At 3:20 in the afternoon, just below a viaduct of recently finished airport MRT a terrible accident happened. On the Southbound part of the Freeway number 1, as many as six vehicles have collided creating a pile-up that eventually got partially engulfed in fire.
The crash took place in Linkou, New Taipei City. As the result of fire three people have lost their lives, two of them were trapped inside a van that got sandwiched between vehicles. Another live lost belonged to the truck driver that followed the van in his little articulated lorry.
The exact cause of the collision is still being investigated. A thick plume of smoke was seen from several kilometres away. Fortunately for the other drivers involved in the crash there were no more life threatening injuries reported. One driver was taken to a nearby hospital for his minor injuries.
The crash created massive disruptions for the motorists. At some point all lanes in the southerly direction were closed off to traffic. This was done so investigators could establish what exactly caused the fire and the accident in the first place. Most of the traffic in both directions, in and out of Taipei was affected. Our correspondents reported traffic jams in most of the eastern New Taipei City due to the accident and the sheer volume of traffic that was disrupted.
In the evening hours of a cold night residents of a building in Luzhou heard somebody having a loud karaoke session. A tenant went downstairs to check if it was in the basement, it wasn’t. It was on the second floor, which they went up to in order to check what was going. Upon reaching the floor they were astonished and stood outside of the apartment, some older gentleman was singing nostalgic songs in Taiwanese in the apartment. It was barely eight. Thinking that the music wasn’t much of a disturbance they didn’t think much of it and left it as it was.
Shortly after the administrator of the building sent a representative to go door to door asking if somebody made any changes to the gas pipe work because the whole building didn’t have gas and they suspected a tenant installing a new boiler to be the perpetrator of the whole situation. Most probably somebody must have connected p
ipes incorrectly when they were installing their new boiler. The person behind it has either connected the pipes themselves, hired an unlicensed builder or shady building service to do it for them and they didn’t want to come forward so they could save some “face”, some tenants gathered outside concluded. It was one of the coldest nights of the year and many tenants found themselves without hot water. Later on, building’s administration started a broadcast over the PA asking all tenants not to use gas or water for a while.
The Gas company’s engineers were dispatched to the building and the same door from behind which one could hear loud karaoke earlier on, now was wide open with all the lights off and cold draft was blasting through the desolate space. Feeling of emergency could be felt. Outside engineers were screaming at each other to turn off the gas immediately as it apparently went inside the water pipes and vice versa. A hacked pipe was sticking out from the wall; water was still streaming out of it. Smell of gas was all around and a crowd that gathered looked on in awe.
What transpired later was that the person who caused the entire building not to have gas that night was the very same person who lived in the apartment that hosted a little karaoke showdown earlier on that evening. This is just a speculation but it appeared to a few tenants as if the guy wanted to ‘sing off’ this blunder and forget it while emptying a glass of Kaoliang, or make it look as though he had no idea what was going on because it was so ‘loud’ in his apartment. It was quite a cold night, and plenty of people didn’t have water or gas, right when it snowed in some parts of Taiwan. It wasn’t until 16:00 the next day when the gas was finally turned back on in the entire building, allowing people to have a hot shower and cook normally again.
We are not sure how much the fine for such a blunder is. The gas company jad spent a lot of time repairing this massive mistake, so it’s safe to say someone will be paying for the mishap a hefty fine. However a burning question we have remains, is this even possible, connecting water to gas and gas to water pipes….. is this even possible without some major jerry-rigging ?
On December 16th in the afternoon and evening on the “Movie Street” Taiwan Observer happened to come upon a Star Wars cosplay event. A group of local Star Wars enthusiasts and the Vieshow Cinemas held a little star wars event including a march, crafts and all your favorite characters. The cos-players were happy to pose for photos with anyone interested and were all very friendly.
After taking a few photos we left the scene and went on our way. about 3 hours later we headed back in the same direction to find that the little event had grown dramatically and with fans and cos-players all gathering for a photo op and march down the movie street. Local media outlets came to cover the spectacle, while enthusiasts where there to celebrate the new Star Wars movie.
