The Taiwan Adventure

The Final, Final Post

2024-11-22T12:27:00.001+08:00

I am back in Taiwan, and I have started a new blog: The Taiwan Adventure 2: The Triumphal Return!

An excerpt from the first post:

As you may or may not know, I have been living in Tucson, Arizona for the last four years. I like Arizona. The only problem with Tucson is that it’s right in the middle of the Sonoran Desert. It’s really hot in the summer and so dry that my skin kept cracking and falling off. You have to buy moisturizer in 55-gallon drums, or settle for clouds of skins cells surrounding you every time you move around.

Taoyuan is nice and humid. A hot day is like walking around in a sauna. Tucson is dry, a hot day there is like being slowly roasted in an oven. I don’t know, it seems like people complain about the weather either way.

Desert Cottontail

The desert is beautiful, though, especially the Sonoran Desert. There’s Saguaro cactuses, (they only grow in Arizona) and a variety of wildlife. Birds, rabbits, lizards, snakes, coyotes, bobcats and javelinas. Javelinas look like pigs, but they’re actually peccaries.

"Peccary
A peccary is a medium-sized animal, with a strong resemblance to a pig. Like a pig, it has a snout ending in a cartilaginous disc and eyes that are small relative to its head. Also like a pig." -Wikipedia

A pig by any other name is a…Peccary, I guess.

They eat plants but have razor sharp tusks, so you probably don’t want to fight one.

Anyway, for what it’s worth I have returned to Taiwan. I’m glad to be back, I missed it while I was in Arizona. I’ve eaten all the Mexican Food I needed to last a while. Now, I’m looking forward to classic Taiwanese fare. I’m especially looking forward to street food, which I’m sure I will consume with great gusto, along with the other things that make Taiwan great.

I want to talk a bit about this version of the Taiwan Adventure. It’s going to be the same only different. Hopefully, I’ll still be able to bring a bit of humor to my observations, but I want to focus a bit more on photos and a bit more on wildlife, (okay, I really mean birds, unless something really cool happens to wander up and get in front of my camera.) and tea. By the way, I will add some video blogs with Shabai/Elizabeth. I might even make some of my own, (We’ll see!)

I will try to add something every week starting today. Please feel free to comment, in fact I hope you will, and subscribe! Here We Go!

The Final Post

2020-10-06T04:24:00.005+08:00

It's been a good run writing the Taiwan Adventure Blog, but things have changed in my life. I havemoved back to the USA and landed in Tucson, AZ. So Taiwan Adventure Publications will no longer be publishing this blog. Oh, we'll leave it up so that you can refer to it if you're going to Taiwan for a visit or an extended stay. It's a great place to live - I lived there for 11 years.

We're starting as of this week a new blog called Tucson Living. We'll explore Tucson, the restaurants, the city and other local places, just like we did in Taiwan, but we're going to add a new twist. In addition to the blog posts we'll collaborate with Birch Leaf Productions to supplement the blog posts with video. In each post we'll add a video that brings more depth.

I'll give you an example: We plan to do a blog post on a visit to Tombstone, AZ. Tombstone is famous for the Gunfight at the OK Corral. The post will talk about our visit to this historical city but the video will talk about Tombstone's most famous historical figure: Wyatt Earp. We'll talk about the man and retrace his steps to the gunfight and what happened to him afterward.

Videos will contain history or science, or be an interview with a chef or restaurant, or maybe just document an adventure. In any case it will be in the same style as the Taiwan Adventure. So, look for our new blog Tucson Living. Here's a handy link: The Tucson Living Blog

Goodbye Taiwan

2020-04-22T18:27:00.004+08:00

I've lived in Taiwan for almost 11 years and it has come time to head home!I will be leaving in January 2021 to move to Tucson Arizona. So we will be posting a new blog called, surprisingly, "The Tucson Adventure." I'm nothing, if not creative, that is for sure! The blog will start as we prepare to move. Things like

1. Buying a House in Tucson while living in Taiwan.
2. Packing and shipping our whole life and all of our stuff to the US.
3. Adjusting to a new place.
4. Culture Shock in your own native country!

And anything else that comes to mind that seems interesting.

I have decided in my retirement that I'm going to spend some part of the day writing - EVERY DAY. Well, that's what I say now but we'll see. I have a couple of writing projects that I want to begin working on in addition to "The Tucson Adventure." I'll reactivate the Standing Stones Blog and continue to add photos to "Taiwan Wildlife" (although it will probably transform into "Tucson Wildlife"!

I'm retiring so I don't want to make it a job, but I'll try to have at least one new post a week on each blog. The resolve seems to be weakening already. I went from a declaration, "I'm going to spend some part of each day writing," to "I'll try!" What a wimp. I won't let my resolve...dissolve!

Happy New Year from Taiwan　－　新年快樂

2018-01-01T14:22:00.000+08:00

Taiwan's welcome to 2018. Fireworks at the Taipei 101. This year in addition to the fireworks the 101 added projection to the show. The projection depicts the 2017 Universiade Games in Taipei, in addition to special kaleidoscopic graphics. Pictures and explosions, what more could you ask for.

Happy New Year from the Taiwan Adventure Publications!

Source: Taiwan News via YouTube: (linked)

Merry Christmas 2017

2017-12-15T08:39:00.002+08:00

Birds of East Asia: A Review

2017-09-13T13:59:00.001+08:00

I have to say at the outset that I am not a “professional” bird watcher. Although, I could see myself at some time in the future settling down to watch birds do bird things. My lack of mobility and limited (mobility scooter) transportation means that my main locations for watching birds are fairly specific. Often, people think that disabilities limit your ability to be involved in something like bird watching, but it can still be a rewarding pursuit, with a few adjustments.

Taoyuan City is “famous” for the number of parks spread throughout. Most of them are beautiful little oases in high-rise neighborhoods. So, my particular area of ornithological study is the urban park habitat. Occasionally, I am able to go into the more rural areas to watch, but that requires a driver and someone who is interested in a quiet few hours.

I got involved in bird watching because I could recognize only a few of the birds I saw in trees, in rice fields and on poles near my home. Not all of them are the same as California’s birds. In fact, I have only seen a few that I recognized without the assistance of my trusty Field guide.

I suggested to my children that a field guide for Asian birds would be a perfect gift during the Christmas gift-giving season. They laughed. They told me bird watching is an old man’s sport; oh, the derision, I endured. I was steadfast; a field guide was all I wanted. They made other suggestions, I shrugged them off. I really had no other needs or wants. As Christmas got closer they got desperate, so they tricked me into revealing, once again, the name of the field guide I wanted: Birds of East Asia, by Mark Brazil.

So this is my review of that field guide. In some ways, I think it is an excellent book. There are a lot of beautiful, full-color renderings of birds in different positions. For example, there are drawings of birds standing, flying over head, and flying at eye level. The advantage of that is that birds rarely sit like museum exhibits for you to look at. They are usually about some mysterious bird business, whatever it may be.

The descriptions of the habitats and ranges are quite good and the little maps are helpful. There is some good taxonomic information; genus, and species. Although, I have a tendency to “Google” them when I find them so that I can find out what order they come from. For instance, I found a bird just last week called a Malayan Night Heron. The drawing of the bird left off the crest that was obvious and visible, so to be sure of what I was seeing I used Google, which produced a large number of photos. In addition to the corroborating photos, I found that the heron is of the order Pelecaniformes. This is the same order as Pelicans, but according to the description and location of the bird, they are not really water birds.

The only other problem with the book is that it covers a large area:

China

Taiwan

Korea

Japan

, and

Russia

. This is quite a large geographical area, so the range maps are a little too small to see clearly. Remember, my children called this an old man’s sport. I’ll cop to being a “not-as-young-as-I-used-to-be” man, I won’t go all the way to old, but even with my bifocals, the maps are a little small.

Taiwan

is, after all, a tiny island in that large land mass.

Finally, the last problem, I have with this book is its size. I think it’s a little heavy for a field guide. My copy is paperback and I don’t like to take it out into the field because it might get destroyed. I generally, try to photograph the bird and then come back and look it up. It can be difficult if I come across more than a couple of birds because I have to take notes in order to remember locations and habitats.

In general, I am delighted with this book. When I’m stuck in my office I find myself leafing through it and trying to memorize the drawings so I’ll recognize the birds immediately.

