台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 9

The Chinese text below was taken from "Taiwanese Place Name Stories" 台灣地名故事, published by Windmill 三暉圖書發行有限公司 in 2021.  The Chinese text was written by Windmill and the English text was written by me.

助人為樂的阿公店

The Helpful Agongdian

清朝將台灣納入反圖初期 , 並沒有用心經營 , 加上派來台灣的官員 , 幾年後就會調回大陸 , 因此許多官員都過著紙醉金迷的奢華生活 , 無心推動政務 , 抱著大撈一筆就可以回鄉享福的心態 , 到處搜刮民脂民膏 , 使得民不聊生 , 怨聲載道 .  During the early period of Ching administration of Taiwan, the government didn't do a very good job of governing.  The officials sent here only lasted a few years before they transferred back to the Mainland, and they lived a very profligate lifestyle without any concern for improving local government.  They maintained the attitude that with a stroke of a pen they could return home and live luxurious lives, and that it was best to extort whatever they could out of local people while they were here.  This naturally made local people's lives very difficult and caused them to complain.

百姓認無可忍 , 只好組成起義軍 , 反抗清朝的統治 .  然而 , 反抗軍大都是貧窮的農民 , 不僅缺乏糧食 , 又沒有受過軍事訓練 , 使用的也只有鋤頭 , 鐵鍬 , 木棍之類的簡易武器 .  所以 , 與滿清的正規軍一接觸就潰不成軍 , 起義活動往往以 "悲慘下場" 結束 , 令人扼腕 . The people could not bear this state of affairs, and so they formed a rebel army to resist the Ching government.  Most of these rebels, however, were just poor famers without enough food to eat or any military training.  They used hoes, shovels and wooden sticks as weapons.  As soon as they came up against the Ching army they were easily defeated and their uprising was stomped out.  The end of their revolutions were both tragic and embarrassing.

不過 , 只要滿清官員腐敗無能 , 橫徵暴斂的情形沒有改善 , 加上打著 "反清復明" 旗幟的天地會在暗中推波助瀾 , 反抗事件就層出不窮 , 不會停止 . 因此 , 許多這次參加反抗活動但僥倖沒有遇害的義士 , 往往會繼續參加下一次的起義活動 , 成為長期抗清的職業義士 . But as long as the Manchu officials remained corrupt and incompetent, and as long as their extortionate behavior persisted, people rallied beneath the "Overthrow the Ching and Restore the Ming" banner.  Their rebellion would never end.  For this reason many righteous people lucky enough to survive a disastrous battle continued to engage in resistance activities, and grew steadily more organized in their approach to revolution.  They became longtime adversaries of the imperial government. (1)

這則 "阿公店故事" 的主人翁 , 就是一個從小到老一直參與反抗活動的人 . The main character in this "Story of Agongdian" is a person involved in resistance activities from his childhood to late in his life.

吳清標從小練就一身好武藝 , 刀劍棍棒樣樣精通 .  他為人富正義感 , 又具有俠義精神 , 常替窮人和弱小者打抱不平 , 因此在地方上頗有名氣 . Wu Qing-biao excelled at martial arts from a young age, and he was proficient with both the sword and the staff.  He cared a lot about justice and was very chivalrous.  He often stood up for the poor and disadvantaged, and for this reason he was locally famous.

有一年 , 發生乾旱 , 農作物收成不好 , 農民不要說過好日子 , 連三餐的溫飽都成問題 .  可是 , 那些整天飲酒作樂的官員哪管這麼多 , 還是叫軍士到民間搜刮財物 , 使得百姓不得不將賴以為生的米糧偷偷藏起來 .  軍士們擔心回去沒有辦法交差 , 嚴刑拷打 , 逼問糧食藏在哪裡 . During one year there was a drought and the harvest was small.  The farmers grew tight-lipped, and getting enough food for three meals became a problem.  Even so, the Ching officials, accustomed as they were to a lavish lifestyle, still sent the soldiers among the people who were then secretly hoarding food, demanding tribute.  The soldiers, fearful of returning empty handed, began torturing people to find out where they had secreted their crops.

