By Jonathan Chandler, in Qingdao Lantern Festival marks the end of Chinese New Year or Spring Festival as it is officially known here and the 3rd Plenary Session of the 11th National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China is in its annual nod-off. Though glimpses of spring are
Read moreAuthor: Trista di Genova
I get no respect from my wife, or Taiwan law for that matter
Dear MeiGui; Let me tell you; family law in Taiwan is chaotic. I am a 48-year-old, married to a mainland China wife man from PingTung, and not only do I get no respect from my wife, but I also get no respect from the law. Every night, my wife scolds
Read moreTaipei restaurant teaches authentic Thai cooking
The Patio restaurants offer a monthly cooking class for those interested in broadening their culinary skills. BY TRISTA DI GENOVA published in AmCham’s Topics magazine, Feb. 2010 issue A group of students come together from around Taiwan for a monthly cooking class at Taipei’s Patio Restaurant, some traveling three to
Read more'Formosa Betrayed' debuts in U.S. this weekend
Formosa Betrayed Official Website This weekend, February 26-28, a new movie about Taiwan will be coming to theaters. Formosa Betrayed is the first American film to ever deal with US-Taiwan relations and explore the issues of democracy, identity, and justice during the White Terror period in Taiwan. The movie was
Read moreWhat Taiwanese think of foreigners, part 2
Peter Chen has been a neighborhood chief in Chonghe City for 18 years. His hobby is studying English with the newspaper. PETER: The first time I meet a foreign person I ask where they’re from. A member of my community, another neighborhood chief had a daughter who married an Australian.
Read moreWhat's with the holiday hypocrisy?
Dear MeiGui, What’s with all this Christmas holiday hypocrisy? I’m really fed up! I work in a kindergarten in Tienmu, and we spent the six weeks leading up to Christmas endlessly rehearsing for our school’s giant Christmas Eve performance. The owner even pressured me to come into to work on
Read moreMeiGui, what's a 'chicken man'?
Dear MeiGui; I want to sound a warning bell for all those mid-level students of Chinese: Be careful of what you don’t understand. I’ve been here studying Chinese for two years, and as most students know getting the language does not happen in a steady upward curve. But lately, I’ve
Read moreNew Year’s Day of the Tiger – 'Party' town.
Jonathan Chandler The Wild East The snow which fell a week or so back has yet to melt completely and the winds are still bitter in Qingdao. This ultra-wealthy city where two-wheels are banned and all the cars are brand new is a Party town. Not that kind of party
Read moreForeigners Get It Going On For Chinese New Year
By Trista di Genova Originally published 2/9/08 in The China Post TAIPEI, Taiwan — There are a number of foreigners in Taiwan who suffer from “hipititis” — they’re terminally cool. When asked about their plans for Chinese New Year, this is what they had to say. WHAT ABOUT YOU? What
Read moreDifferent Times, Different Worlds
Jonathan Chandler The Wild East It snowed dream-like and blew bone-flaying gusts of Artic wind last week. The sky was bleeding lead with pure white snowflakes floating along and then for two days a purplish sea-fog rolled in and tied Qingdao into a manky, ice-cold blindfold. Sombre enough for the
Read more