Episodes

  • Ep 291 | An Emergency Preparedness Guide for ExPats in Taiwan: Our Discussion with Author John Groot

    Ep 291 | An Emergency Preparedness Guide for ExPats in Taiwan: Our Discussion with Author John Groot
    Sep 1 2024
    Earlier this summer, in June, I spoke with John Groot the author of An Emergency Preparedness Guide for Expats in Taiwan. Related Links: https://talkingtaiwan.com/an-emergency-preparedness-guide-for-expats-in-taiwan-our-discussion-with-survivalist-author-john-groot-ep-291/ John has made the book is available for free on his website and you download a copy of it by >> clicking here<<: https://thecultureshack.blog/2023/12/04/emergency-preparedness-guide-for-expats-in-taiwan/ Taiwan is of course no stranger to natural disasters since it often experiences earthquakes and typhoons. What’s raised eyebrows about John’s book is that it has a section that specifically addresses what to do in case of a military attack by China. Since 2020 China has upped its grey zone tactics by sending planes into Taiwan’s ADIZ on a daily basis. Concerns about civil defense preparedness in Taiwan peaked in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, and then there was the PLA’s military actions in August of 2022 in response to Nancy Pelosi, the U.S. House Speaker at the time visiting Taiwan. John and I talked about the research involved in writing the guide, how people can be prepared in case of and emergency or disaster and why he felt it was necessary to include a section in the guide to address dealing with a possible invasion of Taiwan by China. John Groot is a long-time Canadian expat in Taiwan. He is an independent writer-researcher and has done one book and many articles about Taiwan's history, culture, and geography. Recently he has focused more on the security situation with regards to Chinese aggression toward Taiwan. One of his major recent projects was a 68 page PDF e-book called "Resilience Roadmap: An Emergency Preparedness Guide for Expats in Taiwan." Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: · John’s background and upbringing · How John got interested in civil defense and emergency preparedness · How Russia’s invasion in Ukraine in 2022 heightened interested in civil defense in Taiwan · How John learned about the NGO Open Knowledge aka OK Taiwan · Documentary filmmaker Tobie Openshaw · The PLA’s military actions in response to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August 2022 · The civil defense handbook that was issued by Taiwan’s government and how it showed the difference between uniforms of Taiwan’s military and China’s PLA · How many expats there are in Taiwan, and the different types of expats · Issues with the path for expats to apply for nationality in Taiwan · The research John did for the book · Tobie Openshaw’s experience with the 921 Earthquake in Taiwan · Sweden’s defense system · Israel’s military service system · How France supports its citizens abroad · How long it took John to write the book · How the book is organized · The earthquake in Taiwan that caused a crane to fall from Taipei 101 · John’s experience with natural disasters in Taiwan · The acronyms in the book · The origin of the term “bug out” · How people can be prepared for emergencies or disasters · Having a communication plan in case of emergency or disaster · What students learn about dealing with natural disasters and emergencies · Liability issues in Taiwan when it comes to medically intervening to help someone · Why John felt that the book should address what to do in case of threat of war i.e. an attack on Taiwan by China · Meetings amongst the American communities in Taipei after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August 2022 · The response John’s received to the book · Whether or not it is advisable to go to a government evacuation center · How in times of need it’s important to consider the needs of others · How families can prepare their children for dealing with disasters · How Taiwan and the U.S. do not want war with China · What John would like people to take away from the book · How John hopes that people can be prepared for emergencies or disasters Related Links: https://talkingtaiwan.com/an-emergency-preparedness-guide-for-expats-in-taiwan-our-discussion-with-survivalist-author-john-groot-ep-291/
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    59 mins
  • Ep 290 | "Decathalon" The Story of Taiwan's Greatest Olympian: My Conversation with Award-Winning Journalist Mike Chinoy

