A GREAT TV COMMERCIAL FOR PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

During the last few days of Taiwan's presidential campaign, there was a touching and powerful TV commercial (please see the second film) by KMT. People said this commercial did encourage many people to vote for KMT. Because this commercial did not talk about any nonsense issue, but gave people hopes by simply telling "We are ready!".

After checking on internet about this commercial, I found this film was produced by the production house which I worked before and directed by Mr. Hsieh, Ping-Han. Chang Shu A&V was a benchmark of an excellent production house, and it seems Chang Shu still is an excellent one!

THE NO. 1 FIGHTING SHIP OF THE WORLD

(BB62 New Jersey and BB63 Missouri)
(BB63 Missouri)
(deadly firepower:16in main guns of BB63 Missouri)
(Tomahawk missile launchers)
(bronze plate for memorial of Japanese surrender to allied forces )
(The Instrument of Surrender)

Discovery Channel has a serial programs talking about top 10 fighters, top 10 tanks, top 10 sports cars, and lots of top 10 of the world. When they were talking about top 10 fighting ships of the world, I was surprised they picked Iowa class battleship as the most powerful one.

I am not able to have a ride on any top 10 sports cars or motorcycles, but I was lucky to see 2 battleships of this class and board one. On May 20, 1995, it was the Armed Force Day in US, so there were some open house events in many military bases. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard at Bremerton, WA had an open house on BB63 Missouri. Missouri is a legend of her class. She served in US Navy for almost 50 years through WW II to Gulf War.

The most important event in Missouri's commissioned history is Japan signed formal surrender instrument on this ship and WWII ended officially. I was lucky to visit her and see this important instrument to end a human biggest tragedy in 20th century.

Currently, BB63 Missouri is located in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, please visit her official website for more detail.

A NEW BEGINNING

(sunrise at Mt. Ali, Taiwan)

March 22, 2008 was the day for Taiwan's new president election. KMT won this campaign by over 2 million votes; a big victory for KMT! Taiwanese people decided to have KMT to rule this country instead of current DPP. detail news from CNN...

Now the campaign was over and people had made their choice. Hope the new government will

• Concentrate on economic and diplomatic development for Taiwan, work hard for the benefits for all Taiwanese people, and forget all the nonsense arguments and hates in the past.
• Improve the relationship between Taiwan and China, to create a win-win situation for both sides.
• Improve the relationship between Taiwan and US.

Also, I wish DPP can play a decent role of a opposition party to monitor new government's policies.

The economic growth of Taiwan has been behind other Asian countries for several years, hope this change will bring Taiwan back to an important and distinguish role in the world.

SKIING DAY!

(Sapporo Kokusai Skiing Resort)
(Sapporo Kokusai Skiing Resort)
(half way down the hill)

On the third day of the meeting, we went skiing with our distributors at Sapporo Kokusai Skiing Resort. It is a beautiful skiing area and provides full service; including rental service for ski set, ski wear set, and private lesson (even in English), so tourists do not have to prepare the ski wear.

I had a very short experience of skiing in Canada five years ago, so this time was kind of my first time skiing. Company arranged a training class to those beginners in the morning, and arranged instructors escorting us to experience the intermediate/beginner trail skiing.

It was quite a challenge to a first time skier to ski on the skiing trail, especially on intermediate trail. To make this happen, I skied slowly with few time falling down; went through the whole trail which was over 1.3 Km.

After today's training, I think I can enjoy skiing more than ever, if I have a chance to ski again. Today we learned skiing in a hard way, but a quick way!

More photos for Sapporo trip...

MORE TARABA CRAB

(Garden Grill of Sapporo Beer Garden)
(big dinner party)
(steamed Taraba Crab)
(Sapporo Beer and Taraba Crab)

On the second day of the meeting, we arranged a dinner party at Sapporo Beer Garden. Except BBQ, we had Taraba Crab. These cold steamed Taraba Crabs tasted good, but not as good as what I had few days ago.

A MUST IN HOKKAIDO!

(Taraba crab for shabu shabu)
(cooked Taraba Crab....delicious!!!)
(crab porridge)
(assorted sashimi)

Something you can not miss in Hokkaido, Japan is their sea food, and the most famous sea food is Taraba Crab (Hokkaido King Crab). We went to a restaurant named Hyousetsu no mon (氷雪の門). To have the best taste of Taraba Crab, I will recommend you order shabu shabu, which is cooking crab in soup, and no fried dish. the taste of Taraba Crab is juicy, sweet and really unforgettable....

