PDF file - Community Services Center

Publication of the Community Services Center 

Centered 

on TAIPEI 

December 2010/ January 2011, Volume 11, Issue 4 

CoVer Story 

Mahjong 

Hot Spring BatHing 

Beyond tHe LaBeL 

tHe eScape artiSt 

doug BiSHop 

good FriendS, great timeS 

a muSicaL HoLiday treat 

eaSy Storage 

Spring & Summer activitieS 

cataLog inSide

cOnTenTs Dec 2010/ Jan 2011 volume 11 issue 4 

5 LeTTeR FROM THe edITOR 

6 naTIOnaL cOnceRT HaLL and THeaTeR 

deceMbeR 2010 januaRy 2011 

RIcHaRd RecOMMends 

9 

7 cuLTuRaL cORneR 

Hot Spring BatHing 

9 cOveR sTORy 

MaHjong 

12 OuTLOOk 

Beyond tHe LaBeL 

13 aROund TaIpeI 

tHe eScape artiSt 

13 

14 pROFILe 

doug BiSHop 

SpeciaL SuppLeMent 

spRIng & suMMeR acTIvITIes 2011 

ii Welcome and Registration 

iii course catalog spring & summer 2011 

xiv bookstore 

xv Who's Who at The center 

xvi counselors 

xviii What’s Happening? 

21 cOMMunITy LeadeRsHIp aWaRd 

14 

22 cOMMunITy 

good FriendS, great tiMeS 

25 taS 

26 enTeRTaInMenT 

a MuSicaL HoLiday treat 

28 seRvIces 

eaSy Storage 

29 geneRaTIOn y 

juSt FoLLow your Heart 

22 

29 csc neWs 

Steve parker. center director, 

diSpLayS HiS Hidden taLentS aS 

cHauFFeur & BariSta 

32 cHInese kITcHen 

WORsHIp dIRecTORy 

33 cOMMunITy gROups 

34 WORd FROM THe dIRecTOR 

cHaRITy 

InsIde back cOveR 

poStcard perFect 

16 

26 

dec 2010/ jan 011 

3

4 dec 2010/ jan 2011

Letter From the editor 

Publisher: Community Services Center, Taipei 

managing editor: Steven Parker 

editor: Roma Mehta 

co-editor: Richard Saunders 

Graphic design: Katia Chen 

advertising manager: Paula Lee 

tel: 0926 956 844 

Fax: 2835 2530 

email: paulalee@community.com.tw 

Writing and Photography 

contributors: Leat Ahrony 

Ivy Chen 

Jodi Chen 

Max Cheng, 

Trista di Genova 

Julie Dotterer 

Katharine Gill 

Brook Hall 

community Services 

center editorial Panel: 

Printed by: 

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.community.com.tw 

director: Steven Parker 

office manager: Grace Ting 

counselors: 

Suzan Babcock, Kris Carlson, Fawn Chang, Wendy 

Evans, Cerita Hsu, Perry Malcolm, Tina Oelke, Ming-I 

Sun, Cindy Teeters 

newcomer orientation Program: Amy Liu 

accountant: Monica Cheng 

taipei Living editor: Kath Liu 

Program and events: : Robin Looney, Rosemary Susa 

chinese teacher: Gloria Gwo 

volunteers: 

Premier Sponsors: 

Cerita Hsu 

Lesley Hu 

Frederic Liu 

Kath Liu 

Robin Looney 

Steven Parker 

Kloie Picot 

Paul S. Rockower 

Alison Bai, Wakako Couch, Neev Exley, Sophie Lee, 

Kath Liu, John McQuade, Bunny Pacheco, Gloria 

Peng, Sara Ramage, Jenni Rosen, Sandra Schnelle, 

Desta Selassie, Heike Wood, Lillian Yiin 

3M Taiwan 

Bai Win Antiques 

BP Taiwan Ltd. 

Breitling 

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 

Patricia Sands 

Richard Saunders 

Katie Shepherd 

Sunita Sue Leng 

Rosemary Susa 

Adrian Town 

Spencer Vines 

Elizabeth Weinstein 

the community Services center (cSc) is a non-profit foundation. cSc provides outreach and 

early intervention through counseling, cross-cultural education and life skills programs to meet 

the needs of the international community in taipei. cSc offers the opportunity to learn, volunteer, 

teach and meet others. check out our website www.community.com.tw and drop by the center to 

chat with us about our programs. you can also email us at csc@community.com.tw. 

Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, 

and pretty soon you have a dozen. 

— John Steinbeck 

Dear Readers, 

Among the highlights of the onset of the winter are the natural hot springs 

that are found in abundance all over Taiwan. Amy Liu’s article will help 

you understand just how soaking in the mineral-rich waters are good for 

your bones, for the skin, and in general, good for you. 

Cerita Hsu writes on treating children with behavioral problems and 

how crucial it is for parents and therapists to cooperate in order to provide 

effective counseling. 

Many of us in this community have fond memories of TAS teacher Doug 

Bishop. He is missed by many who had the good fortune to know him. In 

this issue, we honor some of these memories of Doug as father, director, peer, 

teacher, mentor and friend. 

As the Lunar New Year draws closer and families prepare to celebrate, one 

of the favorite activities is playing Mahjong. Elizabeth Weinstein educates 

us on the origins of the game and how it has spread to the rest of the world. 

She will be teaching a series of Mahjong classes at The Center starting in 

February, so if you would like to learn the game, here’s your chance. 

If you are looking for another new and refreshing leisure activity for the 

whole family, The Escape Artist brings ‘Paintertainment’ to Taipei. Lesley 

Hu tells us how she came up with the idea and how it is catching on as a 

new form of entertainment. 

Trista di Genova gives us a vivid and entertaining account of this year’s 

annual Peace Fest. Each year a number of very dedicated volunteers work 

together to create this event. Peacefest is, in Trista’s words, “...an exciting, 

live and creative experiment in cross-cultural and world understanding.” 

For the first time in Taipei, the National Concert Hall has decided to 

produce a locally assembled, full-length English musical. Brook Hall, 

director and choreographer of the show, Cole Porter’s Anything Goes, 

writes about this revolutionary event. 

Steve Parker, The Center’s Director, embodies the spirit of giving as he 

dons a chauffeur’s hat, carries his own espresso machine and serves as ‘driver 

for the day’ and ‘barista for the day’. Kath Liu gives us an account of Steve’s 

generous community service activities. 

From December 1st, 2010, The Center will change its web address to 

www.communitycenter.org.tw. Over time, we will expand the facilities 

offered to make it possible for you to register for classes online. 

Your current issue of Centered on Taipei is a special issue with a pullout 

section for the spring and summer courses. All Center activities are 

represented here so you can get a complete overview. Come along to The 

Center, drop by for a cup of coffee, browse the Gallery, forge new friendships 

or get involved in community efforts. 

If you would like to contribute to the magazine, whether with your 

creative writing or photography, please write to me (coteditor@community. 

com.tw). As always, we welcome your news and views. 

With gratitude, 

Roma 

Roma Mehta 

Editor 

Richard Saunders 

Co-editor 

Paula Lee 

Advertising Manager 

Katia Chen 

Designer 

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

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

Tel: 2836 8134, fax: 2835 2530, e-mail: coteditor@community.com.tw 

Correspondence may be sent to the editor at coteditor@community.com.tw. Freelance 

writers, photographers and illustrators are welcome to contact the editor to discuss editorial 

and graphic assignments. Your talent will find a home with us! 

Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Material in this publication may not be reproduced 

without the written consent of the copyright owner. 

Centered on Taipei is printed on 50% post consumer waste content stock. We have also 

replaced the glossy laminated cover with a softer aqueous based resin coating which makes 

it easier to recycle. By committing to post consumer paper stock we support the market for 

recycled fibers and reduce environmental impact. 

Recycling paper uses 60% less energy than manufacturing paper from virgin fiber. 

"Every ton of recycled paper saves enough electricity to power a 3 bedroom house for an entire 

year." (http://www.greenseal.org/index.cfm) 

dec 2010/ jan 011 

5

RICHARD 

xReCommenDs 

RichaRd SaundeRS 

Taipei Old Timers will doubtless not be surprised to see a 

dearth of anything Christmassy at the CKS Cultural Center 

this December (for a really festive program, you’ll have to 

head for the Zhongshan Hall, near Ximen MRT station to 

hear the Taipei Symphony Orchestra’s varied program of traditional 

carols, popular Christmas songs and classical music with a 

Christmas theme, given on Christmas Eve). This definitely doesn’t 

mean, however, that Taiwan doesn’t know how to enjoy the holiday 

season. The big Christmas event this year is Cole Porter’s dizzy, 

infectiously melodious classic musical, Anything Goes (see page 

26), while to celebrate the first hundred years of the Republic of 

China, the traditional New Year’s Eve grand firework show and 

countdown party will be complimented by an unusually rousing, 

full-blooded New Year’s Eve concert, featuring intensely Spanishflavored 

favorites by foreigners Ravel, Bizet and Rimsky-Korsakov, 

and the bawdy, earthy high spirits of Orff’s classic Carmina Burana. 

On a more neutral note, the concert on December 10th given 

by the National Symphony Orchestra and cellist Jian Wang is 

mouth-watering stuff. The central work is Dvorak’s glorious Cello 

Concerto, and it’s coupled with two classics from a decade or four 

later: Bartok’s Music for Strings, Percussion and Strings with its 

two spooky slow movements, and Sibelius’s majestic tone poem 

Pohjola’s Daughter. 

Also venturing into darker territory, there’s a rare danced 

performance of Stravinsky’s seminal ballet The Rite of Spring, 

coupled with the altogether cooler, ritualized sounds of his slightly 

later ballet, Les Noces on December 10th and 11th. The music will 

no doubt be a taped recording, but the chance to hear these two 

great landmark pieces of Twentieth Century music performed in 

any form is a rare treat. 

Finally, what promises to be the month’s most profound musical 

event takes place on December 18th, with a performance of 

another masterpiece very rarely performed on the island, Benjamin 

Britten’s War Requiem. The composer’s shattering indictment 

of war, setting words from the Latin Mass and by the British 

poet Wilfred Owen (who died in battle, exactly a week before 

the end of World War One, at the age of 25), was written for 

the consecration of the new cathedral at Coventry, in central 

England (the city’s 400-year-old cathedral was destroyed during 

the devastating bombardment of the city by German bombers in 

1940). Britten was both a confirmed pacifist and one of the last 

century’s truly great composers, qualities which together ensured 

that the Requiem packs a potent emotional punch. Despite the 

complexity of the work’s musical language, it has become a firm 

staple of the repertoire; it certainly makes a deep impression in 

any performance. You might want to bring some hankies along, 

as it’s hard to remain dry-eyed during the ethereal closing minutes 

of the work, when the bitterness, tension and sad acceptance 

of fate that marks many of the work’s preceding eighty minutes 

dissolve in a surpassingly beautiful coda, where, for the first time in 

the work, the entire musical forces (two choirs, placed well apart, 

two orchestras and three soloists) are all heard together, rising in a 

broad arch to a fervent climax, before subsiding into the hushed, 

mystical intonation of voices and bells that ends the work. Not 

a conventional Christmas concert at all, but profoundly beautiful 

and thought provoking - both valuable and thoroughly appropriate 

qualities at this time of year. 

national concert hall & Theater 

dECEMbER 2010/jaNuaRy 2011 

NATIONAL THEATER 

Le sacre du Printemps 

Stravinsky’s great ballets The Rite of 

Spring and Les Noces 

december 10, 11 

Complicite Shun-Kin 

december 17-19 

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL 

Zilberstein Piano Recital 

Works by Chopin and Rachmaninov 

december 1 

Symphonic Olympic 

Classical favorites by Rossini, 

Copland, Bizet et al. 

december 4 

Matouqin: Galloping in 

Khorchin 

Folk music from Inner Mongolia 

december 5 

Double Duo 

Double piano concertos by Poulenc 

and Mozart, and Beethoven’s 

Seventh Symphony 

december 7 

The Poetic Cellist 

Dvorak’s Cello Concerto, plus 

orchestral music by Bartok and 

Sibelius 

december 10 

Jacques Loussier Trio: Bach 

JSB: jazzed up… 

december 11 

Low and Lower 

Orchestral works by Alfven, Kalevi 

Aho, Chabrier and Glazunov 

december 16 

War Requiem 

Benjamin Britten’s deeply moving 

monument to peace 

december 18 

Formosa Singers Concert 

Christmas songs and carols for 

choir 

december 21 

Anything Goes 

Cole Porter’s well-loved musical: in 

Taiwan, and sung in English! 

december 24-25 

NSO 2010 New Year’s Eve 

Concert 

Roof raisers by Ravel, Rimsky- 

Korsakov, Bizet and Orff 

december 31 

The Red Russia 

Orchestral works by Haydn and 

Shostakovich 

january 9, 2011 

ZHONGSHAN HALL 

(www.csh.taipei.gov.tw) 

Merry Christmas 

Traditional and classical Christmas 

music for chorus and orchestra 

december 24 

RICHARD RECOMMENDS: RR 

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 

dEC 2010/ jaN 2011

Amy's 

ultural 

Corner 

台 

灣 

Hot spring Ba thing 

A beauty trend that relaxes the body and mind 

Hot spring culture is prevalent and well 

established in Taiwan and is a great experience 

when visiting or living here, especially during 

the winter. Taiwan has one of the world’s 

largest concentrations of hot springs with various types 

of hot to lukewarm spring water which can be saline, 

sulfur-based, clear alkaline or sodium-carbonate, among 

others. Natural hot springs range in temperature from 

45 to 90 degrees Celsius, and hot springs in Taiwan vary 

from natural, undeveloped pools deep in the mountains, 

through simple bathhouses (sometimes seemingly 

located in a residential home) and more private cubical 

rooms, all the way to luxurious five-star resorts with 

public communal pools or private rooms with tubs, spa 

treatments, massages, facials and manicures. 

The Japanese were the first 

to discover the ample resources 

and value of hot springs while 

Taiwan was under Japanese 

Imperial Rule from 1895 to 

1945. They were obsessed 

with hot springs and regarded 

a luxurious hot spring soak 

as a way of curing anything 

and everything. They first 

developed hot spring facilities 

around the hills of Beitou and 

Yangmingshan in Taipei. When 

they left in 1945, hot springs 

soon fell back out of favor. It was not until the late 

1990s that hot springs once again gained in popularity 

and Japanese designers came to work with the Taiwanese 

to redevelop hot spring resorts. Nowadays, many of the 

luxurious five-star spas enjoyed by the Taiwanese are of 

Japanese design, with Japanese Zen interiors. 

In recent years hot spring bathing has become an 

increasingly popular pastime in Taiwan. Families enjoy 

a weekend get-away at hot spring resorts nestled below 

the quiet mountains; companies organize company 

retreats or meetings at elegant hot spring locations as a 

reward for their employees. Hot spring bathing is not 

only appreciated as a luxurious pleasure; it is also a good 

way to socialize, or reconnect with family and friends. 

Hot springs around taiwan 

Hot springs are spread all over Taiwan, so you can 

experience a hot spring soak in most parts of the island. 

Just north of Taipei, you can find springs rich in sulfur 

in Yangmingshan ( 陽明山 ) and Beitou ( 北投 ), while 

colorless, odorless sodium-carbonate springs bubble out 

of the ground in Wulai ( 烏來 ) township south of the city. 

Along the east coast of Taiwan, among many to choose 

from there’s Jiaoxi ( 礁溪 ) in Yilan County, Rueisuei 

( 瑞穗 ) in Hualien County, and the famous Jhiben 

Hot Spring ( 知本溫泉 ) in Taitung County. On the 

west coast, several hot spring options can be found in 

Hsinchu County, while Tai-An ( 泰安 ) in Miaoli County 

and Guguan ( 谷關 ) in Taichung County are a little 

further south. Tucked deep in the Central Mountain 

Range of Nantou County is Lushan Hot Springs ( 廬山 

溫泉 ), while the old Japanese resort of Guanziling ( 關 

子嶺 ) lies in the mountain foothills of Tainan County. 

Finally, in the far south of Taiwan, there’s Sihchongsi 

( 四重溪 ) in Pingtung. For 

something a little different, 

there’s the clear, odorless cold 

spring in the Ilan County town 

of Suao ( 蘇澳冷泉 , one of only 

two cold mineral springs of its 

kind in the world, Italy having 

the other) where the water is a 

chilly 22 degrees Celsius! 

Hot spring features 

Hot spring resorts generally 

f e a t u r e f a c i l i t i e s s u c h a s 

bubbling pools, water massage 

beds, aromatherapy pools, whirlpools, brown-colored 

Chinese herbal pools and steam rooms, parents’ and 

kids’ pools and a swimming pool with water slide. 

