Centered on Taipei magazine - Community Services Center
Centered on Taipei magazine - Community Services Center
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A publicati<strong>on</strong> of the <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Center</strong><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g><strong>Center</strong>ed</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
<strong>on</strong> TAIPEI<br />
December 2012/January 2013, Volume 13, Issue 4<br />
cover story<br />
a QUest For traditi<strong>on</strong><br />
Understanding Food allergies<br />
taipei’s Fabric Market<br />
all aboUt HanUkkaH<br />
exploring Food Moods witH graci kiM<br />
wHat tHis Magazine Means to Me<br />
2013 spring & sUMMer actiVities catalog inside
C<strong>on</strong>tentS December 2012 volume 13 issue 4<br />
5 lEttEr from thE EDitor<br />
6 riCharD rECommEnDs<br />
nati<strong>on</strong>al C<strong>on</strong>CErt hall:<br />
DECEmbEr 2012/january 2013<br />
7 Cultural CornEr<br />
ChiCken Soup<br />
8 CEntEr GallEry<br />
thE CEntEr’s favoritE finDs<br />
9 off thE bEatEn traCk<br />
Water Curtain Cave<br />
9<br />
10 CovEr story<br />
a QueSt for traditi<strong>on</strong><br />
12 <strong>Community</strong><br />
taS<br />
eventS at the <strong>Center</strong><br />
14 orphanage Club<br />
spECial supplEmEnt<br />
2013 Spring & Summer aCtivitieS Catalog<br />
19 hEalth<br />
underStanding food allergieS<br />
10<br />
20 profilE<br />
graCi in the kitChen<br />
22 Expat pErspECtivEs<br />
belle of the ball<br />
23 CoffEE CornEr<br />
glaCio iCe Cream SpeCialtieS<br />
24 photoGraphy<br />
Snapping fireWorkS<br />
25 ask bin<br />
fabriC marketS and SurroundingS<br />
26 GEnErati<strong>on</strong> y<br />
hanukkah<br />
20<br />
27 tCm CornEr<br />
building a Str<strong>on</strong>g C<strong>on</strong>Stituti<strong>on</strong><br />
28 CsC<br />
What the <strong>magazine</strong> meanS to me<br />
29 ChinEsE kitChEn<br />
taiWaneSe SWeet SoupS<br />
30 CsC businEss ClassifiED<br />
insiDE baCk CovEr<br />
poStCard perfeCt<br />
CovEr imaGE CourtEsy of<br />
profEssor tsai yushan.<br />
An original male leg-covering<br />
of Puyuma tribe that Professor<br />
Tsai used for analysis (part of<br />
the collecti<strong>on</strong> at Fu Jen Catholic<br />
University). Read more <strong>on</strong> page 10.<br />
22 29<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g><strong>Center</strong>ed</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>Taipei</strong> is a publicati<strong>on</strong> of the <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Center</strong>,<br />
25, Lane 290, Zh<strong>on</strong>gShan N. Rd., Sec. 6, Tianmu, <strong>Taipei</strong>, Taiwan<br />
Tel: 02-2836-8134, fax: 02-2835-2530, e-mail: coteditor@communitycenter.org.tw<br />
Corresp<strong>on</strong>dence may be sent to the editor at coteditor@communitycenter.org.<br />
tw. Freelance writers, photographers and illustrators are welcome to c<strong>on</strong>tact the<br />
editor to discuss editorial and graphic assignments. Your talent will find a home<br />
with us!<br />
Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Material in this publicati<strong>on</strong> may not be<br />
reproduced without the written c<strong>on</strong>sent of the copyright owner.<br />
www.communitycenter.org.tw DEC 2012/jan 2013<br />
3
4 DEC 2012/jan 2013 www.communitycenter.org.tw
LEttEr From thE EDitor<br />
Publisher: <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Center</strong>, <strong>Taipei</strong><br />
Editor: Kath Liu<br />
Co-editor: Richard Saunders<br />
advertising manager: Paula Lee<br />
tel: 0926-956-844<br />
Fax: 02-2835-2530<br />
email: paulalee@communitycenter.org.tw<br />
Writing and Photography<br />
C<strong>on</strong>tributors: Nancy Achorn<br />
Leat Ahr<strong>on</strong>y<br />
Marina Burana<br />
Ivy Chen<br />
Michelle Cheung<br />
Aly Cooper<br />
Fang Shao Neng<br />
Craig Fergus<strong>on</strong><br />
David Gill<br />
Katharine Susa Gill<br />
M<strong>on</strong>ica Hess<br />
Bin Huang<br />
Brand<strong>on</strong> Huang<br />
<strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong><br />
<strong>Center</strong> Editorial Panel:<br />
Printed by:<br />
Siew Kang, Fred Voigtmann<br />
Farn Mei Printing Co., Ltd.<br />
1F, No. 102, Hou Kang Street, Shilin District, <strong>Taipei</strong><br />
Tel: 02-2882-6748 Fax: 02-2882-6749<br />
E-mail: farn.mei@msa.hinet.net<br />
<strong>Community</strong> SErviCES CEntEr<br />
www.communitycenter.org.tw<br />
Director: Adam McMillan<br />
office manager: Grace Ting<br />
Counselors: Suzan Babcock, I-Wen Chan, Fawn Chang,<br />
Katherine Chang, Jung Chin, Wendy Evans,<br />
Cerita Hsu, Perry Malcolm, Eva Salazar-Liu,<br />
Ming-I Sun, Cynthia Teeters<br />
newcomer orientati<strong>on</strong> C<strong>on</strong>sultant: Amy Liu<br />
accountant: M<strong>on</strong>ica Cheng<br />
Communicati<strong>on</strong>s: Kari Schiro<br />
Programs Coordinator: Rosemary Susa<br />
Events Coordinator: Bianca Russell<br />
Chinese teacher: Gloria Gwo<br />
volunteers:<br />
Premier Sp<strong>on</strong>sors:<br />
Serina Huang<br />
Ting Ting Huang<br />
Graci Kim<br />
Natalie Köhle<br />
Amy Liu<br />
John McQuade<br />
Shaun Ramsden<br />
Michael Russell<br />
Richard Saunders<br />
Rosemary Susa<br />
Maria Tan<br />
S<strong>on</strong>ya Walter<br />
Tina Yuan<br />
Tsai Yushan<br />
Nancy Achorn, Alis<strong>on</strong> Bai, Wen Finamore,<br />
Shana Garcia, Lily Lau, John McQuade,<br />
Bunny Pacheco, Gloria Peng, Ruth Reynolds,<br />
Jenni Rosen, Julia Ruggiere, Kari Schiro, Desta<br />
Selassie, Emmy Shih, Michelle Smith, Anita Town,<br />
Lillian Yiin<br />
3M Taiwan<br />
Bai Win Antiques<br />
BP Taiwan Ltd.<br />
Breitling<br />
China American Petrochemical<br />
C<strong>on</strong>cordia C<strong>on</strong>sulting<br />
Costco Wholesale Taiwan<br />
Crown Worldwide Movers Ltd.<br />
Four Star Int’l<br />
Grand Hyatt Hotel, <strong>Taipei</strong><br />
HSBC<br />
ICRT<br />
Metacity Development Corp<br />
ProQC<br />
San Fu Gas Co. Ltd.<br />
Smerwick Ltd<br />
S<strong>on</strong>gfu Li<br />
Standard Chartered Bank<br />
the <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Center</strong> (CSC) is a n<strong>on</strong>-profit foundati<strong>on</strong>. CSC provides<br />
outreach and early interventi<strong>on</strong> through counseling, cross-cultural educati<strong>on</strong> and life<br />
skills programs to meet the needs of the internati<strong>on</strong>al community in taipei. CSC offers<br />
the opportunity to learn, volunteer, teach and meet others. Check out our website www.<br />
communitycenter.org.tw and drop by the <strong>Center</strong> to chat with us about our programs.<br />
you can also email us at csc@communitycenter.org.tw.<br />
The weather has finally agreed to get cooler, the festive<br />
seas<strong>on</strong> is approaching and another year is drawing to a<br />
close. I hope that 2012 has been a peaceful, happy year for<br />
all of you and that 2013 brings good luck, good health and<br />
good times!<br />
Here at <str<strong>on</strong>g><strong>Center</strong>ed</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>Taipei</strong>, we’re getting into the<br />
festive spirit! Leat Ahr<strong>on</strong>y explains the stories and<br />
traditi<strong>on</strong>s behind Hanukkah, Ivy Chen gives us a taste of<br />
Taiwan’s many and varied sweet soups (a perfect winter<br />
dessert), Craig Fergus<strong>on</strong> teaches us the trick to capturing<br />
photographs of fireworks just in time for the New Year<br />
extravaganza and Aly Cooper clues us in <strong>on</strong> where to go<br />
for a real indulgent seas<strong>on</strong>al treat at Glacio. Keeping with<br />
foodie delights, Serina Huang profiles Graci Kim, a Korean<br />
Kiwi living here in <strong>Taipei</strong> who has her very own YouTube<br />
cooking show based around mood cooking.<br />
And what better mood food than chicken soup Amy<br />
Liu shares the secret behind the Taiwanese people’s love of<br />
and belief in a steaming hot bowl of chicken soup. We also<br />
have a very special cover story this issue about Professor<br />
Tsai’s work <strong>on</strong> rediscovering Taiwanese aboriginal textiles.<br />
Marina Burana chats with Professor Tsai about what<br />
sparked her interest in this topic and what has kept her<br />
interest alive through years of hard work. An article that<br />
is close to home for many of us who love our <strong>magazine</strong> is<br />
Nancy Achorn’s article about what <str<strong>on</strong>g><strong>Center</strong>ed</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>Taipei</strong><br />
has meant to her in a recent move to <strong>Taipei</strong> from Greece.<br />
Any<strong>on</strong>e else with a story to share about how the <strong>magazine</strong><br />
helped them settle in is more than welcome to submit - we<br />
always love to hear from you!<br />
No matter what it is you’re looking for, d<strong>on</strong>’t forget<br />
that <str<strong>on</strong>g><strong>Center</strong>ed</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>Taipei</strong> is your <strong>magazine</strong>, written by<br />
your community for your community. If you would like<br />
to c<strong>on</strong>tribute to the <strong>magazine</strong>, whether with your writing<br />
or photography, please write to me with your ideas at<br />
coteditor@communitycenter.org.tw. Right now we would<br />
really love to see more photography - so dust off your<br />
cameras and show us your <strong>Taipei</strong> or let us know if you are<br />
able to help out our writers by providing photography for<br />
their articles. Also, if you would like to write but you’re not<br />
really sure about which topics to cover, let me know. There<br />
are always stories waiting for some<strong>on</strong>e to write them! As<br />
always we welcome your news and views.<br />
Stay safe and well during this festive Seas<strong>on</strong> and we will<br />
see you again in the new year!<br />
Kath<br />
Kath Liu<br />
Editor<br />
Richard Saunders<br />
Co-editor<br />
Paula Lee<br />
Advertising Manager<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g><strong>Center</strong>ed</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>Taipei</strong> is printed <strong>on</strong> 50% post c<strong>on</strong>sumer waste c<strong>on</strong>tent stock. We have also<br />
replaced the glossy laminated cover with a softer aqueous based resin coating which makes<br />
it easier to recycle. By committing to post c<strong>on</strong>sumer paper stock we support the market for<br />
recycled fibers and reduce envir<strong>on</strong>mental impact.<br />
Recycling paper uses 60% less energy than manufacturing paper from virgin fiber.<br />
"Every t<strong>on</strong> of recycled paper saves enough electricity to power a 3 bedroom house for an<br />
entire year." (http://www.greenseal.org/index.cfm)<br />
www.communitycenter.org.tw DEC 2012/jan 2013<br />
5
RICHARD<br />
ReCommenDs<br />
riChard SaunderS<br />
December’s m<strong>on</strong>thly program from the Nati<strong>on</strong>al<br />
CKS Cultural <strong>Center</strong> <strong>on</strong>ce again boasts some stellar<br />
c<strong>on</strong>certs, al<strong>on</strong>g with a healthy quota of unintenti<strong>on</strong>al<br />
laughs, courtesy of several hilarious event titles (first<br />
prize this m<strong>on</strong>th is a tie between “Love and Death VI – Love<br />
or Hell!” & “Arise from Horiz<strong>on</strong>”). A couple of amusing<br />
c<strong>on</strong>cert adverts also raise a smile (will some<strong>on</strong>e please tell local<br />
c<strong>on</strong>ductors that those deep “lost-in-the-music” poses aren’t<br />
dignified but merely pretentious). At least they provided me with<br />
a welcome giggle after a hard day’s work….<br />
Right, quickly <strong>on</strong> to what actually matters – the music – and<br />
there’s no moaning there. The run-up to (and aftermath of)<br />
Christmas is celebrated in fine style this year. That l<strong>on</strong>g-running<br />
group of versatile vocal virtuosi known as the Swingle Singers<br />
is equally at home in both difficult c<strong>on</strong>temporary music and<br />
light, fun arrangements of classical and popular favorites. Glee<br />
fans will know them through the jaunty ditty that accompanies<br />
the closing credits each week. No prizes for guessing which<br />
genre the ensemble (fifty years-old this year) will be featuring in<br />
their <strong>Taipei</strong> recital (<strong>on</strong> the 19th December), but it’ll certainly be<br />
light, fun and ast<strong>on</strong>ishingly assured. For those that prefer their<br />
classical music as the composer meant it to be heard, the c<strong>on</strong>cert<br />
<strong>on</strong> Christmas Eve couples a seas<strong>on</strong>al fave, the Nutcracker Suite,<br />
with Poulenc’s much loved Gloria, a magnificent setting of text<br />
from the Catholic mass. This is late, great Poulenc, seamlessly<br />
blending almost austere magnificence with a couple of the<br />
composer’s most achingly beautiful melodies.<br />
There are plenty of excellent n<strong>on</strong>-seas<strong>on</strong>al programs during<br />
the next two m<strong>on</strong>ths to please classical music afici<strong>on</strong>ados who<br />
simply want to hear some great music. The w<strong>on</strong>derful French<br />
violinist Augustin Dumay plays a program of, er, French violin<br />
classics <strong>on</strong> December 5th, including Ravel’s stunning Tzigane<br />
and Chauss<strong>on</strong>’s gorgeous Poeme. He does however throw in a<br />
Czech gem for variety: Dvorak’s four Romantic Pieces, while the<br />
orchestral strings get to shine by themselves in the Serenade by<br />
another very fine Bohemian composer, Josef Suk.<br />
Sticking with string instruments, <strong>on</strong>e of the world’s great<br />
string quartets, the Juilliard, is in Taiwan for a rare performance<br />
<strong>on</strong> December 14th, with a weighty program of late Beethoven<br />
and Mozart quartets. No easy listening this, but those with the<br />
necessary stamina (and these works are too much for me so far)<br />
should grab their tickets before they sell out.<br />
More string quartet greatness is in town in January, with the<br />
Jerusalem Quartet. To my shame I’ve never come across them<br />
before, but quartet mavens regard the group as <strong>on</strong>e of the finest<br />
working today. In their varied program an early Beethoven rubs<br />
shoulders with Borodin’s Sec<strong>on</strong>d String Quartet (the <strong>on</strong>e with<br />
the famed Nocturne slow movement). Rounding out the c<strong>on</strong>cert<br />
is a return to profound depth: Shostakovich’s fifteenth (and last)<br />
quartet. This is <strong>on</strong>e of the (many) DSCH quartets that I d<strong>on</strong>’t<br />
know, but, like the late symph<strong>on</strong>ies (which date from the same<br />
time) it’s apparently a reflecti<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> mortality. Hopefully it’s not<br />
quite as dark as the Fourteenth Symph<strong>on</strong>y (perhaps the most<br />
disturbing and upsetting piece of classical music that I’ve ever<br />
heard), but surely food for thought for those that can take it.<br />
nati<strong>on</strong>al C<strong>on</strong>cert hall<br />
DECEmbEr 2012/ january 2013<br />
NATIONAL CONCERT HALL<br />
Vitus: Teo Gheoghiu 2012<br />
C<strong>on</strong>cert<br />
Works for piano by Debussy,<br />
Scriabin and Brahms, and<br />
Rachmaninov’s Third Paino<br />
C<strong>on</strong>certo<br />
December 1<br />
Family C<strong>on</strong>cert by Ju<br />
Percussi<strong>on</strong> Group II<br />
December 2<br />
Augustin Dumay<br />
Works for violin and orchestra by<br />
Chauss<strong>on</strong>, Suk, Dvorak and Ravel<br />
December 5 RR<br />
Andrei Gavrilov Piano Recital<br />
Works by Chopin and Prokofiev<br />
December 7 RR<br />
S<strong>on</strong>g of Soul: Faure’s Requiem<br />
Plus Franck’s Symph<strong>on</strong>y in D minor<br />
December 8<br />
2012 Taiwan C<strong>on</strong>necti<strong>on</strong><br />
Orchestral works by Beethoven and<br />
Brahms<br />
December 9<br />
Zhang Hao-Chen Piano Recital<br />
Pieces by Schumann, Balakirev,<br />
Debussy, Beethoven and Liszt<br />
December 12<br />
Alexander Kobin Piano Recital<br />
Works by Beethoven and Schumann<br />
December 13<br />
Juilliard String Quartet<br />
Works by Mozart and Beethoven<br />
December 14 RR<br />
Arise from Horiz<strong>on</strong><br />
Bruckner’s magnificent Sixth<br />
Symph<strong>on</strong>y, plus Mozart’s Haffner<br />
Symph<strong>on</strong>y<br />
December 16 RR<br />
Oriental Fantasy: Lin Wei-qi<br />
Piano Recital<br />
Works by Debussy, Ravel, Balakirev,<br />
Chopin and Debussy<br />
December 17th<br />
RR: Richard Recommends<br />
Klazz Brothers & Cuba<br />
Percussi<strong>on</strong><br />
December 18th<br />
A Capella Christmas with<br />
Swingle<br />
The amazing Swingle Singers<br />
do their own inimitable take <strong>on</strong><br />
seas<strong>on</strong>al classics<br />
December 19 RR<br />
2012 NTCH Christmas C<strong>on</strong>cert:<br />
Java Five<br />
More jazzy vocal gymnastics <strong>on</strong> a<br />
Christmas theme<br />
December 21-22<br />
Ju Percussi<strong>on</strong> Group Winter<br />
C<strong>on</strong>cert<br />
December 23<br />
Christmas Feast C<strong>on</strong>cert<br />
Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite and<br />
Poulenc’s Gloria<br />
December 24 RR<br />
ECO Christmas C<strong>on</strong>cert<br />
Music by Bruckner and Bach<br />
December 25<br />
Lu Chia-hui Piano Recital<br />
Works by Liszt, Bartok, Albeniz,<br />
Chopin and Bach<br />
December 29<br />
NSO New Year C<strong>on</strong>cert –<br />
Forever Love<br />
Verdi arias and orchestral excerpts<br />
December 31 and january 1<br />
2013<br />
Love and Death VI – Love or<br />
Hell!<br />
Orchestral music by Mozart and<br />
Prokofiev<br />
january 10 – 11 RR<br />
NSO Masters and NSO –<br />
Emperor and Hero<br />
Beethoven’s Eroica symph<strong>on</strong>y and<br />
Emperor piano c<strong>on</strong>certo<br />
january 13<br />
Jerusalem Quartet<br />
String Quartets by Borodin,<br />
Beethoven and Shostakovich<br />
january 14 RR<br />
for full details, please log <strong>on</strong> to the Culture Express website at<br />
http://express.culture.gov.tw or take a copy of the m<strong>on</strong>thly program<br />
from Cks Cultural <strong>Center</strong>, available from mrt stati<strong>on</strong>s, bookshops<br />
and ticketing offices.<br />
TICKETING OFFICES: • NTCH: (02) 3393 9888<br />
• ERA: (02) 2709 3788<br />
6<br />
DEC 2012/jan 2013 www.communitycenter.org.tw
Amy's<br />
ultural<br />
Corner<br />
台<br />
灣<br />
Chicken Soup:<br />
Comforting and healthy<br />
The German family I spent a m<strong>on</strong>th with during<br />
Christmas in Frankfurt a few years ago could not<br />
understand why I always craved soup for dinner.<br />
Soup is a comfort food to many Taiwanese, and it<br />
was especially soothing during the freezing, snowy days of<br />
the Christmas holiday seas<strong>on</strong> when I was in Germany.<br />
Soup features <strong>on</strong> almost every Chinese menu; it is a<br />
staple, and often a meal in itself. It should come as no<br />
surprise that there are an amazing variety of Chinese<br />
soups. Furthermore, the Chinese are especially obsessed<br />
with chicken soup, as it has been used by the Chinese to<br />
treat illness for centuries. As in other parts of the world,<br />
chicken soup is believed by the Taiwanese to cure colds,<br />
sore throats or an achy body.<br />
disease. Homemade chicken soup is both nutritious and<br />
good for the body and the soul.<br />
The curative powers of chicken soup are not simply<br />
an old wives’ tale. There is medical evidence it can help<br />
relieve cold or flu symptoms. Drinking it ups the intake<br />
of fluids and provides easily absorbed nutrients; the<br />
steam from hot soup can also reduce nasal or br<strong>on</strong>chial<br />
c<strong>on</strong>gesti<strong>on</strong> and sooth a sore throat. Even if you d<strong>on</strong>’t<br />
