P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e C o m m u n i t y S e r v i c e s C e n t e r

November 2010, Volume 11, Issue 3

EatEriEs

LifE OnLinE

What MakEs WinE sO ExpEnsivE?

annuaL Charity auCtiOn DinnEr

st LuCy’s Bazaar

isLanD in thE strEaM

arE WE spOiLinG thE yOunG?

Centeredon T A I P E I

CoVer Story

Tzu-Chiang Chao and the Struggle for Grandma Fruit

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We thank everyone who gave time, energy, enthusiasm, or financial support to the 2010 Center Auction.

“How far that little candle throws his beams, so shines a good deed in a naughty world.” — William Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice

2nd Monster Cable Products3M TaiwanAmerican Chamber of Commerce in TaipeiAmerican Club TaipeiAmerican Institute in TaiwanApostolic Nunciature in ChinaArlo Chou's Photo StudioAustralian Commerce and IndustryOfficeBABI International CorpBai Win Mercantile Corp., Ltd.Klaus BardenhagenBarking Deer AdventuresBespoke Cellar Pte. Ltd. Taiwan BranchBijoux TerryBinifer KaushalBrilliant Art HandicrartBritish American TobaccoBritish Trade and Cultural OfficeCanmeng AvedaCAPCOCapital Machinery LimitedCapital Motors Inc (CMI)Casablanca Flower and BoutiqueCherry Hill AntiquesChild's World International Nursery and PreschoolChina AirlinesCitibank Taiwan LimitedCloud HuesThe Cosmopolitan Steak and GrillJennifer CoyeCrown RelocationsDahonDirk Diestel Photographyeast west culture projectEaton CorporationKelly EberhardtEducational Experience TaiwanEmbassy of Dominican Republicenhance by ClaireThe Escape Artist Ltd CoFormosa Optical

Fusion FlameG & G'sTito Gray GleasonGrand Formosa Regent TaipeiGrand Hyatt DubaiGrand Hyatt Erawan BangkokGrand Hyatt SeoulGrand Hyatt TaipeiGranola HouseTom and Michelle GrehlHeineken Brouwerijen B.VThe Howard Plaza Hotel TaipeiHSBCHyatt Regency HangzhouHyatt Regency TokyoICRTIKEA TaiwanItalian Coffee CompanyJardine Food Services (Taiwan) Co., LtdJinshan Peasant PaintingKarma SilverwareDeana and John KitajimaThe Landis Taipei HotelLawry's The Prime Rib TaipeiPatrick LeeLG Electronics Taiwan TaipeiLiaisonOfficeofSouthAfricaCynthai LoboCecile LoganLollypop RestaurantPerry MalcolmMaster Wu's Art WorkshopMasterpieces MerchadiseMedicus Golf Swing CoachRoma MehtaMelchers Trading GmbH, Taiwan BranchMetropolitan Spirits LtdMinistry of Foreign AffairsMINIWIZ S.E.D Co. Ltd.Dr. Catriona MoranNavigonAsiaPacificNestlé Taiwan Ltd.Victoria OlsenOver the rainbow…Pernod Ricard Taiwan Ltd.Pretty in Pearls

Pretty NailsQ Britannia Hairdressing StudioRatan Ltd.Royal Choice LimitedSaffronSalmatSamsonitePacificLtd.Richard SaundersShangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza TaipeiSheraton Taipei HotelThe Sherwood TaipeiSommelier Wine ExpertSpace Concepts LimitedSpey WhiskyThe Spice ShopStandard Chartered Bank (Taiwan) LtdSuperior Realty Co., LtdSwire Coca-Cola Beverages Ltd., Taiwan BranchTaiwan Handicrart Promotion CenterTALIKAJuchi Tang-LiuTien Tung Art GalleryTsar and Tsai Law FirmChristine TungTurkishTradeOfficeUKEASUnico's Circle Co., Ltd.United Airlines TaiwanUtah GolfCatherine VenturaVin Vin VinoThe Vineyard Wine Shop and BarStephanie WangRobert WarrenWaterford Wedgwood Taiwan LtdDoug and Elizabeth WeinsteinBill and Lisa WestWinkler PartnersWonderland Nursery Goods Co., Ltd.Yang Tze-YunUnilever dirk

diestel Nov_10_Cover.indd 3 2010/10/28 4:24:13 PM

3november 2010

2 Center Donors anD sponsors

5 Letter From tHe eDItor

6 natIonaL ConCert HaLL anD tHeater november 2010 rICHarD reCommenDs

7 CuLturaL Corner EatEriEs

9 GaLLery november 2010

10 Cover story tzu-Chiang Chao and thE strugglE for grandma fruit

14 outLook lifE onlinE

16 taIpeI unCorkeD What makEs WinE so ExpEnsivE?

18 WHat’s HappenInG at tHe Center! annuaL CHarIty auCtIon DInner

20 tastes oF taIpeI

21 november events at tHe Center

CHarIty orphanagE Club

22 CHarIty holland days

24 st LuCy’s bazaar

25 CommunIty tas

26 Let’s Go island in thE strEam

29 GeneratIon y arE WE spoiling thE young?

32 CHInese kItCHen pErsimmon WorsHIp DIreCtory

33 CommunIty Groups

34 WorD From tHe DIreCtor

InsIDe baCk Cover dirk's taiWan

Contents November 10 volume 11 issue 3

cover image: Daniel Ulrich

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26

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4 november 2010

publisher:managing editor:

editor:Co-editor:

Graphic Design:advertising manager:

tel:Fax:

email:

Writing and photography Contributors:

Community services

Center editorial panel:

printed by:

Director:

office manager:

Counselors:

newcomer orientation program: accountant:

taipei Living editor: program and events: :

Chinese teacher:

volunteers:

premier sponsors:

Nov_p3-end.indd 4 2010/10/27 12:06:55 PM

5november 2010

Life and love are life and love, a bunch of violets is a bunch of violets, and to drag in the idea of a point is to ruin everything. Live and let live, love and let love, flower and fade, and follow the natural curve, which flows on, pointless.”

— D.H. Lawrence

Dear Readers,

It was good to see many of you at the Center Auction this October. The evening was delightful, with friends old and new, great ambiance, good food and an excellent selection of auction items. Another memorable night! Thank you for supporting The Center.

This month, Glen Clifford’s lively encounter with actor Tzu-Chiang Chao brings us a wonderful story about the creation of his iconic children's TV character, ‘Grandma Fruit’. Chao’s show addresses issues related to children's physical and mental development. A bit farther afield, enjoy a visit to Turtle Island, one of Taiwan’s hidden treasures, with Richard Saunders.

Also in this issue, Tina Oelke addresses the social networking phenomena of ‘life online’, and Mark Peterson attempts to demystify the price of a bottle of wine.

November is a special month in Taipei; the Taipei International Flora Exposition opens on the 16th of this month and is definitely worth a visit. Holland Garden (page 22) will be featured at the expo, where you can view the Art Wooden Shoes Exhibition. Also mark your calendars for the Orphanage Club flea market on November 13th, and the St. Lucy’s Bazaar on November 18th.

The Center offers a great line-up of courses to choose from each month and our coffee mornings are a great way to connect with people, forge new friendships or get involved in community efforts. Drop by and say hello over a cup of coffee or browse the Gallery.

If you would like to contribute to the magazine, whether with your creative writing or photography, please write to me (coteditor@community.com.tw). As always, we welcome your news and views.

With gratitude,

Roma

Community ServiCeS Center

Publisher:managing editor:

editor:Co-editor:

Graphic Design:Advertising manager:

tel:Fax:

email:

Writing and Photography Contributors:

Community Services

Center editorial Panel:

Printed by:

Community Services Center, TaipeiSteven Parker Roma MehtaRichard SaundersKatia ChenPaula Lee0926 956 8442835 2530paulalee@community.com.tw

Leat AhronyKathryn BaiIvy ChenGlen CliffordDirk DiestelAmy LiuRobin Looney

Siew Kang, Fred Voigtmann

Farn Mei Printing Co., Ltd.1F, No. 102, Hou Kang Street, Shilin District, TaipeiTel: 02 2882 6748 Fax: 02 2882 6749E-mail: farn.mei@msa.hinet.net

Steven Parker

Grace Ting

Suzan Babcock, Kris Carlson, Fawn Chang, Wendy Evans, Cerita Hsu, Eva Salazar-Liu, Perry Malcolm, Tina Oelke, Ming-I Sun, Cindy Teeters

Amy LiuMonica ChengKath LiuRobin Looney, Rosemary Susa Gloria Gwo

Alison Bai, Jennifer Coye, Neev Exleyn, Kath Liu, John McQuade, Bunny Pacheco, Gloria Peng, Jenni Rosen, Sandra Schnelle, Desta Selassie, Sandy Tsai, Heike Wood, Lillian Yiin

3M TaiwanBai Win AntiquesBP Taiwan Ltd.BreitlingCapital MotorsChina American PetrochemicalConcordia ConsultingCostco WholesaleCrown Worldwide Movers LtdECCTFour Star Int’lGrand Hyatt Hotel, TaipeiHSBCICRTMetacity Development CorpNokia Siemens NetworksProQCSan Fu Gas Co. Ltd.SongfuliStandard Chartered Bank

Director:

office manager:

Counselors:

newcomer orientation Program: Accountant:

taipei Living editor: Program and events: :

Chinese teacher:

volunteers:

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.community.com.tw and drop by the Center to chat with us about our programs. you can also email us at csc@community.com.tw.

Letter From the eDitor

Roma MehtaEditor

Katia ChenDesigner

Richard SaundersCo-editor

Tina OelkeSteven ParkerMark PetersonAnnemarie PotRichard SaundersRosemary SusaDaniel Ulrich

www.community.com.tw

Paula LeeAdvertising Manager

Centered on Taipei is a publication of the Community Services Center, 25, Lane 290, ZhongShan N. Rd., Sec. 6, Tianmu, Taipei, Taiwan Tel: 2836 8134, fax: 2835 2530, e-mail: coteditor@community.com.tw

Correspondence may be sent to the editor at coteditor@community.com.tw. 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 2010. All rights reserved. Material in this publication may not be reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner.

Centered on Taipei is printed on 50% post consumer waste content stock. We have also replaced the glossy laminated cover with a softer aqueous based resin coating which makes it easier to recycle. By committing to post consumer paper stock we support the market for recycled fibers and reduce environmental impact.Recycling paper uses 60% less energy than manufacturing paper from virgin fiber. "Every ton of recycled paper saves enough electricity to power a 3 bedroom house for an entire year." (http://www.greenseal.org/index.cfm)

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TICKETING OFFICES: • NTCH: (02) 2343 1647 • ERA: (02) 2709 3788

publication of the national theater and Concert Hall schedule in Centered on Taipei is sponsored by Cathay Life Insurance.

