Long lost weekends

A community center that appears to date from the Japanese period 台灣日治時期. Fēng​yuán​ 豐原 has a few such period-piece buildings scattered about town, some (like this one) in better condition than others.

It's the beginning of April, and a four-day weekend is looming for most people here, the result of the government having made Monday the 4th, The Combined Holidays of Women's Day and Children's Day 婦女節、兒童節合併假期, an official holiday to go along with the already-established Tomb Sweeping Day 清明 on Tuesday. There are several implications as a result of the government's action. First of all, it means that those Taiwanese who would spend the single holiday in the past sweating to clear away a year's worth of brush and overgrowth from ancestral burial plots (cemeteries being places to avoid for the rest of the year because, you know, they're full of ghosts) now have an extra day to recover from their exertions before returning to work or school on Wednesday. Many people have done the smart thing, and performed the ritual cleaning earlier, thus freeing up the entire four-day weekend for more enjoyable activities. Secondly, the long weekend will no doubt see all of the famous (and not so famous) tourist traps overrun with pleasure seekers. I wouldn't want to be on any of the freeways come the late afternoon/early evening of Tuesday, and I won't, because...finally, this extra day for us means more time spent at home, or in local parks. Not because we wish to avoid the hordes, but because we're still pinching pennies following our two-week trip to the States back in early February. At least we don't have any tombs to tend to.

The sign is supposed to be a come-on for the sweet snacks available from this food stand, but it would probably be more appealing if they had actually rendered the word for "delicious" in Japanese correctly - "oishii" おいしい instead of the meaningless "oishi" おいし (and, yes, that extra i does matter). Also, "oden" おでん doesn't consist of a cup of black coffee with a side order of nuts. For confirmation of what exactly Kuān​tūng​chǔ​ 關東煮 is, stop by your local 7-Eleven (or follow this link)

In conjunction with the four-day weekend mentioned above, it's finally beginning to feel like spring has arrived. And just in time, too, after what has been described as one of the coldest winters in T'ái​wān 台灣​ in decades. Of course, what passes for "cold" here would feel downright balmy to my friends and family in the Pacific Northwest and northern California, where there has been snow as recently as just the past week (and I won't even mention what the Midwest went through this winter). The forecast calls for mostly sunny skies over the next few days, so my daughter can look forward to getting outside and having some (free of any charges) fun, like hitting some plastic balls with her plastic bat. And speaking of balls and bats, today was Opening Day for Major League Baseball, when teams like the Pirates and Royals can still dream they have a chance of competing for a postseason playoff spot, a dream which should last as long as the first week of the new season. The Mariners kick off their schedule tomorrow, and it'll be interesting to see how many games they will manage to lose this year with their anemic offense, despite having the reigning A.L. Cy Young Award winner on their pitching staff. Play ball!

A billboard for a laxative drink. The use of the hiragana 平仮名 no の is necessitated by the fact the product comes from Japan. Of course it is.

Scenes from a night market

This sign is advertisement for shark extract, only instead of using the Japanese loanword for extract, エキス, as originally intended (and which is correctly written on the sign hanging above the entrance), the sign maker forgot a stroke here, leaving us with エキフ.

As anyone who has ever been to T'ái​wān 台灣​ can tell you, night markets 夜市 are an intrinsic part of local life. Following Amber's swimming lesson this evening (in which she successfully passed her month-end exam, and thus has been promoted to Level 18, a feat she was extremely proud of), we visited one of Fēng​yuán​'s 豐原 local yèh​shì​h, the Hú​lutūn​​ Tourist Night Market 葫蘆墩觀光夜市:

Unlike the more well-known markets, such as the one in T'ái​chūng's 臺中 Féng​chiǎ 逢甲​ area, Huludun​​ (as well as the others here in Fengyuan) is smaller, quieter and only open once or twice a week (Fridays and Saturdays in this case). In other words, it's very local (the few tourists that visit Fengyuan tend to flock to the Miào​tūng 廟東 food street in the downtown area). Though you can buy things like cheap, Made in China clothing and cheap, dangerous, Made in China toys, the main reason for visiting virtually any night market is to eat. Which is what we did...

My wife is getting ready to dig into one of her favorites, stinky tofu 臭豆腐. For those of you who aren't familiar with ch'òu​tòu​fu​, the name should say it all (or can you follow this Wikipedia link). Some misguided foreign residents claim to like it in a doomed-to-be-ultimately unsuccessful effort to try and "fit in" to the local culture. Others such as myself are quite content to remain barbarians at the gates when it comes to these island "delicacies". My daughter is a bicultural child, but when it comes to stinky tofu, she lets her American side show. Tonight she did so by asking for steak (the steam is a result of the fact the temperature was around 15C/60F this evening - chilly by Taiwanese standards).

In addition to eating, we ate some more, including fried pork and sausages. Here is Amber munching on some quail eggs:

Chia Hsiang is a bakery based in the southern city of T'áinán​ ​臺南 that sells its baked goods at night markets the length and breadth of Taiwan. Well, the length anyway, as I'm sure there aren't too many markets in the central mountains 中央山脈.