believe that certain chicken soups can have healing<br />
powers, a bowl of soup, lovingly prepared, can at least<br />
make us think we feel better — and it certainly has the<br />
ability to comfort.<br />
Editor’s Note: For more about Sweet Soups, see Chinese<br />
Kitchen <strong>on</strong> page 29.<br />
healing QualitieS<br />
Many of you will have heard or learned about yin<br />
and yang ( 陰 陽 ). A large part of Chinese medicine is<br />
based <strong>on</strong> the c<strong>on</strong>cept of these two forces, which rule the<br />
universe. Yin and yang can be described as opposite or<br />
complementary forces. Depending <strong>on</strong> the c<strong>on</strong>text, yin<br />
refers to the feminine, darker, cooling forces; while yang<br />
represents the masculine, lighter, hot forces.<br />
So, in Chinese terms, illness is a signal that the yin<br />
and yang forces are out of balance. This imbalance<br />
leads to disharm<strong>on</strong>y and blockages of energy flow in the<br />
body, thus causing disease. For example, if you have<br />
a cold, according to the Chinese principles of yin and<br />
yang, it’s because there is too much yin in your body.<br />
A Chinese herbalist might prescribe a soup designed<br />
to restore the yang force. Similarly, a fever might be<br />
treated with a yin soup.<br />
The secret of a good Chinese soup lies in the stock (no,<br />
I can’t cook, but I’ve checked with my mom!). Chicken<br />
is the primary meat of choice for preparing good stock<br />
to help restore physical strength so chicken soup made<br />
with a number of Chinese herbal ingredients to balance<br />
yin and yang is thought to increase energy, to strengthen<br />
body functi<strong>on</strong>s and to have an effective healing effect. As<br />
a result, after drinking chicken soup, <strong>on</strong>e’s body should<br />
be neither too ‘warm’, nor too ’cold’, but neutral. The<br />
beauty of Chinese herbal soup is that it is not <strong>on</strong>ly drunk<br />
to correct imbalances and restore energy during times of<br />
illness, it is also drunk frequently in Taiwanese homes<br />
for its delicious taste and to care for the body, preventing<br />
www.communitycenter.org.tw DEC 2012/jan 2013<br />
7
GALLERY<br />
Dec 2012/Jan 2013<br />
The <strong>Center</strong>'s<br />
Favorite Finds<br />
TEXT: MONICA HESS<br />
Color Creativity + home décor<br />
tien tung gallery<br />
This m<strong>on</strong>th the Gallery features the w<strong>on</strong>derful artwork of<br />
Huan Yuan Chen and other artists from Tien Tung Art Gallery.<br />
Priced between NT$700 and NT$1,800, these beautiful scroll<br />
paintings make great gifts or an excellent additi<strong>on</strong> to your<br />
home decor. Tien Tung also accepts custom orders.<br />
lem<strong>on</strong>grass house taiwan<br />
Lem<strong>on</strong>grass House Taiwan is proud to present to you a<br />
range of aromatherapy, bath and household products. Light<br />
up your life with Sniff Soy Candles from Australia, or indulge<br />
your body and mind with delicious handmade bath products<br />
from Planet Yum Australia.<br />
Sahar Shaikh<br />
On the sideboard display<br />
this m<strong>on</strong>th is Sahar Shaikh's<br />
exclusive collecti<strong>on</strong> of fabulous<br />
short and l<strong>on</strong>g Indian kutis, tunics<br />
and scarfs.<br />
The other day I took a different route home, and <strong>on</strong> the<br />
way noticed an interesting sight within walking distance<br />
from the Dunhua/Xinyi intersecti<strong>on</strong>: brightly colored<br />
canvases in a well-lit, inviting studio. I went in to inquire<br />
and learned that Escape Artist is “a painting studio with<br />
an attached cafe, offering a peaceful oasis from the<br />
enveloping urban envir<strong>on</strong>ment.”<br />
The idea is to offer a “social painting experience” with<br />
no boundaries (bey<strong>on</strong>d that of the pre-stretched canvas<br />
you purchase). I like that the atmosphere inside felt like<br />
a place where you could discover your inner Picasso<br />
(or Miro or M<strong>on</strong>et or fill-in-the-blank) and “escape” the<br />
hustle and bustle of city life – at least for a few hours. If<br />
you’ve never painted before, you can browse through a<br />
basket of inspirati<strong>on</strong> cards (swatches of different images<br />
and patterns) to see just how easy it can be to create<br />
something amazing.<br />
Children are welcome to join in, as l<strong>on</strong>g as they can<br />
reach the paint c<strong>on</strong>tainers. Prices for a blank canvas<br />
range from NT$1,200 – NT$4,800, depending <strong>on</strong> size.<br />
When your masterpiece is complete, it’s packaged<br />
in a sturdy cardboard box with a handle, for easy<br />
transportati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
To schedule your own “escape”:<br />
Address: 1F, 68 Wenchang Street, <strong>Taipei</strong><br />
Ph<strong>on</strong>e: (02) 2707-0767<br />
Hours: Tues – Sat: 10 am – 11 pm / Sun: 10 am – 10<br />
pm / Friday and Saturday evenings: If a group of ten or<br />
more arrive after 9 pm, then EA will remain open until 1<br />
am.<br />
Email: ea@escapeartist.com.tw<br />
Website: http://www.escapeartist.com.tw/<br />
Happy Painting!<br />
A percentage of all proceeds of items sold at the Gallery go to<br />
The <strong>Center</strong>, so please remember that by displaying and shopping<br />
here you are helping us to provide much needed services to the<br />
internati<strong>on</strong>al community.<br />
8 DEC 2012/jan 2013 www.communitycenter.org.tw
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK<br />
RICHARD SAUNDERS EXPLORES TAIWAN'S LESS-TRODDEN PATHS<br />
Water Curtain Cave, nantou County<br />
As a kid growing up in England I never dreamed<br />
I’d end up living in the Far East. In fact in those<br />
days I doubt I even thought I’d ever visit the<br />
mysterious Orient. About the full extent of my<br />
exposure to Chinese culture (apart from a tablecloth mum<br />
<strong>on</strong>ce embroidered using the ‘willow pattern’ design she’d<br />
traced off a plate) was watching M<strong>on</strong>key <strong>on</strong> TV. In those<br />
days I had no idea that the series was based <strong>on</strong> a Chinese<br />
classic (Journey to the West). In any event the mad antics<br />
of M<strong>on</strong>key, Pigsy and Sandy made a bigger impressi<strong>on</strong><br />
than the fabulous scenery of the locati<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
In the novel, the Water Curtain Cave is the home<br />
of the m<strong>on</strong>key king, Sun Wuk<strong>on</strong>g, and this w<strong>on</strong>derfully<br />
evocative name has been adopted for several of Taiwan’s<br />
most enchanting waterfalls, in Taoyuan, Chiayi, Yunlin,<br />
and Hualien counties. Perhaps the most beautiful (and<br />
certainly the most mysterious) lies in a remote spot in the<br />
central county of Nantou. This waterfall requires a miniexpediti<strong>on</strong><br />
to reach, and can <strong>on</strong>ly be approached by those<br />
with their own wheels. The last leg of the trip, following<br />
the valley of the Ping Lai Stream ( 坪 瀨 溪 ) <strong>on</strong> which Water<br />
Curtain Cave lies, is <strong>on</strong>e of the scariest public roads I’ve<br />
ever negotiated by car in all Taiwan, and nerves of steel<br />
are needed if you intend to drive the last three kilometers<br />
to the trailhead. There’s hardly enough room for a car<br />
to pass al<strong>on</strong>g the <strong>on</strong>e-lane track in some places, and a<br />
sheer drop <strong>on</strong> the left waits for the careless; pray no <strong>on</strong>e<br />
is coming the other way! En route, the road passes a<br />
fascinating natural curiosity, the Pinglai Peculiar Rock ( 坪<br />
瀨 奇 景 ), a large boulder precariously lodged in the top of<br />
a narrow cleft.<br />
The trail – when you finally reach it – is quite gentle,<br />
wandering up the valley and crossing a vertigo-inducing<br />
suspensi<strong>on</strong> bridge across an awesome cany<strong>on</strong> cut through<br />
the mountains a few hundred meters downstream<br />
from the Water Curtain Cave. From here can be seen a<br />
breathtaking yet unnamed waterfall nearly a hundred<br />
meters high, plunging gracefully over the sheer cliffs of the<br />
cany<strong>on</strong> wall into the main stream below.<br />
Water Curtain Cave ( 水 濂 洞 ) itself is hidden until the<br />
last moment, when the full force of the main stream<br />
plunges sixty meters free of the cliff into the cany<strong>on</strong>: a<br />
place of spectacular beauty.<br />
While enjoying the magnificence of the scene, spare<br />
a thought for the path builders: until this route was<br />
c<strong>on</strong>structed a few years ago, Water Curtain Cave was<br />
almost inaccessible, and the <strong>on</strong>ly way to its foot was via<br />
a dangerous, 3-hour wade up the cany<strong>on</strong>, with its deep<br />
pools and cascades!<br />
more informati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> Water Curtain Cave can be found<br />
<strong>on</strong> richard’s blog, off the beaten track at<br />
http://taiwandiscovery.wordpress.com/<br />
Richard Saunders is a trained classical musician and writer who has lived in <strong>Taipei</strong> since<br />
1993. He has written several books (available at The <strong>Center</strong> and in bookshops around <strong>Taipei</strong>),<br />
including Yangmingshan: the Guide (a complete guide to the Nati<strong>on</strong>al Park <strong>on</strong> <strong>Taipei</strong>’s doorstep)<br />
and <strong>Taipei</strong> Escapes I and 2, which together detail sixty day trips and hikes within easy reach of<br />
<strong>Taipei</strong> city. A fourth book, a guide to Taiwan’s offshore islands, is due out in January 2013.<br />
www.communitycenter.org.tw DEC 2012/jan 2013<br />
9
cover story<br />
A Quest for Traditi<strong>on</strong>:<br />
Taiwan Aboriginal Textiles<br />
Text: Marina Burana<br />
Images: Fang Shao Neng and<br />
courtesy of Tsai Yushan<br />
She is petite. Her eyes are<br />
sincere and she smiles nearly<br />
all the time. We talk in a<br />
very strange mixture of<br />
French and Chinese and laugh at our<br />
absurd neologisms. In the eighties<br />
she studied at the École Nati<strong>on</strong>al Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in<br />
Paris, and now reminisces about that w<strong>on</strong>derful time when she had<br />
just arrived in that wild bohemian city to obtain a degree in Design.<br />
Those years are l<strong>on</strong>g g<strong>on</strong>e now, but Professor Tsai YuShan still<br />
has the same fraîcheur (freshness) of those passi<strong>on</strong>ate people who<br />
dream intensely.<br />
Professor Tsai has worked as an Associate Professor at Fu Jen<br />
Catholic University since 1993 and is the author of four books<br />
about weaving technique theory and the creati<strong>on</strong> of textiles. One<br />
of Professor Tsai’s academic specialisati<strong>on</strong>s is Taiwan aboriginal<br />
textiles: she does exquisite reproducti<strong>on</strong>s and has dedicated years<br />
of her life to studying, understanding and h<strong>on</strong>ing the necessary<br />
techniques needed to weave, embroider and analyze the astounding<br />
patterns of the yuanzhumin (Taiwanese aboriginal people). Her<br />
work is both colorful and sober, and it covers a wide variety of<br />
fabrics, weaving and embroidering processes. She explains that she<br />
hasn't found any book with a complete structural analysis of these<br />
types of Taiwanese aboriginal textiles, and so she has been working<br />
hard in her pers<strong>on</strong>al quest for a more profound and detailed<br />
understanding of that unique world.<br />
The color of Identity<br />
The Taiwanese aborigines descend from the Austr<strong>on</strong>esian peoples<br />
that settled in Southeast Asia and Oceania, and they share the<br />
languages and culture of the Austr<strong>on</strong>esian family, differentiating<br />
them from the Han Chinese communities which migrated to<br />
Taiwan from China. The various tribes are distributed throughout<br />
10 dec 2012/jan 2013 www.communitycenter.org.tw
Taiwan and although they d<strong>on</strong>'t<br />
speak the exact same language, they<br />
have certain similarities in the way<br />
they live and in the way they dress<br />
– especially the latter. The many<br />
geometric patterns found in their<br />
textiles tend to vary <strong>on</strong>ly a little from<br />
tribe to tribe. The weaving patterns<br />
of the Atayal tribe c<strong>on</strong>sist of stripes<br />
and diam<strong>on</strong>ds, which can also be<br />
found in designs of the Seediq tribe.<br />
But although some may <strong>on</strong>ly have<br />
a small variati<strong>on</strong> in pattern, there is<br />
a str<strong>on</strong>g difference in color. While<br />
Yami woven textiles are mostly blue<br />
and white, others like those of the<br />
Pingpu tend to be more colorful and<br />
playful. The Paiwan tribe's creativity<br />
in textiles is superb and their patterns<br />
go bey<strong>on</strong>d the use of geometric<br />
shapes, plus they use delicate or<br />
powerful colors. The Tsou tribe,<br />
<strong>on</strong> the other hand, seems to have<br />
lost its traditi<strong>on</strong> of weaving but its<br />
women still know how to adorn their<br />
black towel turban with straightline<br />
stitching or cross-stitching and<br />
pompoms.<br />
What all tribes have in comm<strong>on</strong>,<br />
though, is their geometric shapes:<br />
diam<strong>on</strong>ds, zigzag twills, straight<br />
lines; some also have flowers,<br />
animals, or leaf patterns; they are<br />
all part of the tribes' expressi<strong>on</strong>s <strong>on</strong><br />
different fabrics. Others have rich<br />
brocade patterns or use the same<br />
kind of materials, such as cott<strong>on</strong>,<br />
linen or bark: ramie (a flowering<br />
plant in the nettle family Urticaceae,<br />
native to eastern Asia) used to be<br />
the main material used for clothing.<br />
Each tribe interprets the world in<br />
its own way. Sometimes they mirror<br />
nature <strong>on</strong> their textiles, other times<br />
that intimate and complicated<br />
scenario of rituals which permeates<br />
the day-to-day relati<strong>on</strong>ship with<br />
their past, their traditi<strong>on</strong>s and their<br />
families can be seen. Their cultures<br />
and their identities are all in the<br />
presence of colors and the presence<br />
of that powerful tool of geometry.<br />
Hard work<br />
Professor Tsai has used many<br />
resources in order to recapture the<br />
magic of the old aboriginal textiles,<br />
from research in museums, private<br />
collecti<strong>on</strong>s, collecti<strong>on</strong> catalogs,<br />
and photographs, to meeting with<br />
aborigines and asking about their<br />
special techniques when weaving and<br />
embroidering.<br />
The Institute of Textiles and<br />
C l o t h i n g a t F u J e n C a t h o l i c<br />
University was sp<strong>on</strong>sored by the<br />
Council of Indigenous Peoples of<br />
the Executive Yuan for a “Teacher<br />
Qualificati<strong>on</strong> Training Program for<br />
the Aboriginal Traditi<strong>on</strong>al Crafts<br />
of Dying and Weaving”, a program<br />
in which fifteen aboriginal students<br />
were trained to teach others how<br />
to give life to their traditi<strong>on</strong>al arts<br />
and crafts. A course <strong>on</strong> shuttle<br />
weaving in this program used charts<br />
with symbols and numbers based<br />
<strong>on</strong> Professor Tsai’s analysis of the<br />
traditi<strong>on</strong>al old fabric structure.<br />
This helped students to reproduce<br />
Atayal traditi<strong>on</strong>al fabrics with a<br />
dobby loom. After this course, Tsai<br />
YuShan accepted a commissi<strong>on</strong><br />
from the Taichung County Cultural<br />
<strong>Center</strong>, working <strong>on</strong> their museum's<br />
collecti<strong>on</strong>s of other tribes' traditi<strong>on</strong>al<br />
fabrics. In these last few years she<br />
has been part of a research group <strong>on</strong><br />
Taiwanese aboriginal clothing and<br />
culture, a project organized by Kobe<br />
Design University of Japan.<br />
Taiwan Aboriginals have for<br />
the most part lost their traditi<strong>on</strong>al<br />
brocade skills; however the tribes <strong>on</strong><br />
the island of Lanyu (Orchid Island)<br />
and in Taid<strong>on</strong>g have retained this<br />
ability. Tsai and some Japanese<br />
scholars met a Puyuma weaver from<br />
this regi<strong>on</strong> who was still weaving<br />
a traditi<strong>on</strong>al fabric, and although<br />
asking questi<strong>on</strong>s and taking pictures<br />
was all they could garner from<br />
this meeting, Professor Tsai could<br />
decipher, thanks to her knowledge<br />
and experience, the structures and<br />
materials used, which she then<br />
combined with her weaving skills to<br />
create a formidable result. Weaving<br />
was particularly difficult since the<br />
aboriginal's back strap loom is<br />
different from her dobby loom, but<br />
after a few years she finally mastered<br />
it. She spent many hours trying to<br />
decipher how the 'up and down'<br />
threads and the 'across' threads<br />
interact in order to later record her<br />
findings <strong>on</strong> what is called a 'weaving<br />
draft', a specialized standard code <strong>on</strong><br />
a paper graph. With that complicated<br />
tool she can start her reproducti<strong>on</strong><br />
and also make her own variati<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
All her books have these graphs to<br />
www.communitycenter.org.tw DEC 2012/jan 2013<br />
11
help students, professi<strong>on</strong>als and<br />
amateurs make their own pers<strong>on</strong>al<br />
combinati<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
This means a lot of hard work and<br />
c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>, qualities Professor<br />
Tsai YuShan certainly doesn't<br />
lack. From her years as a student<br />
at the Department of Fine Arts at<br />
the Chinese Culture University in<br />
Taiwan, she has developed a str<strong>on</strong>g<br />
sense of commitment to what she<br />
likes and to what she wants. Those<br />
later years in France <strong>on</strong>ly served to<br />
strengthen her endeavors. She spoke<br />
little French and she started as a<br />
comm<strong>on</strong> student, but finished as <strong>on</strong>e<br />
of the best, receiving c<strong>on</strong>gratulati<strong>on</strong>s<br />
f r o m a l l h e r t e a c h e r s f o r h e r<br />
dedicati<strong>on</strong> and will. She now focuses<br />
<strong>on</strong> studying southeast Asian textiles<br />
<strong>on</strong> their pattern color and technique.<br />
When I told her how amazed I was<br />
that she chose to engage in such a<br />
complex job she just said 'It's what I<br />
like to do'.<br />
Enjoying the Traditi<strong>on</strong><br />
Professor Tsai YuShan has spent<br />
a great deal of time in museums and<br />
at home, sitting down in fr<strong>on</strong>t of her<br />
dobby loom, recovering that elegant<br />
and important traditi<strong>on</strong> that speaks<br />
of the peoples of Taiwan. This year<br />
she has put together an exhibiti<strong>on</strong> at<br />
the Shung Ye Museum of Formosan<br />
Aborigines, in which she presented<br />
a total of 103 pieces of thirteen<br />
different tribes. Her next exhibiti<strong>on</strong><br />
will be at the Bai Win Gallery run by<br />
Faye Angevine later in 2013 as part<br />
of a wider showing of Aboriginal<br />
artwork.<br />
Tsai YuShan's work is definitely<br />
<strong>on</strong>e of the most important when<br />
it comes to recovering old woven<br />
treasures. She made her way through<br />
the colorful patterns and succeeded<br />
in making ast<strong>on</strong>ishing reproducti<strong>on</strong>s<br />
full of life, creativity and a sense of<br />