    Ep 290 | "Decathalon" The Story of Taiwan's Greatest Olympian: My Conversation with Award-Winning Journalist Mike Chinoy
    Aug 24 2024
    The recent Paris Olympics has just passed and may already be fading into memory. This year Team Taiwan won 2 gold medals and 5 bronze at the Olympics. Related Links: https://talkingtaiwan.com/my-conversation-with-mike-chinoy-award-winning-journalist-on-his-new-film-decathalon-ep-290/ Do you know when and who won Taiwan’s first Olympic medal? It happened at the 1960 Rome Olympics, which was the first Summer Olympics that was televised in North America. The man who was known as the “Iron Man of Asia,” C.K. Yang won a silver medal in the decathlon. C.K. was of the Amis indigenous tribe from southeastern Taiwan. His Amis name was Maysang Kalimud, but then Japan colonized Taiwan he had a Japanese name when, and then after the Chinese Nationalists the Kuomintang lost the civil war in China to the Chinese Communist and fled to Taiwan, his father gave him a Chinese name, Yang Chuan-kwang. Like many Amis, he used his athletic prowess to gain status and success that might otherwise have eluded him. But not much is known about how heavily he identified as Amis. The gold medal winner at the Rome Olympics was Rafer Johnson, an African American. Rafer and C.K. trained together under the same coach at UCLA and then competed against each other in the decathlon at the Rome Olympics. They were not only rivals but also the best of friends. Their extraordinary and unlikely friendship inspired the making of a documentary film and I sat down recently to speak with Mike Chinoy, the co-creator, co-writer, and co-producer of that film which is called "Decathlon: The CK Yang and Rafer Johnson Story,” Mike Chinoy is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the University of Southern California’s US-China Institute and is based in Taipei. Previously, he spent 24 years as a foreign correspondent for CNN, serving as the network's first Beijing bureau chief and as Senior Asia Correspondent. "Decathlon: The CK Yang and Rafer Johnson Story" is currently streaming on the Taiwan Plus Docs YouTube channel. Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: · Team Taiwan’s performance during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris · How flags and signs in the shape of Taiwan or with the word Taiwan on them were confiscated from fans during the men’s doubles badminton finals at the Paris Olympics · How China's state-run broadcaster CCTV cut the feed during parts of the men's badminton doubles match and did not broadcast the medal ceremony · Why Taiwan has to compete under the name “Chinese Taipei” at the Olympics · The “Iron Man of Asia” · The man that won Taiwan’s first Olympic medal · C.K. Yang was Amis and had three names, an Amis name (Maysang Kalimud), a Japanese name and a Chinese name (Yang Chuan-kwang, 楊傳廣) · How C.K. first met Rafer Johnson at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956 · How C.K. and Rafer were trained by the same coach at UCLA and became close friends · The International Olympic Committee (I.O.C) told the government of Chiang Kai-shek that the team sent to participate at the 1960 Rome Olympics could not be called the Republic of China · Chiang Kai-shek almost boycotted the Olympics but didn’t because he realized that C.K. Yang could possibly win a medal and bring glory to Taiwan · How Taiwan competed under the name Formosa during the 1960 Rome Olympics · C.K. Yang was the first person with a Chinese surname to win an Olympic medal · At the opening ceremony of the 1960 Rome Olympics Rafer Johnson was the first African American to carry the American flag at the Olympics · At the opening ceremony of the 1960 Rome Olympics, the Taiwan team marched in carrying a placard that said under protest, which was the first overt political protest by a team in Olympics history · Where the idea for "Decathlon: The CK Yang and Rafer Johnson Story" came from · How Mike’s co-creator, co-writer, and co-producer, John Krich sought out, befriended and interviewed C.K. Yang in 2006 · How Mike met and befriended Rafer Johnson and C.K.’s widow Daisy in Los Angeles · Taiwanese Canadian film director of "Decathlon: The CK Yang and Rafer Johnson Story," Frank W. Chen also directed “Late Life: The Chien-Ming Wang Story” · How C.K. Yang, Rafer Johnson and athletes have become political symbols · How C.K. Yang and Rafer Johnson were intense athletic rivals and close friends · The close personal friendship between C.K. Yang and Rafer Johnson · How C.K. Yang and Rafer Johnson had the same coach, Ducky Drake at UCLA · How C.K. Yang and Rafer Johnson joked that they were the “Two-Man United Nations” · How C.K. Yang’s story ...
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    47 mins
  • Ep 289 | Dr. Linda Gail Arrigo: The Kaohsiung Incident - The Watershed Moment That Led to Taiwan's Democratization Part 2

    Ep 289 | Dr. Linda Gail Arrigo: The Kaohsiung Incident - The Watershed Moment That Led to Taiwan's Democratization Part 2
    Jul 31 2024

    This is the second part of our interview with Dr. Linda Gail Arrigo, Ai Linda (艾琳達).
    Earlier this year when we were in Taiwan in January for the presidential election, we sat
    down to interview Linda about the era and events that precipitated the Kaohsiung
    incident also known as the Formosa Incident, which is widely considered the watershed
    moment in history that led to Taiwan’s democratization. The Kaohsiung Incident
    happened in December of 1979.


    If you haven’t had a chance to listen to the first part of this interview, you can go back to
    episode 287 and give it a listen. By the way, that episode of Talking Taiwan, episode
    287 got us shortlisted in the top 15 podcasts selected in the category of "Moment of
    Visionary Leadership" for the 2024 International Women's Podcast Awards. This year
    the IWPA had 700 submissions from over 33 different countries. Results were
    announced in London on Wednesday, June 19th.

    While we were not selected as the winning podcast in this category, we are deeply
    honored to have our work recognized. Any increased visibility for Talking Taiwan also
    means greater visibility for Taiwan.
    In case you didn’t know, Talking Taiwan is also on YouTube, and we did video record
    my interview with Linda, so we do plan on releasing it on our YouTube channel, but
    please be patient with us since we are only a two-person team.
    We do have some interesting content on YouTube that’s different from our podcast
    episodes, so if you haven’t already, we encourage you to look for Talking Taiwan on
    YouTube and to subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@talkingtaiwan
    Issues of Formosa Magazine

    Photo Credit: Linda Gail Arrigo
    The Kaohsiung Eight (from left to right):
    Chang Chun-hung (張俊宏), Huang Hsin-chieh (黃信介), Chen Chu (陳菊), Yao Chia-
    wen (姚嘉文), Shih Ming-teh (施明德), Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), Lin Hung-hsuan (林弘宣 ),
    and Lin Yi-hsiung (林義雄)- not pictured

    Photo Credit: Screenshot from Formosa Incident, Explained YouTube video from
    Taiwan Explained by TaiwanPlus: https://youtu.be/2eaxPhA9RN8?si=_YF0brrtyjOwlu6D
    International Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Taiwan (ICDHRT)-
    Lynn Miles’ organization

    Photo Credit: Linda Gail Arrigo

    Linda Gail Arrigo (艾琳達) wearing the three-colored sash, and the three-colored
    banners and signs of the dangwai (黨外) i.e. outside party or opposition.

    Related Links:

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    38 mins
  • Ep 288 | The Boba Guys: Andrew Chau and Bin Chen Bubble Tea Entrepreneurs Bridging Cultures for 11 Years

    Ep 288 | The Boba Guys: Andrew Chau and Bin Chen Bubble Tea Entrepreneurs Bridging Cultures for 11 Years
    Jul 8 2024

    Early last year I spoke with Boba Guys co-founders Andrew Chau and Bin Chen. At the time Andrew had just gotten back from visiting Taiwan and other parts of Asia, so it was interesting to hear his observations. Andrew and Bin shared so many great nuggets. We talked about how they got started with a pop-up shop while working fulltime and how they continued to so even after they opened their first few stores.

    Related Links:

    https://talkingtaiwan.com/the-boba-guys-andrew-chau-and-bin-chen-bubble-tea-entrepreneurs-bridging-cultures-for-11-years/

    Other topics covered include how Boba Guys weathered the pandemic, Andrew and Bin’s book called The Boba Book, and how they see boba as a way to bridge cultures. What has Boba Guys been up to since we spoke? Lots of interesting collabs with other brands, and the release of a loyalty program called “Passport” which gamifies the experience through loot boxes instead of linearly earning points to redeem for a drink.

    Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

    · How Andrew and Bin first met when they both worked at Timbuktu

    · How they decided to start a bubble tea business

    · Andrew’s recent trip to Taiwan and the other Taiwanese Americans he met up with while there

    · Andrew’s thoughts on Taiwan’s bubble tea scene

    · How they started with a pop-up shop

    · How they have not taken any VC (venture capital) money

    · The social costs and risks of being an entrepreneur

    · How other Taiwanese American entrepreneurs like Steve Chen and Kevin Lin mentored them

    · How Andrew does advising for the small business council and testified in Washington D.C. on behalf of small businesses

    · How they were working on Boba Guys Japan when the pandemic hit

    · How Boba Guys dealt with the pandemic

    · The biggest challenges they’ve experienced

    · The third wave of boba

    · The meaning of the word boba and how Andrew’s mom reacted to the name Boba Guys

    · How Boba Guys name their drinks

    · Their book, The Boba Book and how they choose their co-author Richard Parks

    · What happened when they went to Taiwan and tried to determine which tea shop invented bubble tea

    · The Boba Guys’ merchandise and aardvark mascot

    · The Boba Home Kit and how they created a boba kit that was on Williams Sonoma

    · How they teach people how to make boba online

    · How they have mentored other entrepreneurs

    Related Links:

    https://talkingtaiwan.com/the-boba-guys-andrew-chau-and-bin-chen-bubble-tea-entrepreneurs-bridging-cultures-for-11-years/
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Ep 287 | Dr. Linda Gail Arrigo: Taiwan Democracy Fighter Talks About Events Leading Up to the Kaohsiung Incident

    Ep 287 | Dr. Linda Gail Arrigo: Taiwan Democracy Fighter Talks About Events Leading Up to the Kaohsiung Incident
    Jun 19 2024

    Earlier this year when we were in Taiwan in January for the presidential election, I sat down to interview Dr. Linda Gail Arrigo, Ai Linda (艾琳達).

    Related Links:

    https://talkingtaiwan.com/dr-linda-gail-arrigo-taiwan-democracy-fighter-talks-about-events-leading-up-to-the-kaohsiung-incident-ep-287/

    She talked about the era and events that precipitated the Kaohsiung incident aka Formosa Incident (on December 10, 1979) which is widely considered the watershed moment in history that led to Taiwan’s democratization. This is part one of a two-part interview.

    Related Links:

    https://talkingtaiwan.com/dr-linda-gail-arrigo-taiwan-democracy-fighter-talks-about-events-leading-up-to-the-kaohsiung-incident-ep-287/
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Ep 286 | Bluebird Movement 3 Experts Discuss the Controversial Bills Leading to Protests at the Legislative Yuan

    Ep 286 | Bluebird Movement 3 Experts Discuss the Controversial Bills Leading to Protests at the Legislative Yuan
    Jun 4 2024

    After fights broke out in Taiwan’s legislative yuan on May 17th sending several legislators to the hospital, the public gathered in protest outside of the legislative yuan. There have been over 30,000, 100,000 and 70,000 people gathered at three of the major protests which are being called the Bluebird movement. The name is a play on the name of the road nearby the legislative yean where protests began (青島東路).

    Related Links:

    https://talkingtaiwan.com/bluebird-movement-3-experts-discuss-the-controversial-bills-leading-to-protests-at-the-legislative-yuan-ep-286/

    I spoke with Taipei Times columnist Michael Turton and his son Sebastian on May 27th about the controversial bills that have caused such widespread dissent. Sebastian shared what he saw at the protests in Taipei on Tuesday, May 22 and Friday, May 24.

    I also spoke with Sean Su after a set of the controversial legislative reform bills passed on May 28th.

    There have been protests all over Taiwan in 15 different cities, and even globally. The New York Bluebird, a group of politically conscious New York City-based Taiwanese have worked with Keep Taiwan Free to raise funds for a billboard in New York’s Times Square to promote awareness of the Bluebird movement. The billboard will appear on Tuesday, June 4 at 6:00pm.

    Related Links:

    https://talkingtaiwan.com/bluebird-movement-3-experts-discuss-the-controversial-bills-leading-to-protests-at-the-legislative-yuan-ep-286/
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    50 mins
  • Ep 285 | Passport to Taiwan 20th Anniversary Catching Up with Rapper Dwagie and Yun Hai Taiwanese Pantry

    Ep 285 | Passport to Taiwan 20th Anniversary Catching Up with Rapper Dwagie and Yun Hai Taiwanese Pantry
    Jun 2 2024

    On May 26th we stopped by the annual Passport to Taiwan in New York City’s Union Square Park and I caught up with a few of our past guests, Taiwanese hip hop and rap artist, Dwagie who performed at this year’s Passport to Taiwan, and Lisa Cheng Smith who was also there with her Yun Hai co-founder Lillian Lin her co-founder. Yun Hai Taiwanese Pantry 雲海 offers a selection of premium ingredients for Taiwanese and Chinese cooking online and at their shop located in Brooklyn.

    I spoke Dwagie about his thoughts on the protests that have been happening around the legislative yuan in Taipei. Stay tuned for our next episode which will cover the protests around the legislative yuan that started around May 17th.

