Sunday, January 31, 2010

Amber does Japan...sort of

Fengyuan 豐原 is my daughter's hometown. She was born here, and except for the yearly visits to the States to see her grandparents and aunt, it's the only place she knows. For one afternoon, however, Amber could have been walking the streets of any provincial Japanese city, as virtually everything the two of us did today in downtown Fengyuan seemed to have a Japanese theme.

First off, we had lunch at a Japanese restaurant called Yanagikawa 柳川, run by our next-door neighbors, where Amber proclaimed that tonkatsu 豚カツ (along with steak) was her favorite food in the whole world:


Then we walked up the road to a tea stand called Kurokawa 黒川, where many of the teas are named after Japanese regions (静岡, 宇治 etc.) Amber was quite happy with the complimentary strawberry she was given there:


Still feeling a little hungry after lunch (we did split one set meal, after all), we crossed over to a shop called Sanco that specializes in onigiri おにぎり. Amber did her best Peko-chan ペコちゃん impersonation while we waited for our fried chicken rice ball:


Our final stop was at the local department store, and in particular, a small shop located on the first basement floor that stocks nothing but imported Japanese snack foods. Amber was satisfied with her purchase of a box of Hello Kitty Biscuits ハローキティビスケット (Dad picked up a can of UCC Milk Coffee 缶コーヒー):


Our father-daughter afternoon finished off at a field of cosmos flowers not far from our apartment complex. Amber had a lot of fun making her way among the flowers and butterflies, and she borrowed the camera to take a number of pictures, including the shot below:



More of my 4 year-old budding-Ansel Adams' works can be seen on her photo blog.

On a completely unrelated note is the following Kyōdō News 共同通信社 article from today's Japan Times ジャパンタイムズ ("Law to allow exhibition of Taiwan art"):

"The Diet 国会 will enact a law to smooth the way for an exhibition of ancient Chinese artworks from Taiwan's National Palace Museum 國立故宮博物院, the speaker of Taiwan's Parliament 立法院 said Thursday, according to local media. Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng 王金平 made the remarks after holding discussions earlier in the day with Tadashi Imai 今井正, Japan's new representative to T'aipei 台北, the Central News Agency reported. 'Imai told me that the Japanese Diet is likely to approve the legislation in the first half of the year,' Wang was quoted as saying. He added that several Japanese parliamentarians promised during a recent visit to Taiwan to help push for passage of the act. 'Given the geographic proximity, cultural links and long-term friendship between our two countries, I believe a public exhibition of Palace Museum art treasures in Japan will definitely attract a large audience and turn out to be a resounding success,' Wang said. The National Palace Museum in Taipei is home to the world's largest collection of Chinese art, which was amassed by Chinese emperors over a millennium. The works have only been exhibited in three foreign countries — the United States, Germany and France — all of which enacted laws to guarantee their return to Taiwan after the exhibitions. Without a legal guarantee, Taiwan is concerned China might pressure countries to impound the art collection. After its defeat by communist forces in 1949, the Nationalist 中國國民黨 government fled the mainland to Taiwan, taking with them some 650,000 valuable works of art. Beijing claims sovereignty over the self-governing island and the artworks housed in National Palace Museum as its own."

It's somewhat ironic that Taiwan's most notable non-natural sight has very little to do with Taiwan itself. Calling it the "Chinese Louvre", as one Belgian writer recently did, is overstating the case, but the museum is a must-see for anyone interested in Chinese art. In the (sadly) increasingly unlikely event that this island can one day free itself from its Republic of China 中華民國 shackles and become an independent state in its own right, the question would have to be answered as to what to do with the National Palace Museum's huge collection of mainland artifacts. Perhaps that same Belgian writer could describe them as "Taiwan's Elgin Marbles".

Friday, January 29, 2010

To arms, to arms!

