PDF file - Community Services Center

Publication of the Community Services Center 

Centered 

on TAIPEI 

February 2012, Volume 12, Issue 5 

Center running team in the 

Fubon marathon 

entertaining Kids in taipei 

the pursuit oF happiness 

tastes oF taipei at tajin 

taiwan Youth Climate Coalition 

anxietY and stress management 

oFF the beaten traCK

CONTENTS February 2012 volume 12 issue 5 

5 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR 

6 Richard Recommends 

National Theater and Concert Hall: 

february 2012 

7 Cultural Corner 

Identity 

8 Off the Beaten Track 

Qigu: Spoonbills and salt fields 

10 Kids and Family 

Entertaining Kids in Wintery Taipei 

12 Outlook 

Anxiety and Stress Management 

Community 

14 TAS at Model United Nations 

15 TES Students Top in the World Results 

8 

13 

15 Creative 

Consolation 

16 Dining 

Theater Restaurant – Taiwan Style 

18 Lifestyle 

In the Pursuit of Happiness 

19 Dining 

Not Only Meatless Monday 

20 Travel 

Suao: An Unexpectedly Fascinating 

Destination 

22 CSC News 

Fubon Marathon 2012 

23 The Center’s Favorite Finds 

Events at The Center 

24 Book Review 

The Buddha in the Attic 

25 Environment 

Taiwan Youth Climate Coalition 

26 Taipei Uncorked 

What are your New Year's Resolutions? 

27 Tastes of Taipei 

Tajin 

Charity 

28 TES – Tabitha Project 

29 TAS Orphanage Club News 

30 Chinese Kitchen 

Grey Mullet 

32 Word from the Director 

Worship Directory 

33 cOMMunity Groups 

34 CSC Business Classifieds 

Events About Town 

COVER IMAGE: courtesy of 

Tajin Restaurant 

20 

22 

30 

Centered on Taipei is a publication of the Community Services Center, 

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

Tel: 2836 8134, fax: 2835 2530, e-mail: coteditor@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 2012. All rights reserved. Material in this publication may not be 

reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner. 

www.communitycenter.org.tw february 2012 

3

4 february 2012 www.communitycenter.org.tw

Letter From The Editor 

Publisher: Community Services Center, Taipei 

Managing Editor: Steven Parker 

Editor: Kath Liu 

Co-editor: Richard Saunders 

Advertising Manager: Paula Lee 

Tel: 0926 956 844 

Fax: 2835 2530 

email: paulalee@communitycenter.org.tw 

Writing and Photography 

Contributors: 

Community Services 

Center Editorial Panel: 

Printed by: 

Mark Caltonhill 

Sarah Chen Lin 

Ivy Chen 

Jeffrey Chen 

Christine Chien-Rixon 

Aly Cooper 

Monica Hess 

Serina Huang 

Xiang Ting Huang 

Katya Ilieva-Stone 

Tin Tin Kao 

Henri Labuschagne 

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: Steven Parker 

Office Manager: Grace Ting 

Counselors: 

Newcomer Orientation Consultant: Amy Liu 

Accountant: Monica Cheng 

Communications: Kari Schiro 

Programs Coordinator: Rosemary Susa 

Programs Assistant: Daina Agee 

Events Coordinator: Bianca Russell 

Chinese Teacher: Gloria Gwo 

Volunteers: 

Premier Sponsors: 

Amy Liu 

Kath Liu 

Kristen Lowman 

Lauren Mark 

Louie Mayor 

Steve Parker 

Mark L. Peterson 

Sunny Ritzer 

Bianca Russell 

Richard Saunders 

Kari Schiro 

Patricia Tzeng 

Suzan Babcock, Kris Carlson, Fawn Chang, 

Wendy Evans, Cerita Hsu, Perry Malcolm, Tina Oelke, 

Ming-I Sun, Cindy Teeters 

Alison Bai, Wakako Couch, Shana Garcia, 

John McQuade, Linda Mendenhall, Jessica Nielsen, 

Bunny Pacheco, Gloria Peng, Jenni Rosen, 

Ruth Reynolds, Kari Schiro, Sandra Schnelle, 

Desta Selassie, Michelle Smith, Lillian Yiin 

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 

Nokia Siemens Networks 

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. 

Happy new year to you all! 

I remember the first time I saw a copy of Centered 

on Taipei magazine and how impressed I was by it. 

The variety of content, the interesting and well-written 

articles, the fantastic layout – this is a publication that 

has continued to be an eagerly anticipated read of mine. 

It is a huge honor to be offered the opportunity to edit 

this magazine. Our previous editor, Roma, has done 

an incredible job over the last four years. I have high 

standards to maintain indeed. 

We have left the Year of the Rabbit behind and 

are now entering the Year of the Dragon – a year 

that, according to the assignment of the animal 

characteristics to the year ahead, one that promises to 

be exciting, unpredictable and intense. So much for the 

quiet life! Regardless of what kind of year lies ahead, 

this is the time for spending time with loved ones. Ivy 

Chen shares the story of the Grey Mullet and their 

much sought-after roe, a staple at many celebratory 

feasts. She also gives us some tips on how to prepare it. 

Chinese New Year is a popular time for traveling 

and we have two fantastic articles about lesser known 

destinations within this beautiful island that we call 

home. Katya Ilieva-Stone tells us how a missed exit 

turns into an unexpected discovery and Richard 

Saunders takes us to the salt fields of Qigu. 

Within Taipei, we have a special treat for those of us 

with children as Aly Cooper shares some suggestions 

on good places to go on those days when the rain is 

pouring down and both you and the kids are desperate 

to get out of the house. Or if you're looking for a night 

out, Serina Huang introduces the See-Join Theater 

Restaurant, which mixes traditional puppetry with tasty 

food. There's plenty more besides in the magazine! 

If you would like to contribute to the magazine, 

whether with your writing or photography, please write 

to me with your ideas at coteditor@communitycenter. 

org.tw. As always we welcome your news and views. 

Wishing you all a happy and prosperous Year of the 

Dragon! 

Kath 

Kath Liu 

Editor 

Richard Saunders 

Co-editor 

Paula Lee 

Advertising Manager 

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) 


5

CSC NEWS 

RICHARD 

ReCommenDs 

rIChard SaunderS 

national theater & Concert hall 

february 2012 

The year of the Dragon is off to a roaring good start 

at the cks cultural center, with a small but eclectic 

collection of concerts featuring big-name artists 

as varied as bobby Mcferrin, nigel kennedy and 

Daniel Harding, and larger-than-life masterpieces such as 

stravinsky’s Petrushka and bruckner’s Fifth Symphony. 

There’s also an interesting concert pairing two modern 

counterparts (for narrator and orchestra) to prokofiev’s 

much-loved Peter and the Wolf, for moms and dads keen on 

introducing their kids to concepts of contemporary classical 

music. brian current’s A Young Person’s Guide to New 

Music for Symphony Orchestra is a handy, child-friendly 

introduction to modern music, while the musical ‘whodunit’ 

The Composer is Dead, with a text by Lemony snicket, 

portrays a series of unfortunate events that take over an 

orchestra, while at the same time introducing the individual 

instruments to the audience. The concert, on february 

18th, will be performed twice: at 2:30 pm, and again at 

7:30 pm; non-chinese speakers should attend the evening 

performance, when expat american pianist John vaughan 

will take the part of the narrator, in english. 

still on the subject of contemporary classics, in an 

intriguing program of startling contrasts, the national 

symphony Orchestra couples Mozart’s light and tuneful Fifth 

Violin Concerto with a pair of highly contrasting Twentiethcentury 

masterpieces. stravinsky’s orchestral extravaganza, 

Petrushka was the second of his three great early ballets, 

and its irresistible mix of virtuosic orchestral colors and 

gritty russian passion makes it one of the composer’s most 

beloved works. Moving into more challenging territory, 

Olivier Messiaen’s extraordinary Oiseaux Exotiques for 

piano and small orchestra is more of an acquired taste. 

Messiaen’s lifelong love of birdsong, and his unique ability 

to transfer its sounds, almost literally, into tones playable 

by humans, had already developed to the extent that he 

was able to construct an astonishingly complex, ear-tickling 

filigree in pieces such as this amazing 14-minute display of 

utmost virtuosity for solo piano and small orchestra of 18 

performers, written in 1955. Those who know Messiaen’s 

other bird-inspired pieces (such as Chronochromie and the 

vast (3-hour!) piano cycle Catalogue d’Oiseaux) will know 

what’s in store. Other prospective listeners might want 

to listen to the piece on youtube first to avoid a possibly 

unpleasant shock! 

predictably perhaps, there’s not even a hint of 

adventurous programming in the two performances given by 

the visiting bavarian radio symphony on february 28th and 

29th. sticking firmly within the austro-german tradition, the 

first concert features two much-loved staples: schubert’s 

majestic Ninth Symphony and the brahms Violin Concerto. 

for the second program, they focus on late-romantic music: 

orchestral songs by Mahler and another huge symphony of 

extraordinary majesty: bruckner’s 5th, which features (in its 

second movement) one of the composer’s most memorable 

melodies. 

NatioNal theater 

the tempest 

A Russian interpretation of 

shakespeare’s play (in Russian with 

Chinese subtitles) 

february 17-19 

NatioNal CoNCert hall 

Bach Meets Fats Waller 

nigel Kennedy and friends 

february 11 

taipei Symphony orchestra 

Concert 

Works by Rachmaninov, schumann 

and Dvorak 

february 16 

Putting Dots in Place 

two contemporary young Person’s 

Guides to the Orchestra 

february 18 

taipei Baroque orchestra: 

Stabat Mater 

sacred settings by Vivaldi 

february 20 

Martin Stadtfield Piano recital 

Works by Bach, Liszt and 

Rachmaninov 

february 21 

a hearty Joke 

Orchestral works by Prokofiev, 

faure and Beethoven 

february 23 

a Night of romance and Poetry 

Chopin’s second Piano Concerto, 

plus Brahms and Liszt 

february 24 

Petrushka 

stravinsky’s magnificent ballet, and 

Messiaen’s extraordinary evocation 

of birdsong 

february 25 rr 

Bobby McFerrin Show 

february 27 

Symphonieorchester des 

Bayerischen rundfunks 

Works by Beethoven, Brahms and 

schumann (february 28) rr 

and by Mahler and Bruckner 

(february 29) rr 

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. 

publication of the national Theater and concert Hall schedule in 

Centered on Taipei is sponsored by cathay Life Insurance. 

TICKETING OFFICES: • NTCH: (02) 2343 1647 

• ERA: (02) 2709 3788 

6 

february 2012 www.communitycenter.org.tw

Amy's 

ultural 

Corner 

台 

灣 

Identity 

‘I’ or ‘we’ - It all starts 

from the nursery 

I 

was inspired to write this piece 

after seeing how my older 

brother raises his daughter in 

Taiwan, in comparison with 

the way my younger sister and her 

third generation Chinese American 

husband bring up their twins in the 

United States. 

Nurseries are a good indicator 

of how identity is expressed. 

Westerners value individualism, 

while Taiwanese respect the value 

of the group. In many Western 

cultures, prior to the arrival of the 

baby the nursery or baby’s bedroom 

is set up according to the personality, 

preferred colors and design of the 

parents. Babies are brought home to 

sleep alone from the first day, since 

Westerners generally believe babies 

are safer and can learn independence 

if placed in a crib with less contact 

with mom and dad, who can check 

on their baby via a baby monitor. 

