PDF file - Community Services Center

A publication of the Community Services Center 

Centered 

on TAIPEI 

May 2013, Volume 13, Issue 8 

English-languagE sErvicEs for 

autistic childrEn 

gEt away to Malaysia 

tEn tips for photographing pEoplE 

living in taipEi with a spEcial nEEds 

child 

hoMEschooling in taiwan 

iMproving your hoME’s fEng shui 

support CENTERED ON TAIPEI see page 26 for details

ConTenTs May 2013 volume 13 issue 8 

5 letter froM the editor 

6 richArd recoMMends 

nAtionAl concert hAll 

MAY 2013 

7 culturAl corner 

Taiwanese Culinary speCialTies 

8 center GAllerY 

9 off the BeAten trAck 

DaTieliao olD Trail 

10 outlook 

auTism in Taipei 

12 trAvel 

GeT away To malaysia 

14 coMMunitY 

Tas 

events At the center 

15 chAritY 

orphanaGe Club 

16 coMMunitY 

DominiCan inTernaTional sChool 

17 coffee corner 

luGuo Café aT The arT yarD 

18 PhotoGrAPhY 

Ten Tips for phoToGraphinG people 

19 tcM corner 

The five elemenTs of Chinese meDiCine 

coMMunitY 

reD room raDio reDux 

20 environMent 

a seConD ChanCe for seConD love 

courses At the center 

21 BAke it Yourself 

iCinG 

22 exPAt PersPective 

livinG in Taipei wiTh a speCial neeDs ChilD 

24 educAtion 

homesChoolinG in Taiwan 

27 Ask Bin 

how small ThinGs affeCT The fenG shui 

of your home 

28 chinese kitchen 

Quinoa 

29 Book review 

EndEr’s shadow 

30 events ABout town 

csc Business clAssified 

cover iMAGe: 

dr. Peter t. Guérin 

9 

12 

17 

27 

28 

Centered on Taipei 

is a publication of the Community Services Center, 

25, Lane 290, ZhongShan N. Rd., Sec. 6, Tianmu, Taipei, Taiwan 

Tel: 02-2836-8134, fax: 02-2835-2530, e-mail: coteditor@communitycenter.org.tw 

Correspondence may be sent to the editor at coteditor@communitycenter.org. 

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 2013. All rights reserved. Material in this publication may not be 

reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner. 

www.communitycenter.org.tw MAY 2013 

3

4 MAY 2013 www.communitycenter.org.tw

Publisher: Community Services Center, Taipei 

editor: Kari Schiro 

Co-editor: Richard Saunders 

Advertising Manager: Kara Wall 

tel: 02-2836-8134 

Fax: 02-2835-2530 

email: kara@communitycenter.org.tw 

Writing and Photography 

Contributors: 

Community Services 

Center editorial Panel: 

Printed by: 

Katrina Brown 

Cheryl Chee 

Ivy Chen 

Tim Chen 

Sarah Chen Lin 

Dorota Chen-Wernik 

Aly Cooper 

Mercia de Souza 

Craig Ferguson 

Ruth Giordano 

Peter Guérin 

Bin Huang 

Brandon Huang 

Makoto Kawabe 

Siew Kang, Fred Voigtmann 

Farn Mei Printing Co., Ltd. 

1F, No. 102, Hou Kang Street, Shilin District, Taipei 

Tel: 02-2882-6748 Fax: 02-2882-6749 

E-mail: farn.mei@msa.hinet.net 

CoMMunitY ServiCeS Center 

www.communitycenter.org.tw 

Director: Adam McMillan 

office Manager: Grace Ting 

Natalie Köhle 

Shereen Lee 

Amy Liu 

MaDonna Maurer 

John McQuade 

Scott Middleton 

Lukin Murphy 

Laura Osborne 

Shaun Ramsden 

Richard Saunders 

Rosemary Susa 

Alistair Willis 

Tina Yuan 

Counselors: Suzan Babcock, Maaike Berteele, I-Wen Chan, 

Fawn Chang, Katherine Chang, Jung Chin, Wendy 

Evans, Cerita Hsu, Eva Salazar-Liu, Ming-I Sun, 

Cynthia Teeters, Mark Yang 

newcomer orientation Consultant: Amy Liu 

Accountant: Monica Cheng 

Communications: Kari Schiro 

Programs Coordinator: Rosemary Susa 

events Coordinator: Bianca Russell 

it Coordinator: Shana Garcia 

Chinese teacher: Gloria Gwo 

Kari Schiro 

Editor 

Richard Saunders 

Co-editor 

Kara Wall 

Advertising Manager 

letter FroM the eDitor 

As many of you know, last month we launched a fundraising 

campaign to keep Centered on Taipei magazine in print. We are 

sincerely grateful to everyone who has donated and humbled by the 

community’s generosity. So many of you have made it abundantly 

clear how much you value this magazine. Thank you. 

While the drive is off to a great start, we still have a significant 

amount to raise before we reach our fundraising goal. We are 

continuing the campaign into May, so there is still plenty of time to 

contribute! And now, thanks to a very generous anonymous donor, 

you can double your impact when you donate! From now until 

the end of the campaign, every donation will be matched 1:1 up to 

NT$75,000 total, so your contribution will take us not one but TWO 

steps closer to reaching our goal, ensuring that we can continue to 

publish the magazine. To donate, visit www.communitycenter.org. 

tw, stop by The Center, or call (02) 2836-8134. 

Of course, contributions to the magazine aren’t just of the financial 

variety; our very talented and dedicated team of volunteer writers and 

photographers never fails to produce an enlightening and entertaining 

mix of articles and images on a range of subjects…and this issue 

is no exception. With a trio of articles relating to the topic, May’s 

magazine has a focus on resources for families with special needs 

children. Within these pages you’ll also find a convincing case for a 

sojourn in Malaysia, advice to improve your home’s feng shui, an 

introduction to frostings, and much more! 

Thank you so much to everyone who contributes to Centered on 

Taipei. It goes without saying but it’s worth underscoring: we could 

not do this without you. 

volunteers: 

Nancy Achorn, Alison Bai, Shana Garcia, Lily Lau, 

John McQuade, Bunny Pacheco, Monica Pillizzaro, 

Gloria Peng, Ruth Reynolds, Anita Town 

Premier Sponsors: 

3M Taiwan 

Bai Win Antiques 

BP Taiwan Ltd. 

China American Petrochemical 

Concordia Consulting 

Costco Wholesale Taiwan 

Crown Worldwide Movers Ltd. 

Four Star Int’l 

Grand Hyatt Hotel, Taipei 

HSBC 

ICRT 

Metacity Development Corp 

ProQC 

San Fu Gas Co. Ltd. 

Smerwick Ltd 

Songfu Li 

Standard Chartered Bank 

the Community Services Center (CSC) is a non-profit foundation. CSC provides 

outreach and early intervention through counseling, cross-cultural education and life 

skills programs to meet the needs of the international community in taipei. CSC offers 

the opportunity to learn, volunteer, teach and meet others. Check out our website www. 

communitycenter.org.tw and drop by the Center to chat with us about our programs. 

You can also email us at csc@communitycenter.org.tw. 


5

6 

MAY 2013 www.communitycenter.org.tw 

RICHARD 

ReCommenDs 

riCharD saunDers 

Two magnificent Fifth Symphonies are among a 

ton of highlights at the CKS Cultural Center in 

May, and no, the Beethoven isn’t one of them. 

Bruckner’s Fifth is one of its composer’s 

loftiest conceptions: a vast, 75-minute colossus 

culminating in a great fugal finale. I find this last 

movement a bit formal and “stiff,” and prefer 

the warmer Romanticism of the fourth and sixth 

symphonies, but I seem to be firmly in the minority: 

Bruckner Five is among his best-loved, and the 

performance (by the National Symphony Orchestra) on 

May 10th, conducted by its principal guest conductor 

(and noted Bruckner interpreter) Günther Herbig, looks 

like it will be a memorable occasion for both its many 

admirers and those new to this transcendently spiritual 

composer. 

The other Big Fifth being played this month (a day 

earlier, on May 9th), is a very different kettle of fish. 

Mahler’s Fifth Symphony is an extraordinary display 

of opposites, plumbing the depths in the opening 

funeral march and the furious, despairing movement 

that follows, yet finishing (after the moving Adagietto, 

Mahler’s most famous single piece) in a blaze of exultant 

high spirits. 

Classical music lovers who find the dizzy emotional 

heights of Mahler and Bruckner a bit too heady also 

have plenty to look forward to this month. The great 

Mischa Maisky (who seems to be becoming a regular 

visitor to these shores) plays four of Bach’s Suites for 

solo cello on May 22nd, while on May 12th, fortepianist 

Ronald Brautigam plays and conducts a program of 

Mozart symphonies and keyboard concertos, focusing 

(a tad disappointingly perhaps) solely on early works. 

Cyprien Katsaris (in – amazingly – his first performance 

in Taiwan) plays the second piano concertos of Liszt 

and Chopin on the 23rd, and local counter tenor Peter 

Lee sings music by Baroque composers, together with a 

modern American classic, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, 

a couple of weeks earlier, on May 4th. In another 

interesting combination of new and old, the British 

Trumpet virtuoso Alison Balsom is the soloist in a recital 

combining more Baroque music (concertos by Albinoni 

and Vivaldi) and the contemporary, in the shape of the 

recent trumpet concerto, Seraph (composed in 2010), 

by Scottish composer James Macmillan, along with two 

popular suites for strings by English composers Holst 

and Britten. 

Finally the magnificent American soprano Renee 

Fleming is in town on May 19th for a recital with piano. 

In a wonderfully eclectic and unashamedly accessible 

program, Fleming offers something for everyone, 

combining chansons by Debussy and lieder by Richard 

Strauss with selections from the best-loved musicals 

(such as South Pacific and The King and I) of Rodgers 

and Hammerstein. Just the kind of clever, attractive 

programming that certain ivory tower-dwelling classical 

artists would do well to emulate, if only occasionally. 

national Concert hall 

MAY 2013 

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL 

Countertenor Concert 

Works by Schutz, Vivaldi, Bach, 

Popora, Barber and Bernstein 

May 4 

Ning An 2013 Piano Recital 

Pieces by Rachmaninov, Chopin, 

Messiaen and Piazzolla 

May 5 

Gustav and Alma 

Lan Shui conducts Mahler’s Fifth 

Symphony 

May 9 RR 

The Magnificence: Bruckner 

Symphony no. 5 

May 10 RR 

Vincent Lucas Flute Recital 

Music by Poulenc, Debussy, Bach 

and Gaubert 

May 12 

Ronald Brautigam and Cologne 

Academy 

Early concertos and symphonies by 

Mozart 

May 12 

Formosan Singers Concert 

Works by local composers 

May 14 

TSO Hidden Spirit 

Bartok Violin Concerto no. 2 and 

Sibelius Symphony no. 5 

May 15 

Tsarivny – the Princess: Magic 

Strings and Voices from the 

Ukraine 

May 16 

Best Regards to Tchaikovsky 

Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, 

plus works by Richard Strauss and 

Beethoven 

May 17 RR 

Where the Ancient Collides with 

the Avant-garde 

Works by Saariaho and others 

May 18 

Renee Fleming Soprano Recital 

Music by Debussy, Richard Strauss 

and Rodgers 

May 19 RR 

Mischa Maisky and J S Bach 

Four Suites for solo cello 

May 22 RR 

Cyprien Katsaris 

Works by Chopin, Liszt and 

Schubert 

May 23 RR 

Alison Balsom and Scottish 

Ensemble 

Works by Albinoni, Vivaldi, Handel, 

Macmillan, Holst and Britten 

May 25 RR 

Faust by Liszt – Weimar 1857 

Liszt’s Faust Symphony 

May 31 

RR: Richard Recommends 

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. 

TICKETING OFFICES: • NTCH: (02) 3393 9888 

• ERA: (02) 2709 3788 

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)

Amy's 

ultural 

Corner 

台 

灣 

Taiwanese Culinary specialties 

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 here is unique, and 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. 

