GREEN ISLAND ....... \\CKS political prison now in ruins\
Today it is a destination for snorkel and scuba diving. Very clear ocean waters are common. Located offshore on the SE corner of Taiwan.
fathom on 31.10.07 @ 06:39 AM AEST [link]
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Wednesday, October 31st Today it is a destination for snorkel and scuba diving. Very clear ocean waters are common. Located offshore on the SE corner of Taiwan. fathom on 31.10.07 @ 06:39 AM AEST [link] Tuesday, October 30th ORIGINAL POLYNESIANS WERE TAIWANESE (studies show)
 Recent DNA testing has found a link between Taiwan aboriginies and inhabitants of New Zealand and many Pacific Islands throwing new light on the origin of the polynesian culture. This picture is from one of the few true Polynesian Atolls of the Western Pacific, unspoiled by tourism (in August 1969). fathom on 30.10.07 @ 11:29 PM AEST [(studies show)">link] Sunday, October 28th TAIWAN DEMOCRACY MEMORIAL MUSEUM ...... Notes:1946
 Extracts of the 1946 United Nations report on Taiwan situations. By Ed Paine "Another ineffective measure is the announcement of the death penalty for all hoarders of rice and flour. The amounts for warranting death for the private sector are in the neighborhood of 300 tons of rice and 150 tons of flour". (1 July 1946, Page 80) The banks couldn’t cash cheques, and were on the verge of going broke. The currency was devaluing fast creating a shortage of paper money. The government couldn’t print new notes quickly enough. People were putting their money into goods in place of cash-in-bank with risk of the death penalty. This was the warm-up to civil unrest and a harsh crack-down, known today as the February 28 1947 massacre (aka 228 massacre) when the out-of-control military in jeeps machine-gunned anyone on the streets - throughout the nation. Dangerous times indeed. Meanwhile in 1946 cholera was brought to the island from mainland by passengers or crew from coastal boats. It began at the southern port of Tainan. Keep in mind that about 50% of Taiwan was already in ruins from American bombing of the former Japanese ports and factories, hospitals etc. "The epidemic is spreading up and down the coast and then to the inland villages and cities. The absence of adequate medical and nursing care in the hospitals is causing families not to report illness until patients are nearly dead. …..fatality rate is 65 to 70%". (Page 92) "The first stop (in Ed Paine's visit) was at Tainan population 150,000. This city was badly bombed during the war and has serious housing and sanitation problems. The first cholera cases on 26 April. The city is the centre of the epidemic. The nursing activities here were concentrated on the Isolation Hospital which is located on the outskirts of the city. It was obvious that the cholera patients did not readily come to the hospital because up to that date the greater percentage of those admitted had died. Nursing and medical care was practically non-existent; the isolation techniques very indefinite and quite inadequate. Patients were found laying on soiled grass mats on the floor, their clothing heavy with body discharge. Relations crouched around the wards with their charcoal stoves, containers of food and bundles of clothing. Latrines were indescribably dirty and there was no screening anywhere. (Page 101). On the whole the situation is quite discouraging. There is a decided lack of initiative and active interest on the part of government officials as well as medical personnel. Elaborately drawn plans are presented at long and fruitless conferences but no one is willing to take the initial step towards carrying out those plans. Recommendations are graciously accepted but it remains to be seen to what extent they will be carried out". (Page 102) fathom on 28.10.07 @ 11:31 PM AEST [Notes:1946">link] Chiang Kai-shek ...... Giant statue for scrap?
