Faces: People, Places, and Cultures articles from January 2003

Faces: People, Places, and Cultures archives from January 2003

Editor's message.(Taiwan)(Editorial)
January 1, 2003... Dear Reader, Welcome to Taiwan, an island nation just 90 miles from mainland China. Fought over for centuries, Taiwan has a long and turbulent history. Its citizens have survived many political struggles and economic hardships. The...

At a glance.(Taiwan)
January 1, 2003... TAIWAN Official name: Republic of China on Taiwan Location: 90 miles off southeast coast of mainland China (People's Republic of China), across Taiwan Strait Area: approximately 13,900 square miles Population: 21,000,000 ...

Taiwan. (Only In ...).(bamboo plant)
January 1, 2003... Who would guess that one of the most important products in Taiwan's economy and export business is a giant grass? Bamboo is said to have more than 100 uses. Just a few of the products made in Taiwan from bamboo include flooring, window blinds,...

In the know.(facts about Taiwan)
January 1, 2003... Look for the following places and things in this issue: Sun Moon Lake: Taiwan's most famous lake. The northern part is shaped like the sun, while the southern part is shaped like a crescent moon; Guang-ha Island divides them. Legend has it...

Taiwan: eternal yet ever-changing.
January 1, 2003... Taiwan is indeed an ancient land--archaeological evidence indicates that humans were living there at least 10,000 to 15,000 years ago. No one knows with certainty where Taiwan's earliest settlers originated, but many scholars have linked them...

`Made in Taiwan'.
January 1, 2003... Fifty years ago, the words "Made in Taiwan" appeared mostly on canned pineapple sold in American grocery stores. Today these words appear on computer chips, electronic components, and other industrial goods. How did this remarkable change come...

Through time.
January 1, 2003... TAIWAN 15,000-10,000 B.C. People from Malaysia and Polynesia settle on Taiwan and the smaller islands. 1200s-1500s People from the southern Chinese mainland provinces of Guangdong, Hunan, and Fujian begin to settle on Taiwan, mostly on...

Taiwan's tribal minorities.
January 1, 2003... With tender care Let us set in motion Our blood that is once again warm Let us recall Our songs Our dances Our sacred rituals And the tradition Of unselfish mutual coexistence Between us and the...

Gods and spirits: the many religions of Taiwan.
January 1, 2003... Taiwan is something of a "melting pot" when it comes to religion and philosophy (fil-OSS-uh-fee)--many of the major traditions of the world are represented on the island, and many people combine practices from all of them. In addition, most...

Honoring Confucius on Teacher's Day.(at Taipei's Confucious Temple, Taiwan)
January 1, 2003... Taipei's Confucius Temple is usually a very quiet place. Its yellow tiled roof sits atop lavishly carved pillars. People use side entrances, as the front doors are sealed shut--except for one special day each year. On September 28, the...

The importance of education in Taiwan.
January 1, 2003... Education is so highly valued in Taiwan that the island nation has one of the highest literacy rates in the world: 93 percent. Most of those who can't read are more than 70 years old, as many elderly people missed a chance to attend school...

What's cooking?(Taiwanese food)
January 1, 2003... Taiwan is a tropical island, and it's all the way on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, some 7,500 miles west of California. So it is no wonder that the Taiwanese eat a lot of food that is different from what we typically eat in the United...

From oolong to bubble: a visit to the teahouse.(Taiwan)
January 1, 2003... The air is thick with mosquitoes tonight. Sitting at a table outside the teahouse, an elderly man swats absentmindedly at his legs in between sips of tea. Across the table, his friend ignores the mosquitoes and the tea completely, so intent is...

Acupuncture and the healing arts.(Chinese traditional medicine, Taiwan)
January 1, 2003... In Taiwan today, hospitals, clinics, and practitioners offer a broad selection of therapies, including "Western"-style medicine and traditional Chinese treatments, which are guided by a somewhat different, and more ancient, idea of how our...

