Ch'iting (Ciding) 崎頂

This Sunday morning has started off with reading a good editorial in the Japan Times while eating breakfast. Entitled "The real stakes in Taiwan", it shows once again that the editorial staff on the Times understands, and is sympathetic towards, Taiwan's situation:

"Beijing insists that the island is a part of the "one China" and Taipei's efforts to claim a seat at the U.N. are part of a campaign to promote independence. That may be true, at least as far as Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian 陳水扁 and his backers are concerned, but the sentiments behind the U.N. bid do reflect the Taiwan people's deep-seated yearning for respect and the assertion of their identity as Taiwanese. To confuse those aspirations with partisan politics will compound tensions."

No one ever seems to point out that "One China" is a euphemism for "old Manchu 満州民族 empire", as the areas that Beijing insists belong to it include lands like Tibet and Taiwan that were incorporated into China during the Ch'ing (Cing) 清朝 Dynasty. The writers do chide Chen for ratcheting up tensions, but one has to be pleased with the editorial's conclusion:

"Mr. Chen certainly has political calculations in mind as he presses the U.N. campaign and proceeds with a referendum on U.N. membership that will be held at the same time as the presidential election in March. But to dismiss this entire phenomenon as a political scheme is wrong, too. Increasing numbers of people in Taiwan do not think of themselves as Chinese. They have made extraordinary progress in building a vibrant democracy and creating one of the world's economic powerhouses. They want credit for those accomplishments.

Ignoring this yearning will not make it go away. Beijing's merciless campaign to deny Taiwan international space is strengthening a collective sense of grievance and — yes — a separate identity. All nations must help find a middle ground that acknowledges the remarkable gains made by Taiwan without crossing the red lines that would provoke a crisis.

Respect for Taiwan, rather than fear of China, should be the guiding principles of cross-strait relations. It would pay dividends on both sides of the strait and for all nations of the region."

It's nice to see someone pointing out that China's constant attempts to browbeat Taiwan over fears it is seeking independence just may turn out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Thus reassured that all was well in the field of mutual understanding between Japan and Taiwan, the family and I took advantage of the hot, sunny weather to go for another swim in the ocean. This time we drove north to Chiting, a beach "resort" in Hsinchu (Sinjhu) County 新竹県 that has seen better days.

Before setting out, I added another amulet to the collection hanging from the rear view mirror, an お守り on traffic safety I picked up in Japan a couple of months ago. The familiar temple-like gate was still at the entrance to the parking lot for the beach (this was my third visit), but the wind-powered turbines were a new addition to the scenery.

There were a number of groups of what appeared to be college students at the beach, but in general things were not too crowded. The windy conditions meant the water was a little rough, which probably explained why Amber wasn't very pleased when I took her out into the sea. She was much happier sitting in the surf and splashing in the water as the waves lapped up onshore.

Bad points about Chiting: The water wasn't very clean. While sitting with Amber in the waterline, I had to keep picking pieces of plastic and Styrofoam that were washing up against us, and throwing them onto the sand behind us. Also, the roped-off area designated for swimming was ridiculously small, and anyone who strayed off of it received a toot on the whistle from the lifeguard. And even though free admission was offered to anyone wearing a bikini (the usual fee is NT120, about ￥420 or $3.70), there were no takers, unfortunately (damned Confucian ethics!).

Good points about Chiting: The choppy water resulted in a lot of wave action. And while none of them ever got higher than my shoulders, it was fun going out past the shore-hugging college students, and diving into and over the waves as they broke.

Final verdict re Chiting: Amber had fun and got a little color, so the day was a success.

To Touen and Daikei in our (sort of) new car 新車でドライブをした

We have a new car! Sort of. It worked out that my brother-in-law 義理の兄 (or 小舅 to refer to him Taiwanese-style) wanted a car for his daughter now that she's a college student in T'aichung (Taijhong) 台中, so he offered to trade his old Nissan Cefiro 日産・セフィーロ for our even older Honda Accord ホンダ・アコード. Pamela made the swap on Saturday, and today we took our new set of wheels for a spin, driving north to the city of T'aoyuan (Taoyuan) 桃園.