 The former dictator's statue is no longer on display for the public in the Memorial Hall. It's an interesting story how Taiwan was once a Japanese territory 'given' to this defeated Chinese military leader known as CKS who was later 'double-crossed' or betrayed by his supporters. (During a secret 1971 bargaining chip to help them end their war in South Vietnam). It has not been 'smooth sailing' since. The present situation is tense and not being taken seriously by enough others apart from the players themselves. A former US diplomat has described this situation in the looming 12 months as a Prefect Storm scenario. Elections in Taiwan, USA and Olympics in Beijing all close together. United Nations Relief & Rehabilitation Administration, Taiwan weekly report. 1 July 1946 The big news of the week, that which has been given the greatest amount of attention both in press and in private, is the government scheme for eliminating prostitution. According to the official count, there are 8000 prostitutes in Taipei city alone plus an additional 4000 ‘waitresses’. The government has ordered all dance halls to close (some are already being converted into ‘private clubs’), and that all houses of prostitution should be closed by the end of August. The measures which the government has planned for preventing mass unemployment of these girls is to marry them off (no specific plan for male recruitment has been announced). Continued criticism of the corruption of the government and general situation in Taiwan is adequately summarized in an editorial in Min Baothe largest of the privately owned papers on the island. It says that "Taiwan is the rice bowl of China. It produces abundant agricultural products and has many factories". When Governor Chen came to the island he explicitly warned his officials against squeezing. However with the establishment of the government HQ the officers who were assigned with the job of taking over the administration enthusiastically went to work. There were some cases where one official took over 20 factories while there were also instances where three or four officials took over only one factory. Besides these officers attention was concentrated on gold bars, cars, homes. Everything they could not take over for their personal use they smuggled out of the island for sale elsewhere. Under such circumstances how can we expect these factories to resume operation? Is there no wonder that the cost of living here is rising by leaps and bounds. By Ed Paine. Reports Officer Page 73 Collected Documents of UNRRA in Taiwan (courtesy Taipei 228 Memorial Museum) fathom on 28.10.07 @ 12:39 AM AEST [Giant statue for scrap?">link] Thursday, October 25th MINISTRY of FOREIGN AFFAIRS ....... V.I.P. guest speaker
 (Above) Czech politician at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Taipei, presenting (in English) the comparison between Taiwan and the Czech Republic. i.e. Both are small countries seeking a democratic future and both with powerful neighbors making this far from easy. His facial features illustrate the risky, hard work involved long term. (Below) JH making still pictures with a Sony Handycam Hard Disc Drive. One of the Czech team was a very tall gentleman, maybe over 6 ft 6 inches - a former diplomat in Sydney for five years and very happy that the World Free diving Champion was Czech citizen. Attending such an interesting event in Australia would be next to impossible for me. The Czech people had to rush for the airport soon afterwards, a pity we couldn't talk longer with them. In today's world, where democracy grows but freedoms diminish, liberal democracy may not be taken for granted. Petr Pithart Taipei, October 15, 2007 fathom on 25.10.07 @ 03:18 AM AEST [V.I.P. guest speaker">link] Sunday, October 21st HOW I BECAME INTERESTED IN TAIWAN
 Christina was a journalist from Taipei visiting friends of mine on the Gold Coast, where we met. A few weeks later she joined me at Port Douglas in late October 2001 after I'd completed a filming trip aboard Freedom with Ben Cropp and Lynn Roberts. After that we set-off on a three month journey that gave Christina a good look at Australia. Cape Tribulation, Port Doulas, Cairns, Airlie Beach, Yeppoon, Fraser Island, Noosa Heads, Brisbane, Coffs Harbour, Sydney, Canberra, Merimbula-Eden, Melbourne, Adelaide, Coober Pedy, Uluru and back to Melbourne for her flight home toTaipei. The following two years I visited Christina at Taipei. I found the city scary at first. Not much English spoken and crowds everywhere. After Christina got married and moved to USA - I continued to return to Taiwan, at first in order to conquer my fears which grew into a quest for an understanding of the culture. I've now had six or seven visits and have clocked up about eight months, and will return. Christina did not complain (a Taiwanese trait) during what would have been occasional difficult times for her traveling Australia. Flies, bugs and mosquitoes which loved Asian blood more than mine. We did it as cheaply as possible, like backpackers would, except in our own 4x4 vehicle - without air con in temperatures which hit the high 30's at Ayres Rock in early January 2002. Wearing ill-fitting shoes she hobbled down Ayres Rock in what would have been extreme pain, without saying a word. Two days later both big toe-nails, now having turned black, fell off. fathom on 21.10.07 @ 03:42 AM AEST [link] LIN FAMILY MANSION ........ Historic Taipei house survives
