centered · 2021. 5. 2. · by christy lefteri, 2020 date: may 11th nuri is a beekeeper; his wife,...

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Centeredon TAIPEI

MAY 2021

Vol. 21 | 08

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3www.communitycenter.org.tw MAY 2021

COMMUNITYSalt Collectiv: Giving Back to Taiwan 8

CREATIVE WRITINGDaisy’s House in the Arms of Merlin 11

OUTLOOKBeauty in the Broken 14A Dragon Mom’s Bereaved Mother’s Day 16

PHOTOGRAPHYRuss McClay 21Katia Chen 22Nora Liang 23Kenneth Dickson 24

CULTUREA Tale of Fortune Telling and Tea 18

ART The Living Art and Styles of Bonsai 25

ENVIRONMENT Dr. Leaf & Container Gardening: The Basics 26

TRAVELEast Coast National Scenic Area: Hualien County 28

CSC From the Editors 5May 2021 Center Gallery/ Book Club 6May 2021 Activities Highlights 7CSC Business Classified 30

C O N T E N T SMay 2021 volume 21 issue 8

Centered on Taipei is a publication of the Community Services Center, 25, Lane 290, Zhongshan N. Rd., Sec. 6, Tianmu, Taipei, Taiwan Tel: 02-2836-8134fax: 02-2835-2530e-mail: [email protected]

Correspondence may be sent to the editor at [email protected]. Freelance writers, photographers and illustrators are welcome to contact the editor to discuss editorial and graphic assignments. Your talent will find a home with us!

Copyright 2021. All rights reserved. Material in this publication may not be reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner.

Community Services Center, TaipeiSuzan BabcockRichard SaundersNaomi [email protected]

Farn Mei Printing Co., Ltd.1F, No. 102, Hou Kang Street, Shilin District, TaipeiTel: 02-2882-6748 Fax: 02-2882-6749E-mail: [email protected]

PublisherEditorCo-editorAdvertising ManagerMagazine EmailTelFax

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COT is printed on FSC certified 100% post-consumer recycled fiber. The paper is certified in accordance with the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council which promotes environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world's forests. https://ic.fsc.org/

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North American Curriculum Qualified Instructors Low Student/Teacher Ratios

Fun and Educational Daily Activities Fun After School Enrichment Classes Mandarin Playgroups Gymnastics, Kidzsports, and

Music Classes

Engaging Outdoor Playgrounds

TYPA MAIN OFFICE: (02)2873-1815 www.typa.org.tw

PRE-K AND KINDERGARTEN (LOCATED INSIDE TAS)

TIGGER'S (PRE-2S), 2S AND 3S PLAYGROUPS (TIAN YU CAMPUS)

We’d love to introduce you to our diverse and incredibly special community of learners!Please call to arrange a visitation.

TIGER TOTS PRESCHOOL A LOVING PLACE FOR LEARNING

GRADE 1 & 2 : AFTERNOON STEAM PROGRAMS (STARTING AUG. 2021)

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MAY 2021 www.communitycenter.org.tw

TAIPEIADVENTISTAMERICANSCHOOL

WHERE WISDOM,FAITH AND SERVICE

UNITE INEDUCATION

Find out more about ourexcellence in education at

www.taas-taiwan.com

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COMMUNITY SERVICES CENTER

Adam McMillan

Grace Ting

I-wen Chan, Katherine Chang, Hui-shiang Chao, Anne Cheng, Jung Chin, Chiao-Feng Chung, Cerita Hsu, Lily Lin, Miranda Lin, Emilie Ma, Kuang-Shan Wan

Anne Cheng, Tom Cole, Wendy Evans, Michael Mullahy, Mary Lagerstrom

Joanne Chua

Monica ChengRosemary SusaJoy MeglassonLeslie McFarlanePia Munk-Janson Gloria GwoSamson DebeleXimena Lopez, Sofia Vintimila

Miyuki Boice, Gwen Harris, John Imbrogulio, Leslie McFarlane, John McQuade, Bunny Pecheco, Lucy Torres

Bai Win AntiquesEuropean Chamber of CommerceGrand Hyatt Taipei

Concordia ConsultingICRTSan Fu Global

Director

Office Manager

Counselors

Consultants

Counseling Admin.

Accountant Programs ManagerEvents CoordinatorCoffee Mornings Coordinator Communications Mandarin Chinese TeacherSystems ManagerCounseling Interns

Volunteers

Benefactors

Premier Sponsors

The Community Services Center (CSC) is a non-profit foundation. CSC provides outreach and early intervention through counseling, cross-cultural education and life skills programs to meet the needs of the international community in Taipei. CSC offers the opportunity to learn, volunteer, teach and meet others. Check out our website www.communitycenter.org.tw and drop by The Center to chat with us about our programs. You can also email us at [email protected].

Springtime in Taipei is one of the loveliest seasons of the year. It is a perfect time to be outdoors exploring or revisiting favorite neighborhoods with their funky teahouses, or a city park like Daan Forest Park for picnics with loved ones or friends. It is a time of being together at fun-filled gatherings, or in gentle solitude. It is spring… a time of renewal, new beginnings and hope.

If you want some really great photo moments, get up early and head out to either the Dajia Riverside Park or the Xindian riverside, where you will see teams of paddlers practicing for this year’s upcoming annual Dragon Boat Festival.

This month’s Photo Gallery features local residents who like to take photos and have learned the art of capturing the essence of their subject, whatever that may be.

Outlook contributions from Aly Cooper (Beauty in the Broken) and Ivonne VIDAL PIZARRO (A Dragon Mom’s Bereaved Mother’s Day) share intimate moments and experiences about motherhood.

Heather Gatley’s Daisy’s House in the Arms of Merlin is a memorable tale about her grandmother Daisy’s house, and the special place that it holds in her heart.

Container gardening is ideal for those with little or no gardening space, and since having good soil is essential for the success of any garden, Dr. Leaf explains how ordinary kitchen scraps can become a compost-soil elixir for growing herbs and vegetables that are fit to eat.

At the Center, there is a lot going on. This May, we have cooking classes (Indian Vegetarian Cooking) with Vaishali Meghnani, a Saturday class with the famous Taiwanese chef Ivy Chen (From Market to Table), beginning at the Shi Dong Market, or a hike along the Jiantanshan Trail to Weijianshan with Dory Chung. These are a few of the many Center activities that we have planned for you. Be sure to register in advance if you’d like to join.

If you’re in the area anytime, please feel free to stop in at the Center for a cup of coffee or tea and good conversations.

Please send email submissions, comments, and feedback to [email protected].

Sue and Richard

FROM THE

EDITORS

COT Team

Featured Contributors

Writing, Photography and Art Contributors

Jenny ChangKatia ChenSalt CollectivAly CooperKenneth DicksonSt. John DunnHeather GatleyDr. LeafAmy Liang Bonsai Museum

Nora LiangRuss McClayAdriana NgIvonne VIDAL PIZARROJoseph ReillyRichard SaundersRosemary SusaGrace Ting

Pick COT up at:Uptown: Community Services Center, No. 25, Lane 290, Sec. 6, Zhongshan North Rd.Sprout – No. 33, Sec. 7, Zhongshan North Rd.George Pai’s Beauty – No. 14, Tienmu East Rd.Downtown:Ooh Cha Cha – 207, Sec.2, Nanchang Rd.

COVER IMAGE: GREENby Katia Chen

For more information, please go to our website atwww.communitycenter.org.tw

Suzan BabcockEditor

[email protected]

Jenny Chang

KCGraphic Designergraphicdesigntaipei.

weebly.com

Nora Liang Adriana Ng

Richard SaundersCo-editor

[email protected]

Kenneth Dickson

Naomi KalyAdvertising Manager

[email protected]

St. John Dunn

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6 MAY 2021 www.communitycenter.org.tw

GalleryCSC

A percentage of all proceeds of items sold at the Gallery will go to the Center. Please remember that by displaying your items or shopping at the Gallery, you will be helping the Center to continue to provide valuable services to the international community.

