Free Time 暇な時間

The Lunar New Year 旧正月 is fast approaching, and I couldn't be more bummed. Why? Because for the next month, my working hours will be greatly curtailed, and the corresponding reduction in income will hurt. The fact that elementary school students have now started their month-long winter vacation has meant that I now have fewer afternoon hours at the cram school where I work, and another class of mine is on hiatus until the beginning of March because the students, all homemakers, need to see to their children during this time. And then there will be the 9-day break in the middle of February..."Ouch!" goes the sound of my wallet.

But there's often a positive side as well. In this case, it means I'll have more time to spend with my daughter. It also means I can go for walks again in the Chung-cheng (Jhong-jheng) Park 中正公園 area on some weekday mornings, when there are fewer people around, and thus much quieter. And it doesn't cost anything (except the gas to get up there). 今朝の撮った写真を見てください。。。

Not every house in Taiwan is ugly, though you wouldn't know it from the way I go on sometimes. This structure sits high in the hills above Chung-cheng Park, the 山手 to central Fengyuan's 下町.

On the way back into town, I passed by this sign for a Japanese restaurant. The large, cursive script is written in Chinese (and my wife is too tired to translate it for me), but my attention was drawn to the smaller Japanese writing - "Tarabagani" たらばがに, king crab; and "Hokkaido nabemono" 北海道鍋物. Nabemono is a kind of stew cooked in a pot.

Mountain Strolling

Today was cold, and very windy. But it was also bright and sunny, and seeing as Amber had been cooped up in the apartment all day yesterday due to the rain, we took her out to Daddy's favorite local haunt, the Chung-cheng (Jhong-jheng) Park area.

今日は寒くて、風もとても強いだった。しかし天気も晴れだから家族といっしょにぼくの豊原市のいちばん好きな場所の中正公園に行った。

Being pushed in her stroller up the same mountain road where her father often goes for walks, Amber was at first subdued and serious-looking.

最初はアンバーが静かでまじめそうだった。

Having something to play with soon cheered Amber up.
アンバーはすぐに陽気になっていた。

At the top of the hill we stopped at a Taoist temple before turning back.

There were some ornamental carp 錦鯉 in a small pond...

...and chickens walking among graves 墓の中に鶏がいた

Piyun Kung (Biyun Gong) 壁雲宮, "Green (or Blue) Cloud Temple".

Amber enjoyed the opportunity to stretch her legs before getting back into the stroller.
アンバーはベビーカーを降りて幸せだった。

On the way home, we stopped off for dinner at a Chinese/Japanese restaurant called "Tsuichiao (Zueiciao)" 酔喬. According to the restaurant's business card, 酔喬 in hiragana is すいけう, "Suikeu". This has to be a typo, because the second kanji is read as きょう, "kyo" (or as "Takashi", or as "Kyoji", or as...well, anyway, not as "keu"). Let's just call it "Drunk Kyou" for now.

帰る途中で「酔喬」という日本料理のレストランで食事をした。あの店の名詞によると「酔喬」は振りがなで「すいけう」が書いてあった。

こんにちは、新のりです。 "Hello, I am fresh seaweed"...or something to that effect.

Colonial legacy 植民地主義の遺贈

In today's Japan Times, there is an article on a 40-year-old row between the government in Taiwan and a group of pro-Beijing Chinese over ownership of a student dormitory in Kyoto 京都, and how this case is going to be heard by the Supreme Court of Japan 最高裁判所. According to the article, it appears the Supreme Court is taking steps to overturn a high court ruling in 1987 that favored Taiwan. It seems to me that if the R.O.C. government legally purchased the dorm back in 1952, it should still hold legal title to the property, regardless of the present lack of diplomatic relations between it and Japan. However, I'm not a legal expert, so what do I know?

What I do recognize, however, are signs of the legacy of the Japanese colonial period visible in Taiwan. Here are some examples I've come across this week in Fengyuan (Fongyuan), or should I say "Toyohara" 豊原?