For full details, please log on to the Culture express website at http://express.culture.gov.tw or take a copy of the monthly program from Cks Cultural Center, available from mrt stations, bookshops and ticketing offices.

riChard saundErs

A number of intriguing or mildly amusing titles catch the eye this month, leafing through the CKS Cultural Center monthly listings for November. A concert on November 12th which for some unfathomable

reason is entitled ‘The Heartbeat of Love’ turns out to be a collection of classic ‘pops’ such as Flight of the Bumblebee and Johann Strauss’s ever popular Pizzicato Polka. The following night promises an evening of dignity, as the wonderfully titled World Doctors Orchestra is let loose on Barber’s wonderful Violin Concerto. Not sure why doctors need to have their own orchestra, but with tickets priced at up to NT$2,000 each they’d better be good! The month’s most creatively titled program however undoubtedly goes to the concert on November 17th. ‘How to Cook a Swan’ isn’t quite a correct translation of the name of Hindemith’s fine viola concerto, Der Schwanendreher (‘the swan turner’) but it’s close enough, and certainly catches the attention. Hindemith has had the bad luck to be labeled (quite inappropriately) a rather ‘dry’ composer, which is rubbish, although first hearings of his music do tend to give that impression. Persevere and unsuspected beauties will soon be unlocked; of course the same could be said about almost any really worthwhile piece of classical music. By the way the work’s unusual name is taken from one of several folk tunes which Hindemith uses in the music.

On the subject of string concertos, master violinist Shlomo Mintz is also in Taiwan this month, to play Bruch’s ever-popular First Violin Concerto. The program is rounded out in laudably conventional manner with a charming Mozart violin concerto and Brahms’ great First Symphony.

November is a good month to catch the Cloud Gate Theater, as they perform perhaps their best-known piece, Songs of the Wanderers (with the monk and the falling rice) and their latest work, Water Stains on the Wall. It’s also an excellent time for lovers of the human voice: the Vienna Boys’ Choir are back once again, while the National Symphony Orchestra tackle Mahler’s rather rich re-orchestration of Schumann’s Symphony no. 4 and accompany a pair of singers in the heady beauties of Mahler’s own Das Knaben Wunderhorn songs. Best of all, the entire Dresden Philharmonie, plus a German choir and soloists are being flown in for a performance of Handel’s Messiah, which should be very memorable.

Vladimir Ashkenazy is a more common presence in the world’s concert halls as conductor than as pianist these days, but he’s in Taiwan on November 18th to play, alongside his son, Vovka, in a piano duo program including uncommon Debussy and Scriabin, along with classic piano duets by Poulenc and Ravel. Another great pianist, Mikail Rudy, is also in town to play a solo recital. Unsurprisingly in this, Chopin’s bicentenary, Rudy plays a dazzling program devoted to works by the Polish master, including the 24 Preludes and the Second Piano Sonata. Rounding out a formidable Russian trinity, Oxana Yablonskaya also performs a solo recital, featuring a towering masterwork (Mozart’s heartrending A minor Rondo) together with a couple of showpieces by Schumann: the early Abegg Variations and the Symphonic Etudes.

national Concert hall & theater

november 2010

NATIONAL THEATER

Mortal Enginechunky move from australia brings shockingly modern dance to Taipeinovember 6

Songs of the Wandererscloud gate Theater perform their signature piecenovember 10-14

Water Stains on the Wallcloud gate Theater’s new worknovember 19-28

Hamletmaxhine – hamlet b mobius Strip Theater and more post-modern theaternovember 26-28

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL

Vienna Boys’ ChoirFolk songs from austria and around the world, plus classical and sacred worksnovember 2-3

Mikhail Rudy Piano Recitalan all-chopin programnovember 10 RR

Taipei Symphony Orchestra and Shlomo MintzWorks for violin and orchestra by Bruch, Brahms and mozartnovember 11

The heartbeat of Loveclassical standards by rossini, rimsky-Korsakov, Strauss etc.november 12

World Doctors OrchestraWorks by Barber and Tchaikovskynovember 14

How to Cook a Swanorchestral works by hindemith and Tchaikovskynovember 17 RR

Vladimir and Vovka Ashkenazy Piano Duo ConcertWorks by Debussy, Borodin, Poulenc, Scriabin and ravelnovember 18 RR

Handel’s Messiahnovember 24 RR

Oxana Yablonskaya Piano RecitalWorks by Brahms, Schumann and mozartnovember 25

Das Knaben Wunderhornmahler’s huge collection of orchestral songs november 28 RR

november 20106

RICHARDReCommenDsx

RICHARD RECOMMENDS: RR

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Night markets are one of the highlights of Taiwanese life, with their own unique culture, and for most tourists and foreign guests a visit to at least one is a ‘must’ while in Taiwan.

The average night market offers a mixture of individual vendors and stalls hawking food, trendy clothing, shoes, bags, watches, trinkets, hair accessories, consumer goods, and more. There are also children’s arcades with traditional children’s games like pinball, ring toss and goldfish catching. For a few coins per game, children can win prizes such as goldfish, bubble gum, stuffed animals, toys, or a ticket to play another game.

Night markets in Taiwan are renowned for their specialty food items.

These are found in local eateries called xiao chi (小吃, which literally means ‘little eats’ or ‘snacks’). The diversity of these snacks can range from a quick mouthful to a complete, filling meal; from iced drinks and sweets to hot foods, costing from NT$20 to over a hundred. A satisfying, sizzling steak set, for instance, is only about NT$120!

Gourmet cuisine from many countries is available in Taiwan, but I always crave local Taiwanese delicacies when away for a long period; the street food is so special that I couldn’t find it when I was living overseas in America or Japan. I know I am not speaking just for myself, but for many other Taiwanese too when saying the experience of eating local food at a night market is sometimes much better than having a fancy dinner at a fine restaurant.

Many night markets are located near schools, since students are the main customer group; food and other goods are sold at much lower prices than in most other restaurants and stores. Businesses at the night market generally set up at around 4 or 5 pm as students begin to return home after school. The peak hours are between 8 and 11 pm or so, when workers are off duty and families go out for dinner or late night snacks. Vendors normally close at midnight, or around 1 or 2 am on the weekends.

There are endless xiao chi to choose from in Taiwan.

Many townships and cities in Taiwan are known from their own signature dish that is specific to that area. For example, if you want the best mochi (麻薯, glutinous rice paste with peanut powder), you should go to Hualien (花蓮) in eastern Taiwan; if you like rice

noodles (米粉, mifen) you can get the best from Hsinchu City (新竹). It’s customary for the Taiwanese to not only enjoy the local specialty while traveling in Taiwan, but it’s also important to bring some back to share with their family or colleagues (especially managers) as it suggests that you were thinking of them while away. Fortunately, these specialty foods are readily available in all cities at the night markets without having to travel to the region where they were made. Let me share some traditional Taiwanese xiao chi that I love and missed the most when I was living overseas.

Changhua, centra l-wes t Taiwan: Meatballs (彰化肉圓, Changhua rouyuan) - These are made of pork, mushrooms and bamboo shoots wrapped in a semi-transparent, chewy dough made of sweet potato flour and steeped in warm oil until cooked. I especially like

the sweet and slightly spicy red sauce that comes with this dish.

Hsinchu City, northwest Taiwan: Rice Noodles (新竹米粉, Hsinchu mifen) and Meatballs (貢丸, gongwan) - Hsinchu is known as the ’windy city’, which makes it the best place to produce rice noodles, as the natural breeze helps to dry them. Gongwan are meatballs made from ground or chopped-up meat made into a paste. They are generally used in soup.

Tainan, southwest Taiwan: Danzai Noodles (台南擔仔麵, Tainan danzai mian) - Lots of xiao chi from Tainan are famous and special to the city, but the most popular is danzai mian. This simple but delicious noodle soup is made

7november 2010

RICHARD RECOMMENDS: RR

Corner Cornerultural CornerCornerultural ultural ultural ultural Amy's 台

灣

Eating, shopping and more at the local night market

Eateries

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with homemade soup stock, some stewed ground pork and some bean spouts. I like to add a lu dan (滷蛋), a hardboiled egg stewed in soy sauce.

Keelung, northeast Taiwan: Tempura (not the same as Japanese tempura) sold at the entrance to Keelung Temple (基

隆廟口天婦羅, Keelung miaoko tienfulo) - This is a deep-fried fish batter with no fillings. The golden brown fish paste is to be eaten with red chili sauce and/or soy sauce. Sweet and sour sliced pickled cucumbers with this dish refresh the palate after the fried food. Keelung miaoko is the most famous xiao chi street in Keelung, near a temple in the center of the city.

Shenkeng, Taipei County: Tofu (深坑豆腐, Shenkeng tofu) - Strolling around the old street in Shenkeng village, about ten kilometers southeast of Taipei city, you can smell and see tofu prepared in various forms - fried, grilled, steamed or in a pot full of colorful spices. The infamous ‘stinky’ tofu (臭豆腐, chou tofu, tofu that has been fermented), which is popular here, is no doubt an acquired taste. For those who love stinky tofu it smells tasty and wonderful; for those who can’t stand it, it smells like rotten eggs. This is for sure one of the most difficult traditional Taiwanese snacks for foreign visitors to savor because of its texture and strong smell. The easiest way to try it for the first time is to taste it fried or grilled. Steamed stinky tofu tends to have a stronger scent, and is especially likely to put-off first-timers.

All major night markets in each city in Taiwan are crowded, hot in the summer time and very noisy with the sounds of hawkers shouting and pop music playing over loud speakers. They are generally packed with people shopping and enjoying good meals. There’s always something fun to discover, and it is definitely worth exploring; you’ll certainly find some unexpected surprises.

For those who enjoy the food found at night markets, but don’t like the idea of eating at night markets because they’re too hot or crowded, many xiao chi stalls have also been introduced to food courts at department stores so that people can enjoy night market

stall food items in an air-conditioned environment.Alternatively, a whole range of Chinese food is

available at restaurants in Taiwan. With its diverse ethnic groups, Taiwan offers the most authentic original cooking styles of Chinese food; Fujian and Hakka cooking came with the Chinese immigrants who began arriving in the 17th century, and Chinese who came from all different provinces in China when the ROC government moved to Taiwan in 1949 all brought their original home cooking to this island. You name it, you can find the most traditional cuisine from Shanghai, Sichuan, Zhejiang, Shandong and other regions of China in Taiwan.

From the night markets in the streets to comfortable restaurants, Taiwan is a wonderful place to savor delicious Chinese cooking. The former president of the American Chamber of Commerce Taipei, Richard Vuylsteke often shares: "If you haven't eaten there, you haven't been there.”