有些百姓受不了痛苦 , 只好把有限的米糧交出來 .  軍士們覺得這個方法成效不錯 , 就變本加厲的逼迫老百姓 .  但是許多窮人實在交不出米糧 , 因此被打得遍體鱗傷 , 甚至一命嗚呼 . Some people couldn't bear torture so they were forced to hand over their limited supply of food.  The soldiers found their coercive methods very effective, and so they tortured people even harder.  But some poor people had no food to hand over, and for this reason they were beaten severely, sometimes until they died.

這天 , 豔陽高照 , 軍士們把楊大叔拖出來 , 逼他交出米糧 .  楊大叔是本地最窮的人之一 , 家裡沒有田產 , 又要撫養父母和三個小孩 , 三餐都喝稀粥過活 , 哪有餘糧可以交呢 ?  軍士哪管這麼多 , 一頓棍棒 , 打得楊大叔皮開肉綻 , 痛苦不堪 . One day the sun was shining brightly.  A sergeant dragged Uncle Yang from his house and demanded that he hand over his food.  Uncle Yang was one of the poorest people in the area, with no crops of his own and both his parents and three children to care for.  His family subsisted on rice porridge, how could they have extra food to hand over to the authorities?  A sergeant bearing a staff didn't bother much about this problem, and instead beat Uncle Yang within an inch of his life. (2)

吳清標看得怒火中燒 , 縱身搶下領隊軍士手中的棍棒 , 說 : "軍爺 , 請你饒了楊大叔 , 他的生活已經夠清苦了 , 你這樣做 , 不是要逼死他嗎 ?" Wu Qing-biao was furious when he saw this.  He jumped out and grabbed the staff from the sergeant's hands, saying: "Sir, please spare Uncle Yang.  His life is already hard enough.  If you keep on this way you'll kill him!"

領隊軍士平時氣燄何等囂張 , 現在卻被搶走棍棒 , 顏面上掛不住 , 一臉怒氣的說 : "你好大膽 , 竟敢和軍爺作對 !  既然如此 , 你就幫他交糧 ."  The sergeant, normally very arrogant in his bearing, was discomfited to find his staff snatched away.  He said angrily: "You've overstepped your bounds, fighting against a military master!  As punishment you'll give me the old man's tribute.

吳清標說 : "軍爺 , 你一路走來 , 應該看到田地因乾旱而龜裂 , 農作物都枯死了 .  遇到天災 , 百姓三餐不繼 , 官府應開開糧倉賑濟才對 , 怎麼還來徵糧呢 ?" Wu Qingbiao said: "Military master, as you walked here you probably noticed the fields blasted by drought.  The crops have all withered.  In times of disaster, when the people don't have enough to eat, the government should open the granaries to provide relief, not come here to levy food."

領隊軍士被說得滿臉通紅 , 啞口無言 , 不禁惱羞成怒 , 厲聲說 : "小子 , 你想找死嗎 ?" The sergeant, red faced and almost speechless, couldn't help but blurt out: "Boy, you're courting death..."

說著 , 拿起另一根棍棒朝吳清標打來 .  吳清標武藝高強 , 哪會懼怕 ?  只見他左挪右閃 , 領隊軍士棒棒都落空 , 根本打不著 .  領隊軍士更生氣了 , 手一招 , 其他的軍士立刻一擁而上 , 將吳清標圍在中央 , 一陣亂打 .  As he said so he picked up another staff and tried to hit Wu Qingbiao.  But Wu Qingbiao was such an excellent martial artist, what did he have to fear?  He dashed left and right, and the sergeant failed to land a single blow.  The other soldiers surrounded Wu Qingbiao, striking at him from several directions.

