Reviving Ethnic Diversity:
Preserving Taiwan’s Austronesian[1] Aboriginal Languages
“Language is much more than collections of words with meaning that can be translated – they embody whole perspectives on meaning which are not readily capable of translation, and they are a key resource for understanding culture.”
“Taiwan has been colonized by the Spanish (1626-1642), the Dutch (1624-1662), Ming Dynasty [...]
Archives for travel
Preserving Taiwan’s Austronesian Aboriginal Languages
Penghu: Casinos not the answer
A letter I wrote to the Taipei Times was published today:
Penghu(彭湖): Casinos not the answer
Sunday, Sep 14, 2008, Page 8
President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) comment that only economically disadvantaged outlying islands would be considered as casino venues needs a rethink (“Ma offers outlying islands hope of developing casinos,” Sept. 9, page 3).
A referendum held [...]
Typhoons in Taiwan
Today is a Typhoon day. That means that all schools, government offices etc are closed and it’s recommended that you stay indoors for your own safety. Typhoons frequently hit Taiwan between July and September, often causing casualties in mountainous regions prone to landslides and flash floods.
Today’s typhoon is called Sinlaku, which refers to the legendary [...]
Xinyi to go car-free on Monday Sept 22
The Taipei Times reports that Xinyi district in central Taipei will be car-free for the first time ever! I’m quite surprised that they chose a Monday to do this. The Taipei City government will also be having a group biking activity which will cover a distance of 16km on Sunday, Sept. 21.
Taipei city has hundreds [...]
Kinmen National Park 金門國家公園
Kinmen National Park 金門國家公園
In 1995, three years after the ending of the military administration of the island, Kinmen National Park was opened. It was Taiwan’s sixth national park and the first to have the primary aim of protecting historical and cultural heritage, and serve as a war memorial. Kinmen Island today is still a military [...]
Kinmen (金門) & Matsu (馬祖) gateway to China
On the 20th of June 2008 the Taipei Times reported that Kinmen and Matsu can be used by foreign nationals to enter China:
Effective immediately, Taiwanese and foreign nationals holding valid travel papers will be allowed to enter China via the outlying islands of Kinmen or Matsu, the Executive Yuan announced yesterday.
Previously, only certain Taiwanese residents [...]
Penghu: Cultural Heritage Tourism vs Casino Tourism
As with many places around the world Penghu is struggling to preserve it’s unique cultural heritage. Penghu’s coral limestone architecture is fast disappearing due to modernization and neglect.
Juming Museum 朱銘博物館
Currently Mandarin scholarship students must be enrolled for 12 contact hours per week (This will increase to 15 hours after August 31 2008). I have 8 hours of one-on-one classes, 2 hours language exchange and I complete a cultural activity once a week, such as visiting a museum. Below is an example of my [...]
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