Do you have issues with relationships, communication, living in Taiwan, alcohol

or drugs, depression, problems with children or cultural clashes...?

our professional counselors are ready to help with any issues that you may have while living in Taipei. For more information

regarding our counseling services, call The center at (02) 2836-8134 or

(02) 2838-4947. or email: csc@community.com.tw

The CenTer's Counselors are

here for you

r

8 november 2010

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9november 2010

fusion flame Jenny Dong Feuerhahn will once again bring elegance to your dining table and every corner of your home with modern and unique designs of handmade high-grade stainless steel cutlery and flatware. each of these pieces reflects the art of the hammered surface. They are functional and also dishwasher safe, beautifully made to last. also on display is Jenny d. sons & daughter's fabulous new silver line Jewelry. The collection is made from rhodium plating 925silver with cubic zirconia. also featuring are "Jim Thompson" quality products at a very affordable price.

Jinshan peasant paintings Jinshan is a county situated on the bank of hangzhou Bay in Shanghai. The people live on farms, enjoying a simple life, and are in the habit of painting their experiences on rice paper. in the early 1980s, the paintings had their debut exhibition in germany, Belgium and France. many Jinshan peasant paintings are now in prestigious art collections around the world.

A percentage of all proceeds of items sold at the Gallery go to The Center, so please remember that by displaying and shopping here you are helping us to provide much needed services to the

international community.

november 2010 gallEry

lovely taiwan foundation artworks Founded to help preserve local traditions and promote native aboriginal artworks, lovely Taiwan Foundation is showing several pieces at The center including a carved wooden bear from Sanyi Township, beautiful hand-woven table runners and scarves from nanjhuang, persimmon candles and decorative fans. These are wonderful local artifacts by which to remember your time in Taiwan.

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10 november 2010

co

ver

story

10 november 2010

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLEA chance to get behind the scenes of Taiwan's

rather 'hush-hush' television industry is a rare experience, especially for a Westerner. My Taiwanese assistant smirked and whispered, "Welcome to the office - or jungle?" We had just entered an office, about 30 feet across, containing about twenty-five birds on one side, while on the other sat twenty-five workers at their desks. The animals produced an Amazon chorus, while the humans - totally drowned out by all the squawking - worked on various graphic designs and totalled invoices. Welcome to the daily workplace of real-life character Tzu-Chiang Chao, otherwise known as Grandma Fruit. While this work environment no doubt offers challenges for his staff, these are much easier than the career challenges Chao has had to face himself, not only in creating an opposite gendered children's TV character, but also in staying faithful to his primary values. But why a grandma in particular, and one that is played by a male actor?

"I started thinking how grandmothers in most children's l ives are so nurturing and comforting; they are the ones who are experienced, the ones to go to for more level-headed advice, and often the ones that children

TexT: Glen Clifford imaGes: daniel UlriCh

TzU-CHiaNG CHaO aNd THE STrUGGLE fOr GraNdMa frUiT

mainTaininG The ValUes of his Taiwan Children's TV iCon

Taiwan's most famous children's television

entertainer is a man who dresses up as

a grandma, and also has aims to change

aspects of Taiwan society. In both these

areas, he has learnt to overcome dozens of

obstacles, while trying to keep everybody

'happy.' Glen Clifford spoke with actor, Tzu-

Chiang Chao about the creation of his iconic

children's TV character, 'Grandma Fruit'

Nov_p3-end.indd 10 2010/10/28 4:11:47 PM

in Taiwan spend most of their time with after school." Chao also felt that Taiwanese children needed such a character. "At the t ime, Taiwan didn't, and to some degree still doesn't, have any strong home-grown characters for children" ... "While we have contributed greatly to the economic value of foreign characters from Japan and Korea, the needs and values of Taiwan's children are different." It was with this strong belief that Chao developed the personal value-based character, Grandma Fruit, taking issues from not only Taiwan society, but also from his own upbringing.

In true showbiz style, the character was r e j ec t ed by every Ta iwan television company. His final call was the PTS, Taiwan's government funded public television service. Although not being so cashed-up, it has had a record of occasionally taking risks on original program concepts, while 'risk' is a word that is simply not in the vocabulary of commercial broadcasters. Finally in 1998, with a production staff of just five, the program, 'Fruity Icecream' staring Grandma Fruit, hit the airwaves. From day one, the program's a im has been to address issues related to children's physical and mental development. Over time, it increased its lineup of other - mostly stuffed - characters and refined its message of looking after one's mind, body and spirit, something that Chao says is missing f r o m e n t e r t a i n m e n t p r o d u c t s imported from other parts of Asia.

"T h e r e a r e o t h e r p r o g r a m s broadcast at the same time, from fantasy to drama, to news programs, e a c h p a c k a g e d f o r c h i l d r e n . However, I noticed that all of these

were to teach knowledge, but not always focused on values. I made a conscious decision to concentrate on 'values'. This is the big difference between what I do and what they do. It's okay to say 'don't drink so many sugary drinks,' but it's better to begin with, 'love how much energy an apple a day can give you,' and connect this to ideas of approval and respect for oneself." This basic (although hidden) formula worked, with the program winning four Taiwan Golden Bell Awards (the equivalent of the American Emmy Award) for Excellence in Children's Television. Despite this success, life has since been far from an easy journey for Chao.

GRANDMA FIGHTING GIANTS

Chao has had to f ight every step of the way for both funding and public endorsement. Despite acquiring periodic sponsorship, he has done a lot of charity work, at a loss of both personal time and income. He says, "I get immense enjoyment in supporting worthy

causes, but the reality is, like any person I have to live, and pay rent and travel expenses." While the constant flood of requests for public appearances enhanced the fame of Grandma Fruit, at another level several conflicts were created that Chao has had to learn to overcome. All conflicts have been about how his creation is commercially used, while still being able to maintain the basic values behind 'her' creation. The question he continuously found himself asking was, "How can I keep my values and still be able to make a living?"

We started discussing the subject of 'Krusty the Klown', a spoof ch i ldren's charac ter f rom The Simpsons, whose catch-cry is, "I heartily endorse this product or event!", before accepting cash for promoting anything unhealthy and unethical for children. Chao has been absolute in not allowing his creation to adorn any media where Grandma Fruit is seen physically promoting any product. What this means is that you will never see her

11november 2010

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12 november 2010

eating – or even holding – a product. R e g a r d i n g t h e f a s t / j u n k f o o d industry, he says he faces giants, as the following facts and studies reveal.

I n S e p t e m b e r 2010 t h e U.S Federal Trade Commission sent subpoenas, in order to update its report, 'Marketing Food to Children and Adolescents.' The (usual) lot included Burger King Holdings, Coca-Cola Beverages, McDonald's Corp and Yum Brands (KFC/Pizza Hut). Of this list of companies that need to be subpoenaed in order to disclose company details, Yum Brands is particularly notable, as it has delayed any commitment whatsoever to the 2007 Trade Commission standards. On the home front, one YouTube commenter blasted, "I think Taiwan should someday host an International Junk Food Exhibition," – noting that the situation is not only a mirror of the U.S, but often much worse, causing disastrous ef fects across many aspects of society.

In 2008, 18 percent of 'official' a d s o n Ta i w a n c h i l d r e n's T V were for junk food, and this was after earlier restrictions had been implemented. In 2006, a survey of 2,495 Taiwanese children found that those who regularly eat junk food are five times more likely to become underachievers, compared to those who eat a balanced diet. Another 2006 survey involving almost 7,000 Taiwanese college students, found that 80 percent admitted to eating junk food every day, with less than one percent saying they consider nutritional value before making any purchase. A final 2006 report found that in 2005, a sample of Taiwanese children were found to be an average of three centimeters shorter than local children of the same age in 2003. Diet and lack of exercise were to blame, as parents increasingly keep children at home to study for tests, rather than letting them outside to play with friends. These stats also hook into the known problems of Taiwan's test-orientated education system, a lack of public space for families to play together, long work hours and (for Asia) high rates of cancer, heart disease and obesity.

In 2007, local government finally embarked on a minuscule public education video campaign, aimed

a t M R T c o m m u t e r s who, ironically, are more likely to get exercise than those who drive cars or take the school bus. Media insiders say that other recent campaigns are believed to have been just as ineffective, as they adopt a message that is too light-hearted (trying to be funny or entertaining) and directed a t the wrong people. In essence, the campaigns are avoiding any confrontational stance and therefore any call to responsibility on the part of parents. It is evident that Chao is not only facing corporate giants, but has to deal with very entrenched social values. For now, he is pushing the subject of fast/junk food advertising.

Says Chao, in exasperation, "It's very hard.... The government has made regulations to protect children from junk food advertising, but the (commercial) television industry is very skilled and has methods of bypassing regulations." Chao says he "feels very fortunate indeed to be with publicly funded television," but clearly wishes he could get more public endorsement, in order to fight corporate giants, using their own weapon, television. To add strength to h i s cause, he has combined television production with his live entertainment group, the 'IfKids Theatre Company.'

THE IfKIds THEATREO r i g i n a l l y C h a o w a n t e d t o

s tar t a foundat ion that would support children's television and theater production. Unfortunately he couldn't afford the required investment of NT$30,000,000 to licence such a venture. He therefore had no choice but to go private, establishing a theater company in 2000. This resulted in more f inancia l and creat ive control, being a place where both television and l ive theater work could be

produced. Importantly, that control also meant he could maintain the values and integrity of his characters. Unfortunately, destiny has been far from kind to Chao's company.

In its first few years, IfKids had to not only teach Taiwanese parents a new cultural concept – that of going to see live children's performances – but also deal with global epidemics. SARS closed one running production and postponed severa l o thers. "Quite simply, when a small scale production opens, the need to see nightly returns is of vital importance. With three months of SARS, every parent and child stayed home; we were finished." Slowly, the company rebuilt itself. More recently there has been the arrival of H1N1, but this time Chao was prepared. Then, s imilar to his confl ict with the advertising industry, there have been legislative issues to work around.

While Chao has the ability to educate a few Taiwanese parents about the virtues of taking their children to see l ive theater, the te lev i s ion s ide of the bus iness presents much bigger challenges. U n l i k e m o s t o t h e r d e v e l o p e d

a t M R T c o m m u t e r s who, ironically, are more likely to get exercise than those who drive cars or take the school bus. Media insiders say that other recent campaigns are believed to have been just as ineffective, as they adopt a message that is too light-hearted (trying to be funny or entertaining) and directed a t the wrong people. In essence, the campaigns are avoiding any confrontational stance and therefore any call to responsibility on the part of parents. It is evident that Chao is not only facing corporate giants, but has to deal with very entrenched social values. For now, he is pushing the subject of fast/junk food advertising.