吳清標原本並不想把事情鬧大 , 所以一直閃避 , 採取守勢 .  後來發現軍士們存心置他於死地 , 為了自保 , 只好奪下一位軍士的棍棒展開反擊 .  只見他將棍棒舞得虎虎生風 .  吳清標一輪猛攻 , 無意間 , 棍棒打到一個軍士的額頭 , 那名軍士立刻倒在地上 .  圍觀的人都嚇傻了 , 領隊軍士愣了一下 , 大喊 : "打死人了 , 打死人了 ." Wu Qingbiao didn't want to add exacerbate the matter, so he dodged this way and that, protecting himself carefully.  As the battle progressed he realized that the sergeant truly meant to kill him, and in order to save himself he had to launch a fierce counterattack.  His staff spun through the air with a practiced skill, and he landed a blow directly on the sergeant's forehead.  The sergeant fell to the ground.  Those surrounding them were awestruck, and the sergeant disbelievingly shouted: "He's killed me... he's killed me..."

領隊軍士也顧不得倒在地上那個軍士了 , 邊喊邊往官府跑去 .  村民們緊張的說 : "阿標 , 官兵馬上就趕來 , 你快逃吧 !  等風波平息後再回來 ." The remaining soldiers were unwilling to deal with the situation, and so they reported back to the government.  The villagers worriedly told Wu Qingbiao: "A Biao, the soldiers will return soon, you should make your escape!  We'll send word when it's safe to come back!"

吳清標見自己失手打死人 , 也亂了方寸 , 聽村民這麼說 , 拔腿就跑 .  他逃到荒郊野外 , 望著茫茫大地 , 不知該往何處去 .  忽然 , 他想起鴨母王朱一貴正在起義反清 , 心想 : "我已經走投無路 , 不如去參加反抗軍 ."  Wu Qingbiao looked down at the man he'd just killed with his own hands lying motionless on the ground.  Heeding the villagers' warning he then took flight, searching for a secret place in which to hide himself.  He then thought of Zhu Yi-gui, who was then leading an insurrection.  He decided: "There's really nowhere for me to run to.  I might as well join the resistance."

於是他加入了朱一貴的反抗軍 .  他的武藝高強 , 兩軍隊陣時 , 總是奮不顧身 , 殺敵無數 , 深得朱一貴信任 , 便提拔他擔任隨身侍衛 .  後來 , 朱一貴起義失敗 , 吳清標僥倖逃脫 , 又去參加另一支反抗軍 .  After that he joined Zhu Yi-gui's rebel army.  He was a skilled martial artist, and when the two forces came together in battle he killed countless enemy combatants.  Zhu Yi-gui placed deep trust in him, and made him responsible for many things.  Later on Zhu Yi-gui's rebellion was crushed, and after making his escape Wu Qing-biao joined another rebel army.

沙場上的歲月過得特別快 , 轉眼間 , 吳清標已經五十多歲了 , 雖然武藝更加精湛 , 可是體力卻大不如前 , 而且他也看清反抗軍的首領大都只是為了一已之私 , 很少真正為百姓著想 .  因此心灰意冷 , 獨自離開了反抗軍 . The years of battle passed by quickly, and almost before he knew it Wu Qing-biao was over fifty years old.  Although his skill as a martial artist had improved his body wasn't as strong as it had once been.  He also came to regard his struggles against the Ching government as more of a personal grudge, and he didn't think he'd helped the average person that much.  For this reason his enthusiasm for rebellion withered and he left the rebel army.