"It's better to help arm Taiwan than to defend it" is the headline for a somewhat odd opinion piece by one Doug Bandow of the Cato Institute, by way of today's Japan Times ジャパンタイムズ:

"The Obama administration is preparing a new arms package for Taiwan. Ironically, selling weapons to T'aipei 台北 may be the best way for Washington to get out from the middle of one of the world's potentially most volatile relationships, between China and Taiwan. Relations between China and Taiwan are improving. Yet the former continues to point more than 1,300 missiles at the latter. The threat of military force remains a backdrop to expanding economic and tourist contacts across the Taiwan Strait 台灣海峽. The U.S. is positioned uneasily in between. Formally committed to the principle of one China and providing weapons to Taiwan for its defense, Washington cannot easily square the circle. As China grows in economic strength and international influence, pressure will grow on America's relationship with Taipei."

According to the 1972 Shanghai Communique, the U.S. recognizes the One China principle  一個中國原則, but in language that implies that Washington merely acknowledges that China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, without actually endorsing China's position. The Taiwan Relations Act 台灣關係法 of 1979 requires the U.S. "to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character", and "to maintain the capacity of the United States to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people on Taiwan", but does not formally bind American military forces to come to the defense of Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack.

"(President) Ma (Ying-jeou) 馬英九 has downplayed Taiwan's quest for a separate international identity and promoted ties with China. Yet the underlying substantive issues remain unchanged. China sees only one outcome, whether the result of negotiation or ultimatum: Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan. In contrast, President Ma, no less than his predecessor, opposes submitting Taiwan to rule by China."

That last sentence is debatable considering the Kuomintang's 中國國民黨 rush to sign an ECFA with China in order to more closely bind the two economies together, and thus act to contain the influence of pro-independence forces. It seems many Western commentators accept Ma's proclamations on the defense of Taiwan's sovereignty at face value, without examining what has actually been taking place on the ground (and behind closed doors).

"At some point China's patience is likely to fade. Continuing arms sales may be the best hope of forestalling conflict. During the Cold War no one doubted Washington's will and ability to prevent China from attempting to conquer or intimidate Taiwan. Neither is certain any longer. Go to war with China and the 21st century looks a lot uglier, even if the U.S. handily wins round one. And round one no longer would be a slam dunk. While China cannot for the foreseeable future match American military power, it can create a substantial deterrent capability, sharply raising the potential cost of U.S. intervention. Beijing's increasing ability to sink U.S. carriers with submarines and missiles alone would force any president to hesitate sending the 7th Fleet into the Taiwan Strait for battle. As protecting Taiwan goes from being a guaranteed freebie to a potential catastrophe, Taipei will no longer be able to rely upon America. Taiwan has been a good friend for many years, but few U.S. presidents would decide to protect Taipei if doing so put Los Angeles and maybe New York at risk."

Bandow adapts an age-old concern regarding the American nuclear umbrella - namely, would the U.S. sacrifice New York for the sake of London, Tōkyō 東京 etc.? He thinks that arms sales are an easy out, that somehow providing weapons for Taiwan will mean the U.S. won't have to face the possibility of having its deterrence "bluff" (if it is, in fact, a poker move) called. Of course, one could easily argue the opposite position - selling weapons could serve to ratchet up tensions and make the likelihood of conflict all the more greater (though this writer personally doesn't take that point of view).

"...the Bush administration showed its pique with former President Chen Shui-bian 陳水扁 by freezing arms sales to Taipei. The result was to accelerate the already disturbing erosion of Taiwan's defensive capabilities. Taiwanese weakness could be dangerous. Should China grow impatient — and believe that victory would be swift and bloodless — the temptation to act could prove overwhelming. Of course, even fulfilling Taiwan's 'wish list' would not enable the island state to defeat China in a full-scale war. But Taipei needs sufficiency rather than equality — a military capable of making any attempt at coercion more costly than the likely benefits of victory...there should be no American retreat from the principle of selling Taipei the weapons that it needs for its defense. The Taiwanese have built a free and democratic society. They deserve access to the tools that will enable them to defend that society."

Here, Bandow seems unaware that there was a long-standing American arms package on offer from the Bush administration that was held hostage in the legislature by the then-opposition KMT - the very same folks who are now running the show, and claiming to put Taiwan's defensive needs first!