This house is clearly Japanese in design. I don't know when it was built, but it appears to be old (though well-maintained). There are a few houses like this one scattered about Fengyuan, but it's a shame there aren't more of them still standing. They look a lot more aesthetically pleasing than the homes most Taiwanese have had built for themselves these days, including the building in the background.

The use of Japanese in advertising is widespread in Taiwan. This sign outside a bakery on Chung-cheng (Jhong-jheng) Road 中正路 is promoting a pineapple cookie with the words "Nihonjin no daisukina omiyage" 日本人の大すきなおみやげ - "The souvenir that Japanese love".

Even when the writing is in Chinese, the Japanese influence crops up. A case in point is the Japanese possessive particle "no" の, which is often used in advertisements instead of the Mandarin "te (de)" 的. This cafe a few doors down from the bakery above combines English, Japanese and Mandarin

"SOFT の 開間". "Soft no k'ungchien (kongjian)", or "Soft space".
"SWEET の 服務". "Sweet no fuwu", or "Sweet service".

Further along Chung-cheng Road, you will soon come across Fengyuan's most famous sight, the Matsu (Mazu) Miao or Matsu Temple 媽祖廟, aka "Miao Tung (Miao Dong)" 廟東. In the front of the temple are several stone lanterns 献灯 that look very similar to those found in Shinto shrines or Buddhist temples in Japan

If you go the back of the temple, where the bathrooms are located, you will see this, a torii 鳥居 like those found at Shinto shrines

Some concrete has been added to the original structure near the top of the arch, and the Chinese lettering is relatively new, but it is clearly a torii. I don't know the history of Miao Tung, but it's possible it may have been a 神社 that was converted into a Taoist temple after the Kuomintang took over in Taiwan.

Amber's first birthday 波ちゃんの誕生日

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMBER! CONGRATULATIONS ON REACHING ONE! 誕生日おめでとう！

Yes, today is Amber's first birthday. And like her first Christmas, our little girl found it all a little difficult to comprehend. It didn't help, either, that she is suffering from a minor cold. Nevertheless, we held a small party for her, complete with hats, a candle and cake, and gifts, of course.

今日はAmberは１歳になってパーティーを開いた。しかし少し風邪が引いたからAmberはちょっとあまり元気じゃなかった。

Amber with her first birthday cake

　

The chocolate cake resembled a puffer fish
ふぐのようなチョコレートケーキ

　

Amber checks out her birthday presents, a Poppity Pop Elephant and a Counting Friends Phone

新しいおもちゃと遊んでいる

　　

Chiou-chiou couldn't have cared less
球ちゃん「チョーチョー」は全然気にしてなかった

　

A break in the weather 天気の破れ日

It had been raining since Tuesday, but this morning was finally bright and sunny, and a perfect day to go for a walk. However, I waited until 1 o'clock before leaving for Chung-cheng Park. By the time I got there, the sun and rain clouds were battling for control of the skies. Fortunately, the sun prevailed most of the time.

火曜日から雨が降った。しかし今日の天気はよくなって、１時にうちを出て中正公園に行った。

"Ch'ing wu chien k'ai OK (Cing wu jian kai OK)" 請勿剪開ＯＫ "Please don't cut open, OK?" This poor fruit farmer must have had his fence cut open (and some fruit stolen) in the past.

