by Nick Hsu
What is India to you? An extreme disparity between rich and poor? The most crowded trains ever? One of the most attractive cultures in the world with magnificent temples? Delicious spicy curry? These are all common stereotypes about India, but if you would like to get to know the reality of the country and to discover what an incredible place it is, you might want to consider seeing it the way I did, by becoming a volunteer. I visited Calcutta (or Kolkata) when I joined a non-government organization called the CRAWL Society (Children Resolution and Women Learning) during my summer vacation. The main aim of this group is to make a better world for the poor women and children in India. According to statistics, poverty and low education standards afflict almost 80% of the Indian population. Take one of my students, Chenny, as an example. Her mother told me that Chenny’s father had been sent to another city to work for almost three years. But Chenny’s mother has six children to bring up and earns just twenty US dollars per month. She does not have enough money to send Chenny to school. The most urgent task is to bring these kids to the same educational level as other people. Among many projects that CRAWL provides is the Shikshan project, which is an education center and the one I chose to work in. There your job is to teach children from slum areas. I was a math teacher for a high-level class, and I found the most important thing was to teach them basic tools to help them to operate a business on their own. This was very difficult to articulate, especially for those kids who could not communicate in English very well. But to my surprise, instead of being shy they were very keen to answer all the questions I asked during class. Other volunteers agreed with me that these were wonderful kids to teach. From the experience of being a teacher I can now see where Indian people obtained their attitude toward life. Because of its large population, people have to compete for survival since childhood. So maybe that’s why they were so anxious about showing their ability to a new teacher like me. Indian children have to be on their own much earlier than we can imagine. Another thing that drew my attention was their facial expressions. ”Why do they look so happy all the time?” I wondered. “I like the way I live! I have a lovely family, my house is not big but it’s pretty,” my landlord said. These people don’t need to buy luxuries to fulfill their vanity; their satisfaction toward life makes them optimistic. Believe it or not, the suicide rate in India is much lower than in Taiwan. We have a much higher living standard, and we believe that material things can make our lives better, but are we happy? Living in India is not an easy task. You need to get used to a very different culture. Nonetheless after I returned home and looked back on my experience, I felt more satisfied than ever before. It was not the end of a journey but the beginning of making a difference in my own lifetime. How to be a volunteer? CRAWL Society: http://www.crawlsociety.org/ SMILE: http://www.smilengo.org/ Global Volunteer Network :http://www.volunteer.org.nz/india/ Mother House: http://www.motherhouse.org/index.php
0 Comments
by Willy Leung PDA stands for Personal Digital Assistant as well as Parental Drug Association and Progressive Democrats of America, but in this article PDA means Public Display of Affection, which can be best described as a show of affection between two people who care for or love each other in a public place. For example, giving a hug, holding hands, or kissing in public are commonly defined as public displays of affection, and it can be as simple as a father hugging his daughter or two friends holding hands. There are a variety of views on public displays of affection, depending on the personalities of the people involved. Some people are more conservative and don’t like to show their affection in public, while others are very extroverted and enjoy expressing themselves wherever they are. Cheek-kissing (air kissing), holding hands, and giving a hug may also be greeting habits that can offend people, depending on their culture, background, ethnic differences, customs, and traditions. As I was born and raised in Latin America, I would like to describe some of the differences between how people in Taiwan and Latin America demonstrate their physical affection in public, since these two cultures differ a lot in this regard. In Taiwan, public displays of affection in public are rare. People tend to hide their true feelings, especially their complaints or negative feelings, and some of them only reveal or discuss them with close friends and family members. Exceptions are younger generations who are more open about their feelings and emotions. Generally speaking, Taiwanese society is not a touch-oriented society, but it is possible to see people of the same sex walking together hand-in-hand (usually Taiwanese girls), which is simply a gesture of friendship. In Latin America, public displays of affection are widely accepted, and cheek kissing is an ordinary example. Cheek kissing is very common and natural in order to indicate friendship, perform a greeting, to give congratulations, or just simply to show respect. It is considered a universal form of greeting between two persons (usually between a man and a woman or two women). It is not necessary to know a person well or be intimate with them to kiss them on the cheek, and at the same time, it doesn’t necessarily indicate sexual or romantic interest. When is PDA too much? Many of you have probably seen couples sitting