Letter to One Planet at the BBC

Greetings to the Good People at One Planet from Taipei, Taiwan!

I heard your report on Shark Fin Soup last Friday, and thought you might be interested in some of the latest news on this topic from Taiwan. First, we have just been determined to be the 4th largest shark catching nation in the world--Taiwanese fishermen catch 5.8% of the world's catch of shark (cf British conservation group TRAFFIC and US Pew Environmental Group's report released 27 Jan 2011).
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2011/01/28/289361/Taiwan-working.htm

However, attitudes towards eating shark fin soup seem to be changing. A local environmental group called EAST (Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan) recently thanked Taiwan's 4 major convenience stores for agreeing to NOT sell shark fin soup products for the upcoming Chinese New Year. (Last year at this time, EAST circulated a petition about this, and sent it to the convenience stores, which are very popular in Taiwan. They offer a myriad of services including bill payment, train/movie ticket purchasing and an online menu for the most important family meal of the year, Chinese New Year dinner. The stores' management more or less ignored the petition last year...but this year have all come around to a more environmentally friendly stance.)
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/local/taipei/2011/01/12/287318/Group-urges.htm

I'm an English teacher in Taipei, and have gathered comments from my Taiwanese friends and students for you:

Shark fin soup doesn't taste like anything...I don't understand why people want to eat it. Sometimes the shark fin soup in the banquet is not the real one; then why eat it?  My parents  (65 and 70 yrs old) don't like shark fin either.  Shark fin is not the food for people like us - middle class. It belongs more to rich people due to the high price. We think there is plenty of food that tastes better than shark fin!
--Yvonne, in her 30s

 As far as I know, people in Taiwan enjoy shark fin soup because they believe that it makes your skin beautiful and it's nutritious. Maybe it is just a superstition.
I watched a movie in science class. It was about animals. The VCD also talked about shark fin soup and showed the process of fisherman getting the shark fins. I think it is very inhumane! 
--Alexander, 10 

It's true that sharp fin has its function toward our skin, because it has that substance like gelatin that can increase the elasticity of skin. But we can still get that from other food like pig knuckles.
As far as I'm concerned, being able to afford eating shark fin soup is something for those who want to show off their social status and wealth.
It is delicious, but there're lots of other delicious foods out there.
--Julie, in her 20s

I conducted a Shark Fin Soup Survey in my Kids (aged 9-12) and Teens classes this last weekend. Out of a total of 17 students, most of them have eaten Shark Fin Soup. Only 4 of them think it's delicious. A large majority of the students know the arguments against eating it, most of them having learned from TV. All the kids except one who know the reasons not to eat shark fin soup said they would not eat it if someone offered it to them. A slight majority (60%) of the teens said they would still eat it because "if they don't eat it, it will become garbage." The other 40% said they wouldn't eat it because it doesn't taste good. And all of the teens said they would not serve shark fin soup at their wedding banquet--the other main time Taiwanese eat it.

Thanks for your interesting programme!

Cheers
Lynn Conant
BBC listener in Taipei

shark fin soup on the BBC news

Hello Good People!

I was just listening to the BBC news, and there was a report about Shark Fin Soup. They focused on Hong Kong, and at the end said, "Do you have any comments? Feel free to email us."

So, I'm going to email the BBC this afternoon about attitudes towards Shark Fin Soup here in Taiwan. I'm going to send them the recent news from EAST (Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan), which reports that the main convenience stores here have AGREED NOT to sell Shark Fin Soup products this Chinese New Year--hooray! (Remember we signed a petition last year about this? Our actions made a difference!)

I also think it would be really interesting for the BBC if YOU added YOUR thoughts about Shark Fin Soup--remember last year we discussed how there's a difference between generations here in Taiwan regarding Shark Fin Soup...that people 50-60 years old and above still regard it as important, but Taiwanese in their 20s and 30s don't care that much about it--but some young people serve it at their wedding banquet to please their parents...

Anyway, I'm going to write a draft email to the BBC this afternoon, and then post it here. It would be great if you even added ONE SENTENCE plus your name...Maybe we'll get mentioned on the BBC!!

:) Lynn

Jan 22 Session Details--S/he Works Hard for the Money: Working Overtime in Taiwan

2011.01.30 UPDATES with Session Summary

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B-u0BaWm1drVZjc0ZTA0YzUtNWNmMC00ODlmLWEyZDAtOTdiNTMxNzJmYjc0&authkey=CJ_L8-4K&hl=en

Hello!

Here are the details of our next TAIWAN ISSUES in ACTION session:

Date/Time: Sat 22 Jan 2011, 1330-1530

Place: 2F., No.9, Nanjing W. Rd. (The easiest way is to take the MRT red line to Zhongshan station Exit 4--only a 10-second walk from Exit 4!) It is the Lion Publishing Co. Art School.