identity. When I said goodbye after<br />
our meeting, she lit up the room with<br />
a bright smile that reminded me of<br />
those patterns and colors she has so<br />
beautifully brought back to life.<br />
Marina Burana is an Argentinean writer<br />
born in 1986. She has published two books<br />
of short stories in Spanish and is now<br />
writing plays in English. She speaks French<br />
and reads Ancient Greek. She also plays<br />
violin, paints and studies<br />
Chinese in <strong>Taipei</strong>.<br />
To read more about Professor Tsai’s work, see:<br />
Recovering lost woven treasures: Translati<strong>on</strong> and Transformati<strong>on</strong><br />
By Tsai YuShan<br />
Published by Tsai Hsuanchu Published in 2012<br />
ISBN 978-957-41-9248-9<br />
12<br />
november 2012 www.communitycenter.org.tw
scholars in residence<br />
at taipei american<br />
school<br />
coMMUNIty<br />
TEXT: MICHAEL RUSSELL, COMMUNICATIONS/<br />
SPECIAL PROJECTS<br />
IMAGE: TAS<br />
<strong>Taipei</strong> American School (TAS) has initiated an<br />
exciting new program over the past two years that<br />
provides our students with unique opportunities<br />
to engage with and learn from world-renowned<br />
experts for extended periods of time. The Joanna Nichols<br />
Visiting Scholar program brings a relevant, distinguished,<br />
and stimulating figure to TAS for <strong>on</strong>e m<strong>on</strong>th each year to<br />
share singular insights and experiences with our students.<br />
The first two scholars in residence were journalist<br />
Mike Chinoy, in 2011, and “Mathemagician” Dr. Arthur<br />
Benjamin, in 2012. Both Mr. Chinoy and Dr. Benjamin<br />
kept very busy schedules at TAS and immersed themselves<br />
in the school community: teaching two or three classes<br />
a day; advising student clubs and activities, such as the<br />
math team and the student newspaper; presenting at<br />
assemblies for students at nearly every grade level at TAS;<br />
and giving presentati<strong>on</strong>s for parents, alumni, and other<br />
community members. Through this program, TAS hopes to<br />
broaden student horiz<strong>on</strong>s, inspire passi<strong>on</strong>s, provide unique<br />
opportunities for development of meaningful experiences,<br />
and enrich the overall learning envir<strong>on</strong>ment.<br />
During his time at TAS, Mr. Chinoy, a former CNN<br />
corresp<strong>on</strong>dent who covered the Tiananmen Square<br />
dem<strong>on</strong>strati<strong>on</strong>s and many other events of major global<br />
impact, said: “The world is becoming an increasingly<br />
complex, inter-c<strong>on</strong>nected place, and the need to better<br />
understand what is happening across the globe, and how it<br />
can affect <strong>on</strong>e's own life, has <strong>on</strong>ly become more important.<br />
I hope I will be able to encourage students to get more<br />
excited about — and engaged in — understanding history,<br />
current affairs, journalism, and the dramatic changes in<br />
communicati<strong>on</strong>s technology that are shrinking borders<br />
and turning all of us into ‘global citizens.’” Mr. Chinoy’s<br />
visit gave students the chance to engage in unique learning<br />
experiences, such as a c<strong>on</strong>ference call discussi<strong>on</strong> with a<br />
United Nati<strong>on</strong>s Assistant Secretary General about U.N.<br />
operati<strong>on</strong>s in c<strong>on</strong>flict resoluti<strong>on</strong> and rebuilding, a viewing<br />
of unreleased home movies of President Nix<strong>on</strong>’s visit to<br />
China, and a simulati<strong>on</strong> of North Korean peace talks, with<br />
the guidance of a reporter who has first-hand experience<br />
with those talks and the figures involved.<br />
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics<br />
(STEM) learning was the primary focus of<br />
“Mathemagician” Dr. Benjamin, a hugely popular TED<br />
talk speaker and math professor from Harvey Mudd<br />
College. Teaching classes in math and other subjects was<br />
just a fracti<strong>on</strong> of his impact, as he gave astounding, funny,<br />
thought provoking performances at assemblies for upper,<br />
middle, and lower school students and parents. Reflecting<br />
<strong>on</strong> his visit, <strong>on</strong>e student explained, “His presentati<strong>on</strong>s<br />
in both math and Theory of Knowledge classes were<br />
extremely eye-opening because they highlighted the ways<br />
in which math could actually be fun and interesting to<br />
the ordinary student. Dr. Benjamin was able to portray<br />
problem-solving as less of a task, and as more of an<br />
intellectual explorati<strong>on</strong>.” He expressed a desire to not <strong>on</strong>ly<br />
amaze and entertain students, but to broaden horiz<strong>on</strong>s<br />
and impart an appreciati<strong>on</strong> for the beauty of mathematical<br />
theory and structure, the fun and creative process of<br />
exploring STEM fields, and the vast array of possibilities<br />
that these fields present.<br />
With the extended length of the scholars’ stays at TAS,<br />
students are able to build relati<strong>on</strong>ships with figures who<br />
are unmatched resources for expansive informati<strong>on</strong> and<br />
high level thinking that the average student might not<br />
be exposed to at the university level, much less in high<br />
school. Our Model United Nati<strong>on</strong>s teams, debate and<br />
public speaking competitors, student journalists, robotics<br />
teams, and science fair participants am<strong>on</strong>g others have<br />
dem<strong>on</strong>strated the new knowledge and insight these experts<br />
provided. TAS is extremely fortunate to have such a<br />
rewarding program made possible by a gift to the Friends<br />
of TAS. Visiting experts for the next two years are already<br />
lined up: Dr. Benjamin Elman, Chair of the Department of<br />
East Asian Studies at Princet<strong>on</strong> University, and Dr. David<br />
Spergel, Chair of the Department of Astrophysical Sciences<br />
at Princet<strong>on</strong> University, in 2014-2015.<br />
Events at The <strong>Center</strong><br />
SpeCial topiC Coffee morning<br />
Thursday, December 6th, 10:30 am - 12 no<strong>on</strong>.<br />
This m<strong>on</strong>th we will be discussing volunteering around<br />
<strong>Taipei</strong>. Come in and meet a few of the organizati<strong>on</strong>s you<br />
can lend your time to and, as always, enjoy a cup of coffee<br />
with us!<br />
Mark your calendars for January’s Coffee Morning which<br />
will be held <strong>on</strong> 17th January.<br />
book ClubS: The Help by kathryn Stockett<br />
The morning book club will meet Wednesday 12th<br />
December, 10:30 am <strong>on</strong>wards. For more informati<strong>on</strong> email<br />
coteditor@communitycenter.org.tw.<br />
The evening book club will meet <strong>on</strong> Thursday 20th<br />
December, 7:15 pm <strong>on</strong>wards. For more informati<strong>on</strong>, email<br />
melanie.k.le<strong>on</strong>ard@gmail.com.<br />
www.communitycenter.org.tw DEC 2012/jan 2013<br />
13
t<br />
Orphanage Club<br />
TEXT: TINA YUAN AND BRANDON HUANG<br />
pearl S. buCk ChriStmaS party preparati<strong>on</strong><br />
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, December 20th to December 22nd<br />
To ensure that this is a spectacular lunche<strong>on</strong> and party, we<br />
will decorate the entire TAS cafeteria, purchase and wrap<br />
each child's gift, and prepare individual packages to be<br />
taken home at the end of the party. We welcome every<strong>on</strong>e<br />
to assist <strong>on</strong> Friday and Saturday from 9 am until 5 pm. It is<br />
truly a "Santa's workshop."<br />
pearl S. buCk ChriStmaS party<br />
Sunday December 23rd. Set up begins 9 am, party commences<br />
12 no<strong>on</strong>.<br />
The Orphanage Club members with other volunteers will<br />
serve our guests a sumptuous feast. Entertainment will be<br />
provided by TAS students. People interested in helping set up<br />
the party beginning at 9 am are welcome. Although most guests<br />
leave after 3 pm, the cleanup usually lasts until after 5 pm.<br />
angel treeS<br />
Until January 11th<br />
Angel trees are still up in fr<strong>on</strong>t of the middle school office<br />
and at the entrance of the new high school building (the D<br />
block). Please pick up angel-shaped cards hung <strong>on</strong> the trees<br />
and purchase gifts requested by the orphans. These gifts will<br />
be distributed for the Pearl S. Buck Foundati<strong>on</strong> Party as well<br />
as for children at both Cathwel and Chung Yi Orphanages<br />
who will have Chinese New Year parties in January<br />
sp<strong>on</strong>sored by the club.<br />
CathWel and Chung yi outingS<br />
Saturday January 19th and Sunday January 27th<br />
As usual, the guests will be paired up with an Orphanage<br />
Club member for a day of fun. Each child will receive the gift<br />
he or she requested <strong>on</strong> the Angel Tree. The club purchases<br />
any gifts not d<strong>on</strong>ated from the tree. We are always looking<br />
for adults willing to help supervise meaningful, funfilled<br />
days. Please c<strong>on</strong>tact us at the email below if you are<br />
interested.<br />
firSt book Workday<br />
Saturday January 12th<br />
In order to prepare for our annual book sale in March,<br />
we’ll be holding our first book workday from 9 am to 5 pm.<br />
We’ll be sorting the d<strong>on</strong>ated books and organizing them into<br />
different genres alphabetically to price and box them for the<br />
sale. We welcome every<strong>on</strong>e to help us!<br />
paCk and mail Shopping<br />
Thursday January 31st and Friday February 1st<br />
We’ll be heading to Carrefour to buy canned foods<br />
and snacks that are to be sent before Chinese New Year<br />
to twenty-five poor families in Taiwan. The next day a<br />
delegati<strong>on</strong> will go to Dihua Street to purchase a variety of<br />
traditi<strong>on</strong>al foods enjoyed by locals during the celebrati<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
Again we welcome others to join us.<br />
raffle tiCketS and prizeS<br />
Any<strong>on</strong>e wanting to purchase raffle tickets for our annual<br />
drawing or having prizes to d<strong>on</strong>ate can c<strong>on</strong>tact us also. We<br />
appreciate every<strong>on</strong>e's support.<br />
14<br />
novEmbEr 2012 www.communitycenter.org.tw<br />
Please visit our website at www.orphanageclub.com;<br />
for enquiries, email our sp<strong>on</strong>sor, Mr. Arnold, at arnoldr@tas.edu.tw
2013 Spring & Summer Activities<br />
www.communitycenter.org.tw novEmbEr 2012<br />
15
Welcome To The <strong>Center</strong><br />
December 2012<br />
Registrati<strong>on</strong> Informati<strong>on</strong><br />
Dear Friends,<br />
C<strong>on</strong>gratulati<strong>on</strong>s! If you are reading this letter and looking over this Activities<br />
Catalog it means that you have in some way become aware of the <strong>Community</strong><br />
<strong>Services</strong> <strong>Center</strong>.<br />
You might be a volunteer or current activity participant who we see each week;<br />
you might be a newcomer who just walked into the <strong>Center</strong> for the first time; or, you<br />
might be reading this <strong>on</strong>line and have never even set foot into our office. It really<br />
doesn’t matter because you are now c<strong>on</strong>nected to the <strong>Center</strong> and all that we have<br />
to offer you.<br />
Inside this catalog there are sixty ways for you to learn a new skill, visit a new<br />
place, and meet other people who share your interests. Also inside is informati<strong>on</strong><br />
about our Counseling Program, which is why the <strong>Center</strong> exists in the first place.<br />
And, if that isn’t enough, the schedule for our m<strong>on</strong>thly special topic coffee<br />
mornings is also included so that you can mark your calendar and be sure that<br />
you pay us a visit some time during the Spring/Summer 2013 semester.<br />
So, what are you waiting for Register for a course or tour. Come to a coffee<br />
morning. Get and stay c<strong>on</strong>nected to the <strong>Center</strong>. We’re here for you.<br />
We can’t wait to see you!<br />
Advance registrati<strong>on</strong> and payment is required for all activities. We are<br />
pleased to announce that <strong>on</strong>line pre-registrati<strong>on</strong> is now available via The<br />
<strong>Center</strong>’s website. Go to www.communitycenter.org.tw/whats-<strong>on</strong>/pre-register.<br />
Please note that we cannot guarantee your place until full payment is made.<br />
If you are unable to visit The <strong>Center</strong>, please call us for alternative payment<br />
opti<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
The <strong>Center</strong> office hours are M<strong>on</strong>day – Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm.<br />
Cancellati<strong>on</strong>s<br />
Please be sure to register early. By paying at least <strong>on</strong>e week before an<br />
activity begins you can help to ensure that we have sufficient enrollment to<br />
c<strong>on</strong>duct it. The <strong>Center</strong> reserves the right to cancel any activity or program<br />
that does not have sufficient enrollment. We make every effort to notify<br />
registered participants promptly.<br />
Please help us save time as well as show courtesy to our instructors by<br />
not waiting until the last minute to c<strong>on</strong>firm your participati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
Refund and Credit Policy<br />
Activities cancelled by The <strong>Center</strong>:<br />
• Full refund will be issued. Refunds may be collected until the last day of<br />
the semester.<br />
Grace Ting<br />
Office Manager<br />
Rosemary Susa<br />
Programs Coordinator<br />
When a participant cancels a tour or activity registrati<strong>on</strong>, no refund will be<br />
issued. However, credit is available <strong>on</strong> the following terms:<br />
• A full credit will be issued if you cancel your registrati<strong>on</strong> at least <strong>on</strong>e<br />
week prior to the first meeting. After that time, we are unable to give<br />
credit.<br />
• Credit may be applied to other <strong>Center</strong> activities within the current term<br />
or to the term which immediately follows.<br />
Tel: 02-2836-8134<br />
E-mail: ce@communitycenter.org.tw<br />
http://www.communitycenter.org.tw
The <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Center</strong> | Tel: 02-2836-8134, e-mail: ce@communitycenter.org.tw<br />
Arts, Culture & Tours in Taiwan<br />
# of<br />
# Activity Day(s) Dates Time $$$ Meet@ Instructor<br />
Descripti<strong>on</strong><br />
Sessi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
5<br />
Arts, Culture and Tours in Taiwan<br />
Jingmei Area and<br />
Fairy Footstep Rock<br />
Hike<br />
Guandu Temple:<br />
Seeking Wealth and<br />
Fortune<br />
Lin Lui Hsin Puppet<br />
Museum Tour and<br />
Show<br />
Celebrating Chinese<br />
New Year: Di Hua<br />
Street Tour<br />
L<strong>on</strong>gshan Temple,<br />
Bopiliao and Wanhua<br />
Herb Street Tour<br />
Wed Jan 23<br />
M<strong>on</strong> Jan 28<br />
Thu Jan 31<br />
Tue Feb 05<br />
Wed Feb 20<br />
1<br />
1<br />
1<br />
1<br />
1<br />
9:00am -<br />
12no<strong>on</strong> $ 500<br />
9:00am -<br />
12no<strong>on</strong> $ 500<br />
10:00am -<br />
12no<strong>on</strong> $ 700<br />
9:45am -<br />
12no<strong>on</strong> $ 500<br />
9:30am -<br />
12no<strong>on</strong> $ 500<br />
Jingmei<br />
MRT Sta.<br />
Exit 2<br />
Guandu<br />
MRT Sta.<br />
Exit 2<br />
Lin Lui Hsin<br />
Puppet<br />
Museum<br />
Shuanglian<br />
MRT Sta.<br />
Exit 2<br />
L<strong>on</strong>gshan<br />
Temple MRT<br />
Sta. Exit 1<br />
Richard<br />
Saunders<br />
Jennifer T<strong>on</strong>g<br />
Robin<br />
Ruizendaal<br />
Ivy Chen and<br />
Rosemary Susa<br />
Jennifer T<strong>on</strong>g<br />
From the Jingmei MRT stati<strong>on</strong> we will begin our adventure<br />
with a short, but steep climb up c<strong>on</strong>crete steps to the Fairy<br />
Footstep Rock to see a lovely piece of countryside in the<br />
middle of the city. Legend has it that the foot prints imbedded<br />
in the rock face bel<strong>on</strong>g to <strong>on</strong>e of the Eight Immortal Gods.<br />
We’ll end the tour with a visit to a tiny, but old temple in the<br />
Jingmei Night Market below. Wear sturdy shoes.<br />
Originally built in 1661, Guandu is Taiwan’s oldest temple and<br />
is dedicated to Mazu, Goddess of the Sea. It is <strong>on</strong>e of the<br />
most interesting to visit as it is built against a cliff and features<br />
two caves, <strong>on</strong>e of which extends quite far into the hillside and<br />
houses many deities representing the God of Wealth. Join<br />
Jennifer to learn about this fascinating temple, explore the<br />
caves, and be <strong>on</strong>e am<strong>on</strong>g the many seeking their fortune for<br />
the upcoming Year of the Snake.<br />
Used for religious, entertainment and communicati<strong>on</strong><br />
purposes, puppetry holds a significant place in Chinese and<br />
Taiwanese history. The Lin Lui Hsin Puppet Museum, a lovely<br />
little gem in the midst of the Dadaocheng area of <strong>Taipei</strong>, is<br />
dedicated to preserving and sharing this piece of local cultural<br />
heritage. Join the <strong>Center</strong> for a tour with the curator whose<br />
passi<strong>on</strong> for puppetry brings the museum to life. After the tour,<br />
enjoy a delightful puppet show. Children welcome.<br />
Macy's at Christmas. Harrod's at Easter. Di Hua Street at<br />
Chinese New Year! Join Ivy for a tour of the famous Di Hua<br />
Street market area and enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes<br />
of the holiday. Included will be a quick walk around the fabric<br />
market making this your <strong>on</strong>e-stop tour of the neighborhood.<br />
Lantern Festival marks the end of the Chinese New Year<br />
celebrati<strong>on</strong>. Visit the very old and atmospheric L<strong>on</strong>gshan<br />
Temple where you will not <strong>on</strong>ly learn about the history of<br />
the temple, but also be able to view colorful lanterns made<br />
especially for this auspicious occasi<strong>on</strong>. Included in this tour is<br />
a visit to the Bopiliao Historic Block and the nearby Wanhua<br />
Herb Street, a complete Taiwanese cultural experience.<br />
Transportati<strong>on</strong> included<br />
Lunch or meal included<br />
Please check www.communitycenter.org.tw for the most recent updates.<br />
2013 Spring & Summer Activities [iv]
The <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Center</strong> | Tel: 02-2836-8134, e-mail: ce@communitycenter.org.tw<br />
Arts, Culture & Tours in Taiwan<br />
# of<br />
# Activity Day(s) Dates Time $$$ Meet@ Instructor<br />
Descripti<strong>on</strong><br />
Sessi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
6<br />
7<br />
Ecologically Grown:<br />
Farm Tour and<br />
Vegetarian Lunch<br />
The Shi D<strong>on</strong>g and<br />
Local Market Tour or<br />
What Is That Vegetable<br />
and How Do I Cook It<br />
8 Exploring Scenic Wulai:<br />
Hike and Tour<br />
9<br />
10<br />
Tea Tasting and<br />
Walking Excursi<strong>on</strong> of<br />
the Old Tea District<br />
The Grand Hotel:<br />
History, Rumors and<br />
Secret Tunnels<br />
Fri Feb 22<br />
Tue Feb 26<br />
9:00am -<br />
3:00pm<br />
Tue Mar 05 1 8:30am -<br />
3:00pm<br />
Wed Mar 13<br />
M<strong>on</strong> Mar 18<br />
11 Little Burma Tour Thu Mar 21<br />
1<br />
1<br />
1<br />
1<br />
1<br />
$ 1400 Corner of<br />
Zh<strong>on</strong>gshan<br />
N. Rd.,<br />
Sec. 6 and<br />
Lane 290<br />
Ivy Chen<br />
9:00am -<br />
12no<strong>on</strong> $ 500 The <strong>Center</strong> Ivy Chen<br />
$ 1200<br />
9:30am -<br />
12:30pm $ 500<br />
9:30am -<br />
11:30am $ 600<br />
10:00am -<br />
12no<strong>on</strong><br />
Corner of<br />
Zh<strong>on</strong>gshan<br />