Next to eating, the most popular activities at night markets are games. Here Amber enjoys a carnival ride under the protective watch of a large SpongeBob SquarePants, no doubt fully licensed from Nickelodeon, because, as we all know, a Taiwanese night market would never engage in activities that could even be remotely construed as being theft of intellectual property:

美味しく楽しむ。健康する！

Walking from Hōgen (Toyohara) to Tōsei, and back again

On this sometimes warm, sometimes cold afternoon, I took a long walk along the Tūng​fēng Bicycle Trail 東豐自行車緑廊. And I do mean long, for if the distance markers were correct (and my sore feet have me thinking they were), I covered roughly 16 kilometers (9.9 miles) round-trip in about 3¼ hours. Next time I'll know better than to wear my ordinary shoes.

The cherry blossoms 櫻花「サクラ」 were still hanging in there today.

The Tūng​fēng Iron Bridge 東豐鐵橋, the ostensible reason for my walk today. The last time I strolled this route , I was stopped by the Tà​chiǎ​ River 大甲溪, as the bridge didn't exist at that time. Crossing over to the Tūng​shì​h 東勢 side meant that I had finally walked every part of this trail. Mission accomplished!

The trail looks prettier now than it did almost four years ago.

On the site of the old Méi​tzu Station 梅子車站, there was a photo display of scenes of damage from the Sept. 21, 1999 Chí​chí​ earthquake 921大地震 (the Fēng​yuán 豐原/Dongshi​ area was hit hard by the quake). How apropos in light of recent events in Japan.

An old Japanese-style home.

A section of railroad track near the former Shíhkāng​ Station 石岡車站 that had buckled as a result of the 921 quake.

One difference between walking this trail today compared to October 2007 was that there were a lot more cyclists out riding on this weekday afternoon. Still, it was a pleasant walk, and proof that bicycle trails are not just for bikes.

Signs

They try so hard, but don't always get it right:

This sign is supposed to read "Fuku no hambai" 服の販売「ふくのはんばい」, referring to the selling of clothing. However, instead of the kanji character 売, meaning "to sell", the sign maker used 亮, which looks similar, but means "clear" or "help" (it also appears as if し was used, and not い, which would render the phrase as "fuku no hambashi"). This picture was taken on T'iēnchīn Road 天津路, a wholesale clothing district in T'áichūng 臺中.

This clothing and shoes store on Tūngshān Road 東山路 has got the 売 down right, but has gotten tripped up by that pesky ol' small っ. So instead of zutto ずっと ("completely", "totally"), we get the meaningless zutsuto ずつと.

In the news: 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami ２０１１年東北地方太平洋地震

Tomorrow afternoon will mark exactly one week since the devastating earthquake and tsunami 津波 (not to mention nuclear accidents) that have wreaked havoc on the Tōhoku region 東北地方 in Japan. The news has been exhaustively covered by CNN, but often in a frustrating manner bordering on sensationalism. Is it really necessary to quote every so-called "expert" on every possible scenario concerning what's going on at Fukushima Daiichi 福島第一原子力発電所? No wonder foreigners are fleeing Japan in droves, and people overseas are worried about radioactive clouds floating across the oceans, and stocking up on useless iodine tablets. Taiwanese aren't immune from the fear - as my friend Micheal Turton puts it, "these same people who run red lights without batting an eyelash are terrified of invisible particles from distant nations." Of course what is happening in Fukushima 福島 is a cause for concern, and the Tokyo Electric Power Company 東京電気 certainly hasn't done a credible job in the public relations department when it comes to informing the public about what is going on, and what it means to public safety (even the Japanese prime minister, Naoto Kan 菅直人, has complained that TEPCO hasn't kept him up to date on what the hell is going on). The BBC is a more restrained alternative to CNN and the local news channels, but the best source for factual, straightforward reporting on the disaster in Japan has been the Japanese broadcaster NHK 日本放送協会. The NHK World website has been streaming continuous English-language video coverage since the tragedy first unfolded last Friday.

Considering the fact that Japan isn't an attractive vacation destination at the moment, it comes as no surprise that EVA Air 長榮航空 has canceled a number of flights this month from T'ái​wān​ 台灣, as reported in this Kyōdō News 共同通信社 article carried in the Japan Times ジャパンタイムズ :

"Taiwanese carrier EVA Airways has scrubbed dozens of March flights to and from Japan in the wake of Friday's quake-tsunami calamity, including its daily Sendai 仙台 service....

In a website posting updated Tuesday evening, Eva said flights to and from Sapporo 札幌 on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday have been canceled.

Tōkyō 東京 flights have also been canceled, with the service between T'ái​pěi​'s 臺北 Songshan International Airport 臺北松山機場 and Narita International Airport 成田国際空港 canceled from Tuesday until Saturday, and the return leg canceled from Wednesday to Monday. Flights between Taipei's Taoyuan International Airport 臺灣桃園國際機場 and Tōkyō's Haneda airport 東京国際空港「羽田空港」 are canceled for Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, March 23, 25, 27 and 30.

Flights to and from Sendai, which sustained heavy tsunami damage, have been canceled until June 30."