Swimming suits and caps must be worn in some, while 

some have segregated pools where men and women, 

separated, can bathe naked. Many hot spring resorts 

also highlight outdoor pools nestling in a natural 

landscape with rock walls or waterfalls where users 

can enjoy open-air hot spring bathing beside a river or 

overlook marvelous mountain scenery. 

Should you be looking for something more than a nice 

soak in the mineral water, many up-scale resorts offer 

qualified spa treatments and massages ranging from 

hot stones and aromatherapy to oil massage. A cup of 

herbal tea is commonly provided at the end of this fullservice 

treatment. 

Benefits 

Taking a hot spring is not just about enjoying a 

dec 2010/ jan 2011 

7

comfortable hot bath in a private-room tub or public 

pool. It’s also very relaxing, and the mineral-rich springs 

are believed to have many properties beneficial to the 

health. Hot spring mineral water is widely known 

for its therapeutic effects on various disorders such as 

skin disease, gout and arthritis, and can improve blood 

circulation and relieve muscle aches and pains. It is also 

simply good for relaxing the mind and body. 

A less well-known fact is that hot spring water can 

also be used to cultivate vegetables. Farmers, especially 

in Jiaoxi in Yilan County, are experts in using hot spring 

water for irrigating their crops. The mineral water gives 

the vegetables added nutrition and makes them tastier. 

The best vegetable irrigated by hot spring water is the 

water spinach ( 空心菜 , kong xin cai), although sponge 

gourd, tomatoes, and water bamboo shoots are also 

grown this way. 

Bathing etiquette 

Correct hot spring bathing etiquette should of course 

be followed when using a communal pool at a hot spring. 

It is important to always shower and clean oneself before 

entering the pool. Most places offer a Japanese-style 

wooden water scoop and bucket (or sometimes simply a 

plastic one) for bathing; shampooing and washing with 

soap should be handled prior to entering the pool as you 

should never use soap inside the pool or take a towel in 

with you. 

When entering the pool, move slowly and don’t splash 

or make big waves as this can disrupt the bathers who are 

enjoying a comfortable, peaceful soak. Many Taiwanese 

enjoy alternating their soak between the hot and cold 

pools. Generally one should soak for no more than 10-15 

minutes in the hot spring before taking a break, or having 

a dip in the cold pool, although this is a bit of a shock 

to the system if you are not used to Taiwanese soaking 

culture. I strongly advise people with heart problems, 

high blood pressure, or other medical conditions to 

check with a doctor before trying either a hot or cold 

spring. Furthermore, do not drink alcohol while bathing 

in hot springs, be sure to drink lots of water before 

and after soaking, and avoid bathing on a full stomach 

(it’s recommended to wait one hour after a meal before 

having a hot spring). 

In Taiwan, hot spring bathing is a new health and 

beauty trend. There are countless new hotels and resorts 

offering hotel stays and meal packages where you can 

enjoy gourmet dining on Chinese, Japanese or Western 

cuisine of the best quality after a relaxing hot spring bath. 

It’s a great way to get away from it all and to unwind 

from the stressful working week while enjoying nature, 

plus it’s good for both your body and mind. 

In Taipei, the MRT (Taipei Metro) can bring you right 

into the center of the hot spring resort of Beitou, which 

has become a major tourist attraction with the biggest 

choice of hot spring facilities in Taiwan. Taiwanese enjoy 

hot spring bathing all year round. It is an especially 

wonderful treat to have a soak on a chilly, rainy winter 

night. Explore Taiwan’s thriving hot spring culture, and I 

am sure you will find it very soothing and enjoyable. 

Dec 2010/ Jan 2011 gaLLeRY 

Bijoux terry 

This month the Center Gallery showcases Terry 

Wang’s hand-made jewelry, embroidery bags and 

silk shawls. The theme of Terry's jewelry creation 

is Dong-ba, an ancient Chinese minority ethnic 

culture full of beauty and energy. Silver and fused 

glass are her favorite materials. Terry, a jewelry 

and textile design major who graduated from 

A.F.E.D.A.P Paris, has a workshop in Tianmu 

called Bijouxterry, where she makes jewelry and 

gives silversmith lessons to students. 

tien tung art gallery 

This month The Center wall 

features beautiful Chinese 

brush paintings from Tien Tung 

Art Gallery. Priced between 

NT$800 and NT$2,200, these 

scrolls and fans with gift boxes 

make a great gift or a lovely 

addition to your home décor. 

Tien Tung also accepts custom 

orders. 

Friendship Books and Jewelry from 

helen Soderberg 

Being expats, 

many of our 

children's 

good friends 

come and 

go, and some 

they will never 

see again. 

The thought behind these books is to give 

our children a tool to help them remember 

the fun stuff about their friends and the great 

times they shared together. Helen will also 

display beautiful handmade jewelry made 

with pearls, precious stones, beads and 

more. The books and jewelry are the perfect 

Christmas gift for you and your loved ones. 

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. 

Jinshan Peasant Painting Coasters 

A unique collection of forty Jishan peasant paintings have been made into coasters for easy 

collection. These coasters are made of cork surfaced with water resistant material. Every 

box contains six paintings from different artists. These coasters are a unique gift item for any 

occasion. 

8 Dec 2010/ jan 2011

Mahjong 

cover story 

‘The Game of one hundred InTellIGences’ 

Despite its internationality mahjong remains 

distinctly, stubbornly, wonderfully Asian; it is a part 

of the social fabric of the people, and as much a 

part of their culture as Confucius and xiao long bao. 

TexT & Images: elIzabeTh WeInsTeIn 

When I was six my brother and I were digging 

through the back of a closet one day, 

looking for trouble, and hit the jackpot - 

a box of small rectangular tiles, smooth 

and cool to the touch, with the most fanciful pictures 

engraved on each one. I couldn’t stop touching them. 

We played with them, bickered over them, and by the 

time my mother discovered us many were scattered 

and lost. But when my rear end stopped aching, my 

fascination with mahjong began. 

Mahjong Down the ages 

Of course mahjong predates my childhood spanking 

by a few thousand years. Gambling games are popular 

in most cultures and the Chinese are no different. The 

earliest known is kap tai shap, a game of domino-like 

tiles that dates to A.D. 1120. In the Sung Dynasty (A.D. 

960-1279) Chinese peasants played Ya pei, which is 

similar with its draw-and-discard play, but it was during 

the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1368-1644) that a game called 

matiao took hold. Matiao used paper cards instead 

of tiles and had four suits instead of six, but in most 

other respects closely resembles mahjong. According 

to Christina Cavallaro and Anita Luu, authors of Mah- 

Jongg from Shanghai to Miami Beach, “Matiao is 

similar enough to mahjong to be considered by most 

historians as its closest antecedent.” It is thought that 

matiao used paper instead of tile because in China 

gambling was, in fact still is, illegal; cards could be 

quickly thrown onto the fire if discovery was imminent. 

Two hundred years later a high-ranking officer 

commissioned an artist to take the simple designs of 

the flimsy cards and carve them onto tiles, only this 

time with beauty and elegance. Now called mahjong, 

it became the game of the aristocracy because only the 

wealthy could afford the cost of sets that had to be 

custom made. Matiao continued to be the chosen game 

of the peasant, and the two games together ousted chess 

as the most popular game in China. As the cost of tiles 

dropped and mass production arose mahjong became 

the game of choice among both high and low born and 

spread all over Asia. And this is where you and I come 

in, because mahjong was first introduced to Westerners in 

the expatriate social clubs in Shanghai in the early 1900s. 

Sound familiar? They took the game back to their home 

countries and by the 1920s it was a worldwide fad. 

Except for the ten years of the Cultural Revolution 

(1966-1976), when Mao Zedong harshly punished 

anyone caught breaking the gambling laws, the game 

has never lost its popularity in China. Even then it was 

merely driven underground until Mao’s death. 

In Taiwan mahjong is most often played during 

Chinese New Year when families separated by work and 

distance come together again. 

BuilDing the wall, exposing Yourself 

Simply put, four players begin with thirteen tiles 

each hidden from the others. The remaining tiles are 

set up in a two-tile high perfect square called the wall. 

Players take turns drawing a tile from the wall and either 

discarding it or adding it to their hand and discarding 

a different tile until a hand is compete. Very like gin 

rummy, but with 144 tiles rather than 52 cards, there are 

more hands and way more strategies involved. 

dec 2010/ jan 2011 

9

New players often believe that the elaborate set up ritual 

serves no function, but that is not true. Mahjong began 

as a men-only gambling game and where men gamble men 

cheat, so the set up is designed to encourage honesty. 

Some traditional hands have names like Three 

Philosophers and Moon at the Bottom of the Well that 

are so lyrical you want to try for them just to say them 

aloud. Like the difference between Croque Monsieur and 

a grilled cheese sandwich, it makes the game more fun to 

go for “Wriggly Snake” rather than “run of 1-9, one of 

each wind, one tile paired.” 

In Asia it is said that the tiles speak; the meaning is 

twofold. The sound of the tiles being turned downward 

and mixed before each game makes a pleasing sound as 

they click against each other. In fact the game’s name 

in Cantonese originally meant “sparrow” for both the 

‘chirping’ of the tiles and the sparrow’s high intelligence 

(think of the well-named Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of 

the Caribbean movies, who survives more on his wits 

than force). Mahjong has been called “the game of 

sparrows” and “the game of one hundred intelligences” 

because it is considered a game played by clever people. 

But when the tiles speak they are really telling others 

who you are. How you win; how you lose; your 

patience, or lack thereof, when others build the wall ‘just 

so’ or haphazardly; your ability to adapt to poor tiles by 

changing hands mid-game; how you react to the differing 

rules of each group you play with – these things all 

reflect your personality and how you handle life. Brideselect 

are sometimes invited to play with the groom’s 

mother and her friends. I cannot think of anything more 

intimidating to a young woman. 

cHineSe, taiwaneSe, internationaL, 

aMerican…wHat’S your MaHjong gaMe? 

There are many variations of mahjong because every 

country takes the basic game and then changes the 

rules just enough to complement their own culture. The 

Taiwanese play with sixteen tiles, only one basic hand, 

and silent, very fast play, but most others use 13 tiles and 

can have up to eighty hands - some difficult, some easy, 

many ancient and a few contemporary. Asians learn these 

hands at a grandparent’s knee, but Westerners usually 

have to buy a book of hands to refer to for a while – plus 

we really like to chat while we play. 

While you won’t play it in Taiwan, it is worth noting 

that American mahjong is different from other styles. 

To play American mahjong you must buy a new card 

(copyrighted, therefore illegal to copy and share) from 

the National Mah Jongg League every April for US$7.00 

(NT$215), which lists the only acceptable hands for that 

year. The League’s aims are to have one set of nationally 

recognized rules and to keep the game interesting and 

fresh, but I personally prefer not to have to learn all new 

hands every year when there are so many traditional ones 

with which I am not yet familiar. 

The National Mah Jongg League is a non-profit 

organization that gives away most of its income to 

charities, so generally no one minds paying for the card. 

In America mahjong used to be considered a Jewish 

matron’s game because so many of them still play today, 

almost a century after the initial fad died out. After a 

hiatus in the seventies during the women’s liberation 

movement, it is back among their granddaughters more 

popular than ever. Why Jewish women? When they were 

escaping the Russian pograms of the late 1800s the only 

country with an open immigration policy was China, so 

many Jewish families settled in Shanghai until they could 

get visas to Britain or the United States. While there they 

learned mahjong and brought it with them when they 

moved to the West. 

As a Westerner living in Taiwan you will play either 

Western/International or Chinese mahjong. In the 

Chinese version you collect points, which are added up 

to reach mahjong. You only need eight points to win a 

game but the more difficult hands may be worth up to 88 

points, so your score at the end of the day is as important 

as the number of games won. In the international 

version no scores are kept and each game stands on its 

own. Most Westerners don’t play for money, but I have 

a Chinese friend who says that if no money is changing 

hands it isn’t mahjong! 

two in tienMu 

A mahjong group that originated at TAS ten years 

ago still meets today to play international style, new 

members constantly replacing those who move away. 

Membership is ‘by invitation only,’ but guests are always 

welcome among these good friends. Hilary Roy is the 

only remaining member of the original group and she 

10 dec 2010/ jan 2011

commented on the changes to the group over the 

years. “We started out with lots of rules about dinnermust-be-served 

and no-missing-or-you’re-out, but 

after several of the serious ladies left a more party-like 

atmosphere crept in, because, despite our middle age, 

we are all young at heart. Now we only have wine 

and nibbles, but in addition to our usual game nights 

we occasionally have silly dress-up nights to celebrate 

events like Halloween or the movie Mama Mia! But 

we always, always play mahjong,” laughs Hilary. 

For several years a group from TES met at the 

American Club weekly for mahjong and lunch while a 

downtown group was meeting elsewhere the same day. 

Inevitably expat moves took a toll on our numbers, 

so the two groups joined together. We tend to be a 

slightly older, quieter group (alas, no dressing up, 

although the occasional glass is lifted). 

We play Chinese mahjong and keep track of our 

scores in The Book. Fellow member Sarah Ramage 

points out that, “Playing mahjong is strangely 

addictive. Week after week you'll keep coming back to 

play again, to try new hands and of course to get your 

name in The Book with some decent scores.” 

We meet at the American Club every Tuesday from 

1-5pm, with a tea break at 3 o’clock. We are an open 

group and you do not have to be an ACC member 

to join us. Unfortunately we are currently at our 

capacity of sixteen members, but expats will move, so 

if you would like to be on the waiting list email Morag 

Campbell at moragtcampbell@gmail.com. 

Get in the Game 

Thirty-nine years later I am still fascinated by 

mahjong tiles. I collect sets as much as I collect people 

who play mahjong. If you want to learn how to play 

or you are looking for a group I will be teaching a class 

in both international and Chinese mahjong this spring, 

after which The Center will be starting a new mahjong 

group. Check the activities catalogue insert in this issue 

of COT and sign up at The Center. 

Elizabeth Weinstein has played American, Chinese, 

Taiwanese and International mahjong, but she has 

never been on a mahjong cruise and doesn’t want to 

go on one. You have to draw the line somewhere. 

dec 2010/ jan 2011 

11

outlook 

Beyond 

The Label 

ADHD ODD 

TEXT: CERITA HSu 

Parents often bring their kids to me and ask me to 

“fix” their children’s ADHD (Attention-Deficit/ 

Hyperactivity Disorder), ODD (Oppositional 

Defiant Disorder), Bipolar disorder or other 

psychological diagnosis. Oftentimes the child was labeled 

as a “problem child” because he/she had a behavioral 

issue. The parents often requested to “just fix the kid.” 

However, after working with the family for a while, I 

would discover that there was more than just the label. 

Ben was a fourth grade student. He was referred 

by his teacher to me due to his “attention deficit” and 

“irritability” at school. The teacher suggested he receive 

treatment for his alleged “ADHD.” Ben’s parents seemed 

to agree with this diagnosis, and wanted Ben to work 

harder to fight the symptoms. Meanwhile they were 

also cooperative to the treatment. After some therapy 

and medication, Ben’s symptoms moderately improved. 

However, I felt there was something missing. Ben rarely 

talked about his feelings. He always avoided topics that 

involved emotions as if the word “feeling” did not exist in 

his vocabulary. Moreover, Ben never talked about what 

happened at home. 

Over time, the family was able to open up to me. I 

found out the secrets behind the door. Ben’s father had 

an ongoing affair, and it was an open secret in the family. 

Sometimes the father and the mistress would take Ben out. 

Occasionally, the mistress would come to the house to 

join the family for dinner. The mother pretended that she 

did not care and even invited the mistress to move in with 

them. However, in reality, her true emotion was repressed, 

and, like a ticking time bomb, was ready to explode at 

anytime. 

Sometimes the mother would ask Ben if the mistress 

went out with him and his father. Ben was conflicted 

because he could not tell the truth. He knew the truth 

would only lead to more fights between the parents; 

however, he could not lie either because he could not 

stand mother’s interrogation and his guilt. As a result, 

avoidance, silence, and “I don’t know” became his 

standard answers to these questions. He learned to 

rationalize everything and block out all emotions. No 

feelings meant no pain. 

Through therapy, I was able to normalize Ben’s feelings 

and let him know how other kids in similar situations may 

feel: anger, confusion, sadness, detachment, and being 

trapped. When tears rolled down his face, even though it 

was just for a few seconds, he was finally able to let down 

his guard for the first time. 

After the break-though, Ben would still rationalize and 

repress his feelings. During one therapy session, I asked 

him about how often his parents fought. He replied about 

once a week. Then he asked me “that is not very often, 

right?” I saw his small face looking up at me, waiting 

for confirmation. My heart ached. I knew when he left 

the counseling room, he would subconsciously put up his 

mask to protect himself. That was the only way he knew 

how to block the pain. I deeply cherished the moment 

when he showed me what was underneath the mask, even 

if it was just for a second. 