The book is published by Princeton Field Guides, Princeton University Press, copyright 2009. It is available for purchase at Amazon for $US 26.44. Birds of East Asia link at Amazon

Other Posts you may be interested in:

Not Quite the Last of the Mountain Men
The Trees Are Alive With The Sound of Music
Eating My Way Through Taiwan: The Stink of Adventure

Not Quite the Last of the Mountain Men

2017-08-09T18:40:00.000+08:00

In the University, many, many, many years ago I studied Biology. My plan was to be a Wildlife Biologist: Climbing to the tops of mountains, living with Bighorn sheep for months at a time, counting sheep, or tagging bears, something like that.

What can I say? It was the “mountain man” period of my life. I wanted to be a modern day Jeremiah Johnson, without having to eat anyone’s liver. You didn’t know about that, did you? He fought the Crow tribe and ate their livers when he won. Robert Redford conveniently left that part out. He was actually called, “Liver-eating Johnson.” Now, there’s a nickname that would inspire fear among your enemies, am I right?

Look, I’m not making this up – There’s a book about him called Crow Killer: The Saga of Liver Eating Johnson by Raymond W. Thorpe. The description of the book mentions his liver eating proclivities AND the fact that the movie Jeremiah Johnson was fictionalized and based on this guy’s life. I've added link below.

Anyway, I thought these mountain men were pretty cool. I longed, for the open wilderness, the solitude, cooking over an open campfire. I actually met the “Last of the Mountain Men” in 1975 up on the Salmon River in Idaho: Sylvan “Buckskin Bill” Hart. I worked as a whitewater guide and we rafted right past his cabin once a year. He was a nice, if somewhat eccentric old guy. He was seventy-two years old at the time. There’s also a book about him called Last of the Mountain Men by Harold Peterson. It was actually written for Sports Illustrated. There's a link below.

It’s amazing how my mind wanders these days; I really wanted to talk about something else. As I was saying I wanted to be a Wildlife Biologist, so I carefully studied courses like Zoology, Invertebrate Zoology, Botany, Entomology, Ichthyology, and Ornithology. I wasn’t particular about what kind of wildlife I counted, tagged, and generally hung out with. As a result of all of this studying, I could pretty much recognize a lot of different wildlife.

I moved to

Taiwan

from California. In California, I knew and could identify just about any type of bird that I saw. I even understood taxonomy and could find my way around a dichotomous key. Those were the days before Google, baby. I could handle the old DK, like the pro that I was.

Then I moved to

Taiwan

. Guess what the birds are different here. So I recently got a copy of Birds of East Asia;

China

Taiwan

Korea

Japan

, and

Russia by

Mark Brazil. (link below) It’s a little heavy for a field guide, but there are drawings of hundreds of birds, along with taxonomic information, range, and seasonal visitation. So now I’m kind of figuring out local birds. I spend some quiet time in urban parks near my home and occasionally head out to the mountains to gaze at the birds and try to identify them. It’s interesting and peaceful.

I’m not dreaming of being a mountain man any longer. Oh, I still read an occasional F. Pat McManus book, but personally, I’m on to other things. Here are some birds that I've seen near my home. I prefer to use my own pictures but I'm way too slow. By the time I'm ready to shoot a picture, the bird is already over Mexico, just so you know. There are links to pages of these people, who are much more skillful than I am at photography.

Pacific Swift - Apus Pacificus

Oriental Stork - Ciconia boyciana

Little Egret - Egretta Garzetta (Summer Plumage)

Chinese Bulbul - Pycnonotus Simensis Formosae

Book Links:

Crow Killer: The Saga of Liver-Eating Johnson

The Last of the Mountain Men:

Birds of East Asia: China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Russia:

Photo Credits:

Buckskin Bill:

Liver Eating Johnson:

Robert Redford:

Oriental Stork:

Chinese Bulbul:

Little Egret:

Pacific Swift:

More Than an Hour at Sun Moon Lake

2017-05-27T15:35:00.000+08:00

I have a lot of trouble traveling in

Taiwan

. It’s not for reasons that you would think. It’s not because I can’t read the highway signs. It’s not because I can’t sit comfortably in a car for long periods. It’s not because I can’t read maps or understand the GPS. It’s not for any of those reasons. I have a hard time traveling because my schedule doesn’t really permit it.

I’m a pastor and guess what…Sunday is always just around the corner. Between writing two sermons and a Bible study each week, my own personal studies, outreach, preaching, teaching, two blogs and all the other things that come up, I don’t have much time to hang out. If where I want to go is more than a day trip away, I’m not often able to go.

For example, we have always wanted to go to Taroko Gorge. It’s probably one of the most beautiful places on the planet. If you’re an American, it compares favorably to Yosemite. It is gorgeous. I’ve been there once; I spent about an hour there.

A friend had had an accident in Hualien and was stuck in the hospital there. My wife and I left on a Tuesday night to go visit him. Hualien is about four and a half hours from Taoyuan City. We got there and visited for a while and stayed in a hotel. I had to be in Taoyuan the next day before noon, so we got up early and drove to Taroko Gorge. It was about twenty minutes from the hospital. We drove a half hour into the gorge and turned around and drove back out. For my sixtieth birthday though, my family and I took two days off and went to Sun Moon Lake.

Sun Moon Lake is located in about the center of the island. It’s the largest body of freshwater in

Taiwan

. The scenery is spectacular. The temperature is cool. It’s also a relaxing resort type atmosphere.

The main entrance to the lake is Yuchi Township in Nantou County. I’ll include a Google map at the end so you can find it. We stayed At the Tanhui Hotel, an inexpensive hotel across the street from the lake. We could see the lake from our hotel if we looked through the glass of the hotel across the street. The room was very inexpensive. It was set up for four people, (Our daughters came along with us.). The hotel served breakfast of eggs and cooked lunchmeat. We weren’t really expecting much for what we paid. The staff was nice and friendly; the room was clean although I could only face one way in my wheelchair. I had to go out into the hall to turn around, but hey, it was a good way to meet my fellow travelers. On the whole I’d recommend the hotel if you are just looking for inexpensive.

The lake was beautiful: Soaring mountains, cool breezes and fresh air; all things that can be difficult to find in summertime

Taiwan

. The locals are mostly aboriginal and very nice and friendly. The only thing that was a letdown was that we went to dinner about eight and had a difficult time finding any place to eat. We ended up eating street food from a small night market.

The highlight of the trip was a boat ride across the lake. These guys lifted my wheelchair onto the boat and we powered across the lake to three locations. We could get off at any of the stops and explore. The place we stopped had a tram that went up over the mountain. I don’t ride on things like that for reasons that I cannot reveal, but it has to do with mountaineering and hanging around. That sentence seems sufficiently vague. So, if you’re adventurous you can take the ride over the mountain and discover something. I can’t have all the fun.

I’m certainly glad that my family arranged this trip. It was well worth the extra work to get caught up, we went on a Monday and stayed over night, but guess what…Sunday was just around the corner.

Photo Source: Tanhui Hotel: Booking.com
All other photos: Elizabeth Banducci

Other Posts You May Be Interested in:

Taiwan Travelogue: The North Coast
Taiwan Travelogue: The National Palace Museum
Taiwan Travelogue: The Huaxi Night Market

Paying it Forward in Rice

2017-04-24T11:42:00.000+08:00

A few weeks ago, a friend of ours, got a little behind in his rice planting. This man has been a great friend of ours over the last few years. He’s helped us out in a number of ways. He needed some help and we were glad to return the favor. So, one cold rainy day in April, my daughters and a number of their friends jumped in and went to work in the rice fields.

Most of the planting is done with a tractor. In a past article, (TaiwaneseTraditions: The Planting and Growing of Rice: April 4, 2011) I described the vehicle and process of rice planting. What I didn’t mention in that article is that there are areas in the rice paddies, odd-shaped spaces where a tractor cannot go. I guess we would call these “The Final Frontier.” Well, maybe not, but the idea is that in order to maximize the crop yield, these odd-shaped spaces must be filled with rice seedlings. If the tractor can’t go there, then they have to be planted by hand.

For one person, alone, this can be time consuming back breaking work, but for a group of young people with energy to burn it can be knocked out in a couple of hours. Most of them had never worked in a rice field in their lives. Three of them even grew up in countries where rice is not a major crop. If I had to guess I would say that some of them have never done any “blue collar” work in their lives. But they showed up and planted by hand and finished the job in about three hours.

I think rice fields are beautiful. As the rice grows and fills in the spaces between seedlings there s something about them that just appeals to my sense of the beautiful. They look like a perfectly manicured lawn. All the grass, rice is a grass is at the same height. It waves in the breeze, like ripples across a pond. The color is a beautiful emerald green. My family thinks I’m nuts, but I just appreciate the beauty in farmland, I guess.