"...the best strategy for ensuring a peaceful resolution of Taipei's status is a robust Taiwanese defensive capability. Selling arms is a far better option than intervening militarily in any conflict. To presume that China, with far more at stake than America, will forever back down would be a wild gamble. Whether Chinese concerns are driven more by nationalist passions or geostrategic concerns, the more direct Washington's involvement, the more dangerous Beijing's likely response. And there would be no greater calamity than a war between the U.S. and China. The U.S. should not be expected to risk major war with nuclear powers to protect other states, however friendly or democratic. But Washington can help other nations defend themselves. Selling weapons to Taiwan would empower the island state without inserting the U.S. into any cross-strait crossfire."

Actually, Washington was expected to risk a major war with a nuclear power during the Cold War (NATO vs. the Warsaw Pact), and it still is when it comes to the mutual security treaties with Japan 安保条約, and to a lesser extent, South Korea. Arms sales or not, it's difficult to imagine the U.S. managing to stay out of the way should fighting break out between China and Taiwan. Bandow also completely overlooks the other major player in the region, Japan.

It's hard to disagree with Bandow's conclusion that Taiwan needs to have the means to defend itself, and that it's up the American government to help. Still, he should have done some research into the motives behind the policies currently being pursued by the Ma administration. A weapons package may look attractive, but all that sexy hardware could be just for show if the Taiwanese government doesn't really intend to put up much, if any, of a fight.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Revisiting old haunts

I went into T'aichung was to see what my new camera could do when it comes to photographing temples. The area I chose was the Nant'un 南屯 district, home to Taichung's oldest house of Taoist worship, Wanhe Temple 萬和宮 (dating from 1726). Parking my scooter in front a 7-Eleven, I took a walk along Nantun Old Street 南屯老街, a short stretch of road lined with old stores:


It isn't really worth going out of the way to visit. However, unlike Taiwan's ever-growing collection of "old streets", this one doesn't cater to the tourist trade - the shops and stores sell mostly items for daily use to local residents, and not snacks and souvenirs for day-trippers.

Tourism does seem to be in the cards for Wanhe Temple. Those brown signs that one sees all over Taiwan denoting tourist spots could be seen in the neighborhood, pointing the way to the temple, and the courtyard that used to be used for festivals and markets is now a parking lot. The temple was busy this afternoon, but save for a young Western couple (and myself), the visitors were there to worship:



Behind Wanhe Temple is another temple, albeit a more modern one. According to my Rough Guide, the enshrined deity at Wench'ang Temple 文昌公廟, Wench'ang Tichun 文昌帝君, is the "Emperor of Passing Exams", so it stands to reason that it's a popular place for students. And there were several there (along with their parents), no doubt praying for success on those all-important entrance exams that East Asian societies love to inflict on their young citizens. The two boxes in front of the main altar were filled with photocopies of test application forms and ID cards:


I don't know if it was the cloudy skies, the incense smoke, my ignorance when it comes to cameras or a combination of all three, but the pictures didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped. Oh well, Taiwan certainly doesn't lack for temple photo ops, so I'll try again another time.

On a final note, this afternoon was a bit of a stroll down memory lane. This area was the first place I stayed when I came to Taiwan, when I spent time with a friend who was living in a large apartment building nearby. The temples could be clearly seen from my friend's balcony, and the festivals and firecrackers could be clearly heard, much to my annoyance. Even on my first visit to Taiwan, I was already a curmudgeon! The neighborhood has changed somewhat since then, but I suppose I haven't!


This is the Taichung I remember all too well. 懐かしい...

