Friday, February 29, 2008

Enjoying the holiday

As everyone in Taiwan knows, today was a national holiday, Peace Memorial Day 和平紀念日. It's a day meant to recall the 228 Incident 二・二八事件, but seeing as how it appears Ma Ying-jeou (Ba Eikyū) 馬英九 is headed to victory in next month's presidential election, I have a feeling this holiday won't be around on the calendar for much longer.

But in the meantime, a holiday is a day off, and seeing as the weather today wasn't as cold as I thought it was going to be, I decided to take my daughter out this afternoon to get some fresh air and sunshine. We drove out to the Shihchung (Shihjhong) Temple 石忠宮 in nearby Shihkang (Shihgang) 石岡, where there is a walking trail leading up to "The divine tree of 'five blessings'" 五福臨門神木 (see here and here). Being only 2 years old, Amber set the pace, so naturally we didn't get anywhere near the tree, but she enjoyed making frequent stops on the way up in order to play with rocks and sticks, pick up leaves and listen to the birds in the trees above. She also gave her old man a good workout, as her highness figured it was much easier to be carried up the steps by her father, as opposed to climbing them one by one with her short legs. We got as far as the first branch in the trail, which led off a little bit downhill to what appeared to be a private home that had been converted into a Taiwanese version of a cheap 旅館, complete with futon 布団 laid out on wooden floors. Amber was more interested in the small zoo there, which had some hogs ブタ, rabbits ウサギ and emus エミュー on display. The highlight for her was the Formosan Rock-Monkey being walked about on a leash by a young boy. One day, when Amber is old enough, we'll have a talk about the morality of keeping animals penned up in small enclosures for the pleasure of gawking day-trippers, but for now it's enough to see her taking in some of the wonders of this world.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Blissful solitude in the mountains 大坑という山地方でひとりでハイキングをしている

The predicted new cold wave arrived in the late afternoon today, but fortunately this morning it was warm and mostly sunny. And "fortunate" is the operative word, as I woke up at 6 this morning, and rode my scooter out to the Tak'eng (Dakeng) 大坑 area to get in some uphill walking before lunchtime. Though there were some drops of rain on the ride up to the trails, and a few dark clouds passed overhead, for the most part it was sunny, clear and relatively warm, and the clothing I'm wearing in the picture below was all I needed on the paths.


My scooter was the only vehicle in the parking lot of the No. 1 Trail, and I soon discovered why. Back in November of last year, Michael Turton and I had walked this trail, and came across a section that had collapsed into a ravine. Five months later nothing had changed. In fact, soon after leaving the parking lot to start the climb to the top (length: 1520 meters, or 0.94 miles; elevation: between 395 and 700 meters, or 1296 and 2297 feet), I encountered yellow crime scene-type tape blocking the way, and indicating the trail was closed. Choosing to ignore it, I continued on, and to my delight, the No. 1 was still in good condition (with the exception of the aforementioned collapsed section). Other than an elderly couple who were on their way down (and also chose to ignore official closure notices), I didn't encounter a single soul all the way to the top. The combination of solitude, good weather and clear views doesn't happen often in the hiking trails close to Taiwan's major urban centers, so I was glad indeed to be out there today. I had hoped to encounter some monkeys (I've seen them before on this same trail), but you can't everything.


Upon reaching the top of the No. 1 (and climbing over some more "Do not enter" tape), I walked along the ridge to the No. 2 Trail, and walked down via that route. I passed several hikers going up, but not as many as I would've expected on a fine morning like this one. I walked back along the road to the first parking lot, where my scooter had now been joined by a few cars, got on my bike and rode home, getting back to Fengyuan (Fongyuan) 豊原 around 11. All in all, not a bad way to start a normal weekday.

Friday, February 22, 2008

Peach Blossoms 桃花

One of the biggest differences between Japan and Taiwan is the climate. I used to think it funny when Japanese would proudly inform me that their country was unique in having four distinct seasons, but after several years in Taiwan I'm beginning to see (part of) their point. One of the most obvious signs of the differences in climate is that while much of the Japanese archipelago is being blanketed in snow (Okinawa 沖縄 excepted), at the same time in Taiwan, certain types of flowers are beginning to bloom. Plum blossoms 梅花 and cherry blossoms 桜 are notable early arrivals here. On Tuesday, while out for a walk on a glorious morning in the Chung-cheng (Jhong-jheng) Park 中正公園 area of Fengyuan (Fongyuan) 豊原, what appeared to be peach blossoms were already starting to emerge.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Feeling a little 懐かしい in Dairi

The cold spell we had been having for the last two weeks seems to have lifted this weekend, as sunny skies and 20-degree Centigrade temperatures (68F) returned to central Taiwan. The family took advantage of the break in the weather by going for a Sunday drive to Tali (Dali) 大里, a city with a population of 190,000 southeast of T'aichung (Taijhong) 台中. Once there, we parked our car along a riverbank, and let Amber stretch her young legs. The area beside the river was bleak, to say the least. The combination of dry brush, weeds and dust, not to mention dirty water and typical Taiwanese urban surroundings, doesn't overawe one with the wonders of nature. But I felt a strange twinge of nostalgia being out there, as it reminded me of the times I went biking, walking and just generally hanging out along the banks of the Tama River 多摩川 when I was living in Setagaya 世田谷区 and Komae 狛江市 in Tōkyō 東京. Amber didn't seem to mind the surroundings, either, as she kept herself busy examining sticks and stones, and making footprints in the sandy soil. Pamela, however, who seems to find open spaces a source of mild anxiety, felt otherwise, and it wasn't long before we were back in the car, and headed towards Taichung and its one million residents.

A teenage couple enjoys a private moment underneath a small bridge, while Amber makes friends with a woman's pet rabbit ウサギ.

The best cure for those who don't like having personal space is to go somewhere everyone else is going to, and this weekend the place to be in Taichung was at the Lantern Festival 小正月, being held at the Wenhsin (Wunsin) Forest Park 文心森林公園.

 

While searching for a parking space, I managed to capture a shot of a restaurant sign boasting of having Chinese noodles with the best taste 味一番ラーメン. Once at the park, we walked around looking at the lanterns on display, which this year have a Mickey Mouse ミッキーマウス theme. Surprisingly, and somewhat disappointingly, there were fewer lanterns than we expected, and overall, everything seemed more like a county fair or 祭り - lots of food vendors, souvenir stalls and rides for the (bigger) kiddies, but not much in the way of decorative lights. Even Amber eventually lost interest, and wanted to go home.


When you're trapped in your mother's comfort zone, you need a doughnut ドーナツ to keep everything in perspective.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

In the news ニュース

Friday's online edition of the Daily Yomiuri ザ・デイリー読売 is running an article on the referendum to gain membership in the United Nations 国際連合 ("Taiwan ruling party backs opposition move on U.N. bid"):

"Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party 民主進歩党 led by President Chen Shui-bian (Chin Suihen) 陳水扁 has decided to support an opposition proposal to hold a national referendum on a bid to gain membership of the United Nations under the name of the Republic of China 中華民国, a formula that would signal a softer stance on independence from China."

And so the ongoing referendum saga (soap opera?) has taken another turn, following condemnation from China (yawn), and overreactions from many Western nations, including mine:

"Taiwan's bid for U.N. membership under the name of Taiwan has been criticized by China as a 'first step toward independence from China,' and also was opposed by the United States. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice コンドリーザ・ライス denounced the bid as a provocative move that would heighten tensions in the Taiwan Strait 台湾海峡."

It's been really hard to figure out what all the fuss has been about. "Taiwan" 台湾 is the name which most people around the world use when talking about this island (if they're not confusing it with Thailand タイ王国, that is), not the Republic of China, or the R.O.C. (though some older folks might still think of Taiwan as being "Formosa" フォルモサ). Apparently, though, the U.S. government, among others, seems to feel that calling a spade a spade is a very dangerous thing to do (then again, considering the Bush Administration's policies on matters such as torture, global warming and so on, perhaps being realistic about things is very threatening).

And just how would applying to the U.N. under the name of "Taiwan" result in the Third World War 第三次世界大戦 breaking out? China sits on the Security Council 国際連合安全保障理事会 as a permanent member, and could (and would) simply use its veto power to kill any attempt by Taiwan to apply for U.N. membership under any name.

And that's assuming the referendum would pass in the first place, for:

"(i)n Taiwan, the result of a national referendum is only valid if a majority of eligible voters cast a ballot."

On this politically divided island, all the opposition has to do to kill a proposal it doesn't like is to encourage its supporters to boycott the vote. The whole "Taiwan for U.N. " brouhaha has basically been an example of a purely political measure being put forth by a political party (in this case the DPP) as a means of getting out the vote in an upcoming election of great importance (the presidential election being held next month), and not as a serious exercise in foreign policy. It was actually China's pro forma denunciation of anything even remotely democratic that happens in Taiwan that has supposedly heightened all this tension in the Taiwan Strait.

So now the DPP has decided to go along with the "Republic of China for U.N." campaign initiated by the opposition Kuomintang (Guomindang) 中国国民党. According to the article:

"The DPP's decision to also support the opposition proposal likely will see supporters of the ruling party also vote in the opposition-sponsored referendum in favor of the opposition proposal of making a bid for U.N. membership under a name that is less linked to a push for independence. Observers said the ruling party made the concession to also hold a national referendum on the (KMT's) U.N. membership bid proposal because of concern that if the ruling and opposition parties were divided on the matter, it could cause voters to split into two blocs and lead to both proposals failing to obtain majority backing."

Or, in light of the KMT's overwhelming victory in last month's legislative elections, the DPP is waking up to the chilling realization that the nationalists are going to be calling most, if not all, of the shots, even if Frank Hsieh (Sha Chōtei) 謝長廷 should somehow win the presidency on March 22.

Brrr...

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Colder Trails

"Oh well. It felt good to be out in the sun again, and I definitely plan on returning to this area one weekday morning after the holidays to explore those 4.7 kilometers in greater detail."

And that day turned out to be less than 48 hours later, as I left home this morning at 8am in 9C (48F) weather to ride my scooter the 20 minutes or so to the Shihchung Kung (Shihjhong Gong) temple 石忠宮 in Shihkang (Shihgang) 石岡. As this was the first day back to work for most people following the Lunar New Year 旧正月 break (myself included, but not until the afternoon), I had the trails pretty much to myself, though the temple itself was surprisingly busy in the early morning. Even if the meteorological conditions were not as nice as on Sunday, the relatively clean air meant the views were just as good. I followed the walking trail up again to the "The divine tree of 'five blessings'" 五福臨門神木, only this time, instead of turning back round, I headed down another path that led to yet another what's-the-big-deal "tourist site". The formula is simple: build a wooden bridge that looks vaguely nostalgic, give it a romantic-sounding name like "Ch'ingjen Much'iao (Cingren Muciao)" ("Lover's Bridge" in English), add some rustic elements like a water wheel, throw in vendors, KTV's カラオケ and games for kids, then sit back and watch the punters pour in on the weekends. Voila! Instant sightseeing spot! No surprise, however, that hardly anybody was there on a chilly weekday morning.

And that, my friends, is what really matters on these morning sojourns.


Monday, February 11, 2008

Exploring New Trails

Yesterday was bitterly cold (by Taiwanese standards), so it was a pleasant surprise that today turned out to be relatively nice. The temperature was warmer, the wind had died down and, miracle of miracles, the sun came out! With nothing special planned for this day anyway, and not wanting to let this rare break in the bad weather go to waste, I set out to explore two local trails I had been wanting to check out for a while.

The first one was a set of stone steps leading down from the bus stop in front of the Fengyuan (Fongyuan) 豊原 golf course. I parked my scooter at the bottom of the hill in Chung-cheng (Jhong-jheng) Park 中正公園, and walked up to the start of the steps. Going down the trail, there were decent views of Fengyuan off to the side, but none of the photos I took really turned out very well, due to poor lighting conditions (and perhaps an unskilled photographer). The trail came out in a typical drab neighborhood of concrete and corrugated tin houses. Actually, there was one attractive Japanese-era 日本統治時代 wooden home on the street, but as someone was standing directly in front of it as I was walking by, I didn't feel like drawing any more attention to myself than I was already doing by stopping to take a photo. It was a boring walk back to my scooter, and I doubt I'll bother with this route again anytime soon.

I got the idea for the second place I visited from Michael Turton's December 23, 2007, entry on his blog The View from Taiwan, entitled "Adventures in the Borderlands". On that day, Michael and a friend of his rode out to a temple located in Shihkang (Shihgang) 石岡, and explored a walking trail next to it. I knew where the temple, called Shihchung Kung (Shihjhong Gong) 石忠宮, was located, but I wasn't aware there were hiking trails in the area, so after leaving Chung-cheng Park, I headed straight for the temple and found the start of the trail Michael went on. According to a map at the foot of the wooden steps leading up past the temple, there is a network of trails to walk on, totaling 4.7 kilometers (2.9 miles) in length.

The trail wasn't much of a challenge, but the views looking out over Shihkang, and towards Tungshih (Dongshih) 東勢 were great, and got better the higher the trail rose. Along the route were several viewing platforms 展望台. Much sooner than I expected, the top was reached at what the Taichung County Tourist Guide calls "The divine tree of 'five blessings'" 五福臨門神木:

"Formed by a camphor tree クスノキ, a Taiwan acacia アカシア, a banyan ガジュマル, a Chinese hackberry tree and a cedar ヒマラヤスギ属, the unique big 'tree' was given its well-known name, 'five blessings' by former president Jing Guo Jiang (Shō Keisoku) 蒋経国."

It came as something of a letdown, because I had driven here once several years ago with Pamela, and I can tell you it's one of those non-sights all too common in Taiwan. With the introduction of the five-day workweek a few years ago, and the resulting leisure industry boom, a number of these waste-of-time tourist traps have been pitched at a population with more free time on its hands, and desperate for places to visit as a result. Throw the Lunar New Year 旧正月 holiday into the mix, and you've got even more people than usual out to see the tree and walk the trails (along with vendors and karaoke カラオケ). Without sticking around long, I headed back down towards the temple and my parked scooter.

Oh well. It felt good to be out in the sun again, and I definitely plan on returning to this area one weekday morning after the holidays to explore those 4.7 kilometers in greater detail.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Welcoming in the Year of the Rat in Tansui and Hokutō Onsen 子年の旅行:淡水、北投温泉

The Lunar New Year 旧正月 is upon us, and the Year of the Rat 子年 has started off on a cold, wet foot. I have only a week off from my various jobs this year, but I'm not complaining, as this most important of Chinese festivals usually impacts negatively on my financial outlook. In other words, the shorter the break, the better off I am (it helps 2008 is a leap year うるう年 too). The Lunar New Year is generally an awful time to travel - traffic is worse than usual, all sightseeing spots of note are packed to the gills, and restaurants and hotels hike their prices considerably. We usually take a short trip at the beginning of the holiday, before things get too crowded and expensive, and this year was no exception. This time we spent two nights in Tamsui (Tanshui/Danshuei) 淡水, a sea-side town in T'aipei (Taibei) County 台北県. It rained non-stop, and the temperature rarely rose above 10C (50F), the entire time we were there, but it was a fun visit nonetheless.

We left Fengyuan (Fongyuan) 豊原 on Wednesday 水曜日, which was the first day of my vacation, and the eve of the Lunar New Year. This day is an important one for Taiwanese, as families get together for a big feast, much like Thanksgiving 感謝祭 in the United States or New Year's Eve 大みそか in Japan. As a result, traffic on the freeways is relatively light, and hotels are still charging their regular rates, as most people have not yet started out on their travels. This makes the Lunar New Year's Eve a perfect time to visit someplace before the chaos begins.

We arrived in Tamsui in the middle of the afternoon, and checked into our hotel, The Fisher.


For our first night there, we were given a large corner room with views of Fisherman's Wharf 漁人碼頭 and Kuanyinshan (Guanyinshan) 観音山 - except that the poor weather kept visibility pretty low most of the time. The charge for the night was about 2600NT ($80 or ¥8730), a rate that doubled for the next night (the first day of the new year, and the day when most people hit the road for their destinations), which is why we switched rooms for the second night, to a much smaller one on the same floor (the 7th, but because the pronunciation of the number 4 in Chinese 四 sounds the same as that for the word "death" 死, "ssu [sih]", we were officially on the 8th floor, as the 4th floor didn't exist), but on the opposite corner. The charge for the second night's room was also double the usual rate, which in our case meant we paid another 2600NT. Note the contrasting views from our two rooms:


Soon after checking in, we ventured out into town, via the hotel's courtesy shuttle bus. Tamsui had once been a major port, but by the beginning of the Japanese era 日本統治時代 in 1895, the estuary of the Tamsui River had begun to silt up, and it was becoming difficult for large boats to enter the harbor. As a result, the Japanese governor-general 総督府 decided to develop the port in Keelung (Chilung/Jilong) 基隆, and along with the railroad that had been laid between Taipei and Keelung, harbor operations shifted away from Tamsui, which did manage to remain a local administrative and cultural center. Tamsui is now thriving as a tourist spot, noted in Taiwan for its Western architecture, namely a Spanish-built fort, an old British consulate and the island's first Western-style university. It's most famous among Taiwanese, however, for food. Kungming (Gongming) Street, in particular, is filled with food stalls 屋台 selling all kinds of snacks, and is usually full of people. On the Lunar New Year's Eve, however, few places were open and the streets were empty. Even the McDonald's マクドナルド shut its doors between 6 and 8pm so its employees could go home to have dinner with their families. We wandered around for a while before finding a hot pot 鍋料理 restaurant that was open for business. After dinner, we took a public bus back to the vicinity of our hotel, and called it a night. 

The next day was Thursday 木曜日, and the first day of the Lunar New Year. Following breakfast in the hotel's restaurant downstairs (where we met a member of the news team at ICRT, Mike Woodward, a very friendly man who charmed my daughter), we rode Taipei's excellent MRT subway 台北捷運 from Tamsui to the hot spring resort area of Peit'ou (Beitou) 北投. I could see myself living in a place like Tamsui, with its close proximity to the ocean and the mountains, and using the MRT to commute to work in central Taipei. It probably wouldn't be much different from the way I used to live in Tōkyō 東京.

And speaking of places reminiscent of Japan, a walk through Peitou's hot springs area hardly feels like being in Taiwan at all. This should come as no surprise, seeing as how the Japanese developed Peitou as a hot springs resort, starting with the first inn being opened in 1896 by a merchant from Ōsaka 大阪. Walking up from the MRT station, the first notable building we came across was the Beitou Hot Springs Museum 北投温泉博物館, which was originally a public bathhouse built in 1913:


Unfortunately, the building was closed for renovation, and isn't due to reopen until the beginning of March. I wonder which genius came up with the brilliant idea of shutting the place up during the busiest holiday time of the year. We continued up the hill to Hell Valley 地熱谷, a large pond of hot, bubbling spring water. At least I think it was, as the pool couldn't be seen through the clouds of steam coming off the water. The air reeked of sulfur 硫黄:


After lunch, we walked over to see P'uchi (Puji) Temple 普濟寺, which was originally built as a Shingon sect 真言宗 temple back in 1916. Sadly, not many Japanese Buddhist temples remain in Taiwan, which is a shame as the architecture is very pleasing, especially in comparison to some of the garish Taoist or grandiose Buddhist structures that are more commonplace here:


We finished off our visit to Peitou in a fitting way by renting a private bath for an hour at the appropriately-named Kyōto Hotel. Ah, what I wouldn't wish to have a sunken bathtub in our apartment in which I could take a long, relaxing soak after a hard day's work.


