Author: taiwanobserver

太愛台灣！外國人刺“臺灣 ”在額頭

一名在臺灣生活超過十年的“外國人”為表示對這片他所喜愛的土地“臺灣”支持，在這個月十八號，他去了高雄一家二十四小時營業的刺青店把繁體的“臺灣”兩字和一面小國旗刺在額頭及下巴上。那面國旗其實並非臺灣正式的國旗而是一面多用來代表“臺獨”的旗幟。

 

據了解，那家店的刺青師覺得有位“老外”居然要做這樣的刺青很有趣，也很樂意接下這份案子。

有網友怒罵刺青師怎麼會接下這份案子，但有些網友則指出那名老外應該只是“喝茫了”而已。

 

netizens angry with the tattoo artist

故事中的主角長期會在臉書上表示對臺獨的支持，許多持反面意見的網友常在網路上和他針鋒相對。

 

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有名網友甚至還在他的貼文底下留言，提供他有在做雷射除刺青的診所的資料。這名來自南台灣的“老外”和他瘋狂的舉動已在網路上引起熱議。

這名老外老闆很自豪於他的經營成果，他表示，在白天喝酒並不是臺灣人的習慣但是希望能藉由在早上九點至下午五點之後提供酒精飲料來鼓勵客人在白天也能喝酒享樂。

他也坦誠在刺青的當下他是處於非常醉的一個狀態，他也覺得這樣的舉動不是很明智也很後悔，但是他很樂見這樣的行為能為他的小酒吧帶來更多的宣傳和大家對臺獨的重視，因為他已經準備好成為一名“正港的臺灣人”了。

 

netizen shows paul image from clinic offering to help remove the tattoo

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（聲明）此篇文章內容經查證屬實，所有內容皆被文章內主角本人所同意。

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Long term expat tattoos the Taiwanese independence flag on his face

 

An expat residing in Taiwan for more than a decade has decided to prove his support for his adopted country by tattooing words saying “臺灣“ (Taiwan) in traditional mandarin characters and a little flag on his chin. The flag isn’t the commonly used flag for Taiwan but rather the flag for support of Taiwanese independence.

 

He had the tattoos done in a 24 hours Tattoo parlour in Southern Taiwanese City of Kaohsiung on October 18th. The tattoo artist at the shop was reportedly very happy to do the job and was amused that a foreign man was getting the tattoo. Some netizens were angered that the tattoo artist would agree to do something like this. While others pointed out the pitfalls to alcohol.

netizens angry with the tattoo artist

 

The man has long a history of pro Taiwanese independence and often uses facebook as a way to voice his support. Many netizens who have a differing opinion have been confronted publicly by him and have had to vigorously defend their points when talking with him.

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He is also known in Kaohsiung for owning a little pub and an athletic club in Yancheng, Kaohsiung. “The Kayak Club” is located at Number 4 Lane 24 Xinghua Street, Yancheng Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The club is situated a stone’s throw away from a clean canal suitable for kayaking, hence the name.

 

 

The man is confident in the success of his  bar business. He claims that daytime drinking has not yet a thing in Taiwan and he wants to encourage it by offering alcoholic drinks to customers nine to five and beyond. He also claims to have been very drunk when getting the tattoo done and that he is a full fledged Taiwanese citizen. He does acknowledge how stupid it was and clearly regrets his actions, but says he is happy if this brings more eyes to his “Kayak Club” and the Taiwanese independence movement.

 

paul POST FACE TATTOO

A netizen in the comments of his post showed him a picture of a local clinic offering to help him remove the tattoo if he wants. The net is abuzz with this, the latest of antics from the foreigner down south.

netizen shows paul image from clinic offering to help remove the tattoo

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(Disclaimer) This article was approved, and all the information included was also approved by the man himself.

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Art in Taipei: LGBTQ, Internet memes, and Hermes Wanderland (photo essay)

For those of us who aren’t so much night owls or early birds as we are sparrows of the high noon, we mostly spend our weekends coffee-shop-hopping, strolling through the same shopping districts, or catching an often underwhelming flick at our local movie house. While there is nothing wrong with enjoying a lazy chat with a friend over some delectable, albeit slightly overpriced artisan coffee, or lining up for the 37th Fast & Furious installment, if you’re anything like us, we spend half the time grousing about how there’s nothing to do in Taipei. Truth is, we just weren’t looking hard enough (or, at all), because there actually are quite a few alternatives to spending your Saturday afternoon.