The new car, parked by the side of the road in Taoyuan. Like many Taiwanese, my brother-in-law hung a number of amulets from the rear-view mirror to ensure nothing bad would happen while driving. Considering driving conditions in Taiwan, anything that could possibly keep you safe while behind the wheel of a car should be tried out.

The view while driving north on the No. 1 Freeway.

After arriving in Taoyuan, we had lunch at a teahouse. Built to resemble a traditional Chinese teahouse, the tables were arrayed around a pond filled with carp コイ. Amber got a kick of out watching the fish (I caught her in mid-sentence while saying "Hao pan/Hao ban" 好棒, which means "Great!")

Our reason for driving all the way to Taoyuan today was to visit what the Rough Guide to Taiwan calls "the best preserved Japanese Shinto shrine in Taiwan". The former Touen-jinja 桃園神社 was one of over 200 that used to exist in Taiwan. When the KMT took over in 1945, many of these shrines were torn down, and martyrs' shrines in memory of ROC soldiers were put up in their places. The Taoyuan Martyrs' Shrine is unique, however, in that the original Shinto structures were left untouched.

The original torii 鳥居 seems to have been replaced, but the stone lanterns in front appear to be the originals.

After passing through the torii, the stone basin (now empty of water) where Shinto worshipers used to rinse their hands and mouths before praying at the shrine is on the left, while the old shrine's main office is on the right.

A pair of koma-inu 狛犬 stands guard before the steps leading up to the main shrine building. Unusually, both of them seemed to have their mouths open. Generally at a shrine, the lion on the left has its mouth open to make the sound "ah", signifying birth, while the one on the right will have its mouth closed as it's making the sound "um", or the last sound one makes at the moment of death. Thus, the distance between the two lion statues is supposed to represent one's lifespan.

Inside the main hall, the offering box still stands, while in back is the old honden 本殿, where the kami 神 (perhaps the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu 天照大神) was enshrined. The inner sanctuary was built in the Nagare style, the most common architecture among Shinto shrines.

Looking down at the shrine office. The interior was still very Japanese, with tatami mat and wooden floors and painted sliding doors.

It's too bad there aren't more preserved Shinto shrines in Taiwan. No doubt they were hated symbols of colonial rule (at least in the eyes of the KMT), but the architecture is so much more aesthetically-pleasing than what the Chinese Nationalists erected in their place.

After leaving Touen-jinja, we drove to the nearby town of Tahsi (Dasi) 大渓, famous in Taiwan for its "old street". It really wasn't worth the trouble getting there. A typical case of a street lined with old buildings that somehow was spared the reckless redevelopment that accompanied Taiwan's economic boom, only to be "rediscovered" by a now-affluent society with a lot more leisure time on its hands. As a result, a lot of the buildings have been converted into cookie-cutter tourist shops to cater to the hordes that show up on weekends and holidays.

No "old street" is complete unless it has an angle to attract the tourists, and in Tahsi's case, that hook is dried tofu 大溪豆干. The most famous shop selling the stuff is called "Huang Jih Hsiang (Huang Rih Siang)", which naturally had the punters lining up outside. Pamela, however (a big fan of dried tofu, as is Amber), dismisses their product as being nothing special. My wife, bless her heart, is usually not a sucker for guidebook blurbs!

At the end of the old street is a park that has some nice views.

And so, as the sun set over both Tahsi's old street and the regular part of the town, we headed back to Fengyuan (Fongyuan) 豊原. I did the driving on the way back, and I have to say, I'm pleased with the new car. I'm looking forward to where it will take us on our next adventure, seeking out Taiwan's Japanese past.

