Eric Chen--An Evening of Classical Piano

Sunday evening I was given tickets to see Eric Chen, a pianist from Taiwan. Mr Chen is an accomplish pianist and very popular in Tianan and Taiwan. His program consisted of music from popular fairy tales. He played solos, duets and accompanied singers who sang songs from the Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and other favorites.

There always seems to be something to do in this city and I have truly enjoyed living here.

Baseball: The Uni-President Lions of Tainan City

This weekend was devoted to relaxing and baseball. I went to see the Uni-President Lions defeat the Taipei Whales in Taiwan Professional Baseball. The field is beautiful and we had a lovely time sitting outside watching the game. The Taiwanese love their baseball and the atmosphere is quite different from an an American game. When the team is up to bat, a designated leader in the crowd leads cheers and chants, drums bang and the crowd hits plastic sticks the whole time. It is amazing to see. The teams can have a few foreigners and one playing for the Tainan team is Benjamin Cardazo who is from Houston, Texas. The big hitter for the team is pictured in orange. He is from the Dominican Republic and when he gets up to bat, they bring out a flame thrower to acknowledge his skill. If one of the players hits a homerun, a stuffed lion is thrown into the crowd and much scrambling goes on with hopes of taking it home.

Of course the most beloved baseball player among my students is Chien-Ming Wang who pitches for the NY Yankees. He was born and raised in Tainan City as was Hong-Chih Kuo who pitches for the LA Dodgers. Interestingly, the two went to the same middle school in Tainan.

***One of my students saw me on ESPN Asia at the game. That's fun. The sports station follows many of the professional games.

Tomb Sweeping Day

Tending ancestral tombs in the countryside.




Unburned paper money is left at the ancestral tomb.

I used the following internet site for the following information on Tomb Sweeping Day in Taiwan--http://www.c-c-c.org/chineseculture/festival/qingming/qingming.html

Celebrated two weeks after the vernal equinox, Tomb Sweeping Day is one of the few traditional Chinese holidays that follows the solar calendar-- typically falling on April 4, 5, or 6. Its Chinese name "Qing Ming" literally means "Clear Brightness," hinting at its importance as a celebration of Spring. Similar to the spring festivals of other cultures, Tomb Sweeping Day celebrates the rebirth of nature, while marking the beginning of the planting season and other outdoor activities.

In ancient times, people celebrated Qing Ming Jie with dancing, singing, picnics, and kite flying. Colored boiled eggs would be broken to symbolize the opening of life. In the capital, the Emperor would plant trees on the palace grounds to celebrate the renewing nature of spring. In the villages, young men and women would court each other.

With the passing of time, this celebration of life became a day to the honor past ancestors. Following folk religion, the Chinese believed that the spirits of deceased ancestors looked after the family. Sacrifices of food and spirit money could keep them happy, and the family would prosper through good harvests and more children.

Today, Chinese visit their family graves to tend to any underbrush that has grown. Weeds are pulled, and dirt swept away, and the family will set out offerings of food and spirit money. Unlike the sacrifices at a family's home altar, the offerings at the tomb usually consist of dry, bland food. One theory is that since any number of ghosts rome around a grave area, the less appealing food will be consumed by the ancestors, and not be plundered by strangers.

Honoring ancestors begins with proper positioning of a gravesite and coffin. Experts in feng shui, or geomancy, determine the quality of land by the surrounding aspects of streams, rivers, trees, hills, and so forth. An area that faces south, with groves of pine trees creates the best flow of cosmic energy required to keep ancestors happy. Unfortunately, nowadays, with Taiwan's burgeoning population, public cemetaries have quickly surplanted private gravesites. Family elders will visit the gravesite at least once a year to tend to the tombs.

While bland food is placed by the tombs on Qing Ming Jie, the Chinese regularly provide scrumptious offerings to their ancestors at altar tables in their homes. The food usually consists of chicken, eggs, or other dishes a deceased ancestor was fond of. Accompanied by rice, the dishes and eating utensils are carefully arranged so as to bring good luck. Sometimes, a family will put burning incense with the offering so as to expedite the transfer of nutritious elements to the ancestors. In some areas, the food is then eaten by the entire family.

Besides the traditions of honoring the dead, people also often fly kits on Tomb Sweeping Day. Kites can come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, and colors. Designs could include frogs, dragonflies, butterflies, crabs, bats, and storks.

Where in the world is Green Island, Taiwan?

Green Island, also known as "Fire Mountain Island", is so named because of the scene at sunset when the mountains turn red as if they are on fire.

Green Island is a small island located 33 kilometers in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of South Eastern Taiwan.

The island was formed by volcanic actions.

A stop in Taitung before going to Green Island

After travelling to Taitung in the southeastern part of Taiwan, we took a short walk and saw lots of interesting sights. The tree is growing papaya, a fruit I have fallen in love with this year.

Our first day on Green Island, Taiwan

Green Island is just off the southeastern coast of Taiwan and takes 45 minutes by ferry to get there. You will be proud of me. I ate ginger candy prior to boarding and did not get seasick.

It was a dreary, rainy weekend but we still had a fun time exploring and enjoying the beauty of the island. The island is volcanic and there are all types of lava flow areas to see. Mei Lian is another English teacher from Toronto, Canada, and was part of our touring group for the weekend. In the 10th picture you can see a large gastropod shell inbedded in the lava, a flow that occurred 50 years ago and turned a beautiful sandy beach into a barren area with numerous tidal pools to observe.