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13november 2010

countries, Taiwan lacks bodies such as a children's television council or any production foundations. There’s only Taiwan's NCC, with its main duties being the issuing of broadcast licences and handling complaints. Yet many of the most respected o v e r s e a s c h i l d r e n's p r o g r a m s (Sesame Street, Teletubbies, The Wiggles) have come from non-profit, government supported broadcasters or foundations, with strong legal support from various council or lobby organisations. Reflecting on all the obstacles he’s had to face, Chao remains amazingly optimistic.

"We are getting there, and learning all the time how to operate in an environment that has enormous challenges" … "We currently have two newer programs that air every Saturday and Sunday, and one new theater production opening soon. Next year, I am planning something very good for Taiwan's hundred year birthday." Chao sees th i s as an opportuni ty to present a big production, one that will tell the story of Taiwan, in a way that children can understand. He explains, "I think it's really important that we do not forget history and that we look at history honestly, and I think that children, just because they are children, should not be presumed to be so ignorant about history."

Chao is also thinking about China. "It was always my dream to open

a theater here in Taipei, in the same form as the children's theaters in London. I now realise that this dream will never be." We talked at length about the huge amount of property in Taipei that is now controlled by rich family companies, who do nothing for society except collect rent from people who cannot afford property; how such properties are passed down to spoi l t r ich (adult) kids, and forever rent out to multinational supermarkets. "The only opportunity for me to make this

work (having control of a location or venue), is in China. They have the population and the mechanisms to make things happen." However this is clearly a sad result for the children of Taiwan, when one of its own has to abandon a dream, only to make it happen for the children of China instead. Chao has since learnt to take the financial side of the entertainment industry very seriously.

ANOTHER TRANSFORMATIONOver the past two years, he has

attempted to balance entertainment work and self-education, having been enrolled in a part-time MBA program. He says he has already learned a lot more about managing crea t ive contro l and f inanc ia l freedom. As an example, he says "I certainly wouldn't say 'no' to the likes of Uni-President (7-Eleven). Their work with various Japanese character companies has shown they know how to balance the interests of character creators and convenience store marketing." Chao feels that by using the characters’ image to promote a 'general store identity', rather than for specific products, he is less closely associated with fatty, sugary or salty foods, particularly since Taiwan's convenience stores now offer fruit, sushi, dumplings and other 'fast-fresh' meals.

I t is evident that he has now covered the full range of disciplines, starting with engineering (which he dropped out of after two years), followed by journalism/reporting (with which he graduated), then creative production in the form of TV and theater, and now progressing to business management. From Chao's perspective, his 'careers' have all been about creation and communication. Throughout our interview, he occasionally switches to English, in order to stress specific points that mean a lot to him.

"Although there are s t i l l o ld challenges and some things we can

learn from overseas, and in some instances have more opportunities overseas, we (his company) are no small fish in Taiwan. We are now at the point where other producers and actors are regularly approaching us, seeking co-production and marketing arrangements; my message to them is that we are here to stay."

Being a person who consults with and trains executives how to communicate at an advanced level of English development, I have heard hundreds of voices. Listening to the tone and placement of Chao's English-speaking voice, it becomes very clear that this is a man who passionately believes in what he says. In a strange sense, he has all the qualities that real-life grandmothers should ideally possess. Unfortunately, all too often, his cherished passions are one and the same as his greatest challenges. Nevertheless, in an industry where stars are born and disappear overnight, Chao has shown that he is a real survivor. I l e ave the o f f i c e j ung l e w i th confidence that there are big things to come for the IfKids Television and Theatre Production Company.

CREDITSThanks to my fixers Lifen and Shenmei and to Rosie Shih for interpretation assistance. Special thanks to Photographer Daniel Ulrich, who was kind enough to cart heavy loads of equipment for the complimentary Centered on Taipei photoshoot. His spacious, air-conditioned and fully-equipped studio is in Jingmei, Taipei. view his online portfolio at www.ourstudio.com.tw or call him on (02) 2930 1522.

Glen Clifford began professional life as a radio announcer/commercial advertising producer, later returning to a cademic s tud i e s i n med ia production, radio documentary, foreign reporting and anthropology. While still producing occasional audio work, he now concentrates his efforts on 'Talk-To-Me,' an inter-cultural communication consultancy for Asian and Western business concerns. www.talk-to-me.biz

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living With facebook, twitter, and other social networking sites

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i wonder how many parents can relate on some level to the scene above. Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites have deeply penetrated the lives of our teens. Suddenly the social scene for a teen no

longer is about meeting a few good friends at the local hangout. Now, in the cyberworld, what’s important is building the number of ‘friends,’ playing games, chatting, commenting on photos or others’ statuses on their walls, uploading pictures, or posting your own statuses, while waiting for your friends to notice and comment, etc. Some function just fine in the dual worlds of real and cyber, but for many, the online world can become addicting.

How do you know if your teen has crossed the line from Internet use to Internet excess and possibly addiction? Parents can ask themselves questions from

these two areas - life offline and online usage:1. Life offline: Is your teen constantly in front of the

computer screen and/or hunched over their cell phone, or do they hang out with friends offline? Are they in after school activities and/or sports, or are they ignoring the real world? Are they showing less interest in activities that they previously liked in favor of spending more time online? Are their grades slipping?

2. Online usage: Just how much time do they spend online? Do they check their update feeds constantly to make sure they don’t miss out on anything? Are they checking during school hours? How often are they posting themselves? Is your teen posting more than their friends?

What can you do if you suspect that your teen is

TexT: Tina oelKe

(Jamie) I wonder how many people responded to the status update I posted this morning before I left for school? Hardly anyone put anything on the one I posted before I went to bed. But I guess that was at 2 am. (Parent) Jamie, you aren’t getting on the computer again, are you? Why don’t you call your friend up and go out? I’ll drive you.(Jamie) That’s okay; I think I’ll stay in. Now, what should I post next? Maybe a line from Lady Gaga’s song. Something to make people think. . . .(Parent) Jamie, how about we talk for a bit? How’d that math review go today?(Jamie) Ummm, (distracted) math review? You mean test. Not that good. Got an F, but it was totally the teacher’s fault. He didn’t give us enough time to study.(Parent) An F! Jamie! You said it was a review! You’ve been spending hours and hours on the computer every night when you should have been studying!

lifE onlinE

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addicted to an online social networking site? One of the most important things that you can do is to be knowledgeable and help educate your teen as well. Start by doing your research and find out what your teen is into. For example, if they are on Facebook, find out what Facebook is all about. If they are into Twitter, find out about Twitter. Show interest and let them know that you are ready to talk about what they are spending so much time on. Sit back and be amazed at what they can tell you about a whole new world.

Last, help your teen be knowledgeable about Internet safety. Teach them about what information can be safely shared with the public, and what should remain private. Talk about cyberbullying openly and your teen’s responsibility to use technology ethically, responsibly, and sensitively. Conversely, encourage them to come to you if they become the victim of cyberbullying themselves. (More on cyberbullying can be found in Russell Sabella’s book, GuardingKids.com.)

While talking to them about the responsibilities of social networking, sit down and discuss with your teen your need to know their passwords. (This can be tricky because the passwords can be changed after your conversation.) Let them know that your purpose isn’t to use the passwords because you don’t trust them, that you respect their privacy, but would use the access sparingly and for their protection only. Once you have obtained the passwords, parents must determine how often to check their teen’s social networking sites; doing so as little as possible, while keeping in mind their teen’s maturity level and age-appropriate independence and privacy.

Equally important to being knowledgeable, another thing parents can do if they suspect their teen is addicted to a social networking site is to set boundaries and stick by them. (Including the whole family on these decisions can help with the enforcing later.) Try moving the computer into a family room where the screen is easily viewed from several angles. Set limits on the amount of time that is allowed for recreational use of the Internet during the day (but be aware that your teen can access Facebook from their mobile phone, X-box, and other gaming devices — your teen doesn’t have to be on a computer to be online). Decide on consequences for going beyond the boundaries. They should be fair and enforced consistently. Again, these consequences will be most successful if they are collaborated upon by the whole family.

Other options include purchasing parental control software such as McAffee.com and Symantec.com. Software such as this can allow you to monitor and control how much time your teen spends online. An additional feature of the software is that it can limit the content and specific websites that your teen visits.

Finally, trust your instincts. Is the excess time spent online an indication of something deeper? Online social networking addiction might be linked to low self-esteem, social difficulties, and depression. If you suspect this might be the case in your teen, it might be wise to seek assistance. The counselors at your school or The Center are here to help.

T i n a O e l k e ( M E d ) i s a Counselor at the Community Se rv ices Cente r. She works with school-aged children and a do l e sc e n t s . He r i n t e re s t s include the intr icacies of the s c h o o l a g e d s o c i a l w o r l d , b u l l y i n g , s e l f h a r m , a n d depression in young adults.

for more information about internet safety, i have found these resources to be helpful:sabella, russell. (2008). GuardingKids.com: A Practical Guide to Keep Kids Out of High-Tech Trouble. Willard, nancy. (2007). Cyber-Safe Kids, Cyber-Savvy Teens: Helping Young People Learn to Use the Internet Safely and Responsibly.

15november 2010

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As a wine enthusiast, I get asked a lot of questions. How do they get that aroma of chocolate, leather or tobacco into this or that bottle? What is garrigue? Why is this

bottle so much heavier than the others? What’s a good vintage that doesn’t cost too much? And then there’s the granddaddy of them all: are those expensive bottles really any better than the cheaper ones?

That question and several variations of it seem to be on everyone’s mind these days, particularly as we all search for more economical alternatives to our favorite wines. The truth is that price and quality are related, but not as closely as one might think!

All wines share many basic, fairly consistent expenses. There are actually only a few variables that you can throw into the mix, mostly due to the activities that are not intrinsically part of the wine-making process. So, why do some wines cost so darn much?

There are many reasons why wines are offered at varying prices. First off, there are the base prices for the necessities - the bottle, closure, capsule, and label. Those add up to your first dollar or three. Then comes your first big semi-variable: Grape juice. I say semi-variable, because you’re going have to pay something for the grapes that go into your wine, but how much you pay depends hugely on where you are and what you’re producing. Bulk wine can be made from grapes that cost as little as a couple of hundred US dollars per ton. Super-premium grapes can cost thousands of dollars per ton. This means that the actual juice in your bottle can cost anywhere from about fifty cents to almost $10. The next layer of costs really is a variable, simply because not every wine undergoes oak aging, and those that do can use a variety of barrels, from American to French, new to well-used, or with a volume from 225 liters to something much, much larger. There are a lot of ways to use oak (let's not even mention chips and other artificial means for the moment) and all of them cost something, adding extra to the price of your bottle of wine.