In the news ニュース

Taiwan has failed again. For the 15th consecutive year, this island has struck out in its attempt to join the United Nations 国連. This year was notable both for the hubbub surrounding next year's planned referendum, and the fact that this was the first time entry was sought under the name "Taiwan" 台湾 and not the "Republic of China" 中華民国. In either case, Taiwan is rapidly becoming the Pittsburgh Pirates of the community of nations. The Daily Yomiuri had a short story on it here 

It seems to me the fault lies with good ol' Chiang Kai-shek 蒋介石. If Peanut hadn't insisted on maintaining the fiction that his government on Taiwan was the true ruler of all China, Taiwan might not have been kicked out of the UN back in 1971 in favor of the Reds. Back in those days, China was willing to go along with countries recognizing the governments both in Beijing and Taipei (in the same way that many nations maintained relations with both East and West Germany, and how some states today have embassies in both Seoul ソウル and Pyongyang ピョンヤン), but the Generalissimo in all his great wisdom insisted there was only "one China" and that he was the leader of it. The result is that today Taiwan is on the outside looking in, with a dwindling number of diplomatic allies, while China is increasingly calling the shots. True, ditching the R.O.C. in favor of Taiwan would have completely undermined whatever "legitimacy" Cash My Check's authoritarian government may have had, but it's both frustrating and fun to wonder "what if".

Both the Yomiuri and the Japan Times have articles on how the NOVA English conversation school chain in Japan is planning on closing up to 200 schools. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. At one time, NOVA was the leader of the huge conversation school market in Japan, with a branch seemingly located near virtually every railway station of importance throughout the country. But a series of lawsuits and scandals have chipped away at NOVA's position, and it now appears the company is facing some difficult times financially.

I never worked for NOVA during the time I lived in Japan, but I did interview with them once back in 1990. At that time, the Osaka 大阪-based company was only just beginning to expand into the Kanto 関東-area market, and I had one of the most unpleasant interview experiences at their Shibuya 渋谷 school. I won't reveal the name of the interviewer except to say he shared the same nomenclature as a certain successful American League manager of the 1950's, but I remember he asked why I wanted to change jobs and work at NOVA. When I mentioned the main reason was my low salary at my first employer (￥230,000 a month from the long-defunct Friendly International English School or FIES, a figure that was far below the industry norm back in the bubble days), he proceeded to lecture me on how he thought that was a fair wage, and how an employee shouldn't be so disloyal to his employer blah blah blah. Then a few moments later A.L. let slip how NOVA was the fifth school he had worked for since coming to Japan from the States! So much for company loyalty, but a textbook example of hypocrisy 偽善!

Sunday afternoon 日曜日の午後

Today we drove into T'aichung (Taijhong) 台中 to see Steve's new apartment, and to go swimming in the complex's pool. Several of Steve's co-workers, plus one of his students, were also there to share in the fun and, in true Taiwanese fashion, to have a barbecue.

While in Taichung, I took this picture of Japanese being used on a sign:

The photo is of a Japanese restaurant 日本料理 by the name of "Marukin", written in hiragana まるきん. In kanji, "marukin" would look like this 丸金, and means something like "circular gold", hence the symbol of the character 金 inside a circle at the far left side of the sign. Jim Breen's WWWJDIC Server, however, defines 丸金 as a name that is read as "Marukane". The Chinese below まるきん is of the name of the establishment's chef, Chiang (Jiang) 江. The large Chinese characters on top announce that set meals can be had starting from NT120 (￥420 or $3.60).

The view of the swimming pool from the front patio of Steve's apartment. Once everything was set up poolside, Steve demonstrated the local barbecuing technique of using a blowtorch to get things started, rather than lighter fluid and long matches.

Amber had a great time trying out her new water wings. Afterwards, she and Steve's daughter Zoey shared a tender moment.

I spent some of my time in the water floating on my back and trying to imagine I was at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach. Meanwhile, Amber was wearing her mother's shirt, which when combined with the red camera case she was holding, gave her the appearance of a minister giving a sermon. It was Sunday, after all.

I haven't seen much of Steve this summer, though with poses like this one, maybe that isn't such a bad thing. Nevertheless, everyone had a good time. Hopefully all of us can meet up again soon for a swim before the weather starts to cool down.

