Category: Taiwan

Taiwan2 Comments

Chinese New Year 2016

Catherine Lee

A sombre, sober and subdued Lunar New Year for all of Taiwan. It started with the deadly 6.4 earthquake early on Saturday February 6 in southern Taiwan, which led to the collapse of a number of high-rise buildings in Tainan, including the 17-storey Weiguan Jinlong apartment complex, where over 100 were killed. Electricity and water outages made the New Year even worse for many, and as High-Speed Rail services were cancelled in southern Taiwan, many people were forced to change their travel plans. TV and Newspaper reports kept us all focused on the emerging nightmare…. Tragedy after tragedy – as … Continue reading Chinese New Year 2016

Taiwan1 Comment

Taiwan earthquake: Eight-year-old rescued after 60 hours – BBC News

Catherine Lee

Updates about the earthquake…. An eight-year-old girl is the latest survivor to be rescued from a building which collapsed in Taiwan’s deadly earthquake on Saturday. Source: Taiwan earthquake: Eight-year-old rescued after 60 hours – BBC News Also from the Taipei Times: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2016/02/09/2003639107 Continue reading Taiwan earthquake: Eight-year-old rescued after 60 hours – BBC News

TaiwanLeave a comment

Jian-guo Flower Market 建國花市, Taipei ~ THE place to go all this week!

Catherine Lee

Yes, it’s open all day every day all this week ~ the week leading up to Chinese New Year ~ and you just MUST go! The Jian-guo Flower Market happens in the car park under the Jian-guo Overpass, not far from the Da-an Park in Taipei – normally it’s a car park during the week, and a flower market at the weekends (at the far end it stretches into the Jade Market), but this week, it’s open all day every day until 10pm.  Yesterday afternoon it was totally totally completely packed out full of people buying flowers of every kind … Continue reading Jian-guo Flower Market 建國花市, Taipei ~ THE place to go all this week!

Taiwan2 Comments

Snow?! YES!

Catherine Lee

Unbelievable.  Incredible.  Amazing. There is snow on the Yang-Ming-Shan mountains!  Not just on the tops, but all over.  A light dusting. Very light.  But it’s snow all the same! And it’s visible from all over this area. And just visible in my photos, taken this morning. We’re having the coldest temps in Taipei for over 40 years.  4ºC.  Currently my phone is telling me it’s 3ºC, so maybe it’ll get even lower overnight. It’s cold cold cold, very very cold.  Most people, including me, have no heating in their houses.  This is a sub-tropical country, and summer heat is our … Continue reading Snow?! YES!

TaiwanLeave a comment

Taiwan’s Tsai Ing-wen: The strangest of weeks for a new leader – BBC News

Catherine Lee

And so, a week after the elections …. From a K-pop scandal to mass cabinet resignations, Taiwan’s president-elect Tsai Ing-wen has seen on of the most unusal first weeks in a new job. Source: Taiwan’s Tsai Ing-wen: The strangest of weeks for a new leader – BBC News Continue reading Taiwan’s Tsai Ing-wen: The strangest of weeks for a new leader – BBC News

Taiwan1 Comment

Punk Tree?!

Catherine Lee

Yes, right in downtown Taipei, along by the side of the Control Yuan HQ no less, is a tree that looks totally dead with all the bark flaked off, until you look up and see it’s actually quite healthy up at leaf level!  Helpfully there’s even a notice next to it giving it’s name as Cajuput Punk Tree. Turns out to be a kind of eucalyptus tree from Australia…. Quite amazing ~ and what a name! Continue reading Punk Tree?!

TaiwanLeave a comment

Totally Surrounded @ Dongmen Market…

Catherine Lee

Totally surrounded by vegetables, that is! Cannot fail to be impressed by the man at his stall in Taipei’s Dongmen Market who is, yes, totally surrounded by his produce. And just down the market from him is this big tub full of Stinky Tofu on the boil – it’s called Stinky Tofu for a good reason, but it’s not often that the smell is quite so noticeable first thing in the morning! aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh! Continue reading Totally Surrounded @ Dongmen Market…