So, where does that put us? Well, at this stage of the game we’ve invested anywhere from about $1.50 to as much as $16 in our bottle of wine, but we’re not really done yet. We now have to get that bottle of the wine into a store where we can buy it! We’re talking importers,

distributors, and retailers, here. That $1.50 can jump to $2.25, then $4.50, before you find it on the shelf for $7.99! And then there’s that $16 bottle of wine? Well you’ll be paying upwards of $40 for that bad boy, and probably way more.

You see, analyzing the price of a bottle of wine is not really as simple as adding up the cost of the ingredients. There are salaries to pay (contrary to popular opinion, good wine generally does not make itself), and then there are expenses to cover. A bottling line for example, or the fee for a mobile bottler to come and bottle your production for you, utilities - maybe even some profit, if you’re lucky.

Sure there are a ton of wines out there that deliver dubious value. A lot of producers are late to the game, and they not only have a big mortgage to cover, but they’ve hired the best and the brightest (and most expensive) consultants to give their wines every chance of getting a higher score. Oh yeah, high scores. We forgot to mention that. Yup, high scores are worth money, in some cases, big money. And once a neighbor of yours gets that kind of big money, you might be tempted to raise your prices. I mean your wine is just as good as theirs, right? Well, if it’s not quite as good, it’s pretty close, so maybe you don’t raise your price quite as much as he did. Say 10% less – a great deal! Yes, in addition to points, egos play a huge role in the pricing of wines. All of this tends to lead to more dubious values.

There are great wines out there that cost an arm and a leg, and their prices have very little to do with what I just laid out. The marketplace determines those prices, and demand far outstrips supply, but for the vast majority of wines in the marketplace what I’ve described does apply. Factor in additional expenses and some profit and most wines should be in the $10-$100 range or so. Beyond that, you’re most likely getting into point score and ego tariff territory. It’s a different game, and one in which I don’t have fun playing. I don’t mind drinking some of those wines, but paying the price, well, it tends to rub me the wrong way!

So here’s the nitty-gritty cost of putting a bottle of wine together. Corks 15 cents to $1.50, synthetic closures 3 to 83 cents, Capsules 14 to 25 cents, glass bottle 5 cents to $1.50, Label printing and application 15 cents to $1.50

"Wine is constant proof that God loves us and wants to see us happy"

— Benjamin Franklin

What Makes Wine So Expensive?

Understanding the true cost of your favorite bottle

Mark l. Peterson

taiPei uncorked

16 november 2010

Nov_p3-end.indd 16 2010/10/27 12:07:46 PM

per bottle, French oak barrel $1,000, American oak $500, or $3.33/$1.67 per bottle.

One ton of wine grapes equals roughly 605 bottles or fifty cases of wine. The cost of premium wine grapes in 2009, in California for Petit Verdot was $5,339/ton, $8.81/bottle, Cabernet Sauvignon, $4,744/ton, $7.83/bottle, Chardonnay $2,400/ton, $3.97/bottle, Merlot $2,628/ton, $4.34/bottle, and Sauvignon Blanc $1,880/ton, $3.10/bottle. While Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand was $1,300/ton, $2.15/bottle, Argentine Malbec, $1,000/ton $1.65/bottle, and Australian grapes in bulk production was $250/ton, $0.41/bottle.

And don’t forget brand promotion, be it trade or public wine tasting or advertising cost for regional, national and international recognition.

And finally, the duty on wine depending on your particular location can run into the double digits, as it does here in Taiwan, or be duty-free as it is in Hong Kong. I was just ‘wowed’ the other day when I saw a bottle of premium California Chardonnay, a perennial birthday favorite of mine, in Watson’s Wine Cellar in Hong Kong cheaper than I can purchase it in San Francisco (less than ninety miles from where it is produced).

Have some fun, get out your calculator and play around with some of the wines you find on the shelves here in Taipei. You now see that being an astute wine buyer takes more than a pundits score; it takes tasting and tasting and just a little more tasting to realize there is value to be found hidden behind all the hype and big brand promotion. What’s made wine so interesting and fun for me has been looking for that quality bottle of wine at a good value sans the hype.

Bonne Degustation

Mark loves to hear from you with all your questions concerning the world of wine and spirits. Feel free to email him at: mark.vinvinowine@gmail.com or visit his informative site at www.vinvinowine.asia.

17november 2010

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18 november 2010

15th Annual Community Services Center – Auction Dinner

Nov_p3-end.indd 18 2010/10/27 12:08:08 PM

19november 2010

15th Annual Community Services Center – Auction Dinner

Nov_p3-end.indd 19 2010/10/28 4:14:19 PM

Every month, the Community Services Center chooses a restaurant to gather with friends and enjoy the tastes of Taipei.

The month of November, join us in dining at Cafe India on the chosen date and Vincent will donate a portion of the price of your dinner to the

Community Services Center.

This Month:CAFE INDIA (INDIAN CUISINE)

Wednesday, November 24 · 6:30pm - 10:30pm

1Floor, 30 Keqiang Road, Shilin District, Taipei Near Lan Ya Elementary School,

Tel : 2837-7365 Cell : 0933-906817

Please call the restaurant to make your reservation. Make sure you tell them that The Center sent you. t

Nov_p3-end.indd 20 2010/10/28 4:14:49 PM

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Center CoursesNovember 2010

To sign up, please call The Center at 2836-8134 or 2838-4947

tTAS Orphanage Club

Visit www.orphanageclub.com.

Cathwel Outing November 20th (Saturday) 7:45 am - 5 pm

This is the third outing of the year! One group will deal with toddlers and the other will work with boys between the ages of 6 and 17. Please contact us at tas.orphanageclub@gmail.com if you are interested in coming.

Chung-Yi Outing November 21st (Sunday) 7:30 am - 5 pm

This is also the third outing of the year! Our Chung-Yi group ranges in age from 5 to 17 years.

Please contact us at tas.orphanageclub@gmail.com if you are interested in going.

We will sell donated items, including clothes, household appliances, and toys.

Rummage Sale/Flea Market November 13th (Saturday) 10 am - 3 pm

Annual Raffle

The Annual Raffle Draw will take place in February. If your company has any prize donations, please contact us at tas.orphanageclub@gmail.com. Also, we will begin selling raffle tickets in November. Help orphans and win exciting prizes!Pearl. S. Buck Foundation

Christmas Party

In December, we will host the Pearl S. Buck Christmas Party. We will need turkeys and gravy, mashed potatoes, fruit, desserts, as well as Indonesian, Vietnamese, Filipino, and many more types of cuisines for more than six hundred guests.

21november 2010

First Meeting Date Time Activity

11/1 10:00 am Chi Gong 2 11/2 9:30 am Su-Ho Paper Museum Tour11/2 7:00 pm Easy Yoga 211/3 7:00 pm Towards Inner Harmony11/3 9:00 am Survival Chinese 111/3 10:30 am Survival Chinese 211/4 8:30 am Dharma Drum Mountain Tour & Vegetarian Lunch11/4 7:00 pm Taiwan A to Z: A Cultural Snapshot11/4 9:15 am Kindermusik I11/5 12:00 noon Beginning Golf 211/5 12:00 noon Chinese Lantern Painting11/5 10:00 am What's Cooking: Taiwanese Vegetarian 11/9 8:30 am Breakfast with the Locals Tour11/9 12:00 noon Scrapbooking Workshop11/12 10:00 am What's Cooking: Hors d'Oeuvres for that Special Occasion11/17 8:30 am Looking for Gold and Drinking Tea in Jiufen Tour11/19 10:00 am CANCELLED: What's Cooking: Fondue Party! 11/19 10:00 am What's Cooking: Indian Vegetarian 2 11/22 9:00 am Jinbaoli Trail Hike11/29 12:30 pm Lecture: Chinese Feng Shui and Your Health

Nov_p3-end.indd 21 2010/10/28 4:15:13 PM

22 november 2010

Wooden Shoes Art

The Wooden Shoes Art - Charity Project aims to introduce and encourage a convergence of Dutch and Taiwanese cultures as part of the Tainan Holland days event, and also raise funds to support underprivileged families living in Taiwan. The event was initiated by the Netherlands Trade & Investment

Office (NTIO) and is successfully running due to a successful cooperation between NTIO, Tainan City Government and the charity organization World Vision Taiwan.

In the event’s central activity, nearly seventy artists and designers decorated a pair of traditional wooden shoes (clogs) from Holland, with the most beautiful creations. The organizers are very grateful to the artists for making the clogs into a beautiful piece of art.

World Vision Taiwan also invited 36 children from southern Taiwan’s Rukai tribe to paint smaller wooden clogs. These 36 painted shoes, together with the other pairs, will be on display during the Tainan Holland days at the Anping Treehouse in Tainan.

After this first exhibition the shoes will be on display during the opening weeks of the Taipei International Flora Exposition, at the Holland Garden - Green City, Quality of Life section in the Taipei Artistic Park Area, Units 17, 18, 19, Global Garden Area.

TexT: AnnemArie PoT, ProjecT coordinATor for HollAnd dAysimAges: courTesy of neTHerlAnds TrAde & invesTmenT office, TAiwAn

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23november 2010

Visit the Holland Garden at the Taipei International Flora Exposition, and take a look at the art wooden shoes exhibition, or make an online bid on the art wooden shoes and the wooden shoes painted by the Rukai children. Presently the organizers are still in discussion about the exact bidding period but the decided procedure will be explained on the World Vision auction website (http://auction.worldvision.org.tw), sponsored by Yahoo. (1 - 10 November: auction period of art wooden shoes; 11 - 20 November: auction period of children wooden shoes)

All proceeds from this auction will go to support the educational aid program from World Vision Taiwan. The charity organization expects to support at least 73 children in Maolin Township, Kaohsiung County. These families are still suffering from the damaging effects of typhoon Morakot.

So go online and place your bid! If you’re the highest bidder you’ll receive the beautifully decorated shoes, and at the same time you’ll be supporting a worthwhile charity. And there is more to gain. The twenty buyers with the highest bids will be rewarded with a special edition USB sticker from sponsor KLM, while the highest bidder will receive a free return ticket on KLM from Taipei to Amsterdam.

Thank you in advance for your generous bid!

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24 november 2010

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Mark your calendars, because the St. Lucy’s Charity Bazaar, one of the best shopping opportunities of the year, is scheduled to take place from 10 am to 2 pm on Thursday, November 18th at the

American Club. Currently in its 9th year, the original idea for this event

came about when a small group of expatriate women were inspired by the good works being done by the St. Lucy’s Center in Tainan, which was then a small local organization in need of financial support. In their search for a way to raise funds to help, these women planned the first shopping bazaar at the American Club in November 2002.