 fathom on 21.10.07 @ 01:45 AM AEST [Historic Taipei house survives">link] Friday, October 19th LIN FAMILY GARDENS ...... and the future of the world
 Vincent Lin gave a dozen of his friends a tour of his ancestor's estate not available to the public. At one time the Lin Estate was the wealthiest and most powerful in Taiwan, acquiring much wealth in the period of forty years until about 1850. The invading Chinese army of 1949 was the beginning of the end. Eventually the Estate was given to the government when it became to costly to maintain the several buildings and extensive gardens. Today the Lin Family Garden is the last great piece of ancient Chinese architecture surviving. The nearby railway gives Lin Family Garden recognition - unique status in all of Taipei. In China any similar gardens were destroyed by (communist) Red Guards during their Cultural Revolution, when priceless artifacts were smashed by youthful vandals way out of control. fathom on 19.10.07 @ 08:12 AM AEST [and the future of the world">link] Taipei's Leading English Daily Newspaper ....... NT$15
Taiwan came under cruel martial law (for 38 years) by the invading and fleeing from China, Nationalist army, who had the backing of USA, for their defeating the Japanese in China. (Until 1947 Taiwan had been ruled by Japan for the previous fifty years). An omission as to what was to become of the island, following the Japanese surrender, led to confusion of ownership that results today with China staking a claim. The majority of Taiwanese want their island in the United Nations - a point not making China very happy, a tense situation requiring a peaceful solution. Taiwan has a population slightly greater than Australia and a land area half the size of Tasmania. The people are 70% Taiwanese, 30% Chinese. It has been democratic for the past 20 years. The USA is currently criticizing Taiwan for leaning toward democracy (which is very weird for the USA to be doing). Taiwan says it is not China and does not wish to be told what to do by a communist country. In China a constant build-up of missiles - 980 are already aimed at Taiwan. A legislated law to invade should Taiwan declare itself to be "Taiwan" and drop the current official title, The Republic of China. USA diplomats are banned from using the title "Taiwan" and must stick to the Republic of China title when discussing the situation - yet the USA drafted a law called Taiwan Relations Act 1979 where is pledges to defend Taiwan. Why then wasn't this Act titled "Republic of China Relations Act" by the USA government? An error. Taiwan has missiles that can reach Shanghai, sink ships and other things. China has navigated a nuclear submarine underwater in very shallow waters between Taiwan and Okinawa - indicating it can position and wait should an aircraft carrier ever be their target. China recently demonstrated it can destroy a satellite with a missile. The world should be praying hostilities never eventuate. It is an accidental mistake that is the trigger we should fear. Consider this: The high death count in extremely heavily populated cities on both sides would be great, simply burying the dead could not be fast enough to prevent disease outbreaks that, if these spread beyond borders another problem develops for the world. The price of oil would of course skyrocket and stock markets throughout the world would crash. All this over a name change and a desire to remain independant? fathom on 19.10.07 @ 04:30 AM AEST [NT$15">link] VERY CHEAP EATS ......... No grease either
 Near the famous Lin Family Garden (an estate of historic buildings) are alley’s of eats catering for the many who visit this fascinating architectural masterpiece. After a VIP guided tour of the private sections of Lin’s (by Mr.Vincent Lin in person, home from California) a group of us ventured into one of the budget eateries found everywhere. The selection here is shredded chicken on rice (left) less than AUD$1. Squid soup (right) about AUD$1.20 A friend told me his story regarding eating squid. Be sure to floss teeth afterwards. He failed to do this which resulted in tooth decay some months later when a trapped piece of tough squid meat caused decay in two teeth – one requiring expensive root canal therapy. It’s a serious flaw of health systems world-wide to separate dental problems from physical body health. Especially when a bad tooth is the root cause (ha ha) of many an illness. PS One Dollar Australian buys New Taiwan Dollars NT$29 (this week). fathom on 19.10.07 @ 04:27 AM AEST [No grease either">link] Tuesday, October 16th TAIPEI FOOD ........ Curried chicken, rice and vegetables
 You can eat very well and easily in Taipei - it is a city of excellent food. Well-dressed people, after work and a lunch time, line-up to buy at food stalls. While there is a thousand or more small food stalls in the city and suburbs, one nearest my hotel has an excellent system. The staff of two ladies and two men are kept busy. Owner and chef is a young man, Joseph who has excellent recipes for his dishes. Here is a curried chicken in a spicy curry on rice with vegetables as a take-away. Price NT$60 ($2 Australian). Seperate additional, green vegetables, another NT$30 The best curried food I've experienced in this busy, and very special city. Nearby is a KFC and McDonalds. Neither can compete with quality or price at Joseph's. fathom on 16.10.07 @ 12:54 AM AEST [Curried chicken, rice and vegetables">link] Monday, October 15th JELLYFISH - DRIED ......... in Taipei
