for oolongtea production. It has a sweet tasteand a refined aroma and can standfor a long time without turning bitter.The best-known oolong tea varietyin Taiwan is known as dong ding ( 凍頂 ) and comes from central Taiwan.The color of the tea is bright goldenyellowwith a strong aroma, richtaste, and a wonderful aftertaste thatlasts a long time on the tongue andthroat.Tie Kuanyin tea ( 鐵 觀 音 , t i ekuanyin, literally ‘iron Buddha’) is50-60% fermented. You can findTie Kuanyin tea produced at Muzha( 木 柵 ), just south of Taipei City, andaround Shimen ( 石 門 ) on Taiwan’snorthern coast. The color is orangeyellowor slightly red. The taste isthick, sweet and smooth, but a bitastringent.Black tea ( 紅 茶 , hong cha) is afully-fermented tea. You can findgood quality black tea from Assamtea plants in Puli, a town in thecentral Taiwan county of Nantou,and Juisui, in Hualien County.PREPARING TEAA traditional Chinese tea setusually includes a pot, a smallserving jug, a plate, and six drinkingcups. Tea can be prepared in eitherporcelain or clay teapots or individuallidded cups. For the Taiwanese, theprocess of making and serving teais as important as savoring its taste.Making tea the traditional wayinvolves several steps.1. H e a t t h e w a t e r. T h e w a t e rtemperature depends on the kindof tea you are about to serve:lighter, green teas require a lowerwater temperature than darkeroolong and black teas.2. Warm the pot. Use hot waterto rinse the tea pot and tea cupsbefore steeping the tea. Fill thecup or pot to about a fifth of itscapacity with tea leaves, or addenough leaves to cover the bottomof the pot.3. Add the water. Pour the hotwww.communitycenter.org.tw march 20127

water into the pot until it overflows, andimmediately drain it. By removing the initialinfusion, the Taiwanese feel the cleaned leaveswill release the true flavor of the tea duringthe second (and best) infusion (althoughsome don’t think this step is necessary). Pourhot water into the pot again and brew forabout three minutes. Pour the tea into theserving jug. The steeping time varies slightlydepending on the tea type. Lighter green tearequires less steeping time than darker oolongand black tea.Specialist tea drinkers first pour the tea intoa tiny ‘aroma cup’ then quickly transfer it intoanother cup to be drunk. The fragrance leftin the empty aroma cup is used to determinethe quality of the tea. Most people howeversimply pour the tea directly into a cup and enjoythe taste, clarity and fragrance of the freshlybrewed tea. High-quality tea leaves will retaintheir flavor for at least three infusions, althoughyou should let the leaves steep for a further tenseconds for each additional infusion.Store the unused leaves in an airtight tin orglass container in a cool, dry place to seal in theflavor.TAiwAn TEA HousE CuLTuRETea houses are the place for family and friendsto get together, drink tea, relax, and mingle.Visiting a tea house (especially those up in themountains) in Taiwan is a memorable experience,and also a great opportunity to learn a little aboutthe richness of Taiwanese culture. Traditionaltea houses can be found in every major city inTaiwan. Nowadays these tea houses are oftenconstructed of wood, and may be decorated withcalligraphy, paintings and sculptures to recreatethe atmosphere of an older Taiwan. Some largertea houses may have an outdoor garden and aChinese-style fish pond. Traditional music isoften played to promote a relaxing atmosphere.Many people linger for hours enjoying a good potof tea with some snacks or perhaps a light meal.There are many attractive outdoor tea houses upin the mountains around Taiwan, often with greatviews of the countryside or the city.HEALTH bEnEFiTsDrinking tea is an everyday habit for mostfamilies in Taiwan. The Taiwanese normallyprefer less fermented varieties than the black teathat is usually drunk in the West. Chinese tea hasa more subtle flavor and is regarded as a healthydrink: research reports prove that tea is good foryou. It can help stimulate the immune system,improve the functions of the digestive system,prevent blood clots, and lower cholesterol levelsamong other benefits. Drink tea for your body,your health and your soul!The Center GALLERYMarch 2012On the Gallery wall this month we feature beautifulpaintings from Asida Cheng. A member of the Societyof Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Asida'spaintings are elegant and childlike. She uses pastel,watercolor, acrylic, and oil to create her artworks, whichprovide a feeling of peace, harmony and joy for viewers.On the Gallery table,Dianne Hallidayonce again exhibits avariety of fashionablejewelry pieces madefrom semi-preciousstone and metals, andvibrantly colored bagswhich will go with anyoutfit.Also, Jenny DongFeuerhahn and her companyFusion Flame will bringelegance to your dining tableand every corner of your homewith their modern and uniquedesigns of stainless steel cutlery and flatware. Thesehandmade high-grade pieces are dishwasher safe andbeautifully made to last. Also on display from FusionFlame's jewelry line are the new spring collections,"Mix 'n' Match" and "Twist 'n' Tie," two aptly-titledcollections of rings and necklaces that can be worn inendless combinations.A percentage of all proceeds of items sold at the Gallerygo to The Center, so please remember that by displayingand shopping here you are helping us to provide muchneeded services to the international community.8 march 2012 www.communitycenter.org.tw

OFF THE BEATEN TRACKRICHARD SAUNDERS EXPLORES TAIWAN'S LESS-TRODDEN PATHSFilial son mountainFilial Son Mountain is far too well-known thesedays among hikers to need any introduction, soit’s all the more surprising that just a decade orso ago this astonishing natural adult adventureplayground was only just emerging from obscurity. Onmy first visit, I had to ask directions from locals to findthe trailhead, and climbing to the summits of the trioof rocky pinnacles was pretty hair-raising (and morethan slightly risky). Today Filial Son Mountain and itscompanions form one of the classic hikes of the Taipeiarea, and one of the best ways I can think of spending afree morning.There are two ways to reach the base of the pinnacles:the short way (which is great for those with little time)and the correct way (via a series of amazing sheer clifffacesand strange rock formations, hidden in the jungle),which takes a couple of hours longer but increases the funand excitement of the hike exponentially.Both routes finally join at the enchanted valley at thefoot of the Filial Son, Loving Mother and Putuo peaks, atrio of sharp ridges of bare rock thrusting out of the thickforest into the sky. The Filial Son, although the lowest ofthe three peaks, looks quite impossible to climb from thefront side.However, take the trail climbing round the foot of thepinnacle to the back, and its secret is revealed: a seriesof ladders and steps carved into the sandstone scale thesummit of the needle safely, although it’s still quite anexciting climb!Hundreds of steep steps carved into the bare spineof rock (the rope hand-rails on either side are essentialsafety precautions) scale the second of the peaks, theLoving Mother, which is crisscrossed by no less than fourtrails, one clambering up each of its mostly bare-rockfaces. The path down the far (southern) side is especiallyfun, but breathtakingly steep and definitely not for thefaint-of-heart!The third and final peak, Mt Putuo is the highestof the trio, and although a mere 450 meters, it’s a farmore interesting climb (if you can find the trailhead,which is a little tricky to find) than the many peaksin Yangmingshan that are more than twice its height.There’s just one precariously narrow route up and downthis one, but fabulous views from the top make for a veryexciting short climb.I’m in awe of the people who risked their lives tocut the original steps up these three peaks (rumor hasit they were created by a retired guard of Chiang Kaishek),which must have entailed spending long hoursin some extremely dangerous positions. We should alsobe thankful to the souls who set about improving thesafety of the trail up the peaks a decade ago. The firsttime I came here, instead of the present solid cable handrails and iron stakes on either side of the trails therewas nothing but fixed ropes, and it was pretty hairyclimbing up there! It’s a much safer place to scrambleabout nowadays, but even now only those with a senseof adventure and good head for heights should considervisiting.To find out more about Filial son mountain, visit Offthe Beaten Track at http://taiwandiscovery.wordpress.com/. Full details of the hike, with detailed instructionsfor both the short and (recommended!) long walks canbe found in Taipei Escapes book 1, on page 173.Richard Saunders is a trained classical musician and writer who has lived in Taipei since1993. He has written several books (available at The Center and in bookshops aroundTaipei), including Yangmingshan: the Guide (a complete guide to the National Park on Taipei’sDoorstep) and Taipei Escapes I and 2, which together detail sixty day trips and hikes within easyreach of Taipei city. A fourth book, a guide to Taiwan’s offshore islands, is due out in 2012.www.communitycenter.org.tw march 20129

Coffee CornerA personal selectionof Tianmu's cafésThere’s been an explosion in the number of decent coffee shops openingin Taipei during the last decade or so, and it can be tricky to separate thewinners from the wannabes. In the first of a new series self-confessedcoffee aficionado ALY COOPER choses a couple of her favorite spots for agood old-fashioned caffeine fix, starting on her home turf: Tianmu.TexT & images:aly Cooper, sToCk phoTosCoffee gives a night owland sometime insomniacsuch as myself a reason towake up in the morning.I'll drink it cold, hot, lukewarm —however I can get my zombie-likehands on it. The first cup in themorning is just...well, it's magic.For many of us, coffee mirrors ourmoods, whether it be bold androbust, aromatic or mild with atouch of acidity, sickeningly sweetor perhaps even a tad bitter. Evenwhen you're feeling nutty, there'ssomething for you too. The optionsare wonderfully endless.My love affair with coffee began incollege, encouraged by my parents,who knew I was really missing outon something. They weaned me intothis wonderful new world by givingme a ‘specialty’ coffee. I'm sure itdoesn't take a genius to guess whichchain this specialty drink came from.Famous for frappuccinos, mochasand machiato… we've all been there.If I'm being completely honest, I'mactually sitting in one right now asI write this article. As a lover ofcoffee however, it's a disservice toone's very palate to limit yourself.This, my friends, is why I havewholeheartedly agreed to branch outand sacrifice myself for the people.I'm taking the heavy burden uponmyself and I'm going to drink coffee— all over Taipei. The burden I bearis a tough one, but I'm up for it.Perhaps it's due to my roots, butI'm a sucker for what hard-core (i.e.straight up black) coffee drinkersrefer to as “not real coffee": the froufrouof coffee — you know, anythingwith froth, foam and a drizzle ofdeliciousness. I do however like towalk on the wild side, so I do notlimit myself. I'm just letting youknow where I may stray to in someof my coffee reviews, though I willdo my best to diversify (all in thespirit of research, of course). BeforeI begin, let me make the followingdisclaimer: these reviews are basedsolely upon my own opinion; Iwas not forced, bribed, paid orsummoned to venture to any of these10 march 2012 www.communitycenter.org.tw