N. Rd.,<br />
Sec. 6 and<br />
Lane 290<br />
ABC<br />
Tea Shop<br />
Jiantan<br />
MRT Sta.<br />
Exit 2<br />
$ 500 Nanshijiao<br />
MRT Sta.<br />
Exit 4<br />
Richard<br />
Saunders<br />
Jacks<strong>on</strong><br />
Huang<br />
Jennifer T<strong>on</strong>g<br />
Ivy Chen<br />
Transportati<strong>on</strong> included Lunch or meal included Please check www.communitycenter.org.tw for the most recent updates.<br />
Join Ivy <strong>on</strong> a visit to an ecologically friendly farm, established<br />
by a local eye doctor in search of a source of pesticide-free<br />
food. Learn all about the special techniques they use to grow<br />
their rice, fruits and vegetables. Tour the farm, help pick<br />
some vegetables and enjoy a delicious vegetarian lunch.<br />
Bright, colorful and noisy, the Shi D<strong>on</strong>g Market is the place<br />
for all your produce needs. Join Ivy and learn some helpful<br />
hints and tips <strong>on</strong> what to buy, where to buy it, and how to<br />
be sure it's fresh. Ivy will also show you how to select fresh<br />
fish, seafood and other items of interest. Starting from the<br />
<strong>Center</strong>, this informative tour includes stops at various smaller<br />
markets al<strong>on</strong>g the way. It’s <strong>on</strong>e <strong>Center</strong> tour not to miss!<br />
This tour begins at the impressive spectacle of the highest<br />
cascade in northern Taiwan, Wulai Waterfall, plunging 80<br />
meters in a series of drops into a deep gorge. After a short<br />
hike to take in the beautiful landscape further up the gorge,<br />
we will visit a nearby aboriginal village, with shops selling<br />
souvenirs and snacks. We'll take the little train back down the<br />
gorge to Wulai village and return through beautiful mountain<br />
scenery to <strong>Taipei</strong>. Wear comfortable shoes, bring a packed<br />
lunch and rain gear--just in case.<br />
Come to the ABC Tea Shop to learn about the different types<br />
of tea and participate in a hands-<strong>on</strong> brewing and tasting<br />
dem<strong>on</strong>strati<strong>on</strong>. With many years in the tea industry, Jacks<strong>on</strong><br />
Huang will share his wealth of knowledge of the history of<br />
tea in Taiwan. Afterwards, he will take the group <strong>on</strong> a walking<br />
tour of the Old Tea District, including a stop at the City Tea<br />
Associati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
Join the <strong>Center</strong> for a fascinating tour of the Grand Hotel and<br />
learn about its history, folklore and colorful past. This is also<br />
your chance to visit <strong>on</strong>e of its secret passageways, which<br />
for many years was the object of much speculati<strong>on</strong>. Where it<br />
leads, no <strong>on</strong>e really knows. If they do, they aren't telling!<br />
On the other side of town, far away from Tianmu, is a small<br />
neighborhood known as “Little Burma.” Join Ivy as she walks<br />
you through this tiny enclave of spice shops and small eateries.<br />
If you're not too full after snacking <strong>on</strong> some of the tasty treats<br />
available, you can stay and join Ivy for lunch.<br />
2013 Spring & Summer Activities [v]
The <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Center</strong> | Tel: 02-2836-8134, e-mail: ce@communitycenter.org.tw<br />
Arts, Culture & Tours in Taiwan<br />
# of<br />
# Activity Day(s) Dates Time $$$ Meet@ Instructor<br />
Descripti<strong>on</strong><br />
Sessi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
12<br />
Xindian Area Hike:<br />
Countryside in the<br />
City<br />
Wed Apr 17 1 9:30am -<br />
12no<strong>on</strong><br />
$ 500 Xindian<br />
MRT Sta.<br />
Richard<br />
Saunders<br />
This short and fairly easy walk never strays far from the<br />
city, yet explores some remarkably secluded and attractive<br />
countryside. From the suspensi<strong>on</strong> bridge of Bitan we will<br />
take a short climb up to the fine viewpoint of Hemei Hill.<br />
Next we’ll be rowed across the river in the quaint old Xindian<br />
Ferry boat for a leisurely walk beside the river back to the<br />
city. Up<strong>on</strong> your return there are some nice little places to<br />
stop for coffee or lunch, if you have time. This walk has<br />
several short, but steep, climbs up steps.<br />
13<br />
Meeting a Local Artist:<br />
Studio Tour Thu Apr 25<br />
1<br />
9:00am -<br />
2:00pm $ 1400<br />
Corner of<br />
Zh<strong>on</strong>gshan<br />
N. Rd.,<br />
Sec. 6 and<br />
Lane 290<br />
Yang Tze-Yun<br />
and<br />
Rosemary Susa<br />
Visit the private studio and Art Museum of Yang Tze-<br />
Yun, a Taiwanese artist, well-known for his avant garde<br />
calligraphy and abstract painting. Meet the artist, learn about<br />
his work, and enjoy the lovely envir<strong>on</strong>ment he has created<br />
in the countryside of Sanzhi.You will also be treated to a<br />
dem<strong>on</strong>strati<strong>on</strong> of his distinctive calligraphy technique. Bring a<br />
packed lunch for the ride home.<br />
14<br />
Sky Lanterns and<br />
Waterfalls in Pingxi<br />
Township<br />
Tue Apr 30 1 8:30am -<br />
3:00pm<br />
$ 1500<br />
Corner of<br />
Zh<strong>on</strong>gshan<br />
N. Rd.,<br />
Sec. 6 and<br />
Lane 290<br />
Jennifer T<strong>on</strong>g<br />
We start this tour at the beautiful Shifen Waterfall, the widest<br />
in Taiwan. From there we will c<strong>on</strong>tinue to Shifen Village where<br />
you will have the chance to decorate and send off your own<br />
paper sky lantern. After a bit of wandering and time to shop<br />
we will take a short train ride to the quaint town of Pingxi<br />
where we will rejoin our bus for the ride back to <strong>Taipei</strong>. Wear<br />
comfortable shoes and bring a packed lunch. Cost of <strong>on</strong>e sky<br />
lantern and entrance fees included.<br />
15 Discover Maok<strong>on</strong>g Sat May 04<br />
1<br />
11:00am -<br />
4:00pm<br />
$ 1200 <strong>Taipei</strong> Zoo<br />
MRT Sta.<br />
Exit 2<br />
Katy Ho Boyden<br />
Join Katy for a tour of the Maok<strong>on</strong>g area known for its tea<br />
cultivati<strong>on</strong>, tea cuisine, beautiful day and night-time views<br />
of the city below, and the g<strong>on</strong>dola ride which transports you<br />
there. This tour includes a visit to the <strong>Taipei</strong> Tieguanyin and<br />
Paochung Tea Promoti<strong>on</strong> <strong>Center</strong>, a chance to sample some<br />
varieties of Formosan tea and a tasty tea meal at the "Big Tea<br />
Pot" restaurant. Bring your Easy Card for the g<strong>on</strong>dola.<br />
16 Eating Taiwanese Thu May 09 1 11:45am -<br />
1:30pm<br />
$ 900<br />
Golden<br />
Formosa<br />
Restaurant<br />
Tianmu<br />
Sally Duh Chu<br />
Join Sally, our resident foodie and trained chef, for a mouthwatering<br />
lunch at the Golden Formosa Restaurant in Tianmu.<br />
Enjoy a selecti<strong>on</strong> of local delicacies such as Crispy Fried<br />
Spareribs, Wild Mountain Chicken Slices, Fried Tofu with<br />
Garlic Sauce, and Stir Fried Rice Noodles with Pumpkin.<br />
The "Hungry Girl" gives this restaurant the big thumbs up!<br />
Transportati<strong>on</strong> included<br />
Lunch or meal included<br />
Please check www.communitycenter.org.tw for the most recent updates.<br />
2013 Spring & Summer Activities [vi]
The <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Center</strong> | Tel: 02-2836-8134, e-mail: ce@communitycenter.org.tw<br />
Arts, Culture & Tours in Taiwan/<br />
Family, Fitness & Health<br />
# of<br />
# Activity Day(s) Dates Time $$$ Meet@ Instructor<br />
Descripti<strong>on</strong><br />
Sessi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
17 Flat Hike: “I HATE<br />
Steps, but Love to<br />
Hike”<br />
Tue May 14 1 9:00am -<br />
1:30pm<br />
Family, Fitness & Health<br />
$ 1000<br />
Corner of<br />
Zh<strong>on</strong>gshan<br />
N. Rd.,<br />
Sec. 6 and<br />
Lane 290<br />
Richard<br />
Saunders<br />
Enjoy the sights and sounds of the great outdoors, but aren’t<br />
so crazy about steps Here's your chance to join Richard <strong>on</strong><br />
a moderate Yangmingshan Nati<strong>on</strong>al Park hike which follows<br />
the level "Butterfly Path" al<strong>on</strong>g the wooded shoulder of Mt.<br />
Datun and ends at a landscaped p<strong>on</strong>d in a pleasant, park like<br />
area where we will have time to rest, eat our lunch and then<br />
return back to the bus. Wear sturdy shoes, bring water, a<br />
packed lunch, and rain gear--just in case.<br />
18 Gentle Yoga I Wed Jan 16<br />
to Mar 13<br />
8<br />
9:30am -<br />
11:00am<br />
$ 3200 The Farès<br />
Academy<br />
Dojo<br />
Maria Moberg<br />
Yoga doesn't need to be hard or difficult to do. The focus<br />
of this course is to teach easy yoga postures, breathing<br />
exercises and meditati<strong>on</strong> to help you open up the body, mind<br />
and spirit. Enjoy the gentle stretches and traditi<strong>on</strong>al yoga<br />
poses in a n<strong>on</strong>-competitive envir<strong>on</strong>ment where every<strong>on</strong>e is<br />
encouraged to practice within their own abilities. It is suitable<br />
for beginners and any<strong>on</strong>e requiring a gentler exercise<br />
program. Bring water, a yoga mat and towel.<br />
19 Kindermusik I-A<br />
0-18 mos.<br />
Thu Jan 24<br />
to Mar 21<br />
7<br />
9:15am -<br />
10:00am<br />
$ 4500 The <strong>Center</strong> Jennifer Chau<br />
Kindermusik is a developmentally appropriate music and<br />
movement class that enhances the b<strong>on</strong>d between parent and<br />
baby. Your baby will thrive <strong>on</strong> musical and rhythmic activities<br />
designed to lay the foundati<strong>on</strong> for a lifetime love of music.<br />
High-quality "take home" materials are included. Enrollment<br />
is limited; please register early.<br />
20 Kindermusik II<br />
18 mos.-3yrs.<br />
Thu Jan 24<br />
to May 23<br />
14<br />
10:15am -<br />
11:00am<br />
$ 8000 The <strong>Center</strong> Jennifer Chau<br />
Kindermusik is a developmentally appropriate music and<br />
movement class that enhances the b<strong>on</strong>d between parent and<br />
child. Your toddler will thrive <strong>on</strong> musical and rhythmic activities<br />
designed to lay the foundati<strong>on</strong> for a lifetime love of music.<br />
High-quality "take home" materials are included. Enrollment is<br />
limited; please register early.<br />
21 Kindermusik I-B<br />
0-18 mos.<br />
Thu Jan 24<br />
to Mar 21<br />
7<br />
11:15am -<br />
12no<strong>on</strong><br />
$ 4500 The <strong>Center</strong> Jennifer Chau Please refer to Activity #19 for a full course descripti<strong>on</strong>.<br />
22 Eat Right for Your<br />
Blood Type<br />
Fri Jan 25 1 12:30pm -<br />
2:00pm<br />
$ 500 The <strong>Center</strong> Dr. Dustin Wu<br />
Are you A positive or B negative Do you know what foods<br />
suit your blood type best Let Dr. Wu unravel the mysteries<br />
of what types of foods best suit your blood type to gain the<br />
maximum health benefits.<br />
Transportati<strong>on</strong> included Lunch or meal included Please check www.communitycenter.org.tw for the most recent updates.<br />
2013 Spring & Summer Activities [vii]
The <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Center</strong> | Tel: 02-2836-8134, e-mail: ce@communitycenter.org.tw<br />
Family, Fitness & Health<br />
# of<br />
# Activity Day(s) Dates Time $$$ Meet@ Instructor<br />
Descripti<strong>on</strong><br />
Sessi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
23 Your Next Career Step Tue Jan 29<br />
24 Fostering Your<br />
Young Child's<br />
Future Success<br />
25 Self-Defense for Boys:<br />
Boys Empowered<br />
Tue Feb 26<br />
M<strong>on</strong><br />
Mar 04<br />
to Apr 22<br />
26 <strong>Taipei</strong> Hospital Tour Wed Mar 06<br />
27<br />
28<br />
Self-Defense for<br />
Women and Girls<br />
Fri<br />
Kindermusik I-C<br />
0-18 mos. Thu<br />
Mar 08<br />
to Apr 26<br />
Apr 11<br />
to May 23<br />
1<br />
1<br />
6<br />
1<br />
6<br />
7<br />
4:00pm -<br />
5:30pm<br />
$ 500 The <strong>Center</strong> Ralph Whalen<br />
4:00pm -<br />
5:30pm $ 500 The <strong>Center</strong> Ralph Whalen<br />
4:00pm -<br />
5:00pm<br />
9:30am -<br />
1:00pm<br />
4:00pm -<br />
5:00pm<br />
$ 2400 The Farès<br />
Academy<br />
Dojo<br />
Antoine Farès<br />
$ 600 The <strong>Center</strong> Juchi Tang-Liu<br />
$ 2400 The Farès<br />
Academy<br />
Dojo<br />
Antoine Farès<br />
9:15am -<br />
10:00am $ 4500 The <strong>Center</strong> Jennifer Chau<br />
Career satisfacti<strong>on</strong> involves matching a paid or unpaid job<br />
with your unique talents, interests and values. Whether you<br />
are seeking your first positi<strong>on</strong>, c<strong>on</strong>sidering changing careers,<br />
or looking for volunteer opportunities this class will help you<br />
clarify your next career step. This workshop will be c<strong>on</strong>ducted<br />
by Ralph Whalen, a <strong>Taipei</strong> American School counselor.<br />
When do people start learning skills necessary for building<br />
successful careers The answer: childhood. The foundati<strong>on</strong><br />
for later success in the world of work is built in the early years.<br />
This course, geared towards the parents of elementary-age<br />
children, will help you to learn how you can assist your child<br />
to cultivate good work habits, develop proper attitudes, make<br />
wise decisi<strong>on</strong>s and learn key skills.<br />
We live in an ever-changing world and today's young boys<br />
are faced with many challenges and obstacles. Studying<br />
martial arts is a well known way to prepare young people,<br />
both mentally and physically, and give them the c<strong>on</strong>fidence<br />
to stand up to any challenge they meet. In this class students<br />
will learn the Rules of Engagement and how to handle<br />
physical and verbal aggressi<strong>on</strong>. For boys ages 8-14.<br />
D<strong>on</strong>'t wait until you are faced with an illness or medical<br />
emergency to find out about the medical services in Taiwan.<br />
Join Juchi, a nurse practiti<strong>on</strong>er with experience both in the<br />
United States and Taiwan, for a tour of <strong>Taipei</strong> Veteran's<br />
General Hospital and the Nati<strong>on</strong>al Taiwan University Hospital<br />
(NTUH) to learn how to access both private clinic and<br />
Nati<strong>on</strong>al Health Insurance covered care. Tour ends at NTUH.<br />
“Self-defense” is not just a set of techniques; it’s a state<br />
of mind, and it begins with the belief that you are worth<br />
defending. Any woman has the power within to defeat an<br />
attacker and this program will bring it out. In this class, you<br />
will learn the most comm<strong>on</strong> strategies recommended to<br />
cope with both stranger and n<strong>on</strong>-stranger assailants. This<br />
is a great class for friends or moms and daughters to take<br />
together. For ages twelve and up.<br />
This is a new sessi<strong>on</strong> of our Kindermusik Infant program<br />
and early registrati<strong>on</strong> is recommended. Please refer to<br />
Activity #19 for full descripti<strong>on</strong>.<br />
Transportati<strong>on</strong> included<br />
Lunch or meal included<br />
Please check www.communitycenter.org.tw for the most recent updates.<br />
2013 Spring & Summer Activities [viii]
The <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Center</strong> | Tel: 02-2836-8134, e-mail: ce@communitycenter.org.tw<br />
Family, Fitness & Health/ Hobbies & Skills<br />
# of<br />
# Activity Day(s) Dates Time $$$ Meet@ Instructor<br />
Descripti<strong>on</strong><br />
Sessi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
29<br />
Kindermusik I-D<br />
0-18 mos Thu<br />
Apr 11<br />
to May 23<br />
7<br />
11:15am -<br />
12no<strong>on</strong> $ 4500 The <strong>Center</strong> Jennifer Chau<br />
This is a new sessi<strong>on</strong> of our Kindermusik Infant program<br />
and early registrati<strong>on</strong> is recommended. Please refer to<br />
Activity #19 for full descripti<strong>on</strong>.<br />
30 Gentle Yoga II Wed<br />
Apr 17<br />
to May 29<br />
7<br />
9:30am -<br />
11:00am $ 2800<br />
The Farès<br />
Academy<br />
Dojo<br />
Maria Moberg<br />
Please refer to Activity #18 for a full course descripti<strong>on</strong>.<br />
31<br />
Basic First Aid Plus<br />
Handling Medical<br />
Emergencies in Taiwan<br />
M<strong>on</strong> Apr 22<br />
and Apr 29<br />
2<br />
12:30pm -<br />
2:00pm<br />
$ 1000 The <strong>Center</strong> Dr. Peter<br />
Guérin<br />
Taught by the Regi<strong>on</strong>al Medical Director for the AIT, this<br />
classroom, video-based, instructor-led course will cover<br />
first aid basics and how to deal with medical, injury and<br />
envir<strong>on</strong>mental emergencies. Learn important skills such as<br />
how to treat bleeding, sprains, broken b<strong>on</strong>es, snake bites,<br />
and shock. In additi<strong>on</strong>, find out what to do, where to go, and<br />
how best to transport some<strong>on</strong>e if you are ever faced with a<br />
serious injury or medical emergency in Taiwan.<br />
32 What is Acupuncture<br />
and How Does it Work<br />
Thu May 02 1 12:30pm -<br />
2:00pm<br />
Hobbies & Skills<br />
$ 500 The <strong>Center</strong> Dr. Dustin Wu<br />
Acupuncture, a major comp<strong>on</strong>ent of Chinese traditi<strong>on</strong>al<br />
medicine and culture, is now practiced worldwide. If you've<br />
ever w<strong>on</strong>dered if acupuncture might work for you, join<br />
Dr. Wu who will teach you about the history and scientific<br />
interpretati<strong>on</strong> of acupuncture and how it is used to treat a<br />
variety of c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s and illnesses.<br />
33<br />
English C<strong>on</strong>versati<strong>on</strong>:<br />
Speaking with<br />
C<strong>on</strong>fidence<br />
Tue Jan 15<br />
to Feb 26<br />
6<br />
12:30pm -<br />
2:00pm<br />
$ 2100 The <strong>Center</strong> Bunny<br />
Pacheco<br />
This course is for adult learners who already have some<br />
knowledge of English and who want to improve their<br />
c<strong>on</strong>versati<strong>on</strong>al skills. It is for students who want to speak<br />
with c<strong>on</strong>fidence, fluency and accuracy. The course will<br />
focus <strong>on</strong> helping students to improve their spoken English<br />
through structured dialogues, pair practice, current events<br />
discussi<strong>on</strong>s and grammar exercises.<br />
34 Chinese Lantern<br />
Painting<br />
Thu Jan 24<br />
to Feb 07<br />
3<br />
12:15pm -<br />
2:15pm<br />
$ 2400 The <strong>Center</strong> Jennifer T<strong>on</strong>g<br />
In this class, Jennifer will teach you the basic skills of<br />
Chinese painting, or if you have already taken her previous<br />
painting class, will work with you to develop your technique.<br />
She will then guide you to paint a beautiful paper lantern<br />
ready to hang in your home. Cost of all materials included.<br />
Transportati<strong>on</strong> included Lunch or meal included Please check www.communitycenter.org.tw for the most recent updates.<br />
2013 Spring & Summer Activities [ix]
The <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Center</strong> | Tel: 02-2836-8134, e-mail: ce@communitycenter.org.tw<br />
Hobbies & Skills/ Learn Chinese<br />
# of<br />
# Activity Day(s) Dates Time $$$ Meet@ Instructor<br />
Descripti<strong>on</strong><br />
Sessi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
35 Skin Care and<br />
Make-Up Workshop<br />
Fri<br />
Mar 15<br />
and Mar 22<br />
2<br />
12:15pm -<br />
2:15pm $ 1600 The <strong>Center</strong> Claire Yeh<br />
This two-sessi<strong>on</strong> workshop will teach you the basics of skin<br />
care and proper make-up applicati<strong>on</strong>. Using products you<br />
already own, Claire, a professi<strong>on</strong>al make-up artist, will teach<br />
you how to apply a perfect day make-up and then show you<br />
how to turn your daytime look into nighttime glamour. A small<br />
set of brushes to take home is included in the cost. Please<br />