@CENTER

MAY

Fumi Furuta’s collections are rooted in inspirations from her personal experiences, embodying everything from the extraordinary moments that shaped her life’s trajectory to the beautifully ordinary experiences of her everyday life. Furuta’s Taiwan collection, particularly the Tianmu pieces, pay tribute to the vibrant, quirky and welcoming community that she loved while living here for four years. The Center seems the perfect home for this collection.

Sahar's collection includes necklaces, chains, hand-c r a f t e d s i l v e r j e w e l r y e m b e d d e d w i t h s e m i - precious stones, tops and tunics in cotton prints and silks and lightweight scarves in dazzling, vibrant colors.

DIGITAL ARTWORKS BY FUMI FURUTA

SAHAR SHAIKH

BAMBOO END TABLE, LADDER AND TRAYS FROM GOLD BAMBOO ART CO. LTD

MORNING BOOK CLUBThe Beekeeper of Aleppo, by Christy Lefteri, 2020 Date: May 11th

Nuri is a beekeeper; his wife, Afra, an artist. They live happily in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo until the unthinkable happens and they are forced to flee. But what Afra has seen is so

terrible she has gone blind, and they must embark on a perilous journey through Turkey and Greece towards an uncertain future in Britain.Meeting location: BaiWin Collection/ 2 Zhongshan N. Rd., Sec 6, Lane 405Contact Julie Hu at: [email protected]

RACHEL SOUZA'S CERAMIC JEWELRY

Rachel specializes in handcrafted ceramic jewelry. Her work features dynamic glazes with leather and metal finishes. Each item is unique and cannot be reproduced, making it a one-of-a-kind piece of wearable art that expresses your individuality. You can see her artwork at www.ceramicadesigns.com.

NEW BOOKS BY LOCAL AUTHORS

Never Forgotten - The Story of the Japanese Prisoner of War Camps in Taiwan during World War II by Michael D. Hurst MBEISBN: 978-986-89430-1-8 Price: $1200

THE GOLDEN KHAN - The secret to absolute power by A. H. WangISBN: 9574383156, 978-9574383153Price: $450

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https://bit.ly/csc_books2021


CSC

Indian Vegetarian Cooking Friday, May 7; 10 am - 12 noon: $1,200 Instructor: Vaishali MeghnaniTo expand your vegetarian meal repertoire, join Vaishali for a tasty Indian cooking class. On the menu are mung bean pakoras (fritters) to start; vegetable korma served with puri (a fried bread made with whole wheat flour and salt) as our main course; and semolina halwa for dessert.

SATURDAY AT THE CENTER! From Market to TableSaturday, May 8; 9:30 am - 1 pm; $1,600Instructor: Ivy ChenThis special cooking class begins at the Shi Dong Market where Ivy will show you how to purchase the best and freshest ingredients to prepare and cook four delicious dishes of the group’s choosing: onemeat/chicken, one fish/seafood, one tofu and one vegetable. Then, stroll over to Ivy's house to create this wonderful lunch to enjoy together. Space is limited, so register early for this unique Center cooking class.

May Mahjong Madness Monday, 3 Sessions - May 3 to May 17; 12 noon - 2 pm; $1,800 Instructor: Danielle LehmanMahjong is a great social activity that challenges your mental aptitude. Originally created in China, mahjong is a tile game similar to gin rummy. In this three-session, hands-on class, Danielle will introduce you to international-style mahjong, which is one of the game's variations. To help you continue practicing on your own, she will provide a take-home printed guide and introduce you to a free app. After just three sessions, you will surely be able to play independently and start or join a group

Behind the Scenes: A Tour of the Shangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza HotelTuesday, May 11; 10:30 am - 1:30 pm; $1,500Instructor: Randy Zupanski

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of a five-star hotel and how they seamlessly manage to keep everyone happy, comfortable and satisfied? Join Randy, the hotel's General Manager,for our own personal introduction to the workings of the Shangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza Hotel in Taipei. Included in the tour is a visit to their pastry kitchen, housekeeping area, loading dock, staff dining room,Chinese kitchen and Presidential Suite. After our tour, we will enjoy a delicious lunch at the Shang Palace, the hotel's elegant Cantonese restaurant, featuring some of their signature dishes and delectable dim sum. Lunch included. Please note that there will be many stairs on our tour.

Create a Beautiful Summer Handbag Using Chinese Knotting TechniquesWednesday, 3 Sessions May 5 to May 19; 12 noon - 2 pm; $2,400 Instructor: Naomi WatanabeThis three-session knotting class offers you a chance to produce a beautiful, hand-made “sack” handbag, great for the summer in the city, or even the beach! Over the course of each class Naomi will teach you how to prepare the materials and produce the appropriate knots, which are reminiscent of macramé. Depending upon your past experience and skill, you may need to do some of the work at home in between classes. Samples of completed bags will be available at the Center. All materials for the class included.

SATURDAY AT THE CENTER! Hike to NeigoushanSaturday, May 15; 9 am - 2 pm; $800Instructor: Jennifer TurekThis hike begins with a walk around one side of Jinlong Lake. Wandering along a quiet road we will see many small farms on the way to the trailhead. We will stop for a quick visit at Cui Lake then make our way up the mountain. This hike offers

moderate inclines and declines with ropes for assistance. There are some wonderful views of the Xizhi mountains and Taipei City as we loop around the trails. The route, mostly along well-used dirt paths or wooden steps, is usually full of life and it’s not uncommon to spot magpies, eagles, barbets, spiders, and lizards. There are several ways down the mountain and we will choose a trail based upon the speed of the group. Once out of the mountains, we will go back along the small farm road and loop around the opposite side of Jinlong Lake before catching taxis back to the Donghu MRT. Wear sturdy shoes with a good grip; bring change for shared taxis, lunch, water and rain/sun protection as needed.

Hike and Bike: Jiantanshan to Wenjianshan and the Riverside Park PathWednesday, May 19; 9 am - 1:30 pm; $800 Instructor: Dory ChungOur meeting point of Jiantan MRT station is a very busy place, but right after we start on the Jiantanshan trail you will feel like you have entered a different world. From up on the mountain we will see Taipei 101, the riverside park, the Ferris wheel at Miramar, and a popular spot with locals called the "Old Place,” where people go to watch the airplanes taking off from Songshan Airport. From Jiantanshan we will then hike to Weijianshan. The trail is moderate, but with many stairs in some parts. Later we will descend down to the Dazhi area and rent U-bikes, when we will bike along the river back to the Jiantan MRT station. It’s a flat and easy ride. Please register for U-Bike use before joining this trip. Wear hiking shoes with a good grip. Bring your EasyCard, water, snacks, a cycle helmet and rain/sun protection.

Seeking Heavenly and Traditional Methods of Protection: A Visit to Bao An Gong and a Local Chinese Medicine Shop

Thursday, May 20; 10 am - 12:30 pm; $1,000Instructor: Helen ChenWith more than 200 years of history, Bao An Gong is one of the most important temples in Taipei. In 2003, the temple received a UNESCO Asia-Pacific Cultural Heritage Conservation Award. Bao An Gong is dedicated to the Taoist folk religious deity the Bao Sheng Lord, a Chinese god of medicine. Before Western medicine was widely accepted, early residents of Taipei prayed to the Bao Sheng Lord for good health and sought remedies for their ailments. Join Helen for a fascinating tour of this temple to learn how health and wellness have been long interlinked in Chinese religious culture. To complement this temple tour, we will also visit a nearby Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) shop. There we will learn about Chinese medicine and sample some local Taiwanese dishes prepared with TCM herbs. Bring your EasyCard for the public bus ride to the TCM shop. Tasting included.