After the treatment was completed, Ben’s parents came 

to understand how their interaction might play a role in 

Ben’s behavior — the tension at home and being trapped 

between the parents contributed to Ben’s irritability 

and difficulty concentrating. The diagnosis of ADHD 

could not explain or encompass the complexity of family 

dynamics. The root problem could have been missed if we 

only focused on the ADHD label. I was grateful that I had 

a chance to discover what was underneath the symptoms. 

To blame the child alone would have been unfair and 

overly simplistic. 

Treating a child with a behavioral problem requires the 

cooperation and teamwork of the therapist and other key 

figures in the child’s life. Parent participation in therapy 

is crucial to a successful treatment. Furthermore, the 

younger the child is, the more important the parents’ roles 

are in treatment. Therapists cannot provide effective 

interventions without the parents’ cooperation. A child 

generally spends only one hour a week with a therapist, 

which is minimal compared to the amount of time spent at 

home or school. Good communication with the counselor 

and commitment to the process are essential to deliver the 

best outcome for a child in counseling. 

Cerita Hsu is a Taiwan Licensed 

Counseling Psychologist. She received 

her Master’s degree in Psychology 

from the U.S. Her focus of study 

was Marriage and Family Therapy. 

Cerita currently works mainly with 

adults, cross-cultural couples and their 

children at The Center. 

12 dec 2010/ jan 2011

The Escape Artist: 

introducing ‘Paintertainment’ to Taiwan 

around Taipei 

TexT and Images: LesLey Hu 

EscAPE ArTisT 

68 Wenchang Street, Taipei 文昌街 68 號 

Tel: 2707-0767 

Website: http://www.escapeartist.com.tw 

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/ 

escapeartisttw 

Two years ago, while visiting 

an old high school classmate’s 

home, I noticed two beautiful 

new paintings on his wall. My 

first assumption was that since he had 

a great job with great pay at a law 

firm in Hong Kong, he had the luxury 

to invest in some fine artwork. 

When I complemented his paintings 

however, his response took me by 

surprise. "Oh those? I painted 

them!" 

Having known Jeff for over ten 

y e a r s, a n d k n o w i n g h e's n e v e r 

taken any courses in the fine arts, it 

was hard to believe someone with 

his background could create such 

dynamic original artwork. That was 

when he introduced me to the concept 

of ‘Paintertainment’: painting as 

entertainment. I was intrigued and 

started researching its origins in Hong 

Kong. 

Thus, Escape Artist was born. 

Painting is a skill that is learned 

through long years of experience, 

and without that knowledge, it’s 

often difficult to know where to start. 

However, remember how you loved 

to draw or paint as a child? Escape 

Artist is a space where you can freely 

explore and feed the child within. All 

the essentials you need are provided, 

and music sets the mood, while 

you bring a willingness to relax, be 

inspired or just be yourself, enjoying 

a few hours of carefree creativity on 

your own or with friends and family. 

Canvas, free-flow acrylic paints, 

apron, a wide selection of painting 

tools and a wet paint box (in which to 

take your painting away with you) are 

all provided. 

Escape Artist is the first business to 

bring the concept of Paintertainment 

to Taiwan, providing a refreshing 

leisure activity for people seeking 

i n n o v a t i v e a n d m e a n i n g f u l 

entertainment. Come and try it: you 

may well be amazed at what you can 

produce in this fun environment! 

dec 2010/ jan 2011 

13

profile 

A man with a heart that warmed up the world. 

Like a crystal ball he diffused the love. 

Waving his hat and tapping his stomach. 

Smiling and laughing every day, no matter what came his way. 

Mr. Bishop, the best drama teacher ever. 

By Ratan Kaushal and David Kuo 

Doug Bishop 

TEXT: PATRICIA SANDS 

IMAGES: COuRTESY JuLIE DOTTERER, SOPHIE AND CATY BISHOP 

The first time I met Doug 

Bishop was through email 

in 1998. I was about to 

move with my family into 

Doug’s house in Kuala Lumpur. We 

corresponded about which items of 

furniture we would buy, the maroon 

Toyota Selica van that we eventually 

purchased, the dog Buttons (which 

went to another family), the bunk 

beds, and even the beloved amah, 

Keriyem. The first time I met Doug 

face to face was in the summer of 

1998, at Red Rock Lake in Iowa. 

Doug handed me the massive folder 

of responsibility for taking over the 

KL Theater job. We are both from 

Des Moines, Iowa, USA, so a nice 

drive to the lake with my Mom and 

kids was a simple yet lovely task. We 

had a great lunch and went through 

the massive folder of responsibility 

pertaining to my new position. 

In 2003 my family had the good 

fortune of moving to Taipei, where 

my husband assumed the position of 

Upper School Principal, and Doug 

heartily welcomed me into the TAS 

theater program. It was unique to 

have two IASAS theater directors 

in one city, but Doug knew me 

and knew this was a situation that 

could work. We had a wonderful 

teamwork approach along with 

the rest of the production staff. I 

always appreciated the open-arms 

policy in helping in the performing 

arts at TAS. 

I moved to Belgrade, Serbia in 

2007 where I assumed the high 

school theater and music position in 

the International School there, but 

Doug and I remained great friends in 

spite of the European-Asian location 

gap. We corresponded via Facebook, 

and always talked about our current 

shows. We continued to meet in 

Iowa once every summer, sometimes 

at the Farmer’s Market downtown, 

or at my Mom’s house in West Des 

Moines. My last meeting with Doug 

was in August 2010, one day after 

his birthday, and one day before 

he flew to Taiwan to start the new 

school year at TAS. 

Doug is a great friend 

to me. In thinking of him, 

these qualities come to mind: 

laughing, energetic, inspiring, 

crazy ideas, unconventional 

(yet practical in the very best 

Iowa sense), loving to his 

family and students. I could 

always email Doug and get 

a straight, ‘no frills’ answer 

back. After I left Taipei Doug 

started the “brownie tradition”, 

movie nights with the Thespians, and 

was always thinking of new activities 

in his unmatched dedication to the 

theater students of TAS. 

I a m c u r r e n t l y d i r e c t i n g a 

production of “Once Upon A 

Mattress” at the International School 

of Belgrade and our production is 

dedicated to Doug. Working in the 

theater is a daily reminder of life’s 

precious moments with others as 

you paint the stage, catch a precious 

moment of a tune, adjust the lights, 

hang the costumes, put away the 

makeup, or laugh at a line that 

you have heard a hundred times 

before. Every step reminds us of the 

wonderful energy of our students 

and colleagues in the arts, including 

all those at TAS who have carried 

on the tradition and bravely stepped 

in to forge ahead. I am so fortunate 

to work in this profession. I have 

so many production memories with 

my friend and colleague whom 

I so dearly miss, Doug Bishop. 

Colleague, Iowan, Friend. 

Patricia Sands, International School 

of Belgrade, SERBIA (Former 

Director of the Taipei International 

Community Choir, 2003-2007) 

14 dec 2010/ jan 2011

Doug Bishop, Father… 

Doug Bishop was an amazing father, a master 

of patience, understanding, and level headed 

thinking when it came to raising our daughters, 

Sophie and Caty. Trying to put some of his 

marvelous traits into words has proven difficult, but here 

goes! 

Our life in Kuala Lumpur involved extremely long hours 

in the theater for Doug. Doug came home to a menagerie 

of dogs, cats, rabbits, toys, shoe addictions for both girls, 

and numerous neighborhood children planted around 

the house. He loved the controlled chaos, always taking 

time to once again tell stories, play dress-up, read stories 

and sing rounds and rounds of ‘Starlight Express’ with his 

darlings! 

We traveled the world as a family. Doug planning and 

navigating on all the trips. One of my favorite memories 

of Bali involve Doug having already taken a walk along 

the ridge, picked up a copy of the Herald Tribune and 

some fresh coffee and returned to to our cottage, while 

the girls and I were still reading our books by the pool, 

having breakfast! 

Doug was the proud parent at all the girls’ school 

events. He enjoyed being ‘just a parent’ in the audience at 

the elementary musicals, which starred his daughters and 

were directed by his wife. This great dad also endured our 

‘family theme dinners’, when we would dress up as various 

characters from television shows or movies. Doug was a 

fantastic Lou Grant during our Mary Tyler Moore show 

theme nights. The girls were both part of Middle School 

ISTA festivals, which was especially gratifying to Doug, 

who always gave so much energy, time and effort to ISTA, 

one of his passions. I know Doug was also overjoyed 

when his daughters became part of his TAS high school 

theater productions: they both waited until their senior 

year before allowing Doug to be their director! 

The most treasured place in the world for our family 

is the lake cottage in Iowa. Doug never hesitated to take 

the girls swimming at Nana and Poppop’s pool, helped 

care for my father as he lived with multiple sclerosis, 

endured the frequent visits from the UPS man, knowing I 

was still shopping, and made sure the girls had tennis and 

badminton rackets, basketball hoops, fishing poles and 

bicycles to keep them busy. He joined them every time 

they went to the shore to work on ‘Roxaboxen,’ the village 

they made each summer from the sandstone rocks. During 

our summers at the lake, Doug played endless rounds of 

chutes and ladders, Sorry!, Life, cribbage, Go Fish, and 

our family favorite, Five Crowns. Doug loved to garden; 

he planted and nurtured native perennials of the region 

and just chuckled as I added ‘just one more’ hosta to an 

already burgeoning collection. We would take an annual 

trip to the Maid Rite with Bruce, Paulette and Harrison, 

because that was a summer tradition. The Sunday 

doughnuts and Des Moines Register will always remain a 

ritual during the girls’ time at the lake cottage. 

An accomplished cook, Doug loved the holiday season, 

always celebrating our favorite European traditions. He 

never failed to have the advent candles ready, adored 

watching the girls decorate the tree, made the Gluhwein, 

set up the Weihnachten pyramids, and indulged in his very 

favorite Zimtsternen (cinnamon star cookies). Always 

thinking of others, Doug and the girls came to Turkey 

during my first two years in the country to celebrate 

because he knew I only had the day off, nothing more. 

This was an amazing act of kindness because I knew he 

would rather be in Austria, Bali or Iowa. 

Doug has been my best friend since 1984. He gave 

me the greatest gift ever, our daughters, of whom we 

are both immensely proud. They are both intelligent, 

compassionate, curious, creative, accepting and tolerant 

young women, traits their 

father truly valued in his 

own life. We love you, Doug 

Bishop. 

Julie Dotterer 

dec 2010/ jan 011 

15

To the vast majority of his students, Mr. Bishop 

was much more than just a teacher; he was a friend. I 

know I can speak for so many others when I say that 

he made a profound impact on our lives: He gave me 

the ability to be whoever I desire to be. His guidance 

helped bring me out of my shell and make me the 

person I am – he put all of his effort into giving his 

students the means to express themselves. Under his 

leadership, a supportive community of outspoken, 

adventurous, and well-rounded students found a home 

and a place to be themselves. Now this small family 

that he helped to shape has lost its father-figure. But 

perhaps his last and greatest lesson was that he gave us 

the knowledge and ability to fill the immense void that 

his absence has left. I miss him deeply, and it is tragic 

that the next generation of theater students at TAS will 

not get to experience his compassionate guidance. 

Katie Shepherd 

Throughout my time at TAS, no one else continually 

pushed me, taunted me, laughed with me, or 

encouraged me as much as Doug Bishop. He became 

a part of my family, a third parent almost, and a lot 

of the time I saw him more frequently than my own 

parents. I always knew there was never anything I 

could do to properly thank him for everything he'd 

done for me, but I hope these words reach him and 

let him know just how much I, and all of his students, 

continue to appreciate him. It is so rare to find that 

kind of passion and dedication in one man. 

I miss him very much, and no amount of anger 

or questioning can bring him back. I know that if 

he saw us crying over his death he would simply 

laugh his head off and say to himself, "what a 

bunch of sissies!" He was everything to us drama 

students. More than just a theater instructor; a 

friend, mentor, role model. We all looked up to him 

for everything, as he was the organizer of all matters 

relating to theater at TAS. He knew teenagers front 

to back, knew exactly what we liked and didn't like, 

what was funny and what was quite serious. He 

understood the pressure we were under, and did 

everything he could to lighten it up. Personality-wise 

he defied normal standards, and he simply didn't 

care what people thought of him, plain and simple. 

He was who he wanted to be and nothing else. He 

definitely taught me one very important value; never 

judge a book by its cover. When I first met him I 

thought he was the creepiest, scariest man I'd ever 

met. I soon regretted judging him as that. We all 

miss him very much. 

Sincerely, Spencer VineS, 16 

Katharine Gill 

“Your class stands out to me, because you capture 

the importance of education. You provide us 

with hands on experiences that we will remember 

throughout our lives. You have taught me so much in 

the last two years, and I will never forget it.” 

Mr. Bishop was my director and teacher, and I 

honestly don't know how he does it all. After he passed 

away, it has basically taken five people to replace him. 

He somehow manages to juggle everything at once, 

every single year. I'm so grateful to have known him. I 

don't know one person who doesn't agree that he was 

a great teacher/friend/colleague/director, and father. 

We will always remember him for his great talents, 

kind and thoughtful heart, and the fact that he was 

always trying to educate his students in a sense that the 

experiences they gain will stay with them forever. 

leat ahrony 

16 Dec 2010/ jan 2011

2011 Spring & Summer Activities 

2011 Spring & Summer Activities 

Counselors at The Center 

What's happening at The Center

Welcome To The Center 

Dear Friends, 

Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, and Xin Nian Kwai Le! 

We are getting a head start on the next semester by including this Spring & 

Summer 2011 Activities Catalog as a pull-out supplement in the December/ 

January edition of Centered on Taipei. We hope you find this a convenient way 

to learn about ‘What’s Happening’ at The Center. 

The number and type of activities offered at The Center continues to grow. 

This is due, in part, to the many talented community members who have 

stepped forward to share their skills and knowledge through The Center. 

Some of these instructors are even opening their homes to us to offer you a 

chance to learn from them. 

In addition, our very successful arrangement with the Farès Academy 

Dojo, which is located only a couple of minutes’ walk away from The Center, 

is making it possible for us continue to offer a varied selection of fitness 

programs in a very comfortable and appropriate environment. 

We invite you to browse through this catalog and discover the many exciting 

opportunities that await you at the Community Services Center. 

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions about the activities 

offered, please give us a call, check us out on our website (www. 

communitycenter.org.tw) or find us on Facebook! 

Of course, we really are happiest when we “See you at The Center!” Come 

on over, you are always welcome! 

Registration Information 

Advance registration and payment is required for all activities. We 

cannot guarantee your place until full payment is made. If you are 

unable to visit The Center, please call us for alternative options. 

Center office hours are Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. 

Cancellations 

Please be sure to register early. The Center reserves the right to 

cancel any activity or program that does not have sufficient enrollment. 

We make every effort to notify registered participants promptly. 

Please note: you can help ensure an activity is conducted by 

confirming your attendance and paying the fee at least one week 

before it begins. Please help us save time as well as showing 

courtesy to our instructors by not waiting until the last minute to 

confirm your participation. 

Refund and Credit Policy 

Activities cancelled by The Center: 

• Full refund will be issued. Refunds may be collected until the last 

day of the semester. 

Grace Ting 

Office Manager 

Rosemary Susa 

Activities Coordinator 

When a participant cancels a tour or activity registration, credit is 

available on the following terms: 

• A full credit will be issued if you cancel your registration at least 

one week prior to the first meeting. After that time, we are unable 

to give credits. 

Tel: 2836 8134 E-mail: ce@community.com.tw

The Community Services Center | Tel: 2836 8134, e-mail: ce@community.com.tw 

Arts, Culture & Tours in Taiwan 

# Activity Day(s) 

First Meeting 

Date 

Last Meeting 

Date 

Instructor 


# of 

Sessions 

Time $$$ Meet@ Description 

1 

Auspicious Symbols in 

Chinese Art 

Fri 

Jan 14 

— 

Siew Kang 

1 

12:30pm - 

2:00pm 

$500 

The Center 

Dragons and deer, peaches and plum blossoms – 

these designs adorn fine Chinese paintings, 

porcelains and everyday objects alike. More than a 

decoration, they are examples of a visual language 

that deliver powerful messages. In this talk, Siew 

will demonstrate how each design delivers a hidden 

meaning that makes many works of Chinese art as 

much a message as a display piece. 

2 

National Palace 

Museum Tour 

Mon 

Jan 17 

— 

Siew Kang 

1 

9:30am - 

11:30am 

$600 

NPM Ticket 

Counter 

The NPM is often mentioned in the same breath 

as the Met, the Louvre and the Prado. Its peerless 

collection of Chinese art and artifacts which spans 

an astonishing 8,000 years is a must-see. Siew, a 

former NPM docent, will lead you through some 

of the most beautiful pieces in this impressive 

collection. Cost includes entrance ticket. 