Babies in Asian cultures such as 

Taiwan, on the other hand, sleep in 

the same room as their parents and/ 

or elder siblings. The baby’s crib is 

often placed next to their parents’ 

double bed, ensuring easy attention 

to his or her physical and emotional 

needs. Children in Taiwan don’t 

sleep in their own room until they 

are much older, even if a separate 

nursery was created and decorated 

before the baby was born. Besides 

cultural custom and practice, 

limitations in space and the number 

of rooms in a traditional Taiwanese 

home are other reasons babies sleep 

in the same room as their parents. 

As the baby grows out of the crib, 

they may begin sleeping in between 

their mom and dad in the double 

bed, or sleep with the mother while 

the father sleeps in a separate room. 

Later they may share a room with 

a sibling, before finally having a 

room to themselves as school work 

requires more attention and more 

private studying time. 

An individual growing up with 

his own space in a Western culture 

generally establishes his identity 

as a free and independent person. 

One is taught from a young age 

to communicate his personal 

achievements and worth, to respect 

privacy, to express his own individual 

opinions and desires and to have his 

own voice heard. The self-identity 

(“I”, “me”, “my”) and the need to 

stand out from the crowd and be 

different is considered desirable. 

Western parents teach independence 

and self-sufficiency starting from 

a very young age. Upon reaching 

adulthood, youngsters are generally 

expected to support themselves and 

be responsible. Often times the idea 

of the ‘family’ is typically limited 

to the immediate family group, and 

doesn't incorporate members of the 

extended family. 

Taiwanese, on the other hand, 

grow up sharing a space with their 

parents and siblings. They identify 

closely with the group (family, 

relatives, or people they consider in 

the ‘in-group’). The group’s interest, 

its well-being and the maintenance 

of harmony are highly valued. All 

members of the extended family 

generally remain close, and care 

for each another. All aspects of 

personal and professional life, 

including relationships, are connected 

and intertwined for everyone who 

is considered part of the group. 

The desires of the ‘self’ cannot be 

separated from the wishes of the 

group and the family. For example, 

teachers stress learning by writing 

homework, and teach on a ‘one 

method fits all’ basis, into which 

students are molded, rather than 

giving attention to each individual; 

many parents want their child to 

study English from an early age so 

they can start developing a world 

view, which is seen as guaranteeing 

future success. Though a child may 

perhaps have a talent for music or 

art, he or she will often have to give 

up their own desires, in order to 

study in the fields preferred by the 

parents/group and live up to their 

expectations. The goal then is to be 

praised by the group, who will as 

a result see the child as a complete 

and responsible young person who 

follows and achieves the group’s 

projected desire. 

Loyalty to the group is prioritized 

over personal feelings and 

aspirations. It’s important to be 

modest about personal achievements 

or opinions and not boast of 

individual successes. This is reserved 

for others to define and praise. 

Consequently, it’s important to 

keep in mind that when working 

with individuals from Taiwan, 

personal responsibility and freedom 

of personal expression need to be 

constantly encouraged and pushed. 

I have observed in large open group 

forums that Taiwanese are typically 

shy about asking questions and 

sharing personal opinions in public. 

Often in my own group training 

work, I have to specifically and 

carefully choose someone to answer 

a question (to give and save face). It’s 

rare to see Taiwanese volunteering 

their ideas or thoughts. 

When working with Taiwanese, 

the idea that a group is defined as 

consisting of unique individuals, and 

the advantages of being individual (as 

opposed to the commonly received 

wisdom among Taiwanese that the 

individual should follow the group 

consensus) should be given repeatedly 

to encourage Taiwanese individuals 

to speak up for themselves and 

express their thoughts. 


7

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK 

RICHARD SAUNDERS EXPLORES TAIWAN'S LESS-TRODDEN PATHS 

QIGU: Spoonbills and salt fields 

Every winter, between about October and March, 

a rather bleak strip of land at the mouth of 

the Cengwen River in southern Tainan County 

temporarily becomes one of Taiwan’s most 

eagerly watched hot-spots, as countless birders descend 

on the area to view the critically endangered Black Faced 

Spoonbill. Around two-thirds of the world's entire 

population of this species of bird chooses to overwinter 

each year on this spot, near the town 

of Qigu ( 七股 , pronounced chee-goo), 

just north of Tainan City. 

While it is rare and exotic-looking 

birds that make Qigu famous these 

days, traditionally, the area has a 

much more prosaic claim to fame: 

salt. The small, nondescript village 

is surrounded by huge shallow pools, 

used either for rearing fish or for 

the evaporation of salt. Although 

most of Taiwan’s salt industry is 

now automated, in a couple of spots 

around Qigu salt extraction is still 

done the old way. 

Qigu’s most famous salt-related 

‘attraction’ is its twenty meter-high 

salt ‘mountain,’ which contains about 

50,000 tons of unprocessed salt. Alas 

nowadays it’s an ugly tourist trap, 

looking for all the world like a vast, 

dirty mound of snow, and surrounded by tacky tourist 

divertissements such as a little train, a model Santa and 

even a ‘Float on Sea’ pool – a highly saline swimming 

pool in which, Dead Sea-like, it’s impossible to sink. Lord 

help anyone who goes in there with an open cut, though! 

Much more worth your time is the adjacent Taiwan 

Salt Museum, which stands in a modernistic new building 

designed to represent a huge pile of salt. The admission 

fee (NT$150 for adults) may put some off, but it’s worth 

paying up as it’s an impressive achievement, somehow 

managing to make the subject of salt far more interesting 

than I ever knew was possible. Near the entrance is a 

gift shop selling everything you can imagine related to 

salt (and a few things you never dreamed of!). Try the 

walnut and almond salty ice cream, which actually tastes 

very good! 

Armed with this new knowledge, head out to 

Jingzijiao Waban Salt Fields ( 井子腳瓦盤鹽田 ), signposted 

off Route 17 a couple of kilometers north of Qigu, just 

south of the town of Beimen ( 北門 ). This place is – 

strangely – off the radar for most visitors to the area, 

but is a fascinating (and oddly scenic) place to learn a 

bit more about this once enormously important local 

industry. Here lies a compact series of irregularly shaped 

pools, their floors covered in a mosaic of little stones, 

laid (like crazy paving) to prevent the salt mixing with 

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 due out in 2012. 


the Center gallery 

February 2012 

the mud underneath. Some are filled with seawater 

(brought in from the sea via a system of ditches and 

water gates) placidly mirroring the blue sky above, 

while the water in others has already evaporated 

completely under the powerful southern sun; the 

remaining layer of snow-white salt is swept up into 

small pyramids, one in the center of each pool, ready 

to be dug up and piled in huge mounds beside the 

pools by a lady and her wheelbarrow. 

Signboards, happily in English as well as 

Chinese, explain the surprisingly complicated 

process of extracting salt from seawater by 

evaporation: from letting seawater into the first (and 

lowest) evaporation ponds until, ten ponds later, the 

crystallized salt is dug out. It takes over two weeks 

during the main salt-extracting season (March to 

May), although the process is begun afresh every 

three days or so. 

In case this sounds like a lot of work to produce 

a pack of salt that can costs so little at the local 

supermarket, each crystallization pond here (and 

there are 98 in all) can process 250 to 350 kilograms 

of salt every three days! 

In february, the Center wall features traditional 

Chinese knotting by lily Chim. the theme of 

these beautifully framed artworks is “ARIsE, sHInE.” 

Also on display is the artwork of traditional turkish 

Illumination (gilding) by esin alturk gurtekin. 

Both Lily and Esin teach traditional arts and also accept 

custom orders. 

On the sideboard, lemongrass house taiwan 

will present SnIff Soy Candles from australia. 

these scented candles are hand-poured and 

lovingly created in sydney for a heavenly fragrance 

experience using only the highest quality eco-friendly 

soy wax (free from paraffin and palm wax), and leadfree 

wicks. the candles are nt$980 each and are 

available in: Citrus & Herb, Lemongrass sherbet, 

Rose Bud, Gardenia, Vanilla, jasmine & Wood, soft 

Lavender, frangipani, fresh Cut flowers, Lavender & 

Amber, and Poached Pear. 

To find many more less well-known places in Taiwan, 

visit Off the beaten Track at 

http://taiwandiscovery.wordpress.com/. 

Also this month, pretty in pearls once again brings 

you classic pearl jewelry for ladies of all ages, from 

keepsake baby pearl bracelets and classic pearl studs 

and drops, to hand-knotted pearl chokers and assorted 

silver and gemstone jewelry. 

A percentage of all proceeds of items sold at the Gallery 

go to The Center, so please remember that by displaying 

and shopping here you are helping us to provide much 

needed services to the international community. 


9

KidS & Family 

Entertaining Kids in 

Wintery Taipei 

tEXt & IMAGEs: ALy COOPER 

Forecast? Rain with a partial chance of being overcast. Duration? The next three 

months. Anybody with a child or multiple children (God bless you!) knows that with 

each drop that falls to the ground a little piece of their sanity is attached to it. Let's air it 

out for a moment, shall we? We love our children, but if we are in the house with them 

even just one second longer, well... carnage is bound to ensue. 

A bit about myself.... I'm married to a fantastic guy and have one great, albeit loud, 

energetic, slightly sarcastic five-year-old boy, and have been living in Taipei since last 

January. With the winter months having just begun and my son not yet in school, 

(coupled with my desire to maintain a full head of hair) I found it imperative to explore 

and get the heck out of my house. Mission? To find indoor play areas that are both 

parent- and child-friendly. Here's what I found. 

the natIonal SCIenCe eduCatIon 

Center, KIdS learnIng and 

dISCovery playground 

Wyatt had his birthday here and I was surprised by the 

number of parents who didn't know it existed. Easy to get to 

by bus, this little gem is cheap (NT$60) and fun for kids of 

different ages. The kids play area is located on the lower level, 

B1, and has everything from a climbing wall to computers that 

older kids can play games on. Trust me you'll love it. If you 

want to break for lunch they even have a food court on the 

second floor, replete with coffee, which I always find to be a 

‘good mommy’ necessity. 

location: 

189 shishang road, shilin 

opening hours: 

weekends, national and school holidays: 9 am - 6pm 

Tuesday to friday: 9 am - 5pm 

admission: nT$60 

transport: 

from MrT Jiantan exit One, take bus r3, r30 or 41 to the 

national Museum of science and education (nTsec) stop. 

Other buses: 620, r3, r12, r10 (get off at nTsec stop). 

255, 250, 620, r12 (get off at shilin High school of commerce 

stop). 

Website: http://en.ntsec.gov.tw/User/News-Content.aspx?nid=25 

Aly Cooper is an expat wife of one year who enjoys adventures with her five-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. 


there's a two-hour cap). It's a built in 

babysitter. You can pick up those groceries 

downstairs for dinner, get a cup of coffee 

(I'm obsessed) one level down at Mr. Brown 

or bring a good book while your kid tears 

through the balloons. Fun for all! Potential 

set back? Your kid can't be taller than 

125cm. 

MItSuKoShI yu KIdS ISland 

I'll set the scene. It's 3 pm. Your sweet child just came home 

from school. He/she has an insurmountable amount of energy 

that even the strongest cup of coffee will not be able to tackle.... 