NEW DATE!!! POW TOUR: In the Steps of the Men of KinkasekiThursday, May 27; 8:30am - 3:00pm $1500Instructor: Michael HurstIt is not a well-known fact, but in 1942, the Japanese began bringing Allied POWs (Prisoners of War) to Taiwan from Southeast Asia and held them under horrendous conditions until Japan surrendered in 1945. The largest of the six camps in Taiwan was in Kinkaseki, today's Jinguashi. This fascinating, full-day historic tour will take us from Ruifang to Jinguashi via Jiufen along the route taken by the POWs and will include stops at the Gold Mining Museum (admission fee included) and the POW Memorial Park on the site of the camp. A portion of the proceeds from this tour are donated to the Taiwan POW Society. Bring water, a packed lunch and rain/sun protection as needed.

MAY ACTIVITIES HIGHLIGHTS

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COMMUNITY

A s a Chinese born in Canada, with a hint of Indian flare, I feel like my parents were c a r e f u l t o i n s t i l l t h r e e

important values in me: 1) Inclusivity: g iv ing peop le an opportun i ty to feel like they are part of our family; 2) Perseverance: working hard at something despite the challenges (and not complaining about it); and 3) Gratitude: are you thankful for what

you have? My mom would often tell me, “Just

be thankful for what you have, because others probably have it worse off.” I believe this mentality came from being raised and growing up in one of the poorest parts of the world, India. My parents witnessed extreme poverty first-hand and understand what it means to live in conditions that were not the best. At the end of the day,

they were different. A Chinese family trying to fit into a different country, culture and language. How do you navigate between assimilating into a new culture, but still maintain your own heritage? I feel like this question is quite relevant with all the ever-evolving mixed cultures and diversity in the world now.

I be l ieve what got my parents through this transition was finding people who understood their situation. They wanted to feel accepted, and to belong in a place they might have not necessarily called home. I’ve reflected on their experience and the challenges that come with picking up everything and moving to a foreign country. How do you make meaningful relationships? Conquer loneliness? I’ve found giving back to community can really kill two birds with one stone. I’ve made some pretty amazing friends and have an understanding that my actions can impact a community that is often forgotten in society. In SALT terms, we

Giving Back to Taiwan TEXT: ADRIANA NG IMAGES: SALT COLLECTIV

Giving Back to Taiwan

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COMMUNITY


call this the marginalized. SALT Collectiv was started in 2017

by two of my good friends, James and Andrew, who just wanted to reach out to the community, but not really knowing how. After asking around, they got in contact with a local soup kitchen and the rest is history. I t started with two people who wanted to make a difference and now we are a community with over a thousand people and we continue to grow today!

I truly believe that if we all lived with the mentality of looking out for one another and being more accepting, this world would be a better place. Like my parents’ past experience, living in Taiwan has made me realize the importance of a good and healthy community, which in turn can provide someone a better and balanced life.

Now let's say you are in the same boat as me, you're a native English speaker with no friends, no family, you have a free weekend and you want to volunteer. So what are your options? That is where SALT comes in to fill in that need.

SALT is a place where you can find foreign-friendly, likeminded individuals who live in a place they might not necessarily call home, but want to give something back to the Taiwanese community. This is a common theme we’ve heard from many foreigners in Taiwan. Being a part of a movement like this in the city sets us apart. We are a group of volunteers whose sole purpose is to serve people who are

often forgotten or unaccepted. We help prepare food for the homeless at a soup kitchen on the first Saturday of every month. We play with the kids to build relationships and to encourage them, letting them know that people care about them, even if they might feel neglected at home. We throw a Christmas party for people locked up in prison.

Although our team is small, we are a group of passionate people with a heart to serve. There’s something special and protective about the work we do with these people. Our ability to give them not only a basic human need like food, but also connect with them with respect, gives them a sense of dignity. For example, our Haircut for Homeless

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program brings together hair stylists to give the homeless new hairdos. There's something quite special about seeing the smiles behind their masks and seeing them view themselves in a different way.

We are gaining more traction in the community after our biggest event of the year, #givingtreetw, where we donated a thousand gifts to various organizations throughout Taiwan. We’ve experienced a growth in numbers and opportunities that we are still learning to navigate. Most recently at our soup kitchen, where normally only eight volunteers show up, we had 25! We now have more demand than supply,

which is a great problem to have. How then, do we manage so our volunteers have a great experience and we can aim to serve more food to the needy? These are things we are in the process of working out. As most of us have full-time jobs, we are in desperate need of resources, monetary support and administrative assistance. Our hopes and dreams for the SALT community are to possibly own our own soup kitchen, or even have our own van to take groups of people out of the city to visit various orphanages. For more information about us (or if this article has spoken to you), please contact us or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

COMMUNITY

Taiwan 101: Essential Sights, Hikes and Experiences on Ilha Formosa

by Richard Saunders

Taiwan is a perfect illustration of the saying that good things come in small packages. In comparison with more popular tourist destinations in the Far East, Taiwan is very modest in size, but despite its diminutive scale, the island has an astonishing amount to offer the curious explorer. The two volumes that make up Taiwan 101 are the perfect guide for exploring the very best of Taiwan: not only the island’s finest hikes, but also its best historic towns and cities, brightest traditional festivals, unique Chinese and aboriginal cultural riches, and its little-known natural wonders such as eternal flames, mud volcanoes and badlands. Together, Taiwan 101 Volumes 1 and 2 present Taiwan’s finest attractions to anyone who wishes to get to know this island of kaleidoscopic charms, and comes with detailed information on getting around by public transport, and accurate GPS coordinates of nearly 800 fascinating places.

A d r i a n a i s a C a n a d i a n w h o has b een l i v ing in Ta ip e i fo r the las t t h r e e y e a r s . S h e has a b ackground in bus iness and a p ass ion for education. Her interests include travel, hiking, working out, and eating her way through any city that she visits. Currently, she volunteers as a PR and Communicat ions Coordinator with SALT.

https://saltcollectiv.co/https://www.instagram.com/saltcollectiv/https://www.facebook.com/saltcollectiv

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CREATIVE WRITING

O n a map it resembles the arms and hat of Merlin. It is a place where three rivers pour their hearts

into the Irish Sea which retreats and fills twice a day, the second highest tidal rise in the world. When absent, the waters leave miles of sunlit sandbanks and curious twists of rivulets, and a broiling horizon where the hungry waves wait to return.

There is a castle on the peninsula opposite the village, which ends in the Iron Age fort that witnessed the arrival of the Romans and the Vikings and then the Norman overlords. A humpbacked bridge marks one end of the village, with tinkling streams of fresh water where my father tickled trout. It has a fine Victorian school and a cliff-walk of aristocratic houses where once the villagers on the lower level doffed their caps and banked their pennies. An ugly but stately walled railway line runs from Paddington to the door of the station signal box, which is now a listed building, along with the secluded stationmaster’s house with its serrated wooden trim.

The station end of the village in summer during my childhood was still something of a resort. There was a

fish and chip shop, at least two sweet shops, a paper shop, and a beach shop with colourful buckets and spades and inflatables hanging outside, and ice-cream for sale. Further along the beach were terrifying swing boats and happy children building sand castles; or dogs to let loose, which would return covered in estuary mud. The village had at least five public houses, and years before, Dylan Thomas had supped at them all, when he had visited “to get messy.”