The following are a few exhibits we caught over the past few weeks. Not only was it a great way to explore the creative scene in Taipei, our wallets were given a much-needed rest.

Location: Taipei Fine Arts Museum 091717

Price of Admission: FREE

We popped in on the last day of these exhibits at around 5PM, and spent a good 3 hours just roaming around the place. There were a total of 7 exhibits on display that day, but only pictures from the “Arena” exhibit are pictured.

The following is a room filled with nothing but gauzy curtains illuminated by projections of changing scenery. The idea sounds simple enough, but it was certainly beautiful, and made for some sweet Instagram shots.

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It was a pretty surreal experience, too, mostly because we spent about 20 minutes trying to capture the perfect “artsy” shot, only to find out that we were behind the attraction the whole time. If you look closely, you can spot the legs of one of the 40 people kind enough not to judge us as we sheepishly slunk out to join them.

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This is what the attraction actually looked like: (Courtesy of TFAM)

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Below is a DIY photo booth-type setup – the tiny yellow door blending into the background leads to a room stocked with an array of full-body costumes and props.

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This here is a nifty little church dedicated to social media.

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A collection of random pictures from the Arena exhibit:

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Location: Songshan Cultural & Creative Park 093017

Price of Admission – FREE

HERMES Wanderland Exhibit

So, we got there around 5PM, but the queue was still pretty insane. But it was free, so here we are in line number 2. To see where the actual line begins, look to the left of the picture:

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Here’s a map of the exhibition:

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Each party was given these special monocles attached to wooden canes (to be returned after the exhibit, of course). Peek through one of the blank spaces within the designated markers and watch a quick cartoon.

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Location: Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei 100717

Spectrosynthesis – Asian LGBTQ Issues and Art Now

Price of Admission: $50 NTD

In light of the historic ruling by Taiwan’s top court, MOCA launched its first “LGBTQ art survey show.” Said exhibit curator, Sean Hu, to CNN: “We hope the exhibit has a ripple effect across Asian society, and leads to people respecting different sexual orientations. The work relates to issues facing the Chinese LGBTQ community and our life stories.”

[https://news.artnet.com/exhibitions/moca-taipei-asias-first-lgbt-art-show-1064153]

Below are a few pictures from the stirring exhibit:

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Unmanned Electric Bus, EcoMobility Expo, a look at electric vehicles and what they mean for Taiwan

The dawn of electric powered transport couldn’t come soon enough especially for Taiwan and it’s over crowded cities that are dependent on oil for 100’s of thousands of smog producing engines. Taiwan and world’s future depends on the ability to adopt Electric Vehicle Industries to their respective economies and cultures. Not only will the EV industry bring more jobs and better opportunities for more people but it will also create safer roads and better environments for the people across the island and globally.

This year the hype is around the first ever driverless bus in the world to be unveiled at the 3rd EcoMobility World Festival in Kaohsiung, Taiwan this year. “The EcoMobility World Congress 2017″  (  生態交通全球盛典 )  will bring together local representatives and transportation experts from the public and private sectors to discuss how to make sustainable transport livable, shared and intelligent.

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Local governments, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, businesses, media and civil society are invited to join the Congress and connect, exchange, showcase, report and learn.”

All of humanity’s hopes and dreams now depend on a better economy created in The EV industry. For all the nations that join to create a more sustainable future there is a promise of future proof societies. An Economy that is more specialized and provides more jobs to people around the island can demonstrate to the world a future proofed society that is ready to finally end our dependence on oil for transportation.
Three key meetings have already taken place in Kaohsiung; the Young Professionals meeting explored career paths for youth and recent graduates, there were also Cultural and technical tours for business and industry insiders and finally a global congress met for the Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative (TUMI).

A great honor falls to the city of Kaohsiung to host the EcoMobility World Congress 2017 this year. The first congress met in Suwan, South Korea in 2013 and the second was held in Johannesburg in South Africa in 2015. The goal of each congress is to introduce the general public to a safer more reliable mode of transport that should reduce traffic and pollution for over crowded cities like the ones found in Taiwan and other places around the world.