Today, thanks to a rotating but dedicated committee of volunteers, the St. Lucy’s Bazaar has become a tradition that takes place each year on the third Thursday of each November. It is an event that many look forward to attending, whether as a shopper or participating vendor. It’s also one small way for those of us who currently call Taipei home to give back to a place where we are welcomed so kindly and graciously.

All funds raised at the Bazaar will be donated to the Good Shepherd orphanages and homes in Taiwan, with the main beneficiary being the St. Lucy Center in Tainan. Currently operating under the umbrella of the Good Shepherd Social Welfare Foundation, St. Lucy’s continues to provide assistance to birth families who find themselves

unable physically, emotionally or financially to care for their children. Most of the birth mothers that they assist are young, unwed, and in need of medical assistance, counseling and adoption related services for themselves and their unborn children. Last year’s Bazaar raised over NT$430,000, which was used towards projects to enhance the St. Lucy Center’s facility, as well as to purchase food, clothing and other necessities needed for the children and families they support.

For those interested in attending, entrance tickets for the Bazaar can be purchased at the Taipei American School, Taipei European School, Community Services Center and the American Club in China. The cost of admission is NT$650, which includes a delicious light buffet lunch and gives access to the shopping hall of nearly thirty vendors selling a wide and wonderful array of gifts, clothing, antiques, jewelry, local crafts and other interesting items. Based upon last year’s event, the St. Lucy’s organizing committee anticipates another year of sell-out attendance by three hundred members of the local and expatriate community.

If you are looking for a way to spend a fun day out with friends, enjoy good food and beverages, shop for holiday gifts, possibly win a prize, AND support a very good cause, then this is an event you should not miss. For more information, contact the organizing committee at hope2002@gmail.com or call the American Club on 2885-8260.

TexT: RosemaRy susa

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Mark your calendars, because the St. Lucy’s Charity Bazaar, one of the best shopping opportunities of the year, is scheduled to take place from 10 am to 2 pm on Thursday, November 18th at the

American Club. Currently in its 9th year, the original idea for this event

came about when a small group of expatriate women were inspired by the good works being done by the St. Lucy’s Center in Tainan, which was then a small local organization in need of financial support. In their search for a way to raise funds to help, these women planned the first shopping bazaar at the American Club in November 2002.

Today, thanks to a rotating but dedicated committee of volunteers, the St. Lucythat takes place each year on the third Thursday of each November. It is an event t

unable physically, emotionally or financially to care for their children. Most of the birth mothers that they assist are young, unwed, and in need of medical assistance, counseling and adoption related services for themselves and their unborn children. Last yearwas used towards projects to enhance the St. Lucy Centerfacility, as well as to purchase food, clothing and other necessities needed for the children and families they support.

TexTTexTTex : RosemaT: RosemaT

St Lucy’s Bazaar

Nov_p3-end.indd 24 2010/10/28 4:16:39 PM

co

MM

un

ity

BY KaThrYn Bai

There are many ways for high school students to spend their summer: lying on the beach, shopping at the mall, or playing video games. For those who seek a more rigorous academic option, a

summer internship is an option to consider. This year, over fifty TAS high school students, mostly juniors, spent six weeks doing internships around Taiwan, ranging from engineering to scientific research.

Mr David Devore, an upper school science teacher, was i n s t r u m e n t a l i n h e l p i n g students find companies to work with. He said, “Using [the previous coordinator’s] connections and our own, we went and had meetings and went to contact people.” Sometimes a group of students would to go to a hospital or research center and have interviews, and be hired later in the summer. “People were very willing” said Mr Devore, “Research takes a long time; when high school students finish school they can do some amazing things, and the employers see them as the future of research.”

Kevin Liou (11), was one of the many students participating in the Internship program, trying to apply the science skills he learned over the summer to real-world situations. TAS partnered with Siemens to help the school ‘go green’ and over the summer while Siemens was doing an energy audit of the school, Kevin was part of the team. After doing an assessment of the school’s energy output, by studying light luminosity, relative humidity,

and the Air Handling Unit, Kevin helped plan a course of action. “Later on, I began doing various measurements such as light, air, and glass throughout TAS and find places to improve on. This might include a reconstruction of the memorial garden and also new implementations on

the windows at TAS” said Kevin. What starts as a six week internship

can sometimes lead to a full year job. Mr Devore said, “The goal is to

go from a summer internship to year-round jobs that are in the same area of study.” Sarah Bruce (11) is one such student. This year, she will be continuing her research at

Academica Sinica, a prominent research center in Taiwan. “The

research that I am doing is a part of the team at Academica Sinica to fuse

an antibody and protein together so that it is more sensitive” said Sarah.

The internships allowed the students to begin to learn outside the classroom, a bridge from school to the real world. “It was a nice experience since we got to apply physics and stuff learned in school to real situations” said Kevin, “Learning such stuff also helped me become aware of the world around us”.

Kathryn Bai is a 10th grade student at Taipei American School.

Taipei American School Summer Academy Internships

25november 2010

Dirk Diestel’s new taiwan photo Calendar 2011 will be available from mid november. size a3, with 14 pages including a strong envelope for mailing.the first 50 buyers in the Center get one taiwan photo 2010 Calendar free.

this photo calendar 2011 will be the 5th and last edition. after 6 years in taiwan the Diestel family will be returning to Germany in the summer of 2011.

dirk diestel

Nov_p3-end.indd 25 2010/10/27 12:08:48 PM

let's go

ISLAND IN THE STREAM

text: richard saunders images: richard saunders & roma mehta

A small, mountainous and mysterious isle rising out of the blue Pacific off the coast of Ilan County, Turtle Island is an active volcano featuring a pair of lakes, hot and cold springs and a rich ecology. It’s a breathtakingly scenic

destination, even by Taiwan’s exulted standards.

26 november 2010

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27november 2010

We’re among the last to reach the summit, a good hour after starting the climb, and since by the time we arrive most other members of our group are already on the way down

to snag a lunchbox (already waiting back at the visitor center), we have the unexpected pleasure of having the summit almost to ourselves.

And what a summit! We happily spend nearly half an hour enjoying the peace, and gazing at the awesome panorama over the island’s plunging eastern slopes, and the powder-blue waters created by the famous underwater hot springs just offshore - a dramatic contrast with the deep blue of the surrounding ocean, glistening in the hot sun on this magnificent, cloudless day.

We’re standing on a stumpy little tower built at the summit of Turtle Island (龜山島), nine kilometers off the coast of Ilan County in northeast Taiwan. Because the highest point of the island is only 398 meters above sea level, someone had the bright idea of building the tower at the top to push the total altitude over the 400-meter level. The structure is only a few meters high, but, apart from supplying that important bit of extra height, it also lifts hikers above the silver grass that restricts the view from ground level, to better enjoy the spectacular view laid out below.

a WorthWhilE hasslEVisiting Turtle Island (and obtaining the necessary

permit to land there) has only been possible for the last ten years. The island was a restricted military zone between 1977 and 2000, the year when it and the surrounding ocean became a protected maritime nature reserve. Because of this, gaining permission to land is enough of a hassle that I’ve only been there once before, eight or nine years ago, and that time I never even landed. Permission to climb the path to the highest point of the island is even more difficult to get, so when I noticed a local hiking group included the hike to the summit of the island in their autumn schedule this year, I jumped at the chance to join them, and bought a couple of hiking friends along too.

These days boat trips to Turtle Island mostly go from Wushih Harbor (烏石漁港), just outside Toucheng (頭城) in northern Ilan County. The boats are modern and comfortable yachts, although the operators insist everyone wears a life jacket for the twenty-five minute crossing, as though the vessel was in imminent danger of

capsizing. It’s a short but attractive passage. Turtle Island lies in the path of a nutrient-rich ocean current, and there’s a good chance you’ll see dolphins following the boat, and, in spring, startled flying fish can often be seen skimming improbable distances over the water beside the vessel.

various pErspECtivEs As our boat neared land, the island presents its softest,

least impressive aspect, and compared with memories of how spectacular it seemed on my last visit, first impressions were slightly disappointing. Not to worry: the island’s most awesome cliffs, which lie round the other side, will be seen later, as all boats circumnavigate the island (usually at the end of the trip), giving plenty of time to view the scenery; take plenty of memory or film for the camera: you’re going to need it!

The boat docked at the island’s little harbor and we all tramped off and made the short walk to the small visitor center which lies close to the turtle’s ‘tail,’ a kilometer-long bar of shingle which ‘wags’ to the left or right, according to the prevailing current (which changes direction several times during the year).

Visitor numbers on Turtle Island are supposedly strictly limited, but there seemed to be several hundred already on land when we arrived, judging from the numbers listening to instructions from their respective leaders barked at them through noisy megaphones, forming long lines for the visitor-center loos, or posing in front of the big sign out front for the compulsory group photo.

lagging bEhindWe soon left all of them behind, however, as (proud

holders of the hard-to-get summit path permit) we started the 1,708-step climb up to the top of the island. The sun was already beating down mercilessly on us and as we panted up the steep, endless flight of steps at 10 am this baking hot day in September. My three friends and myself are all far younger than most of the other twenty-five members of our group (the most senior hiker was apparent ly in h i s mid 80s!) and yet these hardy old folk left us far behind within the first

Nov_p3-end.indd 27 2010/10/27 12:08:58 PM

november 201028

ten minutes. Clearly they tackled steps like this every morning on their daily constitutional!

The trail up the lushly forested slopes of the island was occasionally relieved by the sight of an enormous spider perched above our heads, or a view through a clearing in the overhead cover, revealing the shingle bar of the Turtle’s tail, but it was that inspiring view at the end that made the long slog really worthwhile.

We were back down at the visitor center near the island’s harbor before we met up once again with most of our fellow hikers, most of whom had already eaten and were chatting happily about the day’s events as we grabbed the last of the day’s lunchboxes. Almost all the shade hereabouts had already been claimed, so to seek shelter from the mercilessly powerful sun, we huddled under the entrance porch of the island’s little Guanyin temple, on the shore of the large lake nearby.

The area around this large, brackish lake is the only flat area on Turtle Island, and the sole place where fresh water can be found, thanks to the large cold spring on the bank of the lake. This was the area first settled when people began settling on the island, in 1853. By 1967 Turtle Island’s population had swollen to 750, and the village even had a school. The inhabitants were all relocated to the mainland in 1977 when the army swiped the island and turned it into a restricted military zone.

brEaking aWayAfter lunch, we pretended to forget to meet the

remainder of our group for a scheduled guided tour around the lake area, and instead explored its banks by ourselves, enjoying the magnificent scenery and the peace away from those confounded megaphones without which any Taiwanese group leader would surely feel incomplete.

