Monday, January 1, 2018
Happy New Year from Taiwan - 新年快樂
Taiwan's welcome to 2018. Fireworks at the Taipei 101. This year in addition to the fireworks the 101 added projection to the show. The projection depicts the 2017 Universiade Games in Taipei, in addition to special kaleidoscopic graphics. Pictures and explosions, what more could you ask for.
Happy New Year from the Taiwan Adventure Publications!
Source: Taiwan News via YouTube: (linked)
Labels:
2018,
Fireworks,
New Year Celebration,
Taipei 101,
Taiwan,
新年快樂
Friday, December 15, 2017
Merry Christmas 2017
Labels:
Merry Christmas
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Birds of East Asia: A Review

I got involved in bird watching because I could recognize only a few of the birds I saw in trees, in rice fields and on poles near my home. Not all of them are the same as California ’s birds. In fact, I have only seen a few that I recognized without the assistance of my trusty Field guide.
So this is my review of that field guide. In some ways, I think it is an excellent book. There are a lot of beautiful, full-color renderings of birds in different positions. For example, there are drawings of birds standing, flying over head, and flying at eye level. The advantage of that is that birds rarely sit like museum exhibits for you to look at. They are usually about some mysterious bird business, whatever it may be.
The only other problem with the book is that it covers a large area: China , Taiwan , Korea , Japan , and Russia . This is quite a large geographical area, so the range maps are a little too small to see clearly. Remember, my children called this an old man’s sport. I’ll cop to being a “not-as-young-as-I-used-to-be” man, I won’t go all the way to old, but even with my bifocals, the maps are a little small. Taiwan is, after all, a tiny island in that large land mass.
Finally, the last problem, I have with this book is its size. I think it’s a little heavy for a field guide. My copy is paperback and I don’t like to take it out into the field because it might get destroyed. I generally, try to photograph the bird and then come back and look it up. It can be difficult if I come across more than a couple of birds because I have to take notes in order to remember locations and habitats.
In general, I am delighted with this book. When I’m stuck in my office I find myself leafing through it and trying to memorize the drawings so I’ll recognize the birds immediately.
The book is published by Princeton Field Guides, Princeton University Press, copyright 2009. It is available for purchase at Amazon for $US 26.44. Birds of East Asia link at Amazon
Other Posts you may be interested in:
Not Quite the Last of the Mountain Men
The Trees Are Alive With The Sound of Music
Eating My Way Through Taiwan: The Stink of Adventure
The book is published by Princeton Field Guides, Princeton University Press, copyright 2009. It is available for purchase at Amazon for $US 26.44. Birds of East Asia link at Amazon
Other Posts you may be interested in:
Not Quite the Last of the Mountain Men
The Trees Are Alive With The Sound of Music
Eating My Way Through Taiwan: The Stink of Adventure
Labels:
Asia,
Bird Watching in Asia,
Birds,
Birds of East Asia,
Book Review,
Mark Brazil,
Taiwan
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
Not Quite the Last of the Mountain Men
In the University, many, many, many years ago I studied Biology. My plan was to be a Wildlife Biologist: Climbing to the tops of mountains, living with Bighorn sheep for months at a time, counting sheep, or tagging bears, something like that.
What can I say? It was the “mountain man” period of my life. I wanted to be a modern day Jeremiah Johnson, without having to eat anyone’s liver. You didn’t know about that, did you? He fought the Crow tribe and ate their livers when he won. Robert Redford conveniently left that part out. He was actually called, “Liver-eating Johnson.” Now, there’s a nickname that would inspire fear among your enemies, am I right?
Look, I’m not making this up – There’s a book about him called Crow Killer: The Saga of Liver Eating Johnson by Raymond W. Thorpe. The description of the book mentions his liver eating proclivities AND the fact that the movie Jeremiah Johnson was fictionalized and based on this guy’s life. I've added link below.
Anyway, I thought these mountain men were pretty cool. I longed, for the open wilderness, the solitude, cooking over an open campfire. I actually met the “Last of the Mountain Men” in 1975 up on the Salmon River in Idaho : Sylvan “Buckskin Bill” Hart. I worked as a whitewater guide and we rafted right past his cabin once a year. He was a nice, if somewhat eccentric old guy. He was seventy-two years old at the time. There’s also a book about him called Last of the Mountain Men by Harold Peterson. It was actually written for Sports Illustrated. There's a link below.
It’s amazing how my mind wanders these days; I really wanted to talk about something else. As I was saying I wanted to be a Wildlife Biologist, so I carefully studied courses like Zoology, Invertebrate Zoology, Botany, Entomology, Ichthyology, and Ornithology. I wasn’t particular about what kind of wildlife I counted, tagged, and generally hung out with. As a result of all of this studying, I could pretty much recognize a lot of different wildlife.
I moved to Taiwan from California . In California , I knew and could identify just about any type of bird that I saw. I even understood taxonomy and could find my way around a dichotomous key. Those were the days before Google, baby. I could handle the old DK, like the pro that I was.