together in front of the library or by the lake making out, cuddling, caressing, hugging, or simply doing “God knows what.” These are some of the public displays of affection happening on the NTU campus. You may think they’re being sneaky, but just because it’s dark doesn’t mean it’s a good place to engage in heavy petting sessions. When is PDA too much? This will depend on how much people can tolerate it. For some people, making out in public is a real no-no. In fact, some believe that it’s not acceptable behavior that children and teenagers need to see. This explains why the phrase “get a room” was created. Whatever you define as PDA, be sure you acknowledge that your actions may get you into trouble. This can include being escorted out of a restaurant or even getting in trouble for your naughty acts in public. So the next time you kiss your boyfriend or girlfriend, try to remember where you are and think about whether your actions are appropriate in front of others. Use your sense and above all else, please have respect for others around you. Remember that while you’re happily in love with your partner, not everyone needs to see it. by Johnny Lin
Although Taiwan is not a big country and we often have to look very carefully at the world map to locate it precisely, few people know the whole island well and have experienced its many wonders. When I was a sophomore I decided that I should at least try to learn more about my own country before I get too old to do so. So along with two of my classmates I began to plan for something big and crazy: to get to know the island more by circling it. Of course I am not talking about circling Taiwan with a pen; I am talking about circling the island on a bike! It’s something like a Tour de France for Taiwan. So we then began to prepare for the things we needed: bikes, special clothes, daily necessities, maps, and, of course, body strength. After working out intensely we started off on our journey from NTU. Along the way, I was amazed by a lot of things, and I gradually found out what Taiwan was really like. First, I was amazed by the beautiful scenery along the journey. We began on the east coast, and as we rode along the coast line of the Pacific Ocean, a lot of breath-taking scenes appeared in front of our eyes: cliffs cutting right down to the ocean, panoramic views of the sea, and the sky merging into the horizon. Seldom have I had a chance to experience Taiwan in such a close and meaningful way. Sometimes we were up in a mountain, sometimes we were in a valley, sometimes we were in a small town, and sometimes we were in a bigger city. Each place allowed us to view the island from a very special and touching perspective. Furthermore, I was shocked by the regional differences in different parts of Taiwan. People living on the east coast were generally more friendly then their western counterparts. When we were passing through places such as Taitung or Hualien, people greeted us with loud cheers and waved their hands excitedly. Some people even rolled down their car windows to say hi to us. Also, when we were looking for places to rest after lunch, restaurant owners almost always welcomed us, instead of trying to drive us away. This helped to keep us from giving up in our long journey. But when we got to the other side of Taiwan, we often felt that we were in a different country. The people ignored us, or treated us like some kind of animal in a zoo. We received no greetings on the west coast, and what was worse, we were often pushed to the side by the cars rushing by. On the other hand, I also found many similarities. The most important was night markets! From east to west, north to south, we spent at least one meal per day in a night market. What is so good about night markets is that they always offer many kinds of food at a reasonable price. In addition, I noticed that police stations in Taiwan are actually very convenient and friendly places. We could walk into a police station and ask the officers to refill our water bottles, or to use their bathroom. I even heard from other bikers that they slept in the police station when they couldn’t make it to their destination that night! That was really something beyond our expectation. Although we were almost exhausted by the 800 km trip, I still cannot forget the things I experienced. The magnificent views, the encouragement of strangers, the hardships, and the sense of achievement after finishing such an impossible task, all of which are definitely worth cherishing. But the most important thing I gained is the knowledge that I am still too inexperienced to make any adequate judgment of the world around me. The best way to make yourself more sophisticated and mature, then, is by traveling! And if you have the desire or even the passion to challenge yourself and to know the island and yourself more, you know what to do, and it’s much easier than you think! Here are some websites to get you started: http://chihchin.myweb.hinet.net/Bicycle.htm http://www.bikemen.net/news_program.php http://tw.green.charity.yahoo.com/beginner.html by Ellen Lin