The unlovely sounds of electronically amplified voices did occasionally drift over the water towards us from a group exploring the abandoned school area across the lake, but for the most part, our explorations were blissfully peaceful and undisturbed. We ended up

at the far end of the lake, where a series of tunnels, 800 meters long, are bored into the cliff, ending at a series of gun emplacements which offer wonderful views over the ocean. Mysteriously, the one huge gun still on site here points not out to sea but directly towards mainland Taiwan.

We continued to successfully elude the rest of our thirty-strong group (although our group leader kept close tabs on us via regular calls to my cell phone) until it was time to reluctantly head back to the harbor and leave this magnificent island. However we still had some of the best scenery of the day to look forward to, as the boat made a loop around the island, passing the amazing cliffs of its far side, and passing over the underwater hot springs, which bubble up to the surface around the Turtle’s Head.

It was about 4 pm before we finally sailed back to Wushih Harbor, and we’d have been very happy to head straight home. Unfortunately, this being a local tour we still had a 90-minute tour of a whisky distillery in Yuanshan, half an hour to the south, and the compulsory group dinner to get through before we were finally dropped off in Taipei at nearly 9 pm. A long day, then, but absolutely, one-hundred percent worth it.

Mysterious Turtle Island is an absolutely stunning place.

Richard Saunders is a trained classical musician who graduated from the London College of Music in 1988. Richard currently writes our guide to concert going in Taipei "Richard Recommends." Richard's books Taipei Day Trips 1 and 2 and Yangmingshan – The Guide are now available in The Center and selected book shops.

The season for sightseeing boats to Turtle island runs from 1st march to the end of november. on sunny weekends, it’s sometimes possible to get on a dolphin-spotting boat trip (which encircles the island but doesn’t land), by simply turning up at Wushih harbor, but it’s better to book the trip and obtain a landing permit for Turtle island a couple of weeks in advance. Permits can be obtained online, although the english language website of the northeast coast and ilan national Scenic area, which is a triumph of pretty photos and design over any real informational value, gives no useful information regarding permits at all. chinese readers can apply online at https://kueishan.necoast-nsa.gov.tw/main.php?id=252. alternatively, staff at

the national Scenic area headquarters in Fulung (02-2499-1115) speak good english and can offer advice on getting permits, so it’s worth phoning them. an easier method, assuming one of your party can speak chinese (and especially if you’d like to climb to the summit of the island, as these permits are harder to get hold of) is to join a trip run by a local hiking club, and get them to organize everything, as we did. Yuefeng explorer ( http://www.wretch.cc/blog/yfexplorer/8395550), organizes trips to the island’s summit four or five times each year, between may and September; other clubs also occasionally advertise the trip in their schedules, which can be found at better hiking supplies shops around Taipei.

gEtting thErE

Nov_p3-end.indd 28 2010/10/27 12:09:01 PM

29november 2010

gen

eratio

n y

29november 2010

it does not matter who we are or where we come from, when it comes to parenting, education is the first priority.

W h e n t h e f i r s t s c r e a m o f a newborn echoes through the delivery room, the room is not only shaken, but it is filled with new life. A parent’s job is to nurture and educate this new life. Every parent wishes to provide a better environment for their child, but they must be cautious not to cross the line.

My mother supported herself ever since she was thirteen; the insufficient money that she earned was like a precious diamond for her. I, on the other hand, grew up never having to worry about breakfast, lunch or dinner. I always knew my school fee and living expenses were taken care of, and I still do. My living conditions and environment compared to my mothe r’s a r e luxurious. However, my parents have always been careful not to cross the line between providing a better quality of life, and spoiling my brother and I. All parents should be

very aware of this line. I witness the countless students at

school that have their helpers carry schoolbags for them. I witness the mothers and fathers who are too afraid to let their child experience the real world. I think to myself, when will their child learn to be independent? I feel that a lot of parents these days are having a difficult time letting go. Even if there is no hired help around the house, many parents today don't give their children a chance to do any household chores or errands; the child is often overprotected. When it comes to children, we need to let them experience both the luxuries and bitterness of life.

While growing up, I experienced countless small cuts and falls, and so when something like this happened, I ran straight to my father.

"Leat, it’s only a small cut, you will be fine. Even I get cuts all the time, but there really is no reason to make a big fuss about it. Life isn't perfect. We all have our ups and downs." At a young age, I didn't

understand the latter part, but I certainly do so now. Allowing young adults to understand that life isn't always bright and cheery and that soon they will be on their own, will help them fit into society in a less stressful way. Even in my senior class, some students are still trapped in their own safety bubble.

In my college counseling class last year, we were asked to show by a raise of hands, who knew how to do laundry. Only about half of the students raised their hands. What happened to the rest?

I once read in a magazine about a mother who phoned the college her son had been accepted to. “Who would be doing my son’s laundry?” She asked. It is easy to assume that basic living abilities and skills should be familiar to a young adult, but I fear that this is not so true anymore. I’m grateful that my parents made sure they taught me how to be independent.

My father used to repeat, "watch, and learn." After years of hearing this, I am now confident in the

exPoSiTorY WriTing: leaT ahronY

gen

eratio

n y

ARE WE

SPOILING THE YOUNG?

Nov_p3-end.indd 29 2010/10/27 12:09:02 PM

30 november 2010

a r e a s o f c o o k i n g, b a k i n g, grocery shopping, and monthly budget accountings. A familiar conversation that my mother and I used to have goes as follows:

"Do you have two hands Leat?"

"Yes""Do you have two legs?""Yes""So then what's stopping you

from doing i t? I f you want to go somewhere, there i s pub l i c transportation or your bicycle. If you want to buy something that is out of our price range, you can work and earn your own money."

The truth is, if a bird is left in its cage, it will not learn how to fly. If a child never receives the chance to do household chores or clean up after their own mess, he or she will not have the ability to do so. My mother told me time and time again that she doesn't want any of her children to go through the bitterness and hell of her childhood, but she also stresses that my brother and I shouldn't be spoiled either.

Growing up in a family business, I know what hard work is, but for many young teenagers these days, money is easy come and easy go. It should not be this way. I spent my past two summers doing internships. I didn't receive a penny, but I worked as hard as hell. The point of working was to let me experience how much time, effort, and sweat it takes in order to receive one fourth the cost of a Gucci bag.

Yo u d o n ' t n e e d a w e a l t h y background to spoil your child. A little over protectiveness, and too much of I-will-do-it-for-you, can make your child more spoiled than you can ever imagine. Perhaps when young adults are still living in the comforts of their home, neither the parents nor the child realizes the

dangers of not being experienced or knowledgeab le about the outside world, something I call reality.

Sometimes you are gobsmacked to hea r abou t someone's 21 year-old son not knowing how to do laundry or clean the toilet,

or how to manage their monthly budgets and expenses. But then, you think quietly to yourself, does my child know how to do his/her monthly expenses budgeting?

Every generation should enjoy a better quality of living, but they should also learn how to survive without familiar luxuries. It doesn't matter if you are poor, rich, or in between. What really matters in the end is how we educate our children. After all, the future depends on them.

Every generation should learn how to survive

without familiar luxuries

Nov_p3-end.indd 30 2010/10/28 4:19:25 PM

31november 2010

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Tel: 02-2836-1000 Fax: 02-2831-9942E-mail: info@alliedpickfords.com.tw

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call paula lee for details at 0926 956 844, or emailpaulalee@community .com.tw

Nov_p3-end.indd 31 2010/10/28 4:19:47 PM

32 november 2010

Agape3F, 21 ChangChun road, Taipei, TaiwanTel: 2598-1009 (office)csc@agapeicataipei.orgwww.agapeicataipei.org

Anglican Episcopal ChurchChurch of the Good Shepherd509 ZhongCheng rd., ShilinTel: 2873-8104, 2882-2462 www.goodshepherd.com.tw/english/

Calvary International Baptist Church21, YangDe blvd., Sec. 2, YangmingshanTel: 2831-3458 Fax: 2838-5792

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints5, Lane 183, JinHua StreetTel: 2321-9195, 0939-687-178

City Revival Churchb1, 210, ZhongXiao e. rd., Sec. 4Tel: 8921-8250 Fax: 8921-8272doris.henry@msa.hinet.net

Friendship Presbyterian Church5, Lane 269, roosevelt rd., Sec. 3Tel: 2362-1395

Grace Baptist Church90 XinSheng S. rd., Sec. 3Tel: 2362-5321 ext. 135

Jewish CommunityFor information call Ahrony Yoram on 0939-763-135

Living Word Churchb1, 304, ShiDong road, ShilinTel: 2834-6549

Mother of God Catholic Church171 ZhongShan n. rd., Sec. 7, TianmuTel: 2871-5168 Fax: 2871-7972www.geocities.com/mother_of_god_churchvanaert@iplus.net.tw

New Apostolic Church2F, no. 5, Lane 39, Keelung rd, sec. 2, Taipeiwww.nac-taiwan.org, info@nac-taiwan.org

New Life International Seventh-day Adventist Church4th Fl. Health Center- Taipei Adventist Hospital424 ba De rd. Sec. 2, Taipei 105Pr. robbie berghan 0958-732-704www.nlisda.orgemail: rberghan@twcadventist.org.tw

Oasis Bread of Life Christian Church10F, #55, ZhongCheng rd, Sec. 2(DaYeh Takashimaya, Tian mu)Tel: 28310299 Fax: 28317214http://www.oasis.org.tw email: oasis@oasiscf.org.tw

Suang-Lien Presbyterian Church, English MinistryZhongshan n. road, Section 2, Taipeiwww.slpcenglish.org

Taipei Holiness Church(Charismatic International Service)every Sunday morning at 10.45am with Pastor Sandra ee5F, #107 nanking east road Section 4, TaipeiTe: 27123242

Taipei International Churchmeets at the Taipei American School800 ZhongShan n. rd., Sec. 6, TianmuTel: 2833-7444 Fax: 2835-2778www.taipeichurch.org/ gateway.htm

TAIPEI JEWISH SERVICES Sheraton Taipei Hotel12, Zhongxiao east road, Section 1, TaipeiTel: 2592-2840, Fax: 2594-3892 e-mail: einhorn912@xuite.net

Transforming Faith Church (f.k.a. Bread of Life Christian Church)5F, 295 ZhongXiao e. rd., Sec. 4Tel: 8772-2207 Fax: 8772-2210fellowship@transformingfaith.org.tw

Worship Directory (For full details of services please refer to Taipei Living or contact the church organization directly)

PERSIMMON 柿子 [shizi]

T h e r e a r e t h r e e kinds of persimmon in Ta iwan, dur ing t h e s e a s o n ( f r o m October to December). The two on the left are originally from

Taiwan; the one on the right is from Japan and is also grown in Taiwan. The left one tastes crisp, the middle one is very soft with edible seeds, while the right one is sweeter and crisp as well. The Japanese variety can be mixed with green salads or made into jam. When buying persimmon, choose the more orange, riper and sweeter ones (the middle variety should be softer to the touch).