bring your own cosmetic products to the class.<br />
36 Shadow Puppet<br />
Workshop<br />
Sat Mar 16 1 10:00am -<br />
12no<strong>on</strong><br />
$ 700 Lin Lui Hsin<br />
Puppet<br />
Museum<br />
Robin<br />
Ruizendaal<br />
Join The <strong>Center</strong> <strong>on</strong> a Saturday morning for a fun and<br />
educati<strong>on</strong>al Shadow Puppet Workshop suitable for adults<br />
and children ages five and over. We'll make the puppets<br />
and put <strong>on</strong> our very own shadow puppet show. After the<br />
workshop you can stay and visit the fascinating Lin Lui<br />
Hsin Puppet Museum at your leisure. Workshop and<br />
entrance ticket are included. Children under twelve must be<br />
accompanied by an adult.<br />
37 Spanish C<strong>on</strong>versati<strong>on</strong> Tue<br />
Apr 16<br />
to May 21<br />
6<br />
12:30pm -<br />
2:00pm $ 2100 The <strong>Center</strong><br />
Ana Palazuelos<br />
Berasategui<br />
This course is for adult learners who already have some<br />
knowledge of Spanish and who want to improve their<br />
c<strong>on</strong>versati<strong>on</strong>al skills. It is for students who want to speak<br />
with c<strong>on</strong>fidence, fluency and accuracy. The course will<br />
focus <strong>on</strong> helping students to improve their spoken Spanish<br />
through structured dialogues, pair practice, current events<br />
discussi<strong>on</strong>s and grammar exercises.<br />
38 Chinese Calligraphy Fri Apr 19<br />
to May 03<br />
12:15pm -<br />
2:15pm<br />
Learn Chinese With Gloria Gwo<br />
3<br />
$ 2000 The <strong>Center</strong> Jennifer T<strong>on</strong>g<br />
This class is an introducti<strong>on</strong> to the traditi<strong>on</strong>al style of Chinese<br />
writing using brush and ink. Jennifer will instruct you <strong>on</strong> the<br />
correct way to hold the brush and maneuver it to produce<br />
beautiful results. If you’ve taken calligraphy or brush painting<br />
before, Jennifer will work with you to improve your technique<br />
and form. Cost of all materials included.<br />
39 Survival Chinese I M<strong>on</strong> &<br />
Wed<br />
Jan 14<br />
to Mar 06<br />
14<br />
9:00am -<br />
10:20am<br />
$ 5300 The <strong>Center</strong> Gloria Gwo<br />
Would you like to be able to communicate with shopkeepers,<br />
taxi drivers and co-workers Whether you've just arrived<br />
in Taiwan or have been here awhile, this is the class for<br />
you. Learn spoken Mandarin in a relaxed and informal<br />
envir<strong>on</strong>ment right here at The <strong>Center</strong>. Course materials<br />
included.<br />
Transportati<strong>on</strong> included<br />
Lunch or meal included<br />
Please check www.communitycenter.org.tw for the most recent updates.<br />
2013 Spring & Summer Activities [x]
The <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Center</strong> | Tel: 02-2836-8134, e-mail: ce@communitycenter.org.tw<br />
Learn Chinese<br />
# of<br />
# Activity Day(s) Dates Time $$$ Meet@ Instructor<br />
Descripti<strong>on</strong><br />
Sessi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
40 Survival Chinese II<br />
M<strong>on</strong> &<br />
Wed<br />
Jan 14<br />
to Mar 06<br />
14<br />
10:30am -<br />
11:50am $ 5300 The <strong>Center</strong> Gloria Gwo<br />
This course builds up<strong>on</strong> the skills learned in Survival Chinese<br />
I and offers approximately 20 hours of language instructi<strong>on</strong><br />
for people who would like to upgrade their basic skills and<br />
go <strong>on</strong>e step further with Mandarin. This class is also suitable<br />
for any<strong>on</strong>e who has taken some basic Chinese less<strong>on</strong>s<br />
and would like to carry <strong>on</strong> with his or her studies. Course<br />
materials included.<br />
41 Chinese Study Group III<br />
M<strong>on</strong> &<br />
Wed<br />
Jan 14<br />
to May 01<br />
26<br />
12no<strong>on</strong> -<br />
1:20pm $ 9700 The <strong>Center</strong> Gloria Gwo<br />
This is an advanced Chinese language course for students<br />
who have completed Study Groups I & II and wish to c<strong>on</strong>tinue<br />
their studies. Books not included in course fee.<br />
42 Chinese Study Group I<br />
Tue &<br />
Fri<br />
Jan 15<br />
to May 10<br />
25<br />
9:00am -<br />
10:20am $ 9400 The <strong>Center</strong> Gloria Gwo<br />
This is an intensive Chinese language course that focuses<br />
<strong>on</strong> learning how to read and write characters. You need<br />
to have attended Survival Chinese I and II or completed<br />
approximately 40 hours of language instructi<strong>on</strong>. Books not<br />
included in course fee.<br />
43 Chinese Study Group II Tue &<br />
Fri<br />
Jan 15<br />
to May 10<br />
25<br />
10:30am -<br />
11:50am<br />
$ 9400 The <strong>Center</strong> Gloria Gwo<br />
This is the sec<strong>on</strong>d part in our intensive Chinese language<br />
course that covers spoken Chinese plus learning to read<br />
and write characters. You need to have attended Survival<br />
Chinese I+II and Study Group I or completed approximately<br />
80 hours of Chinese language instructi<strong>on</strong>. Books not<br />
included in course fee.<br />
44 Evening Survival<br />
Chinese I<br />
M<strong>on</strong> &<br />
Wed<br />
Jan 21<br />
to Mar 06<br />
12<br />
6:30pm -<br />
8:30pm<br />
$ 5700 The <strong>Center</strong> Gloria Gwo Please refer to Activity #39 for course descripti<strong>on</strong>.<br />
45 Survival Chinese I M<strong>on</strong> &<br />
Wed<br />
Mar 11<br />
to May 08<br />
14<br />
9:00am -<br />
10:20am<br />
$ 5300 The <strong>Center</strong> Gloria Gwo Please refer to Activity # 39 for course descripti<strong>on</strong>.<br />
46 Survival Chinese II M<strong>on</strong> &<br />
Wed<br />
Mar 11<br />
to May 08<br />
14<br />
10:30am -<br />
11:50am<br />
$ 5300 The <strong>Center</strong> Gloria Gwo Please refer to Activity #40 for course descripti<strong>on</strong>.<br />
47 Evening Survival<br />
Chinese II<br />
M<strong>on</strong> &<br />
Wed<br />
Mar 11<br />
to May 08<br />
12<br />
6:30pm -<br />
8:30pm<br />
$ 5700 The <strong>Center</strong> Gloria Gwo Please refer to Activity #40 for course descripti<strong>on</strong>.<br />
48 Summer Survival<br />
Chinese I<br />
M<strong>on</strong> &<br />
Wed<br />
Jun 17<br />
to Jul 31<br />
14<br />
9:00am -<br />
10:20am<br />
$ 5300 The <strong>Center</strong> Gloria Gwo Please refer to Activity #39 for course descripti<strong>on</strong>.<br />
49 Summer Survival<br />
Chinese II<br />
M<strong>on</strong> &<br />
Wed<br />
Jun 17<br />
to Jul 31<br />
14<br />
10:30am -<br />
11:50am<br />
$ 5300 The <strong>Center</strong> Gloria Gwo Please refer to Activity #40 for course descripti<strong>on</strong>.<br />
Transportati<strong>on</strong> included Lunch or meal included Please check www.communitycenter.org.tw for the most recent updates.<br />
2013 Spring & Summer Activities [xi]
The <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Center</strong> | Tel: 02-2836-8134, e-mail: ce@communitycenter.org.tw<br />
What's Cooking<br />
# of<br />
# Activity Day(s) Dates Time $$$ Meet@ Instructor<br />
Descripti<strong>on</strong><br />
Sessi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
What's Cooking<br />
50 It's All in the Sauce Fri Jan 18 1 10:00am -<br />
12no<strong>on</strong><br />
$ 1000 The <strong>Center</strong> Sally Duh Chu<br />
The secret to many a tasty dish is in the sauce. Join Sally<br />
who will teach you how to make five different sauces: Sweet<br />
& Sour, Ginger Vinegar, Oyster, Red Chili and Spicy. She will<br />
also teach you how to prepare your own chili oil and pepper<br />
salt, two major staples in Chinese cooking. Then, enjoy a<br />
feast as she dem<strong>on</strong>strates how to use these delicious sauces<br />
<strong>on</strong> a selecti<strong>on</strong> of appetizers, salads, and main courses.<br />
51 Indian Vegetarian:<br />
Cooking Curries<br />
Fri Jan 25 1 10:00am-<br />
12no<strong>on</strong><br />
$ 1000 The <strong>Center</strong> Dee Sharma<br />
What better way to serve veggies to your family than in<br />
a delicious and satisfying curry. Join Dee who will share<br />
three of her favorites: Mushroom and Fenugreek Curry,<br />
Chickpea Curry (Cholle), and Kashmiri-style Potato Curry<br />
with Nuts (Dum Aloo). She will also dem<strong>on</strong>strate a nice<br />
surprise side dish to go with them.<br />
52 Delicious Dumplings Fri Feb 01 10:00am-<br />
1<br />
12no<strong>on</strong><br />
$ 1000 The <strong>Center</strong> Ivy Chen<br />
Here's your chance to try your hand at dumpling making.<br />
In this hands-<strong>on</strong> class, learn how to make delicous Boiled<br />
Dumplings with Pork and Cabbage and Fried Dumplings with<br />
Assorted Vegetables. In additi<strong>on</strong>, Ivy will also prepare her<br />
delicious Hot and Sour Soup and a seas<strong>on</strong>al vegetable to<br />
round out the meal.<br />
53 Decorative Fruit and<br />
Vegetable Carving<br />
Tue Mar 05<br />
to Mar 19<br />
3<br />
12:15pm -<br />
2:15pm<br />
$ 3000 The <strong>Center</strong> Sally Duh Chu<br />
With surprisingly little time and effort, you can make meals<br />
more fun to prepare, serve and eat. Learn to dress up food,<br />
choose garnishes that complement the main ingredient of<br />
the dish, and create the mood you want to establish--dainty,<br />
elegant or casual. Cost of all produce and a small carving<br />
knife is included. Students will be given a short list of basic<br />
kitchen utensils to bring from home.<br />
54 Taiwanese Please Sat Mar 09 1 10:00am -<br />
1:00pm<br />
$ 1200 The <strong>Center</strong> Ivy Chen<br />
Join Ivy <strong>on</strong> a Saturday morning and grab this chance to learn<br />
to prepare some of her favorite Taiwanese-style dishes. Enjoy<br />
a feast of G<strong>on</strong>g Bao Chicken, Stir-fried Beef with Coriander,<br />
Fried String Beans, Spicy Eggplant and a couple of surprises.<br />
In additi<strong>on</strong>, Ivy will show you how to make a simple and tasty<br />
sauce in a jar as well as offer her expert advice about which<br />
ready-made sauces are best to buy to stock your kitchen<br />
cupboard.<br />
Transportati<strong>on</strong> included<br />
Lunch or meal included<br />
Please check www.communitycenter.org.tw for the most recent updates.<br />
2013 Spring & Summer Activities [xii]
The <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Center</strong> | Tel: 02-2836-8134, e-mail: ce@communitycenter.org.tw<br />
What's Cooking<br />
# of<br />
# Activity Day(s) Dates Time $$$ Meet@ Instructor<br />
Descripti<strong>on</strong><br />
Sessi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
55<br />
Indian Vegetarian:<br />
Snacks, Appetizers and<br />
Chutneys<br />
Fri Mar 15 1 10:00am -<br />
12no<strong>on</strong><br />
$ 1000 The <strong>Center</strong> Shakha Gupta<br />
Learn how to make tasty Pakoras (vegetable fritters),<br />
Vegetable Cutlets (which can be eaten <strong>on</strong> their own or<br />
used as "burgers") and Veggie Puffs, all accompanied by<br />
homemade Mint/Cilantro and Tamarind Chutneys. Perfect<br />
for tea time, snacks or as appetizers, these delicious<br />
morsels will be a w<strong>on</strong>derful additi<strong>on</strong> to your recipe collecti<strong>on</strong>.<br />
56 Tantalizing Thai Fri Mar 22 10:00am -<br />
1<br />
12no<strong>on</strong><br />
$ 1000 The <strong>Center</strong> Saithip<br />
Tantiw<strong>on</strong>gkorn<br />
Fragrant and flavorful, Thai food is always a favorite at the<br />
<strong>Center</strong>. Saithip returns with another great menu selecti<strong>on</strong><br />
which includes Green Curry Chicken, Thai Herb Omelette,<br />
Steamed Fish with Lem<strong>on</strong> and Pumpkin in Coc<strong>on</strong>ut Milk.<br />
57 All Wrapped Up Fri Apr 19<br />
1<br />
10:00am -<br />
12no<strong>on</strong><br />
$ 1000 The <strong>Center</strong> Sally Duh Chu<br />
Join Sally for a class in preparing the Chinese way of<br />
serving delicious morsels of food in a "wrap." Tasty and light,<br />
these dishes make for great spring and summer meals.<br />
Enjoy Minced Shrimp in Lettuce Leaves and Chinese<br />
Pancakes with Shredded Pork and homemade Duck Sauce.<br />
This class will also include a hands-<strong>on</strong> pancake-making<br />
dem<strong>on</strong>strati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
58 Incredible Italian Fri Apr 26 1 10:00am -<br />
12no<strong>on</strong><br />
$ 1000 The <strong>Center</strong> Heather Martin<br />
Lowder<br />
Come to the <strong>Center</strong> for a little taste of Italy and learn to<br />
prepare some of Heather's favorite family recipes. The menu<br />
for this delicious meal includes Tomato and Feta Bruschetta<br />
with Garlic Crostini, Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto,<br />
Basil Pesto Pasta with Chicken, and if you are not too full, a<br />
Traditi<strong>on</strong>al Tiramisu.<br />
59<br />
Cake and Cookie<br />
Decorating: Magical<br />
Marzipan<br />
Fri May 03 1 10:00am -<br />
12no<strong>on</strong><br />
$ 1000 The <strong>Center</strong> Eva Lu<br />
Learn the art of modeling marzipan from Eva, a trained<br />
pastry chef and cake decorator. Modeling with marzipan is a<br />
unique style of cake decorating that produces stand al<strong>on</strong>e,<br />
cute themed novelty items or exquisite cake and cookie<br />
toppers. Once you have learned the basic techniques,<br />
you'll open the door to a completely new dimensi<strong>on</strong> in cake<br />
decorating. This fun course is suitable for students of all<br />
levels.<br />
60 Fantastic Fish Fri May 10 1 10:00am -<br />
12no<strong>on</strong><br />
$ 1000 The <strong>Center</strong> Ivy Chen<br />
This class covers three ways to prepare fish--steaming,<br />
baking and frying--using three different types of locally<br />
available fresh fish. Learn how to properly prepare and<br />
fillet a fish and how to buy the right fish for your dish.<br />
An accompanying seas<strong>on</strong>al vegetable dish will also be<br />
dem<strong>on</strong>strated.<br />
Transportati<strong>on</strong> included Lunch or meal included Please check www.communitycenter.org.tw for the most recent updates.<br />
2013 Spring & Summer Activities [xiii]
Counselors<br />
Since its incepti<strong>on</strong> in the mid-1980s,<br />
the <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Center</strong> has<br />
been blessed with an excepti<strong>on</strong>al team of<br />
professi<strong>on</strong>al counselors. All counselors at<br />
the <strong>Center</strong> have at least a Master’s level<br />
degree in their field; most have more<br />
than five years of experience delivering<br />
face-to-face counseling, and some hold<br />
special qualificati<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
To s c h e d u l e a c o u n s e l i n g<br />
appointment, simply call the <strong>Center</strong> at<br />
(02) 2836-8134. We’re open M<strong>on</strong>day<br />
through Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm. For<br />
new clients, an intake counselor will<br />
ask you for some basic informati<strong>on</strong><br />
about your preferences and needs. For<br />
example, will the counseling be for an<br />
adult or child, whether you require<br />
spoken English or Chinese, if you prefer<br />
a male or female counselor, when you<br />
are available for counseling and if you<br />
prefer a particular counselor. Then, as<br />
so<strong>on</strong> as possible, you will be c<strong>on</strong>tacted<br />
to set up an appointment. For urgent or<br />
after hours counseling and intake, call<br />
0932-594-578.<br />
The following is a brief introducti<strong>on</strong><br />
to each counselor to help familiarize<br />
you with their backgrounds and areas<br />
of expertise. More detailed informati<strong>on</strong><br />
is available <strong>on</strong> our website at www.<br />
communitycenter.org.tw/counseling.<br />
Suzan Babcock<br />
M.C. Ed., MIIM<br />
Sue has an M.C. Ed. in Counselor Educati<strong>on</strong><br />
from St. Lawrence University and a Master's degree<br />
in Internati<strong>on</strong>al / Intercultural Management from<br />
the Graduate School for Internati<strong>on</strong>al Training<br />
(SIT). Her areas of professi<strong>on</strong>al interest include:<br />
individual and group interpers<strong>on</strong>al relati<strong>on</strong>ship<br />
counseling, loss and bereavement work, life and<br />
career coaching, and cross-cultural issues counseling. Before coming<br />
to Taiwan, Sue worked with a number of U.S. communities in crisis,<br />
including diverse populati<strong>on</strong>s, as a community organizer and crosscultural<br />
negotiator.<br />
Fawn Chang<br />
MA/LMFT<br />
Fawn holds a Master's degree in Marriage, Family and Child<br />
Counseling from the University of Southern California. For two years,<br />
she studied in the Ph.D program in Organizati<strong>on</strong>al Behavior at CSPP<br />
(the California School of Professi<strong>on</strong>al Psychology). Fawn has 10 years of<br />
clinical experience working with children, teenagers, adults, and families<br />
in both the U.S. and Taiwan. She is a c<strong>on</strong>tracted Counselor/Instructor<br />
with <strong>Taipei</strong> City Hall, NTNU (the Nati<strong>on</strong>al Taiwan Normal University),<br />
and the EAP (Employee Assistance Program). Fawn's practice<br />
c<strong>on</strong>sists of working with children and their families <strong>on</strong> issues, such as<br />
behavioral/relati<strong>on</strong>ship related difficulties, learning disabilities, academic<br />
achievement, cultural adjustment, parenting, and career planning. Fawn<br />
uses family and marriage therapy, soluti<strong>on</strong> focused therapy, cognitive<br />
behavioral therapy, and Adlerian therapy in her practice.<br />
Katherine Chang<br />
M.S.<br />
Katherine has an M.S. in Counseling, specializing<br />
in School Counseling from San Diego State<br />
University. She also holds an American School<br />
Counselor (PPS) credential. Her areas of professi<strong>on</strong>al<br />
interest include school-aged children with emoti<strong>on</strong>al,<br />
social or academic difficulties, working with teachers<br />
<strong>on</strong> behavioral and classroom management strategies<br />
and providing support to parents in addressing their children’s social and<br />
emoti<strong>on</strong>al development. Katherine has been in Taiwan since 2009 and<br />
has experience working as a Lower and Middle School Counselor at the<br />
Dominican Internati<strong>on</strong>al School in <strong>Taipei</strong>.<br />
Jung Chin Psy. D.<br />
Jung has a Doctor of Psychology from the University of Denver.<br />
Her areas of professi<strong>on</strong>al interest include psychotherapies (including<br />
comprehensive evaluati<strong>on</strong>s and professi<strong>on</strong>al<br />
treatments) for sexually abused children,<br />
adolescents and adults; survivors of domestic<br />
violence; children, adolescents and adults who are<br />
experiencing emoti<strong>on</strong>al and behavioral problems.<br />
She is also interested in assessment (intelligence,<br />
emoti<strong>on</strong> and pers<strong>on</strong>ality) for children, adolescents<br />
and adults. Jung has also studied in Melbourne, Australia where she<br />
earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology from Deakin University<br />
and at Western Michigan University where she earned her M.A. in<br />
Counseling Psychology.<br />
Wendy Evans<br />
MSW, ACSW, RD<br />
Wendy holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from<br />
Michigan State University and a Bachelor’s of<br />
Science degree from Indiana University in the field<br />
of nutriti<strong>on</strong> and health.<br />
Wendy has more than 12 years of clinical<br />
experience and was accepted into the USA<br />
Academy of Certified Social Workers in 2000. In<br />
additi<strong>on</strong> to being a certified counselor, Wendy<br />
is also a Registered Dietitian. Her primary counseling interests are<br />
helping adults, couples, and teens struggling with issues pertaining<br />
to marriage, parenting, depressi<strong>on</strong>, anxiety, eating disorders,<br />