Life 生物:

Gregory Clark

I'm sure he loves his mother. He's probably kind to children and small animals. And he has written some good articles in the Japan Times on education issues. But when it comes to international relations and politics, what pours out of Gregory Clark's keyboard and onto the Commentary pages of the JT is often vile. This is a man who feels that China's claim to Tibet is justified, and never mentions the ongoing crusade by the Chinese government to destroy Tibetan culture. This is a man who thinks it was OK for North Korea to have abducted ordinary Japanese in the 70s and 80s, because thousands of Koreans were forced to come to Japan up until the end of World War II. I guess Clark's mother never taught him that two wrongs don't make a right. And this is a man who frequently criticizes resident foreigners in Japan (and even foreigners who have become Japanese citizens) for going to court to fight cases of outright discrimination, on the grounds that the Japanese have a right to defend their way of life (though he has never made it clear how admitting several Westerners into a hot spring could threaten Japan's "unique" culture). If Clark were an American (he's an Aussie, actually) writing in the mid-1950's, he probably would have told Rosa Parks she should accept the fact that her place was in the back of the bus.

Clark is at again, in a commentary in today's Japan Times, "So much for Abe's reconciliation policy". While not as offensive as some of his past writings, it's pretty indicative of GC's tendency to put on the blinders when it comes to China. While there is nothing wrong with being a Sinophile (I'm an admitted Japanophile, and I have Anglophiliac tendencies as well), seldom is heard a derogatory word about China when it comes time to submit a piece to the JT. 

In Clark's alternate universe, the Chinese government was doing Japan a favor by focusing on the enshrinement of Class-A war criminals at the Yasukuni Shrine, and now the poor Chinese have to put up with Shinzo Abe's new assertiveness in Japan's foreign relations because he has not declared he will visit Yasukuni. Those cunning Japanese have managed to pull a fast one, and now they are teaming up with the Americans to confront China over Taiwan. Why, Tokyo still lobbies the European Union to maintain its ban on arms sales to the Chinese. And watch out, Tokyo is upgrading its military in order to...well, as Gregory puts it:

"These are people [meaning the Abe administration] who are in love with the military and its trappings, and are determined to find the enemies needed to keep the military employed."

In Clark's article, you are not going to find any references to China's ongoing buildup of its military, which has officially recorded double-digit spending increases for more than a decade (and unofficially a lot more). There are no remarks about the worries of other Asian nations over Chinese claims to the Spratly Islands, the Senkakus and other areas. Has China deployed up to 900 missiles aimed at Taiwan, a self-ruled island for over 50 years with democratically elected leaders? You won't get the answer from Mr. Clark. And why does the EU have a ban in place on arms sales? Clark won't tell you it was because the Chinese government turned the People's Liberation Army on its own people in Tiananmen Square back on June 4, 1989. And why talk about China's deplorable human rights record, or Xinjiang, or even the fact that more Chinese have died at the hands of the government in power in Beijing since 1949 than were killed by the Japanese Imperial Army? Never let facts get in the way of a good story, eh Greg?

But it's not only China that's a victim in GC's world. Poor little North Korea is also being picked on by those resurgent Japanese militarists. Japan supports "...U.S. hawkish positions that in effect justify North Korea's nuclear and missile developments" (without clarifying what those "positions" are, of course). So Pyongyang isn't to blame for its long record of broken promises and deceit when it comes to the nuclear weapons issue. And instead of thanking Kim Jong-il profusely for releasing five Japanese abductees back in 2002, Abe "...began to insist that Pyongyang had to liberate many more alleged abductees, including those Pyongyang insists do not exist or are dead." If the North Korean government says they don't exist or are no longer living, it must be true, right? As with China, you will never find any mention of North Korea's abominable treatment of its own people in Clark's articles.

It's hard to understand how people like Gregory Clark feel the need to apologize for and/or excuse murderous regimes (though an insight into his personality can perhaps be gleaned from this old article from the Australian Magazine). Yes, the rise of the right in Japan is something that needs to be monitored. But if Clark can ever sort out the psychological issues that seem to fog up his moral compass when it comes to the Middle Kingdom, he might realize that it's a resurgence of Chinese nationalism, combined with China's rise as an economic power, that is the biggest threat to security in East Asia in the long term.

Better yet, being the vice-president of Akita International University,perhaps he should just stick to writing on educational issues. At least he's marooned up in the Tohoku region. Let's hope he stays up there.