In the news ニュース

More articles about Taiwan in Japan's English-language media today. The best was this commentary from the Japan Times, "Taiwan's sad quest for U.N. membership", by Ramesh Thakur, "a distinguished fellow at the Center for International Governance Innovation and a professor of political science at the University of Waterloo." Unlike the column the other day by Brad Glosserman, Thakur's piece is very sympathetic towards Taiwan's bid to enter the United Nations 国連. As the JT summarizes it:

"Taiwan's futile efforts to win some form of U.N. representation highlight a shameful example of the international community's lacking the courage of its convictions."

Thakur points out the gist of the problem:

"The most significant issue on which the international community of states is in complete denial is the way in which Taiwan has been "banned" from the U.N., just like undesirables in apartheid South Africa. Taiwan is refused membership, is not granted observer status, and does not figure in the U.N.'s statistical databases.

The refusal to permit any form of Taiwanese participation in the World Health Organization, for example, means that 23 million people are cut off from information on global health policy discussions, exchanges on technology and best practices, and the monitoring and prevention of epidemics."

Regarding Taiwan's UN application, he states:

"It satisfies all the normal criteria of a state: territory, people and effective control by a stable government. Moreover, as an island it has a natural demarcation. But on July 23, the U.N. Office of Legal Affairs returned the application. The decision has little to do with the merits of the application and everything to do with the geopolitics of China as a permanent member of the Security Council. Questioning the right of the secretariat to decide on the issue, Taiwan will try to take its case directly to the General Assembly, with little chance of success."

Thakur then points out how Taiwan has better credentials in the areas of democracy, human rights and self-determination than such places as Kosovo and East Timor, and that the island's population of 23 million is equal to the combined total of Australia and New Zealand, and bigger than that of many UN members. He concludes by saying:

"In his campaign for the post of U.N. secretary general, Ban Ki Moon made much of the fact that he is from a country that has actually made the transition from poor to high income and from an authoritarian to a democratic regime. South Korea's example is much more relevant to most U.N. member states than countries that have failed to make the transition and others that were already developed.

Like South Korea, Taiwan is a vibrant democracy and a dynamic economy. It is the world's only Chinese democracy. Both countries embody U.N. ideals, values and aspirations. In March 2008, the Taiwanese people might get a chance to express their opinion directly on a referendum on U.N. membership. Yet, far from welcoming direct democracy, most outsiders are counseling "restraint" on Taiwan.

So much for "We the people." As the great Soviet dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn noted, the U.N. is the place where the peoples of the world are often served up to the designs of governments. In the decades to come, we are likely to look back at the Taiwan charade as one of the more shameful examples of the international community lacking the courage of its convictions."

Ban Ki-moon has shown himself to be very pro-Chinese in the past (his refusal to condemn capital punishment, the first time a UN Secretary-General has declined to do so, was no doubt out of a desire not to offend China, which leads the world in executions), so he isn't likely to show any sympathy towards Taiwan, despite the similarities to his own country. But Thakur is right on the mark in his analysis of Taiwan's lack of representation in the world body of nations. The government here should hire this man to argue its case!

The Daily Yomiuri had a short article about the unveiling of Taiwan's new Kidd-class destroyer, recently purchased from the USA. It doesn't seem to be a major story, but the Yomiuri featured it prominently in its World section.

My daughter does some business over the phone while checking to see how her お握り order is coming along.

An awful wreck すごい事故

On my way to work on Thursday afternoon, I passed by this horrible-looking car wreck. I probably wouldn't have noticed it, actually, but for the group of people standing next to it, all of whom were dressed in black. As I rode past, I could hear them chanting, and one person was ringing a small bell, in what appeared to be a Buddhist ritual. I can only assume the accident was a fatal one. It wasn't there in the late afternoon on Wednesday, so it happened very recently. So much has been written on the Net about how bad driving conditions are in Taiwan. Unfortunately, things do not seem to be getting any better.