Taipei 101 has released a minute long preview video of this years fireworks display. This is a video simulating what will be the view of the 101 tower as it holds the longest fireworks display in its history. The fireworks and light display will run for 6 minutes, from 11:59pm to 12:05am, about 2 minutes longer than last year’s show. This year the fireworks will be accompanied by a giant 55 story tall LED light show. Approximately 140,000 LED lights will light up the tower on New Year’s Eve this year.
Better get there early if you want god seats. People usually start staking their spots in the afternoon to get the best views. The Taiwan Observer community has expressed great interest in going to see that show, we hope this preview makes it even more enticing.
In the turn of events the ‘Changhua Missing Girl’ that failed to return home on Friday night has been found and is now safe and sound in her host’s house in Changhua . A friend of hers was informed early in the morning on Sunday (December 17th, 2017), that the girl was found and kept at a police station in Taichung. Without a second delay she rushed to pick her up. They were reunited with at 1:50 am.
Prior to her finding, the Changhua Police department released the last picture that was taken of her that morning, still at the Changhua Police station before she was dropped off at the National Changhua University of Education:
In the photo the girl looks overawed and intimidated by the surroundings. She only came to Taiwan recently, she doesn’t speak Mandarin yet, either. It was difficult for her to communicate with the locals and her family were beside themselves with worry since they couldn’t even contact her as her cell phone didn’t ring. What transpired later is that the police were trying to charge her phone, but they couldn’t turn it on and were unable to contact her friends and relatives.
At some point the family thought that the girl decided to go back to South Africa after apparently being unable to adapt to the life in Taiwan, they suspected she wanted to run away. Not long after she was located at a police station in Taichung. She was picked up in the early hours of Sunday at 1:50 am by a distant member of her family and then taken home.
A missing girl who netizens from Social Media of Taiwan helped looking for last night, has turned up all safe and sound at a Police station in Taichung. She was picked up in the early hours of Sunday at 1:50 am by a member of her family. As of now (2:00 am December 17th, 2017) she is no longer being searched for. On behalf of the family and friends we want to thank all the readers for helping in the search.
* * * * * * * Original Message : * * * * * * *
Dear Observers, this is an emergency this time. A young, 19 years old girl from South Africa that only came to Taiwan recently has gone missing. She was last seen at the Changhua Police station after 3 am this morning. The girl in question was apparently quite intoxicated and this was the reason for the Police to apprehend her. Officers not knowing any better what to do with their ‘find’ drove her to National Changhua University of Education at 4 am and left her there. Later police claimed they didn’t know how to help her and the girl requested to be dropped off at that particular location, the force did not try to contact anybody. A search party has been dispatched combing Changhua county.
The girl doesn’t know anybody here in Taiwan apart from a few people that are beside themselves with worry. Her phone must be lost or broken as it appears to be turned off when somebody calls it.
Editor’s note:This is a developing story, updates will be given as new information arises.
Below we have posted her picture and if anyone sees her please contact us on:
Deadly fire that killed six Vietnamese workers in the wee hours last Thursday (December 14th, 2017) didn’t leave much of the illegal dorm adjacent to the factory.
Our correspondent went to the scene today to discover the eerie site, the remains of the dorm can be clearly seen with a metal staircase leading to the second floor. The actual factory itself is still working and the machinery was churning out panels as on any other day. The bosses of the company got bailed out and are suspected of negligence and unintentional manslaughter.
Depression has been regarded by the UN World Health Organization as one of the three major diseases of the new century. It lines up with cancer and AIDS to devour the people’s physical and mental health. According to the UN World Health Organization, there are currently between 200 and 400 million people in the world suffering from depression. It is estimated that there are at least about 50 million people with depression in Asia and their numbers are on the rise. By 2020, depression and heart disease will become the top two diseases that affect the huge human lives.
