Category: Taiwan

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Hakka Week ~ Hakka Style!

Catherine Lee

Hakka week ~ so got ma Hakka shoes out! Wikipedia says that about 15% of Taiwan‘s 23 million people are of Hakka origin, with a worldwide population of about 80 million…. And that includes my good friends, Rev. and Mrs. Hsu, who live up the road in Shuang-Lien Elderly Care Home.  September 1 was Rev. Hsu’s 91st birthday.  The family had celebrated with them earlier in the summer, but they are such a lovely couple that we just had to celebrate this big day on the very day itself.  Rev. Hsu totally loves Japanese sashimi, a glass of Taiwan beer and … Continue reading Hakka Week ~ Hakka Style!

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Porn star to be featured on Taiwan travel cards to ‘cheer commuters up’ | World news | The Guardian

Catherine Lee

This idea is just crazy! Protests after Japanese star Yui Hatano’s image is printed on Easycard travel cards which can be used on metro and bus routes Source: Porn star to be featured on Taiwan travel cards to ‘cheer commuters up’ | World news | The Guardian Continue reading Porn star to be featured on Taiwan travel cards to ‘cheer commuters up’ | World news | The Guardian

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中元普渡 Climax of Ghost Month

Catherine Lee

中元普渡 (Jung Yuan Pu Du) is the climax of Ghost Month… The actual day was last Friday, but many have been busy all weekend making offerings of food and drink and burning ghost money.  That includes my neighbours in Sanzhi 三芝. Taken from an article in the China Post of this subject: Jung Yuan Pu Du – The China Post Pu Du (universal salvation) are sacrificial rites with the intention of appeasing ghosts with no heirs to care for them. Jung Yuan Pu Du falls on the fifteenth day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. Similar to lunar fifteenth … Continue reading 中元普渡 Climax of Ghost Month

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Around half of Taiwan’s population lack a gene required for metabolising alcohol – Health News – Health & Families – The Independent

Catherine Lee

Very interesting article…. Around half of Taiwan’s population lack a gene required for metabolising alcohol – Health News – Health & Families – The Independent. Continue reading Around half of Taiwan’s population lack a gene required for metabolising alcohol – Health News – Health & Families – The Independent

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Very early morning in Taipei….

Catherine Lee

Very early morning means sunrise, 6:00am-ish and this week I’ve been out and about…. to see Taipei 101 before anyone else was out, the roads strangely deserted, and not a tourist in sight.  Plus of course, sunrise from the hills at the back of the Grand Hotel…. Ah yes, and mustn’t forget a sculpture I happened upon near Taipei 101. So this is art?! All I can tell you is that my toes don’t do that ha ha! Continue reading Very early morning in Taipei….

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Hadid wins bridge design contest – Taipei Times

Catherine Lee

We’re getting a new bridge ~ and this’ll be it! Sinotech Engineering Consultants and German firm Leonhardt, Andra und Partner have won an international design competition to build the Tamkang Bridge (淡江大橋) over the Tamsui River (淡水河) in New Taipei City with a design by Zaha Hadid Architects, the Directorate-General of Highways said yesterday….. Plan your trip to come and visit, and read the rest of the article here…. Hadid wins bridge design contest – Taipei Times. Continue reading Hadid wins bridge design contest – Taipei Times

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Top 10 taboos to avoid during Ghost Month in Taiwan | Culture | FOCUS TAIWAN – CNA ENGLISH NEWS

Catherine Lee

Taiwan’s Ghost Month starts today.  Everyone is busy making offerings to the ghosts and burning ghost money.  From now on, for a whole month, people are generally fearful, expecting the worst in every bad situation.  A lot of prayer is needed. This article is very clear, explaining the taboos… Top 10 taboos to avoid during Ghost Month in Taiwan | Culture | FOCUS TAIWAN – CNA ENGLISH NEWS. Continue reading Top 10 taboos to avoid during Ghost Month in Taiwan | Culture | FOCUS TAIWAN – CNA ENGLISH NEWS

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Typhoon Soudelor’s Tilting Postboxes!

Catherine Lee

Until last weekend, these 2 postboxes were just ordinary postboxes on an ordinary street in ‪Taipei‬ City.  But then a signboard crashed down on them during Typhoon ‪‎Soudelor‬ and changed them forever. They were bent over, but not broken.  Tilting together in the same direction, 好可愛, so sweet, so lovely! Now they have become icons, almost memorials to the typhoon, symbols of resilience and togetherness, and a place of pilgrimage for people from all walks of life, including artists, TV crews, pet dogs, and yes, even snakes… ha ha, it’s a great place to visit!  I went there on Wednesday, … Continue reading Typhoon Soudelor’s Tilting Postboxes!

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Typhoon Soudelor ~ the Aftermath

Catherine Lee

A week after Typhoon Soudelor hit, and it now has its own Wikipedia page here.  Current figures are that 8 people died and over 400 were injured in Taiwan as a result of the typhoon. The worst affected area was the hot spring area of Wu-Lai up in the mountains above Taipei where a major landslide has devastated the valley, washing away homes, hotels, roads, cars, trees and filling the beautiful hot springs with mud. Throughout the country, damage to homes and businesses is immense, but at least mostly repairable.  That’s what we’ve all been doing all week, fixing and … Continue reading Typhoon Soudelor ~ the Aftermath