There will be more than just meetings and seminars at this bi-yearly event, You will also learn what living in “Eco-Mode” is. At the EcoMobility World Expo visitors will have a chance to explore the future of transportation up close and personal. The first congress introduced the ‘One neighborhood, one month, no cars’ model that asks citizens to abandon all oil-burning engines and accept a new way of life and living. With each progressive EcoMobility Congress and EcoMobility World Expo entire communities of people have shown that EVs can be more cost effective, convenient, and even bring communities closer together.

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Photo by:  http://www.ecomobilityfestival2017.org

“The Festival will enable the city to free valuable urban space from car traffic by opening the streets of the Hamasen neighbourhood in Kaohsiung exclusively for ecomobile modes of transport such as walking, cycling, public transport, shared vehicles and light electric vehicles.”

Once there you will be able to imagine life without foul pollution filling your lungs and other  senses, you’ll learn how life with EVs has a more manageable pace, and most of all you’ll get to experience a closer harmony with the natural world using modern technology. If you’re looking for a glimpse into the future of mankind, you’ll be able to see it on display in Kaohsiung until October 31st!

 

Are you ready to make a step in the right direction for the future of all kind? If so, get down to Kaohsiung this Double Ten Holiday. Click the link below for more info.

https://ecomobility.org/ecomobility-world-festival/ecomobility-festival-kaohsiung/

 

By Paul Chambers

 

 

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CÁCH XUẤT CẢNH CHO NGƯỜI LAO ĐỘNG “CHUI” Ở ĐÀI LOAN

 

Phải làm gì khi bạn làm việc “chui” ở Đài Loan nhưng có ý định quay về Việt Nam ?

 

Người lao động ở lại quá thời hạn và làm việc bất hợp pháp (BHP) muốn xin rời khỏi Đài Loan trước tiên cần phải ra “ đầu thú”. Người lao động BHP sẽ nhận được sự khoan hồng của chính quyền nếu tự nguyện ra đầu thú so với khi bị phát giác và trục xuất về nước. Dưới đây là 5 điều cần chuẩn bị trong quá trình làm thủ tục :

 

  1. Chuẩn bị sẵn 20.000NT$

 

10.000NT$ là tiền nộp phạt khi ở quá thời hạn 3 tháng (90 ngày ). Đây là mức phạt cao nhất. Thậm chí người lao động BHP ở Đài Loan trong nhiều năm thì cũng chỉ đóng phạt tối đa là 10.000NT$.

 

Ở quá thời hạn trong vòng 10 ngày mức phạt là 1.000NT$.

Ở quá thời hạn từ 11 ngày đến dưới 30 ngày mức phạt là 3.000NT$.

Ở quá thời hạn từ 31 ngày đến dưới 90 ngày mức phạt là 5.000NT$.

 

Số tiền còn lại dùng để chi trả tiền vé máy bay. Đội nhập cư đặc biệt thành phố Đài Bắc sẽ sắp xếp thời gian của chuyến bay. Số tiền dư (nếu có) sau khi mua vé sẽ được hoàn trả.

 

  1. Liên lạc với Đội đặc nhiệm thành phố Đài Bắc

Bạn có thể gọi số 02 2239 6339 hoặc đến trực tiếp số 306, Section 3 đường Xinlong , quận Wensahn , thành phố Đài Bắc.

Bạn có thể yên tâm là mình sẽ không bị bắt giữ trong trường hợp này.Bạn có thể ở tại chỗ hiện tại hoặc nếu bạn không còn đủ tiền , họ sẽ giúp bạn có một chỗ ở tương đối trong thời gian chờ đợi các giấy tờ.

  1. Thẩm vấn về các công việc trước đây

Bạn sẽ được hỏi những câu như :

+ Bạn từng làm việc tại Đài Loan chưa?

+ Ai là chủ của bạn? / hoặc người thuê bạn ( doanh nghiệp, công ty,v.v…)?

+ Bạn làm việc ở đó trong khoảng thời gian bao lâu?

+Có bao nhiêu người làm việc BHP ở chỗ bạn làm?

+ Chủ của bạn đã trả lương cho bạn bao nhiêu?

+Bạn hiện mang bao nhiêu tiền trong người?

Quá trình thẩm vấn sẽ được ghi âm lại, Đội đặc nhiệm thành phố Đài Bắc có trách nhiệm phụ trách việc này.