Persimmon contains a very high nutrition value of carotene, vitamin C, glucose, fructose and calcium, phosphorus, iron and other minerals. It is not only a healthy fruit but is also used in Chinese medicine. It has been proven that persimmon is good for the lungs, can heal coughs and thirst, and stop vomiting, amongst other benefits. It can also help lower high blood pressure, cure bleeding hemorrhoids, constipation, and hangovers. There is one well known taboo for eating persimmon. It is known to cause diarrhea and vomiting if taken after eating crab.

(The crab season is the same as persimmon.) Fresh persimmon must be peeled before serving, because

the skin is bad for the stomach. Other than serving it fresh, persimmon can be preserved by peeling and and sun-drying the fruit. The high sugar content of persimmon crystallizes on the surface, forming a white sheen after it dries. The preserved persimmon hence has an even higher concentration of nutrition than the fresh one.

PERSIMMON JAM 柿子果醬 [shizi guojiang]I ng r ed i en t s: J apane s e variety of persimmon, stalk removed & peeled.Directions: Choose very r i p e o r a n g e J a p a n e s e persimmon. Finely dice or grate. Place persimmon in a saucepan, and cook

on low heat. No water or sugar is added, so the heat must be very low to avoid burning. Simmer for about 20~30 minutes to jam consistency. A dash of lemon juice can be added during simmering to brighten the color. Allow jam to cool down slightly. Pour into glass jars, seal and turn upside down until cool. The jam can be stored in the refrigerator for two to three weeks.

PERSIMMONtext & Images: Ivy Chen, stoCk photo

Nov_p3-end.indd 32 2010/10/28 4:20:28 PM

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) 2836-6994 caliq17@yahoo.com http://www.aataiwan.atfreeweb.com/english.htmAl-anon (English speaking) alanonfamilygroup@hotmail.comAlliance Française de Taiwan 2364-8833/ 2364-1919 info@alliancefrancaise.org.tw www.alliancefrancaise.org.tw American Chamber of Commerce 2718-8226 amcham@amcham.com.twAmerican Club in China 2885-8260 www.americanclub.org.twAmerican Institute in Taiwan 2162-2000 www.ait.org.twAmnesty International 2709-4162 amnesty.taiwan@gmail.com, www.aitaiwan.org.tw Australia & New Zealand Chamber of Commerce (ANZCham) 7701 0818/ 0922 109 089 secretary@anzcham.org.tw www.anzcham.org.twBritish Chamber of Commerce 2720 1919 www.bcctaipei.comCanadian Society 2757-6977 www.canadiansociety.orgChristian Salvation Service 2729-0265 www.csstpe.org.twCommunity Services Center 2836-8134 www.community.com.twDemocrats Abroad (Tammy Turner) democratsabroadtaiwan@gmail.com Dutch Speaking Association (VNT) www.vntonline.orgEuropean Chamber of Commerce 2740-0236 www.ecct.com.twGateway 2833-7444 gateway@taipeichurch.orgGerman Institute 2501-6188 www.taipei.diplo.deGerman Trade Office 8758-5800 www.taiwan.ahk.deGoethe-Institut Taipei 2506-9028 www.goethe.de/taipeiIndians' Association of Taipei 2542-8091 lalduru@seed.net.twInternational Community Choir 2533-4272 internationalchoir@gmail.comLa Leche League (Breastfeeding Support) www.lalecheleague.orglé the francophone thefrancopnone@hotmail.fr , http://thefrancophone.unblog.fr/ Lions Downtown Club Taipei, English speaking (Peter Wu) 2701-1811 www.tapeidowntowntw.lionwap.orgOasis Youth Group 2831-0299 Overseas Trailing Talent in Taiwan TaipeiTalent@yahoo.comParadyme Youth Group 2833-7444 www.paradymeyouth.orgPOW Camps Memorial Society (Michael Hurst) 8660-8438 www.powtaiwan.orgRepublicans Abroad Taiwan 2592 2840 einhorn@ttn.netShilin District Office 2882-6200 www.sld.gov.twSpanish Chamber Of Commerce ( ) 2518 4901~3 www.consuladoentaipei.maec.esTagalog Hotline 2834-4127 paultic@ispeed.comTaipei International Women’s Club 2331-9403 www.tiwc.orgTYPA (Taipei Youth Program Association) 2873-1815 www.typa.org.tw

SCHOOLS Dominican International School 2533-8451 www.dishs.tp.edu.twGrace Christian Academy 2785-7233 www.gca.tp.edu.twMorrison Academy 2365-9691 www.mca.org.twTaipei Adventist American School 2861-6400 www.taas-taiwan.comTaipei American School 2873-9900 www.tas.edu.twTaipei European School 8145-9007 www.taipeieuropeanschool.comTaipei Japanese School 2872-3833 www.taipeijf.org

SPORTS Biking Site in Taiwan http://www.cycletaiwan.com/Hash House Harriers 0952-025-116 www.chinahash.comInternational Golf Society of Taipei www.taiwan-golf.comScottish Country Dancing (May Chen) 2706 3179 maychen321@pchome.com.twTaipei Women’s International Golf Group (TWIGG) 2691 5912 twiggtaipei@hotmail.com Tai Tai’s Women’s Touch Rugby 0981-180-020 blandm@tas.edu.tw Taipei Baboons Rugby Club - Taiwan 0952 67 1995 bernierua@gmail.comTaipei Shebabs Women’s Touch Rugby 0913-602-071 johnnayoder@yahoo.com

Argentina 2757-6556Australia 8725-4100Austria 2712-8597Belgium 2715-1215Belize 2876-0894Bolivia 2723-8721Brazil 2835-7388Britain 8758-2088Brunei 2506-3767 Burkina Faso 2873-3096Canada 8723-3000Chad 2874-2943Chile 2723-0329Costa Rica 2875-2964Czech Republic 2722-5100Denmark 2718-2101Dominican Republic 2875-1357El Salvador 2876-3509Fiji 2757-9596Finland 2722-0764France 3518-5151

Gambia 2875-3911German Institute 2501-6188Guatemala 2875-6952Haiti 2876-6718Honduras 2875-5512Hungary 8501-1200India 2757-6112Indonesia 8752-6179Ireland 2725-1691Israel 2757-9692Italy 2725-1542Japan 2713-8000Jordan 2871-7712Korea 2725-2324Malaysia 2713-2626Mexico 2757-6566Netherlands 2713-5760New Zealand 2757-6725Nicaragua 2874-9034Nigeria 2757-6987Norway 2543-5484

Oman 2722-0684Panama 2509-9189Paraguay 2873-6310Peru 2757-7017Philippines 2723-2527Poland 2757-6140Russia 8780-3011Saudi Arabia 2876-1444Senegal 2876-6519Singapore 2772-1940Slovak Republic 8780-3231South Africa 2715-3251Spain 2518-4901Swaziland 2872-5934Sweden 2757-6573Switzerland 2720-1001Thailand 2723-1800Turkey 2757-7318United States 2162-2000Vietnam 2516-6626

ORganizaTiOn TeLePHOne WebSiTe/emaiL addReSS

COUnTRY RePReSenTaTiVeS in TaiWanCOUnTRY TeLePHOne COUnTRY TeLePHOne COUnTRY TeLePHOne

COMMUNITY GROUPS

a commercial office and a Spanish consulate

33nOVembeR 2010

Nov_p3-end.indd 33 2010/10/28 4:20:48 PM

The question I have been asked most frequently this week is “Was the Auction successful?” and in the weeks leading up to the Auction everybody kept telling me that they hoped it would “be a success”. And it made me think about what the definition of a successful auction really is…is it about the money raised? Partly. Is it about having fun? Sure, in some way… but it is much more than just a single measurable outcome. So, after great deliberation, my simple criteria for a successful auction comes down to the following:

1) Did it look good?2) Did people have fun?3) And did we make enough to keep doing what we do?

And on all outcomes this really was (as we came to call it during preparation) one of the Best Auctions EVAH.

1) The Grand Ballroom looked fantastic. This was a combination of the Hyatt staff, our own design divas Lauren and Lisa, and the wonderful stuff that had been donated by all the wonderful people and companies of Taipei. And the reason the stuff was all there in the first place was because of the generosity of Crown Relocations carrying it all there for us!

2) I saw a lot of smiles that Saturday night. Thanks have to go out for the food and service from the Grand Hyatt, the wonderful wines from Pernod Ricard, the whiskey from Spey, the Coke from Coca Cola, the beer from Heineken. All these really helped us have a great time. And apart from the fantastic array of items for Auction I think everyone really enjoyed our special Have a Smart Weekend Raffle from Smart Car (does Chuck McElroy win EVERYTHING?) and the Standard Chartered Bank Grand Lucky Draw (five lucky people got ten times their money back…but why is it never me that wins…?). And many people pointed out how much better looking both our MC and our Auctioneer were than me (and they certainly had more hair!). I think we all got a kick out of Terry Engels’s laid back “rocker” charm and Dennis Nieh’s funny and charming Auctioneer.

3) And the fundraising was very successful too. We set a target to raise over two million NT dollars and we did it. Thanks to all of you!

So, if people happen to ask you if the Auction was successful, you can just say a simple “yes” and leave it at that. And thank you for that success. Thank you to all of our Volunteers and staff who helped throughout the night, thank you to our donors for giving us things to auction, and thank you as well to all the people who attended. As I said in my letters about the Auction to our donors: People need US, and we need YOU. We couldn’t have done it without you all.

Thanks for a successful Auction.

Steven Parker Director, Community Services Center

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Thanks for a successful Auction.

Steven Parker

Calendar of Events at The Center for November 2010

November 11th 10:30 am – noon November Special Topic Coffee Morning will be sweet-smelling and colorful as we celebrate the official opening of the Taipei International Flora Expo! Come enjoy the aroma of coffee brewing and f lowers blooming!

November 11th 5:30 pm Overseas Traveling Talent (OTT) Speaker Leon VanderPol – OTT brings together people interested in networking and learning how to grow professionally while in a foreign land. Call The Center for more details.

November 16th 10 am CSC Book Club – The Necklace by Cheryl Jarvis

November 24th Tastes of Taipei Join other Tianmu foodies at Café India for a taste of Indian cuisine: it’s a great way to donate to The Center! Call Café India and make a reservation for anytime on the evening of Wednesday, November 24th and they will give a portion of the proceeds to The Center!!Cafe India (India cuisine)30, Kejiang Road, Tianmu (Near Lanya Elementary School) Tel: 02-2837-7365

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dirk diestel One of the traditional tea shops in Jiufen.

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