7 Days Later

I am starting another feature here at Big Ell's Blog called, '7 Days Later.' I am going to try and post about the most interesting stories that I find during the week pertaining to Taiwan. These will be stories that fly under the radar in the Taiwan blogosphere. These stories don't warrant a full post but are stories that need to be told. I also hope to post once a week, but probably won't.

3/26/06
Lovers of authoritarian dictators are excited that Chiang Kai-shek's (蔣介石) diaries will be released this week. They will be lined up for miles to read the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. KMT head Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said:

"I think it is good as it allows people to know some inside stories behind the making of some historic decisions."

The first set of diaries are from 1917-1931 so I am a little disappointed. I am waiting for CKS volume 3 (1950-1975): I am now a Taiwanese. It will be interesting to read his reasoning for the White Terror era and all of his other achievements. The Pan Blues will be able to use the Generalissimo's words to remember fondly about a time when Taiwanese was only spoken at home, shops closed at 11 and a Beijing accent was the key to any government job. It will take more than removing a few statues to remove CKS' legacy from the hearts and minds of Ma and the Pan Blues.

3/30/06
Imagine your Miss Hsu, a singer in a Chungli KTV, and you find out your father needs a new liver and you're the only match. What would you do? I think most people would try to help out their old man. Miss Hsu is no different and agreed to donate 60% of her liver to help her dying father. I think that most people would be touched by this type of giving. Evidently not having all of your liver was a deal breaker for Miss Hsu's fiance. Last time I checked, livers could grow back.

The Taiwan Legislature is ammending some immigration laws. Big yawn. Liao Yuan-hao, assistant professor of law at National Chengchi University (國立政治大學), said it best:

the versions of the Immigrant Law amendments drafted by the Cabinet and legislators fail to protect the rights of foreigners and immigrants ... the proposals focus on how to "manage" immigrants but paid scant attention to how to treat them as real citizens.

3/31/06
Like the Apple Daily I love scandals, expecially sex scandals. Evidently two procurement officials (Chen Hsi-kuan and Huang Chien-hsun) were wined and dined by a construction company at a sex KTV in Kaoshiung during Chinese New Year. They claim it was a night of drinking and singling with half-naked waitresses. This is not unheard of in Taiwan or in many other countries if you take away the karaoke machine. Controversy arose when it was revealed that the construction company was bidding on an interior decoration contract for a hall in the Presidential Office Building. The two guys were demoted but this was not good enough for the KMT's Lee Ching-hua who claims they were having sex and not merely socializing with the half naked waitresses. Lee Chnig-hua also takes a crack at A-Bian saying that the Presidential Office is evolving from an insider share trading center to a sex center.

4/1/06
I taught junior high school in Taichung County and was always amazed when my students couldn't comprehend my instructions in Chinese. I am sure glad I didn't teach at Shih Chen Junior High School because my Taiwanese isn't even hai hao like my Chinese.