substance abuse, and emoti<strong>on</strong>al eating. Through raising five children<br />
internati<strong>on</strong>ally, Wendy has a deepened understanding of the challenges<br />
of cross-cultural living.<br />
Cerita Hsu<br />
MA, MS<br />
Cerita is a Licensed Counseling Psychologist in<br />
Taiwan. She received her two Master's degrees in<br />
Psychology and Marriage and Family Therapy from<br />
Bost<strong>on</strong> University, Massachusetts and Cal Poly<br />
Pom<strong>on</strong>a, California.<br />
Cerita has clinical experience working with<br />
children, adults and families in both the U.S. and<br />
Taiwan and has counseled adults in individual,<br />
2013 Spring & Summer Activities [xiv]
couple, and family therapy. Some areas that her work focuses<br />
<strong>on</strong> include anxiety, depressi<strong>on</strong>, emoti<strong>on</strong>al disturbance,<br />
trauma, substance abuse, cultural adjustment, loss, and<br />
family and relati<strong>on</strong>ship issues.<br />
In counseling with teenagers and children, she has<br />
experience working <strong>on</strong> issues, such as fear/anxiety, anger,<br />
depressi<strong>on</strong>, attenti<strong>on</strong> deficit hyperactivity disorder,<br />
oppositi<strong>on</strong>al defiant disorder, school adjustment, peer<br />
relati<strong>on</strong>ship, and abuse issues. She uses soluti<strong>on</strong> focused<br />
therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, play therapy, and<br />
structural family therapy in her practice. Her experience in<br />
child, adult, marriage and family counseling covers diverse<br />
cultural groups in the expatriate setting.<br />
Eva Salazar-Liu<br />
Ph.D.<br />
Eva has a Ph.D in Counselor<br />
Educati<strong>on</strong> and Counseling Psychology<br />
from the University of Toledo, Ohio.<br />
Her areas of professi<strong>on</strong>al interest include<br />
marital relati<strong>on</strong>ships, divorce, women’s<br />
issues, grief, cross-cultural relati<strong>on</strong>ships<br />
and issues. Eva has been associated<br />
with The <strong>Center</strong> since 1987 and returned to the <strong>Center</strong>'s<br />
Counseling staff this year after a four-year leave of absence.<br />
Eva is c<strong>on</strong>currently teaching Psychology, Educati<strong>on</strong>al<br />
Psychology and Graduate Research as an Associate Professor<br />
at Ming Chuan University.<br />
Perry Malcolm<br />
MSW, LCSW<br />
Perry is a clinical/psychiatric social<br />
worker from the state of Georgia in<br />
the U.S. Growing up in Athens, a<br />
large, Southern university town which<br />
had an ever competing atmosphere of<br />
academics, sports and art, has given<br />
him a rich variety of experiences which<br />
inform his current clinical work with individuals (teens and<br />
adults), couples and families from all walks of life who may<br />
find themselves in transiti<strong>on</strong> or trouble. Issues may include<br />
depressi<strong>on</strong>, anxiety, substance abuse, bipolar disorder,<br />
obsessive compulsive disorder, crisis interventi<strong>on</strong> needs,<br />
post trauma issues, men's issues and cross-cultural marriage/<br />
parenting. Perry has been affiliated with The <strong>Center</strong> since<br />
his arrival in Taiwan and has been working fulltime there for<br />
eight years.<br />
Ming-I Sun<br />
MSW, LCSW<br />
Ming-I is based in the Hsinchu branch<br />
of the <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Center</strong>.<br />
Ming-I is a licensed clinical social worker<br />
(LCSW) both in the U.S. and Taiwan.<br />
She obtained two Master's degrees in<br />
Developmental Psychology and Social<br />
Work. She is also affiliated with the<br />
Infant Mental Health Team of the <strong>Taipei</strong> Psychotherapy<br />
<strong>Center</strong>. She is c<strong>on</strong>tracted as a clinical supervisor at the<br />
<strong>Taipei</strong> Early Interventi<strong>on</strong> Team of <strong>Taipei</strong> City Government.<br />
Ming-I’s specialties include: parenting c<strong>on</strong>sultati<strong>on</strong>,<br />
floor time therapy for autistic children, play therapy for<br />
school-age children, child adolescent developmental and<br />
learning issues, difficulties <strong>on</strong> emoti<strong>on</strong>al regulati<strong>on</strong> (e.g.<br />
depressi<strong>on</strong> or anger management), expatriates’ adjustment<br />
issues, and any trauma or loss related issues.<br />
Ming-I can provide individual or group counseling<br />
services. The address of the Hsinchu office is No. 11, Lane<br />
51, Daxue Rd., East Dist., Hsinchu City 30080. The<br />
c<strong>on</strong>tact number is 03-571-0023 ext. 3208.<br />
Cynthia Teeters<br />
MSW, LMSW<br />
Cynthia has a Master’s degree in<br />
Social Work from Columbia University<br />
and is a licensed social worker in New<br />
York. She works primarily with adults<br />
and teens and provides counseling<br />
to individuals, couples, and families.<br />
Her areas of expertise are depressi<strong>on</strong>,<br />
anxiety, emoti<strong>on</strong> regulati<strong>on</strong>, borderline pers<strong>on</strong>ality disorder,<br />
substance abuse, relati<strong>on</strong>ship issues, bereavement, sexuality<br />
and HIV/AIDS. She also c<strong>on</strong>ducts adopti<strong>on</strong> home studies<br />
and counseling for adopti<strong>on</strong>-related issues.<br />
2013 Spring & Summer Activities [xv]
— Kobe Bryant, LA Lakers<br />
— Fred Couples, 2012 Senior Open Champi<strong>on</strong><br />
Transportati<strong>on</strong> included<br />
Lunch or meal included<br />
— A-Rod, NY Yankees<br />
Please check www.communitycenter.org.tw for the most recent updates.
One man’s food<br />
may be another<br />
man’s pois<strong>on</strong>:<br />
understanding<br />
food allergy<br />
health<br />
TEXT: MICHELLE CHEUNG CHI-KWUN<br />
(STATE REGISTERED DIETITIAN OF HEALTH<br />
PROFESSIONS COUNCIL (UK))<br />
Food is essential to our life<br />
as it provides energy and<br />
nutrients. All of us eat to<br />
survive, and most of us<br />
enjoy eating. However, some people<br />
cannot tolerate some kinds of food<br />
and may develop an adverse reacti<strong>on</strong><br />
after ingesting.<br />
differenCeS betWeen<br />
food allergy and food<br />
intoleranCe<br />
A r e f o o d a l l e r g y a n d f o o d<br />
intolerance interchangeable<br />
Although both are reacti<strong>on</strong>s to food<br />
they are different. Food allergy can<br />
be serious and life-threatening; even<br />
eating a tiny bit of food that <strong>on</strong>e is<br />
allergic to can cause immediate and<br />
severe reacti<strong>on</strong>s (symptoms may<br />
occur from within minutes to two<br />
hours after eating) such as nausea,<br />
vomiting, diarrhea, nasal c<strong>on</strong>gesti<strong>on</strong>,<br />
stomach cramps, shortness of breath,<br />
angioedema (swelling) of the lips,<br />
face, t<strong>on</strong>gue and throat, etc. This<br />
abnormal resp<strong>on</strong>se to a food protein<br />
involves the immune system and<br />
there is no cure; a complete and strict<br />
avoidance of the food allergen is the<br />
<strong>on</strong>ly protecti<strong>on</strong> from the adverse<br />
reacti<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
The prevalence of food allergy in<br />
children has shown an increase of<br />
18% between 1997 and 2007. Eight<br />
foods cause 90% of allergic reacti<strong>on</strong>s<br />
in the United States:<br />
Milk Eggs<br />
Wheat Soy<br />
Peanuts Tree nuts<br />
Fish<br />
Shellfish<br />
On the other hand, food<br />
intolerance reacti<strong>on</strong>s are of slower<br />
<strong>on</strong>set (symptoms occur between<br />
hours and days after ingesting) and<br />
do not involve the immune system.<br />
Food intolerances, such as lactose<br />
intolerance, Coeliac disease and<br />
wheat intolerance, are much more<br />
comm<strong>on</strong> than food allergies.<br />
diagnoSiS of food allergy<br />
Visit your doctor if you suspect<br />
you have a food allergy, which<br />
can be tested via a skin prick test,<br />
specific IgE and basophil histamine<br />
release. Once the allergenic foods<br />
are suspected, following a restricted<br />
or tailor-made diet should result in<br />
the disappearance of symptoms or at<br />
least a significant reducti<strong>on</strong>. Such a<br />
diagnostic diet may be prescribed by<br />
a dietitian and should be supervised<br />
by the doctor.<br />
hoW to avoid an allergiC<br />
reaCti<strong>on</strong><br />
Basic tips for take-away meals<br />
1. Read the menu thoroughly<br />
2. Ask the waiter/waitress if in<br />
doubt<br />
3. Inform the chef if booking in<br />
advance<br />
4. W a t c h o u t f o r h i d d e n<br />
ingredients<br />
-Peanut oil used in cooking<br />
-Peanuts in satay sauce,<br />
chocolate, ice cream or candy<br />
bars<br />
-Nuts in cakes or desserts<br />
5. Always bring an emergency<br />
treatment kit (injectable<br />
epinephrine)<br />
nutriti<strong>on</strong>al management<br />
Nutriti<strong>on</strong>al management is<br />
important for those suffering from<br />
a food allergy. Prol<strong>on</strong>ged food<br />
avoidance may lead to specific<br />
nutrient deficiency and c<strong>on</strong>sequently<br />
a disorder may arise. Talk to a<br />
dietitian regarding the diet plan,<br />
which should include:<br />
1. To t a l a v o i d a n c e o f f o o d<br />
allergens<br />
2. Educati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> food allergy<br />
3. Alternative nutrient sources<br />
4. Sample meal plan<br />
A food challenge test may be given<br />
over a few weeks after which the<br />
suspected allergenic food will be<br />
reintroduced to the diet. Recording<br />
any allergy symptoms that occur<br />
when the food is reintroduced helps<br />
to c<strong>on</strong>firm the diagnosis, although<br />
not if a severe reacti<strong>on</strong> to the food<br />
has previously been noted.<br />
M i c he l l e C he u n g<br />
has recently arrived<br />
in <strong>Taipei</strong> from<br />
H<strong>on</strong>g K<strong>on</strong>g. She is<br />
currently a full-time<br />
mom to 2 but was<br />
previously working as a Dietician in<br />
H<strong>on</strong>g K<strong>on</strong>g.<br />
www.communitycenter.org.tw DEC 2012/jan 2013<br />
19
ProFIle<br />
Exploring the food-moods of <strong>Taipei</strong> –<br />
Graci in the<br />
Kitchen<br />
TEXT: SERINA HUANG IMAGES: COURTESY OF GRACI KIM<br />
She’s smart, she sassy, she<br />
loves to eat and loves<br />
exploring new places<br />
and new foods. Oh, and<br />
she has a beautiful singing voice<br />
and has authored an interactive<br />
children’s e-book, too. Meet Graci<br />
Kim, the vivacious star of the<br />
<strong>on</strong>line cooking series, Graci in the<br />
Kitchen, produced and filmed right<br />
here in Taiwan.<br />
a korean kiWi in taipei<br />
Graci is a ‘Kowi’ – a Korean<br />
Kiwi – who arrived in Taiwan in<br />
March 2012 for two years’ intensive<br />
Mandarin study at the Nati<strong>on</strong>al<br />
Taiwan University. Most people<br />
new to a country need a period of<br />
adjustment, but within a few m<strong>on</strong>ths<br />
of arrival Graci had already started<br />
filming her own cookery and food<br />
series. Oh, and become Mom to her<br />
cute dog, Yoda, who also stars in her<br />
videos. According to Graci, Graci<br />
in the Kitchen started in January<br />
this year as a blog<br />
to record recipes.<br />
H a v i n g m o v e d<br />
away from home to<br />
Wellingt<strong>on</strong> with work,<br />
Graci found herself<br />
homesick for family and<br />
‘all the yummy food from<br />
home.’ Graci sees food as not<br />
just providing sustenance, but also<br />
having an emoti<strong>on</strong>al c<strong>on</strong>necti<strong>on</strong>:<br />
‘Food was what we always talked<br />
about as a family,’ she recounts.<br />
Before too l<strong>on</strong>g, friends began to<br />
hunger after her unique mood-based<br />
recipes and her private blog became<br />
public. As her website grew in<br />
popularity, she decided it would be<br />
easier to show people how to cook<br />
rather than write about it. She made<br />
some inquiries and, voila, Graci in<br />
the Kitchen was born.<br />
mood-baSed Cooking<br />
Each Graci in the Kitchen episode<br />
is themed around a mood. ‘Imagine<br />
you enter a restaurant,’ Graci<br />
explains ‘and <strong>on</strong> the menu instead<br />
of ordinary dishes like spaghetti<br />
bolognaise, there is a list of moods.’<br />
Many of Graci’s recipes utilize<br />
natural scientific remedies, for<br />
example if you have a headache<br />
she suggests trying a spicy<br />
meal rather than reaching<br />
for an aspirin, because chili<br />
is a natural painkiller.<br />
Other recipes are more emotive,<br />
tapping into comfort foods, the elixir<br />
she craves when feeling stressed,<br />
homesick or vulnerable.<br />
Each mood-based episode is not<br />
just about food; it also includes<br />
an uplifting quote and a musical<br />
performance. So she aims to heal<br />
the body, the mind and also the soul.<br />
Her approach reminds me a little of<br />
the Chinese poem Eat, drink, man,<br />
woman ( 飲 食 男 女 , yǐnshí nánnǚ),<br />
around which Ang Lee’s awardwinning<br />
1994 film of the same name<br />
was based. The poem puts forth<br />
that since eating and drinking are<br />
fundamental part of our lives – and<br />
relati<strong>on</strong>ships – we may as well enjoy<br />
the very best. Life is, after all, for the<br />
living.<br />
ShoWCaSing taipei<br />
Although many episodes are<br />
filmed in Graci’s quirky kitchen,<br />
filled with her many gadgets and<br />
adorned with positive quotes, several<br />
episodes venture out to showcase the<br />
vibrant fabric of <strong>Taipei</strong> life. In <strong>on</strong>e<br />
recent episode Graci (and Yoda) buy<br />
graci in the kitchen episodes can be viewed <strong>on</strong> her website<br />
(http://graciinthekitchen.com/), or <strong>on</strong>line through youtube. it has<br />
also been picked up by four internet-based televisi<strong>on</strong> networks,<br />
including being featured <strong>on</strong> koldcast tv network’s Food and<br />
Cooking Channel, and The Food Channel. She already has<br />
logged hundreds of thousands of views since her episodes were<br />
logged <strong>on</strong> the <strong>on</strong>line channels last m<strong>on</strong>th, a sign that this rising<br />
star already has many fans.<br />
20 DEC 2012/jan 2013 www.communitycenter.org.tw
herbs at the Holiday Flower Market, and in<br />
another she samples local delicacies (including<br />
some unusual offal parts) at the Shilin Night<br />
Market. Through her eyes, the viewer glimpses<br />
her discovering life in Taiwan.<br />
‘I love Taiwan,’ Graci gushes. ‘I love the<br />
mix of its crazy hustle-bustle underpinned by<br />
a homely feel. People are so friendly, and I<br />
love talking to people I meet <strong>on</strong> the street. In<br />
this respect, it reminds me a bit of being back<br />
in New Zealand,’ she explains. ‘And I am<br />
c<strong>on</strong>stantly discovering new things, like the<br />
Raohe Night Market and even things such as<br />
fresh Chinese water chestnuts (lingjiao).’<br />
all in the family<br />
To Graci, family means everything. The<br />
Kims are all talented cooks, and their love of<br />
food has obviously rubbed off <strong>on</strong> Graci. Her<br />
father, a self-taught cook, is a restaurateur in<br />
Auckland (‘a labor of love’), and when she was<br />
growing up Graci worked as a waitress in the<br />
family business. Mum, a successful business<br />
woman who became a Member of the New<br />
Zealand Order of Merit earlier this year, is also<br />
a dab hand in the kitchen, not to menti<strong>on</strong> that<br />
six more of Graci’s relatives work in the food<br />
or restaurant industry. Not surprisingly, family<br />
features str<strong>on</strong>gly in Graci in the Kitchen, both<br />
through recipes from home (witness Koreaninfluenced<br />
kimchi pancakes) and visually (<strong>on</strong>e<br />
sister recently performed her own original s<strong>on</strong>g<br />
in an episode).<br />
T a i w a n x i f u ( T a i w a n<br />
daughter-in-law) is the pen<br />
name of Australian expatriate<br />
food, travel and culture<br />
blogger Serina Huang. Her blog is<br />
at: http://taiwanxifu.com<br />
www.communitycenter.org.tw DEC 2012/jan 2013<br />
21
exPat PersPectIves<br />
Te Bele of te Bal<br />
TEXT & IMAGES: MARIA TAN<br />
I’ve been lucky enough to get invited to two<br />
weddings this year. Out of the blue, a colleague<br />
said, “I’m getting married next Saturday, can you<br />
come” The invitati<strong>on</strong> was so simply made that I<br />
didn’t think it was for real until I saw her holding a list of<br />
people she planned to invite.<br />
My colleague explained that she wanted to get married<br />
this year but that she had to do it so so<strong>on</strong> to take<br />
advantage of an auspicious day in the Chinese calendar.<br />
Apparently, it’s quite typical am<strong>on</strong>g Taiwanese to have<br />
their signs checked and the date chosen carefully so that<br />
any astrological clashes can be avoided. After c<strong>on</strong>sulting<br />
the masters, she discovered she should either get married<br />
the next week or wait for another six m<strong>on</strong>ths. She chose<br />
to get <strong>on</strong> with it. The engagement was set to be in the<br />
morning and the wedding in the afterno<strong>on</strong>.<br />
I was very excited as it was my first time to take part in<br />
a Taiwanese wedding. I arrived early and was eager to see<br />
what the recepti<strong>on</strong> would be like. The venue was a special<br />
“recepti<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong>ly” place in <strong>on</strong>e of those off-the-road places<br />
that display wedding pictures <strong>on</strong> its façade and is <strong>on</strong>ly<br />
open <strong>on</strong> certain days. There was a big wedding picture of<br />
the happy couple and some name card-sized photos for<br />
guests to take home. I went to register my name in the<br />
wedding book and went to the powder room to say hello<br />
to my friend. She was drop-dead gorgeous. Her make-up<br />
was exquisite, but it was that glow in her that made her<br />
look so beautiful.<br />
Taking my seat next to my other colleagues, we waited<br />
and chatted. The bride came out in a magnificent white<br />
gown with her father. When the groom met them, the<br />
bride kissed her father and the couple bowed as a sign<br />
of respect. Food was served lauriat-style – big plates<br />
or bowls placed <strong>on</strong> the Lazy Susan in the middle of<br />
each table and people helped themselves. As I was<br />
c<strong>on</strong>centrating <strong>on</strong> the food and admiring the variety<br />
of dishes, trying each and every <strong>on</strong>e, my newly-wed<br />
colleague materialized in another gown, this time<br />
daffodil-yellow in color. She and her new husband went<br />
around and stopped at each table, toasting the beginning<br />
of their married life.<br />
When the recepti<strong>on</strong> was about to end, the couple<br />
<strong>on</strong>ce again disappeared, and when we were about to<br />
leave the place, I saw them at the door with a basket<br />
of candies. The bride was <strong>on</strong>ce again in another gown,<br />
this time in duke blue. I thought this mini-fashi<strong>on</strong> show<br />
was unique to her wedding. After all, every girl’s dream<br />
wedding IS somehow unique <strong>on</strong> its own. However later<br />
I went to another wedding recepti<strong>on</strong> and this time the<br />
bride had not three but four gowns. She started with the<br />
classic bridal white dress, later changed into bright red,<br />
then maro<strong>on</strong>, and then bid us goodnight in a peachcolored<br />
gown.<br />
This perked my curiosity. I mean, FOUR dresses Back<br />
home, it’s so hard to find the “right” dress and we have<br />