You can cross the tracks which once carried black steam trains screaming ever westwards, onto a beach where sinking beige sand falls steeply down to the river on which humble yachts and dinghies bob during the short months of summer. A few fishermen still hold licences, just as my forefathers did, to row up the estuary at low tide and practise the ancient art of Seine fishing, hoping for a catch of salmon; or they may walk out to the muddy banks and leave sticks and nets overnight to capture dabs, their lonely silhouettes casting shadows at dusk.

A fa i r y-ta le round h i l l forms a barricade at the opposite end of the village from the humpbacked bridge. On summer evenings, when the sky

turns cobalt and the powder blue and cotton clouds are up-lit by the falling sun, the semi-circular perfection of the hill has a spherical effect, so that one feels contained within a glass paperweight on a giant’s desk. The view from the top is especially beautiful in the sunshine when the tide is out and the sandbanks are streaked gold.

This is the Land of My Fathers. It is the only place I have ever had as a constant in my life. They say that the average person moves eight times, but I have moved at least thirty. Visiting for the first time at the age of two, I came to consciousness in this Welsh vil lage. My Nanna had knitted me a matching red suit, complete with Noddy hat. I held my giant father’s hand, or was carried on his shoulders, a golden tunnel of light behind us, on our deserted beach. A brown and white spaniel supped thirstily on a puddle of seawater and was promptly sick. “He’s as sick as a dog,” said my dad.

I remember the small tragedies of a small person, such as when the round lollipop got stuck in the side of my too-small mouth. My grandmother eased it out, and then threw it onto the fire, much to my sorrow. I remember her pride in the rag rugs she made, the smell of Welsh cakes on the hob, and the way dinner was always ready at 1 pm, the thick mouth-watering gravy that she made from the meat dripping that she had cooked expertly and slowly on the Rayburn all morning.

Daisy’s House in the Arms of MerlinTEXT & IMAGES: HEATHER GATLEY

The "fairy tale round hill" at one end of the village

Rock Cottage, the house where Daisy worked for the Lady who was kind to her about her pastry.

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CREATIVE WRITING

There was the syrupy happiness of afternoon tea and a tin of peaches and cream; thinly cut white bread and butter for supper before the safety of sleep in the front bedroom. The sound of trains rushing through the night, and the fear that my grandmother’s stories of witches flying over the water were true, gave way to a magical awakening, the special excitement of knowing I was by the sea.

Stories of her life in an orphanage undoubtedly were true: jam for tea on Sundays; one brother killed down a mine; another losing a leg on the railways; a vague memory of her father in a red soldier’s uniform; the sister who lived at the other end of the village, and the story of how she met Evan.

Sara Jeffreys is hard to find in the earliest records as, even at five years old, she is recorded as “Daisy, a scholar” in Aberdare orphanage where her impoverished parents, who moved between the mines of Somerset and Neath in the 1800s, had deposited her and her brothers and sisters, out of desperation.

Daisy was sent into Service in the village at the age of 13 in 1912. She had been found a place on the cliff, in a pink house with a Louisiana balcony. A man used to come and call, “Jeffries, Jeffries, come out here. I’ve got something for you,” and threaten her with a shotgun if she didn’t come and see what he had for her. There was no one to protect this young girl; with her rudimentary education, she had to make her way in

life as best she could.She moved to look after a Lady. The

first time she had to make pastry, she made a hash of it and was terribly anxious. The lady kindly sent the message back to her that it was the best pastry she had ever tasted. Daisy was happy in the large stone house nestling against the round hill. There was some connection with the big house built by General Picton, who had died at Waterloo. Even now, its walls hung with wisteria, the bowered gate with the stone pineapples on the pillars, the original window frames and rocky garden, seem mysterious, leaving me longing to take a look inside and wonder where Daisy’s room was.

Sunday was her one precious day off, and the chance to go to church was the only leisure activity. A man, already 40, became friendly with Daisy. She was 19, a pretty girl with shining thick chestnut hair held up with tortoiseshell combs. He told her, on a low red bench at the base of the hill, that he was going off to sea again soon, being in the Merchant Navy. Daisy told him she was thinking of going back to Aberdare.

“Come to Oban with me.” “Why would I want to do that?” “We could get married.”As simple and romantic as that.

She went to Oban. She became Sarah Davies.

At t h i s p o i n t i n h e r s t o r y, a n uncharacteristic deep, hard and bitter edge would alter her pretty Welsh voice, “But I wouldn’t do it again.

There’s a life I had.”Evan was the second of five sons.

He took his wife to the family home with its long garden allotment and underground well, and she was to look after his ailing parents for ten years: the hammering on the ceiling with the broom; her own children coming fast as well as this burden of angry relatives to wait upon; and a poor labourer, her husband, doing whatever work there was after World War One. What strength he must have had, the heavy ice breakers in Iceland during that War, a member of the Lifeboat well into his seventies.

But he was the second son, and the law of primogeniture meant that when the old tyrants, my great grandparents, finally died, he was disinherited. His older brother, already father to ten children, moved to the cottage in its large grounds, and the only alternative for Daisy, who had poured her life into caring for her in-laws, was to swap with him and move to an old stone-mason’s workshop.

“It was 1927,” my father, Daisy’s first-born, told me, “I can remember the old man now, banging his fist on the table, shouting, ‘I’m not living there!’ “

But Daisy was happy in the old stone workshop. It was the first place she could call her own. She brought up five children during the barefoot 1930s, where they shot rabbits in the dunes and sniped the occasional duck on the farmer’s pond. Daisy never went to the doctor. The children were born at home. She had a thousand home cures for ailments and minor injuries, and could cook a delicious meal from the most meagre of ingredients. She was

The sun on the sand banks at low tide with the castle silhoutted on the opposite shore.

Grandmother

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CREATIVE WRITING

known as Auntie Daisy to the village children for her kindness and sense of fun, despite her bitter, ageing husband, who became more and more of a trial to her in his old age.

Daisy ran a sweet shop out of the front room in the 1930s, and continued long afterwards to sell pop, which she kept in crates on a shelf in the front porch: dandelion and burdock, raspberry, orangeade or lemonade. She was tireless in her enterprise, keeping lodgers during hard times, even though her house was already full.

Daisy was childishly curious about new things. She ran a catalogue and delighted in the free gifts she earned on commission: a frame for an iron that lived on the wall; nylon sheets; a golden tea trolley and a gilded cabinet to display knickknacks from exotic places. The first package tours abroad meant relatives brought exciting booty to the parlour cabinet: A Spanish doll, a ship in a bottle, a tiny Greek pot.

Daisy had some amazing objects for children to enjoy. She never threw anything away. There was a sort of mini ship’s wheel with a glass centre sandwiching plastic fluorescent fish, which could be plugged in to light up; there were glasses you could drink from, over and over, the green or red liquid disappearing as you tipped them up; a mug with a cat in front, whose tail would fall off “in an earthquake”; a jam pot from Devon, with a tiny spoon which went pleasingly through the lid that had a nick taken out of it. An alcove in the wall with shelves and a glass door housed the Toby jug and a weather man and lady. When the lady came out too often, signalling rain, then the strangely fascinating button box was brought out; or we played dominoes, or draughts with Uncle Dai’s special set. These precious items were kept in the cupboard of the ugly dresser made from the wood salvaged from a shipwreck, from which my grandfather had helped rescue sixteen people one stormy night in the 1920s.

The kitchen and back shed were veritable treasure troves: a rusting mousetrap with a row of cruel loops that could catch six mice at a time; many lathes and hammers and saws; a giant sieve for sieving the soil, or washing the cockles which were always spitting at you from the tin tub they

were soaking in. Or you might watch the bloody task of the f ish being cleaned, or be chased by the whisk as Daisy sang, “Ha ha ha, hee hee hee, I see a monkey up a rhubarb tree.”