There are endless local specialties called xiao chi ( 小吃 , 

which literally means ‘little eats’ or ‘snacks’) to choose from 

in Taiwan. Many townships and cities in Taiwan are known 

for their own signature dish that is specific to that area. For 

example, if you want the best mochi ( 蔴薯 , glutinous rice 

paste with peanut powder), you should go to Hualian ( 花蓮 ) 

in eastern Taiwan; if you like rice noodles ( 米粉 , mifen), you 

can get the best from Hsinchu City ( 新竹 ). 

I t ’ s c u s t o m a r y f o r 

Taiwanese to not only 

enjoy the local specialty 

while traveling around 

the island, but it’s also 

important to bring some 

back to share with their 

f a m i l y o r c o l l e a g u e s, 

especially managers, as it 

suggests that you were thinking of them while away. Let 

me share some traditional Taiwanese xiao chi that I love 

and missed the most when I was living overseas. 

Changhua, central-west Taiwan: Meatballs ( 彰化 

肉圓 , Changhua rouyuan) - These are made of pork, 

mushrooms, and bamboo shoots wrapped in a semitransparent, 

chewy dough made of sweet potato flour and 

cooked in warm oil. 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 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 this city, but the most popular 

is danzai mian. This simple but delicious noodle soup is 

made with homemade soup stock, stewed ground pork, 

and 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 filling. The golden brown 

fish paste is to be eaten with red chili sauce and/or soy 

sauce. Sweet and sour sliced pickled cucumbers served 

with this dish refresh 

the palate after the fried 

food. Keelung Miaokou 

is the most famous xiao 

chi street in Keelung, near 

a temple in the center of 

the city. 

S h e n k e n g , T a i p e i 

C o u n t y: To f u ( 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’s 

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 sample it fried or grilled; 

steamed stinky tofu tends to have a stronger scent and is 

especially likely to put off first-timers. 

From the night markets in the streets to comfortable 

restaurants, Taiwan is a wonderful place to savor 

delicious Chinese cooking. As 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.” 

Dr. Winston Town and 

Ms. Anita Tsuei Town 

for your selfless 

years of service and 

dedication to the TAS 

community. 


7

GALLeRY 

May 2013 

The islanDs 

of Taiwan 

kinmen, Matsu, 

lanyu, lyudao…. 

the outlying islands 

offer an extraordinary 

combination of 

traditional culture, 

some of taiwan’s 

finest old architecture, 

and beautiful natural scenery, yet most of them 

are still an unknown quantity to both locals and 

foreign visitors alike. The Islands of Taiwan is 

the first and only english-language guide book 

devoted to these endlessly fascinating yet often 

overlooked corners of the roc, and features 

in-depth coverage of more than thirty islands, 

including detailed information on culture and 

history as well as sights and attractions, plus 

recommended food and accommodation options. 

ernie's Jewels – handmade 

Jewelry 

The Center Gallery in May features a 

collection of beautiful jewelry made 

with passion and love from Ernie's 

Jewels – Handmade Jewelry. These 

stylish necklaces, earrings, and 

bracelets are made with Swarovski 

crystals and elements, pearls and 

gemstones. You'll look absolutely 

fabulous wearing them. Prices are 

affordable, and bear in mind that 

every time you purchase a piece 

from Ernie’s Jewels, a portion of 

the proceeds is donated to the 

Orangutan Information Centre to 

help the Sumatran orangutans. To 

guarantee your satisfaction, customized 

jewelry can be ordered. 

out now! 

The A-to-Z of how to start a business in Taiwan. 

Cotton bags from GiDe 

Also on display is a selection of handmade cotton bags from 

Anny Kuo's company, GIDE. The collection includes small 

bags for jewelry or coins, shopping bags, and backpacks, 

all decorated with cute cats and bunny prints. You will find 

many uses for these versatile bags. 

Written by Elias Ek, serial entrepreneur and 

founder of Taiwan’s leading B2B telemarketing 

company Enspyre, How to Start a Business in 

Taiwan provides a goldmine of information for 

foreign entrepreneurs. 

“A must have for anyone…considering to do 

business in Taiwan.” Cedric, entrepreneur. 

To purchase, visit 

www.startabusinessintaiwan.tw 

Tien Tung Gallery 

This month the Gallery 

also features the 

wonderful artwork of 

Huan Yuan Chen and 

other artists from Tien 

Tung Art Gallery. Priced 

between NT$700 and 

NT$1,800, these beautiful scroll paintings make great gifts 

or an excellent addition to your home decor. Tien Tung also 

accepts custom orders. 

A percentage of all proceeds of items sold at the Gallery goes 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. 


OFF THE BEATEN TRACK 

RICHARD SAUNDERS EXPLORES TAIWAN'S LESS-TRODDEN PATHS 

datieliao old trail 

May in Taiwan heralds the (final!) arrival of 

warmer weather, the plum rains, and tax 

reports. Best of all for nature lovers though, 

it signals the the amazing annual “snow in 

May” phenomenon, when countless thousands of tung 

trees blossom, turning entire hillsides white and carpeting 

the forest floor below in delicate flowers as they drift, like 

snow, to the ground. 

The tung tree (Aluerites fordii hemsi; 油桐樹 ) has long 

been cultivated for its seeds, which yield oil that was once 

used in paint and varnish, and also for its soft wood. 

The tree (a Taiwan native species) was a big contributor 

to the local economy in times past, and was planted in 

huge numbers in the hills of Miaoli and Hsinchu Counties 

during the Japanese occupation. Tung oil later lost its 

commercial value when cheaper, artificial alternatives 

were found, but the trees remain and have now spread to 

cover huge areas in the lower hills of the western half of 

the island. 

Follow Highway 3 down through Taoyuan, Hsinchu, 

and Miaoli Counties this time of year, and you can’t fail 

to notice the beautiful show, but to really appreciate the 

beauty of massed tung tree blossoms, get out of the car 

and take a closer look. In recent years the tung blossom 

has become a symbol of Taiwan’s rich Hakka culture, 

and many short trails have been laid out especially for the 

appreciation of tung blossoms. For Taipei residents the 

closest impressive display of tung blossoms can be found 

in the hills above Tucheng (get off at Yongning MRT 

station and follow the signs in English towards Chengtian 

Temple), but for an even better display, head to the lovely 

old town of Daxi ( 大溪 ) in Taoyuan County and the 

Datieliao Old Trail ( 打鐵寮古道 ), a fifteen-minute bus 

ride (or short drive) from the town. This short and fairly 

easy walk is part of a network of old routes that formerly 

linked Daxi with the surrounding villages and settlements. 

It lies largely through a forest of tung trees, and the 

display of massed white blossoms beautifully compliments 

many reminders of an older Taiwan along the way: ruined 

buildings, worn old stone steps, a beautiful old stone 

arched bridge, steles commemorating long-departed locals 

who donated money towards the construction or upkeep 

of the trail. It’s this wonderful combination of pastoral 

natural beauty, history and culture that makes this short 

hike a real winner, especially at this time of year! 

GeTTinG There: 

The trailhead of Datieliao old Trail is just off 

national route 7 (the north Cross-island highway) 

exactly 3 kilometers from Daxi in Taoyuan County. 

look for a sign (in Chinese only) on the left. The 

route (including the extension to pretty white 

rock lake and the more demanding climb to 

white rock mountain) is described in Taipei 

Escapes 2, on page 203. allow three hours for 

the return walk from the car parking lot at the 

trailhead to Dongxing bridge and back. 

The tung blossom trails above Tucheng lie on 

the route of the Tucheng to sanxia ridge walk, 

also in Taipei Escapes 2 (page 169). follow the 

route from yongning mrT station to point 6. 

Richard Saunders is a trained classical musician and writer who has lived in Taipei since 

1993. He has written several books (available at The Center and in bookshops around Taipei), 

including Yangmingshan: the Guide (a complete guide to the National Park on Taipei’s doorstep) 

and Taipei Escapes I and 2, which together detail sixty day trips and hikes within easy reach of 

Taipei city. A fourth book, a guide to Taiwan’s offshore islands, is out now. 

Support CoT 

want to get “off the beaten track” and help us to keep Centered on 

Taipei running at the same time? enjoy a day trip or day hike anywhere 

in the Taipei area for up to 25 people with richard saunders as your 

guide in exchange for a nT$100,000 donation towards the running costs 

of CoT, and we’ll give you a year of banner advertisements on this page 

as well! Contact Kari schiro at coteditor@communitycenter.org.tw or 

(02) 2836-8134 for details. 

www.communitycenter.org.tw 

MAY 2013 

9

outlook 

autism in Taipei: 

searching for englishlanguage 

services 

TExT: LuKIN T. MuRPHY 

IMAGES: LuKIN T. MuRPHY & TAIPEI SPECIAL SCHOOL 

Huge numbers of people 

have been affected by the 

explosion of the autism 

diagnosis. In the United 

States, 1 in 88 children is diagnosed 

with some form of autism spectrum 

disorder (ASD), and similar rates are 

reported worldwide. With these high 

rates, it is not surprising that many 

expatriate families in Taiwan have a 

child diagnosed with ASD. 

A l t h o u g h a w a r e n e s s o f t h e 

disorder has grown in recent years, it 

can still be difficult to find qualified 

professionals who are able to 

effectively treat and educate a child 

with ASD. These difficulties are 

compounded for English-speaking 

families living abroad where most 

services are provided in the local 

language. This is the case for many 

foreign families living in Taipei 

– there are a variety of services 

available, but they are predominantly 

provided exclusively in Mandarin. 

T h e c h a l l e n g e o f p r o c u r i n g 

appropriate services for a child with 

ASD often proves too difficult for 

many families, and they subsequently 

decide that living in Taipei is not 

feasible. This is unfortunate because, 

although finding English-language 

services can be a challenge, there are 

qualified specialists in Taipei who 

can provide quality English-language 

services to children with ASD. 

whaT is asD? 

Autism is a complicated and 

enigmatic syndrome – complicated 

because of the varied symptoms 

and enigmatic because its cause 

is largely unknown. While there 

are several theories about the 

causes of autism, ranging from 

vaccines to genetic predisposition 

to environmental toxins, there is no 

scientific consensus regarding why 

some children develop autism and 

others do not. The term “Autism 

Spectrum Disorders” itself is quite 

complex and includes “classic” 

Autism, Asperger Syndrome (higher 

functioning individuals with fewer 

language difficulties), and Pervasive 

Developmental Disorders – Not 

Otherwise Specified (a catch-all 

term for individuals who do not 

meet enough criteria for a more 

specific diagnosis). A diagnosis of 

ASD is based on a combination of 

symptoms, including difficulties with 

social interaction, communication 

problems, and repetitive behaviors. 

sChool opTions 

Finding a supportive school for 

children with ASD is extremely 

important. Public schools in Taipei 

do accept children with disabilities, 

and there are schools specifically 

designed for special education 

students. These schools employ 

degreed special education teachers, 

as well as occupational therapists, 

speech therapists, and physical 

therapists. Although the schools 

do have some foreign students, 

instruction is only provided in 

Mandarin. Since most children with 

ASD already have language delays, 

instruction in a foreign language 

often proves difficult for these 

students. 

Taipei has a host of excellent 

p r i v a t e s c h o o l s, b u t t h e y a r e 

not obligated to accept students 

with disabilities. Fortunately, 

two international schools, Taipei 

European School (TES) and Taipei 

Adventist American School (TAAS), 

do provide special education services 

and accept students with ASD on 

a case-by-case basis. Both of these 

schools employ special education 

teachers who collaborate with 

students, parents, and teachers to 

develop an Individual Education Plan 

(IEP), which outlines the student’s 

strengths, areas for growth, and goals. 

