Centered on Taipei March 2012

P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e C o m m u n i t y S e r v i c e s C e n t e r

March 2012, Volume 12, Issue 6

25 years of The CenTer: a hisTory

Tips for ByoB

running ulTramaraThons

CollaBoraTive enTrepreneurship

Coffee Corner: Tianmu

living wiTh migraines

Centeredon T A I P E I

Mar_12_Cover.indd 2 2012/2/21 10:01:40 AM

Mar_12_Cover.indd 3 2012/2/21 10:01:47 AM

3www.communitycenter.org.tw march 2012

5 LETTEr FrOm ThE EDITOr

6 rIcharD rEcOmmEnDs naTIOnaL ThEaTEr anD cOncErT haLL: march 2012

7 cuLTuraL cOrnErcEnTEr OOLONG TEA: TAIWAN’S BEST BREW

8 cEnTEr GaLLErY

9 OFF ThE BEaTEn Track FILIAL SON MOUNTAIN

10 cOFFEE cOrnEr TIANMU’S CAFES

12 cOmmunITY TAS

13 cOmmunITY TES COURSES AT THE CENTER

14 csc nEWs A HISTORY OF THE CENTER

15 EVENTS AT THE CENTER

16 TaIPEI uncOrkED TIPS FOR BYOB

17 TasTEs OF TaIPEI

18 PrOFILE NOT ONLY MEATLESS MONDAY

19 EVENTS ABOUT TOWN

20 cOmmunITY THE JOBS REGISTRY PROJECT

21 THE CENTER’S FAVORITE FINDS

22 charITY MIKE DENOMA: GOING THE DISTANCE

24 ORPHANAGE CLUB NEWS

25 EnvIrOnmEnT TAIWAN YOUTH CLIMATE COALITION

26 PrOFILE COLLABORATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP

27 WOrD FrOm ThE DIrEcTOr

28 hEaLTh MY LIFE WITH MIGRAINES

29 GEnEraTIOn Y THE ‘MAPLE LEAF’ EXPERIENCE

31 chInEsE kITchEn BUNS

33 cOmmunITY GrOuPs

34 csc BusInEss cLassIFIEDs WOrshIP DIrEcTOrY

CONTENTS March 2012 volume 12 issue 6

COVER IMAGE: MARInA BuRAnA

Centered on Taipei is a publication of the Community Services Center, 25, Lane 290, ZhongShan n. Rd., Sec. 6, Tianmu, Taipei, Taiwan Tel: 02-2836-8134, fax: 02-2835-2530, e-mail: [email protected]

Correspondence may be sent to the editor at [email protected]. Freelance writers, photographers and illustrators are welcome to contact the editor to discuss editorial and graphic assignments. Your talent will find a home with us!

Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Material in this publication may not be reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner.

9

22

31

12 13

10

Mar_p3-end.indd 3 2012/2/22 10:21:16 PM

4 march 2012 www.communitycenter.org.tw

Publisher:managing Editor:

Editor:co-editor:

advertising manager:Tel:

Fax: email:

Writing and Photography contributors:

community services

center Editorial Panel:

Printed by:

Director:

Office manager:

counselors:

newcomer Orientation consultant: accountant:

communications: Programs coordinator:

Events coordinator:chinese Teacher:

volunteers:

Premier sponsors:

Mar_p3-end.indd 4 2012/2/21 9:57:59 AM


There’s something magical about the first few cherry blossoms that peep shyly out from the branches, indicating that the end of winter is not so far away. The bright pink flower is a promise of something new, a fresh start and all of the wonder that spring holds.

So too for this issue of Centered on Taipei! We see the beginnings of something new with the introduction of Aly Cooper’s crusade to find the best cup of coffee in Taipei with her assessment of three wonderful little cafes in the Tianmu area. Following the theme of eating and drinking, Marina Burana invites us to take a fresh look at the way we eat in her interview with Mark Caltonhill, author of vegetarian blog Not Only Meatless Monday. We also have stories of new community initiatives within these pages as Kathy Van Wilgenburg tells us about the Job Registry project, set up through the ministry of the Taipei International Church, as well as Roma Mehta’s profile of the creator of The Founder Squad, David Dupony.

At the same time as celebrating the new, we also celebrate the well-established. Steven Parker, Director of The Community Services Center, kicks off our tribute to The Center’s 25th anniversary with a story of how The Center came to be. This is the beginning of a series of articles that will continue throughout the year as we meet some of the key people who have been involved throughout The Center’s history. Reading this piece about The Center’s beginnings really made me think — what would Taipei be like for all of us if The Center did not exist? I for one can’t really imagine, as it is such an essential cornerstone of many of our lives.

So join with us as we celebrate the new and the not-so-new in this month’s magazine! There’s something in here for everyone.

If you would like to contribute to the magazine, whether with your writing or photography, please write to me with your ideas at [email protected]. Also, if you would like to write but you’re not really sure about which topics to cover, let me know. There are always stories waiting for someone to write them! As always we welcome your news and views.

Kath

community ServiceS center

Publisher:managing editor:

editor:co-editor:

advertising manager:tel:

Fax: email:

Writing and Photography contributors:

community Services

center editorial Panel:

Printed by:

Community Services Center, TaipeiSteven Parker Kath LiuRichard SaundersPaula [email protected]

Leat AhronyMarina BuranaIvy ChenJeffrey ChenSarah Chen LinAly CooperNeev ExleyMonica HessTin Tin KaoJulien Laneyrie

Siew Kang, Fred Voigtmann

Farn Mei Printing Co., Ltd.1F, No. 102, Hou Kang Street, Shilin District, TaipeiTel: 02-2882-6748 Fax: 02-2882-6749E-mail: [email protected]

Steven Parker

Grace Ting

Suzan Babcock, Kris Carlson, Fawn Chang, Wendy Evans, Cerita Hsu, Perry Malcolm, Tina Oelke, Ming-I Sun, Cindy Teeters

Amy LiuMonica ChengKari SchiroRosemary SusaBianca RussellGloria Gwo

Alison Bai, Shana Garcia, Robin Looney, John McQuade, Linda Mendenhall, Gloria Peng, Ruth Reynolds, Jenni Rosen, Julia Ruggiere, Kari Schiro, Sandra Schnelle, Desta Selassie, Michelle Smith, Anita Town, Lillian Yiin

3M TaiwanBai Win AntiquesBP Taiwan Ltd.China American PetrochemicalConcordia ConsultingCostco Wholesale TaiwanCrown Worldwide Movers Ltd.Four Star Int’lGrand Hyatt Hotel, TaipeiHSBCICRTMetacity Development CorpNokia Siemens NetworksProQCSan Fu Gas Co. Ltd.Smerwick LtdSongfu LiStandard Chartered Bank

Director:

office manager:

counselors:

newcomer orientation consultant: accountant:

communications: Programs coordinator:

events coordinator:chinese teacher:

volunteers:

Premier Sponsors:

the community Services center (cSc) is a non-profit foundation. cSc provides outreach and early intervention through counseling, cross-cultural education and life skills programs to meet the needs of the international community in taipei. cSc offers the opportunity to learn, volunteer, teach and meet others. check out our website www.communitycenter.org.tw and drop by the center to chat with us about our programs. you can also email us at [email protected].

Letter From the eDitor

Richard SaundersCo-editor

Amy LiuRoma MehtaPearl MorrisSteve ParkerMark L. PetersonRichard SaundersKari SchiroKathy Van Wilgenburg

www.communitycenter.org.tw

Kath LiuEditor

Paula LeeAdvertising Manager

Centered on Taipei is printed on 50% post consumer waste content stock. We have also replaced the glossy laminated cover with a softer aqueous based resin coating which makes it easier to recycle. By committing to post consumer paper stock we support the market for recycled fibers and reduce environmental impact.Recycling paper uses 60% less energy than manufacturing paper from virgin fiber. "Every ton of recycled paper saves enough electricity to power a 3 bedroom house for an entire year." (http://www.greenseal.org/index.cfm)

Mar_p3-end.indd 5 2012/2/22 10:21:59 PM

CSC

NEW

S

march 2012 www.communitycenter.org.tw6

TICKETING OFFICES: • NTCH: (02) 2343 1647 • ERA: (02) 2709 3788

Publication of the National Theater and concert hall schedule in Centered on Taipei is sponsored by cathay Life Insurance.

For full details, please log on to the culture Express website at http://express.culture.gov.tw or take a copy of the monthly program from cKS cultural center, available from mrT stations, bookshops and ticketing offices.

RichaRd SaundeRS

It’s an unusually eclectic month at the cKS National cultural center in march, with a rich collection of performances ranging from knotty contemporary classical to cool crossover and the just plain weird. I’m sure I’m being unfair to Laurie

anderson calling her art ‘weird,’ but I never quite got over the spectacle, as an impressionable teenager, of seeing her cavorting on Top of the Pops (Britain’s leading pop music TV show for thirty-odd years) in ‘O Superman.’ anyway, she’s in Taipei on a repeat visit to perform a much more recent work, Delusion (2010). certainly this recent multi-media piece strikes me as a much more thought-provoking experience than sitting through Rock Symphonies, a concert performance of crossover violinist David Garrett’s latest album. I’m ashamed to say I knew nothing of Garrett until I paid a visit to his official website, where I was startled to learn that (according to Garrett himself, no less), “You have to be a world-class violinist in order to record a good crossover cD.” and I always thought all that was needed was to look cool and sexy, be able to play reasonably well, and have great marketing. modern classical music could certainly do with some better marketing – it’s my favorite musical period, and an inexhaustible mine of treasures (although there’s plenty of fool’s gold in there as well); if only it could shake its undeserved reputation of being forbidding and inaccessible. The ever-adventurous National Symphony Orchestra are once again trying to sell the century’s music, with seasons devoted to two of its most influential composers, Stravinsky and messiaen. Featured this month are several early works by the two masters. messiaen is represented by two rather beautiful efforts dating from his twenties (Les Offrandes Oubliees and l’Ascension) while Stravinsky is represented by an out-and-out masterwork, the Rite of Spring on march 23rd. It’s hard to believe that this peerless creation is a century old next year, especially since it continues to this day to stir up strong positive and negative feelings among music lovers; whatever you think of it, its extraordinarily elemental power always packs a heady punch (especially in a good concert performance). another work of astonishingly sustained emotional intensity, Shostakovich’s Eighth Symphony (played on march 10th under none other than the great russian conductor Gennardi rozhdestvensky) is a product of the dark year of 1943. This, of course, was in the midst of the Second World War, but for citizens of Soviet russia, the misery was compounded by the existence of Stalin’s brutally repressive regime, and by memories of the horrific pre-war Purges carried out by the dictator against his enemies. The Eighth is Shostakovich’s requiem to the thousands murdered by Stalin’s henchmen, and in some ways its raw emotional impact makes it a challenging listen (the third movement scherzo, for instance is one of the most intimidating yet exhilarating movements in Western music). On the other hand, it can stand alongside Beethoven’s Ninth, Bruckner’s Eighth, and a very small number of other great masterpieces, as a work of almost religious profundity. Stalin may be long gone, but these days the work’s stifling combination of urgency, numbed grief, brutal violence, and (perhaps) a little hope, seem oddly topical, bringing to mind as it does another country presently suffering unimaginable horrors under the hand of a brutally repressive regime – Syria.

national Theater & concert hall

march 2012

NatioNal theater

Mourad Merzouki Yogee tiModern dance from Francemarch 3-4

Peter Brook: a Magic FluteBrook’s interpretation of Mozart’s operamarch 8-10

hofesh Shechter Company Political MotherMore modern dancemarch 16-17

the King and Queen of the Shang Dynastymarch 23-25

NatioNal CoNCert hall

laurie anderson DelusionBack in Taipei with a work from 2010march 3

David Garrett rock SymphoniesThe cross-over violinist plays his latest albummarch 4

Wu tien-hsin Violin recitalWorks by Franck, Mozart, Schumann and Mozartmarch 7

Gavriel lipkind Cello recitalMusic by Bach, Cassado and Ligetimarch 9

Centennial russiaGennardi Rozhdestvensky conducts Shostakovich eight!march 10 rr

Bach St Matthew PassionAmazingly, receiving its first performance in Taiwan! march 12-13

lifschitz Piano Marathon: classicBach’s Goldberg Variations march 21

lifschitz Piano Marathon: romanceSchumann’s Fantasy and Liszt’s Piano Sonata march 22 rr

Drum Beat in Spring timeOrchestral music by Messiaen and Stravinsky, and two concertos for percussionmarch 23 rr

Wu Man and aboriginal FriendsA world-famous Pipa player collaborates with aboriginal musicians march 24

lifschitz Piano Marathon: ModernShostakovich’s 24 Preludes and Fuguesmarch 25

Suor angelicaPuccini’s short opera, and Messiaen’s l’Ascensionmarch 29, 21 rr

alexander Gavrylyuk Piano recitalThe young Ukrainian pianist gives works by Debussy, Rachmaninov and Lisztmarch 30

RICHARDReCommenDs

rr: richard recommends

Mar_p3-end.indd 6 2012/2/22 10:22:17 PM

Corner Cornerultural CornerCornerultural ultural ultural ultural Amy's 台

灣

Oolong TeaTaiwan’s best brew


Tea has been a traditional C h i n e s e b e v e r a g e f o r thousands of years. I am very proud to share that

Taiwan produces some of the best teas in the world, and it is especially renowned for its oolong tea. Tea has been an important agricultural product here for over a century. It was once produced mainly for export, and it was not until the 1970s that tea lovers in Taiwan began to discover and enjoy the tea grown on their own doorstep. All tea comes from the same plant, Camelia sinensis. The difference between teas depends on where it is grown and the way it has been processed after harvesting. Chinese tea is classified according to the degree of fermentation it undergoes.