他來到高雄通往台南府的路旁 , 開了一家小雜貨店 , 專門賣日用品給過往的行人 .  由於南部天氣比較悶熱 , 行人走到這裡都已經汗流浹背 .  吳清標就在店門口擺一桶茶水 , 免費供行人飲用 , 解渴 .  過了不久 , 他覺得往來高雄 , 台南間的旅客 , 常因找不到住宿的地方而露宿野外 , 遭受風吹雨打 , 於是又增建了幾間草屋 , 廉價供旅客住宿 .  On the road between Kaohsiung and Tainan he opened a small shop which sold daily necessities to those passing by on foot.  The weather in south Taiwan is very hot and humid, and by the time people reached this place they were already very sweaty.  Wu Qingbiao placed a container of tea in front of his shop for this reason, so that those passing by could stop there and quench their thirst for free.  After a while he realized that between Kaohsiung and Tainan there was nowhere for travelers to pass the night, and that many of them were sleeping outside, where they were at the mercy of the elements.  He built a few grass huts nearby for the use of travelers.

受過吳清標恩惠的人都想知道他的姓名 .  但是吳清標曾參加反抗軍 , 許多官兵都知道他的名字 , 為了避免遭到官府騷擾 , 每次有人問起他的姓名 , 他都含糊其辭的說 : "你們知道有我這個人就可以了 , 姓名一點兒也不重要 ."  Travelers grateful to Wu Qingbiao all asked his name, but after his years in the resistance the government troops were also searching for him.  In order to avoid discovery he always replied, "You know that I'm here, my name is unimportant."

大家沒有辦法 , 只好稱這位樂於助人的吳清標為 "阿公" , 而阿公開的店 , 當然叫作 "阿公店" 了 .  更有意思的是 , 這裡原本沒有地名 , 於是人們就把這裡稱作阿公店 .  So the people had no other choice, they could only call the helpful Wu Qingbiao by the title "Grandfather," and of course the shop opened by "Grandfather" came to be called "Grandfather's Shop" ["Agongdian"].  The place where this shop was located had no name in the beginning, so it too came to be called "Agongdian."

民國九年 , 因為附近有一座小崗山 , 所以改名為 "岡山" .  也有人說 , 是因為日治時代 , 有一位派駐此地的日本軍官 , 因為想念家鄉 , 呈請長官把阿公店改名為岡山 . During the ninth year of the Republic of China, due to the presence of a "Little Gangshan ["Little Gang Mountain"] in the vicinity, this area came to be called "Gangshan."  It's also said that a Japanese official, missing his hometown [岡山 or Okayama], petitioned to have the name changed to "Gangshan" during the Japanese Colonial Administration.

不過 , 不管地名是如何更改 , 變動的 , 現在老一輩的人仍然習慣把岡山稱作 "阿公店" .  Whatever the reason behind changing the name, older people are still accustomed to referring to Gangshan as "Agongdian." (3)

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Dzeguan District, Kaohsiung City 高雄市梓官區遊記

Kaohsiung in the News 高雄的新聞 (West 西) 1

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 8

Taiwan 101: Ten Important Dates

1. "Overthrow the Ching, Restore the Ming."  Many Han Chinese regarded the Manchu Ching (Qing) government as "foreigners" who had no right to rule the Chinese empire.  They considered the previous Ming Dynasty, which was overthrown by the Ching, as the legitimate government of China.  This idea in part led Koxinga to Taiwan.  After expelling the Dutch from Taiwan he planned on using what is now Tainan as a base from which to retake the Mainland from the Ching.

2. The Chinese is something like "beat him until his skin was ripped open."  Pretty dark for a kid's story, huh?

3. This is true.  My mother-in-law refers to it as Agongdian all the time.

Taiwan 101: Widely Available Beers

Do I drink beer?  Yes, I do.  Do I drink a lot of beer?  It depends on who you ask.  For the record, I only drink if I don't have work the next day.

In terms of its beer selection, Taiwan can't compete with my hometown, but that's not always a bad thing.  Those living in big cities like Taipei or Kaohsiung of course have more beers to choose from, while those living in more rural areas get to choose from whatever 7-11, Family Mart, PX Mart, Hi-Life and OK Mart have to offer.

Let's begin our tour of locally available beer with 7-11.