Tai-Yi snack shop (台一牛奶大王) is known to almost everyone at NTU and has frequently been the theme of food columns on the news and in magazines. When a sweets-loaded plate was laid before me, I noticed that Tai-Yi’s interior was decorated by photos of itself in the older days. As I watched the perspiring waiters bustling about, I wondered how the food came to be what it is today, and what it takes to run a prosperous business. These questions prompted me to interview its present owner, who recounted to me the story of Tai-Yi. Not until then did I know that Tai-Yi had rather humble beginnings: the shop was founded as a variety store by the current owner’s father with a Chinese-Indonesian man more than fifty years ago, when old-fashioned buildings still lined the tree-shaded street. The store sold traditional Chinese desserts as well as daily commodities, but their major product was Southeast Asian cuisine, catering to overseas students lodging in the dorm across Xinsheng South Road. After several years of steady business, the shop’s turning point came when the dorm was transferred away and replaced by NTU’s athletic fields. Meanwhile, the other cofounder moved back to Indonesia, leaving the store entirely to the current owner’s father. As more people came in sweating after exercising and demanding icy treats, the shop shifted its staple to ice products, of which the ingredients were all home-made. As business grew, the shop began to receive offers of canned ingredients from processed-food manufacturers, but this would also mean less tasty food. The owner insisted on using the original recipes to preserve the distinctive flavors of fresh ingredients, despite the fact that canned ingredients would reduce costs and simplify the food process. The owner took in suggestions from the multitude of young customers so they were able to make adjustments to their food quickly and constantly. The years passed and more reports about Tai-Yi’s food began to appear in the news, transforming the shop into what we see today. According to the owner, his job is an exhausting one, due to the prolonged working hours. Unlike regular restaurants which work two shifts a day and enjoy a break in the afternoon, snack shops like Tai-Yi serve non-stop from morning to late in the evening. The peak hours start at 8 pm and by the time the gate is pulled down for closure, it’s always past 1 in the morning. Besides long working shifts, the owner takes up a series of tasks from food preparation to the operation of the whole shop. Among other tasks, the most laborious procedure is supervising the ingredient-making process and testing everything personally. As the shop imports only fresh, unprocessed ingredients, quality inevitably varies; say, a newly arrived cart of papayas might not be as sweet as those of the previous day. These subtle flavor adjustments cannot be handled by regular employees, but only by someone with experience. Given Tai-Yi’s popularity, it’s natural to suppose that decline in patronage isn’t one of their worries. Much to my surprise, even such a shop is afflicted by a low season during winter. This is because icy snacks are virtually the only recourse to cool oneself during torrid summers, whereas winter snacks, among many other steaming hot dishes, are just one option for cold weather. As a matter of fact, there were originally four snack shops on the street, but only one has withstood the test of time. To stay in business in a city with distinct seasons like Taipei, the owner explained, a snack shop must make as much as it can in the summer. However, good business management isn’t everything. Intensive interaction with students keeps the shop up to date. Decades ago, when the shop was still spacious enough to house an entire club of students, guitars and records were brought in to enliven the atmosphere, and the small, packed room often rang with the singing of student choirs. But such activities became impossible as the shop grew increasingly crowded, and students rarely received the same familiar greeting when the shop began to hire more employees. The owner nostalgically remarked that he missed these interactions with students the most, but the shop is still generous in its sponsorship of student activities, and it gives considerable discounts to those who donate blood to the blood bus across the street. Though times have changed, the story of Tai-Yi and NTU students continues. by Annie Liu
Until a Slovakian friend mentioned it to me, I had never noticed before how the little green man at pedestrian crossings in Taiwan begins to flash and start to run as the time to cross the street begins to run out. He said he hadn’t seen anything like this before. Through his eyes, I recognized a different perspective of Taiwan. As the saying goes, “people are blind to themselves.” I always wondered how Taiwan appeared to people from other places, so I decided to interview some friends who study at NTU to see what Taiwan was like through foreign eyes. Why did you choose Taiwan over all other places in the world? “To learn Chinese” was the most common reply. But when I asked why not go to China instead, the answers began to differ. One French friend said that he chose Taiwan because he was interested in Asian culture, and also because of his first impression when he contacted people through a well-known couch surfing website, a network in which people offer their couches for travelers to sleep on for free. He was treated in such a friendly way that he decided to witness Taiwan for himself. A Russian friend’s response was more practical: “Because the tuition in Taiwan is three times cheaper than in China.” How does university life in Taiwan differ from other countries? My Russian friend said she had to get accustomed to the course selection system, since the timetable in Russia was entirely given by the school. A Belgian guy said that he was surprised to see his Taiwanese classmates fall asleep in class, because in Belgium students never dared to do so. A Danish friend felt that professors in Taiwan simply do whatever they want. For instance, an old professor once came up to him and asked him whether he liked