TreaTmenT opTions 

As with all aspects of ASD, the 

question of how to best educate 

a child affected by the disorder 

is controversial. Many parents 

are understandably desperate to 

find a treatment that will help 

their child and are willing to try 

approaches that are not based on 

scientific evidence. While some 

parents strongly believe in these 

alternative treatments, the following 

resources focus solely on mainstream 

treatments based on clinical research. 


Behavioral Therapy 

The gold standard in autism 

treatment is intensive Applied 

Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy. 

Based on B.F. Skinner’s principles 

o f b e h a v i o r, A B A i s t h e m o s t 

widely applied and well-researched 

treatment for children diagnosed 

with ASD. ABA therapy focuses 

on teaching children with ASD 

communication and social skills, 

which will allow them to interact 

w i t h f a m i l y a n d p e e r s. S i n c e 

language and social skill deficits 

are the predominant features of 

ASD, overcoming these deficits 

gives children the skills they need 

to function in a typical educational 

environment. 

Taipei is fortunate to have a 

branch of the California-based ABA 

provider SEEK (Special Education 

for Exceptional Kids). The director 

of SEEK Taiwan, Sue Ke, is a Board 

Certified Behavior Analyst trained in 

the United States. Ms. Ke is also the 

president of Taiwan Association of 

Behavior Analysis, 

which is working to 

promote the use of 

ABA in Taiwan. 

occupaTional 

Therapy 

Sensory processing 

is difficult for many 

students with ASD. 

While most people 

can focus on an individual sensory 

input (such as a single voice in a 

noisy room), this can be difficult 

for some children with autism. 

Proponents of Sensory Integration 

Therapy believe that exposing 

children with ASD to different 

sensory experiences can help train 

their brains to learn how to more 

effectively filter sensory input. 

While there are a number of 

certified Occupational Therapists 

in Taipei, Sharon Li has the most 

experience working with Englishspeaking 

clients. Her clinic, which 

is conveniently located in Tianmu, 

contains a great variety of equipment 

and materials. 

Speech Therapy 

Speech therapy aims to improve 

language production and processing. 

Approaches to teaching language 

can vary widely from high-tech 

augmented communication devices 

to picture-based communication, 

sign language, or speech. Speech 

therapists can also address the 

social aspects of communication, 

such as appropriate greetings and 

conversational rules. 

It is important to have a speech 

therapist who is fluent in the child’s 

native language, which can be a 

difficult task while living abroad. 

S h e r r y F u i s a k n o w l e d g e a b l e 

English-language Speech-Language 

P a t h o l o g i s t 

who can work 

with children 

with ASD in 

b o t h h o m e 

a n d c l i n i c a l 

settings. 

counSeling 

Counseling can be helpful in 

dealing with social skills deficits and 

emotional issues, particularly for 

high-functioning individuals with 

ASD who possess good language 

skills. Counseling can be beneficial 

not only to the child with ASD but 

also for family members who are 

affected by having a son, daughter, or 

sibling with the disorder. 

The Community Services Center 

employs excellent counselors able 

to address a wide variety of topics 

including family difficulties and 

intercultural issues. 

Finding SupporT 

Raising a child with a disability 

can be very challenging but also 

tremendously rewarding. The 

key to success lies in finding a 

supportive network of family, friends, 

professionals, and community 

agencies. Unfortunately, most 

expatriates in Taiwan are removed 

from family and may have a limited 

network of friends, which makes 

finding supportive agencies and 

professionals even more important. 

Hopefully the resources listed 

below will help make Taipei a more 

welcoming city for families raising a 

child with autism. 

SchoolS 

Taipei european School 

(02) 8145-9007 

http://www. 

taipeieuropeanschool.com 

Taipei adventist 

american School 

(02) 2861-6400 

http://taas-taiwan.com 

Behavioral Therapy 

SeeK Taiwan 

(02) 2737-0787 

http://www. 

seekeducation.com.tw 

occupaTional 

Therapy 

Sharon li 

(02) 2836-7560 

sharon.jyan@msa.hinet.net 

Speech Therapy 

Sherry Fu 

0953-378-136 

shezza114@hotmail.com 

counSeling 

The community Services 

center 

(02) 2836-8134 

http://www. 

communitycenter.org.tw 

Lukin Murphy is 

a certified Special 

Education teacher and 

Board Certified Behavior 

Analyst who is currently 

a stay-at-home father 

to his nine-month-old son and parttime 

special education consultant. 

Lukin plans to work with The 

Center and other agencies to make 

services for children with autism 

more widely available in Taipei. 


11

TRAVEL 

get away to... 

malaysia 

TexT & Images: Laura OsbOrne 

We lived in Malaysia 

for nearly three years, 

a n d w i t h s o m a n y 

a l l u r i n g c h a r m s , 

it’s hard to pinpoint just why we 

fell in love with it. Malaysia is 

a kaleidoscope of cultures with 

colonial roots and Malay, Chinese, 

and Indian influences. The food 

alone is enough reason to merit a 

visit to Malaysia. Be assured that 

any taxi man’s first question for you 

will be: “Have you eaten yet?” It 

is a wonderfully colorful country 

and not just to look at; the people 

are charming and cheeky. With 

direct flights from Taipei to Kuala 

Lumpur or Kota Kinabalu, a trip to 

Peninsular Malyasia or to Malaysian 

Borneo is easy. And as clichéd as it 

sounds, there genuinely is something 

for everyone: wild outdoors, jungle, 

cool highlands blanketed with tea 

plantations, fantastic bars and 

restaurants, stunning beaches, and 

some of the best diving in the world. 

Kuala lumpur 

As with most cities, there are polar 

opposites. You can spend hours in 

air-conditioned malls browsing Prada 

and Gucci or you can sit on a plastic 

stool in a bustling street eating nasi 

lemak for NT$40. As a visitor I 

would aim to spend two nights in 

KL and to walk (slowly... because 

of the humidity) from Merdeka 

(Independence) Square 

to Masjid Jamek, the 

beautiful and original 

m o s q u e, b u i l t o n t h e 

‘muddy confluence’ of 

two rivers (which gives 

K L i t s n a m e ) . F i v e 

m i n u t e s f u r t h e r a n d 

you’ll enter China Town, 

a bustle of ‘designer’ handbags and 

clothes in between markets selling 

squawking chickens in cages and 

pigs’ trotters. To one side you will 

have KL’s law courts and original 

train station (built by the Brits with 

a spec that will withstand a meter of 

snow – after a day sweating in KL 

you’ll understand the irony…). Carry 

on walking to Little India for more 

bustle, different colors, and curries. 

Next, visit the Museum of Islamic 

Arts, one of the most enjoyable 

museums I have ever visited. End 

the day with a drink in the Sky Bar 

at Traders Hotel (book a table) with 

its incredible view of the KL skyline. 

And with Malaysia’s somewhat 

tempestuous weather you are likely 

to be treated to an electric storm 

display from the dizzy heights of the 

bar. For the late nighters, Changkat 

Bukit Bintang is KL’s street of bars 

and clubs – and their answer to Hong 

Kong’s Lan Kwai Fong. Malaysia 

may be a predominantly Muslim 

country, but that by no means puts a 

lid on the night life. Lunch or dinner 

at Tamarind Springs in the middle 

of the jungle, just a 15-minute drive 

north of KL, is also a must. 

penang 

O n w a r d s t o P e n a n g, a p r e- 

dominantly Chinese island in the 

north of the peninsula – a very 

easy half-hour flight from KL or an 

adventurous 3–4 hour-drive (or a 

very slow train). Don’t go to Penang 

for beaches (you won’t be doing 

Malaysian beaches justice); go to 

stay in Georgetown, a UNESCO 

12 may 2013 www.communitycenter.org.tw

World Heritage site. Penang has 

something KL doesn’t: heaps of 

small town charm and fantastic 

boutique hotels. Clove Hall, Muntri 

Mews, and Seven Terraces are just a 

handful of the lovely and inexpensive 

hotels set in converted colonial 

shop houses or mansions. Again, 

Georgetown is a great place to stroll 

and take in the sites; Little India, 

China Town, and Fort Cornwallis 

are all within a 10-minute walking 

radius, and there is a booming art 

scene in Penang. Taking the train up 

to Penang’s Hill station, a colonial 

retreat from Malaysia’s heat, is a 

great respite, and on a good day you 

can see the island of Langkawi. For 

anyone heading to a beach holiday 

in Langkawi, a couple of days in 

Georgetown is a must. 

The highlands 

These are a few places that took some finding while living in Kl but 

were very special, and all of which are impossible to do justice on 

paper. 

casabrina; a villa hotel in the jungle 

just a two-hour drive from KL 

(www.casabrina.net) 

Malihom; an artist retreat in the 

hills on Penang island 

nasi Kandar Pelita; the best street 

food in KL 

The tea plantations and hiking 

in the Highlands are worth braving 

the twisting road uphill that you 

must take to get to them. The 

Cameron Highlands Resort is the 

best of a somewhat aging group 

of hotels. A day at the Boh Tea 

Plantation followed by dinner at a 

local steamboat restaurant and a 

drink in front of the open fire back 

at the hotel is a delightful break from 

most of Malaysia’s intense humidity 

and heat. The hiking is spectacular, 

although a lot more ‘tropical’ than 

Taiwan – beware of the leeches. 

To The beach… 

The choices are plentiful but will 

depend on the time of year. The 

monsoon season hits the east coast 

November to February (when most 

hotels will be shut). It then hits the 

west coast through Taiwan’s summer 

months. In my opinion, the beaches 

off Malaysian Borneo are the most 

spectacular. Next are the island 

beaches on the east of Peninsular 

Malaysia and then the beaches on the 

west coast of the peninsula. 

In Malaysian Borneo you will be 

standing in crystal clear water with 

starfish at your feet, snorkel and 

mask in one hand, book in the other. 

Some of the best diving in the world is 

around the Sipadan islands. It is the 

remoteness of these islands that adds 

to their perfection, but it does mean 

that they are not always the quickest 

to reach. Lankayan Island Hotel 

(although not in Sipadan) is idyllic. 

This by no means belittles the 

beaches on Peninsular Malaysia. 

Langkawi, with its duty-free status, 

has become the most popular tourist 

destination in Malaysia. It has some 

fantastic high-end hotels, the Datai 

and Four Seasons being consistently 

high in the world hotel rankings. 

It also has some lovely boutique 

hotels, such as the Bonton and Casa 

del Mar. There is beach life of a 

different sort on the main beach – 

waterskiing, banana boats, fun bars 

and restaurants. There’s also an easy 

speed boat crossing from Langkawi 

to Koh Lipe in Thailand, which 

adds another dimension to any trip, 

should you wish to exchange the 

beef rendang for some pad thai for a 

couple of nights. 

The Peninsula's east coast hotels 

tend to be smaller, cheaper, and 

slightly more low key (in a good 

way) than those on the west. And 

out of monsoon season, the sea 

is crystal clear and teeming with 

turtles. The islands are full of 

lovely small hotels: Batu Batu on 

Pulau Tengah, or Bagus Place or 

Japamala on Pulau Tioman. On 

the mainland, Tanjong Jara is great 

for budding chefs; here they offer 

brilliant cooking lessons in an open 

kitchen looking out onto the beach. 

In tr uth, you are 

s p o i l t f o r c h o i c e s 

w h e n i t c o m e s t o 

beaches in Malaysia. 

Laura Osborne is a former corporate lawyer, now a mum – and 

still wondering which allows her more sleep. Her roots being 

in the English countryside, she has fallen in love with Taiwan's 

beautiful outdoors. 


13

COMMUNITY 

CSC NEWS 

adding the ‘E’ to STEm: 

Engineering at Taipei 

american School Lower 

School 

TexT: ScoTT MiddleTon, TAS GrAde 1 TeAcher 

iMAGeS: TAS 

Why teach engineering to young children? 

• Children are fascinated with building and 

with taking things apart to see how they 

work. 

• Engineering projects integrate other 

disciplines. 

• Engineering fosters problem-solving skills, including 

problem formation, iteration, and testing of alternative 

solutions. 