locations. As we all have differentpreferences, what works for me maynot work for you — you'll just haveto try it out and see for yourself.OK. I feel much better. Whydon't you grab a hot cup of goodnessbefore reading? I'll wait.For my first few places, I decidedto keep to Tianmu, which is close tohome (for me at least), and I was notleft disappointed.SonnentorAlley 18, Lane 38, Tianyu St.,TianmuFirst up, Sonnentor. Perhapsyou've only been there for bread;if so you're missing out. Anytime Ihave company in from out-of-town,I bring them here and I've never beendisappointed. It has some outdoorseating during nicer weather andample seating inside. I’m particularlyfond of their counter space whereyou can perch with a latte and agood book. If you're in a rush for acup of coffee however, go to 7-Elevenbecause (as I have found) perfectiontakes time. The latte is brought ona charming wooden plate of sorts(I'm a sucker for presentation) witha little glass carafe of flavored liquidsugar, which in my case was hazelnut— my favorite! Pour (all) that liquidscrumptiousness into your latte andsettle in for a treat. It's pretty filling,so getting the corresponding teatimetreat may be over the top for some(no judgements please). How toadequately describe it …? Let meput it this way — have you ever hada meal that was so good you closeyour eyes, and are disappointedwhen it's over? Well, I get this waywith certain foods, books and —now — a hazelnut latte can be addedto the list as well. Heavenly.Price? The lower end of high(NT$120 -180) but worth the priceevery now and then. Sacrifice a coffeefrom the Chain and buy one hereinstead; you won't be disappointed.Oh, and did I mention that thecoffee is Organic? A bonus.Cafe 828, Lane 22,Tianmu E. Rd., TianmuI'm not going to lie, Cafe 8 tookme completely by surprise. I'veridden my bike by it a few times,but like many hidden gems I'veinadvertently passed up; I didn'tknow what I was missing. Cafe 8'stagline is "a fantastic place to havecafe". True statement. As I went toorder I asked if I could get a nonfatlatte. Clearly I had forgotten whereI was. No. They could not makethat. What's on the menu is what'sto be ordered, period. They didn'tsay that, but I like to think that I canread people pretty well. A regularlatte it was. Verdict? It was really,really good. The milk was frothedand foamed to perfection — it wasso thick it was literally floating likea sumptuous cloud on top of mycoffee. While not as aestheticallypleasing as Sonnentor's, Cafe 8 hasan outdoor seating area as well, andthe cafe itself, once you're inside, isliterally open: there’s no door. Theinside has a well-worn, laid back feelto it, and and the coffee is great forthe price (NT$40-80) with a largevariety of items to choose from.HaaYa'S66 Tianmu N. Rd., TianmuSo I didn’t run the risk of losingcredibility with ‘real’ coffee drinkers,I went to the dark side. You gotit. No milk. No foam. No addedsweetener. Yeah that's right — Ihad a cup of coffee. I had heardmurmurings of this coffee shop froma friend, and knew I needed to giveit a go. HAAYA's Coffee on TianmuNorth Road is a special find. Uponentering, customers can either sit atJapanese-style tables on the floor(removing shoes) to the right, orstray to a table on the left. For myfirst time, I opted for a little windowseat. I was handed a startling menuof different coffees, marked withdifferent color tags based upon whattheir “roast degree” was. Roastdegrees varied from medium ‘fruitlikeacidity’ to a city roast, or (forthose feeling exceptionally bold)the full bodied bittersweet roast.Unfortunately, after reading themenu a bit more carefully, I foundthat only the roasts marked witha sticker are brewed daily. OK.However, there were also expressos,blended and specialty coffees tochoose from. For the indecisive, thiscoffee shop was a bit paralyzing. Asany strongly indecisive person does,I deferred the decision to someoneelse: in this case my waiter. Clearlynoting my angst and perhaps beinga bit clairvoyant, he recommendedthe Malawi Miuku Geisha, markedwith a yellow tag for being a mediumhigh roast with fruit-like acidity.My coffee arrived a bit later (again,perfection takes time) in a daintywhite and blue china teacup. AsI gingerly picked up my cup, I feltan overwhelming desire to drink‘proper’ with pinky poised, but withsurprising restraint, I refrained fromdoing so. Instead I took my timeand dare I say, actually enjoyed mycup of Malawi Miuku Geisha. Asmy coffee cooled a bit, and I nearedthe end that ‘fruit-like acidity’ gotstronger, though certainly it didn’tdeter me from draining my cup. Ilearned that perhaps one does notneed milk and sugar to make a greatcup of coffee. Huh!Brace yourself — HAAYA'S rangeson the high side of pricey, charginganywhere from NT$200-350 a cup.I have to say though that if a cup ofblack coffee was actually deemedpleasant by me, it's worth a try. Theyalso have some sweet sets available,and juice if you're bringing your kid.If it were me though I'd probablypack a juice box and save your NTdollars for the coffee. Trust me.Aly Cooper is an expat wifeof one year who enjoysadventures with her fiveyear-oldson, reading,eating, blogging, having ALOT of coffee with friends,volunteering and spending free weekendsexploring what the island has to offer withthe family.www.communitycenter.org.tw march 201211

communityTaipei American SchoolGrade One Students Carefor CambodiaText: Pearl Morris, Grade One Teacherimages: TASPeople of any age can make a difference. During the third week of November,all grade one Taipei American School students participated in a very excitingservice-learning project. Their goal was to provide hygiene kits (consisting oftoothbrushes, toothpaste, soap and washcloths) to Cambodian families wholack basic necessities to maintain health and cleanliness. Information on Cambodianculture and kit recipients was presented, and grade one students discussed what theyhad to be thankful for in their own lives. They responded very generously and feltexcited to help those less fortunate.The students contributed hygiene supplies and worked hard to assemble theindividual kits. All packaging had to be removed and each kit had to have the sameamount of products. Students placed the hygiene products along with a personalized‘Stay Healthy’ note in each bag. All 215 kits were distributed directly to Cambodianfamilies during the Thanksgiving weekend. The photograph of a grateful Cambodianmother and child receiving a kit speaks volumes. Lori McConaghy, the Director andSchool Liaison for Caring for Cambodia, wrote: “The hygiene kits are a huge help tous and your students really did help make a difference. How wonderful for them tolearn that even kids can make a difference.”We can all be thankful for and proud of the kind and caring grade one students andthe generous parents who supported their efforts, for the enthusiastic TAS teacherswho made it happen, and for a school that supports service-learning projects.12 march 2012 www.communitycenter.org.tw

Racing against hunger atTaipei European Schooltext: Julien Laneyrieimages: TESOn Friday 4th May from8 am until 12 noon, theTaipei European School(TES) will take part in the15th “Race against Hunger” organizedby the humanitarian charity, Actionagainst Hunger. This is the secondyear TES has participated. Last year’sevent was a great success: thanks to theparticipation of the TES community, weraised more than NT$700,000.For fifteen years now, Action againstHunger has organized an annual“Race against Hunger”. This year,more than 850 schools in France andaround the world are taking part. The“Race against Hunger” provides anopportunity to raise awareness amongchildren about the problem of hunger inthe world, to involve them in a practicalway in an act of solidarity and to showthem it is possible to be committed inhelping, whatever their age or resources.After an awareness meeting, eachstudent will try to find sponsors. Thesponsors promise to make a donationof the sum per kilometer that they wishto pay, multiplied by the number ofkilometers (10 maximum) covered bythe child on Friday 4th May.On the day of the race each studentdoes as well as they can. The “Raceagainst Hunger” is not a competition,but an event to promote solidarity andmutual help.If you are a student’s relative, tomake the race a rousing success, youcan help:. By allowing your children to takepart in this important day and be inpictures and movies,. By encouraging and helping yourchildren to find sponsors,. By helping the school to organizethe race,. By taking care of a stall with food,drinks, or handicrafts, etc., and. By coming and joining the childrenon race day.If you are not a student’s relative butyou want to help, you can:. Give a donation to “Action contrela Faim” or. Tell your friends about the event.Thank you for your involvement inthis project. We are counting on yoursupport to make it really successful.ACTION AGAINST HUNGER –CHARTERAction against Hunger is a nongovernmentalorganization. It isprivate, non-political, without religiousaffiliation, and its aims are charitable.It was established in 1979 in Francewith a mission to combat hunger allaround the world. It aims to savelives by combating hunger, materialsuffering, and reducing the distress ofthose in need.Action against Hunger respects theprinciples of independence; neutrality;non-discrimination; free and directaccess to victims; professionalism andtransparency.For more informationIn English:http://wwwactionagainsthunger.org/http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/raceIn French:http://www.actioncontrelafaim.org/http://www.coursecontrelafaim.org/Af ter g radu ating inSports, Julien Laneyrieh a s b e e n a j u n i o rFrench teacher for 10y e a r s . H e e n jo y e dpracticing his teachingin France, Shanghai and now inthe Taipei European School forthe 2nd year.He likes to organize big sportsevents in order to federate manystudents from different sections.Since last year, he is in charge ofthe Race against Hunger at theTaipei European School.Courses at The CenterActivity First Meeting Date # of Sessions Instructor Time meet @Tianmu to Yangmingshan and Back: Monday, March 5 1 Richard Saunders 9:00am-12noon Zhong Shan N. Rd., Sec 7A Scenic HikeBus Circle at the OK MartHuashan Cultural Park with Lunch Wednesday, March 14 1 Sally Duh Chu 10:45am-1:30pm Zhongxiao Xinshengat Chingye-Shinleyuan Restaurant mrt Sta. Exit 1Juming Museum thursday, March 22 1 Richard Saunders 8:30am-3:00pm In front of Mr. XmasChinese Calligraphy tuesday, March 6 3 Jennifer Tong 12:15pm- 2:15pm The CenterSurvival Chinese I Wednesday, March 7 14 Gloria Gwo 9:00am- 10:20am The CenterSurvival Chinese II Wednesday, March 7 14 Gloria Gwo 10:30am- 11:50am The CenterTaiwanese Please Friday, March 9 1 Ivy Chen 10:00am- 12noon The CenterAromatic Indian Friday, March 16 1 Sharmila Advani 10:00am- 12noon The CenterFondue Party! Friday, March 23 1 Leah Zimmermann 10:00am- 12noon The Centerwww.communitycenter.org.tw march 201213

CSC NEWSTwenty-Five Years On:a history ofThe centerTExT: STEVE PARKER1987 Jackson released Bad, whichsaw George Michael go solowith the album Faith. Michaelproduced five number-one singles (a record that has neverbeen beaten). U2 released the album The Joshua Tree,which made them international superstars. Madonnabegan her “Who’s that girl?” tour. Kylie Minogue beganher singing career with a cover of the Loco-motion. Andthe biggest song of the year would be Bon Jovi’s Livingon a Prayer. And I turned 21….Michael Jackson may since have left us, but love themor hate them all of the artists listed above are as strong apresence in music today as they were 25 years ago, if notstronger. And I like to think that 25 years later I am stillan active and useful member of society….1987 was also special for the birth of a very importantTaiwan institution — the Community Services Center.That makes it our 25th birthday this year. Twentyfiveyears later we are still serving the internationalcommunity in Taiwan. Our mission has adapted with thetimes but our ‘music’ is still heard by many.As a non-profit organization it is not really our way tomake too big a deal out of this milestone, but it’s mademe, and many of the people who work here, think abouthow The Center started and exactly what The Centermeans, today, in 2012.CENTER BEGINNINGSI find as I talk to people that one of the first questionsthey ask me is how The Center started. There are onlya few people still in Taiwan who really know how it allbegan. Even those who have been around for many yearssometimes forget. I believe in The Center and believe inall the good work we do, but like many good things thegreatness was born out of tragedy.In 1987 there were three teenagers from theinternational community who often hung out together.They were teens whom people generally called ‘troubled’and many were concerned about them, but like a lot ofcommunities did not know what to do, trusting in timeand maturity to ‘cure’ them. And then tragedy happened.The three teens were hanging out on Yangmingshan ina common hangout area. Without going into too muchdetail the three were drinking, taking things that theyshouldn’t have, and playing dangerous games. The endresult of all this was the tragic death of one of them. Ihave spoken to those who were around at the time andthey recall just how strongly this affected the internationalcommunity. What came out of this was there was nosingle crisis intervention center to help the internationalcommunity cope and so The Center was created.Initially it was the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT)and the Taipei American School, along with a number ofsocially minded members of the international communitywho got together to set up The Center.THE CENTER NOWAs I said above, this year is the 25th anniversary of TheCenter. From humble beginnings we have come to anequally humble present, but we have grown and changednonetheless. Originally The Center was about CrisisResponse. We had a professional counselor on staff whocould provide counseling and crisis response immediately,as needed. The counseling service has helped countlessthousands of people over our 25 years and has nowgrown from an initially — and necessarily — reactivecounseling service to one that covers the whole gamut ofcounseling needs.Gradually over the years we realized that one ofthe elements of coping with crisis was to make surethat people were equipped with the tools they needto avert crises from happening. The Center began todevelop more into a hub of activity and a place wherepeople would come to learn about their new home, getinformation and eventually enjoy activities like Chinese,arts and crafts. For the newcomer professional itdeveloped into a place to take cross-culture training tomake sure they understood about the place they weregoing to work in for at least the next two years.Developing further The Center started to producebooks and a magazine. Taipei Living has become the‘Bible’ for most people arriving in Taiwan and is currentlyin its 10th edition. Our magazine Centered on Taipei isread by an estimated 10,000 people every month. And14 march 2012 www.communitycenter.org.tw