Taiwanese girls, intending to give him some tips on how to pick them up. He had another experience in which a teacher simply talked about the stock market, which had nothing to do with the class. In his opinion, however, professors in Denmark were not as friendly, and the atmosphere in class is not as good. Also my friends seemed to feel that teachers’ attitude toward them was often based on stereotypes. My Russian friend said she had many experiences in which a professor accused her of missing classes just for fun. This may be true for some, but others might be absent because they have to work at part-time jobs in order to pay their tuition. How are Taiwanese students different from other countries? “Taiwanese students spend most of their time studying instead of going out to night clubs or bars,” said a friend from Ruanda. Clubbing seems to be a universal pastime for university students in Western countries, but in Taiwan it is more like an underground activity for “certain kinds” of people. This phenomenon was probably one of the reasons why a friend from Mongolia said he felt there was a deep gap between international students and local students. “Maybe it was because of the language barrier, but it is hard for us to join Taiwanese groups. I think 70% of the international students hang out with other international students.” However, my French friend had no problem meeting the locals. But I discovered that there was a distinction between my interviewees who were short-term exchange students and those who were here for a longer period. Exchange students seemed to want different experiences while the others looked for a sense of belonging. While some of the students asserted that Taiwanese are “the most friendly, helpful, and honest people in the world,” others had more negative reactions. Culture gaps certainly exist, but through effort from both sides it is possible to eliminate them. Culture is something we can learn from experience. My Danish friend made the best example. He told me that when he first came to Taiwan he was so moved by the warm welcome he received he exclaimed, “I like Chinese people!” But people reacted fiercely to his comment, reminding him that they were not Chinese but Taiwanese. My friend learned to be careful with sensitive political issues from that day on. Others have integrated completely. “Taiwan is like home now,” concluded my Vietnamese friend. I hope you have enjoyed our little peek into Taiwan through foreign eyes. by Derek Cheng
Did you know that there are more than 2 million underprivileged street children now living in Mexico City? Did you know that many of them become prostitutes? Can you imagine that the number of street children is equivalent to the total population of Taipei? These are all facts. In reality, murder, consistent abuse, and inhumane treatment are more than common for these children. Because of Mexico’s economic fragility, street children often resort to begging, theft, and prostitution, which leads them vulnerable to transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS and other contagious illnesses. Living on the Street Begging on the streets is a harsh and fiercely competitive life, especially in a poor country like Mexico. Some street mothers even disable their children or themselves to gain sympathy. When I was in Mexico I witnessed babies with bodies full of bruises crying because their mothers constantly pinched them in order to gain attention of people passing by. Apart from begging, children are also sold. Some homeless girls become the victims of prostitution and pornography, especially on the border between Mexico and the US. Military personnel are often their clients. Soldiers pay 100 pesos (10 USD) for virgins, 50 pesos for other girls; the prettiest can be sold to high-ranking officers. Prostitution leads to infectious diseases like AIDS. Without money for medicine, some girls die young. Working on the Street Child exploitation is another severe problem. There are more than 5 million child laborers aged from 5 to 15 now working in Mexico. Mexican law prohibits children 13 and younger from working, and 14 to 16 can only work in the jobs which do not jeopardize their development. Nevertheless, children in Mexico are forced by their families to do factory work, mining, prostitution, and other tedious and repetitive jobs. In addition to the health risks, these jobs also deprive children of their right to go to school, which is the only way to pull them out of this vicious circle. NAFTA Byproduct 63% of Mexican children live under 2 USD per day, facing poverty and living in marginalized communities, according to the National Household Income and Expenditure Survey (ENIGH). This situation results not only from extreme poverty but also from the inequities of income distribution. The gap between rich and poor has become worse after the ratification of the NAFTA (North American Free Trade) Agreement in 1995. The places which have close trade relationships with the US have prospered, raising the price level of the domestic economy. This inflation has led to a hasher life for the poor since all the goods are more expensive. Export demands have also sparked even more illegal child labor. Corruption and bureaucracy have also led to this dreadful situation. Mexico has been listed as one of the most corrupt countries in the world by Transparency International. Money does not go to those who really need it and often evaporates in the bureaucratic system, particularly with corrupt border officials. A Better Future? The exploitation of children in Mexico is a perplexing problem. Forcing them to work to support the family or compelling them to beg on the street leads to a miserable life. What’s more, when they grow up they can only repeat what their families did to them. Going to school might help them to escape this rat race, but they are not provided with this chance. This is a serious problem that needs to be addressed, in order that these children can hope for a better future. by Hadis Tsai