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Go Speed Racer

Impatience is the bane of Taiwanese drivers. I saw this first-hand this afternoon as I was driving to the home of my friend Michael. I was in the right lane, and a delivery truck was next to me in the left lane. Behind us was the kind of blue pickup truck so ubiquitous in Taiwan. The delivery van and I were both going at roughly the same speed, no doubt to the frustration of the driver of the pickup, who obviously wanted to get around one of us so he could get to his destination more quickly. Unfortunately, the traffic light just in front of the Tz'u Chi hospital in T'antzu 潭子 changed to red. I stopped, the delivery van stopped, but the pickup was going too fast too closely, and though he applied the brakes, it wasn't in time as he crashed into the back of the delivery van, almost hitting me as the truck recoiled from the impact. The result was a broken windshield and a damaged front grill, but it could have been much worse - the driver was able to get out, and with the help of the van's driver, push the pickup to the side of the road:


Returning to the scene of the crime about a half-hour later, I saw that the pickup had been placed onto a flatbed truck and was being driven away. The driver may have been lucky this time, but how much physical suffering and property damage have occurred because many people in Taiwan can't be bothered to slow things down a little?

Fengyuan's first Indian restaurant has thrown open its doors. Are the city's notoriously conservative denizens (at least when it comes to dining) starting to embrace the big wide world of international eats? If my wife is any indication, the answer is probably "not yet". Despite the fact the sum total of her experience with Indian cuisine boils down to one night at a chain restaurant in Kyōto 京都 nearly a decade ago, she has made up her mind that all Indian food "isn't delicious". This from someone who complains a lot about the fare offered at many local diners, and yet still eats Chinese/Taiwanese food. At least my daughter says she's willing to give it a try!

Friday, January 22, 2010

Has it really been four years already?

My daughter turned four years old today, a fact which she is very proud of (though she has her sights set on becoming six). It's hard to believe she's already four, and while I wish she could stay my little princess forever, I'm thankful that she's made it this far without any serious problems (knock on wood). In case you're wondering, she received a Hello Kitty nurse's kit (かわいいかんごふさんバッグ, according to the box), and a toy stroller to go with the doll that she got last month for Christmas (and which she has named "Little Amber"). The Hello Kitty birthday cake also went over well:



Thursday, January 21, 2010

A home away from home

The Daily Yomiuri ザ・デイリー読売 has this interesting Yomiuri Shimbun 読売新聞 article posted on its website ("Novelist honored with opening of Japanese house in Taiwan"):

"A traditional Japanese house that was shipped from Ōichō おおい町, Fukui Prefecture 福井県, to northern Taiwan and rebuilt there as part of exchanges between quake-stricken areas in the two countries will open in April as a memorial to Japanese novelist Tsutomu Mizukami 水上勉. The house called Ittekisui Kinenkan 一滴水記念館 has been erected in the northern city of Tanshui 淡水. It features a library with a collection that includes books by Shunshin Chin 陳舜臣, 85, a Taiwanese-Japanese novelist who lives in Kōbe 神戸, as well as books written by Mizukami (1919-2004). The house will be used to foster greater cooperation between volunteers from the two countries and help with cultural exchanges. The relocation project was started by Machi-Communication まち・コミュニケーション, a residents group in Kōbe's Nagata Ward 長田区 that was set up to support postearthquake reconstruction efforts in the city and which provided assistance to areas of Taiwan that were hit by a massive earthquake in September 1999. The house, which is located in an area being developed as a park, is a one-story, 160-square-meter house with a gable roof and white walls. It was named after a museum of literature called Jakushu Itteki Bunko 若洲一滴文庫, which was set up by Mizukami in Ōichō, the novelist's hometown. The residents group holds meetings at a different traditional house, which they transported and built in Nagata Ward in 2004. A group visiting from Taiwan were impressed by the quaint, historic feel of the house. Consequently, the Kōbe-based group came up with a plan to relocate an old Japanese house to Taiwan. The group found a 90-year-old private house in Ōichō, which was later discovered to have been built by Mizukami's father, a chief carpenter."