When Daisy put on her hat and shoes and talked of the terror of old age and surveyed her bandy legs, she would take me up the village to collect her catalogue money. One night she took me to the bingo, where I won a full eighteen shillings and sixpence and was allowed to keep it. Once, we all walked arm in arm up the beach singing, “Ask your mother for sixpence to see the new giraffe, with pimples on his whiskers and pimples on his… ask your mother for sixpence…”. We laughed and laughed.

Daisy would read your tea leaves, “You are going on a long journey,” and play (and often win) Spot the Ball in the local paper. She whitewashed the garden walls and painted the upstairs sills from a high ladder. She could walk up the hill in Carmarthen at speed during old age, and went on her first flight when she was over 80. She kept the allotment across the road, and sowed her bank with orange Welsh poppies, or taught me how to sew stocks for the summer. She especially loved gladioli.

I was newly married when she lay dying, and she said to my husband: “Who’s going to look after my house?”

Only when we tried to live there ourselves did I discover just how hard a life it had been, living in such a place. Sometimes the tide seems to rise right outside the window, the moon lighting a slow motion of dark undulation. Or in autumn, the last lights of the sun streak upwards in spangles of orange, turquoise and teal. Winter nights are the coal black of Under Milkwood, often locked in with howling wind and driving rain, which, during the day, continue in low brown clouds that puff past the window, making you draw the curtains and put the lights up high at noon. When the “nights above the dingle” are starry, the Perseid showers flit down the frosty darkness, and the outline of the hills and castle form a safe silhouette. Sometimes the silence descends like a pall, after the lonely cries of the rooks are stilled and their shadows have settled on the woods above. In the spr ingt ime, as the

daffodils, snowdrops and bluebells give way to summer’s foxgloves and wild orchids, myriad weeds inhabiting hedgerows grow in tunnels over narrow lanes, the wind blows on the grasses in the churchyard overlooking the distant sea and light, Daisy seems to walk with me.

It is always a long and hard journey to return. The house hates being left to its spiders, cobwebs and centuries of dust, and greets you with damp and dirt, taking four days or so to settle once more around you like an old cardigan. Then I feel the solitude, and wonder what drives this attachment. But I still return to Daisy’s house, for when I walk alone on that beach, or with those who understand, we can feel that we are kings of the world. I have never found a more beautiful place, never seen elsewhere the special light on the sandbanks, never walked amongst such wild flowers, and always felt a strange magical loneliness in Daisy’s house, in the arms of Merlin.

Heather Gatley is a retired English literature teacher who likes to write about her travels. You can read more of her work in the online magazine Memoirist.org She was born in Cyprus and has lived in Singapore, Peru, El Salvador, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, T he Netherlands and Wales, and now lives in Taiwan. She has four chapbooks of poetr y available on Amazon.co.uk: Indigo Sky (about Wales); Tombs of Gold (England); Last Boat to Brienzersee (Europe) and The Cliffs at Qingshui (Asia)

A photograph of the author in a lane above the village.

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T he end of March marks two years since we brought our now-eight-year old son home from China. From a strictly social media perspective, one may get the incorrect perception that we are living a

romanticized Cleaver-esque lifestyle. (For those that know us, you can stop laughing now). Despite trying hard to put “real life” captions with these photos, if you are a scroller, you are definitely not getting the full story.

We ALL know that pictures capture a moment in time. Not the day. The smiles last only minutes (or seconds!) not hours. The brotherly love is embedded deep, not outwardly demonstrated constantly. That’s just the thing though. Those moments? Those moments…. those seconds captured in time are everything. They capture pure joy, growth. Pictures capture physical evidence that we can look back upon to see where we were and how far we have come.

Motherhood is tough. There is no “right “way to do things. Each child is built differently, requires different approaches, words and actions. With this being said, on year two of our son’s entry into our family, I have felt pangs of anguish and weariness because I’m still desperately trying to figure him out. To bond, attach, meet his needs. For him to believe that this is forever. To fill in those years of early developmental stages that should have been abounding with my effusive embraces, cuddling and nurturing, but instead are blank and rife with memories I know nothing about and have played

no part in. So, while motherhood is tough, motherhood with trauma is different level hard.

If my words have any impact at all I want them to land upon the ears of the mother who is struggling...weeping outwardly or inwardly... to the mom who is rejected by her kiddo and feels love, but not always like, and a million hurts. To the mom who knows that being liked and loved was not the mission...but is tired. Emotionally exhausted. To the mom who lays in bed in the morning with her eyes “pretend” closed, mustering up the energy to begin anew, but is dreading what may happen throughout the day. To the mom waiting for the other shoe to drop. To the mom who prays daily for the pieces of that shattered little heart to be put back together. To the mom who feels deep-rooted shame that she is not connecting with her child, and is not sure she can fake it, till she makes it yet again today. To the mom who is balancing ALL the therapists, wondering and half-hoping that there is some unknown diagnosis that will explain all this, but knowing the truth of deep-rooted trauma that has sunk deep into the marrow of her little one’s bones. Do not feel isolated my sweet mama. To the core of my being, I feel you. You are seen.

While these sentiments may rub raw to some and resonate with others, I rest in the peace of knowing that this is not the end of the story.

When I think of my son, I am reminded of the Japanese term Kintsugi. This is the term used when broken objects are repaired using gold, silver or platinum epoxy. By using these differing adhesives, the broken object is turned into something new - and many times is more beautiful and unique than the original.

Our son, when he arrived to his new family, was like a beautiful fragile vase that had been dropped and carelessly thrown into a box without any thought; delivered to us in thousands of pieces. As a family we stared at these shards in

OUTLOOK

BeautyTEXT & IMAGES: ALY COOPER

in the Broken

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This story is one I have experienced on my journey alone. I am not putting words in the mouth of my child or any other adoptive parenthttps://mymodernmet.com/kintsugi-kintsukuroi/

front of us. The thought of trying to piece this heirloom back together was daunting. Overwhelming.

Somedays I wished I could slap epoxy on the pieces and just put him back together already. Sigh… I know. Are you laughing too? Delicate pieces need a gentle touch (which is not exactly what I’m known for). They need patience (another area that I would not necessarily list under my shortlist of strengths). Time. Like a puzzle, each piece has its own home. This is not a race to the finish.

Over the last two years, as we were handling and cutting ourselves on the jagged fragments, we knew that this was not a task to handle alone. We called in our village. Yes. Our people. They surrounded us, loved us and gently put their arms around us as we all worked together to piece this sweet boy together. Each person in our village has different gifts, differing epoxy that they use when tending to the heart of our son. The result is colorful and magnificent. Little by little we are beginning to see glimmers of the vase’s form take shape, and my son’s unique personality and talents beginning to emerge. The splinters of his broken beginnings are turning into something beautiful. His once lifeless, dull eyes now spark and glimmer with emotion. Happiness. He is learning how to navigate this strange new concept of family … and love. So, in those moments, those seconds of joy … will I take the pictures and show the world the priceless human he is turning into?

You better believe it.

Aly Cooper is living in Virginia with her infinitely patient husband and three memory-making sons. She is sustained by faith, coffee, getting outdoors and f inding humor in the crazy.