• Engineering embraces project-based learning, 

encompasses hands-on construction, and sharpens 

children’s abilities to function in three dimensions. 

• Learning about engineering increases students’ awareness 

of and access to scientific and technical careers. 

Taipei American School further developed the Science, 

Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) curriculum in 

the lower school this year by implementing Engineering is 

Elementary, developed by the Museum of Science in Boston. 

This included two hands-on, engineering-based projects that 

connect directly to existing science units. 

For example, grade one students studied Chemical 

Engineering as an extension of the Solids and Liquids 

science unit. This involved the project A Work in Process: 

Improving a Play Dough Process. Students used the steps in 

the Engineering Design Process – Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, 

and Improve – to create better play dough. They changed the 

amounts of flour, salt, and water, as well as the order of the 

steps, to improve both the process and the product. 

Students worked with a partner to develop their best play 

dough. There were ten steps in the process that the students 

could reorder. This involved high-level problem solving. 

They planned how to mix and vary the amounts of the three 

ingredients to improve their play 

dough. Overall, students learned 

from the Engineering Design Process, 

cooperated with classmates, compared their results, and 

improved play dough. Their job as play dough engineers was 

successful! 

Grade one students also studied Mechanical Engineering 

as an extension of the Air and Weather science unit. In the 

project Catching the Wind: Designing Windmills, students 

learned about wind and discussed methods that engineers use 

to capture energy. They brainstormed, planned, built, tested, 

and improved their own windmill blades. 

Students worked together to design their windmill blades. 

They had to decide on the materials, shape, number, and 

angle of blades. As they tested their blades, they first had to 

make sure the blades would spin. Then they added weights 

to test how many washers their windmill could lift. More 

weight lifted meant a more efficient and powerful windmill. 

In the beginning of the process, some blades were too 

small or at an inefficient angle. With a high level of student 

cooperation, blade designs improved, and the windmills were 

able to spin and lift between ten and twenty washers. 

With the success of the initial engineering projects, 

TAS lower school students will continue to benefit from 

additional STEM next year. There is no doubt that 

engineering and technological literacy are necessary 21st 

century skills. TAS prepares all students to succeed in a 

rapidly changing world, and, in engineering, that preparation 

starts in grade one. 

Events at The Center 

Special Topic Coffee Morning 

Life’s a Beach: Enjoying Taiwan’s Coastal Areas 

Thursday, May 16, 10:30 am – 12 noon 

The weather is warm and it’s time for water, sun, and sand. 

Where should you go? How do you get there? Join us at 

The Center with this month’s speaker, Dan Tattersfield, 

for a fun and informative talk about visiting and exploring 

Taiwan’s beaches. Bring a towel, sunglasses, and your best 

beach hat. We’re having a party. 

Wipe Out!!! 

The Center’s Coffee Mornings are brought to you by 

Impact. 

BOOK CLUBS: A Voyage for Madmen 

by Peter Nichols 

The morning book club will meet 

Tu e s d a y, M a y 21s t, 10:30 a m 

onwards. For more information, email 

coteditor@communitycenter.org.tw. 

The evening book club will meet 

on Thursday, May 30th, 7:15 pm 

onwards. For more information, email 

sharon.k.whitfield@googlemail.com. 

14 

may 2013 www.communitycenter.org.tw

tOrphanage 

Club 

TExT: BRANDON HuANG & TINA YuAN 

ChARItY 

moTher’s Day anD GraDuaTion sale 

Tuesday and Wednesday, May 7th and 8th 

On these two days, we will be holding a sale with 

beautiful Mother’s Day greeting cards and other items. 

Also available will be graduation-themed cards for the 

upcoming class of 2013 graduation. As always, we will 

also be selling traditional and new TAS Orphanage Club 

sweatshirts and T-shirts. All are welcome to stop by our 

booth in the TAS FDR hallway throughout the day. All 

proceeds will go to supporting aboriginal children at the 

Puli Christian Hospital. 

flea marKeT 

Saturday, May 11th 

Our annual Flea Market will be held from 10 am 

to 3 pm in the TAS FDR hallway and the cafeteria. 

Table registration (open only to members of the TAS 

community) will take place in the TAS FDR hallway on 

Tuesdays and Thursdays after April 23rd from 4 pm to 

5 pm. Tables in the FDR hallway are NT$1,500 each, 

tables in the cafeteria are NT$1,200 each, and registration 

will require a NT$300 deposit that will be returned after 

the sale. This is the perfect opportunity for members of 

the TAS community to sell any items from home, and 

a large variety of goods will be available. Furthermore, 

Indian food as well as other food and refreshments will 

be available in the FDR. All are welcome to stop by 

this wonderful event and browse through the incredible 

selection of items that will be on sale! 

rummaGe sale 

Saturday, June 15th 

The gigantic annual Rummage Sale will be held on 

Saturday, June 15th, and as always, the Orphanage Club 

welcomes all donations. The sale will be from 10 am 

to 5 pm and will be held rain or shine. There will be a 

huge selection of goods such as toys, clothing, household 

appliances, games, stuffed animals, shoes, miscellaneous 

items, and much more! Admission is free, and all are 

welcome. 

Please visit our website at www.orphanageclub.com 

all inquiries can be directed to tas.orphanageclub@gmail.com 

or to our sponsor Mr. arnold at arnoldr@tas.edu.tw 


15

CoMMuNItY 

Dominican international 

school Goes Global 

TExT: T: ALISTAIR WILLIS, TEACHER AT 

DOMINICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL 

IMAGES: MERCIA DE SOuZA 

The American commitment 

to ethanol production sends 

food prices soaring around 

the world. Outsourcing by 

multinationals decimates the old 

industrial sectors of the Western 

economies. Chinese economic 

growth raises carbon emissions to 

unsustainable levels. 

I n t h e t w e n t y - f i r s t c e n t u r y, 

globalization is no longer an academic 

buzzword but an unignorable factor in 

many of the world’s most intractable 

issues. Often it is seen as the remit 

of the big players: global institutions 

like the IMF and WTO, the G20 

governments, and the multinationals. 

Yet globalization – its challenges 

and opportunities – is permeating 

institutions at all levels. 

For educators at the K–12 level, it 

is the opportunities that globalization 

presents that are most appealing. The 

new communication tools give us 

the freedom to forge global school 

networks and let students have 

access to other cultures in previously 

unimaginable ways. Yet the challenges 

are equally profound. As teachers, 

how do we confront students with the 

social, economic, and environmental 

challenges of the globalized world? 

H o w d o w e t a k e a d v a n t a g e o f 

teenagers’ innate idealism without 

trivializing the issues? Above all, how 

do we give students practical experience 

grappling with global problems? 

At Dominican International School 

(DIS) in Taipei, there is a commitment 

to developing a global consciousness 

among our students, and a clear 

recognition that we must 

go beyond 

the classroom to achieve this. And so, 

over the last two years, we have sent 

delegations to international conferences 

arranged by the Global Issues Network 

(GIN), a group of schools and teachers 

established to provide the resources, the 

training, and, above all, the inspiration 

to tackle the great issues of the twentyfirst 

century. 

In the spring of 2012, 24 students 

and nine teachers spent three days at 

the International School in Manila 

for a GIN conference on the theme 

“Compassionate Action.” Highlights 

included a barnstorming address by 

sustainability consultant Alan AtKisson 

and a fascinating workshop with 

internet entrepreneur Michael Furdyk, 

who turned his back on the corporate 

world to establish TakingItGlobal 

(www.tigweb.org), a global issues 

charity centered on an innovative 

website. 

In between the keynote speeches, the 

students took charge. Each delegation 

was tasked with presenting a series 

of Sustainable Action Plans based on 

actions taken in their own schools 

and communities, and DIS students 

presented workshops to students 

from around southeast Asia on issues 

of poverty, global warming, and 

education for all. Our students had 

been preparing for months: running 

green campaigns, helping out at local 

elementary schools, and distributing 

donations to poor neighborhoods. 

Finally, there was a chance to get 

out into the real Manila. Travelling 

from the plush apartment buildings 

o f M a k a t i t o t h e T h i r d Wo r l d 

slums at the edge of the city was an 

unforgettable lesson in economic 

inequality for students and teachers 

alike. Our group helped out at a 

Habitat for Humanity building site, 

constructing simple concrete houses in 

a neighborhood ravaged by a typhoon. 

Other groups visited recycling facilities, 

daycare centers for poor children, and 

garbage-strewn rivers. 

G r a d e 12 s t u d e n t A n y Ts e n g 

was so moved by her experience of 

poverty in Manila that she wrote an 

uncommissioned article for the school 

newspaper. In her conclusion, she 

comments: 

“The poverty that exists not only 

in Manila, but also around the globe, 

is real. Because we are all fortunate 

enough to be living in a city where 

almost no poverty exists, we don’t 

fully understand what poverty is. All 

of us delegates have been brought up 

with proper education and proper 

families. We don’t know what it’s like 

to live in poverty, therefore, we don’t 

have the right nor knowledge to say 

that we understand it.” 

DIS continues to be involved in 

GIN and has created a school club 

to involve students in community 

work and prepare them for upcoming 

conferences. In the autumn of 2012, 

we sent twelve students to the GIN 

conference in Singapore, a privilege 

that the students were granted for 

performing community service over the 

summer break. The most committed 

students had tallied over a hundred 

hours – not an insignificant sacrifice 

for the privileged students of DIS. 

16 

MAY 2013 www.communitycenter.org.tw

Luguo Café at the Art Yard 

TexT & Images: aly Cooper 

coffee corner 

Tucked in an alleyway in the 

heart of the fabric market 

is Luguo Café. Dihua Street 

is colorful and lively, and 

the alleys are always full of new 

and exciting finds. It’s the perfect 

place to have a “go-to” café when 

a refresher is needed after all that 

shopping and browsing. 

Upon entering, you will find 

yourself in a cute little bookshop 

with a variety of merchandise for 

sale. If you haven’t spent all of 

your NTD upon entry, head up the 

staircase, and you’ll be delightfully 

surprised at the café that awaits. 

Yo u’l l n o t i c e t h a t L u g u o i s 

simplistic without appearing sparse 

…homey, yet still maintaining class. 

One glance to your left showcases 

an entire wall of almost floor to 

ceiling windows, radiant in their 

hardwood and unmarred by heavy 

drapes, allowing the natural light 

to shine throughout the café. 

It’s intoxicating. If I had zero 

responsibilities, I’m embarrassed 

to tell you how long I could sit 

under that window. But today? My 

main responsibility was waiting for 

me to sit down, so I gave him the 

pleasure of choosing the seat. My 

six-year-old naturally chose the little 

couch next to a delightful little Beta 

fish that entertained him throughout 

my mini pot o’ joe. He chose wisely. 

Upon being seated, I took in the 

rest of my surroundings. Shelves of 

reading material (in Chinese) were 

stacked on a bookcase divider, and 

the furniture can only be described 

as an eclectic mix that somehow 

w o r k e d t o g e t h e r, a l l l o o k i n g 

comfortably worn without appearing 

shabby. As this was the second 

time I had been here, I wanted to 

try something different. Something 

bold. I needed something that would 

pry my eyelids open, because the 

toothpicks just weren’t cutting it 

…and I was only halfway through 

spring break. My son was in need 

of a mother with more energy and, 

by golly, I was prepared to find her. 

So I ordered … wait for it … black 

coffee. Yup. It’s true. 

To be honest, the first time I came 

here, I ordered the iced caramel café 

latte, and it was fabulous. Tasty 

and creamy, it hit the spot and 

was beyond scrumptious. Today, 

however, I needed more. I found 

the menu a bit intimidating, as it 

implied that you should know your 

roast. There were different colored 

dots indicating the strength of the 

coffee. It was my understanding that 

the neon green dot indicated light, 

the lack of a dot indicated medium, 

and the dark blue was bold. I 

decided to start off with the light 

brew, as I was a bit apprehensive 

about experiencing buyer’s remorse 

by getting something darker at a 

high price and not liking it. As I 

was ordering, the server looked at 

me and said this has no milk or 

sugar. Yes. I know. I can handle it. 