3 

Neihu Flower Market 

Tour 

Thu 

Jan 20 

— 

Alison Davis 

1 

8:30am - 

11:00am 

$600 The Center 

Bright and colorful, the Neihu Flower Market is the 

place to buy flowers and floral supplies in Taipei. 

Just before the CNY holiday, the market is filled with 

the special decorative items used to mark the Lunar 

New Year. Alison will guide you through the market 

and give you some helpful hints on what to buy, and 

where to buy it. Transportation by taxi to the flower 

market included. 

4 

Di Hua Street Tour 

& Chinese New Year 

Lunch 

Tue 

Jan 25 

— 

Ivy Chen & 

Rosemary Susa 

1 

10:00am - 

2:00pm 

$1600 

Shuanglian 

MRT Sta. 

Exit 2 

This tour begins with a stroll down Di Hua Street 

to experience the hustle and bustle of shoppers 

preparing for the CNY holiday. Then, we'll sit down 

to a delicious meal at the Celestial Restaurant for 

our own special "wei ya" meal. Ivy will talk about 

local holiday customs and explain why certain foods 

are served and eaten around the New Year. Cost of 

banquet meal included. Deadline to register and 

pay is January 14th. 

5 

Little Burma Tour 

Tue 

Feb 8 

— 

Ivy Chen 

1 

10:00am - 

12noon 

$500 

Nanshijiao 

MRT Sta. 

Exit 4 

On the other side of town, far away from Tianmu, is 

a small neighborhood known as “Little Burma.” Join 

Ivy as she walks you through this tiny enclave of 

spice shops and small eateries. If you're not too full 

after snacking on some of the tasty treats available, 

you can stay and join Ivy for lunch (not included). 

2011 Spring & Summer Activities [iii]




6 

Lung Shan Temple & 

Herb Street Tour 

First Meeting 

Date 

Last Meeting 

Date 

Instructor 

# of 

Sessions 

Wed Feb 16 — Jennifer Tong 1 


10:00am - 

12noon 

$500 

Lung Shan 

MRT Sta. 

Exit 1 

Lantern Festival marks the end of the Chinese New 

Year activities. Visit the very old and atmospheric 

Lung Shan Temple where you will not only learn 

about the history of the temple, but be able to view 

colorful lanterns made especially for this auspicious 

occasion. A special stop at the nearby "Herb Street" 

completes this cultural experience. 

7 

Build A Bag 

Thu 

Feb 24 

— 

Binifer Kaushal 

1 

10:30am - 

12noon 

$500 

Zhong Shan 

MRT Sta. 

Exit 3 

You love the color of one and the design of 

another. The straps are too short on this one, but 

too long on that one. What's a girl to do? Join 

Binifer as she shares her favorite place in Taipei 

where you can design that perfect purse or bag 

that you've always wanted but could never find. 

Choose your own color, design and style. No 

knock-offs. 

8 

Tour of Yingge 

Pottery Area 

Thu Mar 3 

— 

Alison Davis & 

Rosemary Susa 

1 

9:00am - 

2:30pm 

$900 

In front of 

Mr. Xmas 

We’ll start this shopping tour by visiting one of 

Alison’s favorite ceramic factories and then head 

over to the old town streets where you can find 

everything from delicate tea sets to daily use 

dishes. For those interested, Rosemary can take 

you to a restaurant for lunch or you can shop ‘til 

the bus leaves to bring us back to the Center. 

Transportation included. 

9 

Lin Lui Hsin Puppet 

Museum: Shadow 

Puppet Workshop 

Sat 

Mar 5 

— 

Robin Ruizendaal 

1 

10:00am - 

12noon 

$650 

The Puppet 

Museum 

Join The Center on a Saturday morning for a 

fun and educational Shadow Puppet Workshop 

suitable for children, ages 5 and over, and 

adults alike. As our good luck would have it, the 

Museum will be featuring a special shadow theater 

exhibition at this time. After the workshop you 

can stay and visit the Museum at your leisure. 

Workshop and entrance ticket are included. Young 

children must be accompanied by a parent. 

10 

Confucius Temple & 

Bao An Gong 

Tue 

Mar 15 

— 

Jennifer Tong 

1 

9:00am - 

12noon 

$600 

Yuanshan 

MRT Sta. 

Exit 2 

Join Jennifer for a tour of the historic Confucius and 

Bao An Gong Temples which were both built in the 

1800's. Bao An Gong is a Taoist temple, dedicated 

to the god of medicine, while the Confucius Temple 

is a center for Confucian study. Located just across 

the street from each other, these temples make for 

an interesting study with their contrasting form and 

function. 

2011 Spring & Summer Activities [iv]




First Meeting 

Date 

Last Meeting 

Date 

Instructor 

# of 

Sessions 


11 

Tea Tasting Class & 

Tour of the Old Tea 

District 

Wed Mar 16 — Jackson Huang 1 

9:30am - 

12:30pm 

$600 

ABC Tea 

Shop 

Known in the tea industry as a “horizontal 

tea study,” in this class you will learn general 

information about several types of tea: black, 

oolong and green. For anyone who joined us last 

year, Jackson has offered to include a mini “vertical 

tea study” through which he will demonstrate how 

to judge tea by quality and grade. Afterwards, we 

will take a walking tour of the Old Tea District area 

and visit the City Tea Association. 

12 

Yeliu & North Coast 

Tour 

Mon 

Mar 21 

— 

Richard 

Saunders 

1 

8:30am - 

2:30pm 

$1200 

In front of 

Mr. Xmas 

Take a drive up to the North Coast and visit the 

ever-popular Yeliu. Famous for its peculiar rock 

formations which are so beautiful, it’s hard to 

believe they are real. The Queen's head is the bestknown 

rock and her neck is getting thinner and 

thinner…come and see it before it’s gone. Please 

bring water and lunch and wear comfortable shoes. 

13 

Wulai Waterfall & 

Aboriginal Village Tour 

Tue Apr 12 — 

Richard 

Saunders 

1 

8:30am - 

2:30pm 

$1200 

In front of 

Mr. Xmas 

This tour begins at the impressive spectacle of 

the highest cataract in northern Taiwan, Wulai 

Waterfall, plunging 80 meters into a deep gorge. 

After a short hike to take in the beautiful landscape 

further up the gorge, we will visit a nearby 

aboriginal village, with shops selling souvenirs and 

snacks. We'll take the little train back down the 

gorge to Wulai village and return through beautiful 

mountain scenery to Taipei. 

14 

Eating Dim Sum 

Wed 

Apr 20 

— 

Sally Duh Chu 

1 

11:30am - 

1:30pm 

$900 

In front of 

Takashimaya 

If you like Dim Sum, but are perplexed when 

faced by the myriad of choices on the menu, don't 

despair. Join Sally for a traditional Dim Sum lunch 

and she will teach you all about the different types 

of dim sum and what to order to create a delicious 

meal. Deadline to register and pay is April 11. 

15 

Lin Family Garden 

Thu 

Apr 28 

— 

Jennifer Tong 

1 

9:30am - 

12noon 

$650 

Fuzhong 

MRT Sta. 

Exit 3 

Join this delightful tour to the oldest remaining 

residential building and gardens in Taipei. The Lin 

Ban Yun, built in the Qing Dynasty, is a preserved 

traditional but urbanized farmhouse. Jennifer, your 

guide, has spent many hours studying this historic 

site and cannot wait to tell you all about it. Entrance 

fee and taxi from MRT included. 

2011 Spring & Summer Activities [v]


Arts, Culture and Tours/Family, Fitness and Health 


16 

National Taiwan Junior 

College of Performing 

Arts 

First Meeting 

Date 

Last Meeting 

Date 

Instructor 

# of 

Sessions 

Thu May 5 — Kath Liu 1 


9:00am - 

12:45pm 


This tour takes you into the world of traditional 

Chinese performing arts and includes a visit to 

the school's Beijing Opera Museum, an amazing 

Chinese Acrobatic show, and a Beijing Opera 

performance. The College is an old-time favorite 

visitor destination and one that shouldn't be missed. 

Transportation and entrance fee included in cost. 

17 

Qi Xing Mountain Trail 

Hike 

Mon 

May 9 

— 

Richard 

Saunders 

1 

8:30am - 

2:30pm 

$1200 

In front of 

Mr. Xmas 

This hike takes you past steaming volcanic fumaroles 

as you climb your way up to the summit of Seven 

Star Mountain, then leads you back down towards 

the beautiful nature reserve at Dream Lake. This 

is a moderately difficult, 3 to 4 hour hike, including 

uphill climbing. Wear sturdy shoes and appropriate 

clothing. Bring water, snacks, and rain gear, just in 

case. 

18 

Museum of History Tour 

& Tea House 

Tue May 17 — Jennifer Tong 1 

Family, Fitness & Health 

10:00am - 

12:30pm 

$800 

The History 

Museum 

The Museum of History not only exhibits many 

Chinese historical treasures, it is also the home of 

many works of art by contemporary Chinese and 

Taiwanese artists. Join Jennifer on a tour of the 

Museum as well as a stop at its lovely tea house 

which boasts an exquisite view of a lotus pond. 

Entrance to the Museum and tea included. 

19 

Pilates 

Wed 

Jan 12 

Mar 16 

Ann Weng 

7 

9:15am - 

10:15am 

$2450 

Farès 

Academy 

Dojo 

Pilates is an exercise that focuses on building 

strength and improving flexibility and agility. By 

strengthening your body's core muscles with Pilates, 

you can help prevent injuries. It involves a series of 

controlled movements and breathing techniques that 

engage both the body and mind. Bring a towel and 

wear comfortable clothing. 

20 

Qi Gong 1 

Mon 

Jan 17 

Mar 21 

Neil Swanson 

7 

10:00am - 

11:30am 

$3150 

Farès 

Academy 

Dojo 

Qi Gong is an amazingly diverse system of gentle 

movements which, when coupled with relaxation 

and subtle breathing, can result in remarkable health 

benefits, as well as an overall sense of well-being in 

body and mind. For those who like Asian culture, Qi 

Gong is a treasure trove waiting to be discovered. 

This course is suitable for beginners and advanced 

students alike. 

2011 Spring & Summer Activities [vi]



# 

Activity 

Day(s) 

First Meeting 

Date 

Last Meeting 

Date 

Instructor 

# of 

Sessions 

Time 

$$$ 

Meet@ 

Description 

21 

My Smart Hands 

Level I: Baby Signing 

Class 

Tue Jan 18 Mar 22 Anja Serfontein 8 

10:00am - 

11:00am 

$3900 

Instructor's 

N. Tianmu 

Home 

In a playful, educational and language-rich environment 

you and your baby will learn American Sign Language 

(ASL) through instruction, interactive games and songs. 

Some of the ASL vocabulary covered in this beginner 

course includes: everyday words, family, food, animals, 

emotions, opposites, bed time and play signs. Cost 

includes a full color MSH curriculum book with a CD 

of the songs taught in the class. 

22 

Belly Dancing 1 

Wed 

Jan 19 

Mar 16 

Eszter Edl 

8 

10:30am - 

12noon 

$3600 

Farès 

Academy 

Dojo 

In this class you will learn the basic moves and 

techniques of this ethnic dance form and get some 

great exercise. Join Eszter for a fun and enjoyable 

belly dance experience. Wear comfortable clothing 

that allows for ease of movement. 

23 

What Parents Need 

to Know About Child 

Psychiatry 

Fri Jan 21 – 

David Beck 

Schatz, MD 

1 

12noon - 

2:00pm 


Do you have questions about ADHD, autism, 

depression, anxiety, or psychiatric medications? 

Often times, having some knowledge can mean 

the difference between helping your child towards 

success and having them struggle. An American 

psychiatrist will lead this seminar to discuss these 

and other selected topics. 

24 

Tai Qi Chuan 1 

Tue 

Feb 8 

Mar 22 

Michel Conforto- 

Gallo 

6 

9:30am - 

11:00am 

$2700 

Farès 

Academy 

Dojo 

Tai Qi Chuan is an internal Chinese martial art practiced 

for relaxation, defense training and its potential to 

improve your health. In this class, Michel will introduce 

you to Cheng Man-ch’ing’s 37 Short Form, focusing on 

form, basic applications and push hands. The class is 

suitable for both beginners and those with previous Tai 

Qi Chuan experience. 

25 Easy Yoga 1 Tue Feb 8 Mar 22 Maria Moberg 6 

7:00pm - 

8:30pm 

$2700 

Instructor's 

Tianmu 

Studio 

Yoga doesn't need to be hard or to difficult to do. 

The focus of this course is to teach easy yoga to 

help you open up the body and mind. It is suitable 

for beginners who want to start doing yoga but don't 

have any experience with yoga or other exercise. 

Bring a mat and towel. 

26 

Your Next Career Step 

Wed 

Feb 9 

Feb 23 

Ralph Whalen 

7:00pm - 

3 $1200 The Center 

8:30pm 

Career satisfaction involves matching a paid or 

unpaid job with your unique talents, interests and 

values. Whether you are considering changing 

careers, looking for volunteer opportunities or 

considering what to do when you retire, this series of 

classes will help you clarify your next career step. 

2011 Spring & Summer Activities [vii]



# 

Activity 

Day(s) 

First Meeting 

Date 

Last Meeting 

Date 

Instructor 

# of 

Sessions 

Time 

$$$ 

Meet@ 

Description 

27 

Kindermusik 1 

0-18 mos. 

Thu Feb 10 Mar 17 Jennifer Chau 

6 

9:15am - 

10:00am 


Kindermusik is a developmentally appropriate music 

class that enhances the bond between parent and 

baby. Your baby will thrive on musical and rhythmic 

activities designed to lay the foundation for a 

lifetime love of music. High-quality "take home" 

materials are included. 

28 

Kindermusik 2 

18 mos.-3yrs. 

Thu 

Feb 10 

May 19 

Jennifer Chau 

10:15am - 


11:00am 

Kindermusik is a developmentally appropriate music 

class that enhances the bond between parent and 

child. Your toddler will thrive on musical and rhythmic 

activities designed to lay the foundation for a lifetime 

love of music. High-quality "take home" materials 

are included. 

29 

Singing Body: Creative 

Voice Exploration 

Workshop with Mia 

from "A Moving Sound" 

Thu Feb 17 – Mia Hsieh 

1 

9:30am - 

12:30pm 

$1400 

Farès 

Academy 

Dojo 

In modern urban life, many of us have lost our 

connection to Nature and to our own creativity. 

This workshop draws from Mia’s experience with 

western and traditional eastern vocal styles. Through 

breathing practice, voice and movement games, 

group chanting, and world music appreciation, 

workshop participants will have the opportunity to 

explore their vocal range and experience the voice’s 

potential to connect us all to a universal expression. 

30 

Chinese Food Therapy 

Fri 

Feb 18 

– 

Dr. Dustin Wu 

1 

12:30pm - 

2:00pm 

$500 


You may have heard of hot/cold foods or yin/yang 

food; you might like what you are eating, but what 

you are eating may not like you. Dr. Wu will teach 

you the principles of Chinese food therapy and help 

you understand what types of food best suit your 

personal health. 

31 

Painting Diary: Painting 

as a Process of Self- 

Exploration with Scott 

from "A Moving Sound" 

Thu Mar 10 – Scott Prairie 

1 

11:30am - 

2:30pm 


In this class you don’t need any special art skills; we 

will express ourselves through colors, shapes, lines and 

any kind of figure that comes naturally. What is most 

important is following your curiosity and allowing yourself 

to see and express who you are. There are no mistakes 

or right or wrong. We will discuss the creative process of 

“making life” and “making art” from the perspectives of 

art, psychology, philosophy and spirituality. 

32 

Qi Gong 2 

Mon 

Apr 11 

May 23 

Neil Swanson 

5 

10:00am - 

11:30am 

$2250 

Farès 

Academy 

Dojo 

This course may be taken as a first class or a 

continuation of Session 1. Please refer to Activity #20 

for full description. 

2011 Spring & Summer Activities [viii]


Family, Fitness & Health/Hobbies and Skills 

# 

Activity 

Day(s) 

First Meeting 

Date 

Last Meeting 

Date 

Instructor 

# of 

Sessions 

Time 

$$$ 

Meet@ 

Description 

33 Tai Qi Chuan 2 Tue Apr 12 May 17 

Michel Conforto- 

Gallo 

6 

9:30am - 

11:00am 

$2700 

Farès 

Academy 

Dojo 


continuation of Session 1. Please refer to Activity # 

24 for full description. 

34 

Easy Yoga 2 

Tue 

Apr 12 

May 17 

Maria Moberg 

6 

7:00pm - 

8:30pm 

$2700 

Instructor's 

Tianmu 

Studio 


continuation of Session 1. Please refer to Activity # 

25 for full description. 