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MOTHER’S DAY: A HOLIDAYMother’s Day is celebrated on various days of the year,

depending on the country. In 1914, Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Mother’s Day as a national holiday to be observed on the second Sunday in May. However, a little research into the origins of American Mother’s Day proved to be rather surprising and troubling. In the early years of the 1900s, Anna Jarvis worked to institute a national Mother’s Day to commemorate her mother and her work in West Virginia. Infant and child mortality rates were high in West Virginia and Anna Jarvis’ mom educated women on how to care for their children. While Anna’s mom brought a dozen children into the world, only four survived to adulthood. As a single, childless woman, Anna worked tirelessly to honor her mother and her mother’s request for a day to commemorate mothers. Upon her mother’s death in 1905, she worked to create a holiday that quickly became commercialized by flower, card, and other merchants. To this day, the carnation is associated with Mother’s Day; the exact opposite of Anna Jarvis’ intentions. She tried to undo the holiday to reclaim its original sentiment as she grew older, but became undone herself. A hoarder and recluse, she was institutionalized; members of the flower and greeting card industry paid her medical bills.

While for many, Mother’s Day is celebrated with a reservation sought months in advance at an overpriced, overbooked restaurant with overextended service, those who have lost children are once again at a loss. There is no name for those who have lost a child. Those who have lost a parent are “orphans,” and those who have lost a spouse are “widows,” but there is no word for the parent who has lost a child. Their existence, in this way, is unspeakable. Those who have lost a child and have other children with them feel a need to honor the lost child. How can those who have lost a child participate in Mother’s Day to honor the experience of being a mother as well as to honor the lost child?

INTERNATIONAL BEREAVED MOTHER’S DAY FOR THE DRAGON MOM

All moms, especially grieving moms, need a day to memorialize their time as a mother to these lost children. In 2010, Carly Marie Dudley, who delivered a stillborn child, created International Bereaved Mother’s Day, to be recognized on the first Sunday in May, for those who have lost a child or children, regardless of the child’s age. They may have experienced great difficulty in conceiving the child, survived a miscarriage, or delivered a stillbirth. These women are mothers to the children they hold in their heart, not just their arms. Some may have lost the opportunity to become mothers and may mourn this loss as well. In fact, there is a term for those children who are born after a mother has had a miscarriage. Those children are “rainbow babies,” as those who suffer a storm are granted a rainbow. Again, some mothers never bear witness to the rainbow. For all these mourning mothers and their lost children, Mother’s Day may unearth negative feelings of pain, being alone, and

of poor worth. Emily Rapp penned an opinion piece in 2011 in the New

York Times, “Notes from a Dragon Mom,” in which she described the world that bereaved mothers and those mothers with a child diagnosed with a terminal illness inhabit. Rapp explains that a dragon mom is someone who has lost a child, but not the ferocious love, loyalty, and dedication to that lost child. She accurately describes dragon moms as scary, as very few know how to engage with them, and most do not want to. After all, these mothers have gone where few emerge from. These mothers are feral in the love they have for their children - both dead and alive.

INTERNATIONAL BEREAVED MOTHER’S DAY MEMORIALS

What remains unclear is how to recognize International Bereaved Mother’s Day. There is no pat-and-dry method. A dinner, flowers, or chocolate seem off the mark, more fitting for a traditional Mother’s Day celebrated on the second Sunday in May in the States. Some may consider personalized jewelry with the child’s name, but the intimacy of a jewelry present, on top of the nature of this personalization may put some off. A tree, a plant, or a garden may better suit a non-expat. There are a few suggestions to consider:

1. Affirm her identity as a mother and to celebrate her lost child or children.

2. Spend time with her: no one better understands the fleeting nature of time and appreciates its value.

3. A well-crafted, handwritten letter may be more poignant and better received than a stock card.

4. Take a moment to ask and listen to her. Although many may think they should not bring up the lost

child’s name as a courtesy to the mother, it may actually be quite the opposite as children are never far from a mother’s mind. In fact, many mothers may not want their child to be forgotten. Quite the contrary, bringing up the child’s name may be the present she needs most.

If the loss is recent, a mourning mother may need to seek comfort and support, whether from family, friends, an online friend or group who have had similar experiences, or professionally. The grieving mom should be given the time and space to do something in honor of the lost child or children, perhaps making a special place for remembering them in the home. For example, a literary mom may feel more comfortable composing letters to herself from the point of view of her own best friend, or writing letters to her lost child.

A Dragon Mom’s Bereaved Mother’s Day

Ivonne VIDAL PIZARRO, PhD on International Bereaved Mother’s Day will be lighting candles and incense with her husband and two teenagers. Her youngest, her son, was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) in October of 2016. He was treated, fell into remission, and left this earth a few months shy of his 7th birthday, days before Mother’s Day 2017.

TEXT: IVONNE VIDAL PIZARRO IMAGE: WEB

OUTLOOK

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A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF TAIWAN’SCOMPLICATED AND FASCINATING

HISTORY

JOIN US AT THE CENTER'SCOFFEE MORNING

JORDAN BROWN

MAY 13, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

COFFEE MORNING IS SPONSORED BY

No. 25, Lane 290 Zhong Shan North Rd., Sec. 6.290 25

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https://bit.ly/csc_coffee


CULTURECentered on Taipei is celebrating its 21st anniversary and is pleased to present this special Anniversary article

A Tale of Fortune Telling and Tea

A s I step into 1960-something I forget I live in a modern city with one of the tallest buildings in the world. The

time-scuffed walls are painted off-white. There is a small shrine up against a wall that has numerous certificates and old family portraits hanging above it. The smooth concrete floor is foot-worn and polished by a volume of people, who over the years, have come to this fortuneteller looking for answers.

I am seated on a traditional Chinese bench with a number of other seekers

waiting for my turn. I find it interesting that advice of an intimate nature is openly shared with everyone in the room and I am thankful that I am last in line - my consultation will be more private.

Mr. Lin Zong-Yo’s family have helped people answer pressing questions for a little over one-and-a-half centuries and he is the family’s sixth generation fortuneteller.

His family were originally traders from Keelung, but they relocated to Taipei after their business came

under threat by pirates. They wished to establish themselves and their family trade in the Manga area (now more commonly known as Wanhua). The location lent itself towards trade as there was easy access to ship transportation on the Tamshui river. However, the tightly knit community treated them as outsiders so they ult imately sett led in Dadaocheng instead. In a strange twist of fate, years l ater Dadaoch e n g b e ca me more beneficial to traders when the first railway between Keelung and Dadaocheng was completed in 1887.

The Lins built the very first house on Dihua street in 1851. It was built in the traditional Minnan architectural style - a style that has become synonymous with old Taiwan. Any visitor or foreign resident will recognize the style by its courtyard, red bricks and sloped, red-tiled roofs. This particular house however was more of a tall rectangular shape with three distinct sections. From dawn to dusk the household doors were open for trade. Given the isolated location of the family house, the doors were barred after sundown for safety reasons. This didn’t stop them from trading though - buyers could shout out their orders and place money into a basket lowered from one of two small widows set high up on the front wall. A little later the purchased goods would descend from above.

TEXT & PHOTOS: ST JOHN DUNN

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CULTURE

Times changed and the family came into hard times. In 1860 they had to sell the warehouse portion of their homestead. In Chinese culture losing land or family property is a substantially dark omen and they sought the advice of a fortune teller. The advice given could only have been powerful and something in the exchange changed the family’s perspective forever. They decided that fortune telling was a way to help people and perhaps a good way to prosper. They studied the art and by 1864 they had established the Lin Wu-Hu Fortune Telling House.

Over time they became well known in the region and their advice was highly sought after. During Chinese New Year the first thing residents would do was go worship at the well known Xia-hai City God Temple. Worship was closely followed by a visit to the Lins to see what fortune offered.

In the 1980s the fortune tel l ing b u s i n e s s w a s m o v e d t o a m o r e “modern” house built in the 1960s. In 2009 the aging 164-year-old family house was restored to its former glory and registered as a heritage site.

Recently, the front part has been leased to two brothers who are well-established Taiwanese tea merchants, whilst one of the now 130 Lin family members resides in a closed-off back portion. The brothers have made great efforts to maintain the original look and feel of the house, and the store is a pleasure to visit.