(Seriously. I get this a lot!!) I CAN 

HANDLE IT, BABY. Bring it. 

The coffee was brought to me 

on a wooden palette – in my own 

pot!! Instead of your standard 

drop off, the server first poured the 

coffee into a shot glass then poured 

the shot glass of coffee into the 

world’s tiniest mug. The shot glass 

was then handed to me to sniff for 

quality. Uhhhhh – the expert that 

I am stated, “Yes. Yes of course 

this is fine….” I had ordered the 

Papua New Guinea. The coffee was 

indeed light with a bit of bite. A bit 

acidic upon the first sip, each sip 

following went down smooth. I have 

to say there was a quiet strength 

in this light brew – it was a coffee 

that definitely stood on its own. 

For me, not normally being a black 

coffee drinker, temperature is very 

important. If the coffee is tepid or 

lukewarm, it ruins the entire cup 

for me. This coffee was expertly hot 

upon arrival. What surprised me 

more was that even as my coffee 

cooled, the elements that made it 

special remained (read: I didn’t 

waste one drop). To be honest, I 

think next time I could go even 

darker. For those wanting to savor 

the experience at home as well, 

coffee is available for purchase. 

Coffee at Luguo Café is a bit 

pricey. The Luguo Café blend costs 

NT$200 and the specialty blends go 

as high as NT$600 for the Hawaii 

Ka’u. The hot or iced espressos/lattes 

run from NT$180-250. I would 

say that it’s definitely worth a try at 

least once if you’re in the area! Oh 

and one more thing – I left those 

toothpicks on the table. Coffee win! 

Thanks to Jennifer Meffe for the 

recommendation. 

Luguo Café at the Art Yard (ArtYard 小藝埕 ) 

1, Lane 32, Dihua Street, Section 1  ( 迪化街一段 32 巷 1 號 | 1) (02) 2552-1321 

Aly Cooper is an expat wife of two years who enjoys adventures with her six-year-old son, reading, 

eating, blogging, having A LOT of coffee with friends, volunteering and spending free weekends 

exploring what the island has to offer with the family. http://caffeinatedblisstaiwan.blogspot.tw 

Got a suggestion for our resident caffeine addict? Send them in via coteditor@communitycenter.org.tw. 

www.communitycenter.org.tw MAY 2013 17

photography 

Ten Tips for 

Photographing People 

TexT & Image: CraIg Ferguson 

More often than not, it’s the 

people you meet that make 

travel truly memorable. 

I t’s a l s o p h o t o g r a p h s 

of people that usually get the best 

reaction from family and friends when 

you return home. So without further 

ado, here are ten tips for better people 

photography. 

First though, common to all genres 

of photography are three crucial 

things: correct exposure, correct white 

balance, and sharp focus. No amount 

of Photoshop trickery can replace 

these three basic points. Ensure you’re 

competent in these before you learn 

anything else. 

1. FOCUS POINTS – ONE IS 

BETTER THAN MANY 

Modern digital cameras have a 

number of focus points that help the 

auto focus lock onto the subject. For 

portrait photography, having many 

points can be more of a hindrance than 

a help because the camera will make a 

guesstimate based on the average of all 

the points. Sometimes this will work 

well, but often you’ll be left with an 

out-of-focus subject and something in 

the background/foreground in focus. 

Instead, select one focus point only. 

This is usually done with a dial on the 

camera; check your manual for how to 

set it. The center point is the strongest, 

so use that one to lock your focus. 

2. FOCUS ON THE EYES 

The eyes are the most important part 

of a portrait. If they are sharp and in 

focus, the rest of the picture can be 

out of focus, and it’ll still look good. 

Point the center focus point at the eyes, 

lock the focus, and then recompose as 

necessary. 

3. SHOOT AT LARGE APERTURES 

The aperture or ƒ-stop is what 

controls the amount of light reaching 

the sensor. A large aperture is, 

somewhat confusingly, the smallest 

ƒ-number. ƒ/2.8 is a larger ƒ-stop than 

ƒ/16; it lets more light in and has a 

shallower depth-of-field. When we set 

the aperture to its widest (e.g. ƒ/2.8), 

it’s known as shooting wide open. It 

gives an out-of-focus effect (bokeh) 

in the background, which results 

in pleasing portraits. The viewer’s 

eye is directed to the subject not the 

background. 

4. SHOOT AT 70MM OR LONGER 

At focal lengths shorter than 70mm, 

distortion starts to occur. If you shoot 

a frame-filling portrait with a wideangle 

lens, your subject’s head is going 

to look strangely large due to the 

distortion. The classic portrait lengths 

are between 80mm and 135mm, but 

anything from 70mm to 200mm will 

look good. 

5. SHOOT RAW 

Shooting in RAW captures all the 

image data. Shooting in JPEG means 

you are throwing away all but the basic 

data. If you make any kind of error 

while shooting, you can often still get 

usable images out of a RAW file; if you 

try to edit a JPEG, you’ll just make 

things worse. If your white balance is 

off, you can correct it with RAW; you 

can’t with JPEG. A RAW file will be 12 

or 14 bit; JPEG files are 8 bit. 

6. SHOOT IN THE SHADE 

The last place you want to be 

shooting is in direct sunlight. It’s 

harsh, it creates hard, directional 

shadows, and it’s not at all flattering to 

your subject. Move into the shade, and 

you’ll get smooth, even shadows and 

softer light. 

7. CLOUDY DAYS ARE YOUR BEST 

FRIEND 

Professional studio photographers 

spend thousands of dollars on light 

modifiers in an effort to create soft, 

even light. Nature also provides soft 

light and, best of all, it’s free. Cloud 

cover can help enrich the colors and 

create smooth, flattering shadows. 

8. LEARN SUNNY 16 

Sunny 16 is a rule of thumb for 

determining exposure. It gives you 

a baseline to work with. Sunny 16 

simply says that on a sunny day, with 

your aperture value set to ƒ/16, your 

shutter speed will be the inverse of 

the current ISO speed. For example, 

if your camera is set to ISO 100, and 

your aperture value is ƒ/16, your 

shutter speed will be 1/100th of a 

second. On a cloudy day (or when in 

the shade), you simply use ƒ/8 instead. 

9. WATCH YOUR BACKGROUND 

Pay attention to what’s going on 

around the edges of the frame. The 

last thing you want is trees or power 

poles appearing to grow out of your 

subject’s head, or someone making a 

funny face in the background. 

10. NEVER EVER USE ON-CAMERA 

FLASH 

Probably the worst possible thing 

you can do when taking a photo of a 

person is to use on-camera flash. It is 

the most unflattering light – you are 

literally throwing light at the subject, 

and instead of making a photograph, 

you’re making a copy. Simply holding 

the flash at arm’s length with one 

hand while holding 

your camera in the 

other can make all the 

difference. 

Craig is a professional photographer and has worked with the likes of Lonely Planet, Monocle, Asia Business 

Traveller, Asian Geographic and many more. In addition, he also teaches regular photography workshops and 

individual classes in and around Taipei. Visit his website at www.craigfergusonimages.com. 

18 may 2013 www.communitycenter.org.tw

the five elements of 

chinese Medicine 

TExT: SHAuN RAMSDEN 

The five elements of Chinese medicine is the single 

most mistranslated and misunderstood theory 

we have. In Chinese, it is called the wu xing, 五 

行 . The character xing ( 行 ) means movement. 

The translation is therefore “the five movements.” These 

movements have two meanings: the root meaning and the 

branch meaning. The root meaning refers to the five pivot 

points of the seasons: 

Spring Equinox: The earth’s energy moves upwards 

Summer Solstice: Represents the up and outward 

direction 

Autumn Equinox: The downward flow of energy 

Winter Solstice: The down and inward movement 

The Center: The pivot point around which everything 

moves 

Each movement is symbolized by an element that moves 

in that direction: 

Spring: Wood - Wood grows up and out of the ground 

Summer: Fire - Fire sits on top of the ground and burns 

up and outwards 

Autumn: Metal - Falls down when dropped 

Winter: Water - Water falls down and seeps into the 

ground 

Center: Earth - Earth is the pivot by which everything 

else moves 

The second meaning of the five movements, the branch, 

refers to the categorization of each thing based on the 

direction of its movement. Just as yin and yang represent 

different feminine and masculine groups in the universe, 

each movement symbolizes its own grouping of things that 

move in a similar direction. 

Every food also has a direction and affects its respective 

organ. The key is to eat five different types of foods daily 

to keep balance among the organs by not over stimulating 

a certain movement or direction. 

Wood: Liver - Pungent foods: Spring onion 

RED ROOM RADIO REDUX 

will present a staged radio-theaterstyle 

production of The Tragedy of 

Macbeth, Shakespeare’s classic story 

of greed, arrogance, murder, madness, 

and mayhem for two performances 

only on Sunday, May 19th, at 2:30 

pm and 7:30 pm. The company has 

been invited by the National Taiwan 

University’s College of Medicine to 

perform on their campus at 1 Renai 

Road, Section 1 ( 台北市中正區仁 

愛路一段一號 ). The performance 

will be in English and is suitable for 

ages 12 and up. Admission is free; 

however, donations are appreciated. 

Reservations are recommended. 

Send requests for reservations to 

R4.radioredux@gmail.com. 

Red Room Radio Redux (R4) is a 

unique collaboration between members 

of the foreign and local communities 

Fire: Heart - Spicy foods: Chilis, cinnamon 

Metal: Lungs - Sour foods: Yogurt, lemon 

Water: Kidneys - Salty, heavy foods: Clams, mussels, 

oysters 

Earth: Spleen - Foods that stimulate digestion: Ginger, 

black pepper 

In each season the earth’s energies are moving in a 

different direction, and so is the body. If the body is not 

following the movement of each season, you will become 

sick. It is therefore best to create the correct movement 

by eating slightly more of the foods that belong to the 

movement category within the respective season. 

In the past, this was automatic as imported foods were 

either unavailable or were too expensive for the average 

person to buy. Ancient societies automatically adjusted 

their diets to suit the environments in which they lived. 

In the Middle East they didn’t eat pork because, in that 

climate, the animals easily became sick and passed the 

disease to humans. In southern China, the climate is so 

damp and hot that they needed to eat spicy and pungent 

foods to keep the digestive system stimulated. In Russia, 

Siberia, and Mongolia they ate lamb and venison as 

without this meat they would freeze. The Scandinavians 

ate oily fish daily to provide them with enough vitamin D 

as there was a lack of sunlight for much of the year. 

Eat foods that are local and in season, follow the 

directions, stick to your roots, and you will live a happy 

and healthy life. 

Shaun Ramsden is a native Australian. He has a Bachelor 

of Medicine from the Beijing Chinese Medicine University 

and numerous Diplomas in Remedial Massage Therapies. In 

addition to running his own Physical Therapy and Massage 

Clinic he enjoys training in different styles of martial arts. 

classictcm@gmail.com 

of voice actors, including a sound 

effects crew. The audience will see a 

representation of the sound studios of 

the Golden Age of Radio Drama of the 

1930s and 40s. 

This will be R4’s fifth production 

since its inception at the 2012 Taipei 

Fringe Festival. Other presentations 

include adaptations of Dickens’ A 

Christmas Carol and Robert Lewis 

Stevenson’s Treasure Island, both of 

which have been produced for radio 

broadcast by ICRT FM 100. 

Red Room Radio Redux is supported 

by the Red Room Community and 

the Ripplemaker Foundation, where 

“Ripples change lives.” 

tCM CoRNER CoMMuNItY 


19

environment 

A second chance for Second Love 

TexT & images: sarah chen lin 

Second Love is a flea market 

held on the second and fourth 

Saturday afternoons of each 

month at the 44 South Village 

( 四四南村 ) patio near Taipei 101. One 

would never expect to come across 

such an old place in this modern and 

lively setting. 44 South Village was a 

compound of old dwellings for veterans 

and their families that migrated from 

China in 1948 after the Chinese Civil 

War; the residents gradually moved 

out and the place is presently being 

preserved as an example of Taiwan’s 

cultural and historical heritage. Inside 

one of the buildings resides the Good 

Cho’s Café ( 好丘 ) and a little shop that 

sells homemade and organic products. 

