2014 Spring Calligraphy Competition

Last month I entered a calligraphy competition at National Chiaotung University and got fourth place in my category.  No one got first because no one was good enough, apparently.  In Chinese that is called 從缺. Last semester when I got third place, the first and second places were also 從缺. Anyway, here is a photo taken at the award ceremony.  The gentleman is Mr. Huang. I took a calligraphy class from him last semester.  The Tang poem I chose to write is about a traveler far from home, riding a horse. Let me clarify that. 岑參 Cén Sēn authored the poem. I just copied it. And although I am far from home, I ride a bike, not a horse.
If you want to read a translation of the poem, go to:   http://cn.hujiang.com/new/p478056/

The Glory of Jade Mountain and the Bamboo Museum

It was one of the few sunny days we've had this month.  May is the month of "plum rain" which leads to typhoon season in June and July.  This year people have noted that plum rain storms have been bigger than usual.  So, it was a pleasant surprise to see sunshine, naturally on a Sunday.

We took a weekend trip with our friends Joyce and YP from our church.  They drove us to central Taiwan and then up winding mountain roads to the visitors' center at the trailhead for Jade Mountain, the highest point on the island.  Just a few kilometers down the road stands Mt. Ali, a much bigger tourist attraction because of the railroad that crosses there.  Sounds like the Cog to me (going up Mt. Washington in New Hampshire).  At the visitor center Soleil wanted to know if we could feel the clouds there, because we'd just watched a movie of the mountain which is frequently seen above a layer of clouds.  I told her that if we wait long enough the clouds may settle and we'll be in them.  Just before we left, her hopes were realized.  We drove down the road and out of the clouds.

  

  

Once out of the clouds and down from the mountain we stopped for lunch at a chicken barbecue shop, then headed to Bamboo World.  Bamboo World turned out to be a free museum and activity center which displayed the many products made from bamboo.  As a long time fan of bamboo, this was an exciting destination for me.

As we walked up the steps we were greeted with sweet watery sounds of bamboo chimes played joyously with a flexible paddle by visiting kids.  Here's Soleil with her original composition.

The first floor of the exhibition was mostly a display of traditional bamboo woven baskets, toys and tools.  On the walls were unusually creative woven art of famous people including Karl Marx and Albert Einstein.

Woven bamboo basket.

Bamboo balls and good fortune tree.

Other baskets and dustpans.

Bamboo cranes on a bamboo nest.

Shortly after a brief bamboo rainstick storm, Soleil challenged Greg to a bamboo duel.  How could we refuse a little father-daughter whack-a-thon?

But the music didn't stop there.  A sighting of two tiny musicians gave way to another command performance in the Circle of Chimes.  The forest is alive with the sound of music!  While Greg takes a well-deserved break in the bamboo chair.

Jenny plays the pipa as Solei toots a bamboo flute.

A chair for the emperor.

China Penguin & Taiwan Penguin

Lots of people ask us what the differences are between China and Taiwan.  Just as the English varies according to where in the world it is spoken, there are differences in Mandarin, too. Let these penguins show you some of the linguistic variation between mainland and Taiwan Mandarin.

by Soleil and Jenny