Topic: S/he Works Hard for the Money: Working Overtime in Taiwan  
How often do YOU work overtime? What's your company's policy on overtime? Do you get paid for it? Do you claim it??
 
Working overtime in Taiwan is a hot topic! It even made the international news recently, on the BBC World Service. At a Nov session last year, we read a short China Post newspaper article entitled: 48.8% of male employees overweight: survey http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2010/11/05/278731/488-of.htm

The bureau (of Health Promotion under the Dept of Health) urged local companies to help to create a healthy working environment by encouraging their employees to engage in regular exercises and by holding weight-losing contests. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Yvonne, one of our members, reacted to this, saying:
Our government doesn't need to encourage companies to hold weight-losing contests--it needs to get companies to STOP so much overtime work. Then employees will have time to exercise and eat decent dinners.
 
At this session, after Julie leads us in an icebreaker, we'll find out what was reported on the BBC, and discuss our own personal working hours and company policies. Then, we'll write a Letter to the Editor to keep the discussion going on this topic in our local media...and maybe even help change attitudes and policies...

For planning purposes, if you can come, please register by Friday 21 Jan, 12 noon.

Thanks--hope to see you! Please don't go to work instead of coming to this session!!

:) Lynn

Team Hoyt

One day, I was in Campus Bookstore with my father. I saw this book--- Devoted: The Story of a Father's Love for His Son(in Chinese: 最美的奉獻), and picked it up to read. I was overwhelmed by the story and quickly borrowed the book from library when I got home.

It's a story about a father whose son born with cerebral palsy(腦性麻痺) wanted his son to live a life just like a normal person. He and his wife both wanted this, so they fought to get his son to study in a public school (actually they changed the law), proved that his son, though physically disabled, can communicate with the help of a machine. The father worked hard to pay medical bills but he still felt he needed to have more connections with his eldest son. One time, they had a chance to "run" together for 8 kms, he ran, pushing his son on his wheelchair. Naturally he was exhausted when the game finished, but he knew his son had something to say, " Dad, when I run, I don't even feel handicapped."

He knew this was the chance to bond with his son. So they started training. It was in 1977. And till now, they've completed numerous triathlons.

It was beautiful. This is a book without exaggerating words or stories, just a father telling how they've overcome everything and not to believe those people who told them that they can't do it.

Just looking at the photos and certain sentences can make your eyes full of tears. So it's best not to read it in public, ha ha. But it's hard to put down this book once you chose to pick it up.

If you're interested in their story, check out this video: team Hoyt- redeemer

Julie

Amber's baby girl

Dear all,

 

Thank you very much for the lovely card!

Sorry to reply to you all late. My girl Anne was born on 19th of November and I have been busy.

I hope that one day I can join the session and see you all again .

Happy New Year and the coimg Chinese New Year!

(Two photos of Anne attached)

 

Amber

 

Session 08 Jan. 2011-Article discussion from Taiwan Review magazine: Where Old and New Faiths Meet

2011.01.12 UPDATES with Session Summary

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XeZL3_rHzr1BLaMwOcZE5Ux2PUgUdX5ibtuS5d0K1qc/edit?hl=en&authkey=CK3hjqMF#

 

Hello

Happy New Year 2011!

Here's the information about our first session of this new year:

Date/Time: Sat 08 Jan 2011, 1:30-3:30pm

Place: 2F ., No.9, Nanjing W. Rd. (The easiest way is to take the MRT red line to Zhongshan station Exit 4--only a 10-second walk from Exit 4!) It is the Lion Publishing Co. Art School.

台北市南京西路9號2樓

Topic: Article discussion from Taiwan Review: Where Old and New Faiths Meet
http://taiwanreview.nat.gov.tw/ct.asp?xitem=83065&ctnode=1337&mp=1

If you have time, have a look at the magazine article before the session.

Taiwan has transformed into a democracy that embraces religious pluralism and tolerance toward all beliefs.

The faithful place food offerings on an altar as an expression of their sincerity, then make a series of bows before the statue of a deity, their hands clasped together holding burning sticks of incense. After murmuring prayers seeking divine guidance, they throw a pair of crescent-shaped wooden blocks on the floor to ascertain the god’s answers. Once these rituals are complete, they make a circuit of all the main shrines and deities inside the temple, place the incense sticks in censers and throw piles of joss paper into large chimney-like furnaces standing in the courtyard or outside the temple..........

Please reply to me by noon Friday 7 Jan. 2011 to let us know if you plan to attend.

Thanks!
Lynn