35 Belly Dancing 2 Wed Apr 13 May 18 Eszter Edl 

6 

10:30am - 

12noon 

$2700 

Farès 

Academy 

Dojo 

This course may be taken as a first class or 

continuation of Session 1. Please refer to Activity #22 

for full description. 

36 

Kindermusik I 

0-18 mos. 

Thu 

Apr 14 

May 19 

Jennifer Chau 

9:15am - 


10:00am 

Please refer to Activity #27 for full description. 

37 

Chinese Medicine 

Health Secrets 

Fri Apr 15 – Dr. Dustin Wu 

1 

12:30pm - 

2:00pm 


Have you ever wondered how Chinese medicine 

doctors know what is wrong with you by simply 

looking at your tongue, ears, eyes or feeling your 

pulse? Dr. Wu will teach you how to spot early signs 

of illness using these simple methods. 

38 

The Easy Secrets of 

Happiness 

Tue May 3 May 10 

Hobbies & Skills 

David Beck 

Schatz, MD 

2 

12noon - 

2:00pm 


Do you want to discover how easy it is to improve 

your happiness and success in life? It is possible 

you are missing out on the happiness you deserve 

and you might not even know it. An American 

psychiatrist will be conducting a two-session 

seminar which is sure to improve your happiness, 

either a little or a lot. 

39 Chinese Paper Cutting Thu Jan 13 Jan 27 Penny Wei 

3 

12noon - 

2:00pm 


Just in time for Chinese New Year. Paper cuttings are 

an ancient Chinese art and are used as decorations 

on windows and doors. In this three-part class Penny 

will teach you how to make these traditional Chinese 

New Year hangings. Cost of materials included. 

40 

French Conversation 

Thu 

Feb 10 

Mar 17 

Isabelle Friedrich 

6 

9:00am - 

10:20am 

$2100 


Studied French in high school or college, but never 

get the chance to speak it? Here's your chance to 

brush up on your conversation skills. Join Isabelle as 

she leads you in discussions about culture, fashion, 

cooking, famous places and people, with practical 

words used in everyday life. We will have audio 

support, quizzes and games. 

2011 Spring & Summer Activities [viiii]


Hobbies and Skills 

# 

Activity 

Day(s) 

First Meeting 

Date 

Last Meeting 

Date 

Instructor 

# of 

Sessions 

Time 

$$$ 

Meet@ 

Description 

41 Mahjong Tue Feb 15 Mar 22 

Elizabeth 

Weinstein 

5 

10:00am - 

12noon 

$2250 

Instructor's 

N. Tianmu 

Home 

Crak! Bam! Pung! Chow! Ever wonder what the 

big deal is when your friends talk about their latest 

winning - or losing - hands? Crack the code and 

learn how to play both the Chinese and International 

versions of the fascinating and fun "game of one 

hundred intelligences." Last class will be a mahjong 

party with food and experienced players invited to 

advise and play real games. 

42 

Urban Home 

Kitchen Composting 

Workshop 

Wed 

Feb 16 

– 

Kelly Young 

7:00pm - 


9:00pm 

In this DIY, hands-on workshop, Kelly will teach you 

the basic techniques of composting kitchen waste 

and how to apply them in even the smallest urban 

spaces without mess or odor. Come and learn 

some easy and efficient ways to turn your kitchen 

scraps into black gold! Students will make and 

take home their own composting system. Materials 

included. 

43 

Urban Home 

Food Gardening 

Workshop 

Fri Mar 11 – Kelly Young 

1 

12noon - 

2:00pm 


In this DIY workshop you will learn the tips and 

tricks to growing your own food in a limited urban 

space. Whether you have a rooftop, balcony or even 

just a window, you can easily enjoy organic, homegrown 

produce. Students will leave the class with 

the knowledge and some basic materials to get their 

own mini-farms started. Cost of materials included. 

44 Culinary Knife Skills Mon Mar 14 – Sally Duh Chu 

1 

12noon - 

2:00pm 


Are you amazed when watching a chef peel a 

carrot or cut an onion? They seem to do it in such a 

unique way and with such speed. Learn the proper 

cutting techniques and the correct way to maintain 

your knives. Practice on different vegetables using 

the many different cuts both in Chinese/ Western 

ways required in various recipes. Cost of materials 

included. A list of supplies to bring from home will 

be provided. 

45 

Chinese Calligraphy 

Mon 

Apr 11 

May 9 

Jennifer Tong 

4 

12noon - 

2:00pm 

$2400 


This class is an introduction to the traditional style 

of Chinese writing using brush and ink. Jennifer will 

instruct you in the correct way to hold the brush and 

maneuver it to produce beautiful results. If you’ve 

taken calligraphy or brush painting before, Jennifer 

will work with you to improve your technique and 

form. Cost of materials included. 

2011 Spring & Summer Activities [x]


Hobbies and Skills/Learn Chinese with Gloria Gwo 


First Meeting 

Date 

Last Meeting 

Date 

Instructor 

# of 

Sessions 


46 

The "Key" to Computer 

Word Processing 

Tue Apr 19 Apr 26 Knut Nau 

2 

12:15pm - 

1:45pm 


Word Processing software like Word, Pages, 

OpenOffice, NeoOffice etc. may seem different 

but they really have the same basic structures and 

functions. Knowing a few of these common “keys” 

can help you to use the software you have in a more 

efficient and professional way. In this class you will 

learn about the basic common structures, key words 

and help systems. Come with your own Laptop. 

47 Public Speaking Thu Apr 21 — Lital Cohen 

Learn Chinese With Gloria Gwo 

1 

12noon - 

2:00pm 


Afraid of speaking in public? You are not alone. In 

this relaxed and friendly environment, let Lital teach 

you the basic skills to help you with your next (or 

first!) public speaking engagement. 

48 

Survival Chinese 1 

Mon & 

Wed 

Jan 17 

Mar 14 

Gloria Gwo 

14 

9:00am - 

10:20am 

$4900 


Would you like to be able to communicate with 

shopkeepers, taxi drivers and co-workers? Then 

this class is for you. Learn spoken Mandarin in a 

relaxed and informal environment right here at the 

Community Services Center. 

49 


Mon & 

Wed 

Jan 17 

Mar 14 

Gloria Gwo 

14 

10:30am - 

11:50am 

$4900 


Have you already taken our Survival Chinese 1 

class? Then Survival Chinese 2 is the one for you. 

Approximately 20 hours of language instruction for 

people who would like to go one step further with 

Mandarin and wish to upgrade their basic skills. 

50 

Chinese Study Group 3 

Mon & 

Wed 

Jan 17 

May 23 

Gloria Gwo 

26 

12noon - 

1:20pm 

$9100 


This is an advanced Chinese language course for 

students who have completed Study Groups 1 & 2 

and wish to continue their studies. 

51 


Tue & 

Fri 

Jan 18 

May 20 

Gloria Gwo 

26 

9:00am - 

10:20am 

$9100 


This is an intensive Chinese language course that 

covers spoken Chinese plus learning to read and 

write characters. You need to have attended Survival 

Chinese 1+2 or completed approximately 40 hours 

of Chinese language instruction. 

52 


Tue & 

Fri 

Jan 18 

May 20 

Gloria Gwo 

10:30am - 


11:50am 

This is the second part in our intensive Chinese 

language course that covers spoken Chinese plus 

learning to read and write characters. You need to 

have attended Survival Chinese 1+2 or completed 

around 80 hours of Chinese language instruction. 

2011 Spring & Summer Activities [xi]


Learn Chinese with Gloria Gwo/What's Cooking 


First Meeting 

Date 

Last Meeting 

Date 

Instructor 

# of 

Sessions 


53 Survival Chinese 1 

Mon & 

Wed 

Apr 11 May 25 Gloria Gwo 

12 

9:00am - 

10:20am 

$4200 The Center Please refer to Activity #48 for course description. 

54 

55 

56 

57 

61 

Summer Survival 

Chinese 1 

Summer Survival 

Chinese 2 

Shanghai & Zhejiang 

Cuisine 

Sally Chu's Taiwanese 

Classics 

Mon & 

Wed 

Mon & 

Wed 

Fri Jan 14 — Ivy Chen 

Wed 

June 13 July 27 Gloria Gwo 

June 13 

Feb 23 

July 27 

— 

Gloria Gwo 

58 Warm Winter Soups Fri Jan 21 — Sally Duh Chu 

59 


Making Your Own 

Yoghurt 

Mon & 

Wed 

Apr 11 

May 25 

What's Cooking 

Gloria Gwo 

Fri Feb 11 — Kelly Young 

60 Delightful Indian Fri Feb 18 — Binifer Kaushal 

Sally Duh Chu 

10:30am - 


11:50am 

14 

14 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

9:00am - 

10:20am 

10:30am - 

11:50am 

10:00am - 

12noon 

10:00am - 

12noon 

10:00am - 

12noon 

10:00am - 

12noon 

6:30pm - 

9:00pm 


$4900 


$1200 






Please refer to Activity #49 for course description. 



This semester, Ivy will share a bit of her extensive 

knowledge of Mainland Chinese Cuisine. In this class 

she will prepare Dongpo Pork, Drunken Chicken, and 

Yellow Croaker Rolls Made in Crisp Tofu Wrappers. 

Hao Chr! 

It's cold outside (even in Taipei) and hot, homemade 

soup is always a welcomed treat. Join Sally as she 

teaches us to prepare French Onion and Minestrone 

Soups, accompanied by tasty garlic bread. She 

will also teach us her secrets for making proper 

homemade soup stock. 

Having trouble finding authentic (and affordable) 

yoghurt in Taiwan? Come and enjoy what you've been 

missing and learn how easy it is to make your own! 

In this DIY cooking workshop, we will not only make 

our own yogurt, but will also discover the incredible 

versatility of this delicious and healthy delicacy. 

Join Binifer for another adventure in Indian cuisine. 

She will delight you with her recipes for Chicken Tava 

Masala (stir-fried chicken, Indian-style) Anda Bhurji 

(a spicy egg dish) and Jeera Alu (cumin flavored 

potatoes). 

For this evening course join Sally as she prepares 

some of her classic Taiwanese-style favorites: 

Stir Fried Snow Pea Shoots, Asian Eggplant with 

Garlic, Wu-Shi Spareribs and Stir Fried Noodles w/ 

Vegetables. Bring the delicious taste of local cooking 

to your own kitchen. 

2011 Spring & Summer Activities [xii]




First Meeting 

Date 

Last Meeting 

Date 

Instructor 

# of 

Sessions 


62 Fabulous French Fri Mar 4 — 

Anne Bonneville 

Morken 

1 

10:00am - 

12noon 


Anne presents us with a traditional French meal of 

Petits Feuilletés au Fromage, Hachis Parmentier, 

and Compote Pomme et Bananes. Hachis 

Parmentier, prepared with beef and home-made 

mashed potatoes, is a perfect cool weather meal. 

The Compote is a mom's secret that finishes a 

good meal in a sweet but healthy way. 

63 

Delicious Dumplings 

with Ivy Chen 

Wed 

Mar 9 

— 

Ivy Chen 

1 

6:30pm - 

9:00pm 

$1200 


Dumplings are plentiful and easy to find in Taipei. 

But what to do when you find yourself far from Asia 

and craving those delicious morsels of flavor? Make 

your own dumplings, taught to you by Ivy Chen. In 

this class, Ivy will show you how to make boiled, 

steamed and pan fried dumplings accompanied by 

an old favorite, Hot and Sour Soup. 

64 Terrific Thai Fri Mar 11 — 

Saithip 

Tantiwongkorn 

1 

10:00am - 

12noon 


Using ingredients that can easily be purchased in 

Taiwan, Saithip will once again teach you how to 

cook authentic tasting Thai food in your home. This 

course features Green Curry Chicken, Spaghetti 

with Thai Basil and Shrimp. Spicy Glass Noodle 

Salad, and Sweet Potato and Coconut Cream. 

"Aroi maak, maak!" 

65 

Cajun Cooking with a 

Taiwan Twist 

Fri 

Mar 18 

— 

Tim Cochran 

1 

10:00am - 

12noon 


Learn the secret unknown side of one of America's 

most underrated and unknown cooking styles, 

Cajun Cuisine. Join Tim who will teach you how to 

prepare Chicken and Sausage Gumbo with White 

Rice; Niçoise Salad with Caesar Dressing; and 

Lotus Root Sandwiches Stuffed with Tuna. 

66 

Beijing & Shandong 

Cuisine 

Fri Apr 15 — Ivy Chen 

1 

10:00am - 

12noon 


In this course Ivy will continue her tour of Mainland 

Chinese cuisine. Come and enjoy Chicken with 

Cashew Nuts, Sweet and Sour Fish, and Stir-fried 

Beef with Coriander Stalks. No more take out! 

67 

Easy & Tasty Korean 

Cuisine 

Fri 

Apr 29 

– 

Sophie Lee 

10:00am - 


12noon 

Let Sophie help to bring the flavor of Korea to your 

kitchen by teaching you how to prepare Korean 

pancakes in two styles: seafood and vegetarian. 

She will then guide you in how to make Korean 

California Rolls as well as the sauces to accompany 

the dishes. 

2011 Spring & Summer Activities [xiii]



First Meeting 

Date 

Last Meeting 

Date 

Instructor 

68 Delectable Dim Sum Fri May 6 – Sally Duh Chu 

69 

70 

Healthy Japanese 

Fabulous Falafel & 

Baklava 

Fri 

May 13 

Fri May 20 — Tim Cochran 

– 

Ivy Chen 

# of 

Sessions 

1 

1 

1 


10:00am - 

12noon 

10:00am - 

12noon 

10:00am - 

12noon 

$ 1000 The Center 

$ 1000 



Do you love eating Dim Sum? Have you ever wished 

that you could make it yourself? Well, here's your 

chance to learn how. Sally will demonstrate three 

tasty items from the dim sum cart: Fried Shrimp 

Toast, Pork/Shrimp Sui-My and Rice Noodle Rolls 

with Chicken. 

Light and cool, Japanese food is a welcome treat 

as the weather warms up in Taipei. Ivy will show you 

how to prepare a healthy selection of light summer 

friendly dishes: Miso Soup, Garnished Seafood and 

Vegetable Sushi, Hand-rolled Sushi and Salad with 

Japanese-style dressing. 

Join Tim for a cooking lesson with a Middle Eastern 

flair. He'll teach you how to make your own Falafel 

and Yoghurt Sauce; Baghrir, a Moroccan-style 

pancake with a honey butter; and will finish up the 

meal with Baklava. 

Now in its tenth edition! 

Please call or visit The Center to buy your copy 

from our selection of publications: Tel: 02 - 2836 8134 

Email: grace@community.com.tw or ce@community.com.tw 

Taipei Living NT$900 

Yangmingshan, 

The Guide 

NT$500 

Taipei Day Trips 1 

NT$400 

Taipei Day Trips 2 

NT$500 

Taiwan A-Z 

NT$490 

The Real Taiwan and 

the Dutch 

NT$450 (English version) 

NT$380 (Chinese version) 

Also available at The Center: Taxi Cards and a Map of Taipei, to help you get around town. 

2011 Spring & Summer Activities [xiv]

Who's Who at The Center 

Cooking 

Sally Duh Chu 

By Rosemary Susa 

When Sally came to The Center last winter to introduce herself, I immediately 

recognized her as the author of a cookbook that was available when I was in 

Taiwan fifteen years ago. As the 2010 spring schedule was already set, we agreed 

to have her begin teaching cooking classes at The Center in the fall. When an 

out-of-town group asked if we could organize a special cooking program for them 

in March, Sally taught the class for us. She put together a lovely selection of local 

Taiwanese favorites for the group. This menu will be featured again in February 

2011 as one of the Center’s after hours cooking classes. This spring she is also 

going to lead an outing to a local dim sum restaurant and we will follow that tour 

a couple of weeks later with a dim sum cooking class. Sally is also trained to teach culinary skills. In March 

she will teach a Knife Skills course. The goal is to make her students more efficient in the kitchen. 

Bio: 

1) Classes at the center: Decorative Fruit &Vegetable Carving, It's All in the Sauce!, Pasta, Hors d'Oeuvres for that Special 

Occasion, Holiday Cookies and Chinese Cooking. 

2) Over 30 years teaching experience 

3) George Brown College Instructor, Toronto, Canada (2000~2009) 

5) George Brown College Professional Certificates in Culinary Arts and Baking Arts 

6) Publications: Sally Chu's Chinese Kitchen, Sally Chu's Easy Chinese Cooking, Easily Cook Western Cuisines and Chinese 

Fare Western Flair. 

7) Given cooking demonstrations and lectures to foreign groups such as the Taipei International Women's Club, Gateway 

Community Group, Community Services Center, and for Dutch, British, French, Australian and New Zealand Tea Groups. 