TYPES OF TEAGreen tea (綠茶, lu cha) is a non-

fermented tea, produced mainly in Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli and Taipei counties. It has the highest caffeine content. The tea color is pale yellow-green.

Baozhong tea (包種茶, baozhong cha) is 10% fermented. It is grown in the northern mountain areas of Taiwan, including in the hills around the village of Pinglin (坪林) southeast of Taipei, which are famous for the good quality of baozhong tea grown there. The color of the brew is light golden-green and it has a smooth, faintly sweet taste that soothes and comforts the throat.

Oolong tea (烏龍茶, wu long cha) is semi-fermented (20-40%). ‘High mountain’ oolong tea is grown at an altitude of 1,000 meters or more. The mountains around Alishan in Chiayi County are especially famous for their high-mountain tea, which is grown at between 1,000 and 2,300 meters above sea level. The ever-present fog in the morning and evening, low temperatures and pure mountain spring water found here provide ideal conditions for oolong tea production. It has a sweet taste and a refined aroma and can stand for a long time without turning bitter. The best-known oolong tea variety in Taiwan is known as dong ding (凍

頂) and comes from central Taiwan. The color of the tea is bright golden-yellow with a strong aroma, rich taste, and a wonderful aftertaste that lasts a long time on the tongue and throat.

Tie Ku a ny i n t e a (鐵觀音 , t i e kuanyin, literally ‘iron Buddha’) is 50-60% fermented. You can find Tie Kuanyin tea produced at Muzha (木柵), just south of Taipei City, and around Shimen (石門) on Taiwan’s northern coast. The color is orange-yellow or slightly red. The taste is thick, sweet and smooth, but a bit astringent.

Black tea (紅茶, hong cha) is a fully-fermented tea. You can find good quality black tea from Assam tea plants in Puli, a town in the central Taiwan county of Nantou, and Juisui, in Hualien County.

PREPARING TEAA tradi t ional Chinese tea set

usual ly inc ludes a pot, a smal l serving jug, a plate, and six drinking cups. Tea can be prepared in either porcelain or clay teapots or individual lidded cups. For the Taiwanese, the process of making and serving tea is as important as savoring its taste. Making tea the tradit ional way involves several steps.1. Hea t the wate r. The wate r

temperature depends on the kind of tea you are about to serve: lighter, green teas require a lower water temperature than darker oolong and black teas.

2. Warm the pot. Use hot water to rinse the tea pot and tea cups before steeping the tea. Fill the cup or pot to about a fifth of its capacity with tea leaves, or add enough leaves to cover the bottom of the pot.

3. Add the water. Pour the hot

Mar_p3-end.indd 7 2012/2/21 9:58:08 AM

On the Gallery wall this month we feature beautiful paintings from Asida Cheng. A member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Asida's paintings are elegant and childlike. She uses pastel, watercolor, acrylic, and oil to create her artworks, which provide a feeling of peace, harmony and joy for viewers.

On the Gallery table, D i a n n e H a l l i d a y once again exhibits a variety of fashionable jewelry pieces made f rom semi-prec ious stone and metals, and vibrantly colored bags which will go with any outfit.

A l s o , J e n n y D o n g Feuerhahn and her company Fus ion F lame w i l l b r ing elegance to your dining table and every corner of your home with their modern and unique

designs of stainless steel cutlery and flatware. These handmade high-grade pieces are dishwasher safe and beautifully made to last. Also on display from Fusion Flame's jewelry line are the new spring collections, "Mix 'n' Match" and "Twist 'n' Tie," two aptly-titled collections of rings and necklaces that can be worn in endless combinations.

A percentage of all proceeds of items sold at the Gallery go to The Center, so please remember that by displaying and shopping here you are helping us to provide much

needed services to the international community.

March 2012 The Center GALLERY


water into the pot until it overflows, and immediately drain it. By removing the initial infusion, the Taiwanese feel the cleaned leaves will release the true flavor of the tea during the second (and best) infusion (although some don’t think this step is necessary). Pour hot water into the pot again and brew for about three minutes. Pour the tea into the serving jug. The steeping time varies slightly depending on the tea type. Lighter green tea requires less steeping time than darker oolong and black tea.

Specialist tea drinkers first pour the tea into a tiny ‘aroma cup’ then quickly transfer it into another cup to be drunk. The fragrance left in the empty aroma cup is used to determine the quality of the tea. Most people however simply pour the tea directly into a cup and enjoy the taste, clarity and fragrance of the freshly brewed tea. High-quality tea leaves will retain their flavor for at least three infusions, although you should let the leaves steep for a further ten seconds for each additional infusion.

Store the unused leaves in an airtight tin or glass container in a cool, dry place to seal in the flavor.

TAiwAn TEA HousE CuLTuRETea houses are the place for family and friends

to get together, drink tea, relax, and mingle. Visiting a tea house (especially those up in the mountains) in Taiwan is a memorable experience, and also a great opportunity to learn a little about the richness of Taiwanese culture. Traditional tea houses can be found in every major city in Taiwan. Nowadays these tea houses are often constructed of wood, and may be decorated with calligraphy, paintings and sculptures to recreate the atmosphere of an older Taiwan. Some larger tea houses may have an outdoor garden and a Chinese-style fish pond. Traditional music is often played to promote a relaxing atmosphere. Many people linger for hours enjoying a good pot of tea with some snacks or perhaps a light meal. There are many attractive outdoor tea houses up in the mountains around Taiwan, often with great views of the countryside or the city.

HEALTH bEnEFiTsDrinking tea is an everyday habit for most

families in Taiwan. The Taiwanese normally prefer less fermented varieties than the black tea that is usually drunk in the West. Chinese tea has a more subtle flavor and is regarded as a healthy drink: research reports prove that tea is good for you. It can help stimulate the immune system, improve the functions of the digestive system, prevent blood clots, and lower cholesterol levels among other benefits. Drink tea for your body, your health and your soul!

Mar_p3-end.indd 8 2012/2/22 10:22:43 PM


Richard Saunders is a trained classical musician and writer who has lived in Taipei since 1993. He has written several books (available at The Center and in bookshops around Taipei), including Yangmingshan: the Guide (a complete guide to the National Park on Taipei’s Doorstep) and Taipei Escapes I and 2, which together detail sixty day trips and hikes within easy reach of Taipei city. A fourth book, a guide to Taiwan’s offshore islands, is due out in 2012.

OFF THE BEATEN TRACKRICHARD SAUNDERS EXPLORES TAIWAN'S LESS-TRODDEN PATHS

Filial son mountain

Filial Son Mountain is far too well-known these days among hikers to need any introduction, so it’s all the more surprising that just a decade or so ago this astonishing natural adult adventure

playground was only just emerging from obscurity. On my first visit, I had to ask directions from locals to find the trailhead, and climbing to the summits of the trio of rocky pinnacles was pretty hair-raising (and more than slightly risky). Today Filial Son Mountain and its companions form one of the classic hikes of the Taipei area, and one of the best ways I can think of spending a free morning.

There are two ways to reach the base of the pinnacles: the short way (which is great for those with little time) and the correct way (via a series of amazing sheer cliff-faces and strange rock formations, hidden in the jungle), which takes a couple of hours longer but increases the fun and excitement of the hike exponentially.

Both routes finally join at the enchanted valley at the foot of the Filial Son, Loving Mother and Putuo peaks, a trio of sharp ridges of bare rock thrusting out of the thick forest into the sky. The Filial Son, although the lowest of the three peaks, looks quite impossible to climb from the front side.

However, take the trail climbing round the foot of the pinnacle to the back, and its secret is revealed: a series of ladders and steps carved into the sandstone scale the summit of the needle safely, although it’s still quite an exciting climb!

Hundreds of steep steps carved into the bare spine of rock (the rope hand-rails on either side are essential safety precautions) scale the second of the peaks, the Loving Mother, which is crisscrossed by no less than four trails, one clambering up each of its mostly bare-rock faces. The path down the far (southern) side is especially fun, but breathtakingly steep and definitely not for the faint-of-heart!

The third and final peak, Mt Putuo is the highest of the trio, and although a mere 450 meters, it’s a far more interesting climb (if you can find the trailhead, which is a little tricky to find) than the many peaks in Yangmingshan that are more than twice its height. There’s just one precariously narrow route up and down this one, but fabulous views from the top make for a very exciting short climb.

I’m in awe of the people who risked their lives to cut the original steps up these three peaks (rumor has

it they were created by a retired guard of Chiang Kai-shek), which must have entailed spending long hours in some extremely dangerous positions. We should also be thankful to the souls who set about improving the safety of the trail up the peaks a decade ago. The first time I came here, instead of the present solid cable hand rails and iron stakes on either side of the trails there was nothing but fixed ropes, and it was pretty hairy climbing up there! It’s a much safer place to scramble about nowadays, but even now only those with a sense of adventure and good head for heights should consider visiting.

To find out more about Filial son mountain, visit Off the Beaten Track at http://taiwandiscovery.wordpress.com/. Full details of the hike, with detailed instructions for both the short and (recommended!) long walks can be found in Taipei Escapes book 1, on page 173.

Mar_p3-end.indd 9 2012/2/21 9:58:16 AM

Co

ffee Co

rn

er


There’s been an explosion in the number of decent coffee shops opening in Taipei during the last decade or so, and it can be tricky to separate the winners from the wannabes. In the first of a new series self-confessed coffee aficionado ALY COOPER choses a couple of her favorite spots for a good old-fashioned caffeine fix, starting on her home turf: Tianmu.

A personal selection of Tianmu's cafés

TexT & images: aly Cooper, sToCk phoTos

Coffee gives a night owl and sometime insomniac such as myself a reason to wake up in the morning.

I'll drink it cold, hot, lukewarm — however I can get my zombie-like hands on it. The first cup in the morning is just...well, it's magic. For many of us, coffee mirrors our moods, whether i t be bold and robust, aromatic or mild with a touch of acidity, sickeningly sweet or perhaps even a tad bitter. Even when you're feeling nutty, there's something for you too. The options are wonderfully endless.

My love affair with coffee began in college, encouraged by my parents, who knew I was really missing out on something. They weaned me into this wonderful new world by giving me a ‘specialty’ coffee. I'm sure it doesn't take a genius to guess which chain this specialty drink came from. Famous for frappuccinos, mochas and machiato… we've all been there. If I'm being completely honest, I'm actually sitting in one right now as

I write this article. As a lover of coffee however, it's a disservice to one's very palate to limit yourself. This, my friends, is why I have wholeheartedly agreed to branch out and sacrifice myself for the people. I'm taking the heavy burden upon myself and I'm going to drink coffee — all over Taipei. The burden I bear is a tough one, but I'm up for it.

Perhaps it's due to my roots, but I'm a sucker for what hard-core (i.e. straight up black) coffee drinkers refer to as “not real coffee": the frou-frou of coffee — you know, anything with froth, foam and a drizzle of deliciousness. I do however like to walk on the wild side, so I do not limit myself. I'm just letting you know where I may stray to in some of my coffee reviews, though I will do my best to diversify (all in the spirit of research, of course). Before I begin, let me make the following disclaimer: these reviews are based solely upon my own opinion; I was not forced, bribed, paid or summoned to venture to any of these

Mar_p3-end.indd 10 2012/2/22 10:23:09 PM


locations. As we all have different preferences, what works for me may not work for you — you'll just have to try it out and see for yourself.

OK. I feel much better. Why don't you grab a hot cup of goodness before reading? I'll wait.

For my first few places, I decided to keep to Tianmu, which is close to home (for me at least), and I was not left disappointed.

SonnentorAlley 18, Lane 38, Tianyu St., Tianmu

First up, Sonnentor. Perhaps you've only been there for bread; if so you're missing out. Anytime I have company in from out-of-town, I bring them here and I've never been disappointed. It has some outdoor seating during nicer weather and ample seating inside. I’m particularly fond of their counter space where you can perch with a latte and a good book. If you're in a rush for a cup of coffee however, go to 7-Eleven because (as I have found) perfection takes time. The latte is brought on a charming wooden plate of sorts (I'm a sucker for presentation) with a little glass carafe of flavored liquid sugar, which in my case was hazelnut — my favorite! Pour (all) that liquid scrumptiousness into your latte and settle in for a treat. It's pretty filling, so getting the corresponding teatime treat may be over the top for some (no judgements please). How to adequately describe it …? Let me put it this way — have you ever had a meal that was so good you close your eyes, and are disappointed when it's over? Well, I get this way with certain foods, books and — now — a hazelnut latte can be added to the list as well. Heavenly.

Price? The lower end of high (NT$120 -180) but worth the price every now and then. Sacrifice a coffee from the Chain and buy one here instead; you won't be disappointed.

Oh, and did I mention that the coffee is Organic? A bonus.

Cafe 828, Lane 22,Tianmu E. Rd., Tianmu

I'm not going to lie, Cafe 8 took me completely by surprise. I've ridden my bike by it a few times, but l ike many hidden gems I've inadvertently passed up; I didn't know what I was missing. Cafe 8's tagline is "a fantastic place to have cafe". True statement. As I went to order I asked if I could get a nonfat latte. Clearly I had forgotten where I was. No. They could not make that. What's on the menu is what's to be ordered, period. They didn't say that, but I like to think that I can read people pretty well. A regular latte it was. Verdict? It was really, really good. The milk was frothed and foamed to perfection — it was so thick it was literally floating like a sumptuous cloud on top of my coffee. While not as aesthetically pleasing as Sonnentor's, Cafe 8 has an outdoor seating area as well, and the cafe itself, once you're inside, is literally open: there’s no door. The inside has a well-worn, laid back feel to it, and and the coffee is great for the price (NT$40-80) with a large variety of items to choose from.