Another Pleasant Valley Sunday

On weekends I like to go for walks in the hills above Chung-cheng (Jhong-jheng) Park 中正公園 in Fengyuan (Fongyuan とよはら 豊原), and this Sunday was no exception.

This small Taoist temple, Futetzu (Fudecih 福徳祠), often blasts karaoke into the surrounding hills, but today it was blissfully quiet. "Fute" is the name of the god enshrined in this temple, though Fute can be found everywhere in Taiwan. The characters above the temple's name read "Tingpeikeng (Dingbeikeng)". 頂北抗 is the name of the area, something I didn't know until my wife told me just now.

Later in the afternoon, Pamela, Amber and I headed into Taichung (Taijhong たいちゅう 台中), where we met up with Steve and his family at a new park on Wenhsin (Wunsin 文心) Road, the name of which escapes me. However, it is the site of a new outdoor amphitheater, part of the local government's campaign to bring some much-needed class to Taichung.

Amber couldn't care less about culture. She just liked being outside.

Amber must've been worn out, however, because she slept most of the time we were in Toys 'R' Us to buy some gifts for her first birthday next weekend. By the time we stopped off at Capita'n, a great Japanese supermarket on Chungte (Chongde 崇徳) Road, she was more alert. So much so, that she wanted to get out of her stroller and walk the aisles, and wouldn't give up the Nissin Seafood Cup Noodle that can't be found in ordinary Taiwanese convenience stores and supermarkets. My daughter has good taste.

Takeng 大坑

Last week, the wife suggested we go for a drive to see the plum blossoms 梅花. Well, come this morning, She Who Must Be Obeyed decided she didn't want to see them after all. So, not wanting to let a nice day go to waste, I headed out to Takeng (Dakeng 大坑). The last time I was there, I climbed up the No. 3 Trail, then came down the No. 4. This time, I decided to do the reverse course.

今週末は梅花を見るつもりがあったが妻は考えが変わった。そうして一人で大抗に行って山を登った。

I left home around noon wearing a sweater and jacket (and got back around 5 wearing the same things), but once on the trail, things quickly warmed up and it wasn't long before I was in short-sleeves. Even though it's only mid-January, the temperature on the mountain was 84 F. Even the bees were already out in force.

１月の中ごろのに、山の上の温度は２９℃だった。ミツバチはもう出て来た。:

Of the four trails leading to the top of the mountain, the No. 4 is the longest, and the most exposed to the elements.

大抗の四つの山道の中には第４はいちばん長くて、天気にさらされている。:

A flag for a group called the "Taichung City Mountain Climbing Environmental Preservation Association". Or something like that:

The view from the top of the ridge, looking down.
尾根からの景色:

A sign informing me that I had come 1600 meters to this point from the start of the No. 4 Trail, or roughly 1 mile.

第４山道の始めからこの看板まで歩いて１６００メートルかかった。:

The view from the highest point on the ridge
尾根のいちばん高い所からの眺め:

Going down the No. 3 Trail, which has more tree cover.
第３山道を降下していた。:

I hope my daughter doesn't get any ideas!:

The road not taken. The white sign pointing down is for a shortcut to the Chung-cheng (Jhong-jheng) Campsite, the start of the No. 4 Trail, and the place where my scooter was parked. I elected to stay on the No. 3, however. The sign in red warns of the dangers that lurk if you stray from the path:

Near the bottom of the trail was this box of emergency medical supplies. It appears to have been donated by the Rotary Club of Machida, Tokyo 東京町田ロータリークラブ (I used to work in Machida 町田に仕事をした). Japan and Taiwan may not have official diplomatic relations, but their rotary club chapters seem to be cooperating:

Finally! On the road walking back to the campground and my scooter.
ついに道に着いた。:

On the way back to Fengyuan 豊原, I rode by the new Tzu Chi hospital. Tzu Chi is a large Buddhist organization that performs many acts of charity. They also have dogs taken away to be killed: