Happy Father's Day, Part 2

There's nothing like spending Father's Day with critters, machines and beer, and that's exactly how the Kaminoge family observed the occasion this afternoon. Our first visit to the e-zoo petting zoo, located in the town of Waip'u 外埔 in T'aichung County 台中縣, turned out to be much better than expected. The three of us had a great time interacting with a handful of the sun goddess' creatures, including snakes, horses, tortoises, ostriches, goats, rabbits, water buffaloes and my wife's favorite, the exotic birds:

This particular bird (Parrot? Cockatoo? Macaw?) was especially animated:

In addition to the animals, Amber took great interest in the heavy equipment, going for spins on a steamroller and an excavator, the latter of which she controlled entirely by herself:

e-zoo sits atop a small hill. From the small one-lane road going in and out, nice views across the plain towards Tachia 大甲 could be had:

A small step forward in the ongoing struggle against Taiwan Beer 台灣啤酒:

On the way home from the zoo, we stopped off at the Houli Sugar Tourism Trap...er, Village in Houli 后里. A Japanese-era sugar mill that has been refitted for the modern-day leisure crowd (with a never-ending caravan of tour buses rolling in), the Thing To Do here is eat ice cream. Among the many souvenir shops, however, I was pleased to find a store selling locally-produced wines and paichiu 白酒. The cinnamon-flavored kind was a treat, but I was even happier to learn there were sample cups of a craft beer available for purchase:

In a classic case of Good News/Bad News, the good news was that the lager tasted great! The bad news was that the shop didn't have any cans or bottles for sale, nor was there any information on hand about the beer itself (including its name) or where to obtain some, other than the fact it most definitely WAS NOT a product of the infamous Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation 台灣菸酒公司. Still, it shows that out there in the Taiwanese beer-drinking wasteland, new life is springing up through cracks in the parched ground. I'll drink to that. 乾杯！

The Day After in Gaifu 外埔

In the aftermath of yesterday's presidential election triumph by Ma Ying-jeou (Ba Eikyū) 馬英九 of the Kuomintang (Guomindang) 中国国民党, the Daily Yomiuri ザ・デイリー読売 tried to explain the reasons for, and the possible ramifications of, the results in an editorial entitled "Taiwan voters offer olive branch to China". While the Yomiuri's editors cite the usual factors found in most Western media coverage of the voting (a sluggish economy, corruption scandals, the supposed benefits to be had from closer economic integration with China), they seem less than convinced of Ma's adherence to Taiwan's democratic ideals:

"Ma's electoral victory likely is bound to temporarily set back Taiwan's ongoing efforts to make progress in democratization and 'Taiwanization,' the process of establishing systems distinct from those of China--politically, culturally, educationally, linguistically or otherwise. The movement started in the 1990s, when Lee Teng-hui was president."

They also ask the question:

"(During the election campaign) Ma emphasized the need to maintain a one-China policy. However, this was also complemented by his conciliatory approach toward native Taiwanese, who account for 85 percent of the island's population. He said the future of Taiwan must be determined by the 23 million Taiwanese. Will Ma keep this policy intact after taking office?"

Will he indeed. The Yomiuri goes on to ponder the impact of Ma's victory on Japan:

"Ma has said Taiwan will seek good ties with Japan. On the other hand, he has strongly opposed Japan's territorial claim to the Senkaku Islands. Given this, his policy toward Japan should be closely watched."

The Senkaku dispute stirs a lot more emotions on the Chinese mainland than it does in Taiwan. A good indication of where Ma's heart truly lies could be revealed by how he approaches this issue after he takes office in May.

Maybe it has something to do with geographic proximity and the colonial legacy, but leave it to a Japanese newspaper to sum things up much better than most Western publications:

"The future of Taiwan could significantly affect East Asia's security. We hope Taiwan's president-elect will exercise care and caution in running the island."

Hardly a ringing endorsement of the incoming administration. Prove me wrong Ma, please!

Speaking of the colonial past, the family went for a drive this afternoon to a small town in T'aichung (Taijhong) County 台中県 called Waip'u (Waipu) 外埔, and paid a visit at the Tz'ulien (Cihlian) Temple 慈蓮寺. It wasn't clear whether the temple dates from the Japanese era in Taiwan (1895-1945), or whether it was built in a Japanese style at a later date, but the appearance of the main hall, along with the torii 鳥居-looking gates and small garden in the back, definitely make this place stand out from most Buddhist temples here.

 

Given the Ma administration's lack of enthusiasm towards the preservation of Japanese-era architecture while he was mayor of T'aipei (Taibei) 台北, will buildings such as these survive the purge following the establishment of the Taiwan Special Administrative Region?