Taiwan's magical, mystical puppet theater.
January 1, 2003... Have you ever seen a puppet show, watched the Muppets on TV, or ad a puppet of your own? In Taiwan, traditional puppetry is magnificent, with elaborate costumes, stages like Chinese temples, and live music played by orchestras. Puppetry was...

`Batter up!' Taiwan's love affair with baseball: for the people of Taiwan, professional baseball is a passion.
January 1, 2003... "Hot dogs! Peanuts! Popcorn!' Americans think of baseball as a truly American game. If you go to a game in Taipei, you might be surprised to find that food vendors are selling instant noodles! Taiwan's president has called baseball "a...

Beach at Low Tide.(Poem)
January 1, 2003... Beach at Low Tide Sitting on the wet, soft beach, the Costa Rican sea rains colors like a mood ring. Low tide, the howler monkeys cried. The little pincers of the rainy sky-colored crabs clapped...

Face facts.(taxicabs in Taiwan)
January 1, 2003... Taiwan is famous among travelers for its "yejice"--"wild chicken" taxis. These reckless drivers zoom up and down the island at top speed several times a day-while squeezing as many passengers as possible into the car each time.

The legend of Ban Pin mountain.(Taiwan)
January 1, 2003... On the southwest coast of Taiwan, near the city of Kaohsiung, rises Ban Pin Shan. (Shan means "mountain" in Mandarin.) It looks like any other mountain, except that one side appears to have been carved away by a giant knife. The people who live...

The Abacus Contest.(Book Review)
January 1, 2003... by Priscilla Wu Six schoolchildren from the same town in Taiwan face different challenges, about competition, family responsibilities, and friendship. Each of these young people must make a difficult choice, and their stories convey a...

Asia.(Book Review)
January 1, 2003... by April Pulley Sayre Understanding continents--their landscapes, weather, oceans, air, soft, plants, animals, and people--gives us a deeper knowledge of the earth and helps us see beyond local events to appreciate the larger forces that...

The Most Excellent Book of How to Be a Puppeteer.(Book Review)
January 1, 2003... by Roger Lade This book provides a great introduction to puppetry, using this unique art form to make a story come alive. Start by practicing with basic glove puppets, then try rod puppets, shadow puppets, and marionettes. They're all part...

Confucianism.(Book Review)
January 1, 2003... by Louise Chipley Slavicek This book, part of the Religions of the World series (which also includes titles on Buddhism and Islam), tells the story of Confucius, the Chinese scholar with whom the philosophy began many centuries ago. This...

Dragon Kite of the Autumn Moon.(Book Review)
January 1, 2003... by Valerie Reddix, illustrated by Jean and Mou-Sien Tseng Every year, Tad-Tin and his grandfather celebrate Kite Day by flying a kite together until the night is thick with stars. Then they cut the string to let the kite take away any...

Traditional Chinese culture in Taiwan. (On-Line).
January 1, 2003... Courtesy of the government information office, this easy-to-use site is a great resource for information on puppetry, calligraphy, medicine, the arts, music, and more. History and current trends are included in more than 30 profiles covering...

Taipei Times news. (On-Line).
January 1, 2003... Did you know that many places in Taiwan are banned from offering free plastic bags or disposable utensils? It's part of a plan to reduce waste. Keep up to date on the latest front-page news, weather, sports, and other current events in Taiwan...

Think about it ...
January 1, 2003... * Article I of the Taiwanese constitution states: "Republic of China, founded on the Three Principles of the People, shall be a democratic republic of the people, to be governed by the people, and for the people." What famous American document...

Faces Index 2002.
January 1, 2003... Topics listed with the month and year of the issue in bold are the main topic of the issue. A Activities. See also Plays; Puzzles; Recipes Coptic bookbinding, Nov 02, 32-33 Lucia crown, Oct 02, 38 Samoan tapa cloth, May 02,...