HaaYa'S66 Tianmu N. Rd., Tianmu

So I didn’t run the risk of losing credibility with ‘real’ coffee drinkers, I went to the dark side. You got it. No milk. No foam. No added sweetener. Yeah that's right — I had a cup of coffee. I had heard murmurings of this coffee shop from a friend, and knew I needed to give it a go. HAAYA's Coffee on Tianmu North Road is a special find. Upon entering, customers can either sit at Japanese-style tables on the floor (removing shoes) to the right, or stray to a table on the left. For my first time, I opted for a little window seat. I was handed a startling menu of different coffees, marked with

different color tags based upon what their “roast degree” was. Roast degrees varied from medium ‘fruit-like acidity’ to a city roast, or (for those feeling exceptionally bold) the full bodied bittersweet roast. Unfortunately, after reading the menu a bit more carefully, I found that only the roasts marked with a sticker are brewed daily. OK. However, there were also expressos, blended and specialty coffees to choose from. For the indecisive, this coffee shop was a bit paralyzing. As any strongly indecisive person does, I deferred the decision to someone else: in this case my waiter. Clearly noting my angst and perhaps being a bit clairvoyant, he recommended the Malawi Miuku Geisha, marked with a yellow tag for being a medium high roast with fruit-like acidity. My coffee arrived a bit later (again, perfection takes time) in a dainty white and blue china teacup. As I gingerly picked up my cup, I felt an overwhelming desire to drink ‘proper’ with pinky poised, but with surprising restraint, I refrained from doing so. Instead I took my time and dare I say, actually enjoyed my cup of Malawi Miuku Geisha. As my coffee cooled a bit, and I neared the end that ‘fruit-like acidity’ got stronger, though certainly it didn’t deter me from draining my cup. I learned that perhaps one does not need milk and sugar to make a great cup of coffee. Huh!

Brace yourself — HAAYA'S ranges on the high side of pricey, charging anywhere from NT$200-350 a cup. I have to say though that if a cup of black coffee was actually deemed pleasant by me, it's worth a try. They also have some sweet sets available, and juice if you're bringing your kid. If it were me though I'd probably pack a juice box and save your NT dollars for the coffee. Trust me.

Aly Cooper is an expat wife of one year who en joys adventures with her five-y e a r- o l d s o n , r e a d i n g , eating, blogging, having A LOT of coffee with friends, volunteering and spending free weekends exploring what the island has to offer with the family.

Mar_p3-end.indd 11 2012/2/22 10:23:31 PM


Taipei American School Grade One Students Care for Cambodia

People of any age can make a difference. During the third week of November, all grade one Taipei American School students participated in a very exciting service-learning project. Their goal was to provide hygiene kits (consisting of toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap and washcloths) to Cambodian families who

lack basic necessities to maintain health and cleanliness. Information on Cambodian culture and kit recipients was presented, and grade one students discussed what they had to be thankful for in their own lives. They responded very generously and felt excited to help those less fortunate.

The students contributed hygiene supplies and worked hard to assemble the individual kits. All packaging had to be removed and each kit had to have the same amount of products. Students placed the hygiene products along with a personalized ‘Stay Healthy’ note in each bag. All 215 kits were distributed directly to Cambodian families during the Thanksgiving weekend. The photograph of a grateful Cambodian mother and child receiving a kit speaks volumes. Lori McConaghy, the Director and School Liaison for Caring for Cambodia, wrote: “The hygiene kits are a huge help to us and your students really did help make a difference. How wonderful for them to learn that even kids can make a difference.”

We can all be thankful for and proud of the kind and caring grade one students and the generous parents who supported their efforts, for the enthusiastic TAS teachers who made it happen, and for a school that supports service-learning projects.

TExT: PEARL MORRIS, GRADE OnE TEACHER IMAGES: TAS

Co

mm

uN

ity

Mar_p3-end.indd 12 2012/2/21 9:58:34 AM


On Fr iday 4th May f rom 8 am unti l 12 noon, the Taipei European School (TES) will take part in the

15th “Race against Hunger” organized by the humanitarian charity, Action against Hunger. This is the second year TES has participated. Last year’s event was a great success: thanks to the participation of the TES community, we raised more than NT$700,000.

For fifteen years now, Action against Hunger has organized an annual “Race against Hunger”. This year, more than 850 schools in France and around the world are taking part. The “Race against Hunger” provides an opportunity to raise awareness among children about the problem of hunger in the world, to involve them in a practical way in an act of solidarity and to show them it is possible to be committed in helping, whatever their age or resources.

After an awareness meeting, each student will try to find sponsors. The sponsors promise to make a donation of the sum per kilometer that they wish to pay, multiplied by the number of kilometers (10 maximum) covered by the child on Friday 4th May.

On the day of the race each student does as well as they can. The “Race against Hunger” is not a competition, but an event to promote solidarity and mutual help.

If you are a student’s relative, to make the race a rousing success, you can help:

. By allowing your children to take part in this important day and be in pictures and movies,

. By encouraging and helping your children to find sponsors,

. By helping the school to organize the race,

. By taking care of a stall with food, drinks, or handicrafts, etc., and

. By coming and joining the children on race day.

If you are not a student’s relative but you want to help, you can:

. Give a donation to “Action contre la Faim” or

. Tell your friends about the event.Thank you for your involvement in

this project. We are counting on your support to make it really successful.

ACTION AGAINST HUNGER – CHARTER

Action against Hunger is a non-governmental organizat ion. I t i s private, non-political, without religious affiliation, and its aims are charitable. It was established in 1979 in France with a mission to combat hunger all around the world. It aims to save lives by combating hunger, material suffering, and reducing the distress of those in need.

Action against Hunger respects the principles of independence; neutrality; non-discrimination; free and direct access to victims; professionalism and transparency.

FOR mORE INFORmATION In English: http://wwwactionagainsthunger.org/ http://www.actionagainsthunger.

org/race

In French: http://www.actioncontrelafaim.org/ http://www.coursecontrelafaim.org/

text: Julien laneyrie images: tes

Racing against hunger at Taipei European School

Af te r g raduat ing in Sports, Julien Laneyrie h a s b e e n a j u n i o r French teacher for 10 ye a r s . He e n jo yed practicing his teaching in France, Shanghai and now in the Taipei European School for the 2nd year.

He likes to organize big sports events in order to federate many students from different sections. Since last year, he is in charge of the Race against Hunger at the Taipei European School.

Courses at The Center

Activity First meeting Date # of Sessions Instructor Time meet @tianmu to yangmingshan and Back: monday, march 5 1 richard saunders 9:00am-12noon Zhong shan n. rd., sec 7 a scenic Hike Bus Circle at the OK martHuashan Cultural Park with lunch Wednesday, march 14 1 sally Duh Chu 10:45am-1:30pm Zhongxiao xinshengat Chingye-shinleyuan restaurant mrt sta. exit 1Juming museum thursday, march 22 1 richard saunders 8:30am-3:00pm in front of mr. xmasChinese Calligraphy tuesday, march 6 3 Jennifer tong 12:15pm- 2:15pm the Centersurvival Chinese i Wednesday, march 7 14 gloria gwo 9:00am- 10:20am the Centersurvival Chinese ii Wednesday, march 7 14 gloria gwo 10:30am- 11:50am the Centertaiwanese Please Friday, march 9 1 ivy Chen 10:00am- 12noon the Centeraromatic indian Friday, march 16 1 sharmila advani 10:00am- 12noon the CenterFondue Party! Friday, march 23 1 leah Zimmermann 10:00am- 12noon the Center

Mar_p3-end.indd 13 2012/2/22 10:24:38 PM


1987 saw George Michael go solo with the album Faith. Michael Jackson released Bad, which

produced five number-one singles (a record that has never been beaten). U2 released the album The Joshua Tree, which made them international superstars. Madonna began her “Who’s that girl?” tour. Kylie Minogue began her singing career with a cover of the Loco-motion. And the biggest song of the year would be Bon Jovi’s Living on a Prayer. And I turned 21….

Michael Jackson may since have left us, but love them or hate them all of the artists listed above are as strong a presence in music today as they were 25 years ago, if not stronger. And I like to think that 25 years later I am still an active and useful member of society….

1987 was also special for the birth of a very important Taiwan institution — the Community Services Center. That makes it our 25th birthday this year. Twenty-five years later we are still serving the international community in Taiwan. Our mission has adapted with the times but our ‘music’ is still heard by many.

As a non-profit organization it is not really our way to make too big a deal out of this milestone, but it’s made me, and many of the people who work here, think about how The Center started and exactly what The Center means, today, in 2012.

CENTER BEGINNINGSI find as I talk to people that one of the first questions

they ask me is how The Center started. There are only a few people still in Taiwan who really know how it all began. Even those who have been around for many years sometimes forget. I believe in The Center and believe in all the good work we do, but like many good things the greatness was born out of tragedy.

In 1987 there were three t eenagers f rom the international community who often hung out together. They were teens whom people generally called ‘troubled’ and many were concerned about them, but like a lot of communities did not know what to do, trusting in time and maturity to ‘cure’ them. And then tragedy happened. The three teens were hanging out on Yangmingshan in

a common hangout area. Without going into too much detail the three were drinking, taking things that they shouldn’t have, and playing dangerous games. The end result of all this was the tragic death of one of them. I have spoken to those who were around at the time and they recall just how strongly this affected the international community. What came out of this was there was no single crisis intervention center to help the international community cope and so The Center was created.

Initially it was the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the Taipei American School, along with a number of socially minded members of the international community who got together to set up The Center.

THE CENTER NOWAs I said above, this year is the 25th anniversary of The

Center. From humble beginnings we have come to an equally humble present, but we have grown and changed nonetheless. Originally The Center was about Crisis Response. We had a professional counselor on staff who could provide counseling and crisis response immediately, as needed. The counseling service has helped countless thousands of people over our 25 years and has now grown from an initially — and necessarily — reactive counseling service to one that covers the whole gamut of counseling needs.

Gradually over the years we realized that one of the elements of coping with crisis was to make sure that people were equipped with the tools they need to avert crises from happening. The Center began to develop more into a hub of activity and a place where people would come to learn about their new home, get information and eventually enjoy activities like Chinese, arts and crafts. For the newcomer professional it developed into a place to take cross-culture training to make sure they understood about the place they were going to work in for at least the next two years.

Developing further The Center started to produce books and a magazine. Taipei Living has become the ‘Bible’ for most people arriving in Taiwan and is currently in its 10th edition. Our magazine Centered on Taipei is read by an estimated 10,000 people every month. And

CSC

NEW

S Twenty-Five Years On:

a history of The center

TExT: STEVE PARKER

Mar_p3-end.indd 14 2012/2/21 9:58:39 AM


then came the fantastic Day Trips (and later Taipei Escapes) books one and two and the Yangmingshan guide from Richard Saunders, followed in recent years by Amy C Liu’s successful Taiwan A-Z.

People drop in to The Center, people pick up information at The Center, people get healed at The Center, but still there was more that we could do. You wanted more. And so we have come to where we are now, 25 years later, and the mission has evolved from Crisis Response to a four-tiered full-blown mission to Inform, Engage, Support, and Unite.• Inform: Through our web, books, magazine and newcomer

orientation programs to help the international community all over the world understand Taiwan.

• Engage: By providing act ivit ies and programs for the international community to assimilate we improve the social and business climate in Taiwan, making it more and more attractive to the world.

• Support: In times of crisis The Center is there to support those individuals, companies and groups that need us. In 2011 we, amongst other things, helped evacuated victims of the Japan earthquake, individuals cope with sudden loss, and companies cope with institution-wide crises.

• Unite: We bring the international community together to help Taiwan when it needs us. In 2011 we continued our support of Orphan Education in Taiwan and literacy in underprivileged areas of Taiwan, as well as many other bespoke projects.The Center is grateful to our current premier sponsors, our

supporters big and small, the staff, volunteers and all the people who attend our events and use our services. You are all the heart of The Center and we would not be The Center without your support.

Every month this year we will be delving deeper into the history of The Center and meeting people and personalities that have shaped The Center as it is today. I look forward to spending another great year with you all.

MOVIE NIGHT

A Special Deal for Friends of The Center!

Jo in us for a movie at Miramar Cinemas for NT$230 per ticket!

Each month we’ll receive the upcoming fea tures and l e t you know which complex to meet at, the date and the movie.Keep a lookout on the Center website and Facebook page – pre-booking is essential – just ring us!

Events at The Center

SPRING BAZAAR AND LUNCHEONThursday, March 8th from 11 am to

3:30 pm at the Regent, Taipei.Proceeds from this year’s Bazaar

will be donated to the Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation, an organization that offers services to women and children affected by domestic violence and human trafficking.

On the occasion of The Center’s 25th anniversary year, we're bringing the Spring Bazaar back after a three-year hiatus and making it better than ever. It is one of the few places where you’ll f ind a collection of some of Taipei’s most talented artisans all under one roof. Tickets are on sale at The Center and cost NT$1,000. The price of admission includes access to a wide array of vendors, a full buffet lunch, and sparkling wine.

For more information, please email [email protected] or drop by The Center.

TASTES OF TAIPEI Tuesday, March 27th from 5 pm – 9 pmEd’s Diner216 Lequn 2nd Rd., Taipei (台北市樂群二路216號)For more information please see page 17.

Thanks to our premier sponsors:

3M Taiwan

Bai Win Antiques

BP Taiwan Ltd.