They have deep-rooted relationships with local tea farmers and select tea leaves based on the flavor it will give and not on the fame of the tea farm. They are adept at their art and use all methods to produce award-winning tea. For example, they sometimes choose tea leaves that have been eaten by insects as the insect’s residue produces

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CULTURE

The teahouse and old family residence is located at 156 Dihua Street, Section 1. If you want advice about your future ask the tea merchants for directions (it’s about a 5 minute walk from the teahouse). Fortune telling is only performed in Chinese.

There is an official FB page & guided tour offered – http://zh-tw.facebook.com/Lin5hu Allison Liu: 0921-935469

a unique and delightful taste.The older brother, Lu Li-Zheng, is

well known in the tea trade and has been on many TV programs and in numerous paper publications. He looks the part with his traditional beard and clothes. He has a deep gaze and that particular Chinese presence that is exuded by men who know they have mastered their trade. He manages the production and export of tea from Yinge, the pottery town.

His younger brother Lu L i-X ien maintains the store in the old house. He is friendly, unassuming and has a comfortable manner that leaves visitors both relaxed and interested in their wonderful tea. On more than one occasion I have spent time listening to

his explanations and enjoyed a number of different teas in the old house. I don’t know much about tea, but the tea he offered me had depth and a host of nuanced flavors - delicious!

Behind the teashop is a courtyard garden and beyond that the house is closed off to the public except for Saturdays when v is i tors may see another room and hear stories of the family’s history.

In another room a short way away and a little later other fortune seekers have left and it is my turn to consult with Mr. Lin Zong-Yo. The Lins practice a Confucian style of fortune telling. Mr. Lin asks for my full name, my date of birth and the time I was born. He consults a book packed with numbers

and charts. He moves to a shrine and asks the God Gueguzi for guidance and advice. Three special coins and a small tortoise shell are cast in front of me. We begin to talk. There are no mystical musings, mutterings or mumblings. I find him direct and what he has to say comes in point form. At the end I thank Mr. Lin and step out of 1960-something into a hot day in 2015.

I muse on the advice given. Most of what I heard is information that I already know or could figure out by myself, but it does speak to my character and to where I am. As I walk down the old street I take his words as confirmation that I am on the correct path in my life.

St. John has l ived in Taiwan for more than te n y e a r s a n d c a l l s the island home. T he unexp ec ted cu l tu ra l adventure around the corner, an interesting tale told by a stranger and the hidden places in the mountains are just three things he loves about this corner of Asia.

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PHOTO GALLERY

Tea pots by Russ McClay

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PHOTO GALLERY

Kinmen by Katia Chen

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PHOTO GALLERY

Spring by Nora Liang

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PHOTO GALLERY

“Coming Through” by Kenneth Dickson

Unless you’ve been living in a cave temple for the past year in the Central Mountains, you’ll realize that we’ve all experienced a myriad of consequences from the Covid-19 pandemic. But one way or another, we’ve managed to retain our sense of community despite the detrimental effects of social distancing and the fears that the pandemic has engendered everywhere.

In adversity come humanity, kindness and connection. This gallery reminds us of the many ways that we’re connected to each other: whether it’s through celebrations, arts, events, rituals, and tourism. So let’s celebrate our togetherness, our community spirit, and our interdependence. They are, after all, what make up our society: Taiwan.

In the 90’s, Kenneth Dickson bought a camera to take photographs of his travels around Taiwan. Many years later he’s using his umpteenth camera and needing a bigger disk drive. Some of his photographs are available at http://www.lookthroughthelens.com. Welcome.

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ART

TEXT: JENNY CHANG IMAGES: THE AMY LIANG BONSAI MUSEUM

The Living Art and Styles of Bonsai

C reating a bonsai is an evolving and never-ending artistic process. Having a keen eye for nature is a bonus. Being able to reflect on

the growing habits and developing styles of trees will influence how your bonsai will develop.

Bonsai may be upright, slanting, coiled, with a twisted trunk, be the literati, weeping, exposed-root, twin-trunk, the cascade, straight-line or raft, windswept, broom, forest, tray-landscape style, rock planting or root-over-rock style.

THE UPRIGHT STYLE Bonsai with a straight trunk are in the formal upright style. Bonsai with a

slightly curved trunk are in the informal upright style.The trunk of an upright-style bonsai should be thick at the base and tapered

towards the top; it should be round in diameter and without marks. With the upright style, the first main branch on the lower portion of the trunk must be thick and strong. The ideal starting position of the first branch is approximately a third of the way up the trunk. The rest of the branches should alternate in an orderly spiral pattern.

The branches closer to the top of the bonsai should be closer together and vary according to the width of the root-base section of the bonsai.

The entire bonsai tree must form an asymmetrical triangle, and no branch should be allowed to grow below the first third of the trunk.

Each root-base will have a wider side. On this side the branches should be long and short on the narrow side of the bonsai.

Suitable tree species for upright-style bonsai are cryptomeria, Hinoki cypress, needle juniper, common jasmine, orange and pine. The upright-style bonsai is one of majestic beauty, and looks best in an oval or rectangular pot.

中文摘要

「盆栽」作為一門獨特的藝術，與其他的藝術有著相關而相異的特質。盆栽是立體的畫、無言的詩歌、活的雕塑、活的古董。一棵盆樹，從選擇素材開始，培植根幹、整理枝業，到創作完成，在經歷這一段嘔心瀝血的培育過程後，面對那展示於盆中的樹石美姿，創作者心中的喜悦與滿足，實是筆墨所難以形容！然而一般的藝術家完成一件作品後，「創作」的動作便告終止，而盆栽藝術的創作，不僅是永遠不會終止的，還延續了自然界的生命點滴！

讓我們來了解盆景的基木樹型有哪些？盆景可略分為直幹、斜幹、曲幹（模樣木）、蟠幹、懸崖、文人樹、垂枝、露根、叢生、雙幹、連根、風樹、掃帚、合植、栽景及附石等。

直幹根盤平整呈放射狀，有力地向四面八方展開，幹筆直的樹木叫「直

幹」，幹略有彎曲變化者稱「變化直幹」。直幹樹幹的條件，由下粗往上漸細，力求幹圓而無傷口。直幹的樹型，下方必要有一粗大而有力的主枝。第一枝的出枝點以樹高的三分之一處為最理想，其他枝則前後左右螺旋交互出枝，有層次；枝與枝間隔愈上端愈窄，隨根盤左右長短變化，幹正面樹高三分之一以下最好不要出枝，更能顯出巨木相；整體樹觀成不等邊三角形，根盤長邊，出枝長，根盤短邊則出枝短。適合的樹種有杉、檜、杜松、七里香、松等，是最令人感到莊嚴、雄偉、挻拔、穩重的樹型。盆缽以橢圓形、長方形淺盆較合適。

Sh i h - Pe i C h a n g ( J e n n y ) i s a Ta iw anese f inanc ia l consultant and a passionate bonsai artist, and certified in Taiwanese Horticulture Therapy. She is the Chairperson of the Taipei Bonsai Association and CEO of the Amy Liang Bonsai Museum.

Murraya paniculata over 100 years old

羅漢松介紹羅漢松在中國傳統文化象徵著長壽,

守財, 寓意吉祥.這棵是台北市最壯最雅的羅漢松—

AMY LIANG BONSAI MUSEUM 的鎮殿之寶

這棵樹約110CM 高, 根盤:四方展根, 雄霸有傲然之氣勢. 幹:粗大挺拔雅氣,符合3:6:9 黃金比例. 枝: 第一枝在整樹約1/3處出枝,最協調. 葉: 生意盎然, 典雅古意老狀態.

