I've had many communications from friends and family asking about the coronavirus situation here in Taiwan. It's true that we're right next to China, which is the point of origin and (so far) the epicenter of the global outbreak. Nonetheless, I feel as safe here as I would in the US. Read on for more about how COVID-19 has affected my Fulbright year so far, and why I'm not … [Read more...] about Coronavirus: Am I Worried?
New Finds
Preserving Taiwan’s Past: Military Housing for Americans and Chinese
In 1945, Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist Chinese government took over Taiwan from the Japanese colonial government that had ruled since 1895. In 1949 the Nationalists lost a civil war with the Communists, and they moved their government and military to Taiwan. Something like two million Chinese, mostly soldiers, administrators, and their dependents, moved to Taiwan in those four … [Read more...] about Preserving Taiwan’s Past: Military Housing for Americans and Chinese
Taipei’s West Asheville: The Treasure Hill Artist Village
One of the many cool places I can walk to from my apartment is the Treasure Hill Artist Village, a cluster of tiny, ramshackle dwellings pinned to a steep hill overlooking the Xindian River. It reminded me of West Asheville in many ways, not just because (almost) everything was closed on Sunday afternoon. … [Read more...] about Taipei’s West Asheville: The Treasure Hill Artist Village
The Taiwan Flagship Sets Sail
The National Taiwan University campus is the home to an exciting new Chinese language program, the Chinese Overseas Flagship in Taiwan. It's a partnership between the US federal government and 12 US universities. The goal is to build undergraduate students' Chinese proficiency to the point where they can work in Chinese after graduation. Recently, the program had its grand … [Read more...] about The Taiwan Flagship Sets Sail
Davidson’s Doppelganger
In Taichung, Taiwan there's a university that has a lot in common with Davidson (my home institution). Tunghai University is a great school with a strong liberal arts curriculum and a Protestant affililation. The campus is lovely, and like Davidson, it's an arboretum. It's a lot bigger than Davidson, but it still had a homey feeling when I stopped in last month for a visit. … [Read more...] about Davidson’s Doppelganger