7-11

7-11's beer is usually divided into two sections: the fancier beer and the beer you're going to see everywhere.  In the second category is Budweiser, Corona, Heineken, Bar, Asahi, Taiwan Beer, Busch, Kirin and variations put out by those same companies.  The 7-11 I visited didn't stock Orion and Sapporo.

The fancier beers are usually near the refrigerated sandwiches and microwaveable meals.  Of the beers I saw, I think the Brewdog IPA is OK but very overpriced.  The Stangen IPA and the "Hazy IPA" (a white can with red letters) are foul.  Worst of the beers I saw in that 7-11 was the Jack Black IPA.  I've seen some of the Sierra Nevada beers at other 7-11s, and even though they're good they're also overpriced.

2. Family Mart

The Family Mart I visited didn't have much of a selection.  No craft/import beers at all.  There are a couple brands of Kirin which are specific to Family Mart (the "Southern Star" and another kind whose name I'm forgetting), and they also sell Sapporo and Orion.

My reasons for drinking Orion are purely nostalgic.  I once visited Okinawa and had a great time there.  I often drink Asahi out of a similar sense of nostalgia.  A trip I once took to the Asahi Brewery in Osaka was very memorable.

3. PX Mart

I don't buy beer at PX Mart that often.  For a while they sold a pale ale from Iceland that I really liked, but that seems to have disappeared.  PX Mart has a row of euro beers, mostly strong ales and brown ales, and while I'll occasionally drink them at other people's parties I'm not a huge fan.

I should say, however, that PX Mart can be a good place to buy liquor.  A lot of their gin, whiskey and vodka is very reasonably priced, and for the longest time PX Mart was my main supplier of tonic water.

4. Hi-Life

This is where I get a little sad.  Up until last school year Hi-Life was selling a variety of Lithuanian beers, and one of these beers, the NEIPA (New England IPA), was one of my favorite beers ever.  Sadly they seem to have discontinued these beers, probably because Taiwanese people, who favor lagers and pilsners to the exclusion of almost everything else, just weren't buying them in large quantities.

5. OK Mart

I don't visit OK Mart that much.  The closest one to where I live is in Donggang, over an hour away.  I visited that OK Mart not too long ago, and if memory serves their beer selection was even smaller than Hi-Life's.

Related Entries:

Taiwan 101: Ten Important Dates

Taiwan 101: Both Kinds of KTV

Taiwan 101: Chain Restaurants

Taiwan 101: The Superstores

An Echo

There were times when I thought she was quite stupid.  I'd have to tune her out sometimes, or I'd have to pretend I didn't hear her.

My difficulty being that she repeats herself so often, and every time I try to tell her something I have to say it three different ways, just so that the factuality of what I'm saying sinks in.  Sometimes I even have to say it a fourth time, in a slightly different tone of voice, for still greater clarity.

But I later realized that she's not stupid.  The repetition, her way of saying everything multiple ways, is just her way of talking, carried into the city from a dusty village beyond the parts of Taiwan that most people think about.  She isn't stupid.  She just comes from a place where people shuffle around meanings, and where no one ever cuts to the chase.

I suppose that I learn patience through our conversations.  That is, I like to think I'm a more patient person now.  So many years of talking to her, and now I'm used to saying the same thing in several different ways; I'm used to hanging on to every little idea before introducing the next one.  It's not an easy thing to learn, but I'm trying.

There is of course also her upbringing to consider.  She comes from a place where girls are encouraged to be beautiful and submissive, to marry into a good family, and to listen to their mothers in law, no matter how domineering these mothers in law might be.  In the village where she grew up the integrity of the family looms above everything, and to step outside of that integrity, into something like divorce or not sending back money from abroad, is unthinkable.

She's talking now and I wasn't listening.  What is she saying?