Other Posts You may be Interested in:

Taiwan Traditions: The Planting and Growing of Rice
Taiwanese Traditions: The Selling and Brewing of Tea
The Origins of Wulong Tea

Guest Post: A Beginner’s Guide to Living Outside the USA

2015-03-11T15:36:00.001+08:00

Editor's Note: The following is a submission by a guest writer calling herself Caroline Secure Thoughts. I have been contacted by people, Americans, who have an interest in moving to and living in a foreign country. Caroline submitted this article for possible consideration as a guest post. Because of the information contained here, and the quality of her writing I have posted it. I think it will be helpful to those considering a move from their home country to Taiwan. Thank you, Caroline. - Chris

Living outside the USA is an exciting adventure. You will have the opportunity to explore new parts of the world, try new food, and experience a different culture. However, a big move like this does not come without its challenges. Here are a few tips to help you make the most out of living outside the USA:

Keep an Open Mind

This is a great rule to keep in mind always, but especially when deciding to live outside the USA. Wherever you live, it will definitely not be exactly like home. By going into your new living situation with an open mind, you will better able to handle culture shock and adapt to your new environment.

Some places may be harder to be open to than others. But, if you try to keep an open mind, slowly your view of the world may broaden and change. You will start to see the world from a whole new perspective.

Learn a New Language

One of the largest obstacles faced when living abroad is a different language. You might be able to get by some places with English, but it will greatly enhance your experience if you learn the local language.

However, this is of course much easier said than done. Once, you are in your new country, it is great to learn by jumping right in, and trying to speak the language as much as possible. However, this can be intimidating and overwhelming at times. Thankfully, there are many free resources that can help:

Best Free Language Learning Resources

1. Duolingo

A fun and easy way to learn a new language. They also have an app to help you learn on the go, and are continually expanding the languages they offer every year.

2. BBC Languages

This is a great resource to learn some of the basics of almost any language. Each language page also provides resources to radio and news stations in the language of your choice.

3. Movies and TV Shows

Watching movies or TV shows is one of the best ways to practice your abilities of understanding the spoken language without having to leave your house. Try putting subtitles on in the language you are learning so you can practice hearing and reading the language at the same time.

Staying in Touch

When moving outside of the USA you may expect to face challenges like learning a language, or getting used to a new culture. However, one of the most unexpected challenges is often keeping in contact with those you left in the USA. Time changes and iffy internet connections are just some of the obstacles you may face when trying to stay in touch with family and friends.

Staying in touch with those back home requires dedication and time on your part, but, thankfully there are plenty of free resources out there to help make it little easier and without extra expense. Here are a few of my favorites:

3 Best Apps and Websites for Staying in Touch Abroad:

1. Skype

This one has been around forever, but still works great. Also, many people already have Skype set up, or are at least familiar with it. So this is a great one to use for those family members who don’t like downloading new apps. This is best used for voice calling while using Wi Fi.

2. WhatsApp

This app is most popular for texting overseas. This is also a very famous app, so makes it easy to keep in touch with many friends and family members.

3. Wi-Fi Finder

Depending on where you are living, finding a Wi Fi connection can be a huge problem. There is nothing worse than having a call drop on you every 10 seconds. With the Wi Fi finder you can find the closest and strongest Wi Fi connections around you. (But, if you decide to live in Taiwan, you will be extremely happy to find that they may have the best Wi Fi options in the world. Almost the entire city is a giant hotspot).

These apps will make it easier to communicate with those at home. However, what makes staying close to those at home the most challenging is that you are not sharing your everyday lives and experiences together. But, with a little creativity, you can find many alternative and unique ways to not only stay in touch, but stay close.

Alternative Ways to Staying Close and in Touch Abroad:

1. Make a Blog

It is hard for friends and families to relate to the new life you are living. One of the best ways to keep your family informed of what you are doing without making a bazillion phone calls is making a blog. It will help bring friends and families a little closer to you, while saving you from repeating stories again and again.

2. Watch the Same TV Shows Together

You may be living on other sides of the world, but you can still share some things together. Try picking a couple TV shows that you can watch together. You can easily access many TV shows on websites like Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon. If you are living in a country that denies access to these kinds of websites, this is not a problem. You can use a VPN to trick your computer into thinking it’s in the US.

3. Send Care Packages

Sometimes it’s the random little things you miss, like peanut butter or your favorite shampoo brand. Have a family member or friend send you a package of some of your favorite things from home. In return, send back to them a package of things from your new home. Can be anything from a new candy you discovered, to a pretty scarf from the local market. Regardless of what you send, these little packages will help bring your family, friends and yourself closer to each other.

Go out of your comfort zone

Moving outside of the USA will provide many opportunities to go out of our comfort zone, but it is up to you whether you take these opportunities or not. It is in our nature to gravitate towards the familiar, whether that’s similar food or people that speak our same language. But, if you continue to stay in your comfort zone, you might miss out on a lot.

If you’re nervous about venturing away from your norm, there is no need to worry (they call it a comfort zone for a reason). Pick one or two things a day to take on. It can be anything from saying hello in a new language, or finally trying that strange looking stew. Slowly, you will go from saying hello and strange stews, to full on conversations and fried chicken feet (which is actually pretty tasty).

At times living outside the USA can be intimidating and overwhelming. But, hopefully after reading this article you feel ready to take on whatever comes your way. As long as you follow a few steps and rules, living abroad can truly be a life changing experience. So pack your things, and get ready to embrace all that your new country has to offer.

Article Printed by Permission

Photos: Royalty Free

PS118 – Taiwan’s Newest Motovlogger

2015-02-07T12:57:00.000+08:00

I've discovered a new Motovlogger. Well, let’s be fair I didn't discover him, I've known him for a while. It’s just that he just recently started motovlogging. So what is motovlogging?

It is a rather new art form. Currently, the most highly watched motovlogger is Mordeth13, more commonly known as M13. He rides through Taiwan and records his thoughts on a wide range of subjects, all while filming through his helmet. Recently, M13 had a terrible accident in Hualien and will be laid up for several more months. I’m sure, though, when he gets back on His feet, he’ll begin vlogging again.

The new motovlogger that I want to write about today is called PS118. He’s a motorcycle blogger that uses a little different twist. On Tuesdays he uploads a video about driving a scooter in Taiwan. So far all of these videos have been instructional in nature.

In his first “scooter tutorial” he explains the two-point left turn that is required at many intersections in Taiwan. In heavily trafficked intersections where there are multiple lanes, there is a blue sign directing scooters to make a two-point turn. In the intersection itself there is a small box, in front of the crosswalk where you pull your scooter in and wait for the light to change. If you follow this rule you can avoid some serious scooter squishing.

The interesting thing is that this rule seems to be pretty effectively enforced which, is unusual for traffic violations in Taoyuan City. The police seem to have this method of enforcement where they pick a traffic rule and enforce it for a month, then move on to another rule. However, I often see police officers about a half block from the intersection with a video camera filming people violating the two-point turn rule and then waving them over and ticketing them.

I, of course, strictly obey all traffic laws. I have no desire to die in the street. Okay, so I went off and talked about driving a scooter in Taiwan and didn't mention the “different twist.”

What makes him different begins with his channel name PS 118. This is a reference to Psalm 118 in the Bible. On Fridays, instead of a scooter riding tutorial He uploads a devotional. In other words, he discusses a specific passage of scripture and tells us how it applies to his life. He’s only just begun but his intention is to be faithful to do these weekly. His first shot at this is a devotional on Jesus’ walking on the water. He analyzes what is happening from a spiritual perspective and them makes it personal by relating it to his own life.

I have to applaud him on what he’s trying to do. When I first came to Taiwan, there were things I didn’t understand about riding a scooter, here. I figured it out on my own, but I believe that what he’s doing is helpful, to visitors or newcomers from other countries. It is also refreshing to hear someone unabashedly put out what they believe on YouTube.

The nature of YouTube comments makes putting your beliefs out there, sort of dangerous. Whatever your beliefs are about anything. If you have an opinion there is a troll out there somewhere ready and waiting to tell you your stupid, among other things.

So check out PS 118. Taiwan’s newest Motovlogger.