There’s even an ice cream stall that 

sells interesting flavors such as tea 

and dragon fruit. Though pricey, one 

can rest assured that the ice cream is 

made with organic ingredients and that 

the fruits have not been treated with 

pesticides or fertilizers. 

Simple Life, a social enterprise run by 

youths, began organizing Second Love 

roughly two years ago. Second Love 

aims to instill the concept of a man’s 

garbage being another man’s treasure 

and encourages us to cherish what we 

have and not treat possessions as mere 

disposable objects. Simple Life originally 

served as a platform to bring together 

Taiwanese youths who wished to share 

and sell their creativity. As the enterprise 

expanded, they began to organize more 

events to promote green concepts. 

Anyone can apply to sell at Second 

Love as long as the following rules are 

adhered to: 

1 Vendors cannot sell new items with 

the exception of gifts that were never 

used or things that were bought but 

never used; such objects cannot be 

sold at their original prices. 

2 Applicants must state their reason for 

selling when applying and provide 

pictures of what they intend to sell. 

3 There are no restrictions on how 

much vendors can bring as long as it 

fits within the space allowed for each 

stall. 

4 There are no restrictions on what 

each vendor can sell as long as it’s 

for non-commercial purposes. 

5 No plastic bags are allowed; the 

organizers collect and distribute 

p a p e r b a g s w h e n n e e d e d t o 

discourage the use of plastics. 

Applications are generally made one 

month (sometimes two) in advance. 

The organizers give new applicants 

priority on the waiting list and charge 

only enough to cover expenses for 

renting and cleaning the patio, since 

t h e l a n d b e l o n g s t o Ta i p e i C i t y 

Council. According to the organizers, 

they receive as many as two hundred 

applications per month! It’s unfortunate 

that they can only accept thirty due 

to limited space. Nevertheless, Second 

Love is an amazing place for those 

who love to search for old and unique 

treasures and for those who wish to free 

up some space at home. Some of the 

strangest and most interesting things 

sold include furniture and old film 

cameras, which are currently among the 

most desired items. 

Arrive early (around 12 pm) as things 

may be snatched up in the blink of an 

eye when it’s crowded! Furthermore, 

rumor has it 44 South Village is due 

to close down soon as the government 

intends to rebuild on the site. I 

encourage people to visit this unique 

site as soon as they can! 

Other Second Love venue: Outside 

X i m e n R e d H o u s e ( 西門紅樓 ) a t 

Ximending ( 西門町 ). Check the official 

website (in Chinese) for details: http:// 

simplelife.streetvoice.com/2012/about/ 

Born and raised in 

Venezuela by Taiwanese 

parents, Sarah has been 

exposed to world cultures 

since she was young. 

She graduated with an 

Environmental Science 

degree from Southampton University 

in the UK, was a former radio host for 

an environmental program at Radio 

Taiwan International, and currently 

works as a project manager in the Civil 

Engineering Department at National 

Taiwan University, as TWYCC’s 

media coordinator, and as a freelance 

photographer. 

Courses at The Center 

Activity First Meeting Date # of Sessions Instructor Time Meet @ 

What is Acupuncture and How Does it Work? Thursday, May 02 1 Dr. Dustin Wu 12:30pm - 2:00pm The Center 

Cake and Cookie Decorating: Magical Marzipan Friday, May 03 1 Eva Lu 10:00am - 12noon The Center 

Discover 20 Maokong Saturday, May 04 1 Katy Ho Boyden 11:00am - 4:00pm Taipei Zoo MRT Sta. Exit 2 

Eating Taiwanese Thursday, May 09 1 Sally Duh Chu 11:45am - 1:30pm Golden Formosa Restaurant Tianmu 

Fantastic Fish Friday, May 10 1 Ivy Chen 10:00am - 12noon The Center 

Flat Hike: “I HATE Steps, but Love to Hike” Tuesday, May 14 1 Richard Saunders 9:00am - 1:30pm Corner of Zhongshan N. Rd., Sec. 6 

march 2013 www.communitycenter.org.tw 

and Lane 290 

20 


Bake It Yourself: Icing [Part 1] 

TexT & Images: Cheryl Chee 

In the first of a three part series, Cheryl Chee introduces 

buttercream and whipped cream frostings 

The icing on the cake – isn’t that the best part? There are so many things you 

can do with icings to make a cake taste or look better, and there are also so many 

different kinds of icings you can use. But how do you know which icing works 

well with your cake? 

In this 3-part series, I’ll highlight the more popular icings that are versatile, easy 

to make, and easy to use. By the end of this series, hopefully you’ll be more familiar 

with the different icings available, and you’ll have lots of fun trying them out! 

bake it yourself 

Buttercream Icing 

how does IT TasTe? 

how Is IT used? 

whaT Cake Is IT besT for? 

how Is IT sTored? 

IT’s greaT, exCepT….. 

why do we love IT? 

Sweet and buttery. Takes to flavorings very well. 

This soft, buttery icing can be spread over a cake or 

piped into patterns or swirls on cupcakes. 

Buttercream goes with almost any cake – butter cakes, 

sponge cakes, cupcakes. It goes better with denser cakes 

than light, airy cakes like chiffon. 

Buttercream hardens on refrigeration, and does not keep 

for more than a few days, although if you substitute 

water for milk in the recipe, you may be able to store 

it for up to two weeks. Buttercream needs to be stirred 

well before use if stored in the refrigerator. 

Buttercream melts quite easily, so this is not the icing to 

use on a hot, sunny day outdoors! 

This is a delicious, versatile icing that is most popularly 

used to ice cakes and cupcakes. It’s easy to spread, easy 

to flavor, and easy to cut through because it stays soft. 

recipe: 

basic buttercream 

IngredIenTs 

125 g unsalted butter, softened 

1½ cups (240 g) icing (powdered) 

sugar, sifted 

2 tablespoons milk (or water) 

Beat butter in a small bowl with 

an electric mixer until it is white 

and creamy. Gradually beat in half 

the icing sugar, add the milk or 

water, and then incorporate the 

remaining sugar. Flavor and color 

as desired. 

recipe: 

whipped Cream 

IngredIenTs 

1 cup double or whipping 

cream 

1 tablespoon granulated sugar 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Chill the steel mixer bowl 

and the whisk attachment in 

the freezer for ten minutes. 

Put all the ingredients into the 

bowl and whisk on high speed 

until medium peaks form 

(about one minute). 

Whipped Cream 

how does IT TasTe? 

how Is IT used? 

whaT Cake Is IT besT for? 

how Is IT sTored? 

IT’s greaT, exCepT….. 

why do we love IT? 

Whipped cream is sweetened with sugar and sometimes flavored 

with vanilla. It has a smooth, creamy taste and texture. Generally 

lighter in taste and texture and less sweet than buttercream. 

This soft, light icing is easily flavored and colored, and can be 

spread over a cake or used as cake filling. 

As the texture and taste are quite light, it goes better with 

lighter textured cakes, like chiffon cake and angel food cake. 

Whipped cream must be refrigerated. Cakes iced or filled with 

whipped cream must be chilled. 

Whipped cream quickly deflates and loses its shine if it is not 

chilled. It has an extremely low melting point, so even room 

temperature may be too warm for it, which can make preparing 

cakes with whipped cream a challenge. Simple designs can be 

piped using whipped cream, but because it is so heat-sensitive, 

it cannot be used for more complicated decorating. 

It has a very light texture and taste. It can be flavored easily and 

it stays soft so it can be cut through with a knife. 

Cheryl Chee holds several certifications in cake decorating and sugar art, 

and founded Bake It Yourself in 2003 in Singapore. Bake It Yourself is a 

cake decorating specialty store, course center, and bakery that makes cake 

decorating accessible to all keen bakers. She recently opened a branch in 

Taipei. For more information, visit www.b-i-y.com.tw or call the store at (02) 

25811-800. You can also email her directly at Cheryl@b-i-y.com.tw. 

H a v e a b a k i n g o r c a k e 

d e c o r a t i n g q u e s t i o n? A s k 

Cheryl! Email your queries 

t o cheryl@b-i-y.com.tw 

and Cheryl will answer your 

questions in a future column. 


21

Expat pErspEctivE 

living in taipei with a 

special needs child 

TexT & images: maDonna maurer 

Living overseas with a child 

with special needs has its 

c h a l l e n g e s, b u t i t’s n o t 

i m p o s s i b l e. P a r e n t s a r e 

sometimes reluctant, and rightly so, 

to raise their children in a culture 

that is not their own. For us, Taipei 

has been a good fit. I call us the 

“fusion family” because we are a 

mixture of nationality, race, and 

disability. Each member of our family 

has different needs. Even though 

there are daily challenges, Taipei has 

provided for those needs, including 

the needs of our daughter with 

Cri-du-Chat Syndrome, a genetic 

disorder. 

GettinG Around 

T a i p e i h a s g r e a t p u b l i c 

transportation, and for people with 

disabilities, it’s convenient too. The 

MRT stations are equipped with 

elevators, with each train having 

two cars designated for wheelchairs 

and each car having dark blue 

seats designated for the elderly, 

pregnant, young children, and the 

disabled. Many public buses are now 

accessible to the handicapped, with 

only one step and a built-in ramp 

for wheelchairs. As for taxis, I have 

found drivers to be overall polite and 

helpful when I’ve traveled with my 

kids alone. 

thinGs to do 

Taipei is full of activities and 

events for children, and many can 

be adapted to children with special 

needs. However, as an expat, it can 

be difficult to find this information, 

especially if you can’t read Chinese. 

I’ve found that the best way to 

“hear” about upcoming events 

for kids is to check out the forum 

“Parent Pages” on Taiwanease.com. 

At museums, pools, and even the 

zoo, discounts are given to those with 

special needs. Expats do not qualify 

for the government disability pass, 

but we have a letter from the hospital 

that we use for these discounts, and 

most places accept that. 

One of the highlights for our 

daughter is the “I Am a Hero Games,” 

a sports day for children with special 

needs. Taiwan Sunshine often partners 

with Morrison Academy – Bethany 

Campus and Taipei American School 

to host these events. 

MedicAl 

We have been very pleased with the 

services provided at NTU Children’s 

Hospital, most of the time! Many of 

their therapists have studied abroad. 

When we moved to Taipei seven 

years ago, our daughter had a feeding 

tube, was nonverbal, and did not 

walk. We were pleased that most of 

her specialists and therapists could 

communicate with us in English. 

Today she is off her feeding tube, 

beginning to say words, and running. 

We 

couldn’t be happier with the care 

that our daughter has received here 

– and that includes a few hospital 

stays due to pneumonia. The only 

area that we have found lacking is 

English-language speech therapists. 

Families that have children with 

autism may tell a different story. 

Doctors that specialize in autism 

are difficult to find. The Lai family, 

expats from Malaysia and Singapore, 

has recently looked for a new doctor 

to follow up on their son’s condition. 

Yit Loong shares, “Parents need to 

be both knowledgeable about the 

specific condition of their child and 

what sort of therapies and treatments 

are appropriate for their child, as 

well as from whom and where to get 

help.” While good medical services 

taiwan sunshine is a non-profit organization that exists to support and 

encourage families that have children with special needs. 

www.taiwansunshine.org | Facebook Page: taiwan sunshine 

info@taiwansunshine.org 

22 


are available, it may take extra effort 

to find a good match. (See page 10 

for more information about autism 

resources in Taipei). 

eDuCaTion 

Taipei has four dedicated special 

education schools. In addition, each 

district has an elementary school 

that serves as a resource center for 

children with special educational 

needs. Many local elementary schools 

offer a special education classroom, 

as well as support classrooms for 

those with learning needs. Of course, 

all of the instruction is in Mandarin. 