Ah yes, the cost of apartments in Ciaotou.  This cost is going up all the time.  I used to try to argue with her about this.  I used to talk about bubbles in the local real estate market, but I gave up after realizing that she has a very static picture of the real estate market, compiled as it is from bits of information overheard in the office where she works.  She's never thinking of supply and demand, scarcity and inflation.  She's never thinking of contingent relationships.  She's thinking instead of fixed rules which operate according to a kind of social geomancy.  This social geomancy is itself her own invention, put together from years of overheard conversations on the subject of houses, apartments and money.

She knows what she knows: the cost of apartments is always going up, and that's all there is to know.  I cannot tell her otherwise.

While she is relating this information we're on a scooter she's driving through an industrial area.  Prefabricated buildings hulk around us for kilometers in every direction, with only the distant lump of Banping Mountain to interrupt the view.  It's early morning, and the sky above us is an uncharacteristic blue.  We cross a bridge leading into Dzeguan.

On our way to the fishing port we stop at a few houses with gigantic shou ("for sale") signs plastered over their first and second floors.  She asks me to take pictures of the address plates on each house.  I'm supposed to send her these pictures on Line later, so that she can check their listings.  At one point she even goes so far as to accost a woman living next to one of the properties on the road, asking the woman how old the house is, who lived there before, and how long the house has been on the market.  The bewildered neighbor does her best to answer these questions, though of course there's a lot she doesn't know.

Eventually we arrive at the fishing port via a series of turns that I'm later unable to remember.  There's a bigger, newer building in that place hosting several seafood restaurants, all of which are closed because it's a Sunday and it's very early.  A few older people sit around near the water, but overall the place is very quiet.

I suggest walking to a nearby beach.  At least I assume it's a beach.  On Google Maps it's a beach.  Google Maps has, however, steered me wrong before. 

She agrees and we slowly walk in that direction.  As we leave the fishing port the streets grow even quieter, with only a few fishermen zooming this way and that between the beach and the port.  On the other side of the shuttered seafood restaurants there's an open expanse of concrete where the fishermen mend their nets, and behind that we find the beach.  It's not a pretty beach, but anyone living that far north into Kaohsiung might find it adequate.

We continue talking.  I've known her for over two decades, and even so her mind takes sharp left turns that often surprise me.

"That woman on the road," she mentions, "Says we have the same look in our eyes."

I can only take her word for it.  Her conversation with that woman took place in Taiwanese, a language I struggle with.  I hadn't been listening that closely anyway.

"We have the same look in our eyes?" I answer rhetorically.  My brain isn't entirely sure how to process this bit of information.  Does it make me happy?  Does it cause me to worry?  Does it make any kind of sense?  For a second or two I consider some moment in the distant past, a branching-off point between universes, where the little girl she must have been resembled the little boy I was.  Perhaps there is some kernel of truth to the statement that "we have the same look in our eyes."  I really don't know.

Sometimes I feel like talking to her is like sitting in the middle of a very dark room, where the person you're speaking to doesn't want to be seen.  She darts in and out of shadows.  Her real meanings lurk behind cryptic statements that seem plain, but aren't.

We walk to the other end of the beach and then slowly retrace our path through the port.  I've been taking pictures while we've been talking, carefully stepping over bits of garbage along the seawall as I do so.  Slowly we walk back to her scooter, past the fishing nets and onward to the other side of the seafood restaurants where her scooter is waiting.

I wonder if people always resemble one another more closely over time.  Have I become more like her, and less like the ignorant foreigner I once was?  Do I dance around meanings the way she does?  Do I worry every fact, within every conversation, to its barest outlines?  Or has knowing me changed her instead?  Has she become less the model of a traditional, obedient wife?  Has she absorbed some of my cynicism?  Some of my foreign pride?

I glance briefly into her eyes as we put our helmets back on, preparing for the ride back to Ciaotou.  Yes, I think, I know her well.  Even when I wasn't listening, she was still speaking inside me.