   

車の残がい

UPDATE: I learned from a student of mine who lives nearby that the accident involved a scooter that ran a red light (par for the course in Taiwan) and was hit by the car in the above photo. The deceased was a female university student riding the scooter. I passed by the site today (Wednesday, Sept. 19), and this time the wreckage of the scooter could be plainly seen. A life snuffed out all because someone couldn't be bothered to wait a few moments at a traffic signal. What a waste.

In the news ニュース

On Wednesday, the Daily Yomiuri had this article on the attempt to get a casino built on the P'enghu (Penghu) Islands 澎湖諸島. I've yet to visit Penghu, but I've heard the islands are very beautiful, and have some of the best beaches in Taiwan (my wife also has a good friend who comes from there). I can understand why some on the island might be enthusiastic about building casinos (apparently tourism from Taiwan proper has stagnated in recent years), but I find the idea of opening up the islands to Chinese tourists something to worry about. If enough gamblers from China turn up on Penghu's shores, it won't be long before the landscape is transformed into an ugly collection of architectural eyesores designed solely to take care of the hedonistic needs of the tourists - karaoke カラオケ bars, brothels, greasy spoons and tacky souvenir shops. It could be that way already for all I know, but I have a feeling that if the tourist sector is opened up to the Chinese, and casinos are built to attract them, the residents of Penghu might end up regretting that their wishes came true.

One quote in the article from a Taiwanese tourist agent, referring to tourists from China: "They speak the same language as us, and they spend money on souvenirs". This pretty much sums up why many tourism officials haven't done more to attract visitors from Western countries (or Japan, for that matter) - it's too much trouble having to come up with materials and services that cater to non-Chinese speakers.

The Japan Times had an opinion piece this morning called "Lashing out at U.S. won't help Taiwan" , by a Brad Glosserman, an "executive director of Pacific Forum CSIS, a Honolulu-based think tank." Glosserman didn't seem to put too much thought into this article, which places the blame for the recent troubles in relations between the US and Taiwan on the Chen Shui-bian 陳水扁 administration, and virtually ignores China. I'm having trouble understanding all the fuss about the planned referendum on whether or not Taiwan should seek admission to the UN under the name "Taiwan". If China, as a permanent member of the Security Council, can veto any application Taiwan makes, then the whole thing should be a non-starter to begin with. The referendum is clearly a political move aimed at local voters in the run-up to next year's presidential campaign. So why do US officials feel compelled to make statements saying that such a vote (an important part of the democratic process that Bush supposedly wants the entire world to adopt, and which is entirely absent from the Chinese political scene) is going to raise tensions to a dangerous level, that Taiwan is not a sovereign state, that the status quo is being altered yadda yadda yadda?

Glosserman writes:

"Chen was unmoved and unrepentant. The U.S. "cannot ask Taiwan to be a democratic country but forbid it to hold a referendum . . . the U.S. cannot draw a red line on Taiwan's democracy but shift it back and forth."

The U.S. hasn't moved its red lines. Its policy has been consistent: Washington opposes any unilateral effort to change the status quo. It opposes the proposed referendum because it is seen as moving toward independence, because it will agitate Beijing and increase tensions in the Strait, and finally because ultimately it will be fruitless. It may work as a political gesture to rally independence supporters to Chen and his party, but it will have no effect on Taiwan's international status or its bid to enter the U.N."

Well, if the referendum is only a "political gesture" and will "have no effect on Taiwan's international status or its bid to enter the UN", then why not just ignore the matter, and let the Taiwanese argue about it among themselves?

Glosserman also states:

"The inability to see the consequences of its actions risks alienating Taiwan's other friends and supporters. Several Taiwanese contrasted Taipei's behavior with that of Seoul, complaining that Taiwan was a much better ally than South Korea but did not get credit. They pointed to anti-Americanism in Korea, warning that Washington risked creating the same animus in Taiwan if it did not back Taipei's policies. Koreans in our group were incensed by the comparison."

