Tag: Taipei City

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Taiwan Elections ~ coming soon!

Catherine Lee

Taiwan is gearing up for presidential and legislative elections on January 16, 2016, so the next few months promises to be a very lively time indeed.  Campaigning is in full swing. Loud speaker vans roam the streets, campaign billboards are up all over.  One thing’s for sure, Taiwan elections are never boring and never quiet! Freedom of Speech is of course a greatly valued right in any democratic society, and Taiwan people make the most of it.  This was the scene on the footbridge in central Taipei yesterday, looking towards the Control Yuan ~ one man with a loudhailer letting … Continue reading Taiwan Elections ~ coming soon!

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Humming round Taipei in a Humvee?

Catherine Lee

Most Thursdays off I go to the diocesan office in Taipei ~ and en route there or back I often find myself passing by some of Taipei’s more famous buildings. Yesterday afternoon took me past the Sheraton Hotel, strategically located right in the middle of the area housing many of the main government ministry buildings – so also centrally located to observe all protests, demonstrations, occupations and of course VIP events. Turned out that yesterday the hub of activity around the Sheraton Hotel was for the visit of President Ma Ying-Jeou.  Outside was parked a super-shiny silver Humvee.  Kinda unexpected … Continue reading Humming round Taipei in a Humvee?

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Taiwan’s 2015 Typhoon Season Draws to a Close…..

Catherine Lee

A few days ago, Taiwan was getting worried that Typhoon Koppu (which has had a devastating effect on the northern Philippines over the last few days) would be heading towards Taiwan next.  But we are mightily relieved that the typhoon has weakened considerably and with the cooler autumn temperatures further north here in Taiwan, thankfully it’s unlikely that we’ll have any more serious typhoons this season…. So as Taiwan’s 2015 Typhoon Season draws to a close at the end of this month, I was reminded of past years and past typhoons when I passed through Taipei Main Station yesterday afternoon….   … Continue reading Taiwan’s 2015 Typhoon Season Draws to a Close…..

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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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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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Welcoming Rev. Joel del Rosario ~ from EDCP to Taipei!

Catherine Lee

The latest exciting adventure in the ongoing partnership between St. James’ Church, Taichung and the Episcopal Diocese of Central Philippines (EDCP) has been the visit to St. James for the last 2 months of Rev. Joel del Rosario – and these last 3 days on his way back home to the Philippines he had the chance to come to Taipei ~ YES! Fr. Joel was previously in charge of several of the churches in EDCP that have been built with money raised by St. James’ Church since 1998. He was also previously dean of the national cathedral in Manila, and … Continue reading Welcoming Rev. Joel del Rosario ~ from EDCP to Taipei!

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Yang-Ming Shan 陽明山 ~ Lengshuikeng (冷水坑) to Qingtiangang (擎天崗)

Catherine Lee

A glorious day yesterday, and this was the view of Yang-Ming-Shan Mountains from St. John’s University (SJU) ~ looked so inviting ~ so go there we must! And so happened that today was the day that the SJU student fellowship organized a big morning walk – and invited the church members to come too, at least partly so that cars were available to save hours of time on buses ~ and Rev. Lennon Chang came to send us on our way and pray for us all…. And off we went – collecting a few more people including 2 lovely children … Continue reading Yang-Ming Shan 陽明山 ~ Lengshuikeng (冷水坑) to Qingtiangang (擎天崗)