Other posts you may be interested in:

Random Asianess: Driving in Taiwan
Random Asianess: the Written Driver's License Test
Traveling with M13: Custom Scooters of Taiwan

Photo Source: http://chinesehacks.com/usage/chinese-traffic-signs/

http://article.wn.com/view/2014/09/29/Hightech_system_exposes_jaywalkers_who_ignore_red_light/

Taiwanese Traditions: Holidays and the Lunar Calendar 2015

2015-01-15T18:23:00.002+08:00

Living in Taiwan, as a foreigner, means that I have to pay attention to the Lunar Calendar. I’m a pastor and I have to be careful of church events planned throughout the year, because if they fall on one of Taiwan’s major holidays, I will be the only one attending the event. As a result I have become interested in the Lunar Calendar.

The very first renderings of a lunar calendar go all the way back to the Shang Dynasty. This is the 2^nd Chinese Dynasty, which existed in 1600 BC until 1046 BC. But the calendar has gone through a number of revisions since that time. As science progressed and the true and actual cycles of the moon and the earth were understood the calendar was changed t reflect this information. These revisions are tedious and boring, so I will not include all of that stuff in this post but I will tell you that the current lunar calendar has been in use since 104 BC.

There are a number of rules that govern the calendar:

Each Month begins at midnight on the day of the new Moon.
There are 12 regular months.
The sun must pass through winter solstice in month 11

In order to make that happen, there must be an intercalary month inserted into the calendar. An intercalary month is like a leap month. It month can take place after any month and is the same number of days as the month it follows. Because of the use of intercalary months of the Lunar calendar the corresponding days of the holidays in the Solar Calendar Change each year. For example in 2014, Chinese new Year took place on January 31, in 2015 it will be on February 19.

Most of Taiwan’s traditional holidays are marked through the use of the Lunar Calendar. modern Holidays are marked through the Solar Calendar. Let’s take a look at the Taiwanese Holidays:

Lunar New Year: 春節Lunar date is January 1. (February 19, 2015) This is the most important holiday of the year. It is celebrated much the same way that Christmas is celebrated in the west. Families gather for 3-15 days. Traditional meals are served on Lunar New Year’s Eve. People are given gifts of Hong Bao 紅包　these are gifts of money that are a wish of prosperity for the recipient.

The LanternFestival: 元宵節　Lunar date is January 15. (March 5, 2015) This is the first day a full moon can be seen in the New Year. People celebrate by lighting and launching sky lanterns. There are also huge venues where people go to see artistically made lanterns and watch them launched. People often write prayers and wishes on the side of the lanterns before they are released. The traditional food for the Lantern festival is the Tang yuan 湯圓 (soup circle). These are balls of gooey, sweet rice gluten.

Qingming Festival: 清明節 Solar Holiday: April 5, 2015. During the Qingming Festival families gather to sweep the tombs of departed ancestors. It is a day to honor the dead. Many people use this day to burn incense and worship their ancestors.

Dragon BoatFestival: 端午節　Lunar date is May 5. (June 20, 2015) his festival honors Chinese Poet Qu Yuan. It is celebrated with the racing of the dragon boats. People eat a special sticky rice pyramid called a zongzi.

Night of Sevens: 七夕 Lunar date is July 7. (August 20, 2015) This holiday celebrates the legendary love of Niulang and Zhinu. According to legend they are forever separated, but are allowed to unite on July 7. The Taiwanese view this as a romantic night celebrated much like Valentine’s Day in the west.

Ghost Festival: 中元節　Lunar date is July 15. (August 28, 2015) The festival honors the departed ancestors. People commemorate this day by placing offerings of incense, food and beverages outside their homes and the burning of spirit money for the family members who have departed the world. This is the most important date of Ghost Month (The whole month of July on the lunar calendar.)

Mid-Autumn Moon Festival: 中秋節　Lunar date is August 15. (September 27, 2015) This is the day when most people get together with friends and family and barbeque. Look for an in-depth post on the Moon Festival in September. A gift is given to friends and family of moon cakes. Circular cakes made with egg yolks and other things inside. The shape represents the moon and the cakes themselves are good wishes for the recipient.

Double Ninth Festival: 重陽節　Lunar Date is September 9. (October 21, 2015) People usually celebrate this holiday by climbing mountains or visiting flower shows.

Xia Yuan Festival: 下元節　Lunar date is October 15. (November 26, 2015) During this festival people pray to the water god for a peaceful year.

Winter Solstice: 冬至　Solar Holiday (December 22, 2015). This corresponds to the Winter Solstice in Western Countries. Families gather to celebrate on this day.

Kitchen God Festival: 謝灶Lunar date is December 23. (February 1, 2016) This is the day to thank the kitchen god. It is believed that on the twenty third day of the twelfth lunar month, just before Chinese New Year he returns to Heaven to report the activities of every household over the past year to the Jade Emperor (Yu Huang). The Jade Emperor, emperor of the heavens, either rewards or punishes a family based on Zao Jun's yearly report.

(You can follow the links for more information on selected holidays.)

One final note is that the Chinese Zodiac is broken down into 12 years. Each year corresponds to a particular animal. It is believed that people born in a particular year will share the traits of the animal mentioned. The following is a breakdown of the Zodiac and the corresponding years from 1924 through 2031. See if you can find yours.

Rat 1924 1936 1948 1960 1972 1984 1996 2008 2020

Ox 1925 1937 1949 1961 1973 1985 1997 2009 2021

Tiger 1926 1938 1950 1962 1974 1986 1998 2010 2022

Rabbit 1927 1939 1951 1963 1975 1987 1999 2011 2023

Dragon 1928 1940 1952 1964 1976 1988 2000 2012 2024

Snake 1929 1941 1953 1965 1977 1989 2001 2013 2025

Horse 1930 1942 1954 1966 1978 1990 2002 2014 2026

Sheep 1931 1943 1955 1967 1979 1991 2003 2015 2027

Monkey 1932 1944 1956 1968 1980 1992 2004 2016 2028

Rooster 1933 1945 1957 1969 1981 1993 2005 2017 2029

Dog 1934 1946 1958 1970 1982 1994 2006 2018 2030

Boar 1935 1947 1959 1971 1983 1995 2007 2019 2031

Other posts you may be interested in:

Taiwanese Traditions: The Beliefs of Confucianism
Taiwanese Traditions: The Planting and Growing of Rice
Taiwanese Traditions: Selling and Brewing Tea

Photo Credit: http://www.spreadshirt.com/goat+sheep+t-shirts (Ed. Note: This photo can be purchased as a t-shirt at spreadshirt.com.)

Merry Christmas from the Taiwan Adventure Blog

2014-12-24T17:37:00.000+08:00

Brenda, Elizabeth, Emily and I wish all of you a Wonderful Christmas and a Happy and Fruitful 2015.

Construction Boom

2014-12-23T16:13:00.000+08:00

We live in a pretty new neighborhood. By pretty new I mean that most of the apartments weren't here a year ago. In fact, just in one section of street by our house there are seven apartments and one mall being built.

It’s amazing. I see all these articles about how the population of Taiwan is declining and I wonder who’s going to live in all these places. There is room for probably forty thousand new residents, and that’s just in my neighborhood. The apartments that are for sale here are in about the US $450,000 to US $500,000 range. That's a lot of Mazoola, but they're pretty luxurious. You can rent one for about US $650 per month. That's what we pay for a fairly large 4 bedroom apartment, that's less than a year old. That's in Taoyuan City though, prices in Taipei are much, much higher.

We see apartments being built all over Taoyuan and Bade Cities. Growth is huge. One of the reasons for that is that it is convenient for people who work in Taipei to live in Taoyuan and commute. It’s going to get even more convenient as the MRT extends to Taoyuan. You won’t need to ride the train and switch to the MRT or a bus to get to your location. You will be able jump on the MRT and find your way to anyplace in Taipei.

I think the real problem with all this growth will be the local roads. Don’t get me wrong the roads are modern and easy to drive. Well, the roads are easy to drive on but the traffic is not easy to get through. I think traffic will become much worse as the construction boom continues, because I notice all of the building but not any widening of the streets. Small two lane roads serving all these apartment complexes and the mall are bound to become congested.

I’m kind of looking forward to the completion of the construction because the buildings are beautiful and modern. I’m tired of the construction dirt and noise, and all the blue trucks. For the uninitiated, blue trucks are the scourges of traffic in Taiwan. They drive fast and it seems like they go out of their way to violate traffic laws and startle pedestrians and motorists. They make taxi drivers look like concerned and careful drivers.

Taoyuan City is an urban environment by American standards. When I was young I always thought that I wanted to live in the country. Away from the city and enjoying the natural scenery. But in the US for a time, I lived in Dunsmuir, which is a small town of 1,500 near Mount Shasta in California. I fished, I hiked, I did all the things the country dwellers did. But since being in Taiwan and living in this type of urban environment I have discovered that I’m really more comfortable in the city. I like having a lot of people around. I enjoy the fact that something is happening all the time. I liked Dunsmuir well enough, but give me that old hustle and bustle. I guess I’m just a city guy.