8) Graduated from Tainan College of Home Economics in Taiwan. 

Qi Gong 

Neil Swanson 

Neil fell in love with martial arts and Asian philosophy in his teens, leading to 

studies in classics and religion at Carleton University in Ottawa, focusing on Asian 

traditions. 

His real training has been a seven-year immersion in the complementary 

traditions of Buddhist meditation & Taoist qigong here in Taipei under the guidance 

of Khenchen Rinpoche who has been teaching meditation and qigong in the east 

and west for over thirty years. A teacher full of wit, humor and boundless wisdom, 

Rinpoche has become his dear friend. 

Neil is now working as project manager and instructor with East West Culture 

Project to share these traditions with others in the foreign community who may not 

otherwise have access to such courses of study. He is having a blast teaching 

qigong with The Center on Monday mornings! 

Chinese 

Gloria Gwo 

M.A., National Taiwan Normal University 

in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language 

I love modern art. My major in 

college was commercial design. 

Although I gave up painting after 

college, I still like to visit galleries and 

museums.Being a Chinese language 

teacher suits me well because I am 

interested in languages. I like to 

understand the differences between 

them, and since language cannot be 

separated from culture and history, I like to learn about these as well. 

I don’t exactly know how long I have been with The Center, but I began 

teaching there the year it first opened. The Center is a pleasant place to 

work; everyone helps each other. There are no company politics and I 

can meet different people from all over the world. My students are usually 

newcomers to Taipei and I have often seen them make good friends at 

our Chinese classes. I have also made many good friends through my 

classes, many of whom I still keep in touch with, even after twenty years. 

Language learning can be divided into four skills: listening, speaking, 

reading and writing. Our classes at The Center are divided into two types 

of courses: Survival Chinese and Chinese Study Group. 

Survival Chinese is a short-term, rapid mastery course. The program 

I have designed concentrates only on speaking and listening skills, and 

employs the Hanyu Pinyin system of Romanization. It is interesting, 

practical and easy to learn. There are two levels: 

Survival Chinese 1 teaches basic greetings, shopping, introducing 

oneself, asking for directions and taking taxis, 

Survival Chinese 2 arms you with enough language skills to help with 

traveling, describing experiences and comparing differences. 

For those interested in reading and writing, our Chinese Study Group 

courses cover the basic strokes and radicals. Gradually students learn 

how the characters originated. Step by step you, too, can learn to build 

a solid foundation of the Chinese language. Our current textbook for this 

class is Chinese Made Easy. 

2011 Spring & Summer Activities [xv]

Counselors 

at The Center 

Since its inception in the mid-1980s, 

the Community Services Center has 

been blessed with an exceptional 

team of professional counselors. All 

counselors at The Center have at least a 

Master’s level degree in their field; most 

have more than five years’ experience 

delivering face-to-face counseling, and 

some hold special qualifications. 

T o s c h e d u l e a c o u n s e l i n g 

appointment, simply call The Center 

(we’re open between 9 am and 5 

pm Monday through Friday). New 

clients to The Center will speak first 

to a counselor who will gather basic 

information, including your preferences 

and needs: for example, if counseling 

is for a child or an adult, whether you 

require spoken English or Chinese, 

a male or female counselor, your 

availability for counseling, and whether 

you desire any particular counselor. 

Based on these circumstances and the 

counselor’s availability, that counselor 

will be contacted and will call you to set 

up a time for a meeting. 

We provide the following as a brief 

introduction to each counselor in 

order to familiarize you with their 

background and experience. Additional 

information is on our website: www. 

communitycenter.org.tw 

Suzan Babcock 

M.C.Ed., MIIM 

Sue has an M. Ed. in Counselor Education 

from St. Lawrence University and a Master’s in 

International / Intercultural Management from 

the Graduate School for International Training 

(SIT). Her areas of professional interest include: 

individual and group interpersonal relationship 

counseling, loss and bereavement work, life 

& career coaching and cross-cultural issues counseling. Before 

coming to Taiwan, Sue worked with a number of U.S. communities 

in crisis, including diverse populations, as a community organizer 

and cross-cultural negotiator. 

Fawn Chang 

MA/LMFT 

Fawn holds a Master's Degree in Marriage, Family and Child 

Counseling from the University of Southern California. For two 

years, she studied in the PhD program in Organizational Behavior 

at CSPP (the California School of Professional Psychology). 

Fawn has ten years of clinical experience working with children, 

teenagers, adults, and families in both the U.S. and Taiwan. She 

is a contracted Counselor/instructor with Taipei City Hall, NTNU 

(the National Taiwan Normal University), and the EAP (Employee 

Assistant Program). Fawn's practice consists of working with 

children and their families on issues such as behavioral/relationship 

related difficulties, learning disabilities, academic achievement, 

cultural adjustment, parenting, and career planning. Fawn uses 

family and marriage therapy, solution focused therapy, cognitive 

behavioral therapy, and Adlerian therapy in her practice. 

Kris Carlson 

MA, MSW 

Kris Carlson holds dual Master’s Degrees 

in Social Work and International Relations 

from the University of Denver, Colorado, and 

a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the 

University of Maryland, College Park. Kris has 

fourteen years of clinical experience working 

with children, teenagers, adults and families and 

has worked as a social worker in the U.S. and as a school counselor 

at Taipei American School. Kris' practice includes working with 

children and their families on such issues as anxiety, depression, 

learning disabilities, academic special needs, abuse, neglect, 

cultural adjustment, relationship issues, adoption-related issues, 

body issues and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Kris uses solutionfocused 

therapy, cognitive behavior therapy as well as play therapy 

in her practice. Kris also coordinates the adoption program at the 

Community Services Center providing families with adoptionrelated 

counseling services. 

Wendy Evans 

MSW, ACSW, RD 

Wendy holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical 

Social Work from Michigan State University 

and a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Indiana 

University in the field of nutrition and health. 

Wendy has more than twelve years' clinical 

experience and was accepted into the USA 

Academy of Certified Social Workers in 2000. In 

addition to being a certified counselor, Wendy is also a Registered 

Dietitian. Her primary counseling interests are helping adults, 

couples, and teens struggling with issues pertaining to marriage, 

parenting, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, substance abuse, 

and emotional eating. Through raising five children internationally, 

Wendy has a deepened understanding of the challenges of crosscultural 

living. 

Cerita Hsu 

MA, MS 

C e r i t a H s u i s a L i c e n s e d C o u n s e l i n g 

Psychologist in Taiwan. She received her two 

Master's Degrees in Psychology and Marriage 

and Family Therapy from Boston University, 

Massachusetts and Cal Poly Pomona, California. 

Cerita has clinical experience working with 

children, adults and families in both the U.S. 

and Taiwan, and counseled adults in individual, couple, and family 

therapy. Some areas that her work focuses on include anxiety, 

depression, emotional disturbance, trauma, substance abuse, 

cultural adjustment, loss, and family and relationship issues. In 

counseling with teenagers and children, she has experience working 

on issues such as fear/anxiety, anger, depression, attention deficithyperactivity 

disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, school 

adjustment, peer relationship, and abuse issues. She uses solutionfocused 

therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, play therapy, and 

structural family therapy in her practice. Her experience in child, 

adult, marriage and family counseling covers diverse cultural 

groups in the expatriate setting. 

2011 Spring & Summer Activities [xvi]

Perry Malcolm 

MSW, LCSW 

Perry Malcolm is a clinical / 

psychiatric social worker from the 

state of Georgia in the U.S. Growing 

up in Athens, a large, Southern 

university town which had an evercompeting 

atmosphere of Academics, 

Sports and Art, has given him a rich 

variety of experiences which inform his current clinical 

work with individuals (teens and adults), couples and 

families from all walks of life who may find themselves 

in transition or trouble. Issues may include depression, 

anxiety, substance abuse, bipolar disorder, obsessivecompulsive 

disorder, crisis intervention needs, posttrauma 

issues, men's issues and cross-cultural marriage/ 

parenting. Perry has been affiliated with The Center 

since his arrival in Taiwan, and has been working fulltime 

there for eight years. 

Tina Oelke 

MA/LMFT 

Tina holds a Master’s Degree in 

Guidance in Counseling through 

Bowie State University, Maryland. 

Before working at The Center, Tina 

was an international school counselor 

in Taichung. Tina's experience 

includes working with children, 

adolescents, and their families through individual 

counseling, small groups, and workshops, focusing 

on bullying, social skills, self-esteem, depression, 

anxiety, anger management, transition and adjustment, 

assertiveness, peer relations, parent/child relations, 

conflict resolution, organizational skills and stress/ 

time management. She has also provided career 

and university counseling. Tina is a member of the 

American Counseling Association and the American 

School Counseling Association. She is especially 

interested in relational bullying, character development, 

and helping youth achieve a healthy balance in life, 

school, peer, and parental relations. 

We are pleased to announce that in November 2010, 

with support from the China Lutheran Seminary, The 

Center successfully located and established a new 

counseling office in Hsinchu. The office is now open 

and ready to serve the international community there. 

Ming-I Sun, our counselor who is based in Hsinchu, 

can be contacted by calling 03-5710023 ext. 3208. 

The address of the Hsinchu office is No.11, Lane 51, 

Daxue Rd. East Dist., Hsinchu City 30080 

Ming-I Sun 

MSW, LCSW 

Ming-I is a licensed clinical social 

worker(LCSW) both in the U.S. and 

Taiwan. She obtained two master 

degrees in developmental psychology 

and social work . She is also affiliated 

with the Infant Mental Health Team of the Taipei 

Psychotherapy Center. She is contracted as a clinical 

supervisor at the Taipei Early Intervention Team of 

Taipei City Government. Ming-I’s specialties include: 

parenting consultation, floor-time therapy for autistic 

children, play therapy for school-age children, child 

adolescent developmental/ learning issues, difficulties 

on emotional regulation (e.g. depression or anger 

management), expatriates’ adjustment issues, and 

any trauma or loss related issues. Ming-I can provide 

individual or group counseling services. 

Cynthia Teeters 

MSW, LMSW 

Cynthia has a Master’s Degree 

in Social Work from Columbia 

University and is a licensed social 

worker in New York. She works 

primarily with adults and teens, and 

provides counseling to individuals, 

couples, and families. Her areas of 

expertise are depression, anxiety, emotion regulation, 

borderline personality disorder, substance abuse, 

relationship issues, bereavement, sexuality and HIV/ 

AIDS. She also conducts adoption home studies and 

counseling for adoption-related issues. 

Two Special Workshops 2010 Fall & Winter at the Activities Community 

Services Center Presented by Scott and Mia from 

“A Moving Sound” 

Singing Body: Creative Voice 

Exploration Workshop with Mia Hsieh 

Thursday, February 17th, 

9:30 am -12:30 pm 

Location: Fares Academy Dojo 

NT$1,400 

The voice is an important and 

essential channel for our expression. In modern urban life, many 

of us have lost our connection to Nature and to our own creativity. 

This workshop draws from Mia’s experience with Western and 

traditional Eastern vocal styles. Through breathing practice, 

voice and movement games, group chanting, and world music 

appreciation, workshop participants will have the opportunity to 

explore their vocal range and experience the voice’s potential to 

connect us all to a universal expression. 

“When you open the door to your own unique voice, you'll be 

amazed at the abundant, playful energy that fills the air.” 

Painting Diary: Painting as a Process 

of Self-Exploration with Scott Prairie 

Thursday, March 10th, 

11:30 am -2:30 pm 

Location: Community Services Center 

NT$1,400 

The main goal of this workshop is to create a safe and exciting 

space to explore how the creative process works within us; in ‘making 

art’ and in ‘making life’. In this class you don’t need any special art 

skills; we express ourselves through colors, shapes, lines and any 

kind of figure that comes naturally. The most important principle 

of the class is that there are no ‘mistakes’, no ‘right or wrong’. 

What is most important is following your curiosity and allowing 

yourself to see and express who you are. We will discuss the creative 

process of ‘making life’ and ‘making art’ from the perspectives of 

art, psychology, philosophy and spirituality. We discover that, on 

the deepest level, we are looking for our real self, and it’s right there 

waiting for you in your painting... believe it or not! 

2011 Spring & Summer Activities [xvii]

“What’s Happening” at The Center this spring?? 

Mark your calendar now!!! 

These are only a few of the opportunities to engage with YOUR Center, so stay informed by checking out 

Centered On Taipei each month or by visiting us on our website at www.community.com.tw OR 

www.communitycenter.org.tw 

TexT: Robin Looney 

images: RosemaRy susa 

Coffee Mornings – every Thursday 10:30 am to noon 

Come join in as we talk and laugh and share insights about living in 

Taipei. And of course coffee, tea and treats are always available! 

Special Topic Coffee Morning – 2nd Thursday of each month 

December 9 th – Vive La France!! Join us for some warm French hospitality as 

our friends from Le Thé Francophone bring a taste of France to The Center’s 

holiday season. 

Jan 13 th – Chinese Lunar New Year at The Center! 

Feb 10 th – Topic to be announced 

Mar 10 th – Scott Prairie with “A Moving Sound” 

Apr 14 th – Topic to be announced 

May 12 th – Topic to be announced 

Book Club - Second Tuesday of each month 

Tastes of Taipei - Date and restaurant to be announced monthly 

Fubon Marathon - Dec 19th 

Cheer on and sponsor The Center’s running team! Our team: 42km! - Rakesh Sinha; 

21km - Steve Parker, Mark Hsieh; 9km - Dave Archer, Tim Berge, Michael Boyden, 

Julian Buckridge, Jennie Crowhurst, Peter Crowhurst, and Sunita Leng 

Workshops 

Feb 17th - Singing Body with Mia Hsieh of “A Moving Sound” 

Mar 10th - Painting Diary with Scott Prairie of “A Moving Sound” 

ECCT/ICRT Charity Golf Tournament - date to be announced. 

Please note that The Center will be 

closed on the following dates: 

Dec. 20 th to Jan. 2 nd 

Winter Holiday Break: Happy Holidays! 

Jan. 31 st to Feb. 6 th 

Chinese New Year Break: Xin Nian Kuai Le! 

For up-to-the-minute happenings, you can also join us on The Center’s Facebook 

page (to find us just look up “The Community Services Center Taipei”). 

Call The Center for information on any of these events or other activities or events 

going on at The Center. 2835 8134 or events@community.com.tw 

Tastes of Taipei 

This fall we gathered together to enjoy great food and company 

at D.N. Innovación, Non Zero and Café India. A portion of 

the proceeds from each evening event was donated to The 

Center. Please contact The Center for information about future 

gastronomical adventures around Taipei. 

2011 Spring & Summer Activities [xviii]

The 15th Annual Charity Auction 

AuCTIon nIGHT IMAGES: DIRk DIESTEL 

2011 Spring & Summer Activities [xix]

Community Leadership Award 

TexT: STeve Parker 

These are awarded every year to one individual and one 

company who exemplify the spirit of the Community Services 

Center (CSC) through not only supporting the CSC but also 

through their service to the whole community. The Community 

Services Center began with an individual award in 2005. 

2010 IndIvIdual CommunIty leadershIp award 

Roma Mehta 

Roma is well known to many of us. As well as running 

her own successful daytime business, Roma is the Editor of 

The Center’s magazine Centered on Taipei. If that weren’t 

service enough she has also been the instigator of many great 

innovative programs for the whole community. 

Among her many contributions, she was one of the organizers 

of the Artists Beat the Flood Morakot Relief and HandUp 

Congo events last year, and helped organize the very successful 

Teens Unplugged day in April this year; this event gives teens 

a taste of what life will be like at college and outside. Roma 

has been instrumental in developing the monthly series of 

‘Red Room’ community artistic collaborations and is an 

accomplished artist and still in the midst of all her activities 

finds time to help anybody who asks her. 

2010 Company CommunIty leadershIp award 


With all the great companies doing more and more for the 

community at large it was a very difficult choice this year, but 

Standard Chartered Bank really does exemplify the spirit of 

the Community Services Center. They have been extremely 

supportive of The Center in all of the programs that we run 

and have been a great sponsor of many other charity events 

throughout the year for other organizations as well. In 

addition to this, Standard Chartered Bank are devoted to 

their sustainability programs, such as building support and 

awareness for sufferers of HIV, their work on programs for the 

blind and visually impaired, and their overall goal of working in 

developing countries for the improvement of local conditions. 

prevIous wInners of the CommunIty leadershIp 

award 

2005 - Individual: Mark Ulfers 

2006 - Individual: Guy Wittich Corporate: HSBC 

2007 - Individual: David Dea Corporate: CAPCO 

2008 - Individual: Dick Arnold Corporate: 3M 

2009 - Individual: Siew Kang Corporate: Hyatt Hotel 

2010 - Individual: Roma Mehta Corporate: 


dec 2010/ jan 2011 

21

community 

Good Friends, Great Times: 

Behind The Scenes of This 

Year’s Peacefest 

TEXT: TRISTA DI GENOVA 

IMAGES: KLOIE PICOT AND TRISTA DI GENOVA 

Qingquan, site of this year's peacefest. photo: trista di genova 

The juicy inside story of what went down in the making of this 

year’s music festival 

“Nice one! Rock on!” 