China American Petrochemical

Concordia Consulting

Costco Wholesale Taiwan

Crown Worldwide Movers Ltd

Four Star Int’l

Grand Hyatt Hotel, Taipei

HSBC

ICRT

Metacity Development Corp

Nokia Siemens Networks

ProQC

San Fu Gas Co. Ltd.

Smerwick Ltd

Songfu Li

Standard Chartered Bank

h

h

Mar_p3-end.indd 15 2012/2/22 10:25:47 PM

Mark L. Peterson

taiPei uncorked

We wine and food lovers sometimes take BYOB ( B r i n g Yo u r O w n Bottle) for granted. We

know what it means, but do we play by the rules? They are unwritten, but knowing and playing by them can get us bonus points at our favorite dining establishments. Just keep in mind that BYOB is a privilege, not a right, and like all privileges, they are not created equally. Here are a few tips to help us all become responsible BYOBrs.

Don’t Bring Plonk - Remember that whole privilege thing? By bringing cheap generic wine to a restaurant, you are basically letting the restaurant know that you don’t really think much of them, their cuisine or their clientele for that matter. A lesser wine might fly at local eateries, but if you are dining in a decent restaurant, make an effort to ensure that the wine you bring is in line with the restaurant’s price level but make sure you don’t bring a wine that is on their wine list. That doesn’t mean you have to spend a ton of money, but remember you are SAVING money by bringing your own wine. So, splurge a bit and at least get something that doesn’t advert i se you as a cheapskate, disingenuous or uncaring of the efforts of the establishment.

Offer Your Server a Taste - Not all servers are interested in wine, but I have found that most are. By offering them a taste of your wine, perhaps with a few points about why you brought it, why it pairs with the food and why it’s drinking well, you can establish a rapport

with your server, and perhaps the manager or owner. That rapport generally pays rich dividends in the form of reduced or ‘forgotten’ corkage fees, the magical appearance of better glassware, or discounts on or exclusive access to some hidden gems in the wine cellar. By proving that you are an affable wine lover and anxious to share your wine experience with the world, you can create the impression that you are bringing something to the restaurant with each visit, whether it be staff education, your individual ambiance or introducing your fr iends as new customers. The point is, the restaurant will begin to see you as an asset, not a liability.

Don’t Be a Weekend-only User - Your favorite restaurant is doing you a favor by allowing you to BYOB, so why don’t you repay them once in awhile? Restaurants are open on slow nights because they need the money to pay the bills and the staff. Why not plan a nice BYOB dinner out with friends during one of the slower nights of the week? Look at it this way: you’ll have a more relaxing evening without the rush of a full restaurant. Your server will be more attentive to you, and you can reciprocate. Your generosity will stand out and be remembered by the staff, and they are more likely to ‘forget’ the corkage, or maybe a few desserts, that should have been added to the bill. My favorite nights for BYOB’s are Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, when many restaurants are slow and the staff tends to be a bit less overwhelmed.

Be Generous - I have a few favorite

spots were I BYOB frequently. Some charge me corkage irregularly, others regularly do not charge me. What’s the difference? Mainly the frequency of my visits, but also the rules that I play by. When I BYOB, a restaurant pretty much knows they’re giving up that table for the night, and so does the service staff. I’ve come in, saved money by bringing my own wine and taken potential tips off the table. The only reasonable thing to do is to tip some of that cash back into the waiters’ pockets. Everybody is a winner in that case. Waiters will love you because they’ve made the money they expected to make with less effort than if they had to turn the table. Owners love you because their wait staff is happy to work on slower nights knowing the BYOB guy is coming in. And you’re happy because you’re getting great service!

I c o m e f r o m a r e s t a u r a n t background and worked the front of the house as well as the kitchen, yet I have not even mentioned the kitchen staff. We frequently forget about the staff working in one-hundred-degree heat preparing our food for us. I regularly bring multiple bottles of wine to my BYOB dinners. Once my group has shared the wines, I suggest to the restaurant that the kitchen staff (and specifically the chef) might want to taste something special. It is a small gesture and generally refused, but you never know when the thoughtfulness will be rewarded. It’s also the right thing to do and builds a camaraderie between you and your favorite dining destination.

BYOB

Mark loves to hear from you with all your questions concerning the world of wine and spirits. Feel free to email him at: [email protected] or visit his informative site at www.vinvinowine.asia.


Tips for bringing your own wine

“Age appears to be best in four things; old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read”.

- Francis Bacon

Mar_p3-end.indd 16 2012/2/22 10:26:08 PM

CSC

NEW

S


TexT: Kari Schiro imageS: courTeSy of ed'S diner & Tajin reSTauranT

Kari Schiro is a native Californian and an adoptive Seattleite who recently relocated to Taipei. When she is not writing, you will most likely find Kari watching football/soccer on the telly.

Warmest thanks to Sandy Wu and Hicham Samh at Tajin Restaurant for making the February Tastes of Taipei a delicious success! On February 9th, restaurant-goers were treated to a delectable assortment of Moroccan fare. From the moment the first course — a shrimp on flatbread appetizer — arrived, the food did not stop coming. A trio of salads —zaalouk, charmoula, and Moroccan salads — and lentil soup followed. Diners then had a choice of one of the mouth-watering tajin or couscous dishes (both the Beef with Plums Tajin and the Kofta and Cheese Tajin were exquisite on the palate). Saffron rice with Moroccan spices soon emerged from the kitchen as well. Moroccan rice pudding, s’mores, and refreshing mint tea finished off the meal. Undoubtedly, no one left hungry! And this Tastes of Taipei participant can honestly say that it was one of the best meals she has had to-date in Taipei!

What do you get when an expat from the UK with a background in fash ion product

development opens a restaurant in Taiwan? Some lip-smackingly good Texas barbeque!

I f th i s s eems surpr i s ing, Ed Sweeney, the owner of Ed’s Diner, can explain how a Bri t with a Taipei barbeque restaurant came to be. I t began back when Ed would frequently travel to the US for business. There, he tried his fair share of barbeque, but he recalls often coming away slightly disappointed by the food and feeling like, as a true product developer would, he could do better.

He decided to test this theory several years later when, bored with his career, Ed began putting the pieces together to make Ed’s Diner a reality. Over the course of two years, he trained with the BBQ World Champion learning various meat preparation and barbequing techniques.

He a l so se t t l ed on the idea l location for his fledgling diner: Taipei. Having previously spent time in Taiwan, Ed liked the island and appreciated the ease with which one could do business here, and the openness of Taiwanese people

to Western-style cuisine. After two years of preparation, Ed’s Diner officially opened its doors on July 18th, 2011.

But not before importing the restaurant’s all-important wood-burning smoker all the way from the US. Which brings me to the best part: the food. All food at the diner is made in-house, including the rolls, for which Ed took a traditional bread-making c lass in the UK. The barbequed meats, which Ed describes as Texas-style with some Carolina crossover, are prepared in the smoker with the low and slow technique — a method of cooking that locks in flavors by using a low cooking temperature over a long period of time. Ed’s pulled pork, for example, takes 8–10 hours in the smoker before it acquires the melt-in-your-mouth texture and taste that I have personally experienced on several occasions.

While the smoker may be an essential import, it isn’t the only item that comes from abroad to give the barbeque authentic flare. Ed also imports high-quality US Angus beef for the brisket and steak, and, interestingly, the potatoes hail from the US as well because, Ed explains, the Taiwanese varieties just don’t cut it when it comes to making

home-cut fries. And, of course, Ed has imported — with the blessing of his barbeque champion mentor who wants to spread the joy of barbeque across the globe — the secret recipes for the rubs and sauces that make Ed’s barbeque so mouthwatering and mysterious.

For March’s Tastes of Taipei, Ed has created a NT$900 set menu which includes: your choice of either a half rack of pork ribs or an ample portion of beef brisket (having tried both, my personal assessment of these options is: YUM!), a choice of one side dish from the menu, a portion of coleslaw, a homemade roll, dessert, free flowing soda, tea, or coffee, and a choice of one glass of wine or a beer. In addition, cus tomers have the opt ion o f bringing their own beverages for a NT$100 corkage fee.

So pull on your cowboy boots and join us on March 27th for a Texas-style feast!

Please call the restaurant before SaTUrDaY march 24th to make your reservation and let them know that you are with the community Services center. Note: In order for the restaurant to prepare the appropriate amount of each cut of meat, please let them know whether you would like the brisket or the ribs at the time that you make your reservation.

Date: Tuesday, March 27Time: 5 pm – 9 pm Venue: Ed’s Diner

address: 216 Lequn 2nd rd, Taipei city 台北市樂群二路216號 Tel: 8502-6969

Price: NT$900 per person (cash only)Website: “Ed’s Diner Taipei” on Facebook

Mar_p3-end.indd 17 2012/2/22 10:26:28 PM


pro

file

In this modern era, in which everything seems to be about money and leading hectic lives with no time to think about

something as basic and important as what we eat, like a character in the movie American Gangster once said: “you can't find the heart of anything to stick the knife”. Fortunately when it comes to food, we still have people l ike Mark Caltonhill who want to make us more aware of where exactly we stick the knife.

Mark, a vegetarian writer who lives in Taipei, has not set out to preach about why it is important to leave meat aside and become a veggie; instead, his primary concern seems to be how we handle our daily diet and how responsible we are for both the environment and our own body. He has been living here in Taiwan for twenty years and he long considered himself a “failed vegetarian”, always being too lazy to eat less meat or no meat at all. It wasn't until three years ago that, after reading a UN report saying that animal farming for meat eating is contributing more climate change

emissions than all transportation combined, he stopped eating meat for good. Unlike most people who decide to become veggies, who in general do it for religious reasons or to protect the animals, Mark just feels his is a good choice for the planet and for living his life. According to what he says, this decision not only changed the way he relates with the environment, but it also gave him important health benefits.

Let vegetarianism grow on you... or not

When we first met, he suggested we go to a very nice vegetarian restaurant in Xinyi District so that I could try its food. It turned out to be really good, I must say. But Mark's purpose is far from convincing people to try vegetarian food and become vegetarians. He respects other people's choices, but insists on the idea that everyone should be more aware of what they eat. While I enjoyed a good vegetable soup, he quoted Gandhi, who said ''(…) we can only pray, if we are Hindus, not

that a Christian should become a Hindu … but our innermost prayer should be a Hindu should be a better Hindu, a Muslim a better Muslim, a Christian a better Christian." Much in the same way, Mark's hope for meat eaters is not that they embrace vegetarianism, but that they become better meat eaters. “We all need to be more aware of what we are eating”, he says, “there are many commercial interests out there trying to make money out of tricking us into eating shoddily manufactured processed foods”.

HeaLtHy food options for everyone

All the way from Manchester, and settled in an Asian country which he calls ''home'', Mark has been focusing on writing about places you can visit in Taiwan where they serve amazing vegetarian food, and on doing research on food issues. He thinks Taiwan is a good place to be a vegetarian because you can find some kind of vegetarian restaurant round almost every corner. The bad thing is that in some cases they can be difficult for foreigners to find. That's why he came up with a very interesting blog called Not Only Meatless Monday (NOMM). In it, he not only writes reviews about restaurants, but also does good research about food-related topics, such as food and health, food politics, school lunch provision, organic farming, localization of food production, cook-it-yourself, etc. He adds some interesting color to his blog when he talks about things that matter with a little bit of humor, or when he explains the difference between quán sù (全素; completely vegetarian) or dàn ni sù (蛋奶素' egg-milk vegetarian), and guo bian sù (鍋邊素; "pot-side vegetarian").

He regularly checks the Chinese-language media for food-related articles and translates them into English. He also introduces the idea of 'up-stream cooking'. “This means”, he says, “trying to use fewer and fewer processed foods and work oneself upstream towards the complete use of fresh produce. One example is that although I have made hummus for about three decades, I always used shop-bought tahini. It was only a couple of years ago that

Not Only Meatless Monday

text: Marina Burana iMages: Mark caltonhill, PriMavera racing teaM

Whatsoever was the father of a disease, an ill diet was the mother.

- george herbert

Mar_p3-end.indd 18 2012/2/22 10:26:49 PM

it crossed my mind to find out how to make this, and indeed, roasting and grinding sesame seeds is not so difficult at all”.

Taiwan's vegetarian restaurants traditionally use a lot of fake meat and other processed foods, so NOMM’s restaurant reviews include a 'fake meat/processed food index'. He would like the idea to get picked up by a newspaper or magazine, so he tries to maintain good journalistic standards. “That way, hopefully”, he says, “it wil l promote more in terac t ive d i scuss ion of food issues, and we can all move towards healthier lifestyles for ourselves and

the planet. Indeed, I would love to hear back from readers and make the NOMM site more interactive”.

Vegetarianism and sports Mark thinks that many people,

encouraged by meat industries, are led to believe that eating meat is necessary to human life. But in his case, being an endurance athlete at 51 (bicycle racing, marathon running and triathlon/ironman), he actually feels healthier now that he has stopped eating meat. He says, “I hope that my occasional appearance on the podium at the end of a race might help counter the misunderstanding that meat is necessary for sport and for life. I am therefore designing ‘meat-free’ running/triathlon/cycling outfits to wear on these occasions, and I would love to hear from other vegetarian athletes so we might help promote this together”. Mark uses his bike to go everywhere. Not only because it's a choice which clearly helps the environment, but also because as a vegetarian athlete, he wants to set the example in the small things too.

We are What We eatWe generally eat twice as much as

nature requires and we sometimes don't really pay attention to what and where we eat. As Alfred E. Newman once said, “We are living in a world today where lemonade is made from artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons”. We are what we do, and we are, too, what we eat. That's why it seems important to be more aware about the evils that exist in our societies when it comes to food, and to try to be as healthy as possible, for ourselves, and for the environment.

Marina Burana is an Argentinean writer born in 1986. She has published two books of short stories in Spanish and is now writing plays in English. She s p e a k s F r e n c h a n d r e a d s Ancient Greek. She also plays the violin , paints and studies Chinese in Taipei. Her e-mail is [email protected].


museum of Contemporary art

Until April 15th Wonderland: New Contemporary Art from Australiawww.mocataipei.org.tw39 Changan W. Rd., Taipei

national museum of history

Until March 14thDreams Come True: The Art of Disney’s Classic FairytalesGallery: 1F, Rooms 101-103http://www.nmh.gov.tw 49 Nanhai Rd., Taipei

national palace museum

Until May 14thWestern Mythology and Legends: Selected works from the Louvre Exhibition Area II, 1F, Library Buildinghttp://www.npm.gov.tw 221 Zhishan Rd., Sec. 2, Taipei

national taiwan museum

January 17th ~ April 15thImpressions of Taiwan Railway in 1970shttp://formosa.ntm.gov.tw2 Siangyang Rd., Taipei

suho paper museum

Until March 24th Through Western Eyes: An exhibition of paper cuttings by Tim Buddenhttp://www.suhopaper.org.tw 68 Changan E. Rd, Sec. 2, Taipei

sun Yat-sen memorial hall

Until March 8th Depicting Alishan: A joint exhibition of water ink painters from both sides of the Taiwan StraitsYat-sen Gallery (3F(E))http://www.yatsen.gov.tw/en/ 505 Renai Rd. Sec. 4, Taipei

taipei Fine arts museum

Until June 10th

Time Games: Contemporary appropriations of the pastGalleries 1A and 1B

Until May 13thJourney through Jiangnan: A Pivotal Moment in Chen Cheng-po’s Artistic Quest Galleries 2A and 2Bhttp://www.tfam.museum/ 181 Zhongshan N. Rd., Sec. 3, Taipei

taipei international Film Festival

March 25th is the DEADLINE for submissions for the 2012 Taipei Film Festival New Talent Competition. More information at http://eng.taipeiiff.org.tw - Click on ‘Information’.

taipei international Children’s Film

Festival

March 3rd ~ April 5th More information at http://www.ticff.org.tw/about-e.html

Just a few of the things that are going on around Taipei this month...Just a few of the things that are going on around Taipei this month...Just a few of the things that are going on around Taipei this month...Just a few of the things that are going on around Taipei this month...

useum of Contemporary art

'High-tech tomatoes. Mysterious milk. Supersquash. Are we supposed to eat this stuff, or is it going to eat us?'

- Annita Manning

Mar_p3-end.indd 19 2012/2/22 10:27:07 PM

Co

mm

uN

ity

TExT: KATHY VAn WILGEnBuRG

Taipei has so many exciting opportunities for expats. Most people can be as busy they want, and still wish they

had more time for all of the cool activities available. It’s comforting to f ind reasonably pr iced help with the household, cooking and kids. However, finding an English-speaking person to employ is not easy. It’s also confusing to try to determine whether or not the person hired has legal working status. This is a risk many do not wish to take, as it can compromise their own working visa, or that of a family member. Businesses also run a risk in regard to their business license.

THE LANGUAGE BARRIERHaving lived here in Taipei for

eleven months, my solution was to hire a Taiwanese cleaning agency. These folks are top notch. They come equipped with their own cleaning equipment and chemicals. The employees are well trained. They are on time and reasonably priced. They are super nice and

do a good job. There is just one problem: I can’t talk to them. I can’t even talk to the supervisors or the management without a translator, and I had to sign a contract written completely in Chinese. There has to be a better way.

FILLING A GAPIt turns out that there is a better

way, one that has been time-tested for many years in Manila by the American Women’s Club of the Philippines. They operate a jobs registry out of the Holy Trinity Church. The registry is an online messaging board where members can post information on domestic help with their references. The system ensures the best employees with the best references always have work in their organization.

Their example was the inspiration for the Jobs Reg i s t ry Pro j ec t, sponsored as a ministry of the Taipei International Church (TIC). This project is supported by the Tagalog Fe l lowship (minis ter ing to the Filipino community) and executed by

the Gateway Women’s Ministry, both of TIC. It is fully in line with the organization charter of the church by ministering to both English-speaking labor and employers.

The purpose of this outreach is to fill a gap in the English-speaking community. It is free, and is fully supported by an expat attorney who believes in this effort and donates his time.

CONNECTING ENGLISH-SPEAKING LABOR WITH JOBS

The project seeks to connect labor and jobs in the areas of domestic helpers, elderly care givers, food and beverage, factory, and construction. It doesn’t seek to help those where existing employment agencies already have programs. For example, there are exis t ing agencies for English speakers with high levels of education or special skills. There are agencies that place full-time Amahs from other countries to live in the homes of employers. This service utilizes the existing labor market in Taiwan.


The Jobs Registry Project

Mar_p3-end.indd 20 2012/2/21 9:58:54 AM


Why i s there a need for th i s service? Many potential employees lack the language skills most critical in this city (Mandarin Chinese or Taiwanese). They often lack access to computers or lack computer skills to develop a one-page resume or search online job boards. For individual expat employers, there is quite some confusion around the legalities of hiring English speakers.

ApplicAtionHow does the program work?

For job seekers, they should come to the church office and fill out an application. After doing so, we can translate that application into a resume with a photo. They must provide proof of their legal working status by producing a permanent legal residency card, or an ARC card with a passport. Those who are not permanent residents will need to produce a marriage certificate to a Taiwanese national. If you

have an ARC card with no marriage certificate, do not fear. A good employer may sponsor you with a work permit.

For potent ia l employer s, we ask that you register yourself or your company with a very short form. This registry is developed to ensure the privacy of the employees’ resumes, to which you will have access. After you have registered, we can forward a selection of resumes with proof of residency and right to work (or state that they need a work permit) to your email address. We will not check references since we are not an employment agency. However, church members may receive moral references from church leaders.

The jobs registry has been granted a six-month trial period to examine the needs of the community. Should we find this is a service that both employees and employers want, it will continue forward. It would be our pleasure to receive your

feedback. Our plan for the future is to grow with an online database if/when there is critical mass.

For more information, visit our website: http://jobsregistrytaipei.blogspot.com, or send an email to [email protected]. Visit the TIC website (www.taipeichurch.org) for directions to the church office.

If you like Asian antiques and the idea of uncovering a hidden treasure in your own backyard, then you'll love the Treasure Hunt Flea Market. Imagine wandering through room after room, opening boxes, peering into cases and looking on shelves, viewing pieces of history. Looking for a pottery bowl? Some colorful chairs? A kimono? A dragon with gleaming orange eyes? Artwork for a wall in your home? I dare you NOT to find something in this treasure trove of ephemera. Don't let the humble exterior fool you. Once inside, past the front desk and friendly staff (who speak English) you could lose yourself for hours in the many nooks and crannies on two floors spread over what seems like a city block. The prices are clearly marked (and usually not subject to negotiation, but I had to try). Like its name implies, the Treasure Hunt Flea Market is not an upscale antique store. This is where in-the-know shoppers come to find bargains; items from decades long past, once lovingly used and then ‘recycled’, waiting to be discovered by you.

38, Roosevelt Rd., Sec. 2 (at the intersection of Heping and Roosevelt Roads).Tel: 02-2391-2100. Transport: Nearest MRT: Guting (exit towards Heping Road, Cross Roosevelt Road and look for a green and yellow building).

In search of some delicious chocolate, and enjoy a supporting a great cause? Then visit V-Shop. They sell biscuits and edibles in various flavors like chocolate, peanut and sesame. V-shop is partnered with the Garden of Hope (GOH), an organisation which is striving to help end sexual violence. The GOH provides employment to women who have needed their support and also trains them in a variety of work-related fields such as bead work or chocolate making. V-Shop is unique and also somewhere you can enjoy a cup of coffee or juice whilst finding some unique gifts.

1F, 2-1 Shunan St., Xindian, New Taipei City Tel: 02-8911-8595　Transport: Nearest MRT station: Dapinglin

recommended by neev exley

recommended by monica hess

V-Shop

treasure Hunt Flea Market

O r i g i n a l l y f r o m A u g u s t a , G A i n t h e U S K a t h y relocated here from S w i t z e r l a n d . S he i s an ac t ive member of Ta ipe i International Church and enjoys marrying both her former business life and now her social awareness life in the form of the Jobs Registry Project. She has fallen in love with Taiwan, in particular the welcoming people and the beautiful geography.

The Center's Favorite The Center's Favorite The Center's Favorite FindsFindsFinds

Mar_p3-end.indd 21 2012/2/22 10:27:31 PM

The race’s course takes runners a l ong t h e mos t d i f f i cu l t portions of the Caminho de Fé (Path of Faith), a popular

pilgrimage route in the Mantiqueira Mountains. It might be said that DeNoma was on a pilgrimage of his own: to test the limits of his endurance and raise money along the way.

A s o n e m i g h t i m a g i n e , ultramarathons are not for the faint of heart. An ultramarathon is defined as any foot race longer than a traditional 26.2-mile marathon, but many ultra-endurance competitions include other sports such as cycling, swimming, and skiing. In some cases, the distance is just one of the challenges; many courses also take competitors through absurdly arduous conditions. Take, for example, the Sahara des Sables Ultramarathon in Morocco, a six-day, 151-mile trek across the Sahara Desert. Or the wintertime Arrowhead 135, a race in which athletes choose

their mode of transport — by bike, foot, or ski — and race along 135 miles of snowmobile trails in northern Minnesota where temperatures often plummet to -30 degrees Celsius.

ROUGH TERRAINThe Brazil 135 is also notorious for

its tough terrain. In total, runners ascend a remarkable 33,000 feet and descend 29,000 feet — a course equivalent to a full ascent and descent (from sea-level) of Mount Everest. Only about ten of the race’s 135 miles are on flat ground.

During these ultra-races, competitors often experience the effects of the body being pushed to its limits. These include hypothermia (DeNoma had two bouts of it in Brazil), the loss of motor skills (which, DeNoma explains, is particularly trying when you can’t grip the handlebars during a bike race), and hallucinations (for a portion of the Brazil 135 DeNoma saw

green Santa coats hanging from the trees and a musician playing a “firefly xylophone/piano.”)

Finishing these races is never a given: in Brazil, sixty athletes started the race and only forty-seven finished it; the others dropped out, most likely after a freak hailstorm hit the back of the pack of runners. DeNoma was 45th out of the 47 athletes who finished; he completed the race in an astonishing 49 hours, 57 minutes, and 37 seconds despite an ill-marked trail and several hours (and many extra miles) during which he was lost. He slept for a total of only about twenty minutes during the entire race.

Still, DeNoma insists that there is nothing superhuman about his ability to complete these ultra-feats. In fact, he sees his story as an example of how an average person can accomplish just about anything with the proper training and preparation (see graph on page 24).

A LATE STARTERDeNoma first began competing in

endurance events at the age of 50. Up to that point, he had not run a race longer than 10 kilometers. This all changed when his then-company Standard Chartered sponsored a race in Nairobi. At the starting line, he saw a young blind man who was tied at the wrist to another runner, and DeNoma recalls thinking that the runner would surely be knocked over. Instead, when the starting pistol sounded, DeNoma found himself swept off his feet. After he recovered, the blind runner was gone. At the end of the race, he caught up with the runner and discovered that he had won the race.

The runner was Henry Wanyoike, now a multi Paralympics medal holder and the fastest blind man in the world. As a child Wanyoike trained as a runner, but in his early twenties he suffered a stroke that left him blind. After learning to run tied to a guide, his biggest hurdle was finding a guide who could keep up him; he ultimately


Ch

ar

ity

On January 20th, The Center’s Running Team member and ultra-endurance athlete Mike DeNoma took to the trails in the

mountains of Brazil to compete in one of the most grueling foot races in the world: the Brazil 135 Ultramarathon.

Mike DeNoma:Mike DeNoma:Going the Distance and Then Some…and Then Some More

TExT: KARI SCHIRO IMAGES: MIKE DEnOMA

Mar_p3-end.indd 22 2012/2/21 9:59:00 AM


found one in his childhood friend Joseph Kibunja.

Of Wanyoike’s story, DeNoma recalls thinking, “If he can overcome blindness, I can overcome laziness.” So he signed up for the New Zealand Ironman and hired a trainer. For those who are un fami l i a r w i th Ironman triathlons, these races are a far cry from a 10-kilometer foot race. Ironman competitions consist of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a full marathon. No small feat for anyone, particularly someone who was not particularly good at swimming and had not cycled for over thirty years.

PERSEVERANCE AND GUMPTIONLaughing, DeNoma explains that, at

first, he was a difficult project for his trainer. “He asked me my marathon time and I told him I’d never run one, and he said ‘So you’re a cyclist,’ and I said not since I was a kid … and then he asked about swimming, and I said ‘That’s my worst [event].’”

Bu t wha t DeNoma l a cked i n expe r i enc e, h e made up fo r i n perseverance and gumption. By h i s own account, DeNoma d id “horribly” in his first competition, a

small triathlon leading up to the New Zealand Ironman. He recalls going into the swimming portion of that race in sixtieth place and coming out of it at 120th; sixty people had passed him in twelve laps. But he knew he couldn’t throw in his towel, especially with his kids watching. He explains, “The point I wanted to show [my kids] was that most people give up at stuff in life if they’re not good at it… If you’re willing to be a beginner … you can achieve it, but that requires being a beginner, and being a beginner is hard. Most people don’t like to be not good at something.”