The Real Reason for the Season

2014-12-16T11:44:00.000+08:00

Every year we've struggled getting into the Christmas spirit, because there’s no hullabaloo about Christmas. You don’t hear Christmas music on the radio and in every store. There are no huge blowout Christmas sales. No Christmas parades. No Charlie Brown Christmas specials playing on the television. No Salvation Army Santas. The cops aren't pulling you over and giving you money like in the US. Nobody decorates their house.

This year, though, we’re noticing some Christmas cheer. Downtown Taoyuan is aglow with Christmas lights. There are Christmas trees in every store. Some stores have photo opportunities where you can pose in a Sleigh or something winterish. There are only two things missing. You don’t see any fat white guys (or Asian guys for that matter.) in red suits, ho-ho-hoing their way through lines of children dying to tell them what they want for Christmas and there’s no baby Jesus.

In Taiwan, Christmas is a secular holiday. Well, actually Christmas isn't a holiday at all. Christmas is just a sales opportunity for the big chain stores. You don’t see little shops that people open up under their homes decorating for Christmas.

Personally, I’m into Christmas. Please don’t make me listen to Christmas music, though. I don’t want to hear “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.” Spare me Alvin, Theodore and Simon, singing their little Christmas song. Do not “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow,” I moved to SoCal all those years ago to get away from that. I’m not into the post-Christian era Christmas. I’m a Christian and I’ll tell you why I appreciate Christmas, so much.

As a young man, I was successful in my field. In high school, I started and operated a number of recycling centers at local high schools. I got out of college and went to work for a waste hauling company, as a recycled materials collector. I drove a pickup truck and pulled a trailer collecting cans, bottles and newspapers on the street. After 20 years in that field I ended up as the Director of Recycling and Resource Recovery for the largest privately held waste hauler west of the Mississippi River. I was on the board of directors for California Resource Recovery Association. I was 35 years old.

I lived in a beautiful condo, had a hot car and a lot of money. My neighbors would point me out to their teenage sons and tell them, “If you work hard, you can be like that.” The problem was that my life was a mess.

I was an alcoholic. I drank myself to sleep every night. I had isolated myself, because social interaction interfered with getting drunk. I was lonely, miserable and full of self-hatred. I knew the things that I had done to make myself "successful." The way I had treated people: The lying, the cheating…all of those things that you don’t feel good about.

Then I was diagnosed with Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy and I thought to myself, “If this is what life is all about, who needs it.” I spent a number of evenings trying to kill myself, but couldn't drink up the courage to do it.

An acquaintance invited me to see a drama, in which she was starring. She was a waitress at my favorite restaurant. So I went. The drama centered on Mexican gangsters: The old school Mexican gangsters, “Cholos.” I had very little experience with gangs. In the suburban environment where I grew up the toughest gang was the Parent Teacher Association. But the drama struck me, because it was my life in dramatic form: A successful young person whose life had gone downhill.

At the end of the play a young man preached a short sermon and used the line, “Jesus took a bullet for you.” In my spare time, my mind drifted back to this line over and over. I went back to that church the next week and ended up giving my life to Jesus.

That was 23 years ago. The change in me was apparent immediately. My sisters had been taking turns calling me to “check up on me.” They were worried that I would do something drastic. They couldn't get over the change that had taken place in one day.

I no longer drink alcohol. In fact, I haven’t had a drink in 23 years. I’m not a recovering alcoholic…I’m an ex-drunk. I committed myself to Jesus and patterned my life after my pastor’s life. Now I’m a missionary and pastor because I want to see what happened in me, happen in other people’s lives.

I appreciate Christmas because it is an opportunity to honor Jesus. We celebrate the birthdays of presidents, not because of their birth but because of what they did in their lives. I celebrate Christmas because of what Jesus did with His life. He sacrificed His life, to free us from the bondage and self-destruction of sin. He took a “bullet” for us.

Merry Christmas.

On the Road, Again: Hualien

2014-11-27T12:48:00.000+08:00

Editor's Note: After a long hiatus I've begun to work on this again. I just wasn't feeling like writing. It’s a long story, better left untold, but my mind is back in the right place now, so I think we can expect regular Taiwan Adventure Blog posts again. I apologize for the hiatus but it was needed.

The Virtually Indestructible M13

Recently, my friend You Tube Motovlogger M13 had a serious accident on his scooter. He ended up going over a cliff, breaking both legs and having to have part of his hand amputated. The accident happened right outside of Hualien on the east coast of Taiwan, about four and one half hours from where we both live. My wife and I went to visit him. We had never been to Hualien before, so we stayed for the night and did a little sightseeing on the way home.

Hualien is located about a third of the way down the east coast of Taiwan, about 177 km (about 110 miles) from Taipei. But those 110 miles take about four and one half hours. From the perspective of the drive Highway 9 is horrendous. The road is narrow and traveled heavily by quarry trucks and tour buses. There are also those intelligent drivers who have no fear of passing on a blind corner over a double yellow line. Caution is required.

From the Nan ao Overlook

It’s a long, tiring trip but very worth the effort. The vistas of the Pacific Ocean are spectacular. There are a number of overlooks where one can stop, take in the scenery, and get a few photos.

In Hualien, we stayed at a motel called the Taiwan Best Hotel. The hotel was comfortable and clean and rented for about $2600 NTD (about 90 USD) per night. This isn't bad considering Hualien is one of the premiere tourist locations in all of Taiwan, because of it’s proximity to Taroko Gorge..

The Entrance to Taroko Gorge

So, even though we were in a hurry to get back, (I had to finish up working on my Bible Study for the evening) we took a short detour to Taroko Gorge. The road through the Gorge is one of the three most scenic roads in the WORLD; not Taiwan, but the ENTIRE world. We were there only for a short time but were awed by the beauty of that place. We will definitely make another trip to Hualien and to the Gorge to see it all. This is just a taste of The Road to Hualien.

The day was pretty hazy, due to high humidity, and the photos aren't the greatest, but we’ll do better when we go again.

Taroko Gorge

Chung Chan Temple

Su ao Overlook:

Su ao harbor

The Port of Su ao

The Mountains of Taiwan

2014-05-13T17:25:00.000+08:00

We recently took a trip to the mountains of Taiwan to a small picnic area above the city of Sanxia. We got lucky, in terms of the weather , which is pretty unpredictable this time of year. The Plum Rains have started and we are seeing thunderstorms on an almost daily basis. But last Saturday was just about as perfect as weather can be. Temperatures were cool, but not cold. There was no rain, just a slight refreshing breeze. As an added bonus, because of the terrible weather for the last week, everyone stayed home, expecting the weather to repeat, so we had the place virtually to our selves. Only lifeguards were milling around. That doesn't happen often on a weekend in the Taiwanese mountains.

Other posts you may be interested in:

Taiwan Travelogue: Lala Shan la拉拉山
Taiwan Travelogue: The North Coast
Taiwan Travelogue: Driving to Hawaii

Photos: Elizabeth and Emily Banducci

Another Shameless Plug: Book Excerpt

2014-04-23T15:28:00.000+08:00

Our book, The Taiwan Adventure: An Expat's Observations of Life in Taiwan is on sale at Amazon.com and other bookstores throughout the World. It's now out in the Kindle Version, so it has become quite accessible. You can purchase the book at this link. Today in a shameless plug I want to present and excerpt from the book: The Number 7 Cross Island Highway.

7.1 The Number 7 Cross Island Highway

A Poppy Field in Daxi

One interesting thing I've discovered is that the meaning of certain words is different in Taiwanese English than it is in English-English. Huh? What does that mean? Take the word Highway, for instance. We've driven the #7 Cross-Island Highway from Daxi Township all the way to Yilan. It starts out

as a beautiful highway. It’s wide with double yellow lines down the middle

and moves along easily at 60 km/h (38 mph). In essence it lives up to the

name highway.

One minute we’re zipping along in beautiful mountain scenery. We

passed a huge field of orange poppies: Then the immaculately manicured

Chiang Kai Shek mausoleum. Then something happened to the road. The

highway was like a road with dual personalities…and suddenly the evil

personality showed up.

The complexion of the road changed. It narrowed a little, then a little

more. Then it began to snake through the forest and up the side of the

mountain; twisting and turning; even the switchbacks had switchbacks. Until

the Cross-Island Highway looked more like the Cross Island Goat track: And

then I’m sure I saw a goat refusing to get on the road.