Wh a t a n i n c r e d i b l e 

weekend. After being 

postponed three weeks, 

and wisely rescheduled 

for Taiwan’s Birthday, Triple Ten 

weekend (10-10-2010), the weather 

was almost perfect, local and expat 

bands were more ‘hao ting’ than ever, 

and by almost all reports everyone 

had a great time in the historical, 

aboriginal mountain village of 

Qingquan ( 清泉 ), Hsinchu County 

for the seventh annual Peacefest 

Music Festival. 

When I arrived at the Peacefest site 

on the mountain late Friday night, 

things were a little too quiet and 

low-key, with an audience of a handful 

of people. As it turned out, and I only 

found out from organizers afterwards, 

on Friday night there’d what was 

described as a “complete meltdown;” 

everything went wrong that could 

go wrong. The tents arrived late, 

few vendors showed, and 

most of the bands were 

running late, too. Then 

legendary aboriginal singer 

Kimbo – the main act – 

showed up to perform, but 

his keyboard hadn’t been 

delivered, due to a few 

people’s execrable memory 

lapses. Long-time Peacefest 

organizer Lynn Miles (a 

key player in negotiations 

to secure the site) had 

suggested to Kimbo that he 

play on guitar since he’s all 

about that, too, but sadly 

– Post-fest text message from Peace Dave 

Kimbo declined, and soon headed 

down the mountain. Two or three 

hundred mostly locals initially came 

to see Kimbo play on Friday evening, 

which was supposed to be locals’ 

night, but word soon spread he wasn’t 

playing, and there was only a handful 

of people by the end of Friday. 

The Friday after-party also didn’t 

really happen as planned, but for me 

and a bunch of others at least, it still 

lasted all night long at nearby Coach 

Allen’s Café, which must be one of 

the most beautiful little café gardens 

I’ve ever seen in Taiwan. This guy 

really has a wonderful sense of design, 

a rarity in Taiwan. And his ability to 

whip up something as simple as an 

egg into a wonderfully tasty affair in 

the early hours of the morning was 

much appreciated by all the hardcore 

partiers! Staying at Coach Allen’s 

only costs NT$350 a night (about 

US$10). And the obligatory visit 

Qingquan hot springs. 

photo: trista di genova 

to Qingquan’s public hotsprings is 

possible anytime, just next door. 

Nevertheless, the music at this year’s 

Peacefest was by all accounts more 

“memorable” than ever. In particular, 

Panafricana shone on Saturday night, 

Skaraoke rocked us for hours at the 

Saturday after-party that was even 

“a little too wild” for some (lead 

organizer Sean Kaiteri said it was “the 

best party ever at peacefest”), and 

Space Funk on Sunday afternoon – all 

fantastic bands at top form. 

I particularly enjoyed Gypsy Jazz 

and Groove Department as well. 

Red Cliff’s debut at Peacefest on 

Sunday afternoon was another highly 

appreciated act, likened to Neil Young, 

surely new talent to watch (within a 

month of arriving in Taiwan, Caleb 

Cole’s Red Cliff landed a gig at The 

Riverside Café in Taipei). On the 

other hand, THC (Taipei Hip Hop 

Crew), after being one of the most 

highly anticipated performances, 

had a rare off-night on Saturday 

due to technical difficulties, but 

when they invited a local beat-boxer 

(Beatbox Taiwan) onstage they gave 

an incredible performance that blew 

everybody away. The village children’s 

choir, which travels and performs 

internationally, sang three times over 

the course of the weekend, bringing 

many to tears to hear such beautiful 

music. Thanks to Father Ding for 

arranging this wonderful performance. 

M a t t N i c o d e m u s s a i d o f t h i s 

year’s Peacefest experience, “All 

three days of the event were better 

22 dec 2010/ jan 2011 

right: Matt nicodemus checks out the 

peacefest edition of 'the War on sleep'. 

photo: trista di genova

Panafricana, a big crowd-pleaser on Saturday 

night. Photo: Kloie Picot 

than splendid: gorgeous mountain 

aboriginal village setting, beautiful, 

caring people, great music, excellent 

conversations, wild dancing, and 

more. My own 45-minute set, next 

to last in the festival [Thoroughly 

Modern Dinosaurs], went really well, 

I thought…with high energy, few 

forgotten lyrics and missed notes, 

and wonderful audience singalong 

to start and finish the performance. 

As proud members of the Seamster’s 

Union say, “Sew, sew, sew many 

thanks” to all of you who organized, 

supported, performed, volunteered, 

and otherwise participated in 

creating one of the best experiences 

I’ve had in seventeen years on the 

island. You can be sure that I’ll do 

everything in my power to be at next 

year’s Peacefest!” 

I volunteered at the Peace Bar all 

weekend long with Ross Kenneger 

and Firedancin’ Rae Kelly, and 

this is where all the action was. 

Bartending is really the ideal job – 

you facilitate the good times, you get 

free drinks, and as a social strategy 

you meet pretty much everyone at 

the party. And there were so many 

entertaining people there to meet: 

Leah Livingston, Mason Barlow, 

Matt Nicodemus, Eric Koert, a load 

of what must be the coolest South 

Africans ever, DJ James Ho, all the 

bands (who got free drinks), plus 

seeing many old friends who make 

this beautiful island feel like home. 

Another benefit of working at the 

Peace Bar was the chance to turn 

everybody on to my new collection of 

poetry, “The War on Sleep,” selling 

all twenty-five copies I’d brought 

with me. It’s a special Peacefest 

limited edition, and I chickened out 

on actually reading it onstage. 

An estimated three hundred 

foreigners and about as many locals 

turned out, far below the expected 

‘up to four thousand’, which was 

not good for making dough to 

cover operating expenses, but 

nobody seemed to care, since like 

at all Peacefests, we were all really 

mingling, foreigners and locals, 

everybody was making hao pengyou 

(good friends); good times! 

Panafricana's singer Kim douglas 

shoots some hoops with the local 

kids. Photo: Trista di Genova 

Some say the location was too 

remote, too hard to get to – but then 

again so was Kunlun Herb Garden 

in Taoyuan County, where Peacefest 

was held for five years. Plus this year 

there was a Peace Bus and advance 

tickets to make it as convenient as 

possible – and free entry for all, 

another first. 

The next morning the village police 

told organizers they were surprised 

there were “no fights, no accidents, 

no incidents, no reason at all to 

PEACEFEST OF YOUR DREAMS 

(San Jhan, near Hualien, November 2009) 

the sound of a river 

the moonglow 

in rippling clouds 

a never-ending flow 

of free speech 

he wages war 

and wins the peace prize 

for depleted uranium, 

phosphorus, agent orange, 

a stick o’ dynamite 

the intelligentsia 

goes global again 

it’s not a prayer circle, 

it’s a peace circle 

people are here for peace 

they prance around 

for 10 minutes 

bond with strangers 

like we did 

when we were kids, 

one peace-bus-sized country 

until the Church 

sold out the jews 

to get cash for guns 

there are empty shells 

who’ve seen all those things 

devastation of dreams 

devastation of nations 

the children + their parents 

now no one’s fit to raise them 

if we have something 

in common 

it’s the state is nothing, 

the state of nothing 

tell me one thing 

if you’re a man 

doesn’t it matter 

if your earth’s in pain? 

of course, you’d want 

to defend your country 

so the soldier goes to war 

believing the lies, 

then not believing 

his bad luck 

Peacefest Christmas Dinner 

& Music Party at Taipei 

Artists Village 

7, Beiping East Road, Taipei 

TEL: 3393-7377 

An afternoon and evening of cozy 

yuletide fellowship, family activities and 

visits with Santa for kids, lip-smacking, 

traditional Western Christmas victuals 

of turkey dinner, then live music and 

DJ parties into the night. Check our 

Facebook page for updates. Email: 

peacefesttaiwan@gmail.com 

Rae Kelly steps away from the Peace Bar to 

do some firedancing. Photo: Kloie Picot 

dec 2010/ jan 2011 

23

Character Education at Taipei American School 

Opportunities for service to the greater community take many forms for TAS students. Sometimes they come through established 

student-run organizations like Orphanage Club with its regular pattern of action and wide array of activities that give students 

important chances to serve and to lead. Other times, service results from conversations among friends who see a need and then 

work to meet it. 

orpHanage cLuB oFF to a FLying Start 

BY MAX CHENG, CLASS OF 2011 

tainan caMp: a new SuMMer experience 

BY ADRIAN TOWN, CLASS OF 2013 

community 

Since school began, a great deal 

has happened in one of TAS’s 

families: the Orphanage Club. 

• OC prepared welcome cards 

for new students. 

• Friday Blind School Committee 

help forty-two blind students improve their English every 

Friday. 

• Our brown box community chest was filled with enough 

rummage to keep us working for two Saturdays. Thanks 

to everyone around the TAS community for making 

contributions. 

• Cathwel Boys and Babies outings gave the thirtyfive 

Chung-Yi Orphanage children much joy during a 

swimming outing and an outdoor games outing. 

• The Pearl S. Buck Foundation held their first Charity Fair 

on Saturday, September 18th. 

• The Publicity Committee has helped design posters for the 

club. 

• The club made a donation of US$5,000 to Pakistan after 

the devastating floods there. 

The Orphanage Club thanks everyone for their support. 

In March, a group of students got 

together to plan a three-week summer 

camp experience for students in Tainan. 

By the time summer came around, 

the eight of us had our summer camp 

planned out, with a time schedule, a 

curriculum, classes to teach, class plans, activities, materials, etc. 

All the effort we put into it was worth it as the feeling the eight 

of us all got after the camp was amazing. It was hard to tell who 

got more out of it: the eight of us, or the kids at the camp. 

Our main goal was to bring experiences to children who would 

never get such exposure. We tried to give them something that 

they would not forget, and in the end I think we achieved that 

very well. The eight of us made tons of friends, and even today, 

we joke about the times, the summer camp, and the kids we met. 

It is hard to speak for all eight of us, but one thing that I know 

we all enjoyed was watching the faces of each kid transform 

during the camp. When we first got to the school, the kids were 

shy and often ignored us. But the day we left, many of them 

were hugging us and joking around. On each and every face 

was a smile — a signal that they are not going to forget the three 

weeks we were there. 

dec 2010/ jan 011 

25

entertainment 

A Musical 

Holiday Treat 

TEXT: BROOK HALL 

IMAGES: FREDERIC LIu 

visitors to the hallowed grounds of the chiang kai-shek Memorial Hall 

may be surprised to hear the sounds coming from the hallways within. 

piggybacking on its success from past christmastime broadway 

concerts, this year the national concert Hall has decided to produce 

a full-length english musical, cole porter’s Anything Goes. Let me 

repeat that, because it’s fairly remarkable: the government of taiwan 

is producing an english language musical classic for the holidays. 

even longtime residents of taipei might not recognize how rare this is. 

taipei occasionally brings mega-sized touring shows to sit for a few 

weeks in various sports stadiums, but there has never been a locallyassembled 

musical…not like this, not in english. the opportunity to 

see something like it, possibly, is not going to come around again, so 

I’d like to share a little about this show and how it came to be, and in 

the spirit of full disclosure, I should mention that I handle the reins as 

the director and choreographer of this revolutionary event. 

Who am I? Well, as an American song-anddance 

man, I finished a U.S. national touring 

Broadway show and came here nearly ten 

years ago to take part in a collaborative arts 

festival in Southern Taiwan. La Isla Formosa turned out 

to be incredibly eye-opening, and I met several young 

Taiwanese theater students eager to learn whatever I could 

teach them about the art form, so I took full advantage of 

the notoriety brought 

to me by - of all things - winning a 

locally televised health supplement-sponsored tap dancing 

contest. Tap dancing was just coming into fashion, but 

musicals were still misunderstood. It’s important to put 

this into the context of the time. This was during that 

point in history I’d like to call B.C, Before Chicago, before 

the international success of that particular movie-musical 

changed everything here. Previously, there was a real 

confusion about the definition and even a shying away from 

the concept of Broadway. I came 

to discover this the hard way – my 

optimism for the idea and potential 

of something completely new here 

running headlong into non-believerlocal-theater 

producers. So, thinking 

it would be better to just show 

people rather than lecture them, I hit 

the boards. 

I s p e n t s e v e r a l y e a r s a s a n 

entertainer for all sorts of events 

in Taiwan: dancing for pineapplegrower 

festivals in Kaohsiung County 

and singing for the elderly in Nantou. 

While the gigs were, admittedly, less 

than glamorous, I eventually met several of what I would 

call Taiwan’s new wave of young theater directors. These 

were the young local theater graduates returning from 

specialty arts programs in NYC and London, ready and 

eager to start local companies and capitalize on the growing 

interest in musicals. Soon a wave of interest developed, 

and I happened to find myself in the middle of it all. I 

could speak (passable) Chinese by this time, and wherever 

most local musical theater projects were developing, I was 

somewhere on the sidelines…um…backstage…or at least 

one step away. 

Now, we jump in time to Christmas 2010. It was a 

few brave voices who decided to try an English language 

musical in the National Concert Hall, and it was an even 

braver decision to agree on the musical Anything Goes. 

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a brilliant choice. It’s joyous 

and perfect for Christmas. There is a current trend in 

new musicals to look toward the 

darker side of the human experience. 

Locally produced musicals follow 

this pattern. The art form is uniquely 

positioned to expose the tormented, 

downtrodden hero rising against all 

obstacle affairs, and the historical 

epic is an extremely popular choice 

for local theater producers. While 

I agree that these shows have their 

place, we’re bringing something 

totally different this time. Anything 

Goes is the epitome of light musical 

comedy - mistaken identity, farce, 

romance, and as someone put it 

26 

dec 2010/ jan 2011

ecently at rehearsals “just plain happiness” through 

song and dance. It’s amazing to realize that the material 

was written in the 1920s, and it still holds its weight as 

one of the most popular shows for theater companies all 

over the world. In the last twenty years alone, it has been 

nominated and won many of the major Theater awards in 

New York and London. Furthermore, recent successes in 

Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, and Bangkok, as well as talk 

of another Broadway revival in 2011 prove the staying 

power of this material. Local audiences will immediately 

recognize the tunes and standards, songs like I get a Kick 

out of You and All Through the Night, even if they don’t 

know the name of Cole Porter. The plot is also familiar, 

having been repeatedly played out in popular movies and 

sitcoms. To whit: Young clerk sneaks aboard a cruise 

ship and must hide from his boss while he pursues true 

love. Throw into the mix a few gangster-stowaways, 

lots of dancing sailors, showgirls, and an evangelistturned-nightclub 

singer. Songs and dances (many of them 

standards) cover the gamut with jazz, swing, tap, gospel, 

Latin, Fred-and Ginger ballroom, meaning audiences are 

certain to see something they like. 

To bring this musical comedy gem to life we have 

assembled a remarkable cast. Many Centered on Taipei 

readers probably know the name Mandy Gaines. For 

those who do and have caught her at her frequent 

past guest residencies at Brown Sugar or at one of her 

numerous gala event appearances, you know she’s simply 

one of the best jazz entertainers to have appeared in 

Taiwan, period. She has finished touring on the Asian 

club circuit, however, so we’re bringing her back from 

the U.S. to be that previously mentioned nightclub singer. 

Additionally the love-struck clerk will be played by a 

hotter-than-hot song-and-dance man coming directly from 

Broadway. Jeremy Benton has appeared on Broadway in 

42nd Street, White Christmas, and toured with numerous 

productions of Singing in the Rain and Gershwin’s 

Crazy for You. He sings and dances in The Producers 

movie and currently travels the world recreating and 

directing the shows and dances of Gene Kelly and Fred 

Astaire. The object of his affection is played by American 

Mando-pop superstar Evonne Hsu ( 許慧欣 ), a Golden 

Melody Winner and star of perhaps the largest Asian 

musical in recent history Snow Wolf Lake. In addition to 

these three stars, we have a roster of over thirty carefully 

chosen young Taiwanese performers and a special 

appearance by Mr. Douglas Rapier of Taiwan Blues 

Society Fame. 

All-in-all, if you are looking for a little variety for your 

Christmas this year and happen to be a lover of song and 

dance, come see what we’re doing at the National Concert 

Hall. In the words of one of the songs, It’s delightful, it’s 

delicious, it’s De-Lovely 

The show will run for two nights only: Christmas Eve 

and Christmas Day. Both shows start at 7:30 pm and 

tickets can be purchased through the National Taiwan 

Concert Hall website or at Artsticket outlets across 

Taiwan. 

