Really Great Timelapse Video of China

Silk Road Timelapse: Two Months Across Tibet, Xinjiang, Yunnan, and China from inMotion on Vimeo.

South China Morning Post: "Analysts said the shooting factor added at least 3 to 5 per cent to votes cast for KMT candidates."

This kind of information is not particularly responsible nor helpful in the land where 'they shoot at each other before elections.' It incites politically motivated violence, and incentivizes politicians who are down in the polls to use underhanded tactics to garner support. While there has been no official resolution as to who took a shot at former President (then candidate) Chen Shui-Bian, there have been so many allegations of conspiracy that reasonable and rational people start to wonder who was behind it.

Read the article for yourself:

Shooting helps lift votes for embattled KMT

2011 Taiwan Huayu Scholarship

Anyone want to go to Taiwan to study? This program will give you 25,000 NT/ month if you want to study in Taiwan. The application deadline is March 31, 2011. I suggest that it is worth checking out.

http://www.edutw.org/english/scholarships/index.html

Taiwan Election 2010 Wrap-up

Elections in Taiwan were this past Saturday, with the major cities mayoral candidates squaring off. The results were largely no change. the KMT retained control of Taipei, Xinbei, and Taichung. The DPP retained its hold on Tainan and Kaohsiung. Overall, the DPP seems to have made a marginal gain in terms of total vote count. The DPP's strategy this election cycle was to target younger voters. It does not appear that this was particularly successful.

My experience in Taipei City last year was that the younger people (particularly fresh graduates) were frustrated by the government's 22,000NT wage subsidy scheme that drove down monthly salaries. This program was slated to be phased out at the end of 2010. I suspect (based on anecdotal evidence) that the booming economy absorbed many of these recent graduates into regular positions, however at the lower starting wage.

Most unfortunate was the news about the shooting of 連勝文 and another man during a political rally. I still remember the first time I went to Taiwan. Before leaving some of my well- travelled friends warned me to avoid the Taiwan political scene as Taiwanese people, 'like to shoot at each other before elections.' Really unfortunate for the two young men who were the recipients of this violence.

Link to the article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2010/11/28/2003489614

Canada, EU Grant Taiwan Visa Waivers

It appears that in an effort to attract further tourism, both Canada and the EU have approved visa waivers for Taiwanese tourists. It is interesting that England and the US have yet to consider such measures, considering that these are two of the most popular travel/ study destinations.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2010/11/26/2003489458


http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2010/11/23/2003489204/2

Victor Cha on The News Hour

The latest on the North Korean Crisis.

Welcome to the Far East Forum!

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