to choose just <strong>on</strong>e. But here in Taiwan, brides d<strong>on</strong>’t<br />
need to narrow down their choice to <strong>on</strong>e. I learnt that<br />
usually brides will wear white at first but then change<br />
into something else during the meal, and can choose<br />
the colors they want for their other gowns. When asked<br />
what they symbolized, my friends told me they d<strong>on</strong>’t<br />
really mean anything – brides just like to change dresses.<br />
The minimum number of changes is two and some wear<br />
up to five.<br />
Brides here in Taiwan need not worry about being<br />
upstaged. They truly are the belle of their ball!<br />
Maria has a background in Business and<br />
Communicaiti<strong>on</strong>s. She teaches Eglish in<br />
Taiwan to both adults and kids alike. In<br />
her free time, she does freelance writing,<br />
a lot of reading, and shopping. You can reach her at<br />
maria.tan@outlook.com<br />
22<br />
DEC 2012/jan 2013 www.communitycenter.org.tw
Glacio Ice Cream<br />
Specialties<br />
coFFee corNer<br />
TEXT & IMAGES: ALY COOPER<br />
I<br />
have an undeniable sweet tooth.<br />
I just can’t help myself. So<br />
when my hubby and I passed by<br />
this ice cream shop <strong>on</strong> our date<br />
night we HAD to go in. Flipping<br />
through the menu I was faced with<br />
paralyzing indecisi<strong>on</strong>. Yet again.<br />
I think we’ve covered this before.<br />
Decisi<strong>on</strong>-making, well it’s just not<br />
my str<strong>on</strong>g suit. As I kept flipping<br />
between the coffee desserts and<br />
the chocolate, my husband wisely<br />
abstained from assisting me, so that<br />
he couldn’t be blamed later. I asked<br />
the waitress what she recommended<br />
and without skipping a beat she<br />
suggested the Vanilla Coffee<br />
Affogato. My agreement with this<br />
suggesti<strong>on</strong> was equally decisive.<br />
This particular coffee<br />
c<strong>on</strong>fecti<strong>on</strong>ary dream c<strong>on</strong>tains<br />
espresso, vanilla bourb<strong>on</strong> ice cream<br />
and Bailey’s irish cream liqueur.<br />
Oh. My. Gosh. Espresso, ice cream<br />
and alcohol Some may call this<br />
the perfect trifecta. Some being me.<br />
It was presented to me (I kid you<br />
not) <strong>on</strong> a silver platter. O.K. So I’m<br />
not quite disillusi<strong>on</strong>ed enough to<br />
think they did this just for me, but<br />
still it was pretty special. With the<br />
ice cream in the middle, the liqueur<br />
and the espresso remained in two<br />
separate carafes to be poured by the<br />
c<strong>on</strong>sumer <strong>on</strong>to the ice cream. I was<br />
giddy. My husband was laughing<br />
at me but I didn’t care. It was pure<br />
decadence. I mean, talk about a<br />
dessert that packs a punch. Whoa –<br />
it was so very good. I can’t attest to<br />
their coffee drinks, but really, why<br />
would you come here to get “just”<br />
coffee when you can get the silver<br />
platter of deliciousness In additi<strong>on</strong><br />
to the Vanilla Coffee Affogato they<br />
also had a chocolate and orange<br />
opti<strong>on</strong>. The vanilla versi<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> the<br />
menu, however, has a Humming Bird<br />
ic<strong>on</strong> next to it, seemingly marking<br />
it as “extra special” (my words, not<br />
theirs). In terms of ambiance, when<br />
I actually didn’t have my head in<br />
my ice cream dish, I realized that<br />
Glacio was pretty cute. They had<br />
the black-and-white fancy-diner<br />
motif going <strong>on</strong>, there were blackand-white<br />
wrought ir<strong>on</strong> chairs for<br />
the pub tables, single roses <strong>on</strong> each<br />
table and comfy booths at each<br />
corner of the shop. Overhead there<br />
was funky black track lighting that<br />
made you momentarily forget you’re<br />
in a shopping mall. Then again, if<br />
a dessert is that yummy, who cares<br />
where it is It’s pricey at NT$250,<br />
but a nice <strong>on</strong>ce-in-a-while treat.<br />
glaCio | att 4 fun – 5th floor, 12 S<strong>on</strong>gshou road, Xinyi district<br />
Aly Cooper is an expat wife of <strong>on</strong>e year who enjoys adventures with her five-year-old s<strong>on</strong>, reading, eating,<br />
blogging, having A LOT of coffee with friends, volunteering and spending free weekends exploring what<br />
the island has to offer with the family. http://caffeinatedblisstaiwan.blogspot.tw<br />
Got a suggesti<strong>on</strong> for our resident caffeine addict Send them in via coteditor@communitycenter.org.tw.<br />
WorshIP DIrectory aND coMMUNIty GroUPs<br />
listings are now available <strong>on</strong>line at http://communitycenter.org.tw/life-in-taiwan/worship-directory and http://communitycenter.org.tw/<br />
life-in-taiwan/community-groups.<br />
www.communitycenter.org.tw DEC 2012/jan 2013<br />
23
photography<br />
Snapping<br />
Fireworks<br />
Text & Image: Craig Fergus<strong>on</strong><br />
Wi t h t h e n e w y e a r<br />
c e l e b r a t i o n s f a s t<br />
approaching, <strong>on</strong>e thing<br />
you can count <strong>on</strong> seeing<br />
over the next couple of m<strong>on</strong>ths is<br />
fireworks. So how do you go about<br />
photographing them<br />
Well, the good news is that it’s<br />
quite easy, but there are a few things<br />
you’ll need. First, make sure that you<br />
have a camera that can be operated<br />
manually. Look for a “B” or bulb<br />
setting. You’ll also want to be able<br />
to focus manually. If you leave<br />
autofocus <strong>on</strong> and try to take photos<br />
like that, it’ll just hunt for something<br />
to lock <strong>on</strong>to in the black sky and<br />
you w<strong>on</strong>’t get anything. Once you<br />
have the camera, you’ll need a sturdy<br />
tripod. This is a must as we are going<br />
to have exposure times of a few<br />
sec<strong>on</strong>ds and any camera shake will<br />
ruin the picture. Some kind of remote<br />
release is required as well. It doesn’t<br />
matter if it’s wired or wireless, as<br />
l<strong>on</strong>g as it’ll let you trip the shutter<br />
without needing to touch the camera.<br />
It doesn’t matter how many auto<br />
modes your camera has. All those<br />
little ic<strong>on</strong>s of flowers and mountains<br />
are useless for fireworks. With your<br />
lens set to MF, focus <strong>on</strong> something<br />
in the distance. Once you are happy,<br />
recompose so that the camera is<br />
pointing to the area of sky where the<br />
fireworks will be but make sure you<br />
d<strong>on</strong>’t change the focus. You may not<br />
need to do this if you are in an area<br />
with buildings, bridges etc. If your<br />
camera doesn't allow you to focus<br />
manually, then see if it's possible to<br />
either lock the focus, or turn off the<br />
focus. Check your camera manual<br />
for this as all cameras have different<br />
opti<strong>on</strong>s for this. Then you can use<br />
autofocus <strong>on</strong>ce to get things set up,<br />
and leave it at that setting.<br />
With your ISO set to 100, shutter<br />
set to B, aperture between f8 and f16<br />
and remote release in hand you’re<br />
ready. Selecting an aperture between<br />
f8 and f16 gives you plenty of depthof-field,<br />
and the shutter at B allows<br />
you to leave the shutter open for<br />
as l<strong>on</strong>g as you like. Press and hold<br />
the release butt<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong>ce to start the<br />
exposure and let go to stop it. A little<br />
trial and error may be required, so<br />
take as many shots as you can, with<br />
differing shutter times. If you can<br />
see the place where the fireworks<br />
are being launched from, you could<br />
try opening the shutter when you<br />
see the launch and closing it when<br />
the firework goes out. Or, you could<br />
leave it open and catch a few bursts<br />
of fireworks <strong>on</strong> the same exposure –<br />
hold a black card in fr<strong>on</strong>t of the lens<br />
between bursts to cut down <strong>on</strong> any<br />
stray light.<br />
All DSLR's and many of the<br />
better compact cameras have the<br />
aforementi<strong>on</strong>ed “B” setting. If<br />
your camera doesn't have it, then<br />
look for the “M” setting. Select<br />
an aperture as menti<strong>on</strong>ed above<br />
and for the shutter speed, dial in a<br />
speed of around 5-10 sec<strong>on</strong>ds and<br />
experiment from there. The photo<br />
that accompanies this article had a<br />
speed of three sec<strong>on</strong>ds, but that was<br />
because it was quite bright and I was<br />
fairly close. If you're farther away, or<br />
the fireworks are higher in the sky,<br />
you'll need a l<strong>on</strong>ger time.<br />
Good luck and remember to stay<br />
safe and warm when you’re out<br />
photographing fireworks <strong>on</strong> these<br />
cold winter nights.<br />
Craig is a professi<strong>on</strong>al photographer and has worked with the likes of L<strong>on</strong>ely Planet, M<strong>on</strong>ocle,<br />
Asia Business Traveller, Asian Geographic and many more. In additi<strong>on</strong>, he also teaches regular<br />
photography workshops and individual classes in and around <strong>Taipei</strong>.<br />
24 dec 2012/jan 2013 www.communitycenter.org.tw
Fabric Market and<br />
Surroundings<br />
ask bin<br />
TexT: Bin Huang and naTalie KöHle images: naTalie KöHle<br />
One important aspect of any<br />
interior decorati<strong>on</strong> project<br />
is choosing fabrics that<br />
give the right accent to<br />
your overall style. You can use fabric<br />
to cover sofas and chairs, to make<br />
sofa cushi<strong>on</strong>s, bed sheets and covers,<br />
curtains, tablecloths, and napkins.<br />
Fabric can even serve as wallpaper.<br />
DiHua Street Fabric Market<br />
The most important place to buy<br />
all kinds of fabric in <strong>Taipei</strong> is the<br />
Fabric Market located in <strong>on</strong>e of the<br />
oldest parts of <strong>Taipei</strong>: Dihua Street.<br />
Spread across three floors, there<br />
are more than <strong>on</strong>e-thousand stores<br />
inside the market selling everything<br />
from fashi<strong>on</strong>able new patterns and<br />
designs to traditi<strong>on</strong>al Taiwanese<br />
and Japanese floral prints; silk for<br />
making traditi<strong>on</strong>al Chinese dresses<br />
to high quality uni-colored cott<strong>on</strong><br />
imported from Japan; basic cott<strong>on</strong><br />
for making bedsheets and blankets to<br />
tweed and other woolen fabrics for<br />
making warm jackets and overcoats.<br />
You can also find thin gauze for<br />
curtains, thick textured fabrics that<br />
can be used for upholstery and<br />
cushi<strong>on</strong>s, fake fur for lining winter<br />
coats and blankets, as well as kinds<br />
of other specialized materials for<br />
reinforcing and lining tailor-made<br />
clothing and bags.<br />
While some of the patterns and<br />
designs are quite Chinese in style,<br />
and may not match a more purist<br />
home or dress sense, you can also<br />
find high quality plain linens and<br />
cott<strong>on</strong>s in the market. Many of these<br />
fabrics are imported from Japan.<br />
They may not be cheap, but the<br />
quality is excellent.<br />
ZH<strong>on</strong>gyao ( 仲 嶢 )<br />
One of my favourite shops <strong>on</strong><br />
Dihua Street Fabric Market<br />
21 Dihua St., Sec. 1<br />
Zh<strong>on</strong>gyao ( 仲 嶢 )<br />
Stall 59, 2F., 21 Dihua St., Sec. 1<br />
( 台 北 市 迪 化 街 一 段 21 號 2F, 59 號 攤 位 )<br />
the 2nd floor of the fabric market<br />
is No. 59, Zh<strong>on</strong>gyao. It specializes<br />
in Taiwanese pe<strong>on</strong>y flower prints.<br />
Whereas most shops <strong>on</strong>ly carry a<br />
very limited range of traditi<strong>on</strong>al<br />
color combinati<strong>on</strong>s – namely light<br />
blue, red, pink, green, and purple<br />
– t h i s s m a l l s t o r e f e a t u r e s a n<br />
amazing variety of these prints in<br />
many different and unusual color<br />
combinati<strong>on</strong>s. It is the largest<br />
collecti<strong>on</strong> of these fabrics that I<br />
know of in <strong>Taipei</strong>.<br />
Using this fabric for interior<br />
decorati<strong>on</strong> will give your home some<br />
unique Taiwanese accents – you can<br />
use it to make table clothes, cushi<strong>on</strong>s,<br />
and bed sheets. When you use it to<br />
make curtains, you d<strong>on</strong>’t need to<br />
place flowers <strong>on</strong> the windowsills, as<br />
your windows will already seem to be<br />
in bloom! These traditi<strong>on</strong>al patterns<br />
also make very original carry bags,<br />
purses and dresses.<br />
If you d<strong>on</strong>’t know how to sew,<br />
d<strong>on</strong>’t worry! C<strong>on</strong>veniently situated<br />
<strong>on</strong> the third flood of the market are<br />
many tailor shops that are ready to<br />
help you. From table sheets to bed<br />
sheets, sofa covers, and curtains, to<br />
dresses and costumes, you name it,<br />
and they will make it for you. These<br />
tailor services come in especially<br />
handy if you want to use matching<br />
fabric to create different accessories<br />
for your home. My advice is that<br />
no matter what item you want to<br />
get made, go to the third floor first<br />
to check with the tailors how much<br />
fabric you need, and then buy the<br />
fabric after. If you are planning<br />
to make curtains for your new<br />
home, likewise you should first<br />
measure the width and height of<br />
your window and go to the third<br />
floor to chose a curtain style before<br />
purchasing your fabric.<br />
Small Art Yard ( 小 藝 埕 )<br />
1F., 1, Lane 32, Dihua St., Sec. 1<br />
02-25521321<br />
( 台 北 市 迪 化 街 一 段 32 巷 1 號 1F)<br />
Art Yard ( 民 藝 埕 )<br />
67, Dihua St., Sec. 1<br />
( 台 北 市 迪 化 街 一 段 67 號 )<br />
02-25521367<br />
www.artyard.tw<br />
As the fabric market is in <strong>on</strong>e<br />
of the oldest parts of town, it is<br />
definitely worth taking the time to<br />
discover the area nearby. In the<br />
immediate vicinity you will find<br />
plenty of stores that sell all kinds of<br />
accessories for dresses, costumes,<br />
handbags, and other DIY projects.<br />
An interesting feature of many of<br />
these stores is their professi<strong>on</strong>al<br />
dying service. They are able to dye<br />
any fabric to match the color of an<br />
already existing fabric. Of course<br />
this comes in extremely handy when<br />
you need to mend a dress.<br />
SMall art yarD ( 小 藝 埕 )<br />
This is another favorite of mine<br />
in the area. It sells beautiful handprinted<br />
fabrics with modern designs.<br />
The stylish patterns and color<br />
combinati<strong>on</strong>s of these fabrics will<br />
harm<strong>on</strong>ize perfectly with a more<br />
c<strong>on</strong>temporary interior decorati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
And if you are tired after so much<br />
fabric shopping you can enjoy a<br />
good cup of coffee in Luguo Café<br />
which is located <strong>on</strong> the sec<strong>on</strong>d floor<br />
of Small Art Yard. You could also<br />
walk over to Art Yard ( 民 藝 埕 ) ,<br />
and enjoy Chinese-style tea with<br />
complementary traditi<strong>on</strong>al tea snacks<br />
and sweets ( 茶 點 ), served in the cozy<br />
tea house <strong>on</strong> the sec<strong>on</strong>d floor, which<br />
is tastefully furnished with retro<br />
furniture and retro décor.<br />
Bin is an interior designer<br />
with almost thirty years of<br />
experience in Taiwan. In<br />
additi<strong>on</strong> to running his own<br />
interior design studio (www.inkst<strong>on</strong>e.<br />
ws), he recently started a small home<br />
maintenance service company (http://<br />
housewizard.wordpress.com/), in order<br />
to share his local knowledge about the<br />
ins and outs of home<br />
decorati<strong>on</strong> with the<br />
expat community of<br />
<strong>Taipei</strong>. Whatever your<br />
household questi<strong>on</strong> may<br />
be, he’d love to hear<br />
from you.<br />
www.communitycenter.org.tw DEC 2012/jan 2013<br />
25
generaati<strong>on</strong> y<br />
hanukkah<br />
TexT: LeaT ahr<strong>on</strong>y<br />
L<strong>on</strong>g stretches of holidays<br />
throughout the year<br />
never seem to end,<br />
especially when you come<br />
from a background of mixed<br />
cultures. My Taiwan and Israeli<br />
heritage allows me to celebrate<br />
b o t h C h i n e s e a n d J e w i s h<br />
holidays, and <strong>on</strong>e of my favorites<br />
is Hanukkah, which involves<br />
lighting eight-days’ worth of<br />
candles.<br />
The sTory of hanukkahh<br />
Every Jewish festival has a<br />
story behind it, and Hanukkah<br />
commemorates the mystical<br />
miracle of lights. Over 2,500<br />
years ago, the Syrian King<br />
Antiochus forced the Jewish<br />
people to worship Greek gods<br />
by installing a statue of himself in<br />
the Jewish temple. This is a violati<strong>on</strong><br />
of <strong>on</strong>e of the Ten Commandments,<br />
which forbids the worship of idols or<br />
statues. As a result, a small group of<br />
Jews called Maccabees rebelled. This<br />
is an important event in Jewish history<br />
- a three year war. The result was<br />
that Jerusalem was recaptured from<br />
the Syrians, but - devastatingly - the<br />
temple was destroyed.<br />
The Jews lit a lamp (a menorah)<br />
whilst repairing the temple - a symbol<br />
of God's presence - so that it could<br />
be rededicated to Him. They could<br />
<strong>on</strong>ly find <strong>on</strong>e small jar of oil, enough<br />
to burn for <strong>on</strong>e day, but the lamp<br />
miraculously stayed alight for eight<br />
days. The menorah (called a hanukiah<br />
in Hebrew) is a special candle holder<br />
with nine stemmed candelabrum<br />
(holding eight candles to be lit, plus<br />
<strong>on</strong>e “servant” candle to light the<br />
others). Hanukkah is celebrated by<br />
Jews worldwide to remember how<br />
God looked after the Jewish people at<br />
a difficult time.<br />
The TradiTi<strong>on</strong>s of hanukkah<br />
Growing up in Taiwan, our Jewish<br />
community arranged Hanukkah<br />
parties filled with music, dreidal<br />
games, and an assortment of<br />
traditi<strong>on</strong>al Hanukkah foods. I must<br />
admit it isn’t the healthiest holiday<br />
as many traditi<strong>on</strong>al Hanukkah food<br />
items c<strong>on</strong>tain a lot of oil. However, it<br />
comes <strong>on</strong>ly <strong>on</strong>ce a year!<br />
Latkes, which are crispy pan fried<br />
potato strips, are a must. The trick<br />
is not to mush them into <strong>on</strong>e lumpy<br />
patty because you want the edges to be<br />
golden and crispy. The other popular<br />
delicacy at this time is deep-fried,<br />
jelly-filled d<strong>on</strong>uts, called sufganiot.<br />
Normally dishes like Israeli salad,<br />
star-shaped cookies, apple sauce,<br />
grilled salm<strong>on</strong> and fruit are added to<br />
the table. There is always something<br />
special for the children as well.<br />
Besides the parents’ Hanukkah<br />
gift, every child receives a bag filled<br />
with hanukiah-imprinted golden coin<br />
chocolates. Decorati<strong>on</strong>s are put up<br />
<strong>on</strong> the walls prior to the party and<br />
every family brings their hanukiah.<br />
After saying a short prayer<br />
and singing the traditi<strong>on</strong>al<br />
Hanukkah s<strong>on</strong>gs together,<br />
candles are lit.<br />
hanukkah in Canada<br />
Moving to university in<br />
C a n a d a m e a n t l e a v i n g m y<br />
familiar celebratory traditi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
in Taiwan. But no matter where<br />
you go, traditi<strong>on</strong>s are traditi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
and variati<strong>on</strong>s are not drastic.<br />
Here in Victoria, the Jewish<br />
community holds several<br />
Hanukkah parties for singles<br />
and families, whether it is at the<br />