 Stacks of dried jellyfish in pancake form selling at AUS$15 each. If jellyfish can be dried and eaten, what about possible uses for Crown of Thorns starfish? Wouldn't it be incredible if this present enemy of corals became a valueable food item? Inside this store in Dihua Street were packaged fresh abalone, out of the shell. Large size about AUS$80 each. Two for NT$4,800 The area is also a huge retail outlet for dried shark fins, dried scallops (or clam)? Canned abalone. The location is at the intersection of Yan Ping Road and MingShen West Road. Hundreds of stores. Just like the old days of Sydney's tiny Haymarket (Chinatown). fathom on 15.10.07 @ 01:08 AM AEST [ in Taipei">link] JELLYFISH - READY TO EAT ....... Japanese style
 The red paste has the smoothness of a creamed cheese, the (added) flavor similar to a curry - with entirely different herbs. Price AUS$3.60 at a famous, cafe-style restaurant in Taipei's Ximen area. Usually it is ordered when wine is being consumed, the waiter said. Maybe only drunks eat it. fathom on 15.10.07 @ 12:56 AM AEST [Japanese style">link] Wednesday, October 10th FIREWORKS No.2 in TAIPEI ...... last night
 Fireworks exploding out of a tall building had me thinking of 9/11 again. This was a second location display of fireworks, last night in this city of contrast very different to Australia. Some Taiwanese I've met have migrated to Australia in search of a better life, then returned home after a year or so. I can imagine that happening in Brisbane - always known for it's 'big country town' atmosphere. It also happens to those who moved to Sydney. So what is wrong with Australia these days? Anything or nothing? I'm missing the wild, green prawns - not much else in the food department though. Maybe I've been away too long? fathom on 10.10.07 @ 02:12 AM AEST [last night">link] Tuesday, October 9th DOUBLE TENTH DAY ...... Taiwan's National Holiday
 I failed to gain entry to the grandstand from where my friend Le-chin snapped these shots today, October 10, 2007 The show of military people and their hardware was the first in Taiwan for 16 years on this national holiday. An impressive show of aircraft in formation was the highlight for me further down the city. Will the event get international media recognition or will it be censored out of fear of annoying a rival? A fireworks display tonight, over water, was amazing. New fireworks stay alight all the way down creatring a fountain-like stream of color. Spectacular other effects too, to say the least. A second fireworks display is happening as I write (8pm). This one will make the international news media for sure. For the first time that I know of a high-rise building is used to launch fireworks horizontally, from the windows area. It brought back a similarity to NYC and the Sept 11th aircraft! Certain to attract media attention throughout the world, the word Taiwan will be brought into focus contrasting the now outdated Republic of China 'official title'. Many would like a change to avoid confusion with their remote or very distant relatives in the Peoples Republic of China. The 2007 Taipei Dadaocheng Fireworks and Music Festival, which was postponed because of Typhoon Sepat, will begin at 7pm tonight at Dadaocheng wharf, and the Taipei City Government invited city residents to come along and enjoy pop music and a 30-minute fireworks display. About 20,000 fireworks of various shapes, such as hearts, jellyfish, waterfalls and bouquets, will be set off between 8pm and 8:30pm tonight between floodgates 3 and 5 of the Danshui River, Taipei's Department of Information said. fathom on 09.10.07 @ 12:36 PM AEST [Taiwan's National Holiday">link] Tuesday, October 2nd COLOR THERAPY KIT ......... AUS$950.00
 fathom on 02.10.07 @ 01:16 AM AEST [AUS$950.00">link] Monday, October 1st SINUS' TREATMENT & NEW FIN DESIGN ......... patented
 These are years from being shown at DEMA type trade shows. Here's a preview of what might be coming. Treat yourself at home. (left picture) The treatment for sinus' (and any other problem) may be with an acupuncture-type device - instead of needles breaking the skin, a bright colored penlight is pressed against the area in question. After a minute or two the color of the light is exchanged, and exchanged again according to the instructions (in Chinese) that accompany the instrument. Priced at about AUS$950 Better than having an operation! Does it work? The Taiwanese doctor who invented and patented it seems to think so. New design for mono fin? (right picture) Also patented was this plastic fin. One for each leg. A pushing motion by bending and then straightening the knees is the technique. I didn't like the method of attachment to the leg. Skin would be lost for sure. Re-designed in a larger mono fin - or above - below double fins might be what the deep free divers could make use of. Apology for the poor quality picture. The video looks good and explains the flap system better. Again, does it work? fathom on 01.10.07 @ 07:13 AM AEST [patented ">link] NEW DESIGN WATER FILTER ....... high pressure compressors