Related Entries:

Dzeguan District, Kaohsiung City 高雄市梓官區遊記

Kaohsiung in the News 高雄的新聞 (West 西) 1

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 8

Never Mind

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (Central 中) 7

There are 29 townships, 3 municipalities and one city in Pingtung County.  It's exhausting to include news from every township, municipality and Pingtung City every time, so what I'll do instead is include news items from eleven different townships or municipalities in each entry.  This way I should be able to work my way through Pingtung County every three entries. 屏東縣包含了29個鄉, 3個鎮還有屏東市.  每次討論所有鄉鎮的新聞太累了, 所以我會每次討論11個鄉鎮的報告.  這樣子我每三篇新聞文章就會涵蓋到全縣內鄉鎮的新聞.

1. Majia Township 瑪家鄉

1a. A "Quinoa Princess" was recently crowned in Majia.  The low-key beauty pageant was part of a local harvest festival. 2022年瑪家鄉全國紅藜親善公主選拔賽  成續出爐 : 林佳蘭奪冠

1b. With the recent news of Taiwanese people kidnapped in Cambodia, representatives from local law enforcement agencies have been visiting aboriginal tribes.  Their presentations on the dangers of human trafficking have been translated into aboriginal languages. 2社區有孩子失聯 !  屏東瑪家鄉收穫祭 ... 警加強宣導柬埔寨打工詐騙 (1)

1c. A father and son from Majia recently won an award for the coffee beans they grow in that area. 2022年屏東精品咖啡豆評鑑結果出爐 !  瑪家鄉父子檔奪佳績

2. Wandan Township 萬丹鄉

2a. The run up to the election of a new Wandan Township Mayor is heating up, and a split in the local branch of the DPP is making the situation more tense.  Several local candidates have accused one another of violating election and campaign rules. 鄉長提名爭議 !  民進黨屏東萬丹 " 鬧家變 " 潘孟安遭檢舉違紀助選

2b. Lawmaker Zhou Chun-mi, who's running for the office of County Magistrate, visited Wandan to help promote local agricultural products. 屏東縣參選人周春米  行銷萬丹農產 (2)

3. Wanluan Township 萬巒鄉

3a. This is a travel article about Wantai Pork Knuckle Restaurant in Wanluan.  I've eaten there before and yes, it's good. 軟嫩軟Q又入味的萬巒豬腳 , 在地飄香超過50年

3b. A Hakka-language science camp was held in Wanluan recently. 萬巒夏令營  師大教授帶小朋友講科搞科學 (3)

3c. A man in Wanluan was arrested after it was discovered he'd been modifying bullets in a workspace adjacent to a betel nut field.  Local police are cracking down on gun-related crimes ahead of local elections. 檳榔園工寮  變身改槍廠

4. Taiwu Township 泰武鄉

4a. The election of the next Taiwu Township Office Mayor looks to be a very lively event.  The incumbent, representing the KMT, is challenged by four others representing various local interests. 年底九合一大選  屏東泰武鄉長選情三強鼎立

4b. Officials from the Examination Bureau visited Taiwu recently to discuss ways of recruiting local aboriginal residents into local government. 關注原民人才需求  考試院長率委員赴屏東泰武原鄉座談

5. Chaozhou Municipality 潮州鎮

5a. The County will spend millions in the construction of a parking lot, baseball stadium and ice rink in Chaozhou. 屏縣府斥資逾13億打造潮州鎮 "3場" 將為地方帶來新風貌

5b. For whatever it's worth, the Fu-an Temple in Chaozhou will be giving away face masks ahead of the Three-day Mid-Autumn Festival weekend. 秋賞潮州  祈福庇佑送口罩

5c. As many of us are well aware, current real estate prices are ridiculous.  Many of those visiting a 2.9 million NT house in Chaozhou couldn't believe the ruined condition of the 45 year old structure. 超低價298萬潮州 "敘利亞透天" 10組人看完都怕了 !