Then I moved to Taiwan . Guess what the birds are different here. So I recently got a copy of Birds of East Asia; China , Taiwan , Korea , Japan , and Russia by Mark Brazil. (link below) It’s a little heavy for a field guide, but there are drawings of hundreds of birds, along with taxonomic information, range, and seasonal visitation. So now I’m kind of figuring out local birds. I spend some quiet time in urban parks near my home and occasionally head out to the mountains to gaze at the birds and try to identify them. It’s interesting and peaceful.
I’m not dreaming of being a mountain man any longer. Oh, I still read an occasional F. Pat McManus book, but personally, I’m on to other things. Here are some birds that I've seen near my home. I prefer to use my own pictures but I'm way too slow. By the time I'm ready to shoot a picture, the bird is already over Mexico, just so you know. There are links to pages of these people, who are much more skillful than I am at photography.
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Pacific Swift - Apus Pacificus |
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Oriental Stork - Ciconia boyciana |
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Little Egret - Egretta Garzetta (Summer Plumage) |
Chinese Bulbul - Pycnonotus Simensis Formosae |
Book Links:
Photo Credits:
Other posts you may be interested in:
Saturday, May 27, 2017
More Than an Hour at Sun Moon Lake
I’m a pastor and guess what…Sunday is always just around the corner. Between writing two sermons and a Bible study each week, my own personal studies, outreach, preaching, teaching, two blogs and all the other things that come up, I don’t have much time to hang out. If where I want to go is more than a day trip away, I’m not often able to go.
For example, we have always wanted to go to Taroko Gorge. It’s probably one of the most beautiful places on the planet. If you’re an American, it compares favorably to Yosemite . It is gorgeous. I’ve been there once; I spent about an hour there.
A friend had had an accident in Hualien and was stuck in the hospital there. My wife and I left on a Tuesday night to go visit him. Hualien is about four and a half hours from
The main entrance to the lake is Yuchi Township in Nantou County . I’ll include a Google map at the end so you can find it. We stayed At the Tanhui Hotel, an inexpensive hotel across the street from the lake. We could see the lake from our hotel if we looked through the glass of the hotel across the street. The room was very inexpensive. It was set up for four people, (Our daughters came along with us.). The hotel served breakfast of eggs and cooked lunchmeat. We weren’t really expecting much for what we paid. The staff was nice and friendly; the room was clean although I could only face one way in my wheelchair. I had to go out into the hall to turn around, but hey, it was a good way to meet my fellow travelers. On the whole I’d recommend the hotel if you are just looking for inexpensive.
The lake was beautiful: Soaring mountains, cool breezes and fresh air; all things that can be difficult to find in summertime Taiwan . The locals are mostly aboriginal and very nice and friendly. The only thing that was a letdown was that we went to dinner about eight and had a difficult time finding any place to eat. We ended up eating street food from a small night market.
The highlight of the trip was a boat ride across the lake. These guys lifted my wheelchair onto the boat and we powered across the lake to three locations. We could get off at any of the stops and explore. The place we stopped had a tram that went up over the mountain. I don’t ride on things like that for reasons that I cannot reveal, but it has to do with mountaineering and hanging around. That sentence seems sufficiently vague. So, if you’re adventurous you can take the ride over the mountain and discover something. I can’t have all the fun.
I’m certainly glad that my family arranged this trip. It was well worth the extra work to get caught up, we went on a Monday and stayed over night, but guess what…Sunday was just around the corner.
Photo Source: Tanhui Hotel: Booking.com
All other photos: Elizabeth Banducci
Other Posts You May Be Interested in:
Taiwan Travelogue: The North Coast
Taiwan Travelogue: The National Palace Museum
Taiwan Travelogue: The Huaxi Night Market
Photo Source: Tanhui Hotel: Booking.com
All other photos: Elizabeth Banducci
Other Posts You May Be Interested in:
Taiwan Travelogue: The North Coast
Taiwan Travelogue: The National Palace Museum
Taiwan Travelogue: The Huaxi Night Market
Labels:
Nantou County,
Sun Moon Lake,
Taiwan,
Tanhui Hotel,
Travel,
Yuchi Township
Monday, April 24, 2017
Paying it Forward in Rice

Most of the planting is done with a
tractor. In a past article, (TaiwaneseTraditions: The Planting and Growing of Rice:
April 4,
2011 ) I described the vehicle and process
of rice planting. What I didn’t mention
in that article is that there are areas in the rice paddies, odd-shaped spaces
where a tractor cannot go. I guess we
would call these “The Final Frontier.”
Well, maybe not, but the idea is that in order to maximize the crop
yield, these odd-shaped spaces must be filled with rice seedlings. If the tractor can’t go there, then they have
to be planted by hand.
I think rice fields are beautiful. As the rice grows and fills in the spaces
between seedlings there s something about them that just appeals to my sense of
the beautiful. They look like a
perfectly manicured lawn. All the grass,
rice is a grass is at the same height.
It waves in the breeze, like ripples across a pond. The color is a beautiful emerald green. My family thinks I’m nuts, but I just
appreciate the beauty in farmland, I guess.