Half a century before the dawn of Christianity, Rome had become the wealthiest city in the world, a cosmopolitan metropolis of one million people and an epicenter of a sprawling empire. Founded on principles of shared power and fierce personal competition, the Republic was created to prevent any single man from absolute power. This was a society where soldiers could rise up from ordinary lads to become national heroes, even leaders of the Republic. This is where the TV series Rome begins. But eventually the ruling class becomes extravagantly wealthy and the old foundations crumble, eaten away by corruption and excess. The old values of Republic discipline and social unity have given way, as a result of a great chasm between social classes. After eight years of war, Gaius Julius Caesar has completed his bloody conquest of Gaul. In Rome, Caesar’s old friend Pompey Magnus is warned by the Senate that Caesar’s popularity will rattle the status quo along with their wealth and power. Backed by the ruling class, Pompey therefore starts to prepare an ultimatum that would strip Caesar of his power and at the same time censure him for trying to destroy the Republic’s founding charters. Soon, rumors of a military coup send shock waves throughout the country, and Caesar and Pompey officially begin to jostle for political power and the trust of the Romans. Eventually Caesar outshines all his rivals and accedes to the throne. Before long, however, he is assassinated because people think his deeds have gone against the founding principles of the Republic. In the wake of Caesar’s murder, everything in the empire is up for grabs. A convoluted power play for the control of Rome is just beginning. Alliances are shifting, the stakes are high, and nobody is safe. Based on these historical facts, the TV show has gained great popularity in recent years. I think after watching episodes of Rome, what is most intriguing is not its sensational scenes or its bloody violence, but its in-depth portrayal of different human natures. In the show, we can see how egotistic a person can become in order to gain political control, and how merciless human beings can be when they try to survive in a battle. With its complex plots and complicated relationships among characters, we see the concealed, innermost nature of a person come into shape when faced with great adversity. Unlike other popular shows that involve sex and brutality, Rome features a genuine presentation of the wickedness and wretchedness of human beings. The show offers us a thorough look at history and the building of an empire. It narrates a drama interwoven with love and betrayal, masters and slaves, husbands and wives, and chronicles a heroic time during the Roman Empire. “Human nature never changes,” says scriptwriter Bruno Heller. It’s true when we’re watching the show; we still see the same problems today: crime, unemployment, disease, and the struggle for social mobility and the pressure to preserve one’s place at a precarious time. Rome sets the stage for modern politics: infighting, corruption, partisanship, and the struggle to define a collective concept of values. It reflects the dark side of human beings and at the same time gives us much food for thought about our own situation. by Nick Hsu
Not until the 1970s did law enforcement officials feel the need to define this burgeoning phenomenon as a major category of crime – the serial killer. However, by reviewing the history of serial killers it remains difficult to know exactly when this phenomenon began, since the characteristics that underlie serial killing are probably as old as human beings themselves. From the official definition given by the FBI, a serial killer is a person who murders three or more people over a period of more than thirty days, with a “cooling off” period between, and whose motivation for killing is largely based on psychological gratification. Although it may sound unbelievable, statistically there are more than sixty serial killers still on the loose from justice. To know these people more, maybe we can discover something from the most two famous murderers in US history—Ed Gein and Albert Fish. Gein was born August, 1906 in Wisconsin. From childhood he had been uncertain about his sexual tendencies and even considered having transsexual surgery, but he gave up because the process cost too much money. Perhaps that’s why he thought of being a woman on a “part-time” basis. Between 1950 and 1954, Gein opened about nine graves in raids at midnight, stealing corpses back to his house. At his home, he used body parts as domestic decorations. Skulls were used as bowls, human skins were utilized as the upholstery of chairs; noses, lips and nipples were around his house. Sometimes, Gein even danced under the moonlight wearing these “ornaments” imagining he was a woman. However not until a 58-year-old woman disappeared from her hardware store did the police notice this monster. Police deputies found a small shed behind Gein’s house. What they saw in the shed haunted them for the rest of their lives, including a headless body hung from the rafters, a human heart in a saucepan and other organs in a big box in the corner. Gein was arrested on the spot. “I