Nice list! The gods section reminded me of an incident from my buxiban days. One day my class - mostly grade 4-6 - was busy writing in their books. As I walked around checking, one of them looked up at me with a sincere look on her face and said "Teacher Paul, are you Mazu?" Now I remembered my lessons from Ghostbusters, so of course I smiled and said "Yes Molly. Yes I am." She gave me a "Hmm," a nod, and a satisfied look, and went back to work.
Can't say I'm the biggest fan of the healthcare system though. I totally get that it must be amazing for people from the US because obviously. But for someone who was used to NHS Scotland? Not so great. The ease of access is a definite plus, no questions there. But the variability in the standard of care is just ridiculous. Some hospitals are just a plain no-go while others are decent. And I never had to Google my medication before I cam to Taiwan. Ever since one hospital served ma combination which was completely contra-indicated for my condition and could have severely harmed or even killed me, I check every single thing I'm prescribed - and a frightening amount gets tossed. So, the system is better than the garbage in places like the States, but it still has a hell of a long way to go. Maybe the low cost isn't something to be proud of?
FYI- The NHI model is not modelled solely by the USA Medicare system. It was created after a commission of inquiries to many other countries in 1990s. The committee combined the best parts of the universal health systems across the globe such as Germany and Canada. If USA's vision of Medicare for All (Bernie's vision) was implemented, it would look something like the NHI model.
I can't believe you left bananas off your fruit list! Taiwan has the best bananas I've ever eaten (and they are available in practically every convenience store). Yes, I miss the fresh fruit in Taiwan, and not just the bananas (I always looked forward to lychee season when I lived in Taiwan).
When I saw a wild pangolin in Sandiaoling, I didn't know what it was, so I posted a photo on the internet and other people identified it. That's how I first learned that pangolins exist.
I could go on about other wonderful things about Taiwan (+1 to Ewan's comment about extensive and accessible hiking) but your goal was obviously just to list 10 awesome things, not ALL the awesome things.
nice list... which could go on and on. As an ardent motorcyclist with an almost vintage motorcycle, it always amazes me how little I need to pay for repairs and parts at omnipresent repair shops. I don't know how these honest and friendly service centers make ends meet, but they make my life so much better. :)
Nice list. I was lucky enough to spend a few months in Taiwan back in 2018 so I was aware of some of this but not enough to pass the test. Hope there will be a 301: Advanced Taiwan Studies in future.
Personally, the most awesome thing about Taiwan I didn't expect was the extensive and accesible hiking. Like my own country of Scotland in that way.
According to John Yoo, Taiwan is a vital military asset of the United States:
"Taiwan, which General Douglas MacArthur once called 'an unsinkable aircraft carrier,' occupies a vital strategic position in the region. Not only does it sit 100 miles off the Chinese mainland, but it is also 200 miles from the Philippines, 700 miles from Japan, and 900 miles from Vietnam. Taiwan plays the forward position in the “first island chain” (running from Japan, through the Ryuku Islands, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and on to Australia) that can hem in the Chinese Navy if it seeks to break out to deeper Pacific waters."
Aside from its strategic importance, most people don't know how Taiwan came into being. From what I understand, when the Chinese Revolution occurred, the elite Chinese fled China and went to Taiwan. Once there, they were protected by Eisenhower and the US Navy. Most controversially, Malcolm X called the Taiwanese "Uncle Tom Chinese," i.e., ethnic Chinese that betrayed their own country in favor of Western colonial interests:
"The Chinese Revolution — they wanted land. They threw the British out, along with the Uncle Tom Chinese. Yeah, they did. They set a good example... I read an article in Life magazine showing a little Chinese girl, nine years old; her father was on his hands and knees and she was pulling the trigger ’cause he was an Uncle Tom Chinaman, When they had the revolution over there, they took a whole generation of Uncle Toms — just wiped them out. And within ten years that little girl become a full-grown woman. No more Toms in China. And today it’s one of the toughest, roughest, most feared countries on this earth — by the white man. ‘Cause there are no Uncle Toms over there."
Aside from history, there is no doubt Taiwan aka Chinese Taipei is one of the most pleasant places to visit in Asia. The question is whether it can survive independently of Western influence and create a culture that makes it more than an appendage of USA foreign policy. Thus far, Taiwan has done well, but not as well as others in the region. Its economic future is not in doubt, but as I like to say, growing culture in a meaningful way is more difficult than boosting GDP growth.