Give up he did not, and DeNoma has since gone on to complete not only the New Zealand Ironman but also the Furnace Creek 508 in California, a 508-mile bike ride in which cyclists race across the Mojave Desert and Death Valley as well as ten mountain r a n g e s; t h e S a h a r a d e s S a b l e s Ultramarathon; a Kaohsiung to Taipei race; and, of course, the Brazil 135, among others.

KEYS TO SUCCESSS o w h a t a r e t h e s e c r e t s t o

DeNoma’s success? He says arriving at the starting line healthy is half the battle. He was lucky to find a coach who paced his training to ensure that he did not over-train and was at full fitness on the day of the race.

Getting the proper hydration and nutrition is also key. During a race, DeNoma hydrates every f i f teen minutes. He also keeps his blood sugar constant by avoiding anything with sugar and taking a combination

of Perpetuem, a energy supplement that i s about 30% prote in, and Endurolyte, an electrolyte replacement supplement.

Pacers — people who run along side the competitor — are another race essential. He explains, “The reason you want a pacer in a race like [the Brazil 135] is because it’s dangerous … You’re out of it, you’re hal lucinat ing …You go into the bathroom then come out and run the wrong way. If you fall, you could die from exposure.” In Brazil, DeNoma’s son and daughter both served as pacers for portions of the race. They kept him on track and upbeat.

And staying upbeat is no easy feat. It’s all about ignoring the negative left side of your brain that tells you to stop, and staying in the moment, says DeNoma. He remembers a particularly grueling section of the Furnace Creek 508 when he was ready to abandon the race. He imagined himself in thirty-plus years and how, as an old man, he would give anything to be where he was at that moment, in the desert of California, riding a bike.

DeNoma’s fundrais ing e f forts also serve as motivation to keep moving. All along the way, he has raised money for charity. For the Brazil 135 alone, DeNoma raised US$80,000 for Chinatrust’s Light Up a Life Charity, an organization that helps underprivileged and orphaned children throughout Taiwan. In total, DeNoma has raised about US$650,000 through racing.

DeNoma has been fortunate to see the best of human generosity both on

Mar_p3-end.indd 23 2012/2/21 9:59:03 AM


t

tt

t t

Book Workdays Saturday March 3rd Our last book workday of the year

will take place on March 3rd in the TAS basement, from 9 am to 5 pm. We will be sorting through, pricing and alphabetizing the second-hand books that we receive as donations. With that in mind, we still welcome donations of all books and magazines, regardless of language.

Book Sale Saturday March 10th On March 10th we will be hosting

our annual Book Sale (one of the largest of its kind in northern Taiwan) at the Taipei American School, between 10 am and 5 pm. Admission is free and all are welcome to come. There are books for every member of the family – SAT preparation books, children’s books and almost every other genre can be found. Also, this will be the last day to claim raffle prizes from the draw.

Hunger Week March 15th -21st The Orphanage Club offers aid to

charitable organizations around the

globe. One way it achieves this is through hosting Hunger Week twice a year. Through fasting and donating money at our booth in front of the Faculty Dining Room (FDR), members of the TAS community are encouraged to empathize with and understand the plight of the hungry. The Orphanage Club also intends to educate our students about world hunger through an assembly prior to Hunger Day (March 21st). From March 15th to 21st, members will be conducting lessons with lower school students highlighting hunger around the world. They will also be selling ceramic bowls in front of the FDR to further emphasize the problem; this activity is sponsored by the TAS Art Department. Donations will be sent to organizations including Oxfam America, American Friends Service, and World Vision Taiwan.

Cathwel Outing Saturday March 17th The Orphanage Club will be hosting its

Cathwel outing on Saturday, March 16th. On these outings members take care

of kids assigned to them from Cathwel Orphanage and take the time to bond with them; the boys have darker histories and need both time and patience. The boys section of Cathwel will be going rollerblading at Y-17 Youth Center and playing sports in the gym, while the babies section will be going to nursery school, sponsored by TAS alumni Cynthia Hsu. We are always searching for adult chaperons for the outing. If you are interested, please email us at the address below.

Chungyi Outing Sunday March 25thOn March 25th, we will be hosting our

fifth Chungyi Outing. As usual, members will be paired up with their guests from the Chungyi Orphanage in Jingmei and spend the day together playing sports and other activities. The agenda has yet to be confirmed, but we are always looking for adult chaperones for the outing. If you are interested, please email us at the address below.

Orphanage Club NewsTExT: JEFFREY CHEn (12) AnD TIn TIn KAO (10), OC CO-SECRETARIES 2011-12

All questions or comments should be directed to [email protected] can also contact our club sponsors Mr. Arnold at 2873-9900 ext. 239 or [email protected] or Ms. Koh at [email protected]

the fundraising front and on the trails. He recounts an experience in Brazil that stopped him in his path, literally and figuratively. After the unexpected h a i l s t o r m , D e N o m a ’ s b o d y temperature dropped substantially; he was going into hypothermia. His daughter raced ahead to alert the support team. DeNoma explains, “Twenty minutes later [my daughter] found me running and shivering and said ‘Great news, when they saw the weather, the team found a family that will let us use their house so you can take a hot shower, change into warmer clothes, get re-taped and keep

going.’ ‘Who in the world would let us do that?’ I thought.”

A very kind Brazilian family, it turns out. After warming up in their shower and re-taping in their living room, DeNoma tried to give the family some money for their troubles, but they refused, so DeNoma asked if there was anything he could do for them.

“[The mother] became emotional and her face dropped into a deep sadness. She said ‘My 17-year-old daughter went missing nine months ago and because we don’t have a computer there is no way for us to post the fact she is missing or follow

up any leads. Is there anything you can do to help us find our daughter?’ S u c h l o v e l y g r a c i o u s n e s s a n d hospitality despite such terrible loss and pain put things in perspective for us,” says DeNoma.

The extraordinary coincidence: DeNoma is on the board of directors for the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which has an operation in Brazil. He has assured the family that he will do everything he can to find their missing daughter.

The family should rest assured that they are in good hands: DeNoma is known for going the distance.

Kari Schiro i s a nat ive C a l i f o r n i a n a n d a n adoptive Seattleite who recently relocated to Taipei. When she is not writing, you will most likely find Kari watching football/soccer on the telly.

Mar_p3-end.indd 24 2012/2/21 9:59:06 AM

25www.communitycenter.org.tw march 2012 25www.communitycenter.org.tw march 2012

Born and raised in Venezuela by Taiwanese parents, Sarah has been exposed to world cultures since she was young. She recently graduated with an Environmental Science degree from Southampton University in the UK and has returned to Taiwan to familiarize herself with her roots. Sarah currently works as TWYCC’s Media Coordinator, the main point of contact in Taiwan for ECYTF (Earth Charter Youth Task Force), as a radio host for Radio Taiwan International with a weekly program that focuses on everything related to the environment throughout Taiwan, and is a freelance writer and translator.

After a well-deserved winter break, the youngsters from Taiwan Youth Climate Coalition (TWYCC) are back for another exciting year with a variety of ambitious plans. We’ve re-structured

ourselves and started to execute projects designated for this year. Believe me when I say it’s not an easy task to coordinate all TWYCC core team members as we’re all spread throughout the island.

It is also my pleasure to announce that TWYCC is finalizing its submission to become Taiwan’s first environmental non-governmental organization (NGO) managed solely by young people. We’ve been running around and meeting with other well-established environmental NGOs who have shown full support for our youth movement in Taiwan. It’s been roughly half a year since we began building TWYCC from scratch and I’m still amazed by young people’s capability for mobilizing and getting things done when driven by passion. Dare I say sometimes I really feel like we’re unstoppable!

We invite you to take part in one or more of our four major projects this year: Rio+20 in Brazil, the 18th Convention of the Parties (COP) in Qatar, Design for Climate Change (DFCC), and the Conference of Youth in Taiwan (COYTW). The first and second projects involve travelling overseas to Brazil and Qatar to attend respectively the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (which takes place once every ten years) and COP18 (which takes place once a year and was mentioned in the article published in the last issue of Centered on Taipei). This year, in particular, is of great importance because the world’s blueprint regarding development in all corners of the world has been laid out and will become legally binding at Qatar. What TWYCC does is train youth delegates in Taiwan prior to the conferences and upon returning sends them to give lectures in schools throughout Taiwan to share their experiences. We want to give young people a broader perspective of what is going on in the international arena through practical means. This is something that cannot

be learnt from books or in schools and is certainly not an opportunity to be missed!

The third project, DFCC, was developed in partnership with Design for Change, which was also featured in Centered on Taipei in a previous issue. This year the project managers of Design for Change have given us an opportunity to lead the environmental branch of the program. For those unfamiliar with it, Design for Change is a summer activity whereby teams of elementary students from local schools compete with each other in developing creative ideas for changing something they believe needs to be improved. The importance of getting the young generation involved is to ignite their passion and nurture them to become the great leaders of tomorrow.

Last but not least, the fourth project, COYTW, will be organised and led by TWYCC, as an opportunity to get a taste of how the United Nations conferences are run. Because TWYCC is environmentally focused, COYTW will naturally place an emphasis on environmental issues. We welcome anyone from any school to sign up in due time to experience something out of the ordinary! If you would like to volunteer with TWYCC, just to get a taste of how to see the world from a different perspective, our doors are always open!

I must confess that being with this group of passionate young people has renewed my personal motto, one which I encourage us all to adopt in order to lead a more fulfilling life: when you strongly believe in something, fight for it, give it your all and don’t regret a single moment, despite any bitter days and exhaustion you might feel. And if the outcome is not what you expected, at least you’ll have great memories to cherish and exciting stories to share! Quoting one of my favourite Aerosmith songs, ‘life is a journey, not a destination.’

I can feel an exciting year awaiting all of us!

Website: www.twycc.twFacebook group: https://www.facebook.com/twyccTwitter: @twycc

TExT & IMAGES: SARAH CHEn LIn

Upcoming events in 2012…

ENv

iro

Nm

ENtTaiwan Youth

Climate Coalition

Mar_p3-end.indd 25 2012/2/21 9:59:10 AM

pro

filE


Collaborative Entrepreneurshipan interview with David Dupony, creator of The Founder squad

David was born in Paris, France. he claims he has been a “software geek” since he was 10 and dabbled seriously with technology through his teen years. When he decided to drop out of graduate school at the age of 20, he had already developed the sensiva handwriting recognition software. armed with little else, he decided to take his invention to silicon valley to start a company. Twelve years later, with many more successful technology companies to his credit, he had had his fill of life as he knew it. he sold everything he owned to travel the world, while helping other entrepreneurs he met on his travels. now, at 35, he has made Taiwan his home.

about David Dupony

Every entrepreneur begins with a vision to change the status quo. In today's rapidly shifting environment, change is inevitable and one needs multiple resources coupled with quick and intuitive responses to address new challenges as they come along. Social entrepreneurs are instruments of change. They have the ability to bring a group of people together under a common vision and achieve together what may be difficult to achieve alone.

In turn, each member of this group has the potential to become a change maker, occasionally creating a critical mass that can reach a tipping point where change is created on a much larger scale.

Through The Founder Squad, David has re-instituted the idea of sharing resources and experiences in an open format where new collaborations have a platform to flourish and have the potential to be born. David explains how the group began and what it is about.

I picked Taiwan as home, based on my love for its people, without any idea of what I was going to do here. Upon arriving I continued to meet and help entrepreneurs, so much so that they would buy me coffee all the time; I ended up a little too excited at the end of the day! Another problem was that I don’t have all the answers. S t a r t i n g a s u p p o r t g r o u p f o r entrepreneurs was quite an obvious thing to do. Now, instead of only discussing with me, the discussions include many entrepreneurs with varied knowledge and experience, who help others and get helped at the same time. It’s all about sharing.

When you teach, you learn.The Founder Squad was started

i n S e p t e m b e r 2011 t o a l l o w entrepreneurs to formally meet and help each other with their most challenging situations.

What are the criteria for joining this group, and what is the format of the meetings?

Every application is reviewed carefully. The Founder Squad is mostly concerned with an applicant’s integrity, courage and passion for change, not the size of their company or their field of work.

Every one of our members is

running a company; from the 20 year-old Internet geniuses that bring energy and fresh ideas, to the 50-plus CEOs of publicly traded companies who bring experience and wisdom. The ratio is about 60% Taiwanese and 40% foreigners.

There were about fifteen people when we started. Now, five months later, there are over a hundred. Each meeting is limited to twenty people around the table to keep it personalized and intimate. Each member can attend one meeting a month. The first meeting is free, and thereafter a monthly membership fee applies. The meetings are closed and

TExT: ROMA MEHTAIMAGE: COuRTESY OF THE FOunDER SQuAD

Mar_p3-end.indd 26 2012/2/21 9:59:12 AM


Happy New Year, and then Happy New Year, and then Happy New Year…it seems like I have been having a constant stream of new years over the last few weeks. For

those of us who live across multiple cultures – and it seems like most of us do these days – the period from November through to, well, now, has been a constant stream of thanking, wishing well, and celebrating. And that is not a bad thing in any way, shape or form. But I do hear a few people saying that it has become tiresome …and I CAN understand that even though I look at it from a different point of view. Official holidays do bring with them certain obligations; obligations to catch up with friends, spend time with co-workers, visit with family, send cards and notes out to people you haven’t

seen for a while. In short, maintaining relationships that might otherwise slip away through lack of attention. And yes that can be tiring. But anything worth doing is going to take some effort so I welcome the effort, embrace the tiredness and push on through. And it is great to catch up with everyone at least once a year. Would I do it otherwise? Maybe not… so perhaps it is good to be pushed into it every now and then.Oh well, back to work now…I can finally take it a bit easier(?)…See you soon.