The original Japanese-language article can be found here, and includes a photograph of the house:


Here's an older Taipei Times article on the house.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Just another day in Toyohara

I was standing in line at a 7-Eleven this morning when an old man turned to me and said "背が高いですね". I wasn't expecting to be addressed in Japanese, and certainly not at a corner convenience store in a small, provincial city like Fengyuan 豐原, but I quickly pulled myself together to agree with a "そうですね". He then asked "どこの国ですか", to which I replied "アメリカから来ました", before apologizing for having to leave. At no point in our brief conversation was the old gentleman at all surprised that I was using Japanese to speak to him. Had I not already been running late to get to work, I would've liked to have chatted with him some more - opportunities to use 日本語 don't happen often in these here parts. What I really wanted to know was why he chose to speak to me in Japanese in the first place. Could it be my looks? :)

Following work this morning, I rode over to the Tak'eng 大坑 area to do some hiking. The mountains looked great in the warm weather and clear skies, but my plans to try out the new camera's ability to take scenic shots had to be put on hold due to the layer of smog covering T'aichung 台中 down below. As I was returning to my parked scooter at the end of my walk, a large Formosan Rock Macaque 台灣獼猴 crossed the trail in front of me before climbing up into the trees. I tried to get a good shot of the monkey, but this was the best I could do, with the camera's zoom on maximum:


Coming home from a private lesson this evening, I noticed that the moon looked especially beautiful this evening. My old camera took terrible night shots, but tonight seemed like a good opportunity to see what the Casio カシオ could do. One of the extras that had been thrown in when I bought the camera was a small tripod. Setting everything up on the ledge of our apartment building's rooftop, this was the result:



That's life in central Taiwan.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Stepping back in time (a little)

Writing on a restaurant billboard (photo now missing, for unknown reasons) led to a walk around the neighborhood, which in turn led to this well-preserved (if uniquely maintained) old home...



I wish there were more like these around.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Take a walk on the mild side

My new Casio カシオ comes with what it calls a "YouTube" function, so after finishing work on Friday night, I decided to give it a go. Like many provincial Taiwanese cities, Fengyuan 豐原 has a small downtown area that can get surprisingly active, though this night it was comparatively quiet. The result of my brief walkabout can be seen below:


Starting off at the city's main Matsu 媽祖 Temple, I proceeded to walk down a section of Miaotung 廟東, a narrow street lined with food stalls that is Fengyuan's sole claim to fame within Taiwan. About halfway down, I turned onto a narrower lane crammed with clothing stores, several of which carry "risque" clothing that would seem pretty tame to anyone who has spent time in urban Japan. The lane ends near the entrance to the Pacific Department Store, where I then turned back toward Chung-cheng 中正 Road, the main artery of the city. From there, it was a short walk back to the Matsu Temple. Gripping stuff it ain't, but the video does show a slice of nightlife in a typical Taiwanese burg, and the images are a lot clearer than the vids recorded with the old Pentax ペンタックス.

As for the shakiness, that's what happens when a single giant 外人 hand tries to hold a small 日本製 camera. Next time, I'll try to use both mitts.

Friday, January 15, 2010

From Kyōdō News 共同通信社, by way of Japan Today ("Tiffany jewelry thief suspected in Taiwan heist"):

"A jewelry thief who stole at least four rings in Japan last month is suspected in the theft of two rings from a De Beers store in T'aipei 台北 on Tuesday...An Asian man who spoke broken English made off with two rings, valued at NT$10.5 million (about U.S.$330,000/¥30.18 million) and NT$1.85 million (about $58,000/¥5.3 million), after trying on the rings at the store, located on the second floor of Taipei 101 台北101, a skyscraper in the island’s capital...The thief said he was shopping for a wedding ring for his sister and ran off with the rings after the clerk handed them over for the man to inspect...The theft resembles a Dec 31 incident in Japan involving a similar-looking man who ran off with four rings valued at about $500,000 (¥45.6 million/NT16 million) from a Mitsukoshi 三越 store in Tōkyō 東京...Security camera footage of the two incidents...confirm(s) the resemblance...Taiwanese police officials are working with their Japanese counterparts to track down the suspect."