Other Posts You may be Interested in:
Taiwan Traditions: The Planting and Growing of Rice
Taiwanese Traditions: The Selling and Brewing of Tea
The Origins of Wulong Tea
Labels:
Favor,
Helpful Paying it Forward,
Rice Fields,
Rice Planting,
Taiwan
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Guest Post: A Beginner’s Guide to Living Outside the USA
Living outside the USA is an exciting adventure. You will
have the opportunity to explore new parts of the world, try new food, and
experience a different culture. However, a big move like this does not come
without its challenges. Here are a few tips to help you make the most out of
living outside the USA:
Keep an Open Mind
This is a great rule to keep in mind always, but especially
when deciding to live outside the USA. Wherever you live, it will definitely
not be exactly like home. By going into your new living situation with an open
mind, you will better able to handle culture shock and adapt to your new environment.
Some places may be harder to be open to than others. But, if
you try to keep an open mind, slowly your view of the world may broaden and
change. You will start to see the world from a whole new perspective.
Learn a New Language
One of the largest obstacles faced when living abroad is a
different language. You might be able to get by some places with English, but
it will greatly enhance your experience if you learn the local language.
However, this is of course much easier said than done. Once,
you are in your new country, it is great to learn by jumping right in, and
trying to speak the language as much as possible. However, this can be
intimidating and overwhelming at times. Thankfully, there are many free
resources that can help:
Best Free Language Learning Resources
A fun and easy way
to learn a new language. They also have an app to help you learn on the go, and
are continually expanding the languages they offer every year.
This is a great
resource to learn some of the basics of almost any language. Each language page
also provides resources to radio and news stations in the language of your
choice.
3. Movies and TV Shows
Watching movies or
TV shows is one of the best ways to practice your abilities of understanding
the spoken language without having to leave your house. Try putting subtitles
on in the language you are learning so you can practice hearing and reading the
language at the same time.
Staying in Touch
When moving outside of the USA you may expect to face
challenges like learning a language, or getting used to a new culture. However,
one of the most unexpected challenges is often keeping in contact with those
you left in the USA. Time changes and iffy internet connections are just some
of the obstacles you may face when trying to stay in touch with family and
friends.
Staying in touch with those back home requires dedication
and time on your part, but, thankfully there are plenty of free resources out
there to help make it little easier and without extra expense. Here are a few
of my favorites:
3
Best Apps and Websites for Staying in Touch Abroad:
1. Skype
This one has been around forever, but still works
great. Also, many people already have
Skype set up, or are at least familiar with it. So this is a great one to use
for those family members who don’t like downloading new apps. This is best used
for voice calling while using Wi Fi.
2. WhatsApp
This app is most popular for texting overseas. This is also
a very famous app, so makes it easy to keep in touch with many friends and
family members.
3. Wi-Fi Finder
Depending on where you are living, finding a Wi Fi
connection can be a huge problem. There is nothing worse than having a call
drop on you every 10 seconds. With the Wi Fi finder you can find the closest
and strongest Wi Fi connections around you. (But, if you decide to live in
Taiwan, you will be extremely happy to find that they may have the best Wi Fi
options in the world. Almost the entire city is a giant hotspot).
These apps will make it easier to communicate with those at
home. However, what makes staying close to those at home the most challenging
is that you are not sharing your everyday lives and experiences together. But,
with a little creativity, you can find many alternative and unique ways to not
only stay in touch, but stay close.
Alternative
Ways to Staying Close and in Touch Abroad:
1. Make
a Blog
It is hard for friends and families to relate to the new
life you are living. One of the best ways to keep your family informed of what
you are doing without making a bazillion phone calls is making a blog. It will
help bring friends and families a little closer to you, while saving you from
repeating stories again and again.
2. Watch
the Same TV Shows Together
You may be living on other sides of the world, but you can
still share some things together. Try picking a couple TV shows that you can
watch together. You can easily access many TV shows on websites like Netflix,
Hulu, or Amazon. If you are living in a country that denies access to these
kinds of websites, this is not a problem. You can use a VPN to trick your computer into thinking
it’s in the US.
3. Send
Care Packages
Sometimes it’s the random little things you miss, like
peanut butter or your favorite shampoo brand. Have a family member or friend
send you a package of some of your favorite things from home. In return, send
back to them a package of things from your new home. Can be anything from a new
candy you discovered, to a pretty scarf from the local market. Regardless of
what you send, these little packages will help bring your family, friends and
yourself closer to each other.
If you’re nervous about venturing away from your norm, there
is no need to worry (they call it a comfort zone for a reason). Pick one or two
things a day to take on. It can be anything from saying hello in a new
language, or finally trying that strange looking stew. Slowly, you will go from
saying hello and strange stews, to full on conversations and fried chicken feet
(which is actually pretty tasty).
At times living outside the USA can be intimidating and
overwhelming. But, hopefully after reading this article you feel ready to take
on whatever comes your way. As long as you follow a few steps and rules, living
abroad can truly be a life changing experience. So pack your things, and get
ready to embrace all that your new country has to offer.
Article Printed by Permission
Photos: Royalty Free
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