Well my friend, I have found Yu Island to be a saving grace on 

more than one occasion. Yes, it costs NT$200, but can one put 

a price on sanity? Located on the sixth floor, that two-hundred 

dollars pays for UNLIMITED hours (unless it's a holiday, when 

location: 

6f, Tianmu shin kong Mitsukoshi, 68 Tianmu 

east road 

admission: nT$200 

transport: 

bus 203, 279, 285, 602, 606, 616, 645, 646, 

685, r12 (get off at the special education 

school stop). 

leoS playland 

Wyatt attended a birthday party a 

couple of months ago and was invited 

to Leos. I have since brought him 

there again and though pricey, it's 

really pretty awesome. It's very close 

to Taipei 101 and about an hour by 

bus from Tianmu. If you have a car 

you're in luck - they have parking very 

close, although it can be very easy to 

miss if you're not looking for it. Leos 

is an indoor play area straight from 

your kid's dream, or in our case, my 

husband's as well. Oh shoot, mine too. 

There are slides, enclosed trampolines, 

and soft nerf balls sailing at random. 

For Wyatt and I to get in it was a 

whopping NT$800, but that included 

a NT$200 food credit voucher as well. 

Yes, they have food there! Score!! If 

parents don't want to play, no problem, 

with their setup you can watch your kid 

while simultaneously reading or eating. 

The sign that Leos is worth the money? 

Wyatt and I BOTH fell asleep on the 

bus as we headed back home, but that's 

a whole other story. 

location: 

b1f 106 Xinyi road, section 5 

opening hours: 

Monday to Thursday: 10 am - 6pm 

friday to sundays and Holidays: 10 am - 8pm 

admission: 

nT$399 per toddler (under 100cm) 

nT$599 per child (Monday to friday, under 12 years) 

nT$799 per child (weekends & Holidays, under 12 years) 

nT$200 per adult (deductible towards food and drink purchases) 

Happy hour - During last two hours of business every day, adult admission is free. 

transport: 

bus 32, 207, 282, 647, 915 (get off at the Xinyi administrative center stop, Xinyi 

rd, sec 5) 

bus 20, 32, 46, 266, 277, 612, 665, 912 (get off at the the Xinyi administrative 

center stop, songren road) 

bus 202, 650, 669, M7 (get off at the stop directly under Taipei 101). 

Website: http://leosplayland.com/access.html 


11

outlooK 

Anxiety and Stress Management: 

Recognizing the symptoms and how to cope 

tEXt: CHRIstInE CHIEn-RIXOn 

Life is stressful, most people would agree with this. 

Anxiety or tension is our body’s way of letting 

us know that something is wrong and we need 

to correct it. It is an absolutely essential signal, 

necessary for our survival and well-being. If primitive 

humans did not have food and water, the anxious 

anticipation of hunger and thirst motivated them to find 

food and water. If a worker hasn’t been productive yet 

today, the fear of criticism from a supervisor or co-worker 

helps them to get busy. If I am driving a little fast on a 

rainy night and visibility is not good, my concern about 

safety slows me down. These are valid reasons for feeling 

that action is needed to avoid trouble. 

Isn’t it wonderful that we have a built-in warning system? 

Yes, except when our system goes astray. Sometimes the 

expectation of trouble or danger is wrong; we exaggerate 

the problems or become tense for no good reason. At other 

times the warning is accurate but nothing can be done, 

and we fret needlessly about our inability to change the 

situation. Sometimes, we have this stress alarm going off, 

but we don’t know what is wrong. In each of these cases, 

we are psychologically and bodily all tensed up to run or 

fight an enemy, but the real enemy is actually ourselves. 

Obviously a major problem is telling the difference 

between realistic, helpful tensions, fears or worries and 

unrealistic, unhealthy nervousness. This is because we 

could all start fretting about some possibly stressful event at 

almost any time. Risks are all around us. Thus unrealistic 

worries are over-reactions to a tolerable situation or a 

prolonged over-reaction to a threatening situation that 

cannot be avoided. But how can you be sure a situation 

won’t cause trouble? You can’t. How can you be sure you 

would not handle the problem any better if you worried 

about it a lot more. You can’t be certain. However, it is 

possible to learn to recognize whether or not you are feeling 

anxious. 

the chart below shows some general symptoms of anxiety. feel free to read and check these items carefully 

and choose those which you feel have been bothering you over the last week, including now, to various degrees. 

anxiety symptoms not at all a little Sometimes frequently 

body feeling numb q q q q 

feverishness q q q q 

can’t relax q q q q 

unsteadiness standing q q q q 

afraid something bad might happen q q q q 

Dizziness q q q q 

restlessness q q q q 

feelings of fear q q q q 

nervousness q q q q 

feelings of asphyxia q q q q 

Hands shaking q q q q 

body shaking q q q q 

feeling out of control q q q q 

breathing heavily q q q q 

fear of death q q q q 

fainting q q q q 

blushing q q q q 

sweating (not due to weather or exercise) q q q q 

If you have most of the above symptoms, it’s an 

indication that your anxiety level is very high and you need 

to relax yourself or seek professional help to reduce the 

anxiety. Below is a short relaxation exercise which takes a 

maximum of ten minutes to do and is helpful is restoring a 

sense of calm. 

1. Select a comfortable sitting or reclining position 

2. Close your eyes and think of somewhere that you 

have been before that represents your ideal place for 

physical and mental relaxation. It should ideally be 

a quiet environment, for example the sea shore, the 

mountains or even your own back garden. If you can’t 

think of a place, create one in your mind. 

3. Now imagine that you are actually in your ideal 

relaxation place. Imagine yourself seeing all the colors, 

hearing the sounds, smelling the aromas. Just lie back 

and enjoy your soothing, rejuvenating environment. 

4. Feel the peacefulness, the calmness, and imagine your 

whole body and mind being renewed and refreshed. 

5. After five to ten minutes, slowly open your eyes and 

stretch. 

You are creating a realization that you may instantly 

return to your relaxation place whenever you desire and 

experience again that peacefulness and calmness in body 

and mind. 


ManagIng your lIfeStyle 

Once you have identified what is happening in your 

work or at home and how you want to live, there are 

several courses of action that may help to either remove 

or reduce stress, or enable you to cope more effectively 

with strain or pressure. This requires making changes, 

which can seem overwhelming at first. However stress 

is not some all-powerful force in your life that can’t be 

resisted. By keeping a stress diary you will be able to 

see clearly that stress situations can be altered, managed 

or balanced with positive experiences, for example, 

by rewarding yourself with a relaxing weekend break 

when a difficult and threatening situation has been 

satisfactorily finalized. It is also necessary to consider 

why you might be resistant to change or why you insist 

on clinging on to old ways that seem safe but in the long 

term are harmful. Often we can see others’ mistakes 

more readily than we can our own, so observe someone 

close who seems to be suffering from stress and try to 

work out how they could change and improve their 

situation. Why do they take on more work instead 

of saying “No”? Are you behaving the same way? 

Unfortunately, depressed people tend to find it difficult 

to see options and so an outside observer might be 

willing to offer alternative ways of behaving. We must 

avoid being inflexible to change and be more willing 

to try out new ways of behaving in order to reduce or 

minimize the consequences of stress. 

beIng More aSSertIve 

Many of the problems individuals face at work are 

associated with their own ability to be assertive in their 

relationships with their work colleagues, bosses and even 

subordinates. This can reflect itself in work overload, 

long hours, frequent travel and a range of inappropriate 

activities. An assertive person is open and flexible, 

genuinely concerned with the rights of others, yet at the 

same time able to establish very well their own rights. 

There are fundamental differences between assertive, 

non-assertive and aggressive behaviours. When you are 

assertive you acknowledge your own rights and those 

of others; if you are non-assertive, you are denying 

your own rights; and when you act aggressively, you’re 

denying the rights of others. 

In being assertive we imply certain basic individual 

rights: 

• The right to make mistakes 

• The right to set one’s own priorities 

• The right for one’s own needs to be considered as 

important as the needs of other people 

• The right to refuse requests without having to feel 

guilty 

• The right to express oneself as long as one doesn’t 

violate the rights of others 

• The right to judge one’s own behavior, thoughts 

and emotions and to take responsibility for the 

consequences. 

It is therefore necessary to identify for yourself those 

people and activities with which you may have difficulty 

in behaving assertively. 


13

community 

Taipei American School at Model United Nations: 

Public Speaking and Much More 

Text: Kristen Lowman, Communications/Marketing Officer 

image: TAS 

Model U n i t e d N a t i o n s 

(MUN) requires students 

to employ a variety of 

communication and critical 

thinking skills. They engage in public 

speaking, research, policy analysis, 

negotiating, conflict resolution, 

a n d t e c h n i c a l w r i t i n g . M U N 

conferences also provide students 

with opportunities to travel and meet 

students from around the world. 

Interscholastic Association of 

Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS) MUN 

is held every November. All IASAS 

schools participate as well as other 

invited schools. 165 delegates from 

eleven schools, including twenty from 

Taipei American School, attended 

the convention in Manila this year. 

TAS students represented Libya, the 

Philippines, Cuba, Norway, Australia, 

Niger, and Colombia, and served as a 

chair and deputy secretary general. 

With an unprecedented number of 

students attending the conference, TAS 

played a significant leadership role. 

They debated resolutions regarding 

the future of nuclear energy in the 

aftermath of the Fukushima Incident; 

the situation in Syria involving 

military intervention with the aim of 

protecting civilian populations; capital 

punishment in member states; and 

economic bailouts of member states. 

For the first time in recent history at 

IASAS, all resolutions debated at the 

closing General Assembly came from 

TAS students. A very proud moment 

indeed! 

Eleven different TAS students also 

attended a Model United Nations 

convention in Berlin in November. Six 

students represented Ukraine and five 

others applied - and were accepted - 

to serve as press delegates, a judge for 

the international court of justice, and 

as a member of the youth assembly. 

The team achieved great success. TAS 

students’ resolutions passed include: 

ending discrimination against girls 

in schools, combating terrorism, and 

ending piracy. 

Three more trips are yet to come. 

Twenty-six TAS students will travel 

to Singapore in February for an MUN 

conference where both high school and 

university students will participate. 

That same month, six students will 

attend an MUN convention in Doha, 

Qatar. Also, in April, thirty students 

will travel to Taichung for the annual 

TAIMUN conference. 

I n a d d i t i o n t o l i n k i n g m a n y 

a c a d e m i c d i s c i p l i n e s , M U N 

reinforces the importance of ethics. 

Understanding global issues and 

proposing resolutions requires cultural 

awareness and sensitivity. Thus, the 

MUN program at TAS not only teaches 

students how to research and analyze 

an issue to articulate and defend, 

but also how to resolve conflicts and 

promote world peace. 


Students from the Taipei European School 

achieve Top in the World results in Cambridge 

International Examinations 

text: Patricia Tzeng 

image: TES 

community 

Two students from the Taipei European School (TES) 

have received prestigious awards from University 

of Cambridge International Examinations to 

acknowledge their outstanding performance in the 

2011 Cambridge examination series. 

The Cambridge Top in the World awards recognise the 

success of learners who have achieved the highest standard 

mark in the world for a single subject. Cambridge places 

learners at the center of their international education 

programmes and qualifications which are inspired by the 

best in educational thinking. 

