Walking the T'anyashen (Tanyashen) Bikeway (Part 1) 潭雅神サイクリングコース

The Tanyashen Bikeway is a bicycle trail that runs through the towns of T'antzu (Tanzih) 潭子, Shenkang (Shengang) 神岡 and Taya (Daya) 大雅, hence the name of the cycling course. A few years ago, my wife and I rented a couple of bikes and rode the length of the trail. Today, however, I decided to walk as much of the path as possible with the limited free time I had this morning.

Like the Houfeng (Houfong) 后豊 Bikeway, the Tanyashen course is laid along what were once the tracks of a Japanese-era railway. My starting point was just off of Ch'ungte (Chongde) 崇徳 Road, between the old stations of Tantzu and Shek'ou (Shekou) 社口. I began by taking the shorter route to Tantzu, which started off by passing by a handful of cafe-restaurants before turning into a pleasant tree-lined path.

At the end of the trail in Tantzu, it appears a tunnel is being constructed, suggesting that the bikeway is going to be expanded in the near future.

I then turned around and headed back in the direction of Shekou. Signs along the way indicate the distances between the old stations. As is commonplace in Taiwan, the route goes by numerous small factories, one of which was exposing itself to the outside world.

One great improvement that has been made to the trail since Pamela and I rode on it several years ago is the overpasses that cross over a couple of busy streets, such as this one spanning Chungte Road. It has made things much safer.

The scenery on the Shenkang and Taya sides of the trail is similar, though there are fewer trees along the bikeway to provide shade.

Like many industrialized nations, Taiwan has a labor problem. Namely, most people don't want to work at low-paying, strenuous factory jobs, so workers are brought in from Southeast Asia to do the work that Taiwanese shun. I passed by a couple of Thais (presumably) riding bikes on their way to a factory. I also saw several Filipinas (or perhaps Indonesians) taking breaks by the side of the bikeway. Many of these women work as caregivers in Taiwan. Some examples of Thai script, written on the outside of a factory wall and on the signboard of a building, underscored the presence of these foreign workers.

Compare the small, but charming, traditional house on the left, with the typical modern-day apartment building on the right. Most Taiwanese would probably choose the concrete block as a place to live. The old homes are fast disappearing. Someday, perhaps, the Taiwanese will wake up and realize what they have lost, but it will probably be too late, with only a few museum pieces remaining.

With just over a kilometer to go before the old Shenkang station, and within site of the high-speed rail tracks, my time was up, and I turn back and head for home. With a small, colorful Taoist temple 道観 to serve as a landmark, I intend on coming back this way soon to finish the route on foot.

A Sunday in Taichū 日曜日

Today the Kaminoge family spent a busy, but useful, Sunday in the teeming metropolis of T'aichung (Taijhong) 台中. It was a day that combined a bit of sightseeing with some Christmas shopping, and complemented with some good food, all on a sunny and warm afternoon. Not a bad way to end the weekend.

Our first stop was to visit Taichung's Confucius Temple 孔子廟. After finding a parking spot (never an easy task in central Taichung on a weekend), we started walking towards the temple when an unusual looking bird flew in front of us and came to rest on parked car:

Neither Pamela nor I have ever seen a bird like this in the middle of a large urban area. I have no idea what kind it is.

Soon after our encounter with the mysterious bird, we walked by the Martyrs' Shrine 忠烈祠. Taichung's version (like many in Taiwan, it was built on the site of a former Shintō 神道 shrine 神社), is only open on holidays, so we made a brief detour inside. Although the Main Hall was closed, the walk through the main gate and up to the Front Hall was nice.

The Confucius Temple is close by. Here's what 地球の歩き方台湾 has to say about it:

1726年建設の中国風建築の廟。主殿には孔子およびその弟子72人が祀られている。ここは台湾では珍しく宗式の建物で、その複雑で変化に富んだ構造と、繊細で美しい装飾は一見の価値あり。青、白、緑、赤、橙に塗られた色彩の調和がさわやかだ。新暦の9月29日は孔子誕生記念日で大変にぎわう。

Pamela and I had some of our wedding photos taken here, but this was Amber's first time to visit.

Lunch followed our visit to the shrine of the great Chinese sage. In my case it was a bowl of チャーシューメン which wasn't half bad.

After lunch, we walked over to the massive Chungyo Department Store 中友デパート.

 

Chungyo was packed, but I did manage to come away with a box of Raisin Bran and a couple of Australian and British ales from the new Jasons supermarket in the basement. This was followed up by a short walk down the street to Mister Donut ミスタードーナツ. So much for my attempt to eat less following our trip to the States, as I bought a Honey Dip, a Custard Cream, a Chocolate Cream and a Coffee Roll, and consumed them all before the day was out.