6. Xinyuan Township 新園鄉

6a. Officials met in Xinyuan to discuss flood control measures there.  A new rainwater pumping station, intended to relieve pressure on local sewers, will be constructed in that township soon.  屏東新園鄉 (鹽埔漁港) B , C幹線雨水下道抽水站新建工程 , 獲得地方各界全力支持 (4)

7. Kanding Township 崁頂鄉

7a. No recent news out of Kanding.

8. Laiyi Township 來義鄉

8a. Officials in the Laiyi Township Office, working with other officials in Kaohsiung, have improved bus service for public school students in that area.  Previously offered bus service was disrupted by Typhoon Morakot. 來義就學巴士上路  解決沿途部落長期交通困境

9. Donggang Municipality 東港鎮

9a. Councilman Huang Jhen-xiang has announced his candidacy for mayor of Donggang Municipality. 要讓鎮民擁有幸福感  東港鎮民代表黃禎祥參選鎮長

9b. People have been stealing the covers off of storm drains in Donggang.  Recently someone fell into an uncovered storm drain and broke a toe.  The Pingtung County Court found the municipality government at fault in this instance, and the Donggang Municipality Office was forced to pay the injured man over 300,000 NT. 水溝蓋疑被偷害民眾踩骨折  東港鎮公所疏失判賠 (5)

9c. The door to the spirit world has closed, marking the end of Ghost Month.  The event was observed through several temple activities in Donggang.  There are pictures in the article. 鬼門關 !  東港月尾 "總普" 登場放水燈 , 撒糖果 "化燄口"

10. Nanzhou Township 南州鄉

10a. Taiwan's first "resource friendly park" was recently opened in Nanzhou. 南州全台首座環保共融公園  啟用

11. Xinpi Township 新埤鄉

11a. No recent news out of Xinpi.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Taiwu Township, Pingtung County 屏東縣泰武鄉遊記

Tainan in the News 台南的新聞 (South 南 ) 1

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (North 北) 7

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 6

1. I overheard one of these speeches at an public school in Hengchun.  This speech seemed unnecessarily racial to me.

2. She'll probably win.  If she doesn't it will be a major upset.

3. A lot of these language activities sound really cool, but when you think about how much time students spend practicing that language you begin to wonder if it was worth the effort.

4. Xinyuan is on the Taiwan Strait, west of Donggang.  It's also between the mouths of the Gaoping (Kaoping) and Donggang rivers.  Flooding there is inevitable.

5. The question before the court was whether or not the municipality office had been negligent in exercising proper oversight over the maintenance of public property.  The municipality office's initial response to the man's complaint was something like "Oh, people steal them all the time," but the injured man, unsatisfied with this answer, took the matter to court.  I think he was right to do so, and I think that many city, township and municipality governments need to take better care of public property.

Dzeguan District, Kaohsiung City 高雄市梓官區遊記

Dzeguan District is west of Ciaotou District.  It's on the Taiwan Strait.  The only "famous" thing there is Hedzeliao ("Oyster Shack") Port, which has a few seafood restaurants. 梓官區位於橋頭區的西部 ， 梓官區比較出名的景點只有蝎仔寮漁港 , 那裡有些海鮮餐廳 .

According to the last census, 34,880 people live in Dzeguan. 梓官區上次的人口統計的人口數是34,880人。

View from the port. 漁港的風景 。

A nearby beach.  When I visited there was a lot of garbage. 附近的沙灘 ， 但我在那裡看到很多的垃圾。

The local fishing association. 地區的漁會 。

The building where the restaurants are located.  It was early morning and nothing was open. 餐廳的大樓，一大早餐廳還沒有開 。

A local market on the way back to Ciaotou District.  Not open on Sundays?  Closed forever?  I don't know. 回橋頭路上的市場。 禮拜天不開嗎 ?  或是已經沒有商家營業 ?  我不知道 。

Across the river from Ciaotou. 橋頭在這條溪的另一外邊 。

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Kaohsiung in the News 高雄的新聞 (West 西) 1

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 8

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 7

Yancheng District, Kaohsiung City 高雄市鹽埕區遊記