The following students at the Taipei European School 

received a Cambridge Top in the World award: 

Karishma Mahtani: Foreign Language Chinese 

Willie Wei-Li Hung: Mathematics 

Dr. Allan Weston, CEO of TES, said, “I am constantly 

impressed and humbled by the amazing abilities of our TES 

students. It is a great honor for TES as it shows that our 

recipe of combining academic rigor with a personalised 

approach to learning can have wonderful outcomes. Well 

done!” 

Mr Stuart Glascott, Head of the TES British Secondary 

and High School Section adds, “TES is incredibly proud of 

the achievements of Karishma and Willie. They have both 

worked extremely diligently to complement their undoubted 

natural ability. On behalf of the entire TES community I 

congratulate them both on their outstanding achievements.” 

Karishma and Willie received their Cambridge Top in the 

World award at a TES school ceremony in November 2011. 

Karishma said “I was so surprised when it became known 

to me that I had achieved the top mark in the world for the 

only IGCSE examination I took in May/June 2011. This 

achievement is something I will always be proud of and I 

would like to thank everyone who has contributed in helping 

me attain this award.” 

Willie said “Achieving 100% in IGCSE mathematics is 

a milestone to me. I believe it reflects on my unwavering 

passion for the subject. Even though many people may find 

mathematics dull and difficult, I think that with persistent 

effort and wholehearted dedication, mathematics can prove 

to be enjoyable. The beauty of mathematics is ineffable; its 

logic is profound.” 

Consolation 

text: Louie Mayor 

I walk, I walk, I walk 

Everyone needs to be cured somehow 

I look at your twilight sky 

Listening to the flecks of light 

As they bounce off my eyes 

Space dust love 

Swirling 'round fiery measures of unfathomable 

distances 

I catch an uncanny rhythm 

That only makes sense to the senseless 

Listen, listen 

People pass me 

Flecks of light on my eyes 

Glistening 


15

diNiNg 

Theater restaurant - 

Taiwan style 

tEXt & IMAGEs: sERInA HuAnG 

I’m a lucky lady. My husband 

recently organized a special 

dinner to celebrate my birthday, 

and his choice indicated how 

well he knows me. Rather than a ritzy 

but predictable upper-crust restaurant, 

he chose a hidden gem - a uniquely 

interactive cultural experience in a 

back alley just off Nanjing East Road. 

The place: the See-Join Puppet Theatre. 

Founded by Bill Chen ( 陳建華 ) 

in 1992, See-Join Puppet Theatre is 

the first interactive budaixi ( 布袋戲 , 

Taiwanese puppet) theater restaurant 

of its kind in Taipei. Recently 

relocated to new premises, the bright 

orange-painted restaurant (with every 

imaginable corner crammed with 

colorful budaixi puppets) is intimate to 

the point of feeling pokey. But don’t be 

put off by the quaintness of the décor: 

the food and performance more than 

compensate for the surrounds. Chen’s 

passion for his art form is infectious, 

and he clearly enjoys entertaining the 

young and old alike, transporting 

his audience to the fairytale world of 

Taiwan’s vivid puppetry. 

See-join puppet theater 

2, alley 16, Lane 41, nanjing east road, 

section 2 

Tel: (02) 2523-1118, 2522-1152 

http://www.see-join.com.tw/ 


At 7.30 pm sharp, master puppeteer 

Chen introduced himself and the 

budaixi performance began. The 

large red velvet curtain peeled away 

to reveal a florescent canvas painted 

to depict a traditional temple scene. 

We had arrived a little late, and so our 

food arrived just as the performance 

was starting. I thought I would 

passively observe from our back table 

vantage point, but the acrobatics 

on stage drew me in from the start, 

and I kept turning away from my 

chopsticks to reach for the camera. 

It was a good thing that I kept an 

eye on the stage too, because the 

performance was highly interactive. 

I blinked for one second only to 

find water spurting from one of the 

Chinese lion puppets, which was 

greeted with squeals of delight by the 

children in the audience. And we all 

had fun trying to hit one of the evil 

characters with foam balls … got him! 

Next was a hands-on lesson on 

puppetry. Chen gave us each a simple 

traditional-style wooden puppet and 

we practiced how to hold it upright, 

make it nod, take it for a walk, go for 

a run and even run in slow-motion. 

Then came the fun part: learning how 

to twirl the puppet up in the air and 

catch it. Chen was very encouraging, 

especially with klutzes like me. ‘They 

are made from wood so you can’t 

break it’, he reassured me as my 

puppet – yet again – thudded to the 

ground. 

Chen then invited some of 

the audience behind the stage 

to maneuver some larger, more 

elaborate budaixi puppets. He 

explained that this style of puppet – 

unique to Taiwan – was developed to 

stand out in front of a large crowd. 

Most were over-the-top beautiful, 

with pretty porcelain faces, intricate 

lacquered hairdos and whimsical 

floating costumes. Working them 

was harder than it looks: an averagesized 

budaixi puppet weighs around 

two kilograms, with many customdesigned 

movements such as hand 

gestures or head movements. 

While the highlight of a night out 

at See-Join is the performance, the 

home-style Taiwan cuisine cooked 

by Chen’s wife was better than I 

expected. Some menu items, like 

roasted fish jaw (which incidentally 

pairs well with Taiwan Beer), were 

probably less attractive to most 

foreign palates. But there are also 

more mainstream choices such as 

sweet-glazed roasted chicken legs, 

deep-fried tofu, sweet and sour fish 

fillets, peasant-style egg and pickled 

turnip omelet, a spicy curry of ‘sweet’ 

pork spareribs with onion, and beef 

with black-pepper sauce. 

The individual entrance fee for the 

performance is NT$400 per head, 

with food priced between NT$180 

and NT$250 per dish. The menu is 

in Chinese and English, with pictures. 

You can also hire out the entire 

restaurant, which can seat around 

twenty people. In addition to the 

restaurant, Chen regularly performs 

at other venues, including the 

National Center for Traditional Arts 

in Yilan. Chen has recently returned 

from a cultural tour to Australia, 

and speaks passable English but the 

language of puppetry is universal, 

and will appeal to all – especially 

children and the young at heart. 

Taiwanxifu (Taiwan 

daughter-in-law) is 

the blogging alter-ego 

of Serina Huang, 

who enjoys sampling 

Ta i w a n ’s c u l i n a r y 

creations, exploring new places 

and discovering cultural insights. 

Her blog is at http://taiwanxifu. 

wordpress.com. 


17

liFEStylE 

In the Pursuit of 

Happiness - 

Which direction Should 

We run in? 

tEXt: LAuREn MARK 

I 

recently re-crossed paths 

with the well-worn phrase, 

“God helps those who help 

themselves” at the closing of an 

article in Time Magazine detailing 

the United States’ drought dilemma. 

Something about the phrase struck 

an uncomfortable chord with me, 

and after doing a little digging, I 

found that the phrase originated in 

ancient Greece from the playwrights 

Aeschylus and Sophocles. Its current 

English phrasing was later coined 

by the English political theorist 

Algernon Sidney and adopted by 

Benjamin Franklin, who fittingly 

lived with the philosophy that God 

didn’t intervene in human affairs. 

If we are content to believe that 

God doesn’t intervene, or we don’t 

believe that any higher governing 

power exists, then where is the 

next logical place to turn? What 

does help us most in the long run? 

How much do higher salaries or 

a momentary ego boost help us in 

the end? If the transient nature of 

a new purchase or being lavished 

with praise still leaves us feeling 

restless a short while later, then what 

are some possibilities for obtaining 

meaningful help that are more likely 

to linger on? Are immeasurable 

actions such as a smile, a good deed 

or an open-minded outlook arguably 

more lasting? 

Although the “Pay it forward” 

mentality is scarcely a new idea, how 

often do we imagine interpersonal 

energy interacting in the world the 

same way that chemical pollutants 

affect the earth when they are 

carelessly discarded? Wouldn’t it be 

nice to think that we can exercise 

some control over whether we’re 

greeted with hospitality while 

visiting a foreign country rather than 

pick-pocketed or faced with open 

hostility? 

Perceptions are fleeting, despite 

our stubborn tendency to cling 

to stereotypes about individuals 

or cultures. How quickly can a 

friend morph into someone suspect 

when he shares a knowing smile 

with your wife? Or how suddenly 

can the heavy discomfort of being 

near an arrogant colleague dissolve 

once he cracks at joke at his own 

expense? Why then are we often so 

timid about working magic through 

change? How might our work 

environments change if we greeted an 

antagonistic colleague’s scowl with 

a smile instead of barreling down 

the hallways poker-faced, mentally 

preoccupied with our day’s agenda? 

The notion of EQ (emotional 

intelligence) took Taiwan by storm 

a few decades ago when it was first 

proposed by Daniel Goleman. He 

constructed a model that includes 

the constructs of self awareness, 

self management, social awareness 

and relationship management. You 

need to have a highly evolved level 

of awareness of yourself and your 

environment with a broader agenda 

than personal success in order to 

pick up on the many cues that 

shape interpersonal interactions as 

they unfurl. Try taking a personal 

assessment online, and you’l l 

probably find that it’s significantly 

more difficult to score “high” on 

this sort of test than it is to ace 

the vocab or math sections on any 

conventional intelligence test, in 

much the same way that it’s far more 

difficult to successfully conduct a 

meeting of opinionated colleagues 

than it is to prepare and present 

a PowerPoint of your personal 

research. My Taiwanese classmate 

first introduced me to this concept 

during our postmodernism class 

in the States, and the picture that 

she painted of Taiwan as a society 

where people weighed interpersonal 

communication as carefully as sheer 

skill was enough to convince me to 

move there after graduation. Since 

moving here, I can happily say that I 

haven’t been disappointed. 

I recently watched in awe at 

an international social mixer as 

a new friend deftly facilitated a 

conversation between strangers with 

playful humor, alternately drawing 

some of us into her confidence while 

poking fun at others in flattering 

ways, asking thoughtful questions 

and evading direct answers that 

would require her to reveal enviable 

traits. I mostly admired her for her 

adept brilliance in putting others at 

ease, always effortlessly navigating a 

few steps ahead of the conversation, 

while taking care not to let her 

astuteness become apparent. We all 

became slightly more perspicacious 

in her presence, striving to help 

unravel her threads of humor, and 

not to let side conversations elapse 

into the dull, standard questioning 

that is so easy to use as a first resort 

when asked to meet stranger after 

stranger. 

There’s a Buddhist idea that 


if you dedicate the benefits of your prayers 

and positive actions to all of humanity, those 

benefits will become inexhaustible. It’s pretty 

similar to natural dissemination, where if you 

have an orange, you can enjoy a juicy snack and 

then throw away the peel and the seeds, or you 

could give those seeds so others can plant their 

own orange trees and enjoy the fruit of multiple 

harvests. 

If you haven’t kept a clear record of what has 

made you happiest in the past, you could try 

embarking on your own mini-happiness project 

by way of a social experiment. Try dedicating 

two weeks or a month to taking notice of the 

needs of those in your various social circles 

and how you could help them. For example, 

when you were originally planning to take 

off at the end of your work day and go to the 

gym and a coworker comes to you asking if 

you could help him with a project, forgo your 

original plans and see what happens. And 

then the next day, which you had made your 

consolation gym date, when a different friend 

asks you to help her bake cookies for her 

parent-teacher conferences so that she can finish 

grading papers, try forgetting about all the 

cake you inhaled that afternoon in anticipation 

of your gym session and agree to proliferate 

others’ consumption of sugar instead. Create 

a happiness appraisal that you can take at the 

beginning and the end of your pledged period 

of self-sacrifice, and see if there’s any change. If 

you really want to be thorough, you could also 

make a sadness appraisal and see if it’s affected 

by your experiment as well. In short, see for 

yourself if you agree with Soren Kierkegaard’s 

assessment that “The door of happiness does 

not open away from us: we cannot rush at it to 

push it open. It opens toward us." 

