Rooted in Taiwan, Connected with the World

I just completed my twelfth trip under "A Day in Town," my multi-year backpacking plan of spending a day in each of the approximately 350 townships in my country. My destination this time was Yunlin County, which borders the Taiwan Strait to the west, Nantou County to the east, Changhua County to the north, and Chiayi County to the south. Yunlin is part of the Chianan Plain, the largest plain in Taiwan known for its agriculture, and Yunlin's rivers give it potential for hydroelectricity. Once known as Taiwan's Agricultural Capital City, Yunlin is now one of the least developed counties on the west coast of Taiwan. It suffers from emigration, with its population standing at just over 660,000 now, down from its peak of over 800,000 in 1975. There are 20 townships in Yunlin County, and I visited four of them on this trip: Linnei, Cihtong, Gukeng, and Douliu, the adjoining areas that form the eastern quarter of the county.  I spent my first day in Linnei, a township situa...

I just finished reading To the Lighthouse,  a 1927 novel that was named No. 15 by the Modern Library in 1998 on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. In 2005, the book was chosen by TIME magazine as one of the one hundred best English-language novels since 1923. Though it was not an easy read, I was able to connect with the author and appreciate the plot development and themes with the help of SparkNotes, the online study guide. In addition, as part of my extended study, I read the biography of the author, Virginia Woolf, an icon of English literature and the women's suffrage movement in the UK in the 20th century. Through the extended study I gained some insights into Virginia Woolf, her family, her life, and her times, which were just as rewarding as those gained from reading the novel. Born Adeline Virginia Stephen on 25 January 1882, in South Kensington, London, to Julia and Leslie Stephen, Virginia showed an early affinity for writing. By ...

  I just completed my eleventh trip under "A Day in Town," my multi-year backpacking plan of spending a day in each of the approximately 350 townships in my country. My destination this time was Nantou County, which borders Taichung City to the north, Changhua County to the west, Yunlin County to the southwest, Chiayi County to the South, Kaohsiung City to the south east, and Hualien County to the east. Nantou County, along with Chiayi City, are the only two landlocked sub-national adminitrative regions in Taiwan. Situated in the center of Taiwan, Nantou County is home to the magnificent landmarks of the Jade Mountains and the Sun Moon Lake, and the origin of  Taiwan's longest river - the Zhuoshui River. There are 13 townships in Nantou County, and I visited four of them on this trip: Puli, Guoxing, Renai and Yuchi, the adjoining areas that form the northeastern quarter of the county. During the trip, I stayed at a hostel in Puli Township. I spent my first day in Puli, a ...

I delivered a prepared speech to my fellow Toastmasters during our regular club meeting yesterday. Then, a new member was inducted into our club, with her two friends—who had come at her invitation—also in attendance. Incidentally, all three were my former colleagues, and I was thrilled to see them again—now in the fourth year of my retirement. We had a timely and meaningful meeting theme that everyone could relate to: World Environment Day (June 5th)—"Do you make good use of resources?" To this, my answer is: I always try to minimize the waste and carbon footprint I generate by making double-sided copies, using my own bottle for purchased coffee, and using public transportation to get around. Therefore, I am conscious of environmental issues, though I'm not sure if that’s good enough. With that awareness, however, I'm sure I’ll do better day by day. After the meeting, we had a group meal together as usual. This is my favorite part because we can mingle and get to kno...