A remote temple in the mountains

At times it felt like I was driving the car in the cartoons where the tires

on one side of the car stayed on the road and the others hung out over a

yawning abyss. Okay maybe I’m exaggerating here, but not much. Then the

road got really narrow and the sun began to set.

Then it got darker and darker. The conversation turned darker as well. It

was like driving through a horror movie. It got so dark that we couldn't see to

the trees on the side of the road. And then it got really dark. I thought it would

never end.

A waterfall near the road before it went all Twilight Zone/Zombie Apocalypse on us.

We had decided to drive over to Yilan. People have been telling me what

a wonderful place it was, so we thought we’d make it a day and drive the 7.

Because I hadn't been there before, I was watching the mileage signs; just

before dark we saw a sign that said 28 kilometers to Yilan. So we drove in the

same direction for at least 10 kilometers then we saw the next sign. Yilan 32

kilometers…wait…we were traveling in the right direction how did it get

farther away. Then I’m sure I saw him…In fact, I’m positive I saw Rod

Serling hitchhiking with a sign that said “The Twilight Zone.” Then it got

really, really dark; it got so dark that the boogieman had a night-light.

Eventually about an eon later we came out of the mountains and into a good-sized city.

We stopped for gas and a man gave us a road map so that we could find

an alternate route home. One of our friends had commented to us that we

shouldn't stop for anyone walking on the road. He said that many people had

reported seeing ghosts on the side of the highway waving to people. I just

passed it off as a legend. You know where I grew up we lived with the legend of

the “White Witch of Nortonville.”

This woman was apparently a nurse in the 1800s during an epidemic of

small pox in Northern California. Legend has it that she overturned her wagon

while trying to reach some sick child in a remote cabin in the hills near the

Somersville mines in Nortonville. Now she supposedly wanders the roads

around the cemetery she’s buried in. We would go out and visit Nortonville

looking for her but didn't really expect to find her.

Then, I saw a guy, standing there, I couldn't help but stare he was

completely pale, like he hadn't been outside in years. He had dark circles

around his eyes and walked with a shuffling gate, sort of dragging one leg

along. He had a double-bitted axe in one hand and chainsaw in the other. He

was headed for the mountains… on the road we just came down.

When he heard we’d just come out of the mountains he looked a little

peeved. He just muttered something that sounded like, “I knew I was late.” I

wonder what he meant by that…

Hey it Works: Public Transportation in Taiwan

2014-04-15T15:55:00.001+08:00

Buses at the Banciao train station

One glaring difference between California and Taiwan is seen in the use of public transportation. In California, you see lots of empty buses, trains and rapid transit trains. The Amtrak commuter system is rarely used. Bus after bus passes by empty or with just a few seats being used. Californians rarely travel by train.

Of course, one reason that people rarely travel by train may be something like I experienced. I was traveling to Northern California from Riverside in Southern California. Because of the mountains near Bakersfield, there was a need to travel for a while by Amtrak bus. So as I went to board the bus with my luggage the driver told me I wasn’t allowed to travel with luggage. Yeah that works, if you have to stay the night somewhere, or are planning a stay for a while, I guess you have to wear all the clothes you might need.

In Taiwan however, buses are full to overflowing, the MRT stations are crowded, and the trains are a popular way to get around. It might be because the train system seamlessly connects with bus and MRT routes. There are two types of trains; local and express. They’re inexpensive, clean and pretty comfortable. A trip from Taoyuan to Taipei takes approximately 30 minutes. There are bus stops and MRT connections (In the MRT Service area) at every train station.

The Easy Card: It is aptly named

Because the buses and MRT are so frequent there is rarely more than a ten-minute wait, except during peak commute hours where buses are full. In those cases you may have wait for a while to get on a bus.

The other nice thing about the system is that it can all be accessed with one card: The Easy Card. You can put an amount of money on the card at kiosks in the train station, 7-11 and other locations throughout the city. In fact, the easy card can be used at a variety of shops and places in addition to transportation system. Here is a look at a small part of the system between Taoyuan City and Banciao.

Trains:

Passengers waiting for the train at the Taoyuan City station. There are many different types of users for the train: People commuting to work, high school and college students commuting to class, shoppers and tourists. People commuting to work into Taipei, can make a trip to the main train station in Taipei in about thirty minutes.

All of the train stations have a safe "waiting zone for female passengers at night." These are well-lighted areas with camera surveillance. The trains run until late at night and sitting in a poorly lit, nearly empty train station isn't particularly comfortable. The waiting area adds safety and comfort for female passengers.

Crowded trains mean that many people have to ride the train standing up in the aisle, so handy grab rings hang from the ceiling.

The photo above is the Banciao Train Station. In addition, to transportation services, there are shops, and restaurants in many of the large train stations. There is an entire shopping mall underneath the Taipei Main Station.

MRT:

The MRT station is also clean and well lighted. You can see the red lights in the platform at the center of the picture. When the train is approaching the station the lights flash off and on, then remain on as the train gets closer to warn passengers to stand clear of the oncoming train. Note the "rough tile" next to the waiting line in the center of the photo. This is to notify blind people that they're too close to the track.

Buses:

People line up at Banciao train station to catch the bus to almost anywhere they need to go. Buses run from here to almost every point in the city of Taipei.

Every bus is equipped with an Easy card reader, which automatically deducts the NT$ 18 (US$ 0.57) fare.

Disability Access:

This sign on the bus shows the different levels of accesibility available on the buses. All the trains station make some provision for access. There are elevators for going above or below the tracks to access different platforms. There are even people who will lift wheelchair bound people in and out of the train. One time a man wanted to carry me on his back out of the train, I declined however, for reasons of dignity.

The turnstiles at the Banciao MRT station are equipped for easy card access and you can see the turnstile at the far right accommodates wheelchairs. All MRT trains are designed to have the floors level with the platform for easy wheelchair access.

All Photos by Emily Banducci

Taoyuan City Confucius Temple

2014-03-26T13:42:00.000+08:00

The Confucius Temple in Taoyuan City, located at No 40 Gongyuan Lu is built on the outskirts of Hutou Shan park. The grounds are beautiful and have trail-heads for hiking in this "wilderness" area.

In the typical Taiwanese fashion the trails are beautifully kept and easy to walk on. However, for a disabled person these trails present a problem because they are made with stairs and so are inaccessible to wheelchairs.

It is worth a visit, especially if you're into hiking and walking in a beautiful and tranquil environment. I would recommend that you do these walks on a weekday as the trail become very full on the weekends especially with the Winter turning into Spring.

I have embedded a Google map to make it easier to find.

View Larger Map

The Taiwan Adventure: Now Available on Kindle

2014-03-03T11:07:00.001+08:00

The Taiwan Adventure Blog is pleased to announce that our book, The Taiwan Adventure: An Expat's Observations of Life in Taiwan, is now available on Kindle. The book is a number of the posts from this blog updated and rewritten as an informative book for anyone considering a move to Taiwan.

There are a number of posts about traditions, history, food and even a section on living in Taiwan with disabilities. The book is full of lots of full-color pictures depicting Taiwan and it's people, culture and natural beauty. I've been living here about four an and half years, now and have adjusted to the differences between American Culture and Taiwanese Culture. I would encourage you to go to Amazon.com and purchase your copy of The Taiwan Adventure: An Expat's Observations of life in Taiwan. (The title is a link to Amazon.com's Chris Banducci page) If you're planning a move to Taiwan grab a copy of this book to give you a "heads up" about what to expect.

Look at some of the reviews the book has received:

I really enjoyed reading this book. It's informative, funny and very easy to read. I learned a lot about Taiwan, its complex history, customs and what it's like to be an American expat living in that country. I loved the section about food and the author's willingness to try different kinds of foods which may not always appeal to American tastes.
Taiwanese traditions such as the selling and brewing of tea, ghost month, the lunar calendar and other traditions are explained. There is a chapter on Disability in Taiwan which would be very helpful to anyone who wants to travel and has mobility issues. The author needs to use a wheelchair most of the time but it has not kept him from doing a lot of sightseeing in the country.
There are lots of tips on how to adjust to this particular culture and it seems the author and his family have done that very well.
I hope there is a sequel to this book. I'd be interested in how the author's teenage daughters adjusted to living in the country and how they perceive Taiwanese teen-agers. (sic)
(Taken from the Amazon.com website)

I will post some excerpts from the book over the next few weeks.

5.7 The Stink of Adventure

Stinky Tofu at arm's length, which I think is safest.