L a u re n M a rk i s a l o ng - s t a n d i ng 

member of The East West Culture 

Project, a dynamic center of cultural 

e x c h a n g e a n d u n i q u e l e a r n i n g 

opportunities based in Taipei, dedicated 

to bridging cultural gaps and fostering 

cross-cultural understanding. It aims 

to create a richer and more meaningful 

experience for those living in Asia by 

sharing the wisdom of traditional Eastern 

teachings and providing a social network 

to help skillfully overcome personal 

challenges and aide in growth. 

Lauren is an itinerant English teacher, 

translator and dancer who is fortunate 

to have found a second home in Taiwan. 

She can be reached at laurenmark6@ 

yahoo.com 

Mark Caltonhill is a Taiwan-based travel and 

feature writer, photographer, translator and 

editor. http://meatlessmtwtfss.blogspot.com/ 

His blog aims to help foreign visitors to Taiwan 

to find good quality vegetarian food, and to 

keep an eye on food-related topics in the 

local Chinese-language media. He reviews 

restaurants, offers recipes, writes short features, 

and translates news items from the Chinese 

language publications into English. 

Not Only Meatless 

Monday 

tEXt: MARK CALtOnHILL 

IMAGEs: COuRtEsy Of jIyuE PuBLICAtIOns 

One standard of vegetarian life in Taiwan is ‘vegetarian 

chicken’ ( 素雞 ; su ji), which is made from tofu skin ( 豆 

皮 or 腐皮 ), tied into bundles and dried. Apparently, someone 

thought it looks like chicken breast. 

Not a Not Only Meatless Monday (NOMM) favorite, but 

at least it offers a protein-rich vegetarian option. At RT Mart 

( 大潤發 ), however, this is served in a non-vegetarian sauce (see 

photo below). 

While the sign is quite clear, and so the hypermarket is doing 

nothing wrong, perhaps not all foreigners will know that 葷 

(hun) means "meat dish". This is especially likely since the 

character (somewhat confusingly) contains the semantic element 

‘ 艸 ’, which normally indicates a botanical meaning. 

Editor’s note: Mark will be sharing a glossary of Chineselanguage 

terms related to vegetarian or vegan food in 

Taiwan in a following edition of Centered on Taipei. 

diNiNg 


19

travEl 

Suao 

an unexpectedly 

fascinating destination 

tEXt & IMAGEs: KAtyA ILIEVA-stOnE 

One of my favorite quotes 

from The Lord of the 

Rings i s w h e n F r o d o 

remembers what Bilbo 

Baggins once told him: "It's a 

dangerous business, Frodo, going 

out your door. You step onto the 

road, and if you don’t keep your feet, 

there's no knowing where you might 

be swept off to". So on a sunny and 

hot Sunday morning when we left 

for a drive to the Northern coast and 

missed the correct exit, we did not 

despair. Instead we decided to keep 

on driving and see where the road 

would take us. 

Well, the road was heading east, 

so east we went. Before long we 

reached Taiwan’s east coast and a 

giant lion statue, overlooking a pretty 

harbor. It turned out that the statue 

and the small park nearby were 

both created by the Lions Club in 

Taiwan. Five minutes' drive from 

there was the town of Suao ( 蘇澳 ). 

We followed a sign for a museum, 

and heading down one of the steep 

winding streets we suddenly found 

ourselves in the middle of a religious 

procession. Because the Taiwanese 

are kind and maybe because they saw 

the "wai" (or ‘clueless foreigner’), 

license plate on our car, they stopped 

the traffic and let us pass. Parking 

in a hurry, we grabbed our cameras 

and rushed to the temple, where the 

procession had stopped. Looking at 

my photos later I remembered three 

things: heat, ear-piercing noise and 

smoke. Loud speakers were blasting 

music while teenagers were blowing 

huge horns and others crashed 

cymbals. The local people were 

dancing and carrying statues of the 

temple goddess, Matsu, trying not 

to step onto the dozens of small fires 

burning on the ground in front of the 

temple. It was fascinating to watch. 

20 


Finally the ceremony was over 

and everyone started going inside 

the temple for prayers or blessings. 

Then, and only then, I turned around 

and was stunned to see dozens and 

dozens of colorful fishing boats 

anchored around a harbor, with its 

blue waters extending right up to 

the Matsu temple. What a sight! A 

fishing boat had just come in and 

fish of a pretty good size were being 

hauled off the boat and loaded on 

a cart to be taken away. Nearby 

twenty elderly guys (probably 

former fishermen) were engaged 

in the delicate and endless task of 

untangling fishing nets. There was 

a fish market, whose floors were 

rather slippery, and a huge hangar 

for repairing boats. It would not 

be a proper fishing town without 

a place to eat the fresh catch, and 

this being Taiwan, the restaurants 

were plentiful, and the sea creatures 

offered were both familiar and 

strange. In front of one there 

was a fish with a blue eye, so we 

immediately decided that this was 

our place. The fish was served in the 

form of a soup with rubbery balls 

floating inside - not a bad lunch. 

Fish were everywhere - spread 

on long boards to dry, shredded 

and arranged in big piles for one to 

sample and buy, or already packaged. 

Among the numerous fish and fishrelated 

businesses I saw a small store 

selling coral and coral necklaces. I 

cannot guarantee the quality, but the 

prices were quite a bit lower than 

those I have seen in Taipei. I can 

only assume that a town which has a 

coral museum would pride itself on 

offering genuine coral. 

I felt sad leaving the small fishing 

town of Suao - our unexpected and 

yet fascinating destination that day. 

In my experience, the best places 

are found by chance, just by setting 

out and exploring. Bilbo Baggins 

was right - it is a dangerous business 

indeed going out of your door…. 


is a US expat and has 

bee n i n Ta i pe i fo r 

8 months. S he i s a 

former journalist who 

was born in Bulgaria. 

S he ha s a l so l i ved 

in Nepal, Ukraine, and 

Afghanistan. 


21

CSC NEWS 

the Center’s running team 

goes the distance in the fubon 

Marathon 

tEXt: KARI sCHIRO IMAGEs: sunny RItZER 

On December 18th, sixteen dedicated athletes 

strapped on their running shoes and pounded the 

pavement in support of The Center as part of the 

2011 Fubon Marathon. 

And what a success it was! 

In their vibrant matching jerseys - 

generously donated by Nike - the team was 

hard to miss. Cristie Woodall (00:54:50), Albert 

Ritzer (00:57:37), Dorothea Hanke (1:01:04), Christine 

Wu (1:01:40), Jennie Crowhurst (1:03:00), Anja Serfontein 

(1:06:44), and Peter Crowhurst (1:16:44) all ran the 9 KM 

race, while William Farrell (1:52:00), Steve Parker (1:56:31), 

Ekkehard Metz (1:58:28), Dave Archer (2:10:36), Michael Boyden (2:13:00), 

Stephen Tan (2:24:41), and Amanda Metti (3:03:30) continued on to the 21 KM 

mark. And two hardy souls, Hal Falls (4:32:07) and Mike Denoma (4:58:51), 

completed the full 42 KM! 

There were big successes in The Center’s finishing time pool 

as well. Nine guesses came within five minutes of the runners’ 

actual times, with Cade Cannon’s guess (2:10:00) coming within 

a mere 36 seconds of Dave Archer’s actual time. Faye Angevine 

was the big winner, guessing three runners’ times most accurately. 

All pool winners will be contacted by The Center to 

claim their prizes. If you would like to 

learn more about how you fared in the 

pool, please contact us or drop by. 

Overall though, the biggest winner of all 

was The Center. Thanks to many generous 

donations and our committed athletes, we 

raised enough money to replace The Center’s 

faltering phone system. As noted, all extra 

f u n d s will help support the Hsinchu Counseling Center. 

Many thanks to the team and to all who supported The 

Center and its runners! 

Kari Schiro is a native Californian and an adoptive Seattleite who recently 

relocated to Taipei. When she is not writing, you will most likely find Kari 

watching football/soccer on the telly. 

22 


The Center's 

Favorite Finds 

RECOMMEnDED By MOnICA HEss 

WZ 

Events at The Center 

book Club – date to be announced 

In February, the Center Book Club will be 

discussing Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by 

Beth Hoffman. To be added to the email list 

for the meeting location and date, please 

email Kath at tl@communitycenter.org.tw. 

Special topic Coffee Morning – 

thursday 9th february 

Topic to be confirmed. 

tastes of taipei – 

thursday 9th february, 6-9 pm 

(See details on page 27) 

E 

"Bag/ Life/ Art" proclaims the little purple card, and the 

moment you walk through the doors of WZ, it all makes sense! 

William (Bill) Z has turned his storefront into an inviting haven 

for those seeking a one-of-a-kind bag masquerading as art. Bill 

loves what he does and it shows; he designs and lovingly creates 

these bags out of heavy-duty canvas (that has been dyed, tiedyed, 

and/or printed on) with leather handles and trim. They 

come in a wide variety of styles, sizes, and colors - oh the colors! 

- so finding something that fits your style and budget becomes 

less like shopping and more of a joyful discovery. I found a 

great khaki option with sturdy leather handles that included an 

inset made with hand-written calligraphy that had been printed 

onto the canvas; I purchased another, long strap to carry the bag 

cross-body. "Bag" your new piece of usable fabric art here: 

53, Lane 308, Guangfu South Road, Da’an District 

Tel: 02-8773-8408 

Blog: http://wzclub.blogspot.com/ 

Facebook page: http://zh-tw.facebook.com/wzshop 

International Women’s day – 

March 8th, 2012 

Celebrate this day in style at the Regent, 

Taipei! 

Mark March 8th in your diaries, join in 

the fun and do your bit to help others less 

fortunate on this special day with The 

Center! We will be hosting a Tea Party 

Luncheon and Bazaar at the fabulous 

Regent Taipei. Proceeds from this event 

will be donated to an organization offering 

services for women and children affected by 

domestic violence and human trafficking. 

Tickets will go on sale from February 6th – 

just pop into The Center or contact Bianca 

at events@communitycenter.org.tw 


23

BooK rEviEW 

The Buddha in 

the Attic 

by Julie Otsuka 

published in 2011 

published by alfred a. knopf 

Isbn: 978-0-307-70046-9 

tEXt: KAtH LIu 

What possesses someone 

to pack up everything 

they own and move to 

a country they have 

never been to before, especially when 

they don't speak very much of the 

language nor understand very much 

of the culture of their destination 

country? Necessity? A dream of 

a better life? Wanderlust? Love? 

For the group of young Japanese 

women in this novel it was a bit of 

everything. As mail-order brides, 

they were to be married to men 

whom they had only heard about 

through written letters and a single 

photograph. Leaving their lives, 

their families, their culture and their 

comfort zone, they set out across 

the ocean for America. When they 

arrived the reality that faced them 

was devastatingly different to their 

hopes and expectations. 