then came the fantastic Day Trips (and later Taipei Escapes) booksone and two and the Yangmingshan guide from Richard Saunders,followed in recent years by Amy C Liu’s successful Taiwan A-Z.People drop in to The Center, people pick up information atThe Center, people get healed at The Center, but still there wasmore that we could do. You wanted more. And so we have cometo where we are now, 25 years later, and the mission has evolvedfrom Crisis Response to a four-tiered full-blown mission to Inform,Engage, Support, and Unite.• Inform: Through our web, books, magazine and newcomerorientation programs to help the international community allover the world understand Taiwan.• Engage: By providing activities and programs for theinternational community to assimilate we improve the social andbusiness climate in Taiwan, making it more and more attractiveto the world.• Support: In times of crisis The Center is there to support thoseindividuals, companies and groups that need us. In 2011 we,amongst other things, helped evacuated victims of the Japanearthquake, individuals cope with sudden loss, and companiescope with institution-wide crises.• Unite: We bring the international community together to helpTaiwan when it needs us. In 2011 we continued our supportof Orphan Education in Taiwan and literacy in underprivilegedareas of Taiwan, as well as many other bespoke projects.The Center is grateful to our current premier sponsors, oursupporters big and small, the staff, volunteers and all the peoplewho attend our events and use our services. You are all the heart ofThe Center and we would not be The Center without your support.Every month this year we will be delving deeper into the historyof The Center and meeting people and personalities that haveshaped The Center as it is today. I look forward to spendinganother great year with you all.hThanks to our premier sponsors:3M TaiwanBai Win AntiquesBP Taiwan Ltd.China American PetrochemicalConcordia ConsultingCostco Wholesale TaiwanCrown Worldwide Movers LtdFour Star Int’lGrand Hyatt Hotel, TaipeiHSBCICRTMetacity Development CorpNokia Siemens NetworksProQCSan Fu Gas Co. Ltd.Smerwick LtdSongfu LiStandard Chartered BankhEvents at The CenterMOVIE NIGHTA Special Deal for Friends of TheCenter!Join us for a movie at MiramarCinemas for NT$230 per ticket!Each month we’ll receive the upcomingfeatures and let you know whichcomplex to meet at, the date and themovie.Keep a lookout on the Center website andFacebook page – pre-booking is essential– just ring us!SPRING BAZAAR AND LUNCHEONThursday, March 8th from 11 am to3:30 pm at the Regent, Taipei.Proceeds from this year’s Bazaarwill be donated to the Taipei Women’sRescue Foundation, an organization thatoffers services to women and childrenaffected by domestic violence and humantrafficking.On the occasion of The Center’s25th anniversary year, we're bringingthe Spring Bazaar back after a threeyearhiatus and making it better thanever. It is one of the few places whereyou’ll find a collection of some ofTaipei’s most talented artisans all underone roof. Tickets are on sale at TheCenter and cost NT$1,000. The priceof admission includes access to a widearray of vendors, a full buffet lunch, andsparkling wine.For more information, please emailevents@communitycenter.org.tw ordrop by The Center.TASTES OF TAIPEITuesday, March 27th from 5 pm – 9 pmEd’s Diner216 Lequn 2nd Rd., Taipei ( 台 北 市 樂 群二 路 216 號 )For more information please see page 17.www.communitycenter.org.tw march 201215

taiPei uncorkedBYOBTips for bringing your own wine“Age appears to be best in four things; old wood best to burn,old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read”.- Francis BaconMark L. PetersonWe wine and food loverssometimes take BYOB( B r i n g Yo u r O w nBottle) for granted. Weknow what it means, but do we playby the rules? They are unwritten, butknowing and playing by them canget us bonus points at our favoritedining establishments. Just keep inmind that BYOB is a privilege, not aright, and like all privileges, they arenot created equally. Here are a fewtips to help us all become responsibleBYOBrs.Don’t Bring Plonk - Rememberthat whole privilege thing? Bybringing cheap generic wine to arestaurant, you are basically lettingthe restaurant know that you don’treally think much of them, theircuisine or their clientele for thatmatter. A lesser wine might fly atlocal eateries, but if you are dining ina decent restaurant, make an effortto ensure that the wine you bringis in line with the restaurant’s pricelevel but make sure you don’t bring awine that is on their wine list. Thatdoesn’t mean you have to spend aton of money, but remember you areSAVING money by bringing yourown wine. So, splurge a bit andat least get something that doesn’tadvertise you as a cheapskate,disingenuous or uncaring of theefforts of the establishment.Offer Your Server a Taste - Notall servers are interested in wine,but I have found that most are. Byoffering them a taste of your wine,perhaps with a few points aboutwhy you brought it, why it pairswith the food and why it’s drinkingwell, you can establish a rapportwith your server, and perhaps themanager or owner. That rapportgenerally pays rich dividends inthe form of reduced or ‘forgotten’corkage fees, the magical appearanceof better glassware, or discounts onor exclusive access to some hiddengems in the wine cellar. By provingthat you are an affable wine loverand anxious to share your wineexperience with the world, you cancreate the impression that you arebringing something to the restaurantwith each visit, whether it be staffeducation, your individual ambianceor introducing your friends asnew customers. The point is, therestaurant will begin to see you as anasset, not a liability.Don’t Be a Weekend-only User -Your favorite restaurant is doing youa favor by allowing you to BYOB,so why don’t you repay them oncein awhile? Restaurants are open onslow nights because they need themoney to pay the bills and the staff.Why not plan a nice BYOB dinnerout with friends during one of theslower nights of the week? Lookat it this way: you’ll have a morerelaxing evening without the rush ofa full restaurant. Your server willbe more attentive to you, and youcan reciprocate. Your generositywill stand out and be rememberedby the staff, and they are more likelyto ‘forget’ the corkage, or maybe afew desserts, that should have beenadded to the bill. My favorite nightsfor BYOB’s are Sunday, Wednesdayand Thursday evenings, when manyrestaurants are slow and the stafftends to be a bit less overwhelmed.Be Generous - I have a few favoritespots were I BYOB frequently. Somecharge me corkage irregularly, othersregularly do not charge me. What’sthe difference? Mainly the frequencyof my visits, but also the rules that Iplay by. When I BYOB, a restaurantpretty much knows they’re givingup that table for the night, and sodoes the service staff. I’ve come in,saved money by bringing my ownwine and taken potential tips off thetable. The only reasonable thing todo is to tip some of that cash backinto the waiters’ pockets. Everybodyis a winner in that case. Waiters willlove you because they’ve made themoney they expected to make withless effort than if they had to turnthe table. Owners love you becausetheir wait staff is happy to work onslower nights knowing the BYOBguy is coming in. And you’re happybecause you’re getting great service!I come from a restaurantbackground and worked the front ofthe house as well as the kitchen, yet Ihave not even mentioned the kitchenstaff. We frequently forget aboutthe staff working in one-hundreddegreeheat preparing our food forus. I regularly bring multiple bottlesof wine to my BYOB dinners. Oncemy group has shared the wines, Isuggest to the restaurant that thekitchen staff (and specifically thechef) might want to taste somethingspecial. It is a small gesture andgenerally refused, but you neverknow when the thoughtfulness willbe rewarded. It’s also the rightthing to do and builds a camaraderiebetween you and your favorite diningdestination.Mark loves to hear from you with all your questions concerning the world of wine andspirits. Feel free to email him at: mark.vinvinowine@gmail.com or visit his informative siteat www.vinvinowine.asia.16march 2012 www.communitycenter.org.tw

What do you get whenan expat from the UKwith a backgroundin fashion productdevelopment opens a restaurant inTaiwan? Some lip-smackingly goodTexas barbeque!If this seems surprising, EdSweeney, the owner of Ed’s Diner,can explain how a Brit with aTaipei barbeque restaurant cameto be. It began back when Edwould frequently travel to theUS for business. There, he triedhis fair share of barbeque, but herecalls often coming away slightlydisappointed by the food and feelinglike, as a true product developerwould, he could do better.He decided to test this theoryseveral years later when, boredwith his career, Ed began puttingthe pieces together to make Ed’sDiner a reality. Over the course oftwo years, he trained with the BBQWorld Champion learning variousmeat preparation and barbequingtechniques.He also settled on the ideallocation for his fledgling diner:Taipei. Having previously spenttime in Taiwan, Ed liked the islandand appreciated the ease with whichone could do business here, andthe openness of Taiwanese peopleTexT: Kari SchiroimageS: courTeSy of ed'S diner &Tajin reSTauranTto Western-style cuisine. After twoyears of preparation, Ed’s Dinerofficially opened its doors on July18th, 2011.But not before importing therestaurant’s all-important woodburningsmoker all the way fromthe US. Which brings me to thebest part: the food. All food at thediner is made in-house, including therolls, for which Ed took a traditionalbread-making class in the UK.The barbequed meats, which Eddescribes as Texas-style with someCarolina crossover, are prepared inthe smoker with the low and slowtechnique — a method of cookingthat locks in flavors by using a lowcooking temperature over a longperiod of time. Ed’s pulled pork,for example, takes 8–10 hours in thesmoker before it acquires the meltin-your-mouthtexture and taste thatI have personally experienced onseveral occasions.While the smoker may be anessential import, it isn’t the onlyitem that comes from abroad to givethe barbeque authentic flare. Edalso imports high-quality US Angusbeef for the brisket and steak, and,interestingly, the potatoes hail fromthe US as well because, Ed explains,the Taiwanese varieties just don’tcut it when it comes to makinghome-cut fries.And, of course, Ed has imported— with the blessing of his barbequechampion mentor who wants tospread the joy of barbeque acrossthe globe — the secret recipes forthe rubs and sauces that make Ed’sbarbeque so mouthwatering andmysterious.For March’s Tastes of Taipei, Edhas created a NT$900 set menuwhich includes: your choice of eithera half rack of pork ribs or an ampleportion of beef brisket (having triedboth, my personal assessment ofthese options is: YUM!), a choiceof one side dish from the menu, aportion of coleslaw, a homemaderoll, dessert, free flowing soda,tea, or coffee, and a choice of oneglass of wine or a beer. In addition,customers have the option ofbringing their own beverages for aNT$100 corkage fee.So pull on your cowboy boots andjoin us on March 27th for a Texasstylefeast!CSC NEWSDate: Tuesday, March 27Time: 5 pm – 9 pm Venue: Ed’s Dineraddress: 216 Lequn 2nd rd, Taipei city台 北 市 樂 群 二 路 216 號 Tel: 8502-6969Price: NT$900 per person (cash only)Website: “Ed’s Diner Taipei” on FacebookPlease call the restaurant before SaTUrDaY march 24th to makeyour reservation and let them know that you are with the communityServices center.Note: In order for the restaurant to prepare the appropriate amount ofeach cut of meat, please let them know whether you would like thebrisket or the ribs at the time that you make your reservation.Warmest thanks to Sandy Wu and Hicham Samh at Tajin Restaurant for making theFebruary Tastes of Taipei a delicious success! On February 9th, restaurant-goerswere treated to a delectable assortment of Moroccan fare. From the moment the firstcourse — a shrimp on flatbread appetizer — arrived, the food did not stop coming.A trio of salads —zaalouk, charmoula, and Moroccan salads — and lentil soupfollowed. Diners then had a choice of one of the mouth-watering tajin or couscousdishes (both the Beef with Plums Tajin and the Kofta and Cheese Tajin were exquisiteon the palate). Saffron rice with Moroccan spices soon emerged from the kitchen aswell. Moroccan rice pudding, s’mores, and refreshing mint tea finished off the meal.Undoubtedly, no one left hungry! And this Tastes of Taipei participant can honestlysay that it was one of the best meals she has had to-date in Taipei!Kari Schiro is a native Californian and an adoptive Seattleite who recently relocated to Taipei. When she is not writing, youwill most likely find Kari watching football/soccer on the telly.www.communitycenter.org.tw march 201217