Steven Parker Director, Community Services Center

See you soon.

Steven Parker

Word from the Director

In 1987, Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase ‘The medium is the message.’ Due to a typographical error, the printed version became ‘The Medium is the Massage.’ Perhaps it is an apt title for The Founder Squad. This is a group that is reviving tactile connection and personal touch in this highly digitized world where news travels faster than you can register it. The Founder Squad calls for face-to-face dialogue and collaborative sharing of resource and information. Culturally, free sharing of this nature is rare in Taiwan’s business world. This venture is defying the norm, and doing so successfully.

For more information visit www.foundersquad.com

by invitation only. We meet for four hours at a time. Each participant has the opportunity to express his or her biggest challenge of the month. This can range from financing to customer relations to recruiting to engineering to ‘impossible decisions to make,’ because most of the time you are dealt with incomplete data.

This is a safe place, a ‘home’ for entrepreneurs, and only entrepreneurs can r e la t e to, apprec ia t e, and help other entrepreneurs. I share everything I know with no restriction, which means that I also share my past mistakes publicly, and what I learned from them. Most likely, whatever situation is happening, someone in the room has experienced it, or has an idea on how to solve it.

The Founder Squad is what its name stands for: a small ‘army’ of people who are reached to solve only the most challenging issues. If you can find an answer in a book or by doing a search, we don’t address it. We solve problems that leverage our collective experience and wisdom acquired over the years through blood, sweat, and tears.

In many ways, it is like the Foreign Legion: a fellowship, a brotherhood

with noble intentions, watching each other’s backs, regardless of differences. Our mission drives us.

What was one of the toughest

problems you’ve solved? What process did you go through to solve it?

We only address the most difficult situations, and there isn’t one that is particularly tougher than others. There is a common process, though. The entrepreneur asks a question, which typically reveals only the surface of the problem. Then I, or someone else in the room, will dig deeper to understand the root of the question by asking more questions. Soon enough, we get to the bottom of i t and very often, i t is quite different from the initial question. It is the source, the origin. The initial question had revealed only one consequence of it. Then we go after that source, and that only. If we can solve the source, we have inherently solved the init ial question, and most likely, many other questions that would have arisen otherwise. Sometimes a technical question reveals an HR question. Digging down to the root of a question is

similar to methods you might find in Chan (Zen), for example. We distinguish content from context, appearance from essence.

Business is business, and challenges in one industry often happen in the others. Just by listening, one can learn a lot about how to solve (and avoid) a difficult situation.

Do you have a message to other

entrepreneurs who are struggling to start up their businesses?

Getting started is one of the hardest things to do. If you have had the courage to quit your comfort zone and start your business, you have already won half the battle. From then on, be self-sufficient as soon as possible. Do not depend too much on others. Put yourself in other people’s shoes, and do more than they expect from you. At the same time, reach out and help others. Help will come back to you one way or another. Overall, it is not one person, but the ecosystem, that brings strength to every member of the community. Competit ion can be healthy but it is fear-based. Collaboration, on the other hand, is often a much wiser choice.

Roma is a graphic designer by t r ade , an a r t i s t b y choice, with an insatiable appetite for change. She continues to be inspired by the energy of India, the spirit of Taiwan, the beauty of our planet, the embrace of its people.

Mar_p3-end.indd 27 2012/2/22 10:28:14 PM


hEa

lth

Living by the numbers

My life with migraines

After hearing that I had spent five days in hospital for an intravenous drug treatment to stop a 17 day migraine, Steven Parker, Director of The Center, asked me to write an article about living

with migraines. At first I was hesitant, not wanting to open myself up in that way, but then after thinking it over and commiserating with a fellow migraine sufferer, I decided to do it. Living with migraines, or any chronic pain for that matter, can be a wearing and isolating experience, and if through reading this article someone thinks she gets me, she understands what I’m going through, then it will be worth it.

I was diagnosed with migraines at the age of 6, having inherited them from my dad. They have progressively become worse through the years until my current diagnosis: Chronic intractable migraines. The chronic part means that I have them often. Intractable means that they last a long time — ranging from a few days, to my longest one, which occurred two years ago and lasted 42 days. As you can imagine, the 42 day migraine spurred me into action to make it stop! What I’ve come to realize, however, is that it’s not so much make it stop as make it work. I can assure you that it’s a fine line to follow and a hard lesson.

Two years ago, my first step was to admit that I couldn’t just ignore the migraines and hope they went away. I needed to be proactive. I had been to neurologists in the past that had advised me to go on preventative medication, but had been resistant to the idea. After deciding that now was the time to take that step, I found a neurologist who put me on a daily cocktail of four different preventative medications. She also gave me a drug combination to take when I get severe migraines. I meet with her every month without fail. During those meetings, she checks over the daily tracking form she has me fill out on my migraine status, which ranks each morning, afternoon, and night from 0 to 3, depending on severity. Based on that form, she adjusts my medication in response to the frequency of the migraines during the month, and talks to me about alternative treatments.

When I first started paying serious attention to my migraines, I gathered information from the Internet and books in an effort to learn how to function better. One of the books I found was called The Migraine Brain by Carolyn Berstein. In it, Berstein suggests finding your triggers. I started to log everything — what I ate, how much I slept, what the weather was like, anything I could think of. I found out that I have a lot of triggers: such as a drop in barometric pressure, eating MSG, spending a lot of time in a room with a lit scented candle, sleeping poorly or being around loud noises... The list goes on and on. Finding triggers is an ongoing process. Even after two years, I’m

still discovering them. What is most frustrating are the days when I get a migraine and I have no idea what caused it.

So, how do I live my life daily with migraines? By the numbers. On the rare ‘zero’ days I celebrate and take advantage of life. I’ll open the shades and light a scented candle. Or wear perfume and turn on my music loud and apologize to the neighbors later. I might go out to a noisy restaurant and actually eat there instead of taking food out to eat at home, where there’s minimal noise, smell, and light. Or see a movie in the theater. On ‘level one’ days, I do my best to ignore the slight migraine, but my face changes slightly and my neck tenses. I draw the shades and wear sunglasses outside even if it’s overcast because I’m sensitive to light. I spend as little time as possible in noisy situations. Other than being more aware and avoiding stimulation, on level one days, I can still function relatively well in the outside world. On ‘level two’ days, the migraine intensifies to a full ‘headache face,’ stiff neck making it hard to turn my head, and knots down my back. These days, I limit my movements, stay as quiet as possible, and keep the lights on low, with the shades drawn, maybe taking a painkiller depending on what I have to do during the day. But most of the time I still try to function adaptively in a version of normal in the outside world. On level one and two days I try especially hard to avoid known triggers as they can take a one or two and blow it to a ‘three’ pretty quickly. On level three days life shuts down and I retreat to my ‘cave’ — my bedroom with the blackout curtains. I usually have to put a heating pad down my neck, back and shoulder and lay in the dark, waiting for my time to rejoin the world.

Like anyone with chronic pain, I have days where acceptance of migraines in my life isn’t as easy as others. After two years of concentrated efforts and still having migraines at least 3-4 times a week, I have times where I get frustrated and fed up. I get tired of living a version of life that’s not conventionally considered normal — one that’s spent avoiding loud noises and smells — living carefully and avoiding triggers. The majority of the time though, I try to incorporate my migraines into my life instead of having them rule my life. I make a version of my life that’s normal with migraines. I make it work.

Above all, I’ve hung on to hope that it won’t be like this forever. At my last monthly appointment, the neurologist talked to me about a Botox treatment for migraines. Maybe I’ll give it a try? I wouldn’t mind getting rid of a few wrinkles at the same time as a few headaches! This summer I plan on going to a headache clinic in the States and can’t wait to learn more there. In the meantime, however, I’m living my life day-by-day, by the numbers, praying that today will be a zero day.

This article was written anonymously. If you are someone who suffers with chronic pain, please call The Center to schedule an appointment with a counsellor.

TExT: AnOnYMOuS

Mar_p3-end.indd 28 2012/2/21 9:59:19 AM


Gen

eratio

n y

The ‘Maple Leaf’ Experience

Leat Ahrony is a business undergraduate student at the University of Victoria (UVic) in Canada. She began her journalism career in high school writing for the Centered on Taipei magazine. She has a weekly online column for the UVic newspaper, The Martlet, and regularly writes print news and culture articles. She plans to earn her B.A in commerce and continue a side career in journalism.

TexT: LeaT ahrony

When you grow up in one country all of your life, there is only that one place that is familiar to you. For me, this was Taiwan. Before graduation, I was set

for a new journey. After a term at the University of Victoria and five months in Canada, I now realize how important diversity is.

To find one's niche in university life can be challenging when you are dealing with a long list of adjustments. It is natural for international students sharing similar backgrounds to group together. "UVic has diversity," said one UVic student from Calgary, "but I find that many of the international students tend to stick to each other like glue." This is quite noticeable around the campus. Over time, however, international students familiarize with the new culture and environment. They slowly release themselves, and engage with students of other cultures and ethnic backgrounds.

On August 29th, 2011, I landed on Canadian soil. As I scanned the immigration lines, diversity filled the space around me. My parents were worried about me leaving an Asian environment, but I feel as though I am surrounded by it. A spark inside me jumped when I spotted Chinese characters on store signs. Fairway supermarket had it all: Bok Choy, Chinese white cabbage, bean sprouts, bitter melon, Yow Choy, and not one, but three types of tofu. Hearing the cap seal break on a container of soy milk was music to my ears: the rich aroma of fresh soy beans brought me back to the breakfast stores in Taiwan. With one sip, I was home. It wasn’t So Good, Silk, or Vita Soy. It was creamy, rich, pure, and plain ground soy beans with water. Chinatown in downtown Victoria is fascinating and familiar. There were exciting festivities and celebrations for Chinese New Year. But it was not enough to satisfy my interest, and I started to feel like a Canadian when I became curious about other cultures, religions, and practices.

I met people from different provinces of Canada. I conversed with people from Germany, Scotland, Denmark, India, Iran, the Philippines, China, Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan. Learning about different cultures was colorful and fulfilling, like eating a bowl of Tang Yuan. It was entertaining to compare accents. Doing this opened my eyes and accelerated curiosity levels. There is little diversity on

the streets of Taipei, but it is everywhere in Canada. I am drawn by Canada’s quality of life, and its

reputation as a peaceful, open, and caring society that welcomes newcomers and values diversity. I feel the world as a whole lacks this quality and reputation. I have met numerous immigrants who have been living in Canada for over twenty years. When asked if they felt like outsiders, they all said no, despite low English ability. There is a certain degree of diversity in every country, but to me, Canada seems one of the more welcoming places for immigrants.

The color of our skin is only an outlook. The features of our face and the sizes of our bodies are pieced together by million of strands of DNA. The languages we use to communicate may be different, but nothing can stop us from learning. My father — who has lived in Taiwan for thirty years — still does not speak Mandarin. He shops in the traditional food markets with a few familiar Chinese sentences in mind, and makes use of creative body language. The environment you grow up in certainly affects your customs, behaviors, values, language, practices, and more. However, every human has the right to interact with each other, explore new places, and cherish different cultures and ethnicities. I ask myself why the globe is round and not square or triangular. It signifies unity. Humans are all the same inside and out: skin, cells, fat, and bone. When we die and return back to the earth, nothing differentiates us from one another.

Some people may say leaving your home, a place you have known all your life, is an arduous journey. If Canada is your new destination though, your experience will be less of a challenge because, in my opinion, in this peaceful and multicultural nation you have all the support and cultural diversity you will need. The maple leaf symbol is found in every Canadian province. It symbolizes equity, unity, and cultural diversity. Although they carry the same generic shape and form, every leaf is unique. Canadians value and cherish different cultures that augment our knowledge beyond our familiar surroundings and enhance our everyday lives. Taiwan is a magical place, and Taipei American School was an excellent school both academically and socially, but going abroad for university was the best decision I ever made.

Mar_p3-end.indd 29 2012/2/22 10:28:50 PM

30 march 2012 www.communitycenter.org.tw30 march 2012 www.communitycenter.org.tw

Mar_p3-end.indd 30 2012/2/21 9:59:28 AM

Chinese buns are made from leavened wheat flour, with or without fillings, and are always steamed.

S t eamed buns a r e a hea l th i e r alternative to baked bread, and can be served as a meal or snack, from breakfast to dinner.

In Taiwan, buns with fillings are called baozi (包子), while mantou (饅頭) has no filling but has other ingredients kneaded into the dough. Both can be savory or sweet.

Chinese buns trace their roots back to legend, and about 1,700 years ago during the Chinese classic Romance of the Three K ingdoms. In i t, Zhuge Liang (諸葛亮) made wheat flour dough stuffed with meat as an offering to the river god in return for a safe passage across a river. Instead of a human sacrifice, he made a bun in the shape of a barbarian’s head (蠻頭, mantou). Eventually the characters for the bun’s name changed into the ones used today (which share the same pronunciation and tones as the original) and the bun can be found all over the world.

Buns, like dumplings, are a staple food in the north of China, owing to a plentiful source of wheat flour. After 1950, buns became popular in Taiwan, and buns, soy bean milk (豆漿, doujiang) and fried bread stick (油條, youtiao) became very popular breakfast fare, together with rice porridge (congee). Steamed buns can be a side dish or a staple in place of rice or noodles to accompany a meal. Nowadays, buns are available from both specialist bun shops as well as being easily available in the frozen foods section of supermarkets. Reheated buns are also popular snacks in convenience stores.