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

narration, Otsuka presents the 

collective experiences of these 

women, divided thematically by 

significant events – from their first 

night as wives to childbirth to 

their removal from the towns and 

cities along the Pacific coast during 

World War Two. As a result of 

this narrative style and thematic 

organization there isn't a traditional 

plot with a beginning, middle and 

end. Rather the experience of 

reading the stories of many comes 

to be almost like a meditation on 

lives past. The choice to present 

this material in this way is a wise 

one, I think, as to do anything other 

than present the simple facts could 

create a potential emotional overload 

for the reader. This is not only 

because of the number of different 

perspectives and stories but also 

because of the confronting nature of 

the content within. 

I remember very clearly the first 

time I discovered that Japanese 

Americans and Canadians had been 

removed from their homes and 

livelihoods during the Second World 

War when I read Obasan by Joy 

Kogawa for a postgraduate trauma 

literature paper. I'd no idea that this 

kind of thing had happened and to 

be honest, I was shocked by what I 

learned. It hadn't mattered if these 

people had lived there half of their 

lives, or if they had been born there 

and were therefore citizens – in the 

wake of the Japanese attack on 

Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt 

authorized the exclusion of all people 

of Japanese ancestry from the Pacific 

coastline and housed them in war 

interment camps inland. Like I said – 

it's confronting stuff. But let's forget 

for a moment all of the why's and 

the wherefores of this decision. Let's 

hold off on the pointing of fingers 

and the placement of blame and guilt 

and focus on what it is that Otsuka 

is telling us to do – to listen to the 

voices that couldn't be heard back 

then. 

These voices are not only of the 

Japanese who were interred but also 

of their neighbors who were very 

much affected by their removal. 

The last chapter is written from the 

perspective of these neighbors which 

shows that at first they were worried, 

upset and guilty about the way the 

Japanese had been treated. But as 

time passes and new stores open 

in place of Mr Harada's grocery 

or the Imanashi Transfer, and the 

Instructions to All Persons of 

Japanese Ancestry notices fade and 

blow away with a stronger breeze 

than usual, so too do the feelings and 

the memories. People move on. It 

seems cold but it is after all human 

nature to let go of things that do 

not continue to affect you on a daily 

basis. Especially when your country 

is about to become involved in the 

worst war this world has ever seen. 

Otsuka's novella is an attempt 

to reestablish these lost stories 

and assure their place within the 

narrative of America's history. As 

the title suggests, it’s time for it 

to be taken down out of the attic, 

dusted off and examined, honestly 

and with an open heart and mind. 

As with many novels that deal with 

subjects of uncomfortable moments 

in history this is not an uplifting 

read. It presents us, the present day 

reader, with a slice of a time gone by 

told through the imagined voices of 

those who experienced it. It's a tale 

of belonging, of inner strength, of 

cultural struggles and of real life. It's 

a timely reminder of how far we have 

come in this world, but also, perhaps, 

how much further we have yet to go. 

Kath Liu is an 

avid reader and a 

founding member 

of the CSC Book 

Club who believes 

happiness is a good book, good 

coffee and good friends. 

Like books? Check this out: 

http://kathmeista.blogspot.com/ 

24 


Taiwan Youth 

Climate Coalition 

Serving as a platform to unite all young people across Taiwan interested 

in environmental issues, Taiwan Youth climate coalition (TWYcc) has 

come a long way in three short years, as Sarah chen Lin explains. 

ENviroNmENt 

tEXt & IMAGE: sARAH CHEn LIn 

There are always young people passionate about 

the environment regardless of race, occupation, 

location and education. Most importantly, there 

are always young people willing to take measures 

in fighting for what they believe in by first assembling 

those who share similar visions and passion. A movement 

fuelled by the energy of the young can gather so much 

momentum in such a short span of time that I’m still 

amazed by how much we’ve accomplished already. 

The story of TWYCC ( 台灣青年氣候聯盟 ) started when 

three students from the National Tsing Hua University ( 清 

華大學 ) attended a seminar given by a professor from the 

National Taiwan University on the involvement of young 

people in climate change issues. It was these students’ 

passion that prompted them to go (through funds they 

raised on their own) to the 14th Convention (COP14) of 

the Parties held by the United Nations Climate Change 

Conference (UNFCCC), hosted in Poznan, Poland, three 

years ago. The students realised upon attending the event 

that Taiwan was poorly represented on the international 

stage and returned with a determination to do something 

about it whilst sharing experiences and knowledge 

gathered from the conference. 

The small group of three students gradually grew 

over the months and convened to attend the next two 

conferences: COP15, held in Copenhagen in 2009, and 

COP16 in Cancún last year. New friendships were 

forged, priceless experiences on different environmental 

projects from all over the world were shared amongst 

the young activists who attended, and a greater 

understanding of international environmental issues was 

shared with different universities upon returning. It was 

during the last conference in Cancún that the founders 

of TWYCC realised the need for having a unified body 

to assemble all of the Taiwanese youths who attend COP 

each year for a stronger representation of Taiwan. It 

seems different universities across the island had begun to 

send their own students to these conferences and it was at 

this point where the idea of forming TWYCC was born. 

At present TWYCC is a youth group run by students 

throughout the whole of Taiwan with a base in Taipei. 

It serves as a platform to unite all young people across 

Taiwan interested in both national and international 

environmental issues. The group focuses mainly on 

Climate Change but partners with other NGOs in running 

a series of projects that range from hosting workshops, 

weekly study groups, conferences such as APNEC10 (the 

10th Asian Pacific NGO Environmental Conference), 

training delegates who will attend COP every year and 

much more. 

Our mission is simple: 

1. To protect the environment by spreading education 

on environmental concerns and encouraging societal 

change, 

2. To empower the voice of the youth, 

3. To boost Taiwan’s presence in the international 

arena, and 

4. To e n c o u r a g e c u l t u r a l e x c h a n g e t h r o u g h 

partnerships established with international NGOs. 

We hope to establish TWYCC as one of the first 

legitimate NGOs in Taiwan run completely by young 

people, and we welcome everyone, even non-students, 

who are willing to join our movement! 

Our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/twycc 

Follow us on Twitter @twycc 

Born and raised in Venezuela by Taiwanese parents, Sarah has been exposed to world 

cultures since she was young. Recently graduating with an Environmental Science degree 

from Southampton University in the UK, Sarah currently works as TWYCC’s Media 

Coordinator and has recently been appointed by Earth Charter International as the ECYTF 

(Earth Charter Youth Task Force) point of contact in Taiwan. She is set to start working as a 

radio host for Radio Taiwan International with a weekly program that focuses on everything 

related to the environment throughout Taiwan. 


25

taiPei uncorked 

What are your 

New Year's 

Resolutions? 

Mark L. Peterson 

I 

bet for many of you, myself 

included, it is to take better 

care of yourselves. That usually 

means trying to slim down. 

While at first you might think that 

this means cutting the wine out from 

your diet - not so fast! Here are 

a few things you should consider 

before taking such drastic measures. 

Reducing your intake of alcohol 

might certainly be in order, but 

there is a lot of medical evidence 

that shows that moderate alcohol 

intake can be part of a healthy diet. 

Even beyond the proven medical 

implications of wine consumption, 

there are several factors that argue 

in favor of incorporating wine into a 

reduced calorie diet! 

tannInS on an eMpty 

StoMaCh 

Tannins are one of the 

fundamental components of wine, 

and red wines in particular. They 

add structure to the wine giving it 

that mouth puckering, drying quality. 

This is caused by the astringent 

action of the tannins on the lining of 

your mouth. It literally draws the 

skin tightly together. Now imagine 

what happens in your stomach when 

you enjoy a glass of wine before 

dinner. Those same tannins work 

their magic on the lining of the 

stomach, drawing it a little tighter 

and perhaps starting you on your 

way to fullness well before you’ve 

eaten your first bite. 

SMall IndulgenCeS SatISfy 

the Soul 

Another reason we eat is to satisfy 

our emotions. We don’t want to 

survive on gruel, we want to live 

on lox! Think about it: a fantastic 

morsel of the finest chocolate or a 

brick of mediocre chocolate? A few 

thin slices of prosciutto and melon 

or a pound of Bologna? Adding a 

glass of delicious, thought-provoking 

wine to one’s diet is a way to add 

more than just calories to a meal. 

It can make a meal special and 

add something deeper than mere 

sustenance to our diets, while making 

us feel good about what we’re eating. 

Carefully ConSIdered 

Pairing wine with your meal may 

make you think more carefully about 

what you drink, meaning you might 

also think more carefully about 

how to eat! Whether you spend 

significant time thinking about the 

pairing or just a few moments, a 

glass of wine tends to make a meal 

more of a personal statement of life. 

This is beneficial on two fronts. The 

first creates a result of hopefully 

using better, healthier ingredients 

while you cook. The second takes 

more effort on your part - it requires 

you to think more closely about what 

you put in your body, not only the 

quality but the quantity of any given 

item you might be consuming as well. 

Here’s the bottom line: wine 

consumption is becoming more 

scrutinized and accepted by the 

medical profession through reports 

such as “The French Paradox” on 

CBS’s 60 Minutes. So imbibe with 

moderation, and ask yourself if it 

works for you. Can you lose weight 

while enjoying wine regularly? 

Bonne Degustation 

Mark loves to hear from you with all your questions concerning the world of wine and 

spirits. Feel free to email him at: mark.vinvinowine@gmail.com or visit his informative site 

at www.vinvinowine.asia. 

26 


CSC NEWS 

tEXt: KARI sCHIRO IMAGEs: COuRtEsy Of tAjIn REstAuRAnt 

for this month’s tastes of taipei on february 9th we are 

headed to Morocco – or, more accurately, to tajin, taipei’s 

own little slice of north Africa, tucked away in an alley of the 

Daan neighborhood. stylishly adorned with Moroccan tajines, the 

restaurant specializes in – you guessed it – tajin, the famed north 

African slow-cooked stew that is named for the earthenware pot 

in which it is simmered. 

The husband and wife team Hicham Samh 

and Sandy Wu own and manage the 

restaurant. Before opening Tajin, Hicham, 

a native of Casablanca and the chef behind 

Tajin’s delectable dishes, worked as a model (you 

may recognize him from a mobile phone commercial 

in which he portrays U.S. President Barack Obama!) 

and English teacher in Taiwan. Sandy, who has a 

knack for design and brand management, lived in 

Italy (where she attended fashion school in Milan), 

and New York before returning to Taipei to pursue 

her new career in restaurant ownership. 

Tajin was born from Hicham’s propensity for 

cooking – and from their friends’ fondness for 

consuming his culinary concoctions, according to 

Sandy. She explains, “Our friends loved the food 

and always asked [Hicham] to open a restaurant in 

Taipei, since there is no Moroccan restaurant here.” 

So open a restaurant they did on June 20th, 2011. 

And although Tajin is less than one year old, its 

brief history is storied. Most notably, three months 

ago it served as the venue for Hicham and Sandy’s 

wedding! 

In the kitchen, the duo pride themselves on the 

authentic and high-quality ingredients that go into 

every dish. Soups, tajins, and couscous are flavored 

with spices imported from Morocco, and all meats 

served are halal. 

While the savory food may be the restaurant’s 

biggest draw, the décor makes for a truly delightful 

dining experience. With the help of their artist 

friend Jean Scuderi from France, Sandy and Hicham 

painted the walls with beautiful North African 

scenes. They also hand-painted all of the tajines in 

the restaurant, each one with a unique pattern, and 

all of the teapots, teacups, and decorative lanterns 

come from Morocco. 