Amber being photographed not far from Mister Donut. This happened several times during the day - young girls coming up and asking to take her picture with their digital cameras and cell phones. I should've charged for the privilege, but I lack that killer business instinct.

The narrow lanes and alleys behind Mister Donut were absolutely packed.

The effect one doughnut can have on a small child!

One of the reasons for going to Chungyo was to do some Christmas shopping for Amber. The selection and the prices there left a lot to be desired, however, so we drove across town to the Taichung branch of Toys Я Us トイザらス. Though it was far from empty, it was nothing like the mob scene at the department store, thanks no doubt to the fact that Christmas hasn't fully caught on yet in Taiwan. We settled on a box of Lego レゴ-like plastic bricks for Amber, seeing as how she had so much fun with a similar set at her Nanna and Grandad's house in Bremerton. I won't be at all disappointed should my daughter grow up one day to be an engineer!

In the news ニュース

From Friday's Daily Yomiuri, "Efforts afoot to save Taiwan betel nut culture":

"Originally from an indigenous culture, the once-widespread custom of chewing betel nuts 檳榔子 has become less popular in Taiwan. To save the custom and the plant, experts are seeking new uses for it."

Though it may seem hard to believe considering the increase in the number of betel nut-selling stands here in Fengyuan (Fongyuan) 豊原:

"...the number of people continuing the custom of chewing betel nuts has been decreasing in urban areas and among younger generations."

This has to be considered good news. Though I admittedly don't have a problem with the scantily-clad young women selling the nuts from glass-enclosed roadside stands :) betel-nut chewing is a disgusting habit, and a dangerous one to boot, both in terms of health and the environment:

"...several years ago, (Taiwanese authorities) began pointing out a possible causal connection between betel nut consumption and mouth cancer, while also claiming that production of betel palm trees, which have short roots, could cause mudslides in heavy rains, moves seemingly aimed at promoting a ban on betel nut consumption. Meanwhile, more and more people have been expressing disgust over the gobbets of red saliva on streets that are the product of those chewing betel nuts."

It can lead to oral cancer among its users, and its cultivation is a major cause of soil erosion in the mountains, thus leading to damaging landslides. Plus it just plain looks bad, whether you're talking about stained pavements or stained teeth. This is one aspect of traditional Taiwanese culture I would be happy to see die out. Others, however, have a different view:

"...some academics have started calling for the plant to be protected as it is an integral aspect of (Taiwanese aboriginal) tribal culture. With industrial usages in mind, National Pingtung 屏東 University of Science and Technology and offices in the county have been exploring new applications for the plant. The university and local offices produced clothes and handkerchiefs dyed with the plant as well as dishes such as stir fry, soups and salads using the plant, which has a similar texture to bamboo shoots. With production decreasing, farming families that grow the plant have been hard hit. As support measures for them, the university and local offices promoted on a trial basis a method of growing coffee trees at the foot of betel trees because coffee grows better out of direct sunlight."

I would certainly stop to buy a cup of coffee from a scantily-clad young woman working out of a glass-enclosed roadside java stand!

In the news ニュース

A business article in today's Japan Times, entitled "Fujitsu to set up WiMAX joint venture with Taiwan institution" caught my eye. To quote:

"Fujitsu Ltd. 富士通株式会社 said Tuesday it will join hands with an institution backed by the Taiwanese government to develop application platforms for next-generation WiMAX wireless networks. Fujitsu and the Institute for Information Industry signed a basic deal in Tokyo to set up a joint venture in Taiwan, one of the world's major manufacturing bases for personal computers and mobile phones. The joint venture, to be set up in March, will develop WiMAX application platforms for Taiwanese makers of information technology devices...WiMAX, or Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, will allow wireless connections to the Internet at data rates of about 70 megabits per second over distances of up to 50 km."

I don't pretend to understand what all of this really means from a technical point of view, but it's a good example of cooperation between Japan and Taiwan in the economic sphere.

In the news ニュース

Two weeks of American food has left me satisfied but full, at least judging from the way I was a huffin' and a puffin' this morning when I went for a short hike/walk in Hsintian (Sintian) 新田. I haven't put on any pounds after the trip, at least not according to our scale, but I do feel bigger around the waist. It's too bad Taiwanese cuisine will never be approved by weight watchers. It's also too bad the hazy weather prevented me from taking any decent photos today.

Both the Japan Times and the Daily Yomiuri had articles on the victory by Japan over Taiwan last night, 10-2, in the final of the Asian Qualifying baseball tournament for next year's Beijing Olympics, held right here in T'aichung (Taijhong) 台中. It was interesting to note that neither story used the disgusting moniker "Chinese Taipei" to refer to Taiwan.

