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
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Taipei Pride
The 17th annual Taipei Pride Parade was a blast: 200,000 participantsa visual feast of gorgeous cosplay and drag outfits enthusiastic delegations from NGOs and corporationsuntold numbers of giddy young people celebrating together Pride was definitely mostly a celebration. And LGBT Taiwan has a lot to celebrate. This year, Taiwan became the first country in East Asia to … [Read more...] about Taipei Pride
History Lessons in Keelung
I thought I knew a lot about Taiwan's history. I'm familiar with incursions and attacks by Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and US forces. But today I learned of France's brief occupation of the northern Taiwanese city of Keelung (Jilung). My teacher was Captain Dennis Kuo, a retired ROC naval officer; he delivered the lesson in his apartment overlooking Keelung … [Read more...] about History Lessons in Keelung
The Many Faces of Taiwan
I noticed a store near my house today that I hadn't seen before, perhaps because it's often closed -- with the metal gate pulled down over the front -- when I'm out and about in the neighborhood. I mentioned to my friend Fann Meeiyuan that sometimes a place takes on an entirely different look depending on the time of day. So, naturally, she took me to just such a place. … [Read more...] about The Many Faces of Taiwan
Puppet Serendipity
After we descending Elephant Mountain on Sunday afternoon, Jeanne, Annie, Fann Meeiyuan and I passed a small temple in the park outside the subway station. There was a puppet stage set up outside, and when we learned the performance was only minutes away, we stepped inside to watch the show. … [Read more...] about Puppet Serendipity