Nice list! The gods section reminded me of an incident from my buxiban days. One day my class - mostly grade 4-6 - was busy writing in their books. As I walked around checking, one of them looked up at me with a sincere look on her face and said "Teacher Paul, are you Mazu?" Now I remembered my lessons from Ghostbusters, so of course I smiled and said "Yes Molly. Yes I am." She gave me a "Hmm," a nod, and a satisfied look, and went back to work.
Can't say I'm the biggest fan of the healthcare system though. I totally get that it must be amazing for people from the US because obviously. But for someone who was used to NHS Scotland? Not so great. The ease of access is a definite plus, no questions there. But the variability in the standard of care is just ridiculous. Some hospitals are just a plain no-go while others are decent. And I never had to Google my medication before I cam to Taiwan. Ever since one hospital served ma combination which was completely contra-indicated for my condition and could have severely harmed or even killed me, I check every single thing I'm prescribed - and a frightening amount gets tossed. So, the system is better than the garbage in places like the States, but it still has a hell of a long way to go. Maybe the low cost isn't something to be proud of?
FYI- The NHI model is not modelled solely by the USA Medicare system. It was created after a commission of inquiries to many other countries in 1990s. The committee combined the best parts of the universal health systems across the globe such as Germany and Canada. If USA's vision of Medicare for All (Bernie's vision) was implemented, it would look something like the NHI model.
I can't believe you left bananas off your fruit list! Taiwan has the best bananas I've ever eaten (and they are available in practically every convenience store). Yes, I miss the fresh fruit in Taiwan, and not just the bananas (I always looked forward to lychee season when I lived in Taiwan).
When I saw a wild pangolin in Sandiaoling, I didn't know what it was, so I posted a photo on the internet and other people identified it. That's how I first learned that pangolins exist.
I could go on about other wonderful things about Taiwan (+1 to Ewan's comment about extensive and accessible hiking) but your goal was obviously just to list 10 awesome things, not ALL the awesome things.
nice list... which could go on and on. As an ardent motorcyclist with an almost vintage motorcycle, it always amazes me how little I need to pay for repairs and parts at omnipresent repair shops. I don't know how these honest and friendly service centers make ends meet, but they make my life so much better. :)
Nice list. I was lucky enough to spend a few months in Taiwan back in 2018 so I was aware of some of this but not enough to pass the test. Hope there will be a 301: Advanced Taiwan Studies in future.
Personally, the most awesome thing about Taiwan I didn't expect was the extensive and accesible hiking. Like my own country of Scotland in that way.
According to John Yoo, Taiwan is a vital military asset of the United States:
"Taiwan, which General Douglas MacArthur once called 'an unsinkable aircraft carrier,' occupies a vital strategic position in the region. Not only does it sit 100 miles off the Chinese mainland, but it is also 200 miles from the Philippines, 700 miles from Japan, and 900 miles from Vietnam. Taiwan plays the forward position in the “first island chain” (running from Japan, through the Ryuku Islands, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and on to Australia) that can hem in the Chinese Navy if it seeks to break out to deeper Pacific waters."
Aside from its strategic importance, most people don't know how Taiwan came into being. From what I understand, when the Chinese Revolution occurred, the elite Chinese fled China and went to Taiwan. Once there, they were protected by Eisenhower and the US Navy. Most controversially, Malcolm X called the Taiwanese "Uncle Tom Chinese," i.e., ethnic Chinese that betrayed their own country in favor of Western colonial interests:
"The Chinese Revolution — they wanted land. They threw the British out, along with the Uncle Tom Chinese. Yeah, they did. They set a good example... I read an article in Life magazine showing a little Chinese girl, nine years old; her father was on his hands and knees and she was pulling the trigger ’cause he was an Uncle Tom Chinaman, When they had the revolution over there, they took a whole generation of Uncle Toms — just wiped them out. And within ten years that little girl become a full-grown woman. No more Toms in China. And today it’s one of the toughest, roughest, most feared countries on this earth — by the white man. ‘Cause there are no Uncle Toms over there."
Aside from history, there is no doubt Taiwan aka Chinese Taipei is one of the most pleasant places to visit in Asia. The question is whether it can survive independently of Western influence and create a culture that makes it more than an appendage of USA foreign policy. Thus far, Taiwan has done well, but not as well as others in the region. Its economic future is not in doubt, but as I like to say, growing culture in a meaningful way is more difficult than boosting GDP growth.