profilethat a Christian should become aHindu … but our innermost prayershould be a Hindu should be a betterHindu, a Muslim a better Muslim, aChristian a better Christian." Muchin the same way, Mark's hope formeat eaters is not that they embracevegetarianism, but that they becomebetter meat eaters. “We all needto be more aware of what we areeating”, he says, “there are manycommercial interests out there tryingto make money out of tricking usinto eating shoddily manufacturedprocessed foods”.Not Only MeatlessMondaytext: Marina BuranaIn this modern era, in whicheverything seems to be aboutmoney and leading hectic liveswith no time to think aboutsomething as basic and important aswhat we eat, like a character in themovie American Gangster once said:“you can't find the heart of anythingto stick the knife”. Fortunately whenit comes to food, we still have peoplelike Mark Caltonhill who wantto make us more aware of whereexactly we stick the knife.Mark, a vegetarian writer wholives in Taipei, has not set out topreach about why it is importantto leave meat aside and become aveggie; instead, his primary concernseems to be how we handle our dailydiet and how responsible we arefor both the environment and ourown body. He has been living herein Taiwan for twenty years and helong considered himself a “failedvegetarian”, always being too lazyto eat less meat or no meat at all. Itwasn't until three years ago that,after reading a UN report sayingthat animal farming for meat eatingis contributing more climate changeiMages: Mark caltonhill, PriMavera racing teaMWhatsoever was the father of a disease, an ill diet was themother.- george herbertemissions than all transportationcombined, he stopped eating meatfor good. Unlike most people whodecide to become veggies, who ingeneral do it for religious reasonsor to protect the animals, Markjust feels his is a good choice forthe planet and for living his life.According to what he says, thisdecision not only changed the wayhe relates with the environment, butit also gave him important healthbenefits.Let vegetarianism grow onyou... or notWhen we first met, he suggestedwe go to a very nice vegetarianrestaurant in Xinyi District so that Icould try its food. It turned out to bereally good, I must say. But Mark'spurpose is far from convincingpeople to try vegetarian food andbecome vegetarians. He respectsother people's choices, but insistson the idea that everyone should bemore aware of what they eat. WhileI enjoyed a good vegetable soup, hequoted Gandhi, who said ''(…) wecan only pray, if we are Hindus, notHeaLtHy food options foreveryoneAll the way from Manchester, andsettled in an Asian country whichhe calls ''home'', Mark has beenfocusing on writing about places youcan visit in Taiwan where they serveamazing vegetarian food, and ondoing research on food issues. Hethinks Taiwan is a good place to bea vegetarian because you can findsome kind of vegetarian restaurantround almost every corner. Thebad thing is that in some cases theycan be difficult for foreigners tofind. That's why he came up witha very interesting blog called NotOnly Meatless Monday (NOMM).In it, he not only writes reviewsabout restaurants, but also doesgood research about food-relatedtopics, such as food and health, foodpolitics, school lunch provision,organic farming, localization of foodproduction, cook-it-yourself, etc.He adds some interesting color tohis blog when he talks about thingsthat matter with a little bit of humor,or when he explains the differencebetween quán sù ( 全 素 ; completelyvegetarian) or dàn ni sù ( 蛋 奶 素 'egg-milk vegetarian), and guo biansù ( 鍋 邊 素 ; "pot-side vegetarian").He regularly checks the Chineselanguagemedia for food-relatedarticles and translates them intoEnglish. He also introduces theidea of 'up-stream cooking'. “Thismeans”, he says, “trying to usefewer and fewer processed foods andwork oneself upstream towards thecomplete use of fresh produce. Oneexample is that although I have madehummus for about three decades, Ialways used shop-bought tahini. Itwas only a couple of years ago that18 march 2012 www.communitycenter.org.tw

it crossed my mind to find out howto make this, and indeed, roastingand grinding sesame seeds is not sodifficult at all”.Taiwan's vegetarian restaurantstraditionally use a lot of fake meatand other processed foods, soNOMM’s restaurant reviews includea 'fake meat/processed food index'.He would like the idea to get pickedup by a newspaper or magazine, sohe tries to maintain good journalisticstandards. “That way, hopefully”,he says, “it will promote moreinteractive discussion of foodissues, and we can all move towardshealthier lifestyles for ourselves and'High-tech tomatoes. Mysterious milk. Supersquash.Are we supposed to eat this stuff, or is it going to eat us?'- Annita Manningthe planet. Indeed, I would love tohear back from readers and make theNOMM site more interactive”.Vegetarianism and sportsMark thinks that many people,encouraged by meat industries, areled to believe that eating meat isnecessary to human life. But in hiscase, being an endurance athleteat 51 (bicycle racing, marathonrunning and triathlon/ironman),he actually feels healthier now thathe has stopped eating meat. Hesays, “I hope that my occasionalappearance on the podium at theend of a race might help counterthe misunderstanding that meat isnecessary for sport and for life. Iam therefore designing ‘meat-free’running/triathlon/cycling outfits towear on these occasions, and I wouldlove to hear from other vegetarianathletes so we might help promotethis together”. Mark uses his biketo go everywhere. Not only becauseit's a choice which clearly helps theenvironment, but also because as avegetarian athlete, he wants to set theexample in the small things too.We are What We eatWe generally eat twice as much asnature requires and we sometimesdon't really pay attention to whatand where we eat. As Alfred E.Newman once said, “We are livingin a world today where lemonadeis made from artificial flavors andfurniture polish is made from reallemons”. We are what we do, andwe are, too, what we eat. That'swhy it seems important to be moreaware about the evils that existin our societies when it comes tofood, and to try to be as healthy aspossible, for ourselves, and for theenvironment.Marina Burana is an Argentineanwriter born in 1986. She haspublished two books of shortstories in Spanish and is nowwriting plays in English. Shespeaks French and readsAncient Greek. She also playsthe violin, paints and studiesChinese in Taipei. Her e-mail ismarinaburana@yahoo.com.ar.Just a few of the things that are going on around Taipei this month...museum of Contemporary artUntil April 15thWonderland: New Contemporary Artfrom Australiawww.mocataipei.org.tw39 Changan W. Rd., Taipeinational museum of historyUntil March 14thDreams Come True: The Art of Disney’sClassic FairytalesGallery: 1F, Rooms 101-103http://www.nmh.gov.tw49 Nanhai Rd., Taipeinational palace museumUntil May 14thWestern Mythology and Legends:Selected works from the LouvreExhibition Area II, 1F, Library Buildinghttp://www.npm.gov.tw221 Zhishan Rd., Sec. 2, Taipeinational taiwan museumJanuary 17th ~ April 15thImpressions of Taiwan Railway in 1970shttp://formosa.ntm.gov.tw2 Siangyang Rd., Taipeisuho paper museumUntil March 24thThrough Western Eyes: An exhibition ofpaper cuttings by Tim Buddenhttp://www.suhopaper.org.tw68 Changan E. Rd, Sec. 2, Taipeisun Yat-sen memorial hallUntil March 8thDepicting Alishan: A joint exhibition ofwater ink painters from both sides of theTaiwan StraitsYat-sen Gallery (3F(E))http://www.yatsen.gov.tw/en/505 Renai Rd. Sec. 4, Taipeitaipei Fine arts museumUntil June 10thTime Games: Contemporaryappropriations of the pastGalleries 1A and 1BUntil May 13thJourney through Jiangnan: A PivotalMoment in Chen Cheng-po’s ArtisticQuestGalleries 2A and 2Bhttp://www.tfam.museum/181 Zhongshan N. Rd., Sec. 3, Taipeitaipei international Film FestivalMarch 25th is the DEADLINE forsubmissions for the 2012 Taipei FilmFestival New Talent Competition. Moreinformation at http://eng.taipeiiff.org.tw - Click on ‘Information’.taipei international Children’s FilmFestivalMarch 3rd ~ April 5thMore information at http://www.ticff.org.tw/about-e.htmlwww.communitycenter.org.tw march 201219

CommuNityThe Jobs Registry ProjectTExT: KATHY VAn WILGEnBuRGTaipei has so many excitingopportunities for expats.Most people can be as busythey want, and still wish theyhad more time for all of the coolactivities available. It’s comfortingto find reasonably priced helpwith the household, cooking andkids. However, finding an Englishspeakingperson to employ is noteasy. It’s also confusing to try todetermine whether or not the personhired has legal working status. Thisis a risk many do not wish to take,as it can compromise their ownworking visa, or that of a familymember. Businesses also run a risk inregard to their business license.THE LANGUAGE BARRIERHaving lived here in Taipei foreleven months, my solution was tohire a Taiwanese cleaning agency.These folks are top notch. Theycome equipped with their owncleaning equipment and chemicals.The employees are well trained.They are on time and reasonablypriced. They are super nice anddo a good job. There is just oneproblem: I can’t talk to them. Ican’t even talk to the supervisors orthe management without a translator,and I had to sign a contract writtencompletely in Chinese. There has tobe a better way.FILLING A GAPIt turns out that there is a betterway, one that has been time-testedfor many years in Manila by theAmerican Women’s Club of thePhilippines. They operate a jobsregistry out of the Holy TrinityChurch. The registry is an onlinemessaging board where members canpost information on domestic helpwith their references. The systemensures the best employees with thebest references always have work intheir organization.Their example was the inspirationfor the Jobs Registry Project,sponsored as a ministry of the TaipeiInternational Church (TIC). Thisproject is supported by the TagalogFellowship (ministering to theFilipino community) and executed bythe Gateway Women’s Ministry, bothof TIC. It is fully in line with theorganization charter of the church byministering to both English-speakinglabor and employers.The purpose of this outreach isto fill a gap in the English-speakingcommunity. It is free, and is fullysupported by an expat attorney whobelieves in this effort and donates histime.CONNECTING ENGLISH-SPEAKING LABOR WITH JOBSThe project seeks to connect laborand jobs in the areas of domestichelpers, elderly care givers, food andbeverage, factory, and construction.It doesn’t seek to help those whereexisting employment agencies alreadyhave programs. For example,there are existing agencies forEnglish speakers with high levels ofeducation or special skills. Thereare agencies that place full-timeAmahs from other countries to livein the homes of employers. Thisservice utilizes the existing labormarket in Taiwan.20march 2012 www.communitycenter.org.tw

Why is there a need for thisservice? Many potential employeeslack the language skills most criticalin this city (Mandarin Chinese orTaiwanese). They often lack accessto computers or lack computerskills to develop a one-page resumeor search online job boards. Forindividual expat employers, thereis quite some confusion around thelegalities of hiring English speakers.ApplicAtionHow does the program work?For job seekers, they should cometo the church office and fill out anapplication. After doing so, wecan translate that application intoa resume with a photo. They mustprovide proof of their legal workingstatus by producing a permanentlegal residency card, or an ARC cardwith a passport. Those who arenot permanent residents will needto produce a marriage certificateto a Taiwanese national. If youhave an ARC card with no marriagecertificate, do not fear. A goodemployer may sponsor you with awork permit.For potential employers, weask that you register yourself oryour company with a very shortform. This registry is developed toensure the privacy of the employees’resumes, to which you will haveaccess. After you have registered, wecan forward a selection of resumeswith proof of residency and right towork (or state that they need a workpermit) to your email address. Wewill not check references since we arenot an employment agency. However,church members may receive moralreferences from church leaders.The jobs registry has been granteda six-month trial period to examinethe needs of the community. Shouldwe find this is a service that bothemployees and employers want, itwill continue forward. It wouldbe our pleasure to receive yourfeedback. Our plan for the future isto grow with an online database if/when there is critical mass.For more information, visit ourwebsite: http://jobsregistrytaipei.blogspot.com, or send an email tojobsregistrytaipei@gmail.com. Visitthe TIC website (www.taipeichurch.org) for directions tothe church office.Originally fromAugusta, GA inthe US Kathyrelocated here fromSwitzerland. Sheis an active member of TaipeiInternational Church and enjoysmarrying both her former businesslife and now her social awarenesslife in the form of the Jobs RegistryProject. She has fallen in love withTaiwan, in particular the welcomingpeople and the beautiful geography.The Center's Favorite Findstreasure Hunt Flea Marketrecommended by monica hessV-Shoprecommended by neev exleyIn search of some delicious chocolate, and enjoy asupporting a great cause? Then visit V-Shop. They sellbiscuits and edibles in various flavors like chocolate,peanut and sesame. V-shop is partnered with theGarden of Hope (GOH), an organisation which isstriving to help end sexual violence. The GOH providesemployment to women who have needed their supportand also trains them in a variety of work-related fieldssuch as bead work or chocolate making. V-Shop isunique and also somewhere you can enjoy a cup ofcoffee or juice whilst finding some unique gifts.1F, 2-1 Shunan St., Xindian, New Taipei CityTel: 02-8911-8595Transport: Nearest MRT station: DapinglinIf you like Asian antiques and the idea of uncovering ahidden treasure in your own backyard, then you'll love theTreasure Hunt Flea Market. Imagine wandering throughroom after room, opening boxes, peering into cases andlooking on shelves, viewing pieces of history. Lookingfor a pottery bowl? Some colorful chairs? A kimono? Adragon with gleaming orange eyes? Artwork for a wallin your home? I dare you NOT to find something in thistreasure trove of ephemera. Don't let the humble exteriorfool you. Once inside, past the front desk and friendlystaff (who speak English) you could lose yourself for hoursin the many nooks and crannies on two floors spread overwhat seems like a city block. The prices are clearly marked(and usually not subject to negotiation, but I had to try).Like its name implies, the Treasure Hunt Flea Market isnot an upscale antique store. This is where in-the-knowshoppers come to find bargains; items from decades longpast, once lovingly used and then ‘recycled’, waiting to bediscovered by you.38, Roosevelt Rd., Sec. 2 (at the intersection of Hepingand Roosevelt Roads).Tel: 02-2391-2100.Transport: Nearest MRT: Guting (exit towards HepingRoad, Cross Roosevelt Road and look for a green andyellow building).www.communitycenter.org.tw march 201221