NAKAJIMA PARK, SAPPORO, JAPAN

The third time of disty meeting after I joined this company. We have disty meeting in Sapporo, Japan this time. Sapporo is the largest city of Hokkaido and we will have meeting at Sapporo Park Hotel just beside Nakajima Park.

Since it is in March, Nakajima Park is till covered by snow and ice. Here are some photos.

TAINAN CONFUCIUS TEMPLE (台南孔廟)

(Tainan Confucius Temple)
(Ta-Cheng Hall)
(Ming-Lun Hall, the former classroom)

Tainan Confucius Temple was built in 1665 when Jheng, Ching, the son of Jheng, Cheng-Kung ruled Taiwan. It is the first Confucius Temple in Taiwan, so it is also called First Academy of Taiwan.

Now the Tainan Confucius Temple we see has been re-constructed by several time in 1683, 1712, 1777, and 1917. But during 1895, when Japanese occupied Taiwan, Japanese used this temple as an army camp, had destroyed some buildings.

September 28 is the birthday of Confucius, also the Teachers' Day. There will be a great ceremony in Confucius Temple. If you have a chance to visit Tainan during that period, don't miss the ceremony.

JHENG, CHENG-KUNG(鄭成功), A HERO IN TAIWAN HISTROY

(Jheng, Cheng-Kung 鄭成功)
(the temple of Jheng, Cheng-Kung)
(Koxinga Shrine)
(Koxinga Shrine)

There are many historic sites in Tainan City, and most of them are related to a hero, Jheng, Cheng-Kung. He was a general of Ming Dynasty, and took over Taiwan from the Dutch in 1662 and ended 38 year of the Dutch rule. After his death in 1662 at the age of 38, people built this temple to memory Jheng and for his dedication to Taiwan. Current temple was rebuilt in 1963.

Because Jheng's mother is a Japanese, so many Japanese tourists are interested in this site.

Tainan City Travel info...

Photos of Tainan trip...

ANPING TREE HOUSE - COMPROMISE OR COORDINATION

(Anping Tree House)
(Ta Prohm, Angkor)

Anping Tree House(安平樹屋) is located next to the Tait & Co. Merchant House in Tainan City and once was its warehouse. During the Japanese occupation, it was the warehouse of the Japan Salt Company. After WW II, it was abandoned because the salt business in Anping declined. It gave opportunities to several banyans to wrap around this house with their aerial roots and branches. Then created this unusual sight!

This situation is somewhat like what I saw at Ta Prohm in Angkor, Cambodia. The trees also wrap around the temple with their roots. Scientist tried to clean these roots and branched to rebuild the temple, but they found the temple would collapse without the supporting from these trees. So the best way to save the temple is to keep the current situation; not to cut the tree or move any bricks.

ENJOYING THE DELICIOUS CUISINES IN TAINAN CITY

(lunch at Chou's Shrimp Rolls 周氏蝦捲)
(coffin pie 棺材板)
(eel noodle 鱔魚麵)
(Fugi's meat ball 福記肉丸 )
(famous cakes of Deep Blue Cafe 深藍咖啡廳)

Tainan city is not only famous of its historic sites, but also many delicious local foods. The Chou's Shrimp Rolls is my favorite! They have run this business for over 50 years. They serve wonderful Shrimp rolls and shrimp related food. As you can see in the first photo, we ordered 2 serves of Shrimp rolls (crispy skin outside and tender shrimp inside), cold shrimp plate, and ground pork rice and cost only NTD210 (about USD6).

Other good foods are coffin pie (Guan Tsai Ban), eel noodle and the meat ball. The coffin pie is a special local food in Tainan, made of fried toast with mixed gravy inside. Because it looks like a coffin, so local people call it coffin pie. Don't be scared by its name, it tastes really good; more like a western food than a Taiwanese food.

I would also recommend the Deep Blue Cafe. They make wonderful multi-layer cakes (Mille Crepes). Because it is fresh, it tastes better than what we used to have by mail order.

Tainan's local foods are wonderful! But when you have only 2 days, it is too much to handle it. I did not feel hungry at all during the 2 day trip.