just have the impulse…” Gein said to the judge. Gein confessed to only two murders and three grave robberies. The judge deemed him insane and sent him to Central State Hospital in Wisconsin, where he died in 1984. Nonetheless being one of the most famous serial killers in US history, Gein’s story has been repeatedly put on the big screen, in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and more recently in The Silence of the Lambs. No matter how scary Gein’s story is, people still seem to be interested in him. Our second example is Albert Fish, the most notorious cannibal of the twentieth century. Born into a respected family in Washington D.C., when Fish was five years old his father died, and his mother sent him to an orphanage in order to support herself. There, Fish was treated roughly. Records showed that Fish was a problem child who “ran away every Saturday,” and persistently wet the bed until he was eleven. In 1898, Fish married his first wife and had six children before she had an affair with another man. Maybe this is why, thirty years later, Fish was arrested for “eating” children. “I choked her to death and cut her in small pieces,” Fish said in count. “It took me nine days to eat her, but I didn’t do anything bad to her; she died a virgin.” He confessed to fifteen homicides over a period of thirty years. Surprisingly, Fish was released many times since he “looked so innocent,” but in the end he was sentenced to death and was involved in the disappearance of more than one hundred children. After reading the stories above, do you still think Hollywood movies are more scary than the real world? Psychologists have spent decades trying to sum up “the origins” behind such serial killers, but surely they will remain a permanent mystery. Little Box: In 1984 FBI special agent Robert K. Reseller listed the following “general characteristics” of serial killers: 1. Most of them are white males. 2. They may be smart, having high IQ scores. 3. But in spite of high IQs they don’t do well in school, can’t work stably, etc. 4. Their family often has a criminal history or alcoholic habits. 5. They hate their parents. 6. They are often abused in childhood. 7. Many of them have records of early psychiatric problems. 8. They have a high rate of suicide attempts. 9. From an early age they are interested in voyeurism, pornography, etc. 10. They are anti-social and live in an anti-world. by Isabel Lee What comes to mind when you think of Macao? Nine out of ten would probably say casinos. But the tenth person, if he is a true gourmet, would say food, and he would be right. Macao, the first and the last European colony in China, was administered by Portugal for over 400 years. It is a place where Western and Chinese cultures meet. You can easily perceive the colonial qualities from its well-preserved Portuguese buildings standing along the little streets. Apart from this air of ancient charm, however, Macao is also a modern city. Tall commercial buildings and glittery casinos stand everywhere. But if you are not a big fan of architecture and you can’t gamble because you are under 18, don’t worry! Macao also has unique food for your pleasure! Besides being known as “Asia’s Las Vegas,” Macao is also a food paradise where you can find a variety of restaurants serving every type of cuisine. But if you think these foods are too common for you, there is always another choice: Macanese food, a fusion of Portuguese and Chinese cuisines and a distinct feature of Macao. Let me introduce you to some of the must-try dishes. African Chicken African Chicken is called Galinha à Africana in Portuguese. It is also called Frango assado, which means barbecued chicken. The dish is a barbecued chicken coated with a sauce made from chili peppers and coconut milk. The chicken’s skin is crisp and it is topped with the spicy sauce. Underneath, the meat is succulent and tender. The dish was invented in the 1940s, but in fact it has nothing to do with the chickens of Africa. The reason why it’s named African Chicken remains a mystery, since the chef who created the dish never revealed the secret. Deep Fried Bacalhau Cakes Bacalhau means codfish in Portuguese. The fish is usually dried and salted for preservation. We import the salted fish slices from Portugal. Before cooking, the chef soaks the fish slices in water for at least 20 hours to get rid of the salt. We use Bacalhau to make a variety of dishes. Deep fried bacalhau cakes may be the most popular one. They are small round cakes made from the fish minced with mashed potatoes. However, if you are not into deep fried foods, boiled Bacalhau, usually served with olive oil and vegetables, will be your best choice. Although it may sound a bit ordinary, it’s always the best way to enjoy the flavor of the fish. Portuguese-style Egg Tart Pastel de Nata! I’m pretty sure many of you have already heard of this, since KFC has recently got into the pastry business, too. Actually, these tarts are quite similar to the Chinese ones, except the egg custard has a topping with caramelized sugar, which you don’t see in Chinese egg tarts, and the pastry casing is more flaky and buttery. Some people like to sprinkle a little cinnamon powder on top. These delicious tarts are definitely the “foodmark” of Macao, just as the ruins of the Cathedral of St. Paul are its landmark. All in all, you could not imagine a Macao trip without Portuguese-style egg tarts. I suppose you now have a wild urge to go on a food trip to Macao, but hold on! Before packing your bags for an exotic and delicious adventure, you may want some recommendations on the best restaurants.