  1. Hộ Chiếu

Nếu hộ chiếu của bạn bị người chủ “giam”. Đừng lo lắng Đội đặc nhiệm thành phố Đài Bắc sẽ hỗ trợ bạn làm một cái mới.

  1. Quá trình này mất bao lâu?

Tùy theo từng trường hợp mà mất nhiều hay ít thời gian. Nếu bạn có sẵn hộ chiếu và có sẵn tiền thì chỉ trong vài ngày là xong. Tuy nhiên nếu bạn không có hộ chiếu và phải làm lại cái mới thì bạn sẽ tốn nhiều thời gian hơn có thể hơn 1 tháng.

Đây là 5 điều bạn cần chuẩn bị nếu bạn quyết định quay về nước sinh sống. Đội biên tập Taiwan Observer’s chúc bạn nhiều may mắn trong lần hồi hương này.

—

Annie Nguyen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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How to leave Taiwan if you overstayed (For Foreign Workers)

What to do when you have overstayed and worked in Taiwan illegally, but have decided to leave the island?

If you want to self-repatriate you will have to approach authorities and start the “Surrender Process”.

This procedure is done in a humane way and since you are approaching the authorities yourself you won’t be detained. Below you can find five details regarding the “Surrender Process”.

1. Get NT$20,000 ready.

NT$10,000 is for the fine (罰款) if you overstayed more than 90 days. This is the maximum fine. If you have been in Taiwan for even several years you will be only asked to pay NT$10,000

However, if you have overstayed from 31 to less than 90 days your fine will be NT$5,000.

If you overstayed from 11 to less than 30 days your fine will be NT$3,000.

If you overstayed for less than 1o days your fine will be NT$1,000. 20K

The other NT$10,000 is for your flight ticket. It is up to “Taipei City Immigration Special Brigade” when your flight is going to be. If the ticket turns out to be cheaper they will return you the difference.

 

 

2. Contact “Taipei City Specialized Brigade”

(內政部移民署臺北市專勤隊)

You can call them on 02 2239 6339 or go there in person 306, Section 3 Xinlong Road, Wensahn district, Taipei City (臺北市文山區興隆路三段306號).

DON’T WORRY! THEY WILL NOT DETAIN YOU! You can still freely stay where you want and if you don’t have enough money they will try provide you with some basic accommodation.

 

內政部移民署臺北市專勤隊

Photo by:  https://www.google.com.tw/maps

 

3. You WILL be interrogated and asked about your previous employers.

“Taipei City Specialized Brigade” needs to have a record and details of every person approaching them.

These are some of the likely questions you will be asked:

  • Were have you worked before?
  • What are the details of your previous employer?
  • How long you have worked there?
  • How many people are employed there illegally?
  • How much did your previous employer pay you?
  • How much money you are carrying?

 

4. What about my passport?

If you don’t have a passport because your previous employer kept it or other reasons “Taipei City Specialized Brigade” will assist you with getting a new one.

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Photo by:  http://myanmarmuslimsvoice.com/

 

5. How long will the process take?

This depends on each case. Sometimes if you have your passport and money ready the whole process shouldn’t take more than a few days. However if there are some problems with obtaining a new passport for you the process may take a little longer, sometimes even over a month.

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Photo by:  ASEAN.org

These are the five, easy steps that you can take if you have decided to self-repatriate. Taiwan Observer’s editorial team wishes you good luck with your journey back home!

 

 

 

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Visa waiver plan for Philippines citizens has been approved by new premier Lai Ching-te

 

In efforts to promote the new Southbound Policy, newly minted premier Lai Ching-te has approved a plan for a visa waiver program for citizens of the Philippines good for 14 days or fewer. This was according to Minister without portfolio Chang Ching-sen. The earliest possible implementation is said to be in October.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be releasing more details in the near future, regarding when the plan will be put into action and how the new program will be implemented.

There was a previous plan to have the visa waiver program up by June 1st of 2017, but this plan was postponed. The official reason was that there needed to be more time to complete the inter agency coordination and other relevant procedures. Later the plan was postponed again as the Philippines’ President Duterte put the city of Marawi under marshal law following terrorist attacks.

The latest meeting held by MOFA in mid September cleared up the last of the questions and the policy was sent to the executive yuan for approval. This is just one of the many steps the government is taking to deepen its relationships with its neighbors to the South and bolster its soft power in the region.

