In the aftermath of Typhoon Krosa 台風の余波

Typhoon Krosa has come and gone, but what a mess it has left in its wake! After being cooped up inside all weekend due to the big storm, I was looking forward to getting out this afternoon and doing some hiking in Chung-cheng (Jhong-jheng) Park 中正公園. But while the winds have died down, the rain has persisted, so instead I went out riding to check out some of the damage.

All over Fengyuan (Fongyuan) 豊原, blown-down fences and snapped trees could be seen.

Chung-cheng Park was especially hard-hit.

Two large trees in front of a small lacquerware 塗り物 museum had been uprooted by the winds. The force of the tree on the right falling over tore up the boards of a wooden platform that had been built around it.

Proof beyond a doubt that we are alone in this world - the statue of dictator Chiang Kai-shek 蒋介石 wasn't damaged. So much for the wrath of God. At least the death toll from Krosa was low - 7 dead, according to this morning's China Post.

In the news ニュース

Super Typhoon Krosa has hit Taiwan today, and hit it hard. Even here in Fengyuan (Fongyuan) 豊原, which is normally shielded from the worst of the typhoons by the central mountain range, the wind and rain have been nasty. Needless to say, there was no work today. I ventured out once this morning, to the local Family Mart ファミリーマート to buy a newspaper, and the wind was powerful. The effects are actually worse in the courtyard of our apartment complex - behind our buildings are rice fields, so the wind has been roaring in from the north all day long. I took a short video with my digital camera, but all attempts to post it onto YouTube have so far been futile.

Being confined indoors isn't all bad, however. I got to see Cleveland beat the hated Yankees for the second time this morning, and then spent the afternoon watching "Zodiac" ゾディアック on DVD (good thing I stopped off at Blockbuster last night after work). I also had the pleasure of reading "Fukuda won't forsake Taiwan for China: experts", a commentary that appeared in the Japan Times today, written by Max Hirsch. The article begins:

"Taipei's relations with Tokyo will remain strong despite jitters in Taiwan over whether new Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda 福田康夫 will distance his country from the embattled island, experts say."

Hirsch then goes to give the reasons why many experts think Japan-Taiwan relations will remain strong: China's territorial claims in "contested waters" (presumably the Senkaku Islands 尖閣諸島) and "security issues", namely the ongoing buildup of China's military. After discussing the recent rockiness in relations between the U.S. and Taiwan, Hirsch concludes his piece by writing:

"Taiwanese officials should...brace themselves for a lull in meetings with high-level Japanese officials as Fukuda courts Beijing, even as unofficial ties between Taiwan and Japan and Taiwan's strategic importance to Tokyo grow, Luo (Chi-cheng, a Japan watcher and director of the independence-advocate Taiwan Thinktank) said.

'Changes will happen in the way high-level officials from Taiwan and Japan interact,' he added.

Fortunately for Taiwan, Fukuda is just as focused on maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as he is on boosting ties with China, said Luo Fu-chuan, Taiwan's former de facto ambassador to Japan in the absence of official diplomatic relations.

'(Fukuda) has always been focused on Asian security. He seeks to employ peaceful means to maintain the status quo in the Taiwan Strait,' he said.

'I can't see any big changes in Japan-Taiwan relations on the horizon,' he added. 'Japan won't sacrifice Taiwan for China.'"

I'm no expert analyst, but I have to agree with Hirsch. Taiwan's geographical proximity and historical ties to Japan, plus the wariness of Chinese intentions that runs deep in Japanese political circles (and to some extent in Japanese society) make it unlikely that Taiwan will be sold out by Tokyo. I wish I had as much faith in my own homeland.

Tak'eng (Dakeng) 大坑

I went for a hike in the Takeng area this morning and managed to get some shots of the local wildlife.

The photos of the spider クモ and lizard トカゲ are obvious. The picture on the right is of a hawk 鷹 perched on a tree branch. Unfortunately, the strong shadows meant I was only able to capture the bird's silhouette.

The sunny weather provided clear views of T'aichung (Taijhong) 台中

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.