Koreans may be incensed, but it's true - Taiwan has been a better friend to the USA than South Korea, and someone should point that fact out. It's about time all US soldiers in South Korea were withdrawn, and the South Korean government and people left alone to deal with their mentally-challenged relatives to the north. But that's a rant better left for another time.

Another Day in Tak'eng (Dakeng) 大坑

With mornings now free for the time being on Tuesdays, I got up at 7 today, and after a typically frustrating breakfast at one of the local McDonald's (the server decided I wanted a cold coffee instead of the hot drink I specifically asked for), rode out to the Tak'eng (Dakeng) 大坑 area to go on a morning hike. Arriving at the parking area for the No.'s 6, 7 and 8 trails, I was surprised to see a lot of cars and bikes parked there. Though it wasn't anywhere near as congested as on weekends, I still didn't expect there to be so many people out at 8:30 on a Tuesday morning. This meant, of course, that some of the many karaoke カラオケ joints in the area were open to serve those who have never come close to grasping the concept of quietly contemplating what nature has given us (I guess all those old Chinese scroll paintings I've seen in museums were all a big lie, much like Bill and Ted's album covers). On today's course, I started off by walking through a nearby cemetery 墓地 on my way to the junction with the No. 9 Trail.

 

A lot of Westerners assume that all East Asian cultures are basically the same, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Take cemeteries, for example. The Taiwanese are terrified of them, while the Japanese aren't quite as spooked (excuse the pun). I have seen the cherry blossoms 桜 in Aoyama Reien 青山霊園, and the maple leaves 紅葉 in Zoshigaya Reien 雑司ヶ谷霊園. I have walked through Yanaka Reien 谷中霊園 on several occasions while visiting some of Tokyo's 東京 older, atmospheric neighborhoods. And no visit to Koya-san 高野山 is complete without going to the Oku-no-in 奥の院. The thing is, while I may be a strange foreigner 変な外人, there were plenty of Japanese at those places when I visited, all sharing the same experiences.

In Taiwan, on the other hand, people avoid visiting cemeteries out of fear of the ghosts residing there (that's not to say Japanese aren't afraid, either. If you're looking for a cheap apartment in Tokyo, look for a building next door to a bone yard). With the exception of Tomb Sweeping Day 清明節, which comes once a year, you will rarely see people visiting a graveyard (it's not uncommon in Japan to see people tending to tombs at any time of year). The result is that a cemetery is the one place where I can be assured of escaping the hordes. And thanks to feng shui 風水, many resting places of the dead are located on the sides of hills offering great views over the surrounding plains. On a clear day, you can see much of T'aichung (Taijhong) 台中 from the cemetery I walked through this morning.

This morning's outing was uneventful. I walked up the No. 9 Trail, passing by papaya パパイヤ orchards... 

  

...until it joined with the No. 6 Trail. Close to the junction is a Kuanyin (Guanyin) 観音 Temple that is overrun on weekends with people eating breakfast. Even with smaller crowds this Tuesday, the noise was still pretty loud.

 

After walking around for a while (and surprising a couple of snakes), I eventually returned to the parking lot via the No. 8 Trail, and was home by 11. Next Tuesday we need to go to T'aipei (Taibei) 台北 in pursuit of a US tourist visa for Pamela, so it'll be a couple of weeks before I can get out to Takeng again.

Kamioka かみおか

Now that the public schools are back in session following the summer break, my teaching schedule has changed again. For the time being, I find myself with some free time on Monday afternoons, so today after lunch I rode out to the Chung-cheng (Jhong-jheng) Park 中正公園 area to do some walking. On the way out, however, I stopped by a nearby factory and took a photo. What caught my eye was the name "Kamioka" in roman letters. "Kamioka" is the Japanese reading of the characters for Shenkang (Shengang) 神岡, which is where both the factory and my apartment building are located.