CharityMike DeNoma:Going the Distance and ThenSome…and Then Some MoreOn January 20th, The Center’s Running Team member andultra-endurance athlete Mike DeNoma took to the trails in themountains of Brazil to compete in one of the most grueling footraces in the world: the Brazil 135 Ultramarathon.TExT: KARI SCHIRO IMAGES: MIKE DEnOMAThe race’s course takes runnersalong the most difficultportions of the Caminho deFé (Path of Faith), a popularpilgrimage route in the MantiqueiraMountains. It might be said thatDeNoma was on a pilgrimage of hisown: to test the limits of his enduranceand raise money along the way.As one might imagine,ultramarathons are not for the faint ofheart. An ultramarathon is defined asany foot race longer than a traditional26.2-mile marathon, but many ultraendurancecompetitions include othersports such as cycling, swimming, andskiing. In some cases, the distanceis just one of the challenges; manycourses also take competitors throughabsurdly arduous conditions. Take,for example, the Sahara des SablesUltramarathon in Morocco, a six-day,151-mile trek across the SaharaDesert. Or the wintertime Arrowhead135, a race in which athletes choosetheir mode of transport — by bike,foot, or ski — and race along 135miles of snowmobile trails in northernMinnesota where temperatures oftenplummet to -30 degrees Celsius.ROUGH TERRAINThe Brazil 135 is also notorious forits tough terrain. In total, runnersascend a remarkable 33,000 feetand descend 29,000 feet — a courseequivalent to a full ascent and descent(from sea-level) of Mount Everest.Only about ten of the race’s 135 milesare on flat ground.During these ultra-races, competitorsoften experience the effects of thebody being pushed to its limits. Theseinclude hypothermia (DeNoma hadtwo bouts of it in Brazil), the lossof motor skills (which, DeNomaexplains, is particularly trying whenyou can’t grip the handlebars duringa bike race), and hallucinations (for aportion of the Brazil 135 DeNoma sawgreen Santa coats hanging from thetrees and a musician playing a “fireflyxylophone/piano.”)Finishing these races is never agiven: in Brazil, sixty athletes startedthe race and only forty-seven finishedit; the others dropped out, most likelyafter a freak hailstorm hit the backof the pack of runners. DeNomawas 45th out of the 47 athletes whofinished; he completed the race in anastonishing 49 hours, 57 minutes, and37 seconds despite an ill-marked trailand several hours (and many extramiles) during which he was lost. Heslept for a total of only about twentyminutes during the entire race.Still, DeNoma insists that there isnothing superhuman about his abilityto complete these ultra-feats. In fact,he sees his story as an example of howan average person can accomplishjust about anything with the propertraining and preparation (see graph onpage 24).A LATE STARTERDeNoma first began competing inendurance events at the age of 50.Up to that point, he had not run arace longer than 10 kilometers. Thisall changed when his then-companyStandard Chartered sponsored a racein Nairobi. At the starting line, hesaw a young blind man who wastied at the wrist to another runner,and DeNoma recalls thinking thatthe runner would surely be knockedover. Instead, when the starting pistolsounded, DeNoma found himselfswept off his feet. After he recovered,the blind runner was gone. At theend of the race, he caught up with therunner and discovered that he hadwon the race.The runner was Henry Wanyoike,now a multi Paralympics medal holderand the fastest blind man in the world.As a child Wanyoike trained as arunner, but in his early twenties hesuffered a stroke that left him blind.After learning to run tied to a guide,his biggest hurdle was finding a guidewho could keep up him; he ultimately22march 2012 www.communitycenter.org.tw

found one in his childhood friendJoseph Kibunja.Of Wanyoike’s story, DeNomarecalls thinking, “If he can overcomeblindness, I can overcome laziness.”So he signed up for the New ZealandIronman and hired a trainer. Fort h o s e w h o a r e u n f a m i l i a r w i t hIronman triathlons, these races area far cry from a 10-kilometer footrace. Ironman competitions consistof a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bikeride, and a full marathon. No smallfeat for anyone, particularly someonewho was not particularly good atswimming and had not cycled for overthirty years.PERSEVERANCE AND GUMPTIONLaughing, DeNoma explains that, atfirst, he was a difficult project for histrainer. “He asked me my marathontime and I told him I’d never run one,and he said ‘So you’re a cyclist,’ and Isaid not since I was a kid … and thenhe asked about swimming, and I said‘That’s my worst [event].’”B u t w h a t D e N o m a l a c k e d i ne x p e r i e n c e, h e m a d e u p f o r i nperseverance and gumption. Byh i s o w n a c c o u n t, D e N o m a d i d“horribly” in his first competition, asmall triathlon leading up to the NewZealand Ironman. He recalls goinginto the swimming portion of thatrace in sixtieth place and coming outof it at 120th; sixty people had passedhim in twelve laps. But he knew hecouldn’t throw in his towel, especiallywith his kids watching. He explains,“The point I wanted to show [mykids] was that most people give up atstuff in life if they’re not good at it…If you’re willing to be a beginner …you can achieve it, but that requiresbeing a beginner, and being a beginneris hard. Most people don’t like to benot good at something.”Give up he did not, and DeNomahas since gone on to complete not onlythe New Zealand Ironman but alsothe Furnace Creek 508 in California,a 508-mile bike ride in which cyclistsrace across the Mojave Desert andDeath Valley as well as ten mountainranges; the Sahara des SablesUltramarathon; a Kaohsiung to Taipeirace; and, of course, the Brazil 135,among others.KEYS TO SUCCESSSo what are the secrets toDeNoma’s success? He says arrivingat the starting line healthy is half thebattle. He was lucky to find a coachwho paced his training to ensure thathe did not over-train and was at fullfitness on the day of the race.Getting the proper hydration andnutrition is also key. During a race,DeNoma hydrates every fifteenminutes. He also keeps his bloodsugar constant by avoiding anythingwith sugar and taking a combinationof Perpetuem, a energy supplementthat is about 30% protein, andEndurolyte, an electrolyte replacementsupplement.Pacers — people who run alongside the competitor — are anotherrace essential. He explains, “Thereason you want a pacer in a racelike [the Brazil 135] is because it’sdangerous … You’re out of it, you’rehallucinating …You go into thebathroom then come out and run thewrong way. If you fall, you could diefrom exposure.” In Brazil, DeNoma’sson and daughter both served aspacers for portions of the race. Theykept him on track and upbeat.And staying upbeat is no easy feat.It’s all about ignoring the negativeleft side of your brain that tells youto stop, and staying in the moment,says DeNoma. He remembers aparticularly grueling section of theFurnace Creek 508 when he was readyto abandon the race. He imaginedhimself in thirty-plus years and how,as an old man, he would give anythingto be where he was at that moment, inthe desert of California, riding a bike.DeNoma’s fundraising effortsalso serve as motivation to keepmoving. All along the way, he hasraised money for charity. For theBrazil 135 alone, DeNoma raisedUS$80,000 for Chinatrust’s Light Upa Life Charity, an organization thathelps underprivileged and orphanedchildren throughout Taiwan. Intotal, DeNoma has raised aboutUS$650,000 through racing.DeNoma has been fortunate to seethe best of human generosity both onwww.communitycenter.org.tw march 201223

the fundraising front and on the trails.He recounts an experience in Brazilthat stopped him in his path, literallyand figuratively. After the unexpectedhailstorm, DeNoma’ s b o d ytemperature dropped substantially;he was going into hypothermia. Hisdaughter raced ahead to alert thesupport team. DeNoma explains,“Twenty minutes later [my daughter]found me running and shivering andsaid ‘Great news, when they saw theweather, the team found a familythat will let us use their house so youcan take a hot shower, change intowarmer clothes, get re-taped and keepgoing.’ ‘Who in the world would let usdo that?’ I thought.”A very kind Brazilian family, it turnsout. After warming up in their showerand re-taping in their living room,DeNoma tried to give the family somemoney for their troubles, but theyrefused, so DeNoma asked if therewas anything he could do for them.“[The mother] became emotionaland her face dropped into a deepsadness. She said ‘My 17-year-olddaughter went missing nine monthsago and because we don’t have acomputer there is no way for us topost the fact she is missing or followup any leads. Is there anything youcan do to help us find our daughter?’Such lovely graciousness andhospitality despite such terrible lossand pain put things in perspective forus,” says DeNoma.The extraordinary coincidence:DeNoma is on the board of directorsfor the International Center forMissing and Exploited Children,which has an operation in Brazil. Hehas assured the family that he will doeverything he can to find their missingdaughter.The family should rest assured thatthey are in good hands: DeNoma isknown for going the distance.Kari Schiro is a nativeCalifornian and anadoptive Seattleite whorecently relocated to Taipei.When she is not writing,you will most likely findKari watching football/soccer onthe telly.Book Workdays Saturday March 3rdOur last book workday of the yearwill take place on March 3rd in the TASbasement, from 9 am to 5 pm. We will besorting through, pricing and alphabetizingthe second-hand books that we receiveas donations. With that in mind, westill welcome donations of all books andmagazines, regardless of language.Book Sale Saturday March 10thOn March 10th we will be hostingour annual Book Sale (one of the largestof its kind in northern Taiwan) at theTaipei American School, between 10am and 5 pm. Admission is free and allare welcome to come. There are booksfor every member of the family – SATpreparation books, children’s books andalmost every other genre can be found.Also, this will be the last day to claimraffle prizes from the draw.Hunger Week March 15th -21stThe Orphanage Club offers aid tocharitable organizations around theOrphanage Club NewsTExT: JEFFREY CHEn (12) AnD TIn TIn KAO (10), OC CO-SECRETARIES 2011-12globe. One way it achieves this is throughhosting Hunger Week twice a year.Through fasting and donating money atour booth in front of the Faculty DiningRoom (FDR), members of the TAScommunity are encouraged to empathizewith and understand the plight of thehungry. The Orphanage Club also intendsto educate our students about worldhunger through an assembly prior toHunger Day (March 21st). From March15th to 21st, members will be conductinglessons with lower school studentshighlighting hunger around the world.They will also be selling ceramic bowlsin front of the FDR to further emphasizethe problem; this activity is sponsored bythe TAS Art Department. Donations willbe sent to organizations including OxfamAmerica, American Friends Service, andWorld Vision Taiwan.tCathwel Outing Saturday March 17thThe Orphanage Club will be hosting itsCathwel outing on Saturday, March 16th.On these outings members take careof kids assigned to them from CathwelOrphanage and take the time to bondwith them; the boys have darker historiesand need both time and patience. Theboys section of Cathwel will be goingrollerblading at Y-17 Youth Center andplaying sports in the gym, while thebabies section will be going to nurseryschool, sponsored by TAS alumni CynthiaHsu. We are always searching for adultchaperons for the outing. If you areinterested, please email us at the addressbelow.tChungyi Outing Sunday March 25thOn March 25th, we will be hosting ourfifth Chungyi Outing. As usual, memberswill be paired up with their guests fromthe Chungyi Orphanage in Jingmei andspend the day together playing sports andother activities. The agenda has yet tobe confirmed, but we are always lookingfor adult chaperones for the outing. Ifyou are interested, please email us at theaddress below.All questions or comments should be directed to tas.orphanageclub@gmail.com.One can also contact our club sponsors Mr. Arnold at 2873-9900 ext. 239 or arnoldr@tas.edu.tw or Ms. Koh at weehueykoh@yahoo.com24march 2012 www.communitycenter.org.tw

Taiwan YouthClimate CoalitionUpcoming events in 2012…ENviroNmENtTExT & IMAGES: SARAH CHEn LInAfter a well-deserved winter break, the youngstersfrom Taiwan Youth Climate Coalition (TWYCC)are back for another exciting year with avariety of ambitious plans. We’ve re-structuredourselves and started to execute projects designated forthis year. Believe me when I say it’s not an easy task tocoordinate all TWYCC core team members as we’re allspread throughout the island.It is also my pleasure to announce that TWYCCis finalizing its submission to become Taiwan’s firstenvironmental non-governmental organization (NGO)managed solely by young people. We’ve been runningaround and meeting with other well-establishedenvironmental NGOs who have shown full support forour youth movement in Taiwan. It’s been roughly halfa year since we began building TWYCC from scratchand I’m still amazed by young people’s capability formobilizing and getting things done when driven bypassion. Dare I say sometimes I really feel like we’reunstoppable!We invite you to take part in one or more of our fourmajor projects this year: Rio+20 in Brazil, the 18thConvention of the Parties (COP) in Qatar, Design forClimate Change (DFCC), and the Conference of Youthin Taiwan (COYTW). The first and second projectsinvolve travelling overseas to Brazil and Qatar toattend respectively the United Nations Conference onSustainable Development (which takes place once everyten years) and COP18 (which takes place once a yearand was mentioned in the article published in the lastissue of Centered on Taipei). This year, in particular,is of great importance because the world’s blueprintregarding development in all corners of the world hasbeen laid out and will become legally binding at Qatar.What TWYCC does is train youth delegates in Taiwanprior to the conferences and upon returning sends them togive lectures in schools throughout Taiwan to share theirexperiences. We want to give young people a broaderperspective of what is going on in the international arenathrough practical means. This is something that cannotbe learnt from books or in schools and is certainly not anopportunity to be missed!The third project, DFCC, was developed in partnershipwith Design for Change, which was also featured inCentered on Taipei in a previous issue. This year theproject managers of Design for Change have given usan opportunity to lead the environmental branch ofthe program. For those unfamiliar with it, Design forChange is a summer activity whereby teams of elementarystudents from local schools compete with each otherin developing creative ideas for changing somethingthey believe needs to be improved. The importance ofgetting the young generation involved is to ignite theirpassion and nurture them to become the great leaders oftomorrow.Last but not least, the fourth project, COYTW, will beorganised and led by TWYCC, as an opportunity to geta taste of how the United Nations conferences are run.Because TWYCC is environmentally focused, COYTWwill naturally place an emphasis on environmental issues.We welcome anyone from any school to sign up in duetime to experience something out of the ordinary! If youwould like to volunteer with TWYCC, just to get a tasteof how to see the world from a different perspective, ourdoors are always open!I must confess that being with this group of passionateyoung people has renewed my personal motto, onewhich I encourage us all to adopt in order to lead a morefulfilling life: when you strongly believe in something,fight for it, give it your all and don’t regret a singlemoment, despite any bitter days and exhaustion youmight feel. And if the outcome is not what you expected,at least you’ll have great memories to cherish and excitingstories to share! Quoting one of my favourite Aerosmithsongs, ‘life is a journey, not a destination.’I can feel an exciting year awaiting all of us!Website: www.twycc.twFacebook group: https://www.facebook.com/twyccTwitter: @twyccBorn and raised in Venezuela by Taiwanese parents, Sarah has been exposed to worldcultures since she was young. She recently graduated with an Environmental Science degreefrom Southampton University in the UK and has returned to Taiwan to familiarize herselfwith her roots. Sarah currently works as TWYCC’s Media Coordinator, the main point ofcontact in Taiwan for ECYTF (Earth Charter Youth Task Force), as a radio host for RadioTaiwan International with a weekly program that focuses on everything related to theenvironment throughout Taiwan, and is a freelance writer and translator.www.communitycenter.org.tw march 201225

profilECollaborativeEntrepreneurshipan interview with David Dupony, creator ofThe Founder squadabout David DuponyDavid was born in Paris, France. he claims hehas been a “software geek” since he was 10and dabbled seriously with technology throughhis teen years. When he decided to drop outof graduate school at the age of 20, he hadalready developed the sensiva handwritingrecognition software. armed with little else, hedecided to take his invention to silicon valley tostart a company. Twelve years later, with manymore successful technology companies to hiscredit, he had had his fill of life as he knewit. he sold everything he owned to travel theworld, while helping other entrepreneurs he meton his travels. now, at 35, he has made Taiwanhis home.TExT: ROMA MEHTAIMAGE: COuRTESY OF THE FOunDER SQuADEvery entrepreneur begins with a vision to change the status quo. In today's rapidly shifting environment,change is inevitable and one needs multiple resources coupled with quick and intuitive responses to address newchallenges as they come along. Social entrepreneurs are instruments of change. They have the ability to bringa group of people together under a common vision and achieve together what may be difficult to achieve alone.In turn, each member of this group has the potential to become a change maker, occasionally creating a critical massthat can reach a tipping point where change is created on a much larger scale.Through The Founder Squad, David has re-instituted the idea of sharing resources and experiences in an open formatwhere new collaborations have a platform to flourish and have the potential to be born. David explains how the groupbegan and what it is about.I picked Taiwan as home, based onmy love for its people, without anyidea of what I was going to do here.Upon arriving I continued to meetand help entrepreneurs, so much sothat they would buy me coffee all thetime; I ended up a little too excited atthe end of the day! Another problemwas that I don’t have all the answers.Starting a support group forentrepreneurs was quite an obviousthing to do. Now, instead of onlydiscussing with me, the discussionsinclude many entrepreneurs withvaried knowledge and experience,who help others and get helped atthe same time. It’s all about sharing.When you teach, you learn.The Founder Squad was startedin September 2011 to allowentrepreneurs to formally meet andhelp each other with their mostchallenging situations.What are the criteria for joiningthis group, and what is the format ofthe meetings?Every application is reviewedcarefully. The Founder Squad ismostly concerned with an applicant’sintegrity, courage and passion forchange, not the size of their companyor their field of work.Every one of our members isrunning a company; from the 20year-old Internet geniuses that bringenergy and fresh ideas, to the 50-plusCEOs of publicly traded companieswho bring experience and wisdom.The ratio is about 60% Taiwaneseand 40% foreigners.There were about fifteen peoplewhen we started. Now, five monthslater, there are over a hundred.Each meeting is limited to twentypeople around the table to keep itpersonalized and intimate. Eachmember can attend one meeting amonth. The first meeting is free, andthereafter a monthly membership feeapplies. The meetings are closed and26 march 2012 www.communitycenter.org.tw

y invitation only. We meet for fourhours at a time. Each participant hasthe opportunity to express his or herbiggest challenge of the month. Thiscan range from financing to customerrelations to recruiting to engineeringto ‘impossible decisions to make,’because most of the time you aredealt with incomplete data.This is a safe place, a ‘home’ forentrepreneurs, and only entrepreneurscan relate to, appreciate, andhelp other entrepreneurs. I shareeverything I know with no restriction,which means that I also share my pastmistakes publicly, and what I learnedfrom them. Most likely, whateversituation is happening, someone inthe room has experienced it, or has anidea on how to solve it.The Founder Squad is what itsname stands for: a small ‘army’ ofpeople who are reached to solve onlythe most challenging issues. If youcan find an answer in a book or bydoing a search, we don’t address it.We solve problems that leverage ourcollective experience and wisdomacquired over the years throughblood, sweat, and tears.In many ways, it is like the ForeignLegion: a fellowship, a brotherhoodwith noble intentions, watchingeach other’s backs, regardless ofdifferences. Our mission drives us.What was one of the toughestproblems you’ve solved? Whatprocess did you go through to solveit?We only address the most difficultsituations, and there isn’t one thatis particularly tougher than others.There is a common process, though.The entrepreneur asks a question,which typically reveals only thesurface of the problem. Then I, orsomeone else in the room, will digdeeper to understand the root of thequestion by asking more questions.Soon enough, we get to the bottomof it and very often, it is quitedifferent from the initial question. Itis the source, the origin. The initialquestion had revealed only oneconsequence of it. Then we go afterthat source, and that only. If we cansolve the source, we have inherentlysolved the initial question, andmost likely, many other questionsthat would have arisen otherwise.Sometimes a technical questionreveals an HR question. Diggingdown to the root of a question issimilar to methods you might findin Chan (Zen), for example. Wedistinguish content from context,appearance from essence.Business is business, and challengesin one industry often happen in theothers. Just by listening, one canlearn a lot about how to solve (andavoid) a difficult situation.Do you have a message to otherentrepreneurs who are struggling tostart up their businesses?Getting started is one of thehardest things to do. If you havehad the courage to quit your comfortzone and start your business, youhave already won half the battle.From then on, be self-sufficient assoon as possible. Do not dependtoo much on others. Put yourself inother people’s shoes, and do morethan they expect from you. Atthe same time, reach out and helpothers. Help will come back to youone way or another. Overall, it isnot one person, but the ecosystem,that brings strength to every memberof the community. Competitioncan be healthy but it is fear-based.Collaboration, on the other hand, isoften a much wiser choice.In 1987, Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase ‘The medium is the message.’Due to a typographical error, the printed version became ‘The Medium is theMassage.’ Perhaps it is an apt title for The Founder Squad. This is a groupthat is reviving tactile connection and personal touch in this highly digitizedworld where news travels faster than you can register it. The Founder Squadcalls for face-to-face dialogue and collaborative sharing of resource andinformation. Culturally, free sharing of this nature is rare in Taiwan’s businessworld. This venture is defying the norm, and doing so successfully.For more information visit www.foundersquad.comRoma is a graphic designerby trade, an artist bychoice, with an insatiableappetite for change. Shecontinues to be inspiredby the energy of India, thespirit of Taiwan, the beauty of ourplanet, the embrace of its people.Happy New Year, and then HappyNew Year, and then Happy NewYear…it seems like I have beenhaving a constant stream of newyears over the last few weeks. Forthose of us who live across multiple cultures – and itseems like most of us do these days – the period fromNovember through to, well, now, has been a constantstream of thanking, wishing well, and celebrating. Andthat is not a bad thing in any way, shape or form. But Ido hear a few people saying that it has become tiresome…and I CAN understand that even though I look atit from a different point of view. Official holidays dobring with them certain obligations; obligations to catchup with friends, spend time with co-workers, visit withfamily, send cards and notes out to people you haven’tWord from the Directorseen for a while. In short, maintaining relationships thatmight otherwise slip away through lack of attention. Andyes that can be tiring. But anything worth doing is goingto take some effort so I welcome the effort, embracethe tiredness and push on through. And it is great tocatch up with everyone at least once a year. Would I doit otherwise? Maybe not… so perhaps it is good to bepushed into it every now and then.Oh well, back to work now…I can finally take it a biteasier(?)…See you soon.Steven ParkerDirector, Community Services Centerwww.communitycenter.org.tw march 201227

hEalthLiving by thenumbersMy life with migrainesTExT: AnOnYMOuSAfter hearing that I had spent five days in hospitalfor an intravenous drug treatment to stop a 17day migraine, Steven Parker, Director of TheCenter, asked me to write an article about livingwith migraines. At first I was hesitant, not wanting to openmyself up in that way, but then after thinking it over andcommiserating with a fellow migraine sufferer, I decided todo it. Living with migraines, or any chronic pain for thatmatter, can be a wearing and isolating experience, and ifthrough reading this article someone thinks she gets me, sheunderstands what I’m going through, then it will be worth it.I was diagnosed with migraines at the age of 6, havinginherited them from my dad. They have progressivelybecome worse through the years until my current diagnosis:Chronic intractable migraines. The chronic part meansthat I have them often. Intractable means that they last along time — ranging from a few days, to my longest one,which occurred two years ago and lasted 42 days. As youcan imagine, the 42 day migraine spurred me into action tomake it stop! What I’ve come to realize, however, is thatit’s not so much make it stop as make it work. I can assureyou that it’s a fine line to follow and a hard lesson.Two years ago, my first step was to admit that I couldn’tjust ignore the migraines and hope they went away. Ineeded to be proactive. I had been to neurologists in thepast that had advised me to go on preventative medication,but had been resistant to the idea. After deciding that nowwas the time to take that step, I found a neurologist whoput me on a daily cocktail of four different preventativemedications. She also gave me a drug combination to takewhen I get severe migraines. I meet with her every monthwithout fail. During those meetings, she checks over thedaily tracking form she has me fill out on my migrainestatus, which ranks each morning, afternoon, and nightfrom 0 to 3, depending on severity. Based on that form,she adjusts my medication in response to the frequencyof the migraines during the month, and talks to me aboutalternative treatments.When I first started paying serious attention to mymigraines, I gathered information from the Internet andbooks in an effort to learn how to function better. Oneof the books I found was called The Migraine Brain byCarolyn Berstein. In it, Berstein suggests finding yourtriggers. I started to log everything — what I ate, howmuch I slept, what the weather was like, anything I couldthink of. I found out that I have a lot of triggers: such as adrop in barometric pressure, eating MSG, spending a lot oftime in a room with a lit scented candle, sleeping poorly orbeing around loud noises... The list goes on and on. Findingtriggers is an ongoing process. Even after two years, I’mstill discovering them. What is most frustrating are the dayswhen I get a migraine and I have no idea what caused it.So, how do I live my life daily with migraines? By thenumbers. On the rare ‘zero’ days I celebrate and takeadvantage of life. I’ll open the shades and light a scentedcandle. Or wear perfume and turn on my music loud andapologize to the neighbors later. I might go out to a noisyrestaurant and actually eat there instead of taking food outto eat at home, where there’s minimal noise, smell, and light.Or see a movie in the theater. On ‘level one’ days, I domy best to ignore the slight migraine, but my face changesslightly and my neck tenses. I draw the shades and wearsunglasses outside even if it’s overcast because I’m sensitiveto light. I spend as little time as possible in noisy situations.Other than being more aware and avoiding stimulation,on level one days, I can still function relatively well in theoutside world. On ‘level two’ days, the migraine intensifiesto a full ‘headache face,’ stiff neck making it hard to turnmy head, and knots down my back. These days, I limit mymovements, stay as quiet as possible, and keep the lightson low, with the shades drawn, maybe taking a painkillerdepending on what I have to do during the day. But mostof the time I still try to function adaptively in a version ofnormal in the outside world. On level one and two days Itry especially hard to avoid known triggers as they can takea one or two and blow it to a ‘three’ pretty quickly. Onlevel three days life shuts down and I retreat to my ‘cave’ —my bedroom with the blackout curtains. I usually have toput a heating pad down my neck, back and shoulder and layin the dark, waiting for my time to rejoin the world.Like anyone with chronic pain, I have days whereacceptance of migraines in my life isn’t as easy as others.After two years of concentrated efforts and still havingmigraines at least 3-4 times a week, I have times where I getfrustrated and fed up. I get tired of living a version of lifethat’s not conventionally considered normal — one that’sspent avoiding loud noises and smells — living carefullyand avoiding triggers. The majority of the time though,I try to incorporate my migraines into my life instead ofhaving them rule my life. I make a version of my life that’snormal with migraines. I make it work.Above all, I’ve hung on to hope that it won’t be like thisforever. At my last monthly appointment, the neurologisttalked to me about a Botox treatment for migraines.Maybe I’ll give it a try? I wouldn’t mind getting rid of afew wrinkles at the same time as a few headaches! Thissummer I plan on going to a headache clinic in the Statesand can’t wait to learn more there. In the meantime,however, I’m living my life day-by-day, by the numbers,praying that today will be a zero day.This article was written anonymously. If you are someone who suffers with chronic pain, please call The Center toschedule an appointment with a counsellor.28march 2012 www.communitycenter.org.tw

The ‘Maple Leaf’ExperienceGeneration yTexT: LeaT ahronyWhen you grow up in one country all ofyour life, there is only that one placethat is familiar to you. For me, this wasTaiwan. Before graduation, I was setfor a new journey. After a term at the University ofVictoria and five months in Canada, I now realize howimportant diversity is.To find one's niche in university life can bechallenging when you are dealing with a long list ofadjustments. It is natural for international studentssharing similar backgrounds to group together."UVic has diversity," said one UVic student fromCalgary, "but I find that many of the internationalstudents tend to stick to each other like glue." Thisis quite noticeable around the campus. Over time,however, international students familiarize with thenew culture and environment. They slowly releasethemselves, and engage with students of othercultures and ethnic backgrounds.On August 29th, 2011, I landed on Canadian soil.As I scanned the immigration lines, diversity filled thespace around me. My parents were worried aboutme leaving an Asian environment, but I feel as thoughI am surrounded by it. A spark inside me jumpedwhen I spotted Chinese characters on store signs.Fairway supermarket had it all: Bok Choy, Chinesewhite cabbage, bean sprouts, bitter melon, YowChoy, and not one, but three types of tofu. Hearingthe cap seal break on a container of soy milk wasmusic to my ears: the rich aroma of fresh soy beansbrought me back to the breakfast stores in Taiwan.With one sip, I was home. It wasn’t So Good,Silk, or Vita Soy. It was creamy, rich, pure, andplain ground soy beans with water. Chinatown indowntown Victoria is fascinating and familiar. Therewere exciting festivities and celebrations for ChineseNew Year. But it was not enough to satisfy myinterest, and I started to feel like a Canadian when Ibecame curious about other cultures, religions, andpractices.I met people from different provinces of Canada.I conversed with people from Germany, Scotland,Denmark, India, Iran, the Philippines, China,Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan. Learning aboutdifferent cultures was colorful and fulfilling, likeeating a bowl of Tang Yuan. It was entertaining tocompare accents. Doing this opened my eyes andaccelerated curiosity levels. There is little diversity onthe streets of Taipei, but it is everywhere in Canada.I am drawn by Canada’s quality of life, and itsreputation as a peaceful, open, and caring society thatwelcomes newcomers and values diversity. I feel theworld as a whole lacks this quality and reputation. Ihave met numerous immigrants who have been livingin Canada for over twenty years. When asked ifthey felt like outsiders, they all said no, despite lowEnglish ability. There is a certain degree of diversityin every country, but to me, Canada seems one of themore welcoming places for immigrants.The color of our skin is only an outlook. Thefeatures of our face and the sizes of our bodies arepieced together by million of strands of DNA. Thelanguages we use to communicate may be different,but nothing can stop us from learning. My father —who has lived in Taiwan for thirty years — still doesnot speak Mandarin. He shops in the traditionalfood markets with a few familiar Chinese sentencesin mind, and makes use of creative body language.The environment you grow up in certainly affectsyour customs, behaviors, values, language, practices,and more. However, every human has the right tointeract with each other, explore new places, andcherish different cultures and ethnicities. I ask myselfwhy the globe is round and not square or triangular.It signifies unity. Humans are all the same insideand out: skin, cells, fat, and bone. When we die andreturn back to the earth, nothing differentiates usfrom one another.Some people may say leaving your home, aplace you have known all your life, is an arduousjourney. If Canada is your new destination though,your experience will be less of a challenge because,in my opinion, in this peaceful and multiculturalnation you have all the support and culturaldiversity you will need. The maple leaf symbol isfound in every Canadian province. It symbolizesequity, unity, and cultural diversity. Although theycarry the same generic shape and form, every leafis unique. Canadians value and cherish differentcultures that augment our knowledge beyond ourfamiliar surroundings and enhance our everydaylives. Taiwan is a magical place, and Taipei AmericanSchool was an excellent school both academically andsocially, but going abroad for university was the bestdecision I ever made.Leat Ahrony is a business undergraduate student at the University of Victoria (UVic)in Canada. She began her journalism career in high school writing for the Centered onTaipei magazine. She has a weekly online column for the UVic newspaper, The Martlet,and regularly writes print news and culture articles. She plans to earn her B.A incommerce and continue a side career in journalism.www.communitycenter.org.tw march 201229

30 march 2012 www.communitycenter.org.tw

BUNSTExT: IVY CHEnIMAGES: xIAnG TInG HuAnGChinese buns are madefrom leavened wheat flour,with or without fillings,and are always steamed.Steamed buns are a healthieralternative to baked bread, and canbe served as a meal or snack, frombreakfast to dinner.In Taiwan, buns with fillings arecalled baozi ( 包 子 ), while mantou( 饅 頭 ) has no filling but has otheringredients kneaded into the dough.Both can be savory or sweet.Chinese buns trace their roots backto legend, and about 1,700 years agoduring the Chinese classic Romanceof the Three Kingdoms. In it,Zhuge Liang ( 諸 葛 亮 ) made wheatflour dough stuffed with meat as anoffering to the river god in return fora safe passage across a river. Insteadof a human sacrifice, he made abun in the shape of a barbarian’shead ( 蠻 頭 , mantou). Eventuallythe characters for the bun’s namechanged into the ones used today(which share the same pronunciationand tones as the original) and thebun can be found all over the world.Buns, like dumplings, are a staplefood in the north of China, owingto a plentiful source of wheat flour.After 1950, buns became popular inTaiwan, and buns, soy bean milk ( 豆漿 , doujiang) and fried bread stick( 油 條 , youtiao) became very popularbreakfast fare, together with riceporridge (congee). Steamed bunscan be a side dish or a staple in placeof rice or noodles to accompany ameal. Nowadays, buns are availablefrom both specialist bun shops aswell as being easily available in thefrozen foods section of supermarkets.Reheated buns are also popularsnacks in convenience stores.MANTOU [ 饅 頭 ]Steamed buns without fillings(mantou) are made from wheatflour, yeast and water. The flavorvaries according to any additionalingredients that are added, such aswhole meal, grains, nuts, seeds, driedfruit, brown sugar, chocolate, taro,sweet potato, pumpkin and springonion.Some popular flavors of mantouinclude:Plain mantou ( 白 饅 頭 , b a imantou) is made from plain flour,yeast and water; the dough isallowed to rise, and steamed.Milk mantou ( 鮮 奶 饅 頭 , xiannaimantou) is made with milk instead ofwater.Grain and nut mantou ( 雜 糧 饅頭 , zaliang mantou) is made withplain flour and/or whole wheat flour,and sesame, pumpkin and sunflowerseeds, walnuts and raisins arekneaded with the dough.Chocolate mantou ( 巧 克 力 饅 頭 ,qiaokeli mantou) is flavored withcocoa powder.www.communitycenter.org.tw march 201231

Taro mantou ( 芋 頭 饅 頭 , yutoumantou) contains cooked and dicedtaro.H e a l t h y m a n t o u ( 養 生 饅 頭 ,yangsheng mantou) is made from thesame recipe as grain and nut mantou,but with additional wolfberry added.Wolfberry is a kind of Chinesemedicine which can strengthen theimmune system, improve eyesight,and reduce high blood pressure.Silk thread roll ( 銀 絲 卷 , yin sijuan) is made with plain flour, yeastand water as usual, but is then rolledinto a sheet and stuffed with thinstrips of the same dough.Milk and cranberry mantou ( 鮮奶 蔓 越 莓 饅 頭 , xiannai manyuemeimantou) adds cranberries to thebasic dough.S p r i n g o n i o n m a n t o u ( 花 捲 ,hua juan) is made by rolling thebasic dough into a sheet, spreadingchopped spring onions and salt ontop, and rolling it up. The dough isthen cut into chunks and steamed asusual.Baozi [ 包 子 ]Steamed buns with fillings (baozi)are steamed mantou stuffed witheither savory or sweet fillings.Fillings can include meat andvegetables, red bean paste, custard,and sesame paste. Popular kindsinclude:Pork buns ( 肉 包 , roubao), stuffedwith ground pork and spring onion.Mushroom and bamboo shootbuns ( 香 菇 筍 包 , xianggusun bao),filled with ground pork, bambooshoots, dried black mushrooms ( 香菇 , shiitake) and spring onions.Cabbage buns ( 高 麗 菜 包 , gaolicaibao), which contain ground pork andcabbage.Red bean paste buns ( 豆 沙 包 ,dousha bao), Chinese date pastebuns ( 棗 泥 包 , zaoni bao), Taro pastebuns ( 芋 泥 包 , yuni bao), Custardbuns ( 奶 皇 包 , naihuang bao), andBlack sesame paste buns ( 黑 芝 麻 包 ,hei zhima bao) all have soft, sweetfillings.L o n g e v i t y p e a c h b u n ( 壽 桃 ,shoutao) is a red bean paste bun,except it resembles a peach in shape,which symbolizes longevity. Thepink color of the buns representsradiance, as does the color of the the‘red turtle bun,’ below.Red turtle bun ( 紅 龜 包 , hongguibao) or longevity turtle ( 壽 龜 ,shougui) is another type of redbean paste bun, but in the shape ofa turtle, the symbol of longevity.The red and pink color representshappiness in Chinese culture. Boththe longevity peach bun and redturtle bun are a Chinese version of ofthe Western birthday cake.Water-fried buns ( 水 煎 包 , shui jianbao) are made the same way as otherbaozi, but instead of being steamed,they are both fried and steamed in askillet. The result is a crusty bottomand a soft, bready exterior. Thefillings for these buns are far morelimited than mantou and baozi —pork or cabbage or Chinese chiveswith glass noodles being the onlyoptions. Sesame seeds are sprinkledon top of the buns during cooking.Cut bun ( 刈 包 , pronounced ‘yibao’in Mandarin) is always pronouncedin Taiwanese (‘gua bao’). The doughfor cut buns is made the same way asmantou, but it’s shaped differently.The cut buns are rolled into a longoval shape, and folded in half withoil brushed in the folded sides toprevent them from sticking duringcooking. Once cooked, they arenormally stuffed with braised pork( 滷 肉 , lurou), pickled mustard plant( 酸 菜 , suancai), ground peanut ( 花生 粉 , huasheng fen) and corianderleaves ( 香 菜 , xiangcai). Cut bunsare also called ‘tiger bites pig’ ( 虎 咬豬 , hu yao zhu), because the shape ofthe bun suggests the open mouth of atiger, while the pork filling is the pigin the tiger’s mouth.Traditionally, cut buns are servedduring the winter solstice and theyear-end worship ( 尾 牙 , wei ya) inthe north of Taiwan, but are nowpopular throughout the year.Roast pork bun ( 叉 燒 包 , chashaobao) is a bun stuffed with roast porkand steamed. Roast pork bun is aspecial type of bun which has a spliton top. It’s made from cake flourdough with ammonia as the risingagent, which causes the risen bun tosplit. The cake flour makes the buna little soggy when steamed. Thefilling is made with honey roastedpork and hoisin sauce, so it tastesa little sweet. Another version ofroast pork bun is called ‘roast porkpastry’ ( 叉 燒 酥 , chashao su), a crispypastry stuffed with the same fillingsand then baked. The pastry is madefrom plain flour and lard to createthe flaky layers. Both versions arepopular in Cantonese tea restaurants.32march 2012 www.communitycenter.org.tw

COMMUNITY GROUPSOrganization Telephone Website/Email AddressAlcoholics Anonymous (AA)www.aataiwan.org/english.htmlAlliance Française de Taiwan 2364-8833/ 2364-1919 info@alliancefrancaise.org.tw www.alliancefrancaise.org.twAmerican Chamber of Commerce 2718-8226 amcham@amcham.com.twAmerican Club in China 2885-8260 www.americanclub.org.twAmerican Institute in Taiwan 2162-2000 www.ait.org.twAmnesty International 2709-4162 amnesty.taiwan@gmail.com, www.aitaiwan.org.twAustralia & New Zealand Chamber of Commerce (ANZCham) 7701-0818/ 0922-109-089 secretary@anzcham.org.tw www.anzcham.org.twBritish Chamber of Commerce 2720-1919 www.bcctaipei.comCanadian Society 2757-6977 www.canadiansociety.orgChristian Salvation Service 2729-0265 www.csstpe.org.twCommunity Services Center 2836-8134 www.communitycenter.org.twDemocrats Abroad (Tammy Turner)democratsabroadtaiwan@gmail.comDutch Speaking Association (VNT)www.vntonline.orgEast West Culture Projectwww.eastwestcultureproject.orgEuropean Chamber of Commerce 2740-0236 www.ecct.com.twEast West Culture Project (EWCP) 0983-339-901 www.eastwestcultureproject.orgGateway 2833-7444 gateway@taipeichurch.orgGerman Institute 2501-6188 www.taipei.diplo.deGerman Trade Office 8758-5800 www.taiwan.ahk.deGoethe-Institut Taipei 2506-9028 www.goethe.de/taipeiIndians' Association of Taipei 2542-8091 lalduru@seed.net.twInternational Community Choir 2533-4272 internationalchoir@gmail.comLa Leche League (Breastfeeding Support)www.lalecheleague.orglé the francophonethefrancopnone@hotmail.fr , http://thefrancophone.unblog.fr/Lions Downtown Club Taipei, English speaking (Peter Wu) 2701-1811 www.tapeidowntowntw.lionwap.orgOasis Youth Group 2831-0299Overseas Trailing Talent in TaiwanTaipeiTalent@yahoo.comParadyme Youth Group 2833-7444 www.paradymeyouth.orgPOW Camps Memorial Society (Michael Hurst) 8660-8438 www.powtaiwan.orgRepublicans Abroad Taiwanross.feingold@republicans-abroad.orgShilin District Office 2882-6200 www.sld.gov.twa commercial office andSpanish Chamber Of Commerce ( a Spanish consulate ) 2518-4901~3 www.consuladoentaipei.maec.esTagalog Hotline 2834-4127 paultic@ispeed.comTaipei International Women’s Club 2331-9403 www.tiwc.orgTYPA (Taipei Youth Program Association) 2873-1815 www.typa.org.twSCHOOLSDominican International School 2533-8451 www.dishs.tp.edu.twGrace Christian Academy 2785-7233 www.gcataipei.comMorrison Academy 2365-9691 www.mca.org.twTaipei Adventist American School 2861-6400 www.taas-taiwan.comTaipei American School 2873-9900 www.tas.edu.twTaipei European School 8145-9007 www.taipeieuropeanschool.comTaipei Japanese School 2872-3833 www.taipeijf.orgSPORTSBiking Site in Taiwanhttp://www.cycletaiwan.com/Hash House Harriers 0952-025-116 www.chinahash.comInternational Golf Society of Taipeiwww.taiwan-golf.comThis is a non-profit group. Participants only pay for their gear and court fees.K3 Squash Club ( Free coaching is also provided for those who have never played before. ) 0987-275-919 Facebook: K3 Squash Club TaipeiScottish Country Dancing (May Chen) 2706-3179 maychen321@pchome.com.twTaipei Women’s International Golf Group (TWIGG) 2691-5912 twiggtaipei@hotmail.comTai Tai’s Women’s Touch Rugby 0981-180-020 blandm@tas.edu.twTaipei Baboons Rugby Club - Taiwan 0952 67 1995 bernierua@gmail.comTaipei Shebabs Women’s Touch Rugby 0913-602-071 johnnayoder@yahoo.comCOUNTRY REPRESENTATIVES IN TAIWANCOUNTRY TELEPHONE cOUNTRY TELEPHONE cOUNTRY TELEPHONEArgentina 2757-6556Australia 8725-4100Austria 2712-8597Belgium 2715-1215Belize 2876-0894Bolivia 2723-8721Brazil 2835-7388Britain 8758-2088Brunei 2506-3767Burkina Faso 2873-3096Canada 8723-3000Chad 2874-2943Chile 2723-0329Costa Rica 2875-2964Czech Republic 2722-5100Denmark 2718-2101Dominican Republic 2875-1357El Salvador 2876-3509Fiji 2757-9596Finland 2722-0764France 3518-5151Gambia 2875-3911German Institute 2501-6188Guatemala 2875-6952Haiti 2876-6718Honduras 2875-5512Hungary 8501-1200India 2757-6112Indonesia 8752-6179Ireland 2725-1691Israel 2757-9692Italy 2725-1542Japan 2713-8000Jordan 2871-7712Korea 2725-2324Malaysia 2713-2626Mexico 2757-6566Netherlands 2713-5760New Zealand 2757-6725Nicaragua 2874-9034Nigeria 2757-6987Norway 2543-5484Oman 2722-0684Panama 2509-9189Paraguay 2873-6310Peru 2757-7017Philippines 2723-2527Poland 7718-3300Russia 8780-3011Saudi Arabia 2876-1444Senegal 2876-6519Singapore 2772-1940Slovak Republic 8780-3231South Africa 2715-3251Spain 2518-4901Swaziland 2872-5934Sweden 2757-6573Switzerland 2720-1001Thailand 2723-1800Turkey 2757-7318United States 2162-2000Vietnam 2516-6626www.communitycenter.org.tw MARCH 201233

cSc buSineSS claSSifiedmoverbeautYweb consultanthair dresser#14 Tienmu E. Road | Telephone 2871-1515 | GP168@hotmail.com.twworship directory(for full details of services please refer to Taipei living or contact the church organization directly)agape3f, 21 changchun road, Taipei, TaiwanTel: 2598-1009 (office)csc@agapeicataipei.orgwww.agapeicataipei.organglican episcopal churchchurch of the Good Shepherd509 Zhongcheng rd., ShilinTel: 2873-8104, 2882-2462www.goodshepherd.com.tw/english/calvary international baptist church21, Yangde blvd., Sec. 2, YangmingshanTel: 2831-3458 fax: 2838-5792church of Jesus christ of latter-day saints5, lane 183, Jinhua StreetTel: 2321-9195, 0939-687-178city revival churchb1, 210, ZhongXiao e. rd., Sec. 4Tel: 8921-8250 fax: 8921-8272doris.henry@msa.hinet.netFriendship Presbyterian church5, lane 269, roosevelt rd., Sec. 3Tel: 2362-1395Grace baptist church90 XinSheng S. rd., Sec. 3Tel: 2362-5321 ext. 135Jewish communityfor information call ahrony Yoram on 0939-763-135living word churchb1, 304, Shidong road, ShilinTel: 2834-6549mother of God catholic church171 ZhongShan n. rd., Sec. 7, TianmuTel: 2871-5168 fax: 2871-7972www.geocities.com/mother_of_god_churchvanaert@iplus.net.twnew apostolic church2f, no. 5, lane 39, Keelung rd, sec. 2, Taipeiwww.nac-taiwan.org, info@nac-taiwan.orgnew life international seventh-dayadventist church4th fl. health center- Taipei adventist hospital424 ba de rd. Sec. 2, Taipei 105Pr. robbie berghan 0958-732-704www.nlisda.orgemail: rberghan@twcadventist.org.twoasis bread of life christian church10f, #55, Zhongcheng rd, Sec. 2(daYeh Takashimaya, Tian mu)Tel: 28310299 fax: 28317214http://www.oasis.org.tw email: oasis@oasiscf.org.twenglish ministry @suang-lien Presbyterianchurch111 Zhong-Shan n road, Sec 2, TaipeiTel: 2541-5390 fax: 2523-1361email: slpcenglish@gmail.comwww.slpcenglish.orgtaipei holiness church(charismatic international Service)every Sunday morning at 10.45am with PastorSandra ee5f, 107 nanking east road Section 4, TaipeiTe: 27123242taipei international churchmeets at the Taipei american School800 ZhongShan n. rd., Sec. 6, TianmuTel: 2833-7444 fax: 2835-2778www.taipeichurch.org/ gateway.htmtaiPei Jewish servicesSheraton Taipei hotel12, Zhongxiao east road, Section 1, TaipeiTel: 2592-2840, fax: 2594-3892e-mail: einhorn912@xuite.nettransforming Faith church(f.k.a. bread of life christian church)5f, 295 ZhongXiao e. rd., Sec. 4Tel: 8772-2207 fax: 8772-2210fellowship@transformingfaith.org.tw34 march 2012 www.communitycenter.org.tw