Following our family bath, we left Peitou and returned to Tamsui on the MRT. In contrast to the previous night, this evening the stores were all open, and the holiday crowds were out, though not in the crushing numbers I was dreading, probably due to the rainy weather:


Like everyone else, we walked around and ate a few snacks (fish ball soup and fried mushrooms, in my case), though at my insistence, we also bought a few donuts at Mister Donut ミスタードーナツ. Walking around the streets also gave me a chance to photograph some more signs:
 
On Friday 金曜日 morning, we checked out of the hotel and drove over to Fisherman's Wharf. It looks like a fun place to hang out during warm, summer evenings, but cold, winter mornings are another matter. Still, the view looking towards Kuanyinshan was good.


Next, we drove on Highway 2, which goes along the north coast of Taiwan. A few years ago, Pamela and I drove from Tamsui to Keelung, so we didn't feel the need to do the entire circuit again. The weather progressively got worse, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the drive. Our first stop was Fukuei (Fuguei) Cape 富貴角, the most northerly point in Taiwan. The weather was atrocious (driving rain, strong wind, bone-chilling cold), but that didn't prevent us from getting out of our car, and walking over to the lighthouse there. I was thrilled taking in the fresh air, and watching the waves crashing over the rocks down below. It was one of those moments where I thanked the 神 for the opportunity just to be alive to enjoy these moments. Pamela, being the more realistic one, just wanted to get back to the car as soon as possible! Amber showed signs of being more like her Daddy :)


After taking some time to dry off while having a seafood lunch at the nearby Fuchi (Fuji) Fishing Harbor 富基漁港, we continued down the coast to the Temple of the Eighteen Lords 十八王公廟. Unlike in Japan, where many temples and shrines are popular because of the architectural beauty of the structure and the atmosphere of its grounds, many of the most popular temples in Taiwan are not that much to look at. This one is no exception. The temple is approached through a long arcade that once must have bustling with shops and visitors, but which has clearly seen better days. The temple itself is hidden behind a number of food stalls. But what it lacks in aesthetics, it makes up for in activity, being packed with worshipers. The 18 Lords refers to 17 sailors who died at sea, and a faithful dog who committed suicide out of grief. There are two dog statues on either side of the tomb representing the lords. Touching their mouths, feet and head supposedly will ensure general good luck, great wealth and a very smart child, respectively. We'll see what happens in future. The temple may not be much to see, but the stormy ocean opposite was dramatic.


And that was that. We returned in the direction of Tamsui, making a brief stop at the Shihmen Cave 石門洞, a naturally eroded stone arch that wasn't feeling very photogenic in the lousy weather. We drove on through Tamsui, and then, not knowing what the traffic conditions were like on the freeway, we went along the western coast for a while, before joining up with the No. 3 Freeway just past Ch'iting (Ciding) 崎頂 Beach for the last leg back to Fengyuan.

I'm off until next Tuesday 火曜日, but I don't have any plans for the rest of the Lunar New Year, other than to take it easy before going back to work. Until then, let me wish everyone a "Hsinnien k'uaile (Sinnian kuaile)" 新年快樂 and a "Kunghsi fats'ai (Gongsi facai)" 恭喜發財!

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Walking up to Kannon-sama 観音様を訪ねている

I met up with Michael Turton on Saturday morning to do a couple of hours of walking. Joining us was one of my students, Roddick Chou. We began by walking up a trail that led to a Kuanyin (Guanyin) Temple 観音寺, situated on top of a low hill overlooking the Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology 中台科技大學. The weather was cold and the sky was overcast (making for poor lighting when it came to taking taking pictures), but at least it didn't rain (and the sun did make a brief appearance at one point). From the Kuanyin Temple, we did a loop through the hills, taking several trails that led up and down, before eventually returning to our starting point. It felt good to be out despite the chill, and it was great to have Roddick along for the walk. I'd like to do it again soon!

ロディックトマイケル