MANTOU [饅頭]Steamed buns without fillings

(mantou) are made from wheat flour, yeast and water. The flavor varies according to any additional

ingredients that are added, such as whole meal, grains, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, brown sugar, chocolate, taro, sweet potato, pumpkin and spring onion.

Some popular flavors of mantou include:

P l a i n m a n t o u (白饅頭 , b a i mantou) is made from plain flour, yeas t and water; the dough i s allowed to rise, and steamed.

Milk mantou (鮮奶饅頭, xiannai mantou) is made with milk instead of water.

Grain and nut mantou (雜糧饅頭, zaliang mantou) is made with plain flour and/or whole wheat flour, and sesame, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, walnuts and ra i s ins are kneaded with the dough.

Chocolate mantou (巧克力饅頭, qiaokeli mantou) is flavored with cocoa powder.

BUNS TExT: IVY CHEn

IMAGES: xIAnG TInG HuAnG


Mar_p3-end.indd 31 2012/2/21 9:59:34 AM


Taro mantou (芋頭饅頭, yutou mantou) contains cooked and diced taro.

H e a l t h y m a n t o u (養生饅頭 , yangsheng mantou) is made from the same recipe as grain and nut mantou, but with additional wolfberry added. Wolfberry is a kind of Chinese medicine which can strengthen the immune system, improve eyesight, and reduce high blood pressure.

Silk thread roll (銀絲卷, yin si juan) is made with plain flour, yeast and water as usual, but is then rolled into a sheet and stuffed with thin strips of the same dough.

Milk and cranberry mantou (鮮奶蔓越莓饅頭, xiannai manyuemei mantou) adds cranberries to the basic dough.

Sp r i ng on ion man tou (花捲 , hua juan) is made by rolling the basic dough into a sheet, spreading chopped spring onions and salt on top, and rolling it up. The dough is then cut into chunks and steamed as usual.

BAOZI [包子]Steamed buns with fillings (baozi)

are steamed mantou stuffed with ei ther savory or sweet f i l l ings. F i l l ings can inc lude meat and vegetables, red bean paste, custard, and sesame paste. Popular kinds include:

Pork buns (肉包, roubao), stuffed with ground pork and spring onion.

Mushroom and bamboo shoot buns (香菇筍包, xianggusun bao), filled with ground pork, bamboo shoots, dried black mushrooms (香菇, shiitake) and spring onions.

Cabbage buns (高麗菜包, gaolicai bao), which contain ground pork and cabbage.

Red bean paste buns (豆沙包, dousha bao), Chinese date paste buns (棗泥包, zaoni bao), Taro paste buns (芋泥包, yuni bao), Custard buns (奶皇包, naihuang bao), and Black sesame paste buns (黑芝麻包, hei zhima bao) all have soft, sweet fillings.

L o n g e v i t y p e a c h b u n (壽桃 , shoutao) is a red bean paste bun, except it resembles a peach in shape, which symbolizes longevity. The pink color of the buns represents radiance, as does the color of the the ‘red turtle bun,’ below.

Red turtle bun (紅龜包, honggui bao) or longev i ty tur t l e (壽龜, shougui) is another type of red bean paste bun, but in the shape of a turtle, the symbol of longevity. The red and pink color represents happiness in Chinese culture. Both the longevity peach bun and red turtle bun are a Chinese version of of the Western birthday cake.

Water-fried buns (水煎包, shui jian bao) are made the same way as other baozi, but instead of being steamed, they are both fried and steamed in a skillet. The result is a crusty bottom and a soft, bready exterior. The fillings for these buns are far more limited than mantou and baozi — pork or cabbage or Chinese chives with glass noodles being the only options. Sesame seeds are sprinkled on top of the buns during cooking.

Cut bun (刈包, pronounced ‘yibao’ in Mandarin) is always pronounced in Taiwanese (‘gua bao’). The dough for cut buns is made the same way as mantou, but it’s shaped differently. The cut buns are rolled into a long oval shape, and folded in half with oil brushed in the folded sides to prevent them from sticking during

cooking. Once cooked, they are normally stuffed with braised pork (滷肉, lurou), pickled mustard plant (酸菜, suancai), ground peanut (花生粉, huasheng fen) and coriander leaves (香菜, xiangcai). Cut buns are also called ‘tiger bites pig’ (虎咬豬, hu yao zhu), because the shape of the bun suggests the open mouth of a tiger, while the pork filling is the pig in the tiger’s mouth.

Traditionally, cut buns are served during the winter solstice and the year-end worship (尾牙, wei ya) in the north of Taiwan, but are now popular throughout the year.

Roast pork bun (叉燒包, chashao bao) is a bun stuffed with roast pork and steamed. Roast pork bun is a special type of bun which has a split on top. It’s made from cake flour dough with ammonia as the rising agent, which causes the risen bun to split. The cake flour makes the bun a little soggy when steamed. The filling is made with honey roasted pork and hoisin sauce, so it tastes a little sweet. Another version of roast pork bun is called ‘roast pork pastry’ (叉燒酥, chashao su), a crispy pastry stuffed with the same fillings and then baked. The pastry is made from plain flour and lard to create the flaky layers. Both versions are popular in Cantonese tea restaurants.

Mar_p3-end.indd 32 2012/2/21 9:59:37 AM


Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) www.aataiwan.org/english.htmlAlliance Française de Taiwan 2364-8833/ 2364-1919 [email protected] www.alliancefrancaise.org.tw American Chamber of Commerce 2718-8226 [email protected] Club in China 2885-8260 www.americanclub.org.twAmerican Institute in Taiwan 2162-2000 www.ait.org.twAmnesty International 2709-4162 [email protected], www.aitaiwan.org.tw Australia & New Zealand Chamber of Commerce (ANZCham) 7701-0818/ 0922-109-089 [email protected] www.anzcham.org.twBritish Chamber of Commerce 2720-1919 www.bcctaipei.comCanadian Society 2757-6977 www.canadiansociety.orgChristian Salvation Service 2729-0265 www.csstpe.org.twCommunity Services Center 2836-8134 www.communitycenter.org.twDemocrats Abroad (Tammy Turner) [email protected] Dutch Speaking Association (VNT) www.vntonline.orgEast West Culture Project www.eastwestcultureproject.orgEuropean Chamber of Commerce 2740-0236 www.ecct.com.twEast West Culture Project (EWCP) 0983-339-901 www.eastwestcultureproject.orgGateway 2833-7444 [email protected] Institute 2501-6188 www.taipei.diplo.deGerman Trade Office 8758-5800 www.taiwan.ahk.deGoethe-Institut Taipei 2506-9028 www.goethe.de/taipeiIndians' Association of Taipei 2542-8091 [email protected] Community Choir 2533-4272 [email protected] Leche League (Breastfeeding Support) www.lalecheleague.orglé the francophone [email protected] , http://thefrancophone.unblog.fr/ Lions Downtown Club Taipei, English speaking (Peter Wu) 2701-1811 www.tapeidowntowntw.lionwap.orgOasis Youth Group 2831-0299 Overseas Trailing Talent in Taiwan [email protected] Youth Group 2833-7444 www.paradymeyouth.orgPOW Camps Memorial Society (Michael Hurst) 8660-8438 www.powtaiwan.orgRepublicans Abroad Taiwan [email protected] District Office 2882-6200 www.sld.gov.twSpanish Chamber Of Commerce ( ) 2518-4901~3 www.consuladoentaipei.maec.esTagalog Hotline 2834-4127 [email protected] International Women’s Club 2331-9403 www.tiwc.orgTYPA (Taipei Youth Program Association) 2873-1815 www.typa.org.tw

schOOLs Dominican International School 2533-8451 www.dishs.tp.edu.twGrace Christian Academy 2785-7233 www.gcataipei.comMorrison Academy 2365-9691 www.mca.org.twTaipei Adventist American School 2861-6400 www.taas-taiwan.comTaipei American School 2873-9900 www.tas.edu.twTaipei European School 8145-9007 www.taipeieuropeanschool.comTaipei Japanese School 2872-3833 www.taipeijf.org

sPOrTs Biking Site in Taiwan http://www.cycletaiwan.com/Hash House Harriers 0952-025-116 www.chinahash.comInternational Golf Society of Taipei www.taiwan-golf.comK3 Squash Club ( ) 0987-275-919 Facebook: K3 Squash Club TaipeiScottish Country Dancing (May Chen) 2706-3179 [email protected] Women’s International Golf Group (TWIGG) 2691-5912 [email protected] Tai Tai’s Women’s Touch Rugby 0981-180-020 [email protected] Taipei Baboons Rugby Club - Taiwan 0952 67 1995 [email protected] Shebabs Women’s Touch Rugby 0913-602-071 [email protected]

Argentina 2757-6556Australia 8725-4100Austria 2712-8597Belgium 2715-1215Belize 2876-0894Bolivia 2723-8721Brazil 2835-7388Britain 8758-2088Brunei 2506-3767 Burkina Faso 2873-3096Canada 8723-3000Chad 2874-2943Chile 2723-0329Costa Rica 2875-2964Czech Republic 2722-5100Denmark 2718-2101Dominican Republic 2875-1357El Salvador 2876-3509Fiji 2757-9596Finland 2722-0764France 3518-5151

Gambia 2875-3911German Institute 2501-6188Guatemala 2875-6952Haiti 2876-6718Honduras 2875-5512Hungary 8501-1200India 2757-6112Indonesia 8752-6179Ireland 2725-1691Israel 2757-9692Italy 2725-1542Japan 2713-8000Jordan 2871-7712Korea 2725-2324Malaysia 2713-2626Mexico 2757-6566Netherlands 2713-5760New Zealand 2757-6725Nicaragua 2874-9034Nigeria 2757-6987Norway 2543-5484

Oman 2722-0684Panama 2509-9189Paraguay 2873-6310Peru 2757-7017Philippines 2723-2527Poland 7718-3300Russia 8780-3011Saudi Arabia 2876-1444Senegal 2876-6519Singapore 2772-1940Slovak Republic 8780-3231South Africa 2715-3251Spain 2518-4901Swaziland 2872-5934Sweden 2757-6573Switzerland 2720-1001Thailand 2723-1800Turkey 2757-7318United States 2162-2000Vietnam 2516-6626

OrGanIzaTIOn TELEPhOnE WEBsITE/EmaIL aDDrEss

cOunTrY rEPrEsEnTaTIvEs In TaIWancOunTrY TELEPhOnE cOunTrY TELEPhOnE cOunTrY TELEPhOnE

CommuNity GroupS

a commercial office and a Spanish consulate

This is a non-profit group. Participants only pay for their gear and court fees. Free coaching is also provided for those who have never played before.

Mar_p3-end.indd 33 2012/2/21 9:59:37 AM


cSc buSineSS claSSified

hair dresserweb consultant

mover beautY

#14 Tienmu E. Road | Telephone 2871-1515 | [email protected]

agape3f, 21 changchun road, Taipei, TaiwanTel: 2598-1009 (office)[email protected]

anglican episcopal churchchurch of the Good Shepherd509 Zhongcheng rd., ShilinTel: 2873-8104, 2882-2462 www.goodshepherd.com.tw/english/

calvary international baptist church21, Yangde blvd., Sec. 2, YangmingshanTel: 2831-3458 fax: 2838-5792

church of Jesus christ of latter-day saints5, lane 183, Jinhua StreetTel: 2321-9195, 0939-687-178

city revival churchb1, 210, ZhongXiao e. rd., Sec. 4Tel: 8921-8250 fax: [email protected]

Friendship Presbyterian church5, lane 269, roosevelt rd., Sec. 3Tel: 2362-1395

Grace baptist church90 XinSheng S. rd., Sec. 3Tel: 2362-5321 ext. 135

Jewish communityfor information call ahrony Yoram on 0939-763-135

living word churchb1, 304, Shidong road, ShilinTel: 2834-6549

mother of God catholic church171 ZhongShan n. rd., Sec. 7, TianmuTel: 2871-5168 fax: 2871-7972www.geocities.com/[email protected]

new apostolic church2f, no. 5, lane 39, Keelung rd, sec. 2, Taipeiwww.nac-taiwan.org, [email protected]

new life international seventh-day adventist church4th fl. health center- Taipei adventist hospital424 ba de rd. Sec. 2, Taipei 105Pr. robbie berghan 0958-732-704www.nlisda.orgemail: [email protected]

oasis bread of life christian church10f, #55, Zhongcheng rd, Sec. 2(daYeh Takashimaya, Tian mu)Tel: 28310299 fax: 28317214http://www.oasis.org.tw email: [email protected]

english ministry @suang-lien Presbyterian church111 Zhong-Shan n road, Sec 2, TaipeiTel: 2541-5390 fax: 2523-1361email: [email protected]

taipei holiness church(charismatic international Service)every Sunday morning at 10.45am with Pastor Sandra ee5f, 107 nanking east road Section 4, TaipeiTe: 27123242

taipei international churchmeets at the Taipei american School800 ZhongShan n. rd., Sec. 6, TianmuTel: 2833-7444 fax: 2835-2778www.taipeichurch.org/ gateway.htm

taiPei Jewish services Sheraton Taipei hotel12, Zhongxiao east road, Section 1, TaipeiTel: 2592-2840, fax: 2594-3892 e-mail: [email protected]

transforming Faith church (f.k.a. bread of life christian church)5f, 295 ZhongXiao e. rd., Sec. 4Tel: 8772-2207 fax: [email protected]

worship directory (for full details of services please refer to Taipei living or contact the church organization directly)

Mar_p3-end.indd 34 2012/2/22 10:29:27 PM

Mar_12_Cover.indd 4 2012/2/21 10:01:56 AM

Date post:	20-Mar-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	the-center
View:	218 times
Download:	0 times

Centered on Taipei March 2012

Documents