 Removes 99.9% of water - built especially for the auto industry. 51 international patents. I asked some friends what they thought about having super-dry air for scuba tanks. Comments by Robert L Sands, a recompression chamber expert. Dry air was not considered as important as oil-free air. Perhaps the people in Taiwan who designed this water filter will appreciate the following: About the dry air thing. Essentially, our lungs like moist air. Compressed SCUBA air (or mix) is always very dry and our trachea senses this on inhalation and we lose a lot of water vapour with each breath in because our body does its best to wet the gas with body fluids. Same with oxygen in a chamber. The patient or diver gets out of the chamber (or water) and is essentially dehydrated. We always send water in with the patients and give them instructions to "drink until they pee like a horse." In most hospital situations, the staff use a nebulizer to bubble water vapour into the breathing gas. A wonderful thing about immersion is that the blood pooled in the legs by gravity and walking around changes when in the water. That blood ends in the abdomen and the body’s "buffering" systems kick in, assuming a larger-than-supposed-to-be amount of fluid. While in water, the plasma in our abdomen is reduced through kidneys and that is why the students always pee-d in their wet suit. Me? I had a comfort zip. I always made the students wash their own wet suits. A medical off-shoot of this is that we now take old patients and put them in a big plastic bag – up to their chins. They stand on a little platform in an inch of water and we hit a button and the platform sinks beneath them and they float in warm water for twenty minutes, the plastic bag they are in keeping the pool healthy. Then we hit the button and stand them out of the water again. We do this three or four times and manage to mix their blood nicely and get their veins empty and full and empty and full. Now about Val T’s comment (below) on a dry mouth. That was my route too, a swill of saltwater around my mouth. Mind you, the last thing you want to do is breathe and saltwater vapor. Because the saltwater is more viscous (thicker) that the usual water within our lungs – the "surfactant," the osmotic pressure would shift and the little blood vessels would leak plasma into our alveoli in an attempt to thin the salt out. "Salt water aspiration" was common amongst the students, coughing and coughing. And, when a person drowns in salt water and is revived, they can drown in their beds at the hospital later that night with the phenomena we called "secondary drowning" or "mushroom mouth." Osmosis at work. On the other side of the osmotic pump, a person that drowns in a fresh water lake will actually dump a lot of water ingested into their lungs right into the plasma and the pathologist will find freshwater flora and fauna in the blood. So, the thought of inventing a just the right amount of appropriate vapour in a SCUBA is not on. The idea of adequately responding to the dehydrated diver has merit. Thinking about it, had we had the plastic squeeze bottle of fresh water back then, I would have happily carried one to the bottom of Wal’s Bommie for a glug. And a squeeze bottle with a one way valve would not take on air with each swig and would maintain the correct buoyancy and not rocket to the surface if you let it go. There is a commercial idea for you . . . Something to keep SCUBA divers full of the right sort of sugars (energy) and the right sort of water during the dive. People (investors) are always looking for a good idea and that one has some science behind it . from Bob Sands. As far as I know, air should have a small amount of water in it otherwise you will get a dry throat. If that happens to me I simply drink a small amount of sea water. It is much more important to have oil free air. Some oil vapor gets in the air from the lubricating system and as you know one can sometimes taste it. Not good. P.S. Stay healthy and beware of beautiful young ladies, (in Taiwan). from Valerie T. fathom on 01.10.07 @ 07:01 AM AEST [high pressure compressors">more..] FISH ALARM CLOCK ........ for winter morning's
 Ideal for southern pro abalone divers who are slow at getting out of bed on winter morning's. This clock runs around the floor on wheels - you need to chase it to turn it off. Made in plastic with a silicone tail that swishes. Will it ever be sold in teach scuba outlets, (aka retail dive shops) or too high tech for that? This was one of hundreds of devices recently patented on show at the annual Taipei International Invention Show & Technomart last weekend. A new design for diver's fins/flippers too. Made in plastic. Needs a better way to attach it to the legs. Might be modified to a single mono fin for deep free diving. If it works. Other 'marine' devices included a better pool cleaner - the patent holder looking for a manufacturer investor. A better and simple designed water filter for high pressure compressors, with 51 international country patents registered; a magnetic pump suited for blood, syrups and oils. Another, larger invention turned filthy ground water into clear drinkable stuff - also removed salts. Ideal for western Queensland. Price US $300K to deliver 100 cubic meters of water per day. So much to see and does the time fly when you are having fun. fathom on 01.10.07 @ 01:27 AM AEST [for winter morning's">link] |