    I also spoke to Lillian and Lisa, co-founders of Yun Hai Taiwanese Pantry about what it was like to have President Tsai Ing-wen visit their shop in Brooklyn, and a few of their products including their qq dragon T-shirt and dried mango.

    To learn more about Dwagie check out episode 50 of Talking Taiwan and to learn more about Yun Hai check out episode 135.

    Related Links:
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    9 mins
  • Ep 284 | Invisible Nation: Director Vanessa Hope Discusses her Documentary About Tsai Ing-Wen's Presidency

    Ep 284 | Invisible Nation: Director Vanessa Hope Discusses her Documentary About Tsai Ing-Wen's Presidency
    May 29 2024
    Vanessa Hope is the director of Invisible Nation, a documentary film that takes a look at the presidency of Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan's first female president and events that happened during her tenure. We talked about what first brought Vanessa to Taiwan which meant that she was there in 1996 during the inauguration of Lee Teng-hui, Taiwan’s first directly elected president. Then in 2016 after Vanessa came to Taiwan with an international delegation to observe Taiwan’s presidential elections and witnessed the election of Tsai Ing-wen, she came up with the idea for a film about Tsai Ing-wen’s presidency. Related Links: https://talkingtaiwan.com/invisible-nation-director-vanessa-hope-discusses-her-documentary-about-tsai-ing-wens-presidency-ep-284/ Vanessa’s first feature length documentary, All Eyes And Ears examined relations between the U.S. and China through the stories of U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, his adopted Chinese daughter Gracie Mei, and blind legal advocate Chen Guangcheng. When I asked Vanessa about her experience making a documentary film in China, she recounted a story that explained why she personally related to the backlash and pressure from China that Chou Tzu-yu, a Taiwanese member of a K-pop band has faced. We also talked about the challenges in making Invisible Nation over a seven year period, Vanessa’s personal motivations for making the film and where Invisible Nation is going to be screened in the near future. Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: · What brought Vanessa to Taiwan and got her interested in Taiwan · What Vanessa observed when she was in Taiwan for the inauguration of Lee Teng-hui, the first directly elected president of Taiwan · The first time she dabbled in filmmaking · How Vanessa wrote and recorded the podcast, Love Is a Crime, which tells the story of her family’s connection to film · The state of the film industry which Vanessa’s husband Ted Hope writes about on Substack · How Vanessa came up with the idea for the film, Invisible Nation · Vanessa worked at the Council on Foreign Relations · Vanessa came to Taiwan with an international delegation to observe Taiwan’s presidential elections in 2016 and witnessed the election of Tsai Ing-wen · How Vanessa secured a grant focused on women, peace and security · How film producer Sylvia Feng helped Vanessa with submitting a proposal to President Tsai’s office regarding her idea for a documentary film · How they filmed an interview with Chen Chu before hearing an answer from President Tsai’s office about the documentary film proposal · How Vanessa originally envisioned working a film about Taiwan’s first female president · The backlash President Tsai received from China initially · The discrimination that Taiwan faces internationally · How Taiwan has been excluded from international organizations like the WHO, the United Nations, the Olympics and others · How Russia’s invasion of Ukraine highlighted concerns about the threat Taiwan faces from China · How Xi Jinping has said that he will not renounce the use of force against Taiwan · Where the name of the film, Invisible Nation came from · The film Vanessa produced, Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America, about · If President Tsai had any say in the film Invisible Nation · What personally motivated Vanessa to make the film, Invisible Nation · How the interview and scene with Chen Chu in the film came about · How Chen Chu wrote her will when she was in prison and dedicated her life to the people of Taiwan · What it was like meeting former President Ma Ying-jeou · How Vanessa’s mentor at the Council on Foreign Relations, Jerome Cohen had been a professor at Harvard Law School to Ma Ying-jeou and Annette Lu · What Vanessa learned from working at the Council on Foreign Relations · What fascinated Vanessa about how the singer Chou Tzu-yu was forced to apologize for waving a flag that represented Taiwan · Wen Liu’s comments about President Tsai that didn’t make it into the film Invisible Nation · How it was decided that historical facts to keep in the film or not · How part of the editing process for the film Invisible Nation was to test it on audiences · How Vanessa has had to edit down Invisible Nation from 85 minutes to 55 minutes for television · Who is the target audience of the film, Invisible Nation · Why some of the Taiwanese who worked on Invisible Nation had to use pseudonyms · China’s 3 T’s ...
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    1 hr and 7 mins