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Exploring the possibilities

This morning was gorgeous, so I gave myself a few minutes before leaving for work to go up to the roof of the apartment building to take some shots with the new Casio カシオ:





You can make out the high-speed rail tracks in the first photograph, while the last picture provides a nice view looking out towards the local garbage incinerator.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Giving the new camera a try

I was hoping to give my new camera a workout this afternoon while going on one of my usual walks in the Tak'eng 大坑 area, but the weather proved to be uncooperative. Thanks to the generally overcast, hazy and (in the morning, at least) drizzly conditions, the scenery from trails 9 and 10 was uninspiring. Hopefully, I'll have better luck next time. At least the zoom function worked well:



Of the 10 official hiking trails in Dakeng, #9 is the least worthwhile. Along with the #10, it's the most accessible of the paths, which naturally makes it the most crowded. On weekends, it's a veritable zoo, but even on a cold weekday afternoon, there were quite a few people out on the trail. And in Taiwan, where there are people, there will be vendors catering to them. The initial stage of Trail 9 is lined with stalls selling produce and drinks. Even on a Tuesday, many of the stalls were manned, and people were stopping to look and buy.

Once past the peddlers and shoppers, the #9 gets quieter, but eventually the trail leads to a Kuanyin Temple, also accessible by Trail 6 and, even worse, by car. A continuous cacophony of noise, those looking for a contemplative meditative experience would be better off going to the other hilltop Guanyin Temple in the area, the one behind the Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology 中台科技大學, which is not only quieter, but has better views of T'aichung's 台中 Peit'un District 北屯區.

If you would like to try Trail 9, for chrissakes do it on a weekday! Once at the top, start exploring some of the quieter paths going off into the trees - it won't be long before you leave the din behind. Descend via the #10 - all those staircases are great for discouraging commercial activities!

Monday, January 11, 2010

Trying to keep up with the times

I'm not always the quickest when it comes to keeping abreast of the latest technology, but in the last month or so I've replaced two major pieces of personal use electronics. The first was the purchase of a new HP laptop to take the place of my six year-old Acer 宏碁. Today it was time to finally say goodbye (and good riddance) to our four year-old Pentax ペンタックス. The new kid on the block is a Casio カシオ Z450, for which I paid NT10,000 (¥29,000/$315) at NOVA in T'aichung 台中. The difference in picture quality was immediately apparent. Here is one of the last photos taken by the old Pentax, of my daughter playing a 和太鼓 at her kindergarten this morning (although today was Sunday, the school was holding an event to celebrate its founding):


The first image recorded by the new Casio:



The photo was snapped while driving through downtown Fengyuan 豐原 this evening. The difference in quality between the two cameras is most noticeable with night shots.

I'm looking forward to exploring the possibilities and potential of the new toy, er camera. The first real test will probably come this Tuesday, when I plan to do some walking in Tak'eng 大坑. If the weather cooperates, we'll see what kind of scenic shots the Casio is capable of taking. As for my next high-tech investment, next up will be a decent bike, so I can join the cult of those who go...I mean, get rid of some flab by Cycling in Taiwan.

On a completely unrelated but Taiwan-specific note, there was this short AP item in the Daily Yomiuri ザ・デイリー読売, "New 'strawberry' crab species found off Taiwan":

"A marine biologist says he has discovered a new crab species off the coast of southern Taiwan that looks like a strawberry with small white bumps on its red shell. National Taiwan Ocean University 國立臺灣海洋大學 professor Ho Ping-ho says the crab resembles the species living in the areas around Hawaii, Polynesia and Mauritius. But it has a distinctive clam-shaped shell about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) wide, making it distinct. Taiwanese crab specialist Wang Chia-hsiang confirmed Ho's finding. Ho said Tuesday his team found two female crabs of the new species last June off the coast of K'enting National Park墾丁國家公園, known for its rich marine life. The crabs died shortly thereafter, possibly because the water in the area was polluted by a cargo ship that ran aground."

Thursday, January 7, 2010

In the news

From Kyōdō News 共同通信社, by way of the Japan Times ジャパンタイムズ, "Ma urges closer three-way security":

"Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou 馬英九 met with ex-Defense Agency 防衛庁 Director General Yoshinori Ōno 大野功統 on Monday and expressed hope for closer cooperation with Japan and the United States on regional security...'We hope we can cooperate more closely in this regard,' Ma was quoted as telling Ōno."

