US man’s suicide in Taiwan court should prompt re-think of drug sentencing

The Wild East / Editorial “I don’t want to live anymore,” Tyrel shouted, moments before he grabbed scissorblades from the magazine he’d smuggled into the courtroom and killed himself, jamming the blades into his neck. He didn’t make it to the hospital. Tyrel Martin Marhanka had just received a four-year

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Taiwan or Republic of China: How to Address Formosa in Snail-Mail

When using postal services to send something to Taiwan, how should one address the country? Whether you write Taiwan or R.O.C. (Republic of China), the mail usually reaches the recipient. Recently, someone carried out an interesting experiment to see if there was a difference in the time it takes for

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Aging Farmers: High-Tech Island

While Taiwan, like many other developed nations, is facing the problem of an aging population, the crisis in the agricultural sector is particularly acute. The average age of farmers in Taiwan is 62, and 31% are over 65. Four years ago, Zhongshan University Department of Information Management Professor Huang Qingxiang

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Break Into Travel Writing, with expert Steven Crook

The Wild East / Travel & Leisure When it comes to travel writing, veteran travel writer  and guidebook author Steven Crook wrote the book — literally. Next month, Sunday, June 26 Steven is leading a workshop in Taichung, central Taiwan, showing the ropes to a small group of select, aspiring freelancers. And

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How to Get Your Kids Unplugged this Summer

When summer vacation comes around this year, untold numbers of kids will celebrate the last day of school by grabbing a smart-phone, turning on a game console, or logging into a computer to play video games. Like a scene from a science-fiction movie, the world’s children will sit in front

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Taipei Light Pollution 台北的光汙染

(translated by 吳耀翰) Because Taipei city is such that the residential always mixes with the commercial, and since commercial buildings here often leave their lights on after closing, we have a really bad case of nightly light pollution. If you don’t have proper blinds and an eye mask, light sleepers

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On Safety and Connectedness: Compliments to Taiwan and her Citizens for Modeling Safe-City Culture

— A Young Canadian’s View on Why Taiwan is So Safe — By Rebecca G. Kehl When I was 17 and a 1/2, my good-humored, maverick father came over to Taiwan and lived here for a year. Then he came back and taught me his limited Mandarin, haha!:  我要,  好吃, and

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Japan Cherry Blossom Season 2016: Himeji Castle

In Taiwan, April 5 is a public holiday to celebrate the traditional Chinese festival of Qingming, also known as Tomb Sweeping Day. This year the holiday fell on a Tuesday, which gave us a four-day long weekend. Like many families, we swept the tomb a week early so we could

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Anti-Nuclear Protests Mark Anniversary of the Fukushima Disaster

Thousands of people braved the cold and rain around Taiwan today, Saturday March 12, 2016, the day after the fifth anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear disaster to protest against the continuing reliance on nuclear power, the plan to develop a fourth nuclear reactor, and the use of Orchid Island as

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Dear Cai Ying-wen 親愛的蔡英文總統: Much Love and Power to You 豐沛的愛與力量予妳

Power, power, power… 🙂 What is it, where does it come from, and what do we do with it? 力量、力量、力量…它究竟是甚麼,它從哪裡來,我們可以用力量做甚麼? When you think of power, what immediately comes to mind? Make a list of people who you think are powerful: 當你想到力量,你立刻浮現腦海的是什麼? 列出一份你認為有力量之人的名單: – – – Next, take a minute to

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