I debated what to call this article. I toyed around with the idea of calling it, Eating Around. But there was more to it than just eating in a lot of different places. It was kind of a culinary adventure, so to speak. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t really all that adventurous, well not for me anyway. I’ll try eating just about anything once, maybe twice depending on whether or not I got the full gastronomical sensation the first time. I’m not like my children who consider mushrooms on their Pizza to be the worst possible hardship. I don’t even want to think about their reaction to Anchovies.

But on to the adventure…My family left for a visit to America, I was to follow a week later. So, I was on my own. When living in the same house and sharing space with my wife, I am required to follow certain rules and

regulations, which are enforced for the good of my marriage. Aside from the

obvious marriage breakers, my wife enforces some fairly strict culinary

requirements. You may think that she’s thinking of my health, not allowing

me to eat high cholesterol or fatty foods, ensuring that I don’t become a

casualty to heart disease, cancer or diabetes. You might think that, but if you

did you would be wrong. Her concern revolves around something much more sensitive than those things, her concerns are olfactory.

Taiwanese people occasionally engage in what I like to call “Xtreme

Cooking.” This kitchen-based sport revolves around liberal uses of odoriferous

spices, herbs and other things. It may even make use of foods that in

themselves, have a high stench coefficient. These types of foods have been

included in the “illicit foods” list in our household. I have been told, on more

than one occasion, that if I come home with the scent of any of these

contraband food substances on my breath, in my skin or on my clothing that I will be sleeping folded into my desk chair, if I’m allowed into the house at all.

But for the moment, the storm troopers, er, uh…enforcement team was gone. So I did the only thing I could do, I immediately checked the “Summary of Forbidden Foods.” What should I do first…More Garlic snake? No, that’s too mundane. Do I need to make a trip through the night market, allowing my nose to guide me to the Xtreme Cooking experts? Completely unnecessary. A friend who had heard me speak wistfully of a food, which was at the top of that list, a sensitive person, who obviously cares for the real essence of manhood, solved the dilemma with two questions.

Two questions which speak directly to the core of mankind’s need of

adventure. Two questions which were shockingly simple. They weren’t

complex and requiring great thought. They weren’t like the question that

caused Charles Mallory, an early pioneer of Mt Everest, to hesitate and shyly answer, “Because it’s there.” No these were direct, to the point, there could only be one answer for each of these questions. The first, was a call to

adventure, it was framed, on the idea that the time was now…that opportunity may knock only once and then drift off to find someone who would answer more promptly. In other words there was an urgency to this question that could not be denied, “Did your wife leave for America, today.” I was tingling with expectation. The question that followed was so obvious that I was embarrassed not to have thought of it myself, “Do you want to try Stinky Tofu.” It was brilliant, I almost wept at the elegance of the idea.

Chris Banducci, and his copy of The Taiwan Adventure

Of course, I wanted to try it. Every time, my wife smelled it and wrinkled her nose and complained that the odor was the worst thing she had ever smelled, I had to wonder how something like that would taste. The smell was like a siren call to me. It tantalized, no less than the mermaids of old tantalized the men of the sea. Although, I will admit that as food it is entirely appropriate in its name. But perhaps, to an adventurer that was the allure.

After all, what caused men to climb the highest peaks in the world? No one, who has ever climbed a mountain, has ever been heard to exclaim, “I want to do it because it will be easy and I just love a nice, cozy tent.” No! The cold, the danger, the difficulty, those were the things that drew men to death zone of Everest. The danger and the discomfort were the draw. This is what makes an adventure, an adventure.

I was ready to throw aside the comfort foods, I cared not for the

delicately flavored tasty combinations; I had a hunger for adventure. There are two ways to prepare Stinky Tofu, I had only to choose one, and my friend like a trusty Sherpa guide, would get me there. What is Stinky Tofu? It’s Tofu with a twist. They take the soy bean curd, (that’s what Tofu is) and they ferment it. People in Asia do this with a number of foods. Kimchi is fermented cabbage. Thousand-year-old eggs are fermented eggs. Stinky Tofu is fermented soy bean curd.

They prepare it in two ways; they either steam it or deep-fry it. I have

heard, from more than one source, some of them were even Taiwanese, that,

steamed Stinky Tofu, tastes exactly like it smells. I’ve seen it, and it looks like it smells, as well. Hey, in food, even for me, presentation is important. So I opted for the deep fried type. The lust for adventure runs deep in my

family…but not that deep.

I found it to be surprisingly tasty. It was covered with a garlic sauce and topped with cabbage. I have spoken to a number of Taiwanese people about food. In fact, I talk to everyone about food. Most of the Taiwanese people I speak to name Stinky Tofu among their favorite foods. I met a bunch of seventh graders who claimed they liked Stinky Tofu better than ice cream.

This adventure didn’t end with just Stinky Tofu. It was an adventure of

monumental scope. We traveled throughout Taoyuan City stopping at a

number of food carts. These are little carts where people prepare food, right on the side of the road. These are the places where you can really get the taste of Taiwan.

I enjoyed Stinky Tofu, the forbidden fruit of Taiwan; well, forbidden in my house, anyway, but I think it’ll be a while before I eat it again. My wife isn’t planning on traveling again anytime soon.

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Merry Christmas from the Taiwan Adventure Blog. We hope you all have a wonderful 2014.

Holidays and the Lunar Calendar, The Year of the Horse

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One of the things I've done every year is list all of the Taiwanese holidays. 2014 is the Year of the Horse. Most of Taiwan’s traditional holidays are marked through the use of the Lunar Calendar. Modern Holidays are marked through the Solar Calendar. Let’s take a look at the Taiwanese Holidays:

Lunar NewYear: 春節Lunar Date is January 1. (January 31, 2014) This is the most important holiday of the year. It is celebrated much the same way that Christmas is celebrated in the west. Families gather for 3-15 days. Traditional meals are served on Lunar New Year’s Eve. People are given gifts of “Hong Bao” 紅包　These are gifts of money in a red envelope that are a wish of prosperity for the recipient.

The LanternFestival: 元宵節　Lunar date is January 15. (February 14, 2014) This is the first day that a full moon can be seen in the New Year. People celebrate by lighting and launching sky lanterns. There are also huge venues where people go to see artistically made lanterns and watch them launched. People often write prayers and wishes on the side of the lanterns before they are released. The traditional food for the Lantern festival is the tangyuan 湯圓 (soup circle.) These are balls of gooey, sweet rice gluten.

Qingming Festival: 清明節 Solar Holiday: April 5, 2014. During the Qingming Festival families gather to sweep the tombs of departed ancestors. It is a day to honor the dead. Many people use this day to burn incense and worship their ancestors.

Dragon BoatFestival: 端午節　Lunar date is May 5. (June 2, 2014) This festival honors Chinese Poet Qu Yuan. It is celebrated with the racing of the dragon boats. People eat a special sticky rice pyramid called a zongzi.

Night of Sevens: 七夕 Lunar date is July 7. (August 2, 2014) This holiday celebrates the legendary love of Niulang and Zhinu. According to legend they are forever separated, but are allowed to unite on July 7. The Taiwanese view this as a romantic night celebrated much like Valentine’s Day in the west. It is sometimes called Double Seven.

Ghost Festival: 中元節　Lunar date is July 15. (August 10, 2014) The festival honors the departed ancestors. People commemorate this day by placing offerings of incense, food and beverages outside their homes and the burning of spirit money for the family members who have departed the world. This is the most important date of Ghost Month (The whole month of July on the lunar calendar. July 27 – August 24, 2014)

Mid-Autumn Moon Festival: 中秋節　Lunar date is August 15. (September 8, 2014) This is the day when most people get together with friends and family and barbeque. Look for an in-depth post on the Moon Festival in September. A gift is given to friends and family of moon cakes. Circular cakes made with egg yolks and other things inside. The shape represents the moon and the cakes themselves are good wishes for the recipient.

Double Ninth Festival: 重陽節　Lunar Date is September 9. (October 2, 2014) People usually celebrate this holiday by climbing mountains or visiting flower shows.

Xia Yuan Festival: 下元節　Lunar date is October 15. (November 17, 2014) During this festival people pray to the water god for a peaceful year.

Winter Solstice: 冬至　Solar Holiday (December 21, 2014). This corresponds to the Winter Solstice in Western Countries. Families gather to celebrate on this day.

Kitchen God Festival: 謝灶Lunar date is December 23. (January 23, 2014) This is the day to thank the kitchen god. It is believed that on the twenty third day of the twelfth lunar month, just before Chinese New Year he returns to Heaven to report the activities of every household over the past year to the Jade Emperor (Yu Huang). The Jade Emperor, emperor of the heavens, either rewards or punishes a family based on Zao Jun's yearly report.