Chabad <strong>Center</strong>, the Synagogue<br />
downtown, or at private Rabbi<br />
parties. Christmas, Hanukkah<br />
and any high holiday is a time<br />
for celebrati<strong>on</strong> but is also a<br />
good excuse for a family gathering.<br />
This is the <strong>on</strong>e part I missed most last<br />
year. It was during winter break, and<br />
my roommates went back home to<br />
spend time with family. With Skype<br />
and email though, I can feel c<strong>on</strong>nected<br />
to back home, and with the support<br />
of some local friends and the Jewish<br />
community, l<strong>on</strong>eliness eventually drifts<br />
away. Before you know it, the eight<br />
days pass, and we look forward to the<br />
next holiday.<br />
Every Jewish holiday to me is<br />
special, but Hanukkah is mystical, and<br />
lighting the candles while singing the<br />
traditi<strong>on</strong>al s<strong>on</strong>gs lights up my heart. I<br />
find it interesting how both Christmas<br />
and Hanukkah involve the c<strong>on</strong>cept of<br />
“light”. I will not return to Taiwan<br />
this December, but my hanukiah,<br />
candles, and matches are already<br />
in place. No matter where you are<br />
placed, <strong>on</strong>e should never feel l<strong>on</strong>ely, so<br />
find friends and family, and embrace<br />
the warmth of the miracle of lights!<br />
Leat Ahr<strong>on</strong>y is a business undergraduate student at the University of Victoria (UVic) in Canada. She began<br />
her journalism career in high school writing for the <str<strong>on</strong>g><strong>Center</strong>ed</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>Taipei</strong> <strong>magazine</strong>. She has a weekly <strong>on</strong>line<br />
column for the UVic newspaper, The Martlet, and regularly writes print news and culture articles. She plans<br />
to earn her B.A. in Commerce and c<strong>on</strong>tinue a side career in Journalism.<br />
26 dec 2012/jan 2013 www.communitycenter.org.tw
The Art of Building a<br />
Str<strong>on</strong>g C<strong>on</strong>stituti<strong>on</strong><br />
TEXT: SHAUN RAMSDEN<br />
tcM corNer<br />
Creating a str<strong>on</strong>g c<strong>on</strong>stituti<strong>on</strong> for your child<br />
starts a l<strong>on</strong>g time before pregnancy. It is very<br />
important that the body has enough high quality<br />
materials to create life with. If you were to build<br />
a house the first step would be to find the best materials to<br />
use in c<strong>on</strong>structing the foundati<strong>on</strong>. In general, according<br />
to Traditi<strong>on</strong>al Chinese Medicine, the first s<strong>on</strong> and sec<strong>on</strong>d<br />
daughter take the mother's c<strong>on</strong>stituti<strong>on</strong>, the sec<strong>on</strong>d s<strong>on</strong> and<br />
first daughter take the father's. But even though there is a<br />
str<strong>on</strong>g genetic comp<strong>on</strong>ent we can still alter the foundati<strong>on</strong><br />
of the foetus' growth through correct preparati<strong>on</strong> before<br />
pregnancy.<br />
Both the man and the women need to adjust their<br />
bodies. The female's adjustment is slightly more<br />
important, as she must carry the foetus. Correct<br />
preparati<strong>on</strong> will not <strong>on</strong>ly help to prevent miscarriage but<br />
it will also increase the chances of a pleasant pregnancy<br />
with fewer complicati<strong>on</strong>s. The single most important<br />
indicator for knowing the current state of the female<br />
reproductive system is through the observati<strong>on</strong> of<br />
menstruati<strong>on</strong>. It should be regular, come about every<br />
twenty-eight days, arriving about <strong>on</strong>e week before the full<br />
mo<strong>on</strong>. There should be no pain, diarrhoea, pre-menstrual<br />
syndrome (PMS), nausea or dizziness. In the middle of<br />
the cycle there should be no excessive discharge and most<br />
importantly there must be enough blood that is not dark,<br />
not purple and without clots. It is blood that is the basis<br />
of the female body and the most important to regulate.<br />
Once the period and the blood are fully regular then it is<br />
safe to become pregnant.<br />
It is possible to tell the strength of a child’s c<strong>on</strong>stituti<strong>on</strong><br />
by looking at the size of their wrists and ears. Most<br />
people who have a str<strong>on</strong>g build tend to have a thick<br />
skeletal system and those with a weak c<strong>on</strong>stituti<strong>on</strong> are<br />
thinner. The c<strong>on</strong>stituti<strong>on</strong> in and of itself is similar to the<br />
foundati<strong>on</strong> of a house. The house can be changed and<br />
altered but not the foundati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> which it was built.<br />
In ancient China they believed that having children at a<br />
younger age was better in some ways as the body was<br />
internally more healthy. But they also understood that<br />
those who had children older had much better life skills.<br />
No matter what age you are the path to healthy children<br />
begins with having a healthy body l<strong>on</strong>g before pregnancy.<br />
Regulating the period is very easily d<strong>on</strong>e with Chinese<br />
herbal medicine but the secret of keeping it regular lies<br />
in leading a healthy lifestyle. For women the single most<br />
dominant factor that disrupts the balance is anything<br />
that is cold. This means cold drinks, cold water and cold<br />
weather. It is especially important to stay away from<br />
anything cold during menstruati<strong>on</strong>. For this reas<strong>on</strong> it<br />
is suggested to dress warmly, to not use ice or to drink<br />
refrigerated beverages and never to swim leading up to,<br />
during, or immediately after menstruati<strong>on</strong>. There are<br />
also certain foods and drinks that are cold in nature and<br />
should be avoided or at least not form a major part of<br />
your diet such as green tea, watermel<strong>on</strong> and ice cream.<br />
Eat with the seas<strong>on</strong>s, sleep early, exercise daily, dress<br />
warmly and health will come naturally.<br />
Shaun Ramsden is a native Australian who spent eight<br />
years in Singapore and six years in China and has recently<br />
relocated to <strong>Taipei</strong>. He has a Bachelor of Medicine from the<br />
Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and a Diploma in<br />
Massage from the Australian College of Natural Medicine.<br />
In additi<strong>on</strong> to running his own TCM clinic (www.<br />
classictcm.net), he enjoys writing books <strong>on</strong> kung fu, TCM<br />
health cultivati<strong>on</strong> and Chinese medicine. On the weekends<br />
he teaches martial arts and qi g<strong>on</strong>g <strong>on</strong> Yangmingshan.<br />
www.communitycenter.org.tw<br />
DEC 2012/jan 2013<br />
27
csc<br />
What the <strong>magazine</strong><br />
TEXT: NANCY ACHORN<br />
means to me<br />
We’ve been expats for a<br />
l<strong>on</strong>g time, and although I<br />
always look forward to<br />
living in a new country,<br />
the actual transiti<strong>on</strong> is not always<br />
easy. After nine years in Asia, we<br />
were lucky to have three years in<br />
Europe, the last two of which were<br />
in Greece. There was so much<br />
more of Europe to see, and our<br />
time there had g<strong>on</strong>e by too fast.<br />
I was not feeling ready to leave<br />
behind the beautiful scenery,<br />
amazing history, and great<br />
friends I’d made in Athens.<br />
Walking in the footsteps of<br />
history I’d read about all my<br />
life was a privilege I was not<br />
eager to give up.<br />
hard to Say goodbye<br />
My husband starting working in Taiwan a<br />
few m<strong>on</strong>ths before the kids and I arrived, so he came back<br />
to Greece for our pack-out with an armload of reading<br />
material to help me get started learning about <strong>Taipei</strong>,<br />
our new home. I procrastinated. The pile moved from<br />
coffee table to bookshelf, and finally to my suitcase. Yes,<br />
it would be great to start thinking about the practicalities<br />
of living in Taiwan but no, I was not emoti<strong>on</strong>ally ready<br />
to leave Greece yet. So it was well after our house was<br />
packed and shipped, and we were <strong>on</strong> the beach <strong>on</strong><br />
Skiathos Island soaking up our last few days of Greek<br />
sun, that I finally got out the stack of books, <strong>magazine</strong>s,<br />
maps and brochures <strong>on</strong> Taiwan and started reading.<br />
the diSCovery of <strong>Community</strong><br />
I was reluctant and ready to be disappointed at what<br />
my re-entry into Asian society would bring. Instead,<br />
my attitude changed completely that day, and it was all<br />
because of reading <str<strong>on</strong>g><strong>Center</strong>ed</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>Taipei</strong>. Every article<br />
I read told me that I was about to become part of a<br />
thoughtful, intelligent, very switched-<strong>on</strong> community<br />
focused <strong>on</strong> enjoying and appreciating life in Taiwan.<br />
Not <strong>on</strong>ly that, but the central missi<strong>on</strong> of those involved<br />
at The <strong>Center</strong> appeared to be so much more then just<br />
making friends, attending activities, or where to shop or<br />
go out to lunch. These people were actively supporting<br />
an organizati<strong>on</strong> dedicated to making sure that no-<strong>on</strong>e<br />
who moves here does so without the resources they need<br />
to get c<strong>on</strong>nected, meet people, and share the comm<strong>on</strong><br />
experience of living in a new place. These did not sound<br />
like people trying to survive their overseas assignments,<br />
but people who had made <strong>Taipei</strong> home and saw this as an<br />
opportunity and experience not to be missed. Some were<br />
people who had lived here for many years, but instead<br />
of leaving the welcoming of newcomers to others, they<br />
were leading hikes, running book groups, teaching classes,<br />
scouting coffee shops,<br />
training volunteers and<br />
creating a safe place for<br />
people like me to join in.<br />
As I closed my <str<strong>on</strong>g><strong>Center</strong>ed</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
<strong>on</strong> <strong>Taipei</strong> <strong>magazine</strong> and<br />
lay back, the Aegean Sea<br />
was just as beautiful, the<br />
sadness of leaving friends just<br />
as bittersweet, but now I was<br />
also excited about <strong>Taipei</strong>. If<br />
so many people were finding<br />
great things to do in <strong>Taipei</strong>,<br />
how could I fail to do so I<br />
breathed easier, the knot in my<br />
stomach releasing as I began to<br />
picture myself as a member of this<br />
community. I scanned the rest of my<br />
reading pile, but nothing there spoke<br />
to me like <str<strong>on</strong>g><strong>Center</strong>ed</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>Taipei</strong> did.<br />
For me, this was the turning point in<br />
stepping way from Greece and moving<br />
forward, toward <strong>Taipei</strong>.<br />
a Safe plaCe for all<br />
The other day I was driving <strong>on</strong> Zh<strong>on</strong>gshan North<br />
Road, trying to avoid motorbikes, find a parking place<br />
and get to a school meeting <strong>on</strong> time. My husband<br />
was traveling and I was stressed, feeling al<strong>on</strong>e and<br />
uncomfortable. As I passed the entrance to Lane 290,<br />
I pictured Grace and Rosemary at their desks working<br />
away, and thought about how welcomed I felt the first<br />
time I walked into the <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Center</strong>. The<br />
same way I feel whenever I walk in The <strong>Center</strong>’s door. I<br />
thought of Jenni laughing as she signed me up for every<br />
class I’d circled <strong>on</strong> my list, and Gloria inviting me to<br />
join a Mandarin study group. I drove <strong>on</strong> down the road,<br />
comforted by the realizati<strong>on</strong> that here, in the midst of all<br />
the unfamiliarity, the busy traffic, and Chinese characters,<br />
The <strong>Center</strong> is a place I am c<strong>on</strong>nected to. I have resources<br />
available, emerging friendships, people to laugh with, and<br />
a way to c<strong>on</strong>tribute so these things will always be there<br />
for the next new people to arrive.<br />
Reading <str<strong>on</strong>g><strong>Center</strong>ed</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>Taipei</strong> that day has made all<br />
the difference in the world. Because of it, I made The<br />
<strong>Community</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Center</strong> my first stop, and I suspect<br />
it will be my last when we leave. For now I can relax and<br />
take my time getting to know the beauty of Taiwan, its<br />
people and all the friends I will make here.<br />
Nancy, originally from America, has<br />
been living overseas for over 12 years.<br />
She and her family have had endless<br />
adventures living in Korea, China,<br />
Malaysia, Denmark and Greece, and<br />
are now enjoying making friends,<br />
exploring and learning about Taiwan.<br />
28<br />
DEC 2012/jan 2013 www.communitycenter.org.tw
taiWaneSe<br />
SWeet SoupS<br />
TEXT: IVY CHEN<br />
IMAGES: TING TING HUANG AND IVY CHEN<br />
Taiwanese desserts, unlike their<br />
Western counterparts, can be served<br />
anytime. Taiwanese d<strong>on</strong>’t have a specific<br />
teatime break, but tea snacks (both<br />
savory and sweet) are served with tea<br />
at any time during the day. Taiwanese<br />
desserts include cakes, sweet soups and<br />
others. This m<strong>on</strong>th we will look at sweet<br />
soups, perfect <strong>on</strong> a cold winter day.<br />
Sweet soups ( 甜 湯 , tian tang) are made<br />
of beans, roots, tapioca or nuts; most are<br />
cooked in water, with sugar added. Some<br />
examples of sweet soups are:<br />
Red bean soup ( 紅 豆 湯 ,<br />
h<strong>on</strong>gdou tang);<br />
Green bean (mung bean)<br />
soup ( 綠 豆 湯 , ludou tang);<br />
Green bean and Job’s tear<br />
soup ( 綠 豆 薏 仁 湯 , ludou<br />
yiren tang);<br />
Red bean and rice ball soup ( 紅 豆 湯 圓 ,<br />
h<strong>on</strong>gdou tangyuan);<br />
Peanut soup ( 花 生 湯 , huasheng tang,<br />
made from shelled, bleached and cooked<br />
peanuts);<br />
Lotus seeds and white wood ear soup ( 蓮<br />
子 銀 耳 湯 , lianzi yiner tang; wolfberry is<br />
usually also added);<br />
Red bean and tapioca soup ( 紅 豆 西 米 露 ,<br />
h<strong>on</strong>gdou ximi lu; sometimes coc<strong>on</strong>ut milk<br />
is added for an exotic flavor);<br />
Taro and tapioca soup ( 芋 香 西 米 露 ,<br />
yuxiang ximi lu; made from cooked taro<br />
purée and tapioca in coc<strong>on</strong>ut milk and<br />
sugar);<br />
Sago in h<strong>on</strong>eydew syrup ( 哈 密 瓜 西 米<br />
露 , hamigua ximi lu; made from cooked<br />
tapioca in h<strong>on</strong>eydew juice with coc<strong>on</strong>ut<br />
milk to serve);<br />
Black sesame paste ( 芝 麻<br />
糊 , zhima hu; made from<br />
ground black sesame seeds<br />
cooked then thickened<br />
with rice flour in water,<br />
with sugar to serve);<br />
Sweet potato ball/taro ball soup ( 地 瓜 圓<br />
/ 芋 圓 湯 , digua yuan/yuyuan tang; made<br />
from cooked sweet potato or taro and<br />
mixed with tapioca to make balls, which<br />
are cooked in water and served with a<br />
sugar soup).<br />
Just a few of the things that are going <strong>on</strong> around <strong>Taipei</strong> this m<strong>on</strong>th...<br />
taipei City hall<br />
December 31st at 7:00pm<br />
New Year’s Eve Count Down Party<br />
Music, dancing, food, drinks, and<br />
fireworks from dusk til dawn. Be there<br />
or be square…<br />
Venue: Civic Plaza<br />
http://www.tvbs.com.tw/project/<br />
tvbs_g/activity/2012_taipei_en/<br />
News_1.aspxcode=20111209155128<br />
1 Shifu Road, Xinyi<br />
taipei fine arts museum<br />
Until January 13th<br />
Modern M<strong>on</strong>sters – Death and Life of<br />
Ficti<strong>on</strong><br />
Galleries: 1st, 2nd & 3rd Floors<br />
http://www.tfam.museum/<br />
181 Zh<strong>on</strong>gshan North Road, Secti<strong>on</strong> 3<br />
nati<strong>on</strong>al palace museum<br />
Until June 20th<br />
Lifting the Spirit and Body – The Art<br />
and Culture of Snuff Bottles<br />
Gallery: 303<br />
http://www.npm.gov.tw<br />
221 Zhishan Road, Secti<strong>on</strong> 2<br />
the red room<br />
On the 3rd Saturday of every m<strong>on</strong>th<br />
from 6:30 – 10:30 pm<br />
http://www.redroom.com.tw/<br />
2F, 117 Da-an Road, Secti<strong>on</strong> 1<br />
nati<strong>on</strong>al museum of history<br />
Until January 8th<br />
A Special Exhibiti<strong>on</strong> - The Petit<br />
LOUVRE<br />
1F Rooms 101, 102 & 103<br />
http://www.nmh.gov.tw/en-us<br />
49 Nanhai Road<br />
museum of C<strong>on</strong>temporary art (moCa)<br />
Until December 30th<br />
The VW New Beatle – A Modern<br />
Interpretati<strong>on</strong><br />
Until February 8th<br />
Wang Qings<strong>on</strong>g – The History of<br />
M<strong>on</strong>uments<br />
Venue | MOCA <strong>Taipei</strong><br />
www.mocataipei.org.tw<br />
39 Changan West Road<br />
nati<strong>on</strong>al taiwan museum<br />
Until Febrary 24th<br />
Taiwan's Gems – Wen St<strong>on</strong>e Exhibiti<strong>on</strong><br />
Galleries: G301 & G302<br />
http://formosa.ntm.gov.tw/web/en<br />
2 Siangyang Road<br />
Spot taipei – film house<br />
Daily: No<strong>on</strong> to Midnight, six showings<br />
Advant Garde Cross Cutural Films<br />
www.redhouse.org.tw<br />
10 Chengdu Road, Wanhua District<br />
the red house<br />
Until December 2015<br />
The Red House: A Century of Stories<br />
and Blessings<br />
www.redhouse.org.tw<br />
10 Chengdu Road, Wanhua District<br />
Internati<strong>on</strong>al <strong>Community</strong> Choir's<br />
Christmas C<strong>on</strong>cert<br />
December 9th 4pm <strong>on</strong>wards<br />
Guy Lott Auditorium, <strong>Taipei</strong> American<br />
School.<br />
NT$300 Available from choir<br />
members, the <strong>Center</strong>, or at the door.<br />
www.communitycenter.org.tw DEC 2012/jan 2013<br />
29
CsC businEss ClassifiED<br />
Web C<strong>on</strong>Sultant<br />
beauty<br />
eduCati<strong>on</strong><br />
hair dreSSer<br />
#14 Tienmu E. Road | Teleph<strong>on</strong>e 2871-1515 | GP168@hotmail.com.tw<br />
food and drink<br />
30 DEC 2012/jan 2013 www.communitycenter.org.tw
David gill<br />
David Gill is a l<strong>on</strong>g time resident of <strong>Taipei</strong> and travels frequently as the Asia-based representative of an<br />
aerospace company. A photography hobbyist since he was a teenager his favorite shots are everyday<br />
subjects or scenes that often pass unnoticed. “As an amateur photographer, I focus <strong>on</strong> shots that please<br />
my own eye. New and unusual sights and sounds are fantastic and many of us rightfully spend a lot of time<br />
and m<strong>on</strong>ey seeking them out. For me that typically includes a camera around my neck and bag over my<br />
shoulder. But taking a moment to c<strong>on</strong>sider what’s at your doorstep, <strong>on</strong> the way to work, or right around the<br />
corner has every chance to be pretty fantastic too – and creates the opportunity for a photo that c<strong>on</strong>nects;<br />
at least with yourself, maybe a few others if you’re lucky.”
A Haven of Comfort<br />
Located in the heart of Tunhua Financial<br />
District, Howard Green Garden combines<br />
the best of shopping with a relaxed living<br />
envir<strong>on</strong>ment.<br />
Well served by a network of transportati<strong>on</strong> for<br />
c<strong>on</strong>venient access, the 52 well-appointed<br />
rooms and comprehensive facilities provide<br />
busy executives a delightful stay with total<br />
peace of mind.<br />
No.9, Lane199, Tunhwa N.Road, <strong>Taipei</strong>, Taiwan<br />
TEL02 2545 9888 FAX02 2719 8344