 

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Not So Exciting Release of the New iPhone

Lately the Apple Company has been discouraging queues in front of its shops for security reasons. There were countless incidents in the past that Apple just wanted to avoid this time. Stampedes, pushing and shoving aren’t the best for company’s image. Having these in mind the company had set dates for pre-orders, and shipped the devices directly to customers on the first day of actual availability. Another thing that Apple did was allowing customers to book a product and retrieve it later from the store at predetermined hours. This practice really helped to clear the queues.

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picture by: http://www.ifullsupport.com

So, this time during the release of iPhone8, iPhone8 Plus, and Smart Watch Series 3 crowds that gathered outside Apple Stores around the globe weren’t that big. The three latest devices didn’t cause enough excitement to make people camp outside Apple Stores and square off for the final clash deciding who is the first person in the country to have their hands on an Apple gadget. A lot of people decided to wait for the release of iPhone X later on this year, too.

A few places in America saw longer queues outside Apple Stores. Many of the people lined up outside were citizens of other countries, where the new iPhones are not available yet or are available for more expensive prices. Reportedly outside of San Francisco’s store there were about a hundred people lined up on the morning of the release but it was a sheer exception, most other location stayed quiet and saw tens of people at best.

Taiwan

In Taiwan the situation was no different, Apple customers could easily book a time when they could come to pick up their device and there was no really a reason for anybody to line up. Taiwan Observer’s correspondent went to check what was happening outside of the newly opened, official Apple store that only started operating in Taiwan on July 1st 2017.

 

Upon arrival there was only one person sitting on a little blanket outside of Taipei 101 mall’s door in which Apple Store is located. 20170922_003448Bronson didn’t want to be interviewed either by our correspondent or any of the traditional media reporters that came later. Later on he needed to go to work and he didn’t want his boss to find out what he did before the start of his shift. He agreed to a photo but only after he wore a surgical mask disguising his identity. At night the scene outside of Taipei 101 mall was quite eerie, there was only Bronson and a few of other people in little groups perched around stairs leading to Taipei 101 station and at the tables nearby. In the morning around 6 am reporters affiliated with traditional media started to appear. First there was a cameraman and a lady anchor, Bronson explained to them how he booked his new iPhone8 but refused to be interviewed. Later on another cameraman came and took a few takes of what was happening inside the store. Just before 7 there were about three other crews all waiting for the release. At 8 am the doors opened and happy Bronson alongside a few other Apple enthusiast entered the mall and went to the first shop on the right, which happened to be the Apple Store. The TV crews followed them closely. Customers got their new phones and watches, a couple got interviewed and without much pomp and circumstance the day continued as any other.

 

Availability

The new iPhone is now available in United Arab Emirates, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Virgin Islands US, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, the Netherlands, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom and the United States.

From Friday, September 29, they will also be available in Andorra, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia as well as Greece.

 

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Netflix set to make a Taiwanese series: A Taiwanese Tale Of Two Cities

The Taiwanese film industry is getting some much deserved international attention. Netflix has just announced that they will be working with Taiwanese companies Kbro Media and Good Image production to bring award winning director Nelson Yeh’s vision to life. The director has been nominated and won many awards in Asia and was the director of the 2016 film “The mad king of Taipei”. The project has already received a government grant from the Ministry of culture. The ministry are supporting the project for helping portray Taiwan’s story with a global perspective.

The story will center around 2 women one in Taipei and one in San Francisco. The woman living in Taipei is a traditional medical practitioner and the one living in San Francisco is a programmer fora silicon valley company. The two women will swap lives and homes for a new cultural adventure. We will see their journeys, from their unique perspectives, in this story that brings a new light to the different lives of Taiwanese around the world.

The series is expected to start filming in late 2017. So its safe to say we might see this in our Netflix ques before 2019. Hopefully this series can bring new light to the lives and culture of the Taiwanese people in a global perspective.

 

“A Taiwanese Tale of Two Cities with its universal appeal is more than just a collaboration with Netflix, it’s an opportunity for Taiwan content creators on the world stage,”  -Nelson Yeh, Director

Said John Derderian, Director of International Originals at Netflix, “We are excited about A Taiwanese Tale of Two Cities bringing the multi-cultural worlds of Taiwan and America to our 104 million members across 190 countries. This is a testament to how great stories travel.” -John Derderian, Director of International Originals at Netflix

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