See www.ntch.edu.tw/program/show/40408e952b09e 

9f4012b1eba44180159 for more information. 

dec 2010/ jan 2011 

27

services 

Easy storage 

TEXT: JODI CHEN 

During 2008/09, I moved four times both within and 

between Canada and Taiwan. Since I was downsizing 

in two of the moves, the most painful part of these 

experiences was deciding which items to keep and what 

to give away. Of course, many items were not needed 

immediately, but I thought would be of use in the future. 

In the end, I rented a self-storage unit in Vancouver, but 

could not find a similar service available in Taiwan. 

For more information, please visit www.easystorage.com.tw 

Address: 1F, 111-32, Sanhe Road, Section 4, Sanchong City, 

Taipei County (MRT Station: Sanhe Junior High School Exit 2) 

台北縣三重市三和路四段 111-32 號 1 樓 ( 國泰世華銀行大樓 ) 

Most friends in Taiwan had not heard of selfstorage 

service. The available options in 

Taiwan for temporary storage are rental 

apartments (meaning you rent a bachelor's 

room or a shared room just for storage), but most 

apartment rooms for rent are only available if you sign a 

minimum six-month rental lease. The sizes and security 

features of these apartment rooms are also limited. 

Another option available is to rent some shared space 

in a large metal warehouse in the suburbs such as Wugu 

or Taoyuan. However these warehouses cannot offer 

privacy or 24-hour access as many Canadian self-storage 

companies do. 

That’s when I decided to start a storage unit facility in 

Taiwan. My business partners and I did a lot of research in 

Canada, USA and Hong Kong. We spent nearly six months 

searching for the ideal location of the first storage place. 

We wanted the location to be near both highway exits and 

the MRT. Finding the most suitable facility, hardware, 

software and human resources were also challenging during 

the initial stage of setting up our business. My current 

location has been doing well since it opened for business in 

August, and the search for a second location has begun. 

O u r c l ie nt s: About 60% of my customers are 

individuals. About half of these are people who need extra 

storage space in addition to their homes. Items they store 

include clothes, baby gear, and personal belongs. Since 

we are less than 1-minute walk away from Sanhe Junior 

High School MRT Station Exit 2 (on 

the new Luzhou Line), many of my 

customers travel by MRT or scooter 

to get their items on a weekly basis. 

About half of the personal users are 

people who need temporary storage 

for their furniture because they are 

renovating or relocating. 

About 40% of my customers are 

business users. The storage units are an excellent choice for 

business because our location is a 3-minute drive from the 

Sanchong exit of National Highway No. 1. Also it is on the 

ground floor of an industrial and commercial building and 

has its own loading bay/gate allowing for easy access. Our 

partner truck companies also offer our customers special 

rates. 

It is not uncommon to hear stories about some moving 

companies using underhand means to get clients. Many 

get the assignment for a very low fee and then hit the 

customer for extra charges at the destination. In these 

cases customers usually have no option but to pay, as their 

possessions are already packed and loaded on the moving 

company's trucks! 

I only work with credible companies that are licenced and 

conduct on-site visits to provide customers with a written 

estimate. Their staff are trained and professional. As a free 

service for my clients I personally check customers’ packing 

and transportation and ask for feedback. 

28 dec 2010/ jan 2011

Just Follow Your Heart 

At his commencement 

s p e e c h a t S t a n f o r d 

i n 2005, S t e v e J o b s 

reminded his audience 

"...to follow [their] heart and 

intuition." I've never seen 

Steve Jobs in person, but I 

keep his words close to my 

heart. Whenever I try to make 

a decision, my parents tell me, 

"do what you love." It sounds 

so simple, doesn’t it? But when 

you have a family to raise and 

a mortgage to pay, it becomes all the more complicated. 

Sometimes, we are pressed into a brick wall, unable to 

find the right direction. 

Our friend in Israel confessed that his heart was not 

free. 

"I wake up every morning, and I have to drag my slimy 

body to the bathroom. My face is painted with fatigue. 

The stress wrinkles under my eyes stare back at me in the 

mirror. Every year, the lines darken, and deepen. I loathe 

going to work every day. But it puts food on the table. 

It puts a smile on my wife and sons’ beautiful faces. I 

can't bear to let them know how much displeasure my job 

causes me. When my children are all grown up, I will go 

out there and do what I love. For now, I’ll just have to 

keep on going.” 

The day our friend quit his job was the day he gained a 

new pair of wings, free to fly high. Our friend wasn’t the 

only one who disliked his career however. Under all the 

kudos and money, Tennis player Adre Agassi expresses his 

hate for tennis. 

“I'm a young man, relatively speaking. Thirty-six. But 

I wake as if 96. After two decades of sprinting, stopping 

on a dime, jumping high and landing hard, my body no 

longer feels like my body. Consequently my mind doesn't 

feel like my mind. I run quickly through the basic facts. 

My name is Andre Agassi. My wife's name is Stefanie 

Graf. We have two children, a son and a daughter, five 

and three. We live in Las Vegas but currently reside in a 

suite at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York City, because 

I'm playing in the 2006 U.S. Open. My last U.S. Open. 

In fact my last tournament ever. I play tennis for a living, 

even though I hate tennis, hate it with a dark and secret 

passion, and always have." 

A man with money. A life with fame. But still an 

empty one. He continues to look for his true passion. He 

isn’t going to run after a hairy yellow ball anymore. He is 

going to listen to his heart now. 

If you follow your heart, you will meet success and 

happiness down the road. A very special author, Angi 

Ma Wong, taught me that life is precious. You never 

know when or what can happen. I lost a dear teacher 

two months ago, Mr Bishop. He was hit by a car while 

crossing the street near school. That could have been 

you. You can put your dreams on hold, but don’t wait 

too long. There is a wonderful quote from H. Jackson 

Expository writing: LEat ahrony 

Brown. He says that, “when you 

look back on your life, you’ll 

regret the things you didn’t do 

more than the ones you did 

do.” Make your everyday lives 

colorful. If you are still breathing 

in the morning, be thankful to 

live another day. Follow your 

heart. Follow your dreams. 

Steve Jobs taught me a very 

simple and effective experiment. 

When you wake up tomorrow, 

ask yourself, if today were my 

last day, would I be doing what I am about to do? If 

your answer is no for consecutive days, then you know 

something in your life needs to change. I'm not saying to 

quit your job and put your family under financial stress. I 

am proposing that you try to find some personal or family 

time that allows you to do what you love, at least for that 

small amount of time. We all need a moment of enjoyment. 

My mother for example, is lucky to be doing something 

she loves, but she still feels something is missing. 

"When you and your brother graduate from college, I 

want to go back to studying." 

My mother has always had a passion for learning. At 

the moment, the only time she has is in the mornings. She 

reads for one hour every day. The rest of the time, she is 

working, trying to raise a family. She doesn’t really have 

the time for school. I will do my best to make sure that 

her dream comes true. I don’t care if she will be 70, 80, 

or 90. If she still has a pumping heart and a working 

brain, then why not? After all that she has done for our 

family, the one thing that her heart desires is something 

she must accomplish. 

I once heard a story about a young college student. 

She was the top sixth student in her graduation class. On 

graduation day, she handed her diploma to her father. 

She sensed the confusion and worry on his face, but the 

truth had to come out sometime. “Here is your diploma 

dad. Now I’m going to get mine,” She said. For all the 

parents out there, let me remind you that your dreams 

may be different than those of your children. Let them be 

free. Provide the basics, but let them decide, discover, and 

adventure on their own. Let them follow their hearts. 

Finding what you truly love doing isn't going to 

happen overnight. It’s like "true love" in a way. You 

can't explain it, but you just know it. You can be 15, 

or you can be 90. Age is only a number. What matters 

really is finding something that you love to do, and going 

for it. Life is about balance. If you can’t do it now, 

make sure you come back to it. The 

clock is ticking. Release the aching 

"hold" button as soon 

as possible. Release it, 

and follow your passion. 

Follow your heart and 

intuition. 

generation y 

dec 2010/ jan 2011 

29

csc neWs 

Steve Parker, Center Director, 

Displays His Hidden Talents as 

Chauffeur & Barista 

TEXT: KATH LIu 

One should never underestimate the power of 

one-upmanship, especially when food and 

drink is involved. It was this very force of 

nature that landed Steve Parker in front of 

an espresso machine at a Dell meeting, having been 

hired by Dave Archer as his trump card in Dell's senior 

staff's ongoing 'who can bring the best coffee to our 

meetings' competition. But how on earth did Steve, 

busy Director of The Community Services Center come 

to be making coffee and serving snacks anyway? Well, 

not only did Dave manage to decisively win the ‘Best 

Coffee in a Work Meeting’ Oscar but he was also 

helping The Community Services Center at the same 

time. You see, it was Steve's idea to put himself out 

there for hire in the first place: namely his services as 

an item for auction at The Center's recent 15th Annual 

Charity Auction. 

But not only did Steve don an apron in aid of The 

Center but also a chauffeur's hat when he offered to be 

“Driver for the day” for the highest bidder – complete 

with car! The lucky winner was Rich Smith of UKEAS 

who couldn't resist the idea of being driven around in 

the lap of luxury by our intrepid Director (who swears 

that he's a very good driver). He has chosen the event 

of his lovely wife's birthday to take advantage of 

this opportunity. Steve will pick them up in a brand 

new Mercedes (courtesy of Capital Motors) in full 

chauffeur's uniform (courtesy of Shangri-La Hotel) and 

take them wherever their hearts desire - and back again. 

These unique and creative ideas are typical of Steve, 

a leader who thinks laterally and isn't afraid to get his 

hands dirty. He believes that although the work that 

The Center does is serious, it's still vital to inject fun 

and vibrancy into how The Center interacts with the 

international community. It's not only about being the 

safety net for those in crisis but also being a source of 

energy: the place where life happens, relationships are 

formed and a good time is had by all. 

And so, armed with his own espresso machine and driving 

skills, Steve not only made the caffeine and chauffeur 

dreams of many come true but showed what it means to 

really be involved – hands-on – with our community. 

30 dec 2010/ jan 2011

cSc buSineSS claSSified 

web consultant 

beautY 

sport 

hair dresser 

Get noticed, Get centered 

call paula lee for details at 0926 956 844, or email 

paulalee@community .com.tw 

Contact: 

Jenny Wang 

Robert Liu 

Danny Shih 

Tel: 02-2836-1000 Fax: 02-2831-9942 

E-mail: info@alliedpickfords.com.tw 

A DIVISION OF 

INTERNATIONAL 

dec 2010/ jan 2011 

31

TEXT & IMAGES: IVY CHEN 

WATER CALTROP 

菱角 [lingjiao] 

Water caltrop, also 

called horned water 

chestnut, is found in 

markets from September 

t o N o v e m b e r. I t 

contains a high volume 

of starch and protein 

and is rich in Vitamins B, C, E, F and other minerals such as iron, 

calcium, phosphorous, etc. Choose those with a dark purple skin, 

which are riper and have a higher starch content. Water caltrop is 

sold cooked in its shell or raw and peeled. Cooked water caltrop 

is served as a snack after peeling. After peeling, raw fruit can be 

cooked with pork or chicken in soup, or stir-fried with a little meat 

or some vegetables. 

LIMA BEAN 皇帝豆 

[huangdi dou] 

Lima bean is sold 

shelled from winter to 

spring. It’s the biggest 

type of bean, hence 

t h e C h i n e s e n a m e 

‘emperor bean’. Lima 

b e a n s c o n t a i n t h e 

highest amounts of protein and fat, and yet have the least calories 

among all beans. They are also a source of iron, phosphorous and 

potassium. Choose the biggest beans, without bruises. 

Like water caltrop, lima bean is cooked with meat in soup or 

stir-fried with meat and/or mushrooms. It is also baked with other 

vegetables, such as tomato and mushrooms with olive oil, vinegar, 

salt and herbs. 

STIR-FRIED LIMA BEAN WITH BLACK MUSHROOMS 

皇帝豆炒香菇 [huangdi dou chao xianggu] 

Ingredients: 

1 pack shelled lima bean; 3 cm carrot, sliced; 

5 pieces dried black mushroom, soaked in water until 

softened. 

Seasoning: garlic, sliced; salt and black pepper; sesame oil to 

drizzle 

Directions: 

1. Remove stems of mushroom, cut in half. 

2. Heat 2T oil, add garlic and fry to release fragrance. Add 

mushrooms; stir fry until lightly browned. 

3. Add lima bean, carrot and the water from the soaked 

mushrooms. Simmer for about 8 minutes, season with salt 

and pepper, drizzle with sesame oil. 

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 

Suang-Lien presbyterian church, english 

Ministry 

Zhongshan n. road, section 2, taipei 

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 

32 dec 2010/ jan 2011

COMMUNITY GROUPS 

organIZatIon teLepHone WebsIte/eMaIL address 

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) 2836-6994 caliq17@yahoo.com 

http://www.aataiwan.atfreeweb.com/english.htm 

Al-anon (English speaking) 

alanonfamilygroup@hotmail.com 

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.community.com.tw 

Democrats Abroad (Tammy Turner) 

democratsabroadtaiwan@gmail.com 

Dutch Speaking Association (VNT) 

www.vntonline.org 

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

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 2592 2840 einhorn@ttn.net 

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.gca.tp.edu.tw 

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 

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 2757-6140 

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 

dec 2010/jan 2011 

33

Word from the 

director 

The Center is about a lot of things, but two especially stand out for me this month. One is stability. The 

other is change. Seemingly incongruous, but both are at the core of what we need to be. Stability in that we 

give people: a place to call home, a place to find friends and make connections. But change is important too, 

and The Center is always trying to change with the times as well; to keep up with what people need now. 

To this end we have two great new developments. The Center has opened its first counseling office outside 

of Taipei, in Hsinchu. We are fortunate to have Ming-I Sun working with us. Ming-I is a very experienced 

counselor educated in the States who, recently returning to Taiwan, just happens to live in Hsinchu. The office 

had a soft opening this month and the schools and people of Hsinchu are already making good use of the 

services. And how do we pay for it? Please keep a look out for notices about The Center Fubon Marathon 

team and Rakesh Sinha. His hard work on December 19th is how we are going to start up the new office. If 

you can, please sponsor Rakesh in his first Marathon; he is doing it for us. 

After a long time on our “dot com” domain, The Center is changing its web address. For many reasons we 

will be changing our web address to www.communitycenter.org.tw from December 1st this year. A couple of 

the main reasons are: 

• We are a non-profit organization and we need to use a “dot org” site, 

• We will (in the near future - not yet!) be able to do a lot of stuff online, such as taking registrations for 

activities and receiving donations, 

• The ‘engine’ behind the new site is the same that is used by Amnesty International, and will allow us a lot of 

freedom in going forward. 

The website won't look that much different to you at first, but it will make a lot of difference to what we as 

an organization can do. Please be patient with us as we move stuff over to the new site, and check in regularly 

as we will be able to put up some new stuff soon as well. When course registrations can be done online that will 

be great! The old website will be up for a while but please do bookmark the new one now. If you don't you’ll 

forget! Our email addresses will be changing with it too but you’ll get a separate notice about this. 

So welcome to the new Center; growing, changing, while at the same time still staying the same; just for you! 

Steven Parker 

charity 

Director, Community Services Center 

t 

TAS 

Orphanage 

Club 

Cathwel Chinese New Year Outing 

January 8th (Saturday) 7:45 am - 5 pm 

This will be the first Cathwel Outing in 2011. A special 

Chinese New Year event is planned and will include gifts 

for each orphan. 

Pearl. S. Buck Foundation 

Christmas Party 

Please help us decorate the cafeteria on December 17th and 

18th from 9 am to 5 pm for the Pearl S. Buck Christmas Party, 

which will be on Sunday, December 19th from 9 am to 5 pm. 

We will invite six hundred guests to this event. We would like 

everyone to join us to help serve our guests and make sure they 

have a good time. 

Chung-Yi Chinese New Year Outing 

January 16th (Sunday) 7:30 am - 5 pm 

We will hold a special Chinese New Year outing full 

of wonderful performances and gifts for the children. 

Visit www.orphanageclub.com. 

34 dec 2010/ jan 2011

Van Gogh's taipei 

In prayer in Kaohsiung 

taipei Highway 

Paul S. 

Rockower 

Paul S. Rockower is a photographer and journalist who has 

traveled to more than 55 countries. His critically-acclaimed exhibit, 

"The 21st Century Family of Man." was the featured exhibit at the 

University of Southern California's Annenberg Gallery for 2009- 

2010. Paul was recently in Taiwan as a Visiting Scholar at the 

Taiwan Foundation for Democracy. You can read all his adventures 

on his blog: http://levantine18.blogspot.com and see his pictures at: 

http://picasaweb.google.com/levantine18.

PDF file - Community Services Center

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