Our friend 趙樹海

Speaking of TV programs, some of you asked how Allen (Chao) is doing. I have not seen him yet, but we did email each other, and when I go to Taipei, I'll call him up. But how Allen is doing is not a major concern, it is how Mark is doing. In Canada, we had no idea how popular he has become. Here in Taiwan, he is hot hot hot. I see him on TV, commercials, pictures everywhere. What surprises me is the wide audience he has and appeals to. He definitely has the potential to become a mega star, not just in Taiwan, but across Asia as he is still young.


Here is a recent picture of 趙又廷

and you can watch him on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0rSPCJbUcQ

and the popular TV show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62mGh3cDa88

I think Allen and Daisy should be very proud........I'm happy for them.

Foreigners in Taiwan

Foreigners are not very common in Taiwan, definitely not like Hong Kong which is a lot more international. But those who do like Taiwan and live in Taiwan do manage to speak Mandarin effectively, and some very well. One of the TV shows I enjoy watching is called "Foreign brides". Every week the show features women who are new residents of Taiwan whose spouses are local Taiwanese. It amazes me that after only a few short years, some of these ladies speak almost perfect Mandarin. This show invites other women newcomers to appear on TV and there is a number to call. I wonder when they will have a same program for "Foreign husbands"?

The show itself is very interesting. Each week they talk about the nuances, pet peeves, likes and dislikes, and their overall experiences in their new chosen homes. I can relate to that.

If you think they speak effectively, wait until you hear them sing......

Taroko national park

Last day of summer today for kids and we finally made it to the world famous Taroko gorge. It is literally in our backyard as it is only a thirty minutes drive from our house. This national park is ranked right up there with the Yosemite NP, which speaks volume. This place attracts a lot of foreigners as they come to hike and bike. Also there is an international marathon here every November. The 42 km course wraps around the entire mountainous road with spectacular sights and sounds. I only wished the clock could rewind ten years when I was fit for such a task......
First video is the ranger station...

then the beauty unfolds....

In this video, we stand over a platform which has a 500 feet vertical drop to the canyon below. Great spot for bungee jumping. My hands were sweaty when I leaned over with my camera......

In this next video, we spotted a cave behind a boulder which swallows flying in and out of. Chinese people love the swallow's nest (燕窩) and I can see why it is so expensive. It is extremely dangerous to climb and hang over a sheer cliff in order to get to the nests, people often die doing this.

Judging from the caves and available water within these mountains, I imagine wild lives are abundant here.

I was hoping to walk across this suspension bridge to see the other side of the mountain, but the sign says.......permits only. So, rather than going out on a limb and risk falling off the mountain, we decided to get back on the road again.........

You know the saying "there is light at the end of a tunnel"? It hit me cold when I turned around while following my family along the caved road. Yes, I saw the light at the end of the tunnel, and it was bright! It was really weird, a sense of deja vu, and also a sense of enlightenment....kinda spirtual, and kinda spooky.....notice I did not say anything, I was speechless. I just stopped filming and kept walking, seizing the moment, for what, I have not a clue......I spaced out for a moment but snapped out of it fast when a bus honked and I nearly stumbled onto its path. Perhaps seeing the light was a forewarning that I was about to "become" the light! Just not my time yet I guess.

It ain't difficult to feel some what spirtual up here because a lot of Chiang's soldiers died here blasting and building this road. Right after the corner of where I saw the light, we came upon a memorial for the dead.........

What a day. Now back to the future......

Philosophical Differences

The following was forwarded to me, and I say, right on!

I asked my friend's little girl what she wanted to be when she grows up. She said she wanted to be Prime Minister of Canada some day. Both of her parents, NDP supporters, were standing there, so I asked her, "If you were Prime Minister what would be the first thing you would do?" She replied, "I'd give food and houses to all the homeless people." Her parents beamed, and said, "Welcome to the NDP Party!" "Wow...what a worthy goal!" I told her. I continued, "But you don't have to wait until you're Prime Minister to do that. You can come over to my house, mow the lawn, pull weeds, and sweep my yard, and I'll pay you $50. Then I'll take you over to the grocery store where the homeless guy hangs out. You can give him the $50 to use toward food and a new house." She thought that over for a few seconds, then she looked me straight in the eye and asked, "Why doesn't the homeless guy come over and do the work, and you can just pay him the $50?" I smiled and said, "Welcome to the Conservative Party." Her parents still aren't speaking to me.

No parking fines in Hualien

One of the things I don't miss about Victoria is the parking tickets. I'm sure I'm not the only person who has some beef about parking fines. Hualien has a good system. There are no meters. No expired parking. No fines. No problems. The commissionairs issue you a ticket which has a time line and if that ticket is full, you get a new one.

As you can see, its $20NT an hour, which is 70 cents Cdn, and you pay for whatever time you use. Never a fine. Will that work in Victoria? I don't see why not.

花蓮水舞

Every summer in July and August, Hualien stages an evening show of aboriginal dance, music, and light show in a spectacular lake side setting. Hualien is very rich in aboriginal culture as 30% of the population here is indigenous. We caught the last show of the summer as school starts next week and summer holiday is officially over. The show is free, so is the half hour tour bus ride to and from the show.....what a deal.

On weekends, there are fireworks....

The native people here blend in quite well with Chinese people and there are many mixed bloods. They have no resentment against Chinese, but still do against Japanese because during the 50 years of Japanese occupation of Taiwan, aboriginals were treated badly. The costumes, the colors, remind me very much of native Polynesians. Here are the links for better presentation of the water dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jduSb9kWyfM&feature=related

Think something like this will be embraced in Victoria? Inner harbor will be a perfect venue, except, you guessed it, parking problems.....How about Elk lake? A celebration of the aboriginal culture could become a new tourist draw and may add more to the tourism industry.......

School starts

This week is Frankie's last summer camp, as regular school starts next Monday. School hours are 7:45am to 4pm daily, but she will stay until 5pm so that she gets help with her homework. Teachers here work very long hours, as they are at school before 7:30am and most stay until after 5pm to help those students who need extra help.

Here she is with her new school uniform...

I don't know if you can see from the pictures, but she is quite dark from playing outside. She signed up for basketball at school and guess what, she was the only girl basketball player. I say, go for it! Anything a boy can do, a girl can do equally good or better......