For The Center’s Tastes of Taipei event, Hicham 

and Sandy have created a special set menu for $700 

per person (please note that the restaurant only 

accepts cash). The menu includes soup, salad, tajin 

or couscous, saffron rice, dessert and Moroccan tea. 

This culinary journey to Morocco is one you will 

not want to miss! 

please call the restaurant directly to make your reservation and let them know that you are with the 

Community Services Center. 

date: thursday, february 9th, 2012 

Time: 6 pm – 9 pm venue: Tajin 

address: 3, Lane 144, keelung road section 2 

台北市基隆路二段 144 巷 3 號 phone: 2732-7296 

price: nT$700 per person (cash only, no credit cards) 

website: http://tajin27327296.pixnet.net/blog 

or “Tajin Moroccan cuisine” on facebook 

Kari Schiro is a native Californian and an adoptive Seattleite who recently 

relocated to Taipei. When she is not writing, you will most likely find Kari 

watching football/soccer on the telly. 


27

Charity 

Taipei European School – 

The Tabitha Project 

tEXt: HEnRI LABusCHAGnE 

IMAGEs: tEs 

With perspiration streaming 

down our foreheads and hands 

covered in blisters we all stand 

back to proudly admire our 

handywork. “Akun!” we hear 

the small Cambodian boy say 

before he laughs and runs away, 

making the chickens squawk as 

they try to get out of his way. As 

the big red rooster calms down 

enough to start scratching for a 

juicy bug in the little boy’s wake, 

we can’t help but think that even 

though we came here to help 

him, his family, and the village, 

it is us who will walk away with 

much thanks in our hearts for the 

opportunity they gave us to learn 

more about ourselves and the 

world we live in. 

Cambodia is an amazing 

p l a c e . R a v a g e d 

by a civil war of 

unimaginable brutality, 

it is slowly but surely finding 

its feet and trying to pull itself 

and its people out of desperate 

poverty. Of all Cambodians, 

75% still have no access to clean 

water or a safe place to sleep, and 

most eat only one very basic meal 

per day. 

At the forefront of this 

momentous task stands Tabitha 

Cambodia. Tabitha was founded 

in 1994 by Janne Ritskes and was 

set up with the idea of helping 

Cambodians help themselves. 

The age old adage of “Give a 

man a fish, feed him for a day. 

Teach a man to fish, feed him 

for a lifetime…” is very much at 

the heart of Tabitha Cambodia’s 

operation. 

Tabitha's philosophy of selfhelp 

is designed to promote selfsufficiency 

and dignity through 

savings, counseling and goalsetting 

programmes. Families 

typically graduate from Tabitha 

programmes in five to seven years 

with food for their children, 

clean water to drink, shelter 

and a source of income. More 

importantly, they achieve a sense 

of dignity that allows them to 

look to the future with hope for 

their families. 

Tabitha’s programmes all start 

with the ‘Family Partnership’. 

This programme is at the heart 

of all of Tabitha's work and is 

best described as community 

development focused on families. 

Participation in the programme 

is a prerequisite for families or 

villages to take part in any of the 

other Tabitha programmes. 


I t i s a v e r y s i m p l e s e l f-h e l p 

program with families committing 

to save a certain amount for a 

10-week cycle. Prior to the start 

of the 10-week cycle, Tabitha staff 

members help the families to develop 

a vision of a better life and each 

family decides what they are saving 

for (their ‘dream’). ‘Dream’ items can 

include the barest essentials, such as 

a towel, a blanket, a cooking pot, or 

a three-month supply of rice. 

One of the last parts of the family 

partnership programme is the 

possibility for a family to obtain 

a more permanent shelter in the 

form of a Tabitha starter house. 

This is the point where we get the 

opportunity to help Tabitha to build 

houses for Cambodian families in 

rural villages. 

Each family has to contribute a 

small amount towards the materials 

and the building of their house. 

When the family has managed to 

raise their contribution, Tabitha 

provides the rest through the 

donations of volunteers. Tabitha also 

gives volunteers the opportunity to 

help with the construction of these 

houses, and this is why we get to go 

to Cambodia every year. 

Why are we as TES High School 

involved with Tabitha? 

O n e o f t h e a i m s o f o u r I B 

programme is to develop internationally 

minded young people 

who, recognizing their common 

humanity and shared guardianship of 

the planet, help to create a better and 

more peaceful world. At the heart 

of our International Baccalaureate 

program lays the IB Learner Profile 

and, among other things, IB learners 

should strive to be: 

prInCIpled 

Act with integrity and honesty, 

with a strong sense of fairness, 

justice and respect for the dignity of 

individual, groups and communities. 

open-MInded 

Understand and appreciate their 

own cultures and personal histories, 

and be open to the perspectives, 

values and traditions of other 

individuals and communities. 

CarIng 

Show empathy, compassion and 

respect towards the needs and 

feelings of others. Have a personal 

commitment to service, and act to 

make a positive difference to the lives 

of others and to the environment. 

If you would like to know more, 

or help us with our Tabitha project 

please visit our Blog at : 

http://testabitha.blogspot.com/ 

Or Email us: 

henri.labuschagne@tes.tp.edu.tw 

teS tabitha Cambodia project 

as a school and International 

baccalaureate (Ib) group we are 

very proud of our involvement in 

Tabitha to help people in cambodia. 

• We have been taking part in 

the Tabitha cambodia project 

for more than six years and the 

Tabitha project has become a 

key element of our Ib community 

service. 

• Over 280 TES Students have 

been to cambodia to help build 

more than seventy houses for 

cambodian families over these 

six years. 

Henri Labuschagne is 

a teacher at the Taipei 

E u r o p e a n S c h o o l 

teaching Business and 

Economics. He has been involved 

with the Tabitha Project for the 

last two years. 

t 

Orphanage Club News 

t 

tEXt: jEffREy CHEn (12) AnD tIn tIn KAO (10), OC CO-sECREtARIEs 2011-12 

raffle draw 

thursday, february 23rd 

On Thursday, February 23rd, the Orphanage Club will 

host its annual Raffle Draw, the club's largest fundraising 

project. Orphanage Club members have been selling raffle 

tickets and donating prizes months prior to this event. 

Raffle tickets are sold in a packet of six for NT$100; 

individual tickets are NT$20 each. The draw is held in 

front of the lobby at Taipei American School, where a box 

will hold all the tickets that were sold. Orphanage Club 

members will draw the tickets and a fortunate individual's 

name will then be marked on the board listing the prizes. 

Over three hundred prizes are available and range from 

household items to plane tickets. Winners are welcome to 

claim their prizes outside the lobby, anytime up until our 

Book Sale on Saturday March 10th. 

book Workdays Saturday, febrary 19th & 25th 

On Saturday, February 19th and 25th, we will have the 

first and second book workdays of the year, in preparation 

for the Orphanage Club's annual Book Sale. During these 

workdays, we'll be sorting a plethora of donated secondhand 

books by genre and then pricing them. The workday 

will be in the basement of TAS; it will start at 9 am and 

end by 5 pm. The club still welcomes donations of all 

books and magazines, regardless of language. We always 

welcome help during our workdays, so feel free to drop by 

anytime between 9 am and 5pm. The Book Sale (one of the 

largest book sales in northern Taiwan) will take place on 

March 10th at the Taipei American School, between 10 am 

and 5 pm. Admission is free and all are welcome to come. 

There are books for every member of the family – SAT 

preparation books, children’s books and every other genre. 

all questions or comments should be directed to tas.orphanageclub@gmail.com. 

one can also contact our club sponsors Mr. arnold at 2873-9900 ext. 239 or arnoldr@tas.edu.tw or Ms. Koh at weehueykoh@yahoo.com 


29

grey Mullet 

烏魚 [wuyu] 

tEXt: IVy CHEn 

IMAGEs: XIAnG tInG HuAnG 

blaCK gold 烏金 [wujin] 

Wild grey mullet can be found in 

temperate and tropical zones. Adults 

migrate from the north of the Taiwan 

Strait to the south during November 

to December every year, at the same 

time laying their eggs. Their young 

live in river estuaries and head out to 

open ocean only once fully grown. 

Taiwanese fishermen have being 

fishing for grey mullet for over three 

hundred years. The fish are highly 

sought-after (they’re often called 

‘black gold’) because much of the 

body can be eaten, including the 

male and female roe, and the gizzard 

as well as the flesh. 

Grey mullet are actually black on 

top, fading to white on the belly. The 

top of the head is flat, hence its other 

name, the ‘flathead mullet.’ Mature 

fish can grow up to one meter in 

length. 

The female roe, called ‘wuyuzi 

( 烏魚子 ), is always cured with salt, 

then compressed and dried to make 

a special delicacy which is popular 

during Chinese New Year and at 

Taiwanese wedding banquets. The 

male roe, (milt), is more expensive 

and is always cooked fresh. The 

gizzard from both is popular stirfried. 

froM produCe to the 

dInIng table 

Owing to a shortage of fish and 

the effect of global warming on fish 

populations, grey mullet sold in 

Taiwan are now more often farmed 

than caught in the wild. The fish can 

be eaten at the age of two; however, 

three-year-old fish are better quality. 

Wild mullet are fished in the north 

of Taiwan (off Hsinchu; 新竹 ) in 

November and are followed south; 

the season ends in Pingdong ( 屏東 ) 

Taiwan’s southernmost county, in 

December. Farmed mullet are caught 

at about the same time. 

I spent a day with Mr Lee, the first 

grey mullet farmer in Kouhu Village, 

Yunlin County ( 雲林縣口湖鄉 ) . 

My photographer and I followed 

as he took us through the various 

processes: catching, slaughtering, 

freezing, delivering the fish; and 

washing sterilizing, salt curing and 

sun-drying the roe. The entire 

process normally takes a couple 

of days, but for our benefit they 

squeezed it all into just one. 

I’m grateful to Mr Lee’s family for 

helping us during our visit and for 

their hospitality in giving us a grey 

mullet feast at the end. Mr Lee’s son 

showed us a special way to grill roe 

and it is really the best I have ever 

tasted (I’ll copy his trick!) and the 

Lee sisters cooked the fish in a soup 


with ginger, stem garlic and sesame 

oil, which filled the whole house with 

a mouth-watering aroma. 

hoW to ChooSe good 

QualIty grey Mullet roe 

• T h e r o e s h o u l d b e s l i g h t l y 

translucent (wild roe – golden 

orange; farmed roe – golden 

brown) 

• The roe should be firm but give a 

little when touched 

• The less veining the better 

• Mullet roe can be stored in the 

freezer for up to a year, but is best 

eaten as soon as possible. 

preparatIon 

Grey mullet roe is marinated in 

rice wine or sorghum liquor for ten 

minutes, then grilled or pan-fried 

briefly until the egg film is puffed and 

slightly browned. The grilled roe is 

then sliced and served with sliced raw 

white radish and/or garlic stem as a 

cold dish. Alternatively, eating the 

roe with sliced apple or Taiwanese 

pear has recently become a favorite 

combination. 

nutrItIon of grey Mullet 

roe 

Grey mullet roe contains vitamins 

A, B, E, EPA, DHA, copper, zinc, 

protein and unsaturated fat. 


31

Word from the Director 

Important people always send out their New Year and 

other messages at times that are important in their 

particular cultures. I don’t claim to be important, but 

I do have a message I want to get across. It’s the 25th 

anniversary of The Center this year, and we will be 

reflecting on and celebrating what The Center has done 

and what it will be doing in the future. 