Our daughter was able to attend a 

special education kindergarten in 

one of the local schools. We were 

really pleased with the teachers and 

staff and what they were willing to 

do with a nonverbal expat child, but 

we knew that she needed to have 

her education in English. So, at the 

end of her kindergarten year, we 

made the decision to homeschool 

her. At the moment, the options for 

English-speaking children that have 

special educational needs beyond 

learning support are quite limited. 

Taiwan Sunshine is currently in the 

process of exploring the feasibility 

of an educational program that 

would support these children. (See 

page 24 for information about 

homeschooling in Taiwan.) 

perCepTions 

Catherine Lai explains, “[Although 

our son] Benjy’s autism is not 

obvious, we still get the staring 

treatment a lot.” While Taipei is 

continuing to grow in its awareness 

of disabilities, “there is a general 

lack of awareness and acceptance 

towards autism.” The Lais have been 

criticized for their parenting skills 

because “people tend to associate 

a n a u t i s t i c o u t b u r s t w i t h b a d 

parenting,” but this hasn’t stopped 

them from going out and providing 

Benjy with new experiences. While 

other people may mean well, they 

certainly can affect you and the rest 

of your day. 

Taipei has become our hometown. 

It isn’t just the conveniences of living 

here that make it a great place, it’s 

also the people. I have found so many 

strangers giving us their bus seat, 

opening a door, and even offering to 

lift half the wheelchair to help us out. 

I have watched a bus full of people 

clap their hands with my daughter, 

all smiling and laughing. Of course, I 

have also experienced the stares, the 

awkward questions, and occasional 

rudeness of others, but that has not 

been the norm. So, I agree with the 

Lais, that we should “take every 

opportunity to expose [our children] 

to new things and experiences to 

help [them] explore the world despite 

[their] condition.” And what better 

way to give them new experiences 

than living in Taipei. 

MaDonna has been living in Taipei 

with her husband, Uwe, for the past 

seven years. They both work for 

Taiwan Sunshine. MaDonna also 

writes about raising third culture 

kids. You can read more at www. 

raisingTCKs.com 

www.communitycenter.org.tw APril 2013 

23

EduCAtIoN 

homeschooling 

in Taiwan 

TExT: KATRINA BROWN WITH DOROTA CHEN-WERNIK AND TIM CHEN 

IMAGES: MADONNA MAuRER 

Homeschooling has been 

l e g a l i n Ta i w a n s i n c e 

1982 and considered a 

special form of education 

since 1997. The most developed 

homeschooling country in Asia, 

Taiwan is also one of only a few 

that recognizes homeschooling as 

a kind of education. According to 

Tim Chen, Chairman of the Taiwan 

H o m e s c h o o l A s s o c i a t i o n a n d 

co-author of the Chinese book 我 

家就是國際學校 (My Home is an 

International School), there are 

1,750 students registered in “nonschool-type 

experimental education”; 

of those, 971 are taught by their 

parents, 224 are in co-ops, and 555 

are in school-like institutions. 

F a m i l i e s m a y c h o o s e t o 

homeschool their children for a 

number of reasons. The flexibility 

to choose curriculum from sources 

both in Taiwan and abroad is a 

major benefit. For families whose 

primary language is not Mandarin, 

homeschooling is a way to teach 

in the home language without the 

expense of an international school in 

Taiwan. 

The inability of the local system 

to cater to different learning styles 

is another reason some Taiwanbased 

families develop their own 

programs at home. The Lee family 

decided to homeschool their first 

grader after they found that “the 

methods employed by the Taiwanese 

education system and our son do not 

agree.” Homeschooling has meant 

that their son can learn in the way 

that is most conducive to him, and 

he is now developing a passion for 

learning that was absent in the local 

system. This lack of flexibility was 

also an issue for Tim Chen’s family. 

Chen explains, “Our daughter is a 

highly visual person. Her study notes 

are in graphic form, which is great 

for organizing ideas but not suited 

for text-based school exams.” 

According to Chen, homeschooling 

s u i t s c h i l d r e n w i t h l e a r n i n g 

difficulties very well, “as they are not 

subject to the undue humiliations 

or neglects found in schools.” 

Chen elaborates, “The Special 

Education Act was amended this 

year to accommodate homeschooling 

children. If a child is assessed to be 

eligible for special education and 

parents choose to homeschool that 

child, the local government must 

provide for the homeschooled child 

as if the child was attending a school. 

For example, our son is a strong 

auditory and kinesthetic (tactile) 

learner but a weak text reader in all 

languages (especially in Chinese). 

He can learn at home by listening 

to audio books or [having a parent 

read] to him. If he was in school, his 

learning would not be as effective, as 

most of the information is presented 

in text form.” 

S o, h o w d o e s o n e g o a b o u t 

homeschooling? Needless to say, 

once you make the decision to 

homeschool, you can find a vast 

amount of information online 

a n d v 

i a v i r t u a l a n d r e a l-l i f e 

homeschooling groups. 

With 

the diversity of classes, 

museums, and other educational 

facilities 

in Taiwan, if your child can 

speak some Chinese and you are 

willing to do a little groundwork, 

the world really is your educational 

oyster. You will be able to fit group 

classes such as nature appreciation, 

art, music, and astronomy into 

your timetable, and you can tour 

museums during times when most 

children are in school. 

The Chinese-language website 

Taiwan Homeschool Advocates is an 

up-to-date, comprehensive resource 

for all things homeschool-related. 

If you cannot read Chinese, the 

“Learn@Home In Taiwan” Facebook 

group is the best place to start. 

Parents from as far south as Pingtung 

contribute to this informationsharing 

group, so you just need 

to reach out to find people in the 

area of Taiwan where you reside. 

Monthly meet-ups are also posted in 

this group. 

If you do not want to “go-italone,” 

you can join (or create) 

a homeschooling co-op such as 

the Taipei International Christian 

Academy (TICA). Founded by 

several parents, TICA is for families 

“looking for an excellent, English, 

i n c l u s i v e e d u c a t i o n f o r t h e i r 

children.” Parents work together to 

educate the children at a community 


space. Children with special needs 

are welcome. 

The biggest hurdle for many 

f a m i l i e s i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g t h e 

application process. These legal 

issues need to be addressed once 

your child reaches school age. If a 

Taiwanese national (a child listed 

on a household registration ( 戶口 )) 

turns six on or before September 1st, 

he or she will be legally obligated 

to go to school that year. If you 

want to homeschool your child in 

the upcoming academic year, you 

need to apply to homeschool before 

May 31st for Grades 1–9 and June 

30th for Grades 10–12. If your 

child is a foreign national, you do 

not have to apply to homeschool in 

Taiwan. However, you can if you 

would like to. Your home country 

may have other requirements for 

homeschooling that you will need 

to comply with if you plan to return 

home at some stage of your child's 

education. 

The basic requirements for the 

homeschooling application are: 

you must reside in the city you 

are applying; your children must 

be school age; and you need to 

apply before the deadline. You 

lodge your application with the 

Education Bureau at your registered 

or household address. You will also 

be registered with a school, but you 

do not have to attend the school 

at all. If you choose to join any 

classes though, the school cannot 

reject you. Once your children reach 

high school age, you do not have to 

register with a school to become a 

homeschooler. In fact, 3/4 of high 

school homeschoolers do not register 

with any school. 

You can download all homeschool 

application materials from http:// 

law.chen-wernik.net/. The forms 

are all in Chinese. This year's Taipei 

forms included: 

• Reasons for applying 

• Teaching method 

• Information about your child/ 

children 

• L e s s o n p l a n s ( m a t e r i a l s , 

assessment plan, timetable) 

• Intended educator's educational 

background 

When providing your lesson plan, 

remember that you have all the 

freedom in how and what you teach 

your children provided that whatever 

you plan to do has been approved 

by the committee. Because children 

on the household registration will 

generally have at least one parent 

who is a Chinese speaker, it is 

expected that children will have some 

Chinese language curriculum, so it 

is inadvisable to drop this altogether 

in your plan unless you have a very 

good reason to do so. 

Chen does warn that the reasons 

for denying applications are arbitrary 

and that it varies greatly from city 

to city. “At the end of the day, it's 

all about whether the reviewer likes 

your proposal or not,” he says. 

Getting in touch with other families 

who have already gone through the 

process can help when tackling this 

hurdle. This year, Dorota Chen- 

Wernik and Tim Chen ran their first 

workshops to help families prepare 

for their homeschooling journeys, 

including completing the application 

process. Such event information is 

posted at Learn@Home In Taiwan on 

Facebook. 

Homeschooling can be a rewarding 

experience for many families, and a 

necessity for some. I hope this article 

has assured you that the application 

process is not as difficult as you may 

have imagined, and that you now 

have some tools to assist you should 

you choose this option for your 

children's education. 

In Taiwan 

s i n c e 1 9 9 5 , 

New Zealander 

Katrina Brown 

lives with her Taiwanese husband 

in the mountains of Jilong. With 

two elementary-school aged 

children, Katrina is determined 

to make Taiwan more accessible 

for all families. Visit her blog 

www.kidzone-tw.com f o r 

information about familyfriendly 

spaces and events. 

Taiwan Homeschool Advocates 

http://www.homeschool.tw/ 

(Chinese only) 

http://2t.chen-wernik.net/ for a list of 

monthly events 

Learn@Home in Taiwan 

Facebook: Learn@Home in Taiwan 

Taipei International Christian Academy 

Facebook: Taipeiica 

Tim and Dorota's book 波蘭媽媽魏多麗 

和台灣爸爸陳怡光 is the story (in Chinese) 

of their ten-year homeschooling journey. 

You can read more about their successes 

(in English) at http://ourbabelschool. 

blogspot.tw/ 


25

CSC NEWS 

Support 

Centered on Taipei 

We need your 

help to keep this 

magazine in print 

Centered on Taipei is a not-for-profit publication that has been available free of charge since it 

was established in 2000. For many years advertisements covered production costs; however, in 

the past few years, as has been the case with so many print publications, Centered on Taipei’s 

advertising revenue has decreased substantially resulting in an unsustainable financial situation. 

Without further support, Centered on Taipei is at risk of closing its 

doors for good. 

It is for this reason that we are turning to you, our readers, for help. Whether you’re a 

long-time reader or someone who is picking up a copy for the very first time, if you value the 

information and entertainment you find in Centered on Taipei, please consider donating. 

Every donation, big and small, will put us one step closer to reaching our 

fundraising goal of NT$400,000. 

We believe Centered on Taipei is an important resource for the international community in 

Taiwan and a crucial link between the community and the Community Services Center. 

We hope you agree. 

To donate, visit www.communitycenter.org.tw, stop by The Center, or 

call (02) 2836-8134. 

Donate NT$1,000 and 

you’ll receive a Center 

coffee mug 

Donate NT$100,000 and Richard Saunders will 

take a group of up to 25 people “off the beaten 

track” on a privately guided day trip or hike, plus 

you’ll receive a year of banner advertising on the 

Off the Beaten Track page of the magazine. 

26 APril 2013 www.communitycenter.org.tw 

For more details visit www.communitycenter.org.tw.

ASk bIN 

How Small 

Things Affect the 

Feng Shui of Your 

Home 

TExT: BIN HuANG AND NATALIE KöHLE 

IMAGES: NATALIE KöHLE 

While visiting the pottery 

t o w n o f Yi n g g e o r 

one of Taipei’s flower 

markets, you may have 

noticed various pottery water features 

on sale, and were probably wondering 

what all these artificial streams and 

water fountains are about. No, 

although they look nice, they are not 

made for decorating your garden or 

your porch. They are for improving 

the feng shui of your home! 

Feng shui, w h i c h l i t e r a l l y 

translates as “wind-water,” is an 

ancient Chinese form of geomancy 

(the science of understanding the 

rules of Heaven and Earth) used 

to create buildings and interiors 

that conform to nature’s principles 

and that have good and positive qi. 