Once in the park area, I tried to walk on an old path I used to take in the past. Bad weather had knocked down some trees and made the trail impassable, but recently it looked like someone had cleared away the obstacles, so I thought I'd give it a try today. Unfortunately, after being bitten mercilessly by mosquitoes and narrowly missing walking face first into a couple of webs guarded by giant spiders, I found the way blocked by vegetation. If only I had brought a machete! Who would have thought there was jungle-like adventure to be had in the modest hills and mountains of west-central Taiwan. Certainly not those big city wannabes and weekend warriors up in Taihoku (eh Channa?)!

A local branch temple of the T'ienti Chiao (Tiandi Jiao) 天帝教, or "The Lord of Universe Church (sic)"

T'unghsiao (Tongsiao) 通霄

Today was another one of those milestones in young Amber's life - her first time to go into the ocean. The recipient beach of this great honor turned out to be the one at the Tunghsiao Sea Life Beach Resort, in the neighboring county of Miaoli 苗栗県, which was chosen for this great honor on the basis that it was the cleanest beach on the west coast of Taiwan, according to the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration website.

The resort is pricey, by Taiwanese standards - NT100 ($3 or ￥350) for parking and NT350 ($10.60 or ￥1230) admission for one adult. Incredibly, as we were approaching the front gate to buy our tickets, a father and daughter walked up to us, explained that they had 6 free tickets to the resort, and as there were only 4 people in their party, asked us if we would like the 2 extra tickets! Of course we refus...accepted!

Once inside, I was reminded of an English seaside resort such as Blackpool, if Blackpool were located on a semi-tropical island in East Asia that is. There are several small aquariums 水族館, where Amber got to practice saying the word "fish". Interestingly enough, she was most excited at seeing sharks. I, on the other hand, was drawn to this (poisonous) stonefish:

There are plenty of arcade games to amuse the kids, souvenir shops to drain the wallet, and greasy spoons to fill the stomach. Before going to the beach, we stopped at one to have lunch: ramen ラーメン (no salt again! Why are Taiwanese so afraid of Japanese food having some flavor?!) for me, stinky tofu 臭豆腐（しゅうどうふ）for Pamela, and minced meat on rice for the three of us.

The west coast of Taiwan is densely populated, so it was no surprise that Tunghsiao's setting was far from idyllic. Next to the beach was a power station, while offshore some sort of platform was under construction.

I'll say this for Tunghsiao - the beach was clean. Not a single piece of litter was in sight. The water quality wasn't bad either. The swimming area was smaller than I would've liked, but today was Amber's day. Whether it was playing in the sand at the waterline, or going out as far was allowed with her father, Amber thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Almost from the time Amber was born, I've been trying hard to get her used to being in water. She's had a nightly bath almost from Day One, we've taken her to a swimming pool a number of times, and she's attending water familiarization classes every Saturday. Now I'm happy knowing that she's not afraid of the ocean, either. The next step will be teaching her how to swim.

After several hours playing in the water and sitting on the beach, it was time to head back. I don't know if we'll go back to Tunghsiao anytime soon (the odds of being given another pair of free tickets is pretty slim), but I am sure Amber will be back at the beach before long!

There are many things I don't like to (or can't) eat in Taiwan, but sausages (with a clove of garlic) aren't one of them.

Oh, and more thing I forgot to mention: the conservative Chinese social mores were visible this afternoon in the almost total absence of bikinis on the beach. I saw just one woman wearing one openly (though there were several others who wore bikinis, but kept them covered under shirts and/or shorts even while playing in the water). This is in complete contrast to Japan, where a bikini is almost de rigueur for the beach. What is hard to understand is that why the women feel compelled to cover up in public (though skirts are noticeably getting shorter), there is no end to the number of sleazy business establishments selling sexual services in the guise of KTV's and so on that are found in even the smallest of towns in Taiwan. Unlike in Japan, where these kinds of businesses tend to be clustered in one area of a city, in Taiwan they can be found in almost neighborhood - noodle restaurant, convenience store, brothel disguised as a KTV, tea stand, scooter repair shop...