Obviously, going to Sendai is out of the question, as work to get the runway back in operation is focusing on allowing relief flights to get in, and bring in much needed supplies and personnel. And unless there is an absolute need to travel there, Tōkyō, which is suffering from rolling power blackouts and worries over possible radiation contamination, is best avoided for now (though China Airlines 中華航空 is still flying there for the time being). As reported by various media, Narita International Airport is swamped by people either fleeing to other parts of Japan, or leaving the country altogether. Such worries are understandable, and leaving is probably a prudent course of action for those who don't have to be there. What I can't understand, though, are the questions being asked on Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree forum by travelers wondering if they should cancel their upcoming trips to Japan. The thing is almost all of the people seeking advice on cancellations were planning on visiting locales far away from the disaster zone. How difficult can it be to pull out a map (or look at one online), and determine just how far places like Kyōto 京都 and Hiroshima 広島 are from the Tōhoku region? In a week of a tumbling Nikkei 225 日経平均株価 and a strengthening yen, Japan could certainly use the income from tourists.

Speaking of tourism, there has been a number of articles reporting on the effects the triple whammy of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear woes is having (or may have) on both the Japanese and global economies. Most of these stories have concentrated on disruptions to factories producing automobiles and electronics products, two of Japan's biggest exports, as well as the extensive damage to transportation networks, oil refineries and port facilities. What hasn't been discussed yet is what effect the disaster has had on Tōhoku's natural and cultural attractions. Time will soon tell, no doubt, on how well Matsushima Bay 松島, the sacred island of Kinkasan 金華山 or the National Treasure 国宝 temples of Hiraizumi 平泉, to name just several, have withstood the ravages of quakes and waves. Hopefully, the day will come again (and soon) when it will be possible to travel the narrow road to the deep north 憶のほそ道 once again.

頑張れ日本！

Spring training

It turns out I do know someone who was directly affected by the Sendai earthquake and tsunami ２０１１年東北地方太平洋地震. Masanori, a former student of mine back when Pamela and I were living in Yokkaichi 四日市, is attending a civil aviation college next to Sendai Airport 仙台空港, training to become an airline pilot. He was there on Friday afternoon when the tsunami 津波 rolled in. Fortunately, he was fine, but the same could not be said for his car. Apparently, he was evacuated by raft from a building adjacent to his school, and was taken to an evacuation center. His mother expects him to be back in Yokkaichi in a few days' time. I'm not sure what the long-term effect will be on his pilot training, but the school's light planes were damaged by the wave, and the dormitory has been closed to the students. But at least he is safe and sound, which is the most important thing, of course.

Far away from the troubles in northeastern Japan (though not far from mind, especially when remembering that such a disaster could easily happen here, as well), we enjoyed this absolutely beautiful not-yet-officially spring day by going to a local park, and letting Amber take a few swings at some balls. We'll probably be doing a lot of this, at least for the next month or so, as crunch time has arrived after our extended Lunar New Year 春節 vacation back in Washington.

My little Fēng​yuán ​豐原 Slugger prepares to bash the ball.

Amber also worked on her fielding skills.

Dad prepares to apply some wood to the cowhide...er, put plastic on plastic.

The first time Amber and I went by this house (she on her bike, me following behind on foot), everyone sitting around outside turned round to give us (well, me, anyway) the Hairy Eyeball. The second time around, no one but the little kid paid us any attention. From somewhere inside the home came the (prerecorded) sounds of aboriginal drumming.

Appreciating the little things

The scenes that I've been reading about and seeing on NHK 日本放送協会, CNN and BBC about the massive earthquake in Japan ２０１１年東北地方太平洋地震 almost defy belief - the massive temblor (8.9 on the Richter scale; the maximum of 7 on the Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale 気象庁震度階級); the 10-meter (33 feet) high tsunami 津波, carrying along cars and ships as if they were toys, engulfing coastal communities (not to mention the runway of Sendai Airport 仙台空港); the fires raging at oil terminals, and in the town of Kesennuma 気仙沼; and now the news of a massive explosion at a nuclear power plant in Fukushima 福島第一原子力発電所. I know many people who live, or have lived, in Japan, and/or have friends and family living there. Fortunately, to the best of my knowledge, everyone concerned is safe and sound. The same can't be said, however, for the over 1000 people that NHK is reporting have lost their lives so far in the disaster.

Perhaps it was with this news in mind that the first signs of spring evident this afternoon along the T'án​yǎ​shén​ bicycle trail 潭雅神綠園道 seemed to take on a particular beauty. Be it cherry blossoms, sunflowers or buzzing bees, there was plenty of evidence that life goes on, no matter what has happened, or where it has occurred.

I've been considering making a trip to Sendai 仙台 and other parts of Tōhoku 東北地方 next summer (this year I'm thinking of going to Okinawa 沖縄). Despite all that has happened, I have no reason yet to change my plans. I remember going to Kōbe 神戸 about a year and a half after the Great Hanshin earthquake 阪神・淡路大震災, and being surprised at how rapidly the city had recovered (at least on the exterior). I'm confident Sendai will bounce back just as quickly, and I look forward to contributing to reconstruction efforts by pumping some of my tourist yen into the local economy next year.