The captain of the good ship ROC certainly knows the right things to say in front of honored guests (as opposed to typhoon victims, for example), as the following shows:

"Commenting on Taiwan's relations with China, Ma told Ōno the improvement in ties across the Taiwan Strait 台湾海峡 has greatly eased tensions between the two political rivals. The improved ties between are 'good not only for the security of East Asia but also for Japan's national security,' Ma was quoted as saying."

On the surface, Ma's statement sounds reasonable. A war involving China and Taiwan would almost certainly result in American intervention, and it would be difficult to imagine Japan watching from the sidelines while the conflict played out in its former colony. But are the closer ties that Ma proudly boasts of truly in Japan's long-term interests? A resurgent, nationalistic China that claims islands presently under Japanese jurisdiction and disputes territorial boundaries over potential undersea oil and gas fields is naturally restrained by a Taiwan that is outside of its direct control. If and when Taiwan is brought under Beijing's wing (whether it be through unification, annexation or integration), Japan would have only a relatively weakening American deterrent to rely on for its security. Can the Chinese be trusted to have only "peaceful intentions"? Ma words on the matter are hardly reassuring:

"On the Chinese missiles targeted at Taiwan, Ma told Ōno that Taiwan has raised the issue but Beijing has not made a conciliatory response. Ma expressed hope for closer cooperation among Taiwan, Japan and the United States on regional security while addressing the threat of China's missiles..."

Despite all the steps taken by Ma's administration to improve relations with China (which less charitable souls might characterize as borderline "kowtowing"), the missiles stay in place. The president's stated hope for closer security cooperation also sounds a bit hollow coming from the man whose prime minister threatened war with Japan over a sunken fishing vessel, and whose party for years blocked the purchase of much-needed weapons from the U.S. in the legislature. Actions speak louder than words, and what Ma and his cohorts have been doing for the almost the last two years are more telling than any soothing sounds spoken to visiting dignitaries.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Pardon my Macaque

It seems I've been getting myself into some monkey business lately. This afternoon, as I was making my way down the No. 1 Trail in the Tak'eng 大坑 area, I came across a troupe of Formosan Rock Macaques 台灣獼猴. There were at least a dozen individuals jumping around in the trees, crossing over the wooden trail, grunting and occasionally baring their teeth at me. It wasn't easy taking pictures or making videos as the monkeys concealed themselves in the vegetation most of the time, but I was able to get a shot of one:


As I was preparing to move on, I turned around and saw one macaque walking right towards me on top of the railing. As soon as I pointed the camera at it, it quickly moved off into the forest:


It's moments like this one that remind me I really don't have much to complain about.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Taiwanese in the mist at Sun Link Sea

2010 is here, and the Kaminoge family spent most of the first two days of the New Year high in the mountains, away from the far maddening crowds down below. Our destination was the Nant'ou County 南投縣 resort of Shanlinhsi 杉林溪, which we reached late on Friday afternoon after a long drive up a twisting mountain road in heavy fog. After checking in and dropping our things off in our room at the Shanlinhsi Hotel, we set out on a walk in the thick mist, bundled up against the 10C (50F) chill 1600 meters (5250 feet) above sea level:



We first walked to the Stone Well Rock, a series of natural stone pools carved out by the river:



Leaving the Stone Well Rock area, we encountered a troupe of monkeys leaping about high in the trees above us (and raining branches down onto the ground below with every jump). The fog and dimming daylight prevented any photos being taken of the monkeys, but we could easily see and hear them overhead:


We then walked further on, and down, to a vista overlooking the beautiful Blue Dragon Waterfall, before making the trek back to the hotel area, where had dinner and then retired for the night:



And what a cold night it was, for our room lacked any kind of heating. Fortunately, the small space heater we brought along worked well in tandem with the heavy comforters provided in the room, and while the cold tile bathroom floor had me dancing on my toes, at least we didn't have to wait long for hot water. I woke up at 6 the next morning, and following a quick shower, got dressed and stepped outside around 6:30, leaving Pamela and Amber still asleep in their shared bed. Despite the fact the thermometer read 6C (43F), it didn't feel as cold as the previous day, probably due to the clear skies and fresh air, as I took a walk along the old-growth forest Yuehling Trail. Here's the view from the 展望台 at the top:


The walk took less than an hour, and when I returned to our hotel room, Pamela and Amber were already awake. Naturally, I was ready for a hearty breakfast, and just as naturally, the buffet at the hotel was Chinese-style (blah!) - anyone for spicy cucumbers and cabbage at 8 o'clock in the morning? At least there was coffee, and after going back to our room, getting our things and checking out, we took a shuttle bus about 3.3 kilometers (2.05 miles) to another waterfall area. The Sunglung Rock Waterfall wasn't as impressive as the previous day's Blue Dragon falls, but the setting was attractive, especially the adjacent grotto:



The other "highlights" were a short walk uphill from the falls, but neither the Ancient Red Cypress nor the The Eye of Heaven and Earth were as interesting as what we had seen the day before. However, the natural surroundings were beautiful, and the alternate path back to the shuttle bus stop avoided most of the crowds:



The great thing about Shanlinhsi (other than the obvious physical features) was how well organized it is. Walking trails are well-marked and maintained (the Yuehling Trail I took this morning had trash cans posted along the route), the shuttle buses were frequent and efficient, and there were only a few restaurants and shops. This is because Shanlinhsi is managed by the government - if this were private land, the narrow roads would be clogged with cars parked along both sides, and the resort would be overrun with food and souvenir stalls catering to the tour group hordes. The only place that would qualify as a tourist trap, the Medicinal Garden, was where Pamela wanted to visit next, however. Fortunately, a 1.6 kilometer (1 mile) walking trail led from the garden back to the hotel area, and while my wife and daughter waited for the shuttle bus (both being understandably a little tired from all the walking), I opted for the route through the forest:


Meeting up back at the car, we drove out of Shanlinhsi, going down the same mountain road we came up the day before, only this time being able to actually see more than a just a few feet in front of us! Things got "interesting" when Pamela noticed a turnoff for what appeared to be a shortcut to the town of Chushan 竹山. The views across the valley were fantastic, as the short movie I made attempts to show:


The already narrow road we were on soon got narrower, to where it was only wide enough for one car to drive on (at one point we were almost hit by an oncoming 4WD, which had to back up quite a ways in order to let us get by). The surface condition worsened as well, with potholes and puddles forcing us to go slowly in many places. The road literally hugged the side of the mountain, and the tea plantations on one side, and the steep drops down into the valley below on the other made for a drive that was thrilling in virtually all meanings of the term. The one thing it wasn't, however, was a shortcut! Eventually, we came out onto the main road again, reached the plains down below, and then took another road back up into the mountains! The purpose was to see a long wooden suspension bridge called the "Sky Bridge", posters of which we had noticed on the walls of a restaurant where we had stopped for lunch the previous day. We finally reached the parking lot for the bridge after a long drive along more twisting roads, only to learn that the bridge was a good hour-long walk from the 駐車場. As it was already 3:30, we didn't fancy having to return to the car in the dark, then have to face a long drive home, so without further ado, we turned around and went back the way we came. We did stop, however, to take in the view of the "Sea of Bamboo" from a lookout point on the way down:


It was close to 7 this evening by the time we got home. We're all tired, of course, but we enjoyed the chance to get away from dirt and chaos that characterizes most of urban Taiwan. Shanlinhsi may not be as popular or well-known as Hsit'ou 渓頭 (it's 17 kilometers, or 11 miles, further into the mountains from Hsitou, and the narrow, twisting road no doubt limits the number of tour buses), but it was a great choice for welcoming the New Year. I just wish somebody would put a stop to all the "Sun Link Sea" nonsense!

あけましておめでとうございます!