What does that mean? In the most 

simple, everyday understanding of 

these complicated notions, positive 

qi helps us to lead a harmonious life, 

protects us from misfortune, and 

improves business. 

So how does the water feature 

work to attract good feng shui? 

Again, I will give you the simple 

explanation here. We say that 

the water inside the water feature 

represents wealth – something that 

most people wish to get more of. 

Therefore, a water feature should 

be placed so that the water flows 

towards your house. If the water 

flows towards you, then wealth will 

do the same. Thus, the best place 

to put a water feature is next to the 

entrance of your home. 

If you don’t have one of these water 

features, then perhaps you decorated 

your home with traditional landscape 

paintings? These traditional paintings 

often depict a stream. Maybe you 

don’t believe in the efficacy of feng 

shui, but if you have one of these 

paintings at home, just take a look at 

it – in which direction does the water 

flow? Don’t let it run towards the 

outside of the house: believe me, if the 

water is flowing away, your money 

will do so too! 

Another way to lose your fortune 

is to have the bathroom door in the 

wrong place. Is your front door 

directly opposite the bathroom door? 

If so, move the bathroom door or 

try to find a moveable partition or 

cabinet to stand between them so 

that incoming fortune will hit the 

partition or cabinet and stay inside 

your home, rather than disappearing 

down the toilet bowl. 

Likewise, don’t let your bedroom 

door face towards the kitchen stove. 

The fire that is associated with the 

stove will burn everything including 

your health, your wealth, and your 

harmonious family relationships. Of 

course, instead of altering the kitchen 

door, 

you can just find a nice curtain 

and hang it in front of the door. 

That will do the trick and protect 

you from burning up your fortune. 

Many people love fish and have an 

aquarium. However, don’t let them 

hurt your health by putting them 

inside your bedroom. According 

to the principles of feng shui, the 

moisture from the tank will make 

you sick. If, however, you keep them 

inside the living room, everything 

will be just fine. If you stock the 

tank with goldfish, koi, or other 

bright, shiny fish, your income may 

even increase! 

Many Westerners reading this will 

shake their heads in disbelief, but 

these are some of the most common 

t h i n g s t h a t Ta i w a n e s e p e o p l e 

will consider when designing and 

decorating their home. 

Bin is an interior designer 

with almost thirty years of 

experience in Taiwan. In 

addition to running his own 

interior design studio (www. 

inkstone.ws), he recently 

started a small home maintenance 

service company (http://housewizard. 

wordpress.com/), in order to share his 

local knowledge about the ins and outs 

of home decoration with the expat 

community of Taipei. Whatever your 

household question may be, he’d love to 

hear from you. 


27

Quinoa 藜麥 

TExT: IVY CHEN 

IMAGES: IVY CHEN & MAKOTO KAWABE 

high blood pressure, high blood sugar, 

and high blood fat. Quinoa is suitable 

for people on a gluten-free diet. Though 

we eat its seeds, it does not belong to the 

wheat family, but to the same group as 

beet, Swiss chard, and spinach. 

an anCienT Crop ConTribuTes 

To Global fooD seCuriTy 

The United Nations General Assembly 

has declared 2013 as the "International 

Year of Quinoa" to address the challenge 

of producing good quality food to feed 

an increasing world population. 

Q u i n o a h a s b e e n g r o w n i n a l l 

countries of the Andean region for over 

5,000 years. Now it’s cultivated all over 

the world and grows under extremely 

varied weather conditions, from sea level 

up to 4,000 meters, from -8° to 38° C. It 

is drought tolerant and can grow in poor 

soil. In Taiwan, it grows in the south and 

east, mainly in indigenous villages. 

nuTriTion 

Quinoa contains high levels of protein 

– up to 35–40%. It’s the only food that 

has all the essential amino acids, trace 

elements, minerals, and vitamins. 

Because quinoa is so nutritious, it 

helps to reduce the risk of heart disease, 

usaGe 

The edible parts of quinoa include the 

tender leaves and seeds, while the stems 

are crushed to make fertilizer. The seeds 

are usually roasted and ground into flour 

for making noodles, bread, cakes, and 

cookies. It is also used in making millet 

wine (the traditional drink of Taiwanese 

indigenous peoples), beer, or chicha (the 

traditional drink of the Andes) as a koji 

(fermentation yeast). In cooking, quinoa 

can be used in salads, soups, desserts, 

and stuffings. Furthermore, medicinal, 

pharmaceutical, and industrial uses for 

quinoa have been developed. 

Quinoa seeds taste nutty or grassy 

when cooked. At least four types of 

28 

MAY 2013 www.communitycenter.org.tw

quinoa are cultivated in Taiwan, 

including white quinoa ( 白藜麥 , bái 

lí mài), black quinoa ( 黑藜麥 , hēi lí 

mài), red quinoa ( 紅藜麥 , hóng lí mài) 

and djulis ( 紅藜 , hóng lí). 

COOKING IDEAS 

Try something new instead of 

always eating rice or pasta with your 

meals; experiment with quinoa in 

dishes such as djulis and almond tile, 

djulis rice and shrimp hand sushi 

rolls (temaki), djulis rice cheese 

balls, duck breast and djulis salad 

with marmalade sauce, djulis and 

white quinoa coated pork chop with 

Florence fennel salad, white quinoa 

and rice pudding, white quinoa and 

spring vegetable soup with croutons, 

black quinoa with pork hamburger, 

and ginger flavored pork with djulis 

noodles. 

Where to buy quinoa: 

http://kullku.com/howtobuy.html 

Or order by phone: (04) 2246-8598 or 0952-188-355 

Source: 

Part of this article is excerpted from The Food and Agriculture Organization of 

the United Nations 

Ender’s Shadow 

By Orson Scott Card 

ISBN: 978-0765342409 Published by Tor Books 

A 

n a m e l e s s , u n d e r s i z e d 

four-year-old child roams 

the unfriendly streets of 

Rotterdam, a city deeply 

impacted by the Second Formic 

War and full of street urchins who 

wouldn’t hesitate to pound skulls into 

pulp for a scrap of apple. Tiny and 

alone, he learns to fight not with his 

fists but with his extraordinary brains. 

War is approaching; an alien 

species, known as Buggers, is about 

to attack. A recruiter, in a desperate 

attempt to find leaders, tests a group 

of street urchins and is taken aback 

when she finds a hidden genius 

amongst them. He is small but 

bright, and his name is Bean. 

When Bean arrives at Battle 

School, an academy in outer space 

designed to single out geniuses to 

become commanders defending 

Earth from the aliens threatening 

to destroy the planet, he is the 

youngest and smartest pupil, but 

he is constantly being compared 

to the shining star of the academy, 

Ender Wiggin. Will he ever step out 

of Ender’s shadow and finally be 

recognized for his true worth? 

I loved Ender’s Shadow, especially 

Bean whose character undergoes 

TexT: Shereen Lee 

immense personal growth. His 

only weakness is one of his greatest 

strengths; his toughness makes him 

more like a perfect machine than a 

human, but his character transforms 

greatly. The originally unpassionate 

Bean manages to become a truly 

h u m a n c h a r a c t e r w i t h a c t u a l 

emotions, which, in the end, makes 

him more breathtakingly real than 

any character I’ve known. 

Ender’s Shadow is a companion 

to the science fiction/dystopian novel 

Ender’s Game, and there are several 

parallels between the two stories: 

both are about an exceptional child 

trying to fit in and succeed, and in 

both stories the child has a nemesis 

who haunts his thoughts and an 

advocate who seems to betray him. 

Upon multiple readings of both 

novels, more and more parallels pop 

out; however, I find the characters 

of Ender and Bean to be extremely 

different. For example, Ender seems 

to sink further and further inside 

himself as he tries to protect himself 

from the dangers that threaten him 

from outside, while Bean starts as a 

cold, survival machine – a product 

of his battles to stay alive on the 

streets of Rotterdam as a toddler 

– but as he moves on, he reaches 

out to protect himself from his own 

external dangers. 

Even though there were faults, and 

I didn’t like all aspects of the book, 

Ender’s Shadow is still one of my alltime 

favorite books, telling Bean's 

story satisfyingly and providing a 

new perspective on its companion, 

Ender’s Game. I’m confident that 

everyone who reads this book will 

devour it just like I did. Orson Scott 

Card has done a terrific job of, in his 

words, “[telling] the same 

story twice, but differently.” 

Shereen Lee is a sixth grader 

attending Taipei American 

School who has a passion for 

writing and reading inspired 

by her family and friends. 

Want more? Go to her blog at http:// 

booknuttereviews.wordpress.com. 


29

Just a few of the things that are going on around Taipei this month... 

Taipei City hall 

May 4th & 5th 

An Urban and Rural Tribute: Taipei 

Carnival 

Venue: City Hall Square and surrounding 

streets 

http://english.taipei.gov.tw 

1 Shifu Road 

Taipei Confucius Temple 

May 11th & 25th 

Savoring the Sweetness of Spring Tea: 

Fine Tea Appreciation and Tasting 

Call: (02) 2592-3934, ext. 22 for 

reservations 

275 Dalong Street 

Taipei fine arts museum 

May 18th 

International Museum Day: Annual 

Public Cultural Event 

First floor entrance 

Hsin-yueh Lin: Enchanting Taiwan 

Until May 5th 

Galleries: 3A, 3B, 3C 

http://www.tfam.museum/ 

181 Zhongshan North Road, Section 3 

Taipei Zoo 

Until December 31st 

Special Exhibit: All About the Snakes In 

the Year of the Snake 

http://www.zoo.taipei.gov.tw 

30 Xinguang Road, Section 2 

eDuCaTion 

riverside live house 

Every Thursday through Sunday 

Mini Concerts: A Platform for Original, 

Next-Generation Music 

Call: (02) 2370-8805 for schedules and 

tickets 

http://www.riverside.com.tw/ 

177 Xining South Road 

suhu paper memorial museum 

Until June 1st 

Flowing Scenery: Mu-ge Huang Solo 

Exhibition 

http://www.suhopaper.org.tw/en/ 

en_index.html 

68 Changan East Road, Section 2 

national palace museum 

Until November 3rd 

Voyage With the Tailwind: Qing Archival 

and Cartographical Materials on 

Maritime History 

Gallery: 104 

http://www.npm.gov.tw/en/ 

221 Zhishan Road, Section 2 

puppetry art Center of Taipei 

Daily 10 am - 5 pm except Mondays 

DIY Puppetry Class: Kids and Young at 

Heart Make Their Own Puppets 

Call: (02) 2528-9553 for schedules 

http: //www.pact.org.tw 

2F, 99 Civic Boulevard, Section 5 

csc Business clAssified 

beauTy 

national museum of history 

Until May 26th 

Exhibition: Xiao De-Yang’s Stone 

Carving from the Heart 

Gallery: 2F, Corridor 

http://www.nmh.gov.tw/en-us/Home.aspx 

49 Nanhai Road 

national Taiwan museum 

Until September 22nd 

Special Exhibition: The Food Arc 

Gallery: G301 & G302 

http://www.ntm.gov.tw 

2 Xiangyang Road 

The red room 

3rd Saturday of the month, 6:30 - 10:30 pm 

Stage Time & Wine 

http://www.redroom.com.tw/ 

2F, 117 Da-an Road, Section 1 

May 19, 2:30 pm & 7:30 pm 

Red Room Radio Redux presents The 

Tragedy of Macbeth 

http://www.redroom.com.tw/red-roomradio-redux/ 

National Taiwan University College of 

Medicine, 1 Renai Road, Section 1 

spoT Taipei – film house 

Daily Noon to Midnight, six showings 

Avant-garde Cross Cultural Films 

http://www.spot.org.tw/index_e.htm 

18 Zhongshan North Road, Section 2 

mover 

hair Dresser 

#14 Tienmu E. Road | Telephone 2871-1515 | GP168@hotmail.com.tw

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