Rat 1924 1936 1948 1960 1972 1984 1996 2008 2020

Ox 1925 1937 1949 1961 1973 1985 1997 2009 2021

Tiger 1926 1938 1950 1962 1974 1986 1998 2010 2022

Rabbit 1927 1939 1951 1963 1975 1987 1999 2011 2023

Dragon 1928 1940 1952 1964 1976 1988 2000 2012 2024

Snake 1929 1941 1953 1965 1977 1989 2001 2013 2025

Horse 1930 1942 1954 1966 1978 1990 2002 2014 2026

Sheep 1931 1943 1955 1967 1979 1991 2003 2015 2027

Monkey 1932 1944 1956 1968 1980 1992 2004 2016 2028

Rooster 1933 1945 1957 1969 1981 1993 2005 2017 2029

Dog 1934 1946 1958 1970 1982 1994 2006 2018 2030

Boar 1935 1947 1959 1971 1983 1995 2007 2019 2031

Gongfu Tea: Drink This, Grasshopper!

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Jackie Chan in his 2010 remake of The Karate Kid uttered a classic line. It took place after endlessly drilling Jaden Smith on hanging up his coat. Over and over he tells him, “Take coat off…put on ground…pick up…put coat on…” Smith’s character finally loses it and starts yelling. Then Jackie utters the memorable line, “Gongfu found in everything.” That’s it. Okay, so maybe you’re weren't as inspired by those words as I was but it made me think about tea. Of course, just about everything that doesn't make me think about food makes me think about tea. Since I haven’t heard of Gongfu Pork Chops, I guess we have to go with tea, here.

Those of us from places like the U.S. think of gongfu as Chinese Martial Arts: Twirling kicks, forceful punches, boards breaking, opponents being tossed across the room, defying the laws of physics you get the idea. But once again you’re asking the question what does all this have to do with tea? The term gongfu, as used in China and Taiwan, really refers to any skill that is achieved through hard work and practice. Gongfu tea doesn't have anything to do with breaking the teapot or anything like that.

Gongfu tea is a method of serving tea in Taiwan. It is something you do to show hospitality and care for guests in your home or business. When we bought our car and were waiting for the paperwork to be completed the salesman/dealership owner served us tea, in the gongfu way. If you have a company that does business with Taiwanese businessmen it would help your relationship with them to learn to perform gongfu tea. It would also help to have a high-quality Taiwanese grown tea available. Taiwanese tea is some of the finest tea available in the world.

Probably the finest aspect of the tea culture is Gongfu Tea. Tea Masters understand how tea is grown, when it’s best to pick, what age of plant produces the best tea, how to brew each type of tea for the best result, brewing temperatures, brewing times and how to serve tea in a way that makes people feel good, and highlights the flavor of the tea. All of these things and much more contribute to the Gongfu tea experience.

Being relaxed is helpful in experiencing the subtle differences between the tea flavors and fragrances. A friend who took me to a tea shop for the first time is a somewhat high-energy person, who has kind of a nervous personality. He constantly fidgets and talks fast. His hands have to be doing something at all times. As we were talking about the tea, with the owner, my friend remarked that he couldn't tell the difference between the different teas we were drinking. The owner told him, “That’s because you’re heart beats too fast, you have to learn to relax to appreciate the tea.” That, in essence is what the gongfu tea method is supposed to do, relax you so that you can enjoy the different teas.

The conversation centers on tea. Talk flows around the growing location, altitude and temperature variations, all of which affect the flavor of the tea. It can also touch on processes and oven temperatures, which are contributors to the color and flavor of the tea.

In short, the gongfu experience is all about the tea and relationships. I have found those times when I have been treated to this type of experience to be interesting, informative and relaxing. The end result, and really this is the primary goal of gongfu is the building of relationship. Time is taken to understand tea, but time is taken with your guest as well. It is to show the sincerity of your care for guests and desire to build your relationship with that person. I recently had an American friend visit me in Taiwan and I served him tea in the gongfu style. After his return to America, he sent me a brief note saying he was craving “sincere tea.” I guess I did it the right way.

Other posts you may be interested in:

The Origins of Wulong Tea?
Taiwanese Tea: Union Tea Company
Taiwanese Traditions: Selling and Brewing Tea

Photos: Chris Banducci

That is one BIG Duck

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It's an inflatable duck, but not a big inflatable duck.

I've been reading about this giant rubber duck for a while, now. I first heard about it when it was in Sydney, Australia. That was in 2007. It looks just like the rubber duck you played with in the tub when you were a kid. Well, some of you, I know you still play with that thing.

I was pretty excited to see it. The duck, created by Dutch conceptual artist Florentijn Hofman made it’s first appearance in 2007 in Sydney Harbor and its been in a number of places since. Recently, it was in Southern Taiwan in the city of Gaoxiong, but now it’s right here in Northern Taiwan in a little place called Xinwu. The duck will be there from October 26 (2013) until November 10.

According to things that I've read, the artist doesn't send the duck but sends plans for the duck, which are then implemented in the host country. The duck in Taiwan was inflated in just seven minutes, thanks to technology developed here. When the duck was in Hong Kong harbor it took an hour to inflate. Can you imagine the volume of air that had to be moved to inflate a duck that’s 58ft by 58ft by 81ft that’s 272,484 cubic feet (83,841 cubic meters) in seven minutes? I’m guessing they didn't just use the vacuum on blow.

The duck peers out over the crowd.

We decided that we couldn't let the duck be this close and not go see it. Even my teenage daughters were kind of excited about it. Of course, they have fond memories of their little rubber ducks. When they were babies I would play with the ducks with them while they soaked in the bathtub. In fact, their first word was duck. Most parents get “mama” or “dada,” we got duck.”

This duck is a bit bigger than they’re used to, though. The duck is 18 meters high, that’s 58 feet for you on the English measuring system, and 25 meters long (81 feet). That is one big duck, so you would need a big, big tub to play with it in.

We also got on the news as being the only foreigners in the place. There were probably 10,000 people who went to see the duck today, which is pretty surprising for a work/school day. The first day it was opened was a Saturday and 100,000 people passed by and gazed upon the duck in all its hugeness and glory. In fact, they opened the art festival an hour early, because by 8:00 am, they already had a line more than three kilometers long. They’re expecting 1.5 million visitors before the end of the run. Xinwu is a small rural community, especially by Asian standards; only 48,000 people live there.

Duck Souvenirs

It was a great trip. There was a great carnival atmosphere, with food vendors and souvenir vendors and other artworks on display. People were happy and enjoying the autumn weather. This is the absolute best time to be in Taiwan weather-wise.

Access for handicapped people was provided, but you couldn't easily get too close to the duck. There was an area that was like a deck that was reserved for elderly and handicapped people. there were also volunteers and staff to enforce that it wasn't packed with able bodied people, so there was actual room for the elderly and disabled

If you live in Northern Taiwan, take some time to visit Xinwu while the duck is there. We had a wonderful time. Admission to the Taoyuan Land Art Festival, that’s where the duck is, is free. I’d pay at least twice that for the opportunity to see it all again.

They've got all their ducks in a row.

Delicious Squid on a Stick.

Duck Watchers

Other posts you may be interested in:

Local Color: A Winter Trip to Danshui

Taiwan Travelogue: The North Coast

Local Color: Ju Ming Museum in Taipei

Photos by Emily Banducci

The Taiwan Adventure

The Final, Final Post

The Final Post

Goodbye Taiwan

Happy New Year from Taiwan － 新年快樂

Merry Christmas 2017

Birds of East Asia: A Review

Not Quite the Last of the Mountain Men

More Than an Hour at Sun Moon Lake

Paying it Forward in Rice

Guest Post: A Beginner’s Guide to Living Outside the USA

PS118 – Taiwan’s Newest Motovlogger

Taiwanese Traditions: Holidays and the Lunar Calendar 2015

Merry Christmas from the Taiwan Adventure Blog

Construction Boom

The Real Reason for the Season

On the Road, Again: Hualien

The Mountains of Taiwan

Another Shameless Plug: Book Excerpt

Hey it Works: Public Transportation in Taiwan

Taoyuan City Confucius Temple

The Taiwan Adventure: Now Available on Kindle

Holidays and the Lunar Calendar, The Year of the Horse

Gongfu Tea: Drink This, Grasshopper!

That is one BIG Duck

Happy New Year from Taiwan　－　新年快樂