We're back 台湾に戻っていた

After two weeks in the United States, Amber, Pamela and I are now back "home" in Fengyuan (Fongyuan) 豊原. It seems each time I leave Taiwan to go on a trip, be it to Japan or back home to the States, it gets harder and harder to bring myself to return here. There are the obvious reasons, of course - only getting to see my family two weeks out of the year is compounded by the realization that Amber is missing out on a lot of time she could be spending with her Nanny and Granddad, not to mention her Aunt Karen and Cousin James. Perhaps it's the nostalgia that comes with getting older, but I also find I miss a lot of the little things of daily American life that are non-existent in Taiwan. It appears alienation isn't reserved for youth. What follows are some pictorial highlights of the past two weeks. 見てください！

A lot of time was spent at the Kitsap Mall. "Black Friday", the day following Thanksgiving and the traditional start of the Christmas shopping season, wasn't the nightmare I was expecting it to be. That was probably because we got there in the early afternoon. Considering that some stores opened before dawn to accommodate the expected hordes, apparently many people had already come, charged (VISA and MasterCard) and gone.

ショッピングセンターでの写真：

One thing that caught my eye was the popularity of Anime アニメ and Manga 漫画 among American youth:

A suggestion, if I may, to the Suncoast Motion Picture Company: 寿 means "longevity", and not "otaku" (which is お宅).

In addition to spending quality time with her grandparents, Amber also gave a lot of attention to my parents' two cats, Digby and Cleo. Though her intentions were good, I'm sure those two weren't sad to see Amber go.

アンバーと猫：

We didn't have to go far to enjoy scenery. There are some nice homes in the neighborhood, and great views of the Olympic Mountains オリンピック山脈 from the street.

近所からの眺め：

A visit to the local Safeway enabled Amber to try out the latest model in shopping cart transport for kids, while I seized the opportunity to get a box of Cap'N Crunch.

スーパーで：

Despite the chilly temperatures at this time of year (close to freezing much of the time), Amber liked to explore my parents' backyard. On one occasion, the three of us drove down to the waterfront in Silverdale.

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, we went with my parents to the county fairgrounds to see an annual display of Christmas tree decorations. People can bid on the displays, with the proceeds going to charity.

The following day, the three of us traveled by ferry to Seattle for the day.
フェリーでシアトルに行った：

First stop was the Seattle Aquarium.
水族館で：

Then it was a long walk over to the International District, and Uwajiyama, a great Asian supermarket. Pamela stocked up on instant noodles, while I came away with bottles of Orion Beer オリオンビール (from Okinawa 沖縄) and Koshihikari Echigo Beer コシヒカリ越後麦酒 (from Niigata 新潟), plus a can of Calpis Water カルピスウォーター (called "Calpico" in the US market for obvious reasons, if you dwell on the name "Calpis"). There's also a branch of Books Kinokuniya 紀伊國屋書店 in the same building (with a fantastic selection of books on Asian subjects), plus a small Asian food court. Should we end up living in Seattle one day, this is one place where I think we would be spending a lot of time.

On another occasion, my Dad and I went for a drive to Olympia オリンピア, the capital of Washington state, crossing over the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge タコマナローズ橋 en route.

On our last full day in Washington, we drove with my parents to Port Townsend, where we met my sister and nephew for lunch. Port Townsend holds a special place for us, as it was here in the garden of a bed-and-breakfast on the bluff overlooking Puget Sound ピュージェット湾, that Pamela and I were married in the summer of 2002. With its many Victorian buildings, Port Townsend is an interesting place to walk around.

However, all good things must come to an end sooner or later.
最後の日の日の入り

　

On this trip to the States, we flew EVA Air エバー航空. To be honest, I wasn't that impressed with the airline. The service was fine, but the food was particularly bad, and the aircraft lacked any personal entertainment systems (meaning the in-flight movies could only be watched on small screens hanging from the cabin ceilings, as in the days of yore). The flight times were brutal (a 12:30 am departure from Taiwan, a 1:30 am departure from Seattle, meaning we arrived here before 6 in the morning on Sunday). Unlike China Airlines チャイナエアライン, however, the planes stayed in the sky!

After arriving back at the airport in Taoyuan 桃園 this morning, we went to the parking garage where we had entrusted our car two weeks ago. On the street in front of the lot was a car that had parked itself at an angle in the middle of the road. It seems that the driver had had too much to drink, and was passed out in his vehicle. A couple of police officers tried banging on the windows to wake him up, but to no avail. In the end, the car was lifted up by a crane onto a flatbed truck, with the driver presumably still sleeping things off inside, and taken away. Welcome back to Taiwan!

A year is a long time to wait...