How Taiwan? That’s Easy. Why Taiwan? That’s Another Story.
Today begins the last season of one of my favorite American shows—How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM). If you’ve never seen it, the running gag is that it has taken the narrator eight seasons to tell his children the story of how he met their mother. But this is not completely true. If his kids…
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Cultural Festivals and the Reasons We Love Them
As Summer turns to Fall so ends the season of outdoor cultural festivals (for most of us, at least). This year, I was lucky enough to be able to schedule a trip to Toronto during their annual TaiwanFest. I’m not sure if it was because of the professionalism and kindness of the staff and the…
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Understanding People’s “Why Taiwan?” Stories
This weekend I’m visiting Toronto, soaking up the city, catching up with old and new friends, and enjoying one of Canada’s two TaiwanFests. One thing that always fascinates me is how much people marvel at me. “But you’re not Taiwanese,” many point out, waiting for the simple explanation. So, I just expected the first day…
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