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Author Archives: Big John
Stories of the Past from a Son of Taiwan
The mouth of the Tamsui River has long been a strategic location, as the gateway into the Taipei Basin from the sea, and a rare natural harbor on the north coast of Taiwan. This is why, over the centuries, the … Continue reading
Happy Year of the Dragon!
It’s that time of the year again: Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year. But the Chinese Calendar and how it relates to both practical time-keeping and religious symbolism is extremely detailed and complex. What’s more, certain cultural aspects surrounding … Continue reading
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Tagged calendar, chinese-new-year, culture, lunar-calendar, lunar-new-year
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Emergency preparedness guide for expats in Taiwan
Hi all! Here’s the link to my latest project. Feel free to share it with friends. A proper blogpost will be coming soon.
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Walking With History – Part 2: The Battle of Tamsui with the Formosa Files Podcast
Map of the action at Tamsui, 8 October 1884, by Captain Garnot It was a great pleasure to do these two podcasts with my old friend John Grant Ross, founding member of Camphor Press, and writer of Formosan Odyssey, his … Continue reading
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The Battle of Tamsui: An article for Centered on Taipei
It was a great pleasure to work with Ken Dickson, photographer, and the entire editorial team of Centered On Taipei, the magazine of the Community Services Center in Taipei. Please follow the link below to read the article on pages … Continue reading
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FIGHT OR FLIGHT?
Taiwan residents consider the best response to the threat of invasion from China Part 2 of a 2-part series By John Groot (You may share this article in whole or part if you link to this post and mention me … Continue reading
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Are the Red Clouds of War Looming Over Taiwan?
It’s what we’ve all been dreading for years, a massive military attack by an aggressive, repressive, authoritarian China. One minute, we’re peacefully going about our business in this free, democratic, and basically humane country, Taiwan. The next, life is turned … Continue reading
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KEEP PADDLING! Indigenous Journeys Part 2
Last time, in Part 1: “The Man in the Atayal Hat”, I started by talking about the great long-distance sea voyages of the Pacific Islanders thousands of years ago and how they have always amazed me. How brave and skilled … Continue reading
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THE MAN WITH THE ATAYAL HAT
Sometimes I like to contemplate great voyages, like those of the Pacific Islanders in legendary times as they spread across vast expanses of ocean. I imagine their thousands of journeys: maybe 20 people on large, outrigger canoes, the navigators way-finding … Continue reading
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TAIWAN LEGAL AID FOUNDATION (LAF): TOP TEN TAKEAWAYS
Established in 2004, the mission of the Taiwan Legal Aid Foundation (LAF) is to offer a comprehensive range of legal aid services for the financially disadvantaged in Taiwan. Mainly funded by an endowment from the Judicial Yuan worth just over … Continue reading
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The Culture Shack 