盆栽的四大要點這棵樹復合了盆栽的黃金比例, 是世界上非常難得的最佳羅漢松. 擁有它是傲世奇寶, 健康, 快樂, 發財集於一身.

Podocarpus costalis 70 years old

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ENVIRONMENT

Dr. Leaf & Container

Gardening: The Basics I ’m a foodie. I like to eat, but I’m

also a bit picky, ‘cause my food has to be “clean.” I’m not talking about water-washed clean, but soil-grown

and pesticide clean. Lately, with all the news of people coming down with food allergies and having to pop meds to get well, I decided that I didn’t want to join their ranks. This may sound like a long way to go before getting to the point as to why I started container gardening, but it’s the truth. It was out of necessity, so that I could maintain my health and have properly grown herb and produce choices.

Did I mention that I live in downtown Taipei? My apartment is in one of those older buildings with bars on all the windows, but fortunately has enough room to place small pots. I also have a small protected balcony which gets early morning and noontime sun along with not too much wind or rain during a typhoon. On the roof of my apartment building there are several spaces that

are perfect for placing larger containers for gardening, water and kitchen scraps for compost.

A couple of years ago, I visited the Tzu Chi Tanzi Complex in Taichung. There, I was able to observe how they went about creating compost from kitchen scraps. As I entered, I saw around twenty volunteers busily working at different locations corresponding to the different stages of compost preparation. Some volunteers had spread the

TEXT: DR. LEAF IMAGES: WEB

Centered on Taipei is celebrating its 21st anniversary and is pleased to present this special Anniversary article

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buckets, contents of donated kitchen scraps, on stainless steel counters. Armed with scissors, volunteers were quickly sorting and cutting the food scraps into small, uniform pieces. Others were rinsing the scraps.

Air circulation is necessary for the composting process, for it aids the microbes in quickly breaking down the kitchen scraps, which are then placed into containers that allow the maturing compost’s liquid to drain off. Once the liquid finishes draining, the compost i s ready. The l iqu id i s a l so used. Volunteers explained that brown sugar is added to the liquid, which is allowed to mature for about four to five weeks. Mixing one part of this liquid to three of water makes for rich liquid fertilizer and soil conditioner.

Microbe boosters and rice husks are also added for fiber to the compost kitchen scraps. These are all mixed together, then the compost material is layered, starting with a foundation of only rice husks, then a mixture of microbe boosters and rice husks, followed by the cleaned, cut kitchen scraps. This process continues until

the compost container is filled. The final top layer being more rice husks. The containers are left uncovered in a secure spot out of the elements.

At the Tzu Chi Tanzi Complex, they had containers with faucets to help drain the moisture that emerges while the compost is maturing. I did not have this equipment, so I improvised and created my own drainage system to allow the daily compost runoff to drip into a container just for the liquid.

Another use for this compost liquid is for unplugging drains! Nowadays, pipes beneath kitchen and bathroom sinks are often made from plastic. Harsh chemicals will quickly eat their way through these plastic pipes, creating quite a mess, in addition to harming the environment. I use the compost liquid full strength, and despite its natural and gentle composition, it does the job.

Personal and professional development coach working with expats to master their constant transitions through roles, cultures, and locales.

[email protected]/in/linalo202009/

Lina Lo, PhD, CPCC, ACC

Let’s co-create a space Clarify what matters now Identify what’s possible

As expats, we are spread out all over the globe with many have parents in one country, children in another, our workplace in a third, and family members holding different national passports. In the era of Covid-19, the majority of us are now sheltering in place at home, working as professionals, being caregivers, teachers, and cleaners all rolled into one. Separation and inability to travel add to the worry, stress, isolation, and anxiety. How to maintain a positive mindset?

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ENVIRONMENT

Dr. Leaf is a concerned citizen, whose mission is to promote easy ways to grow herbs and vegetables that are fit to eat.

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TRAVEL

F or most tourists (local and foreign alike) Hualien County basically means Taroko Gorge, and while that mighty chasm is

rightly regarded as one of the greatest tourist attractions in Taiwan, it would be a mistake to ignore the county’s other two protected areas: the East Coast and the East Rift Valley. The beautiful East Coast National Scenic Area, established in 1988, stretches 168 k i lometers between Hualien and Taitung cities, and features some of Taiwan’s best beaches, panoramic viewpoints, lushly wooded coastal slopes, bizarre rock formations, impressive waterfalls, and even a couple of important prehistoric sites.

Although the 165 kilometers of coast road between Hualien and Taitung

(highway 11) can be done in a day, it’s better to allow at least two, which gives more time to stop and enjoy a few of the many fascinating places and experiences on the way.

The northern edge of the East Coast

National Scenic Area is formed by the mouth of the Hualien River on the southern fringe of Hualien city, crossed by highway 11 (the main coast road). Once across the river the road clings to the coast, heading south. The city

RICHARD SAUNDERS EXPLORES TAIWAN'S LESS-TRODDEN PATHS

East Coast National Scenic Area: Hualien County

TEXT & IMAGES: RICHARD SAUNDERS

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TRAVEL

is soon left far behind and the road is bounded on one side by the blue sea, and on the other by steep, forested coastal hills (the northern extremity of Taiwan’s Coastal Mountain Range).

Three kilometers south of the bridge, the Hualien Visitor Center sits above the road, commanding fine views north back towards Hualien city and south over an expanse of blue ocean and (mostly) unspoilt coastal hills, although the Farglory Resort right next door (with its Ferris wheel and cable car) impinges on the view a bit. There’s a small exhibition space giving an introduction to the scenic area’s main sights and a film; if time is short you can safely give it a miss unless you want to use the toilets there.

Heading south the coast road passes through a sequence of tunnels and heads inland, losing sight of the sea for a while, to glimpse it once again at Niushan, where a narrow side road on the left beside an aboriginal-style rest pavilion drops down to a beautiful and secluded beach beneath the wooded cliffs. Three kilometers later, Number Eighteen Bridge across the Fanshuliao Stream looks nothing special from the road, but stop (there’s a parking area beside it) and look over the eastern side of the bridge into the narrow depths of Fanshuliao Gorge. A short path leads down to the parallel (and lower) old bridge for an even better view.

According to legend, any Amis warrior wishing to become a village head once had to vault across this fearful chasm with a bamboo pole!

The finest scenery along the entire East Coast National Scenic Area begins just a few kilometers later, at Baqi Viewpoint, on a hairpin bend in the road at the 32 km. point, from where there’s a magnificent view over the long stretch of coastline southwards across the lovely sandy bay of Jici Beach

A few kilometers further south the road bypasses the once formidable obstacle of the Fubuzhizi (“father doesn’t know son”) Cliff by simply boring a long tunnel through it, where a recently constructed pedestrian walkway fixed into the sheer cliff face gives a uniquely thrilling view over this

spectacular stretch of the route. Along with Fubuzhizi, the finest

scenery along the Hualien half of the National Scenic Area is undoubtedly Shitiping, a few kilometers further south, where a large coastal park has been laid out. This place is popular with tour groups and gets busy when a few buses pull up. It’s also a bit over-developed, with surfaced roads and paths, a campsite, and fences aimed to prevent visitors clambering onto the rugged rock outcrops on the foreshore itself. However, the view northwards, along a long and pristine sweep of coast backed by steep, lushly wooded cliffs, is one of the highlights of the entire east coast road.

Richard Saunders is a trained classical musician and writer who lived in Taipei from 1993 to 2018. He has writ ten several hiking and guide books (available at the Center and in bookshops around Taipei) covering the whole of Taiwan, and its offshore islands.

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centered · 2021. 5. 2. · by christy lefteri, 2020 date: may 11th nuri is a beekeeper; his wife,...

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