Keeling, Taiwan: Day 36

 We’re in a new country! And another place that is new to us: Taiwan.

Way back when we taught in China for two years in Qingdao, we taught our Foreign Trade college
students about debate and how to debate a topic from an opinion you do not personally hold. This not
only encouraged their conversational English, but also got them revved up and gave them an outlet for
their burgeoning passions. Our first topic was cigarette smoking and smoking in public places. That was
revealing and innocuous. We gradually built up the excitement with more politically touchy topics (so
that we could justify to superiors, if needed). Well, if you remember, back in 1992, the US sold a
number of F-16s to Taiwan. Oooooh but China didn’t like that!!! So, yes, we had the students debate
this issue. And then defend the opposite side. Some of our finest and proudest memories of these
students who would potentially be working for corporations that could delve into touchy areas…

As is the case with all island territory in this part of the world, Taiwan has a volatile history marked with war and conquest. China ceded it to Japan after war in 1895 and then after WW2. Our guide shared that Taiwan is democratic, 60-70% mountainous, is slightly larger than the state of Maryland, has approximately 700,000 aboriginals in its 23 million people.

Lots of fresh fruit!

According to the guide, the stones in the middle of the railroad tie path are acupuncture to your feet.

Male lion has a ball under foot. Female lion has a cub under foot.

Taiwan is another island with a volcanic past. The topography is what you would expect. Very
mountainous, sharp and very green. We scheduled a tour that took us inland for forty minutes to a park
with a nice waterfall (Shihfen Waterfall) and to the nearby town to what was billed as a sky lantern
ceremony.

This woman was a worker at the falls; she allowed Jennifer to take the photo, but brought her hands up as she snapped the photo. Why do you think that happened? 

As we approached the area we saw what looked like five red mini-balloons floating in the sky. These
were sky lanterns already launched. And these are the economy for the area, 100% coming from
tourism. Once a year there is a major festival; the rest of the time, people pour in to purchase a lantern
in a color chosen according to the “wish” they want to soar into the heavens. (see photo) Each lantern is
about armpit tall with a thin bamboo ring stapled to the periphery at the base that has four coat-hanger-
type wires keeping the lantern’s shape. Into the wire structure, a wad of tissue paper is stuffed that will
be lit to turn the fragile tissue paper into a short-lived hot air balloon. We used black ink and a
paintbrush to write whatever we wished on each of 4 sides (usually 4 people put their $ together and
take one side each), then carefully carried the puffed-out lantern onto the train tracks (no wood to
ignite) and set them afire. The wind easily caught them like a light kite and whisked them away with lots of oohhs and aahhs.

Electric versions that can be purchased to have in your house. 

I can’t imagine that the small town enjoys picking up the bamboo and wire at the end of a day…