There are far more good restaurants than these, where you can have delectable meals at reasonable prices. But sometimes deciding where and what to eat can be more difficult than choosing winning numbers at the casino – there are just too many wonderful choices! by Jonathan Weng
Let’s go back to the 1900’s. The streets are crowded with vendors, merchants, and elegant women carrying delicate western-style umbrellas, dressed in beautiful Chinese silk skirts. The houses are designed by the best architects of the time and built with first-class wood. This was Yanshuei (鹽水), a busy harbor and the fourth most prosperous city in Taiwan during the 19th century. Once a center for both trade and civilization in Taiwan, Yanshuei now is best known for its abundant antiques and its numerous gourmet delicacies. During the Chinese New Year holidays, the air of Yanshuei is filled with a very different kind of distinctive atmosphere. This is due to the excitement of preparations for its Lantern Festival. Citizens of Yanshuei save their money every year to build great castles of firecrackers to worship the Guan Yu divinity. These castles are the highlight of the Lantern Festival, and the Yanshuei Firecrackers Ceremony lights up the night sky of the city in a unique way. History of the Yanshuei Firecrackers Ceremony Let me tell you the story behind this special ceremony. In the Guangxu Emperor’s 11th year (光緒11年), in 1885, there was a deadly plague, similar to The Black Death that occurred in medieval Europe. The plague was very severe and quickly deprived thousands of people of their lives. Doctors were helpless and could only watch their patients die. Citizens turned to the Guan Yu divinity (關聖帝君) for help, who told them to prepare some firecrackers along the streets and alleys of the town on the fifteenth day of the Chinese New Year. Citizens obeyed these instructions and amazingly found that no more deaths occured after the firecrackers were set off. The plague disappeared! People in Yanshuei have followed this tradition ever since, not only to pray for Guan Yu’s blessing but also to express their appreciation for saving so many lives. Process of the Ceremony Before Chinese New Year’s Eve, families in Yanshuei gather together and begin to build castles of firecrackers, box-like wooden structures with all kinds of beautiful fireworks. These are displayed for two days, beginning two weeks after Chinese New Year. The fireworks ceremony begins at six in the evening, and on the first day of the festival excitement and astonishment begins to impress everyone in the areas surrounding Yanshuei. The next day, the central part of the city is filled with a royal religious celebration led by the Guan Yu divinity. The whole town is crowded with tens of thousand of people. To experience the beauty and the excitement, however, don’t forget to protect yourself with a safety helmet and old blue jeans. Don’t wear your best clothes, because the firecrackers are blind and won’t know to protect your favorite outfit! Also, be sure to leave some room in your stomach, since there are many delicious snacks to enjoy, including Yanshuei Noodles (鹽水意麵), egg cakes (雞蛋糕), and red bean cakes (紅豆餅), and these are only the most famous delicacies that are worth trying here. Negative & Positive Impact The Yanshuei Firecrackers Ceremony brings happiness to the area and entertains visitors every year. The shining, colorful sky moves tourists and leaves unforgettable memories in the minds of all Yanshuei citizens. But the beautiful display also costs tens of millions of NT dollars and creates great piles of garbage left by the sightseers, not to mention the air pollution. Though it’s an activity that brings people together and is definitely worth seeing from a cultural perspective, how can we deal with its negative impact on the environment and the economy? In my opinion, we should do our best to pass on the spirit of our distinctive culture. However, we can protect our homeland as well if we find the right balance. After all, the most precious part of the ceremony is its spirit, not its form. I believe that with the help of the government and knowledgeable citizens, a reform of this traditional folk activity will flourish all the more. Do you know the story of your own home town? Usually, people tend to neglect the environment that they are most familiar with. After reading this introduction to Yanshuei, maybe you can find out more about the story of your own city. |
Authors
The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
|