We will not be having a big glamorous event to celebrate 

– it doesn’t seem very ‘Center’ somehow – but there will 

be some special twists to our events, articles about the 

history of The Center in Centered on Taipei magazine, 

and we will be working with more charities this year to 

bring together our community to help others as well. 

Now, we are not the kind of organization that bangs on 

about our mission statement – we would rather just get 

on with the business at hand – but maybe during our 

Silver Jubilee year it is time to remind people of why we 

are here: to inform, to engage, to support, and to unite. 

That is to inform the community about Taiwan, engage 

the community in activities, support the community 

through our counseling and other support mechanisms, 

and unite the community in helping others when needed. 

No small feat to make all of this happen, but that is 

exactly what we are going to do, just as we always have. 

Come in and see us soon; there’s a lot more going on than 

you know.... 

Steven Parker 

Director, Community Services Center 

Worship directory 

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

agape 

3f, 21 changchun road, Taipei, Taiwan 

Tel: 2598-1009 (office) 

csc@agapeicataipei.org 

www.agapeicataipei.org 

anglican episcopal Church 

church of the good shepherd 

509 Zhongcheng rd., shilin 

Tel: 2873-8104, 2882-2462 

www.goodshepherd.com.tw/english/ 

Calvary International baptist Church 

21, yangDe blvd., sec. 2, yangmingshan 

Tel: 2831-3458 fax: 2838-5792 

Church of jesus Christ of latter-day Saints 

5, Lane 183, JinHua street 

Tel: 2321-9195, 0939-687-178 

City revival Church 

b1, 210, ZhongXiao e. rd., sec. 4 

Tel: 8921-8250 fax: 8921-8272 

doris.henry@msa.hinet.net 

friendship presbyterian Church 

5, Lane 269, roosevelt rd., sec. 3 

Tel: 2362-1395 

grace baptist Church 

90 Xinsheng s. rd., sec. 3 

Tel: 2362-5321 ext. 135 

jewish Community 

for information call ahrony yoram on 0939- 

763-135 

living Word Church 

b1, 304, shiDong road, shilin 

Tel: 2834-6549 

Mother of god Catholic Church 

171 Zhongshan n. rd., sec. 7, Tianmu 

Tel: 2871-5168 fax: 2871-7972 

www.geocities.com/mother_of_god_church 

vanaert@iplus.net.tw 

new apostolic Church 

2f, no. 5, Lane 39, keelung rd, sec. 2, Taipei 

www.nac-taiwan.org, info@nac-taiwan.org 

new life International Seventh-day 

adventist Church 

4th fl. Health center- Taipei adventist Hospital 

424 ba De rd. sec. 2, Taipei 105 

pr. robbie berghan 0958-732-704 

www.nlisda.org 

email: rberghan@twcadventist.org.tw 

oasis bread of life Christian Church 

10f, #55, Zhongcheng rd, sec. 2 

(Dayeh Takashimaya, Tian Mu) 

Tel: 28310299 fax: 28317214 

http://www.oasis.org.tw email: oasis@oasiscf.org.tw 

english Ministry @Suang-lien presbyterian 

Church 

111 Zhong-shan n road, sec 2, Taipei 

Tel: 2541-5390 fax: 2523-1361 

email: slpcenglish@gmail.com 

www.slpcenglish.org 

taipei holiness Church 

(charismatic International service) 

every sunday morning at 10.45am with pastor 

sandra ee 

5f, 107 nanking east road section 4, Taipei 

Te: 27123242 

taipei International Church 

Meets at the Taipei american school 

800 Zhongshan n. rd., sec. 6, Tianmu 

Tel: 2833-7444 fax: 2835-2778 

www.taipeichurch.org/ gateway.htm 

taIpeI jeWISh ServICeS 

sheraton Taipei Hotel 

12, Zhongxiao east road, section 1, Taipei 

Tel: 2592-2840, fax: 2594-3892 

e-mail: einhorn912@xuite.net 

transforming faith Church 

(f.k.a. bread of life Christian Church) 

5f, 295 ZhongXiao e. rd., sec. 4 

Tel: 8772-2207 fax: 8772-2210 

fellowship@transformingfaith.org.tw 


COMMUNITY GROUPS 

Organization Telephone Website/Email Address 

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) 

www.aataiwan.org/english.html 

Alliance Française de Taiwan 2364-8833/ 2364-1919 info@alliancefrancaise.org.tw www.alliancefrancaise.org.tw 

American Chamber of Commerce 2718-8226 amcham@amcham.com.tw 

American Club in China 2885-8260 www.americanclub.org.tw 

American Institute in Taiwan 2162-2000 www.ait.org.tw 

Amnesty International 2709-4162 amnesty.taiwan@gmail.com, www.aitaiwan.org.tw 

Australia & New Zealand Chamber of Commerce (ANZCham) 7701-0818/ 0922-109-089 secretary@anzcham.org.tw www.anzcham.org.tw 

British Chamber of Commerce 2720-1919 www.bcctaipei.com 

Canadian Society 2757-6977 www.canadiansociety.org 

Christian Salvation Service 2729-0265 www.csstpe.org.tw 

Community Services Center 2836-8134 www.communitycenter.org.tw 

Democrats Abroad (Tammy Turner) 

democratsabroadtaiwan@gmail.com 

Dutch Speaking Association (VNT) 

www.vntonline.org 

East West Culture Project 

www.eastwestcultureproject.org 

European Chamber of Commerce 2740-0236 www.ecct.com.tw 

East West Culture Project (EWCP) 0983-339-901 www.eastwestcultureproject.org 

Gateway 2833-7444 gateway@taipeichurch.org 

German Institute 2501-6188 www.taipei.diplo.de 

German Trade Office 8758-5800 www.taiwan.ahk.de 

Goethe-Institut Taipei 2506-9028 www.goethe.de/taipei 

Indians' Association of Taipei 2542-8091 lalduru@seed.net.tw 

International Community Choir 2533-4272 internationalchoir@gmail.com 

La Leche League (Breastfeeding Support) 

www.lalecheleague.org 

lé the francophone 

thefrancopnone@hotmail.fr , http://thefrancophone.unblog.fr/ 

Lions Downtown Club Taipei, English speaking (Peter Wu) 2701-1811 www.tapeidowntowntw.lionwap.org 

Oasis Youth Group 2831-0299 

Overseas Trailing Talent in Taiwan 

TaipeiTalent@yahoo.com 

Paradyme Youth Group 2833-7444 www.paradymeyouth.org 

POW Camps Memorial Society (Michael Hurst) 8660-8438 www.powtaiwan.org 

Republicans Abroad Taiwan 

ross.feingold@republicans-abroad.org 

Shilin District Office 2882-6200 www.sld.gov.tw 

a commercial office and 

Spanish Chamber Of Commerce ( a Spanish consulate ) 2518-4901~3 www.consuladoentaipei.maec.es 

Tagalog Hotline 2834-4127 paultic@ispeed.com 

Taipei International Women’s Club 2331-9403 www.tiwc.org 

TYPA (Taipei Youth Program Association) 2873-1815 www.typa.org.tw 

SCHOOLS 

Dominican International School 2533-8451 www.dishs.tp.edu.tw 

Grace Christian Academy 2785-7233 www.gcataipei.com 

Morrison Academy 2365-9691 www.mca.org.tw 

Taipei Adventist American School 2861-6400 www.taas-taiwan.com 

Taipei American School 2873-9900 www.tas.edu.tw 

Taipei European School 8145-9007 www.taipeieuropeanschool.com 

Taipei Japanese School 2872-3833 www.taipeijf.org 

SPORTS 

Biking Site in Taiwan 

http://www.cycletaiwan.com/ 

Hash House Harriers 0952-025-116 www.chinahash.com 

International Golf Society of Taipei 

www.taiwan-golf.com 

This is a non-profit group. Participants only pay for their gear and court fees. 

K3 Squash Club ( Free coaching is also provided for those who have never played before. ) 0987-275-919 Facebook: K3 Squash Club Taipei 

Scottish Country Dancing (May Chen) 2706-3179 maychen321@pchome.com.tw 

Taipei Women’s International Golf Group (TWIGG) 2691-5912 twiggtaipei@hotmail.com 

Tai Tai’s Women’s Touch Rugby 0981-180-020 blandm@tas.edu.tw 

Taipei Baboons Rugby Club - Taiwan 0952 67 1995 bernierua@gmail.com 

Taipei Shebabs Women’s Touch Rugby 0913-602-071 johnnayoder@yahoo.com 

COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVES IN TAIWAN 

COUNTRY TELEPHONE COUNTRY TELEPHONE COUNTRY TELEPHONE 

Argentina 2757-6556 

Australia 8725-4100 

Austria 2712-8597 

Belgium 2715-1215 

Belize 2876-0894 

Bolivia 2723-8721 

Brazil 2835-7388 

Britain 8758-2088 

Brunei 2506-3767 

Burkina Faso 2873-3096 

Canada 8723-3000 

Chad 2874-2943 

Chile 2723-0329 

Costa Rica 2875-2964 

Czech Republic 2722-5100 

Denmark 2718-2101 

Dominican Republic 2875-1357 

El Salvador 2876-3509 

Fiji 2757-9596 

Finland 2722-0764 

France 3518-5151 

Gambia 2875-3911 

German Institute 2501-6188 

Guatemala 2875-6952 

Haiti 2876-6718 

Honduras 2875-5512 

Hungary 8501-1200 

India 2757-6112 

Indonesia 8752-6179 

Ireland 2725-1691 

Israel 2757-9692 

Italy 2725-1542 

Japan 2713-8000 

Jordan 2871-7712 

Korea 2725-2324 

Malaysia 2713-2626 

Mexico 2757-6566 

Netherlands 2713-5760 

New Zealand 2757-6725 

Nicaragua 2874-9034 

Nigeria 2757-6987 

Norway 2543-5484 

Oman 2722-0684 

Panama 2509-9189 

Paraguay 2873-6310 

Peru 2757-7017 

Philippines 2723-2527 

Poland 7718-3300 

Russia 8780-3011 

Saudi Arabia 2876-1444 

Senegal 2876-6519 

Singapore 2772-1940 

Slovak Republic 8780-3231 

South Africa 2715-3251 

Spain 2518-4901 

Swaziland 2872-5934 

Sweden 2757-6573 

Switzerland 2720-1001 

Thailand 2723-1800 

Turkey 2757-7318 

United States 2162-2000 

Vietnam 2516-6626 

www.communitycenter.org.tw FEBRUARY 2012 

33

csc busIness cLassIfIeD 

eduCatIon 

beauty 

Web ConSultant 

haIr dreSSer 

MISCellaneouS 

Mover 

Events About Town 

Stage time & Wine at the red room 

Celebrate the spoken word with us as we read our own 

passages or those that we yearn to share. 

Come and share a unique experience with new and old 

friends. Live music and warm company. All languages desired! 

Feb. 18, 2012, 6:30 pm onwards 2F, 117, Da’an Road, 

Section 1, Taipei 

北市大安路一段 117 號 2F 

www.redroom.com.tw 

Facebook (Stage-Time-and-Wine@the-Red-Room) 


Rock formation in the Nanya area of the Taiwan Northern Coast 


Katya Ilieva-Stone is a US expat and has been in Taipei for 8 months. She is a former 

journalist who was born in Bulgaria. She has also lived in Nepal, Ukraine, and Afghanistan.

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