Today's quote from a highly intelligent observer of Taiwan's politics: "ROC 100? This is really an exercise in Orwellian double-think and a KMTist distortion of history and an exclusion of a future history for Taiwan people."
Meanwhile, what's being reliably represented on the blogs today?
BLOGS:
- A narrow gauge rail line in Taiwan, for coal. The third in the series, with one and two. Pics from the 1990s, when the line was still operating. Way cool.
- My Kafkaesque Life's top ten Taiwanese songs
- How to order train tickets in Taiwan w/o a credit card.
- Peking Duck on the tasteless Tibet-flavored Super Bowl ad.
- OzSoapbox asks: is this the most Asian taxi in Taiwan?
- David on the Freak Out Beast Music Festival in Da An Park.
- Anniestan does the Year of the Rabbit
- Richard Matheson on The Third Prince
- Taiwan in Cycles on our awesome ride on Highway 21. This made-for-cyclists road should be on everyone's list.
- ETRC on the DPP's 2012 Dream Team.
- Fili explores NE Taiwan by train. Fili, it is even better on a bike.
- Ben with a hilarious Paypal fail. Ben, please tell me that is a hoax.
- Taiwan Matters! argues that we should say "Lunar New Year."
- Pat confronts the torment of neighbors.
- Kerim compares blogging platforms for teaching
- Pinyin Info chastises the government for the innumerable errors on its map of southern Taiwan.
- The China Beat has one of those romantic articles on Chinese culture, so much more awesome than our own: "Since historically China developed as a series of agricultural, farming-based communities that required virtues such as cooperation and harmony, the default position in Chinese thought is to bring together these opposing views in what is famously known as the middle-way, finding a solution that allows for the continuation of true community." This is because there were no agricultural, farming-based communities in the west -- it's been nothing but heavy industry for centuries -- remember Aristotle's writings on petrochemical plants? *sigh* Nisbett's Just So Stories are The Discovery Institute of China analysis.
- Taiwan to launch new supercomputer in July
- Freakonomics: the hidden side of trash in Taipei
- Our awesomely pragmatic and totally unideological president wants gov't officials in Taiwan to make sure they call China "the mainland" and "the other side" and never "China". Party like it's 1956, folks! I mean, can you imagine the conversation in the Ma household tonight....
PRESIDENT MA: I'm setting out the fine Mainland for our guests, honey. How many guests do we have?
MRS MA: What?
PRESIDENT MA: How many plates of fine Mainland do we need?
MRS MA: Uh....ok.... Six. I'll need some smaller plates for the appetizer, Chinese spring rolls.
PRESIDENT MA: Sorry darling, we call those Other Side Spring Rolls now.
MRS MA: Uh...right. So when I go to San Francisco, I'm visiting....
PRESIDENT MA: ....Mainlandtown.
MRS: MA: Ok...and ABCs are...?
PRESIDENT MA: ABOSers.
MRS MA: And you're the President of...?
PRESIDENT MA: ....The Republic of Mainland.
- Japan's generational inequality the world's worst.
- Wapo now hosts official Chinese propaganda.
- Francis Lam at Salon on how to make potstickers from scratch
- At Forumosa, a great post listing some biking trails in Hualien
- China now number 1 in PPP?
- Taiwan's media fights propaganda from gov't, China.
- Gov't apologizes for wrongful execution. For all that we hack on the Ma Administration, try and imagine some American state like Texas apologizing for its several apparent wrongful executions.
- From Brunei, an erratic but often correct piece on Taiwan with a strange title: "Can Withering, Anxious Taiwan Engage China?"
- Chinese experts arrive in Taiwan to help pandas mate. The mind reels.
- Taiwan recalls rep to the Philippines over the 14 Taiwanese sent to China, and also promises tighter screening of Filipinos sent to work in Taiwan. Philippine paper reports that half of OFWs might lose their jobs.
- Sharp, Chimei to team up in LCD production.
- Rock Climbing Taiwan
- Wiki page on Cold War defections of pilots, including China-Taiwan.
[Taiwan] Don't miss the comments below! And check out my blog and its sidebars for events, links to previous posts and picture posts, and scores of links to other Taiwan blogs and forums! Delenda est, baby.
15 comments:
I don't think it's a wise strategy to attack/demonize the ROC itself, won't score any points with most Taiwanese.
Ah but it is estimated that the Corpus Aristotelicum only comprises about a third of Aristotle's total work. His treatise Petroleum (in which petroleum is introduced as the sixth element, in addition to the previous five elements fire, earth, air, water and aether) must have been too difficult to transcribe, and therefore lost.
Mister bloggerman,
you once again show your white man arrogance to taiwan, why are you so arrogant and why did you come here to live if you don't like the people? money, only came for the money?
ATTN:
"Smile!" I shouted as I rode by. The daughter happily complied. Finally, mom grunted out a surly 'happy new year'" as we disappeared around the curve. It's great to be back in Taiwan.
PS - I am a foreign woman married
to a Taiwan man, we love it here.
I don't think it's a wise strategy to attack/demonize the ROC itself, won't score any points with most Taiwanese.
The issue isn't the ROC but how it is used.
PS - I am a foreign woman married
to a Taiwan man, we love it here.
Me too. If you can't read English, you might consider moving to another blog.
T from the UK: think before posting. If you are unhappy, you can always email me.
Michael, you can't fight double think by talking about it. Talking about ROC 100 only gives it additional, undeserved focus.
No, those of us who give a darn about Taiwan's history need to work extra hard, with some smarts and some advertising, to highlight, focus, bring to the foreground the narrative of the people and culture of Taiwan.
That's the only way we can change things.
Michael,
(On a happier note) I feel this pinprick daily (here in Shanghai) on the Mainland vs. China language police-ing. Recent example:
Colleague: Those printers are unreliable. They are made in Taiwan. Strange (I guess strange that Taiwan equipment is unreliable).
Me: Yeah, they do fail frequently. Maybe we should buy some Made-in-China equipment.
Colleague: Yeah. (followed by quick backpedalling...) I think you mean we should buy some "mainland-made" equipment.
Me: "Right" (of course, my intonation of sarcasm totally lost on colleague)
Maybe my colleagues can help me find the right path as I better learn the language ...)
Nice, PS. Looking forward to seeing you next month...
New Groupon Commercial featuring Pee Wee Herman:
"The people of Taiwan live in political limbo with no major country recognizing them as a democratic and independent nation. They are not included in or recognized by any important international organization, including the United Nations, despite the fact that they have had an independent government for decades, and are one of the world's largest economies, centers of scientific research, and seats of technological development and manufacturing. There are over 1500 ballistic and cruise missiles pointed at the island from a place some call China, which claims it will attack and invade the island if the Taiwanese declare independence. But they still make a great oyster omelet!"
Re: links
Of possible interest on Taiwan and the Senkakus. Prof. Shimojo's previous post also dealt with the same topic and is accessible through the tag at the end of the post.
http://ampontan.wordpress.com/2011/02/07/shimojo-masao-14-the-senkakus-weren%e2%80%99t-taiwanese-territory-either/
Dear Arrogant Bloggerman... HA!
Thanks for the laugh...
Anyway, just wanted to point out on the ChinaBeat blog that you mentioned, there is a article about Kissinger and a book he wrote called "On China" (available. May 2011)
I guess before the lying sack of shit dies he needs to the make excuses for all the damage that he has caused in his lifetime.
There are so many things that are outside our control. Even more so if you are a foreigner in Taiwan.
Language is one of the few things we can take control of beginning with ourselves. Language is power. Language is our daily referendum on our place in Taiwan. It would be a shame not to use its power when we have the opportunity.
Taiwan, China, Chinese, Taiwanese, ROC, Foreigner are all terms that are politically loaded and it is a lie to say they are not. Choose your words wisely to affect how change happens. We all have a place here in Taiwan and it is up to us to begin expanding and defining that space with the words we choose.
This may be relevant to your interests: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lin_Wang
@Anon, thanks for the The Lin-Wang wiki link! FYI: DanshuiHistory just did a post on the old YuanShan Zoo.
@MT, thanks for the RailAsia link. Upon leaving a few comments at that site, another person dropped a few other interesting Taiwan history links relating to the old pushcart service including a video. I updated a page on taipics.com (pushcarts) with the video if anyone is interested.
I also commented on the RailAsia page that it would be interesting if Taipei City could re-build one of the pushcarts in Taipei to restore some history. I am sure most of the younger generation here has no idea these existed. My suggestion was to put a small pushcart line between the Taipei City Hall MRT Station and the "Warner Village" area. (a long walk on a hot day). That would be a cool/useful touristy thing to do I think. Taipei would also be able to employ a few students as well in a "green" job! ~ Just an thought anyway.
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