In response to this current widely-watched issue, Shen Wudian, director of psychiatry at Taipei’s Wanfang Hospital, pointed out that the proportion of people with depression in Taiwan is seriously underestimated. Anxiety disorders can easily cause depression, and 58% of anxiety patients can transmit into depression, and is now considered to be one of the most serious causes of stress or disability in all diseases. According to statistics, the prevalence rate of depression in Taiwan is about 7.3%. In other words, about 1.5 million people in Taiwan suffer from depression at present. This shows that the problem of depression is very serious.
However, treatment of depression and other mental illness is not included in health insurance in Taiwan. A single therapy session can cost about 2500-3000 NTD. This is where we, W.A.R.M. (Women Anonymous Reconnecting Mentally), comes in. W.A.R.M is a weekly Sunday meeting where women with similar states of mental health can come and share their stories, talk about what they are going through.
W.A.R.M. is the first support group in Taiwan to support women with these mental issues, which are so stigmatized by society. The weekly Sunday W.A.R.M. meetings are based in Taipei, we are not “classes”, “sessions” or “group therapy”, also in no way intended to be viewed as providing any form of “professional treatment” to fix people. The participants can choose to remain anonymous and there will be no formal sign up. The W.A.R.M. meetings style are roughly based on the AA meeting format – although without any steps, agenda or programs. W.A.R.M. meetings are just a safe platform for women who are struggling in life to share and connect with each other, without any pressure, judgement or expectations. We are providing a safe space for women to talk and listen to their individual predicaments. We are building a support network in order to encourage and empower women by having these weekly group meetings.
Within our growing support network, we see how women unite and empower each other. As women, we have the guts to be vulnerable, and by being vulnerable, exchanging life experiences, we bond over the similar hardships that we went through. We welcome all ladies with any background to join our support network. You are not alone.
Over the weekend we headed out to the Banqiao Flower Market to take a look around and see if we could find some dried flowers. There were many beautiful flowers but on this day many of the stalls were closed. Few of the stores were open and even fewer people showed up before 11 a.m. on a Sunday morning. This may be because anyone looking for flowers on the weekend might head over to the bigger market, The Taipei Weekend flower market. Fewer people actually made the experience a lot more pleasant, allowing us to take our time and snap some great photos of the orchids. The orchids were really a beautiful site with clear love and devotion poured into looking after them. The bonsai trees were the same there was clear love and care put into pruning and shaping the trees, it looked like hours and hours worth of painstaking work.
It can be difficult to make it as a musician in Taiwan. A conservative society that traditionally places age and experience over ability and innovation is a stifling one not conducive to creative endeavors, especially when those aspirations stray from the norm.
Beneath the uniform skyscraper skyline and business suited facade of metropolitan life, the city’s hardest working members scrape away pursuing their dreams.
Most work full time, using the wan moments after a day’s hard work to craft, to endlessly practice and refine. It’s a brutal schedule, requiring intense dedication and commitment. Their work spans many fields, the lucky ones work in music — as promoters, importers, producers, or performers. Yu of Infernal Chaos is a professional drummer, who plays with some of the nation’s top pop acts.
Others have their own professions. The drummer-founder and vocalist for symphonic gothic band ‘Crescent Lament’ are both doctors – a physician and psychologist respectively.
Symphonic Gothic Metal, Photo Courtesty of Cresent Lament
Many work in food industry, “It’s easier because it’s hourly,” says Take of Future After a Second, one of a new generation of metal bands rising from the depths of the city. “You clock out and that’s that — you don’t have to worry about getting called during off hours or be responsible for anything.” This isn’t the case for everyone though. Bruce, guitarist-vocalist and founder of grindcore outfit “Ashen”, is also owner of a quaint cafe in the capital’s trendy dongchu Eastern District. Previously merely a worker, he inherited the store when its previous owner wanted to invest in other ventures. Now he runs the place, which is as much known for its limited hammock seating as for its made-to-order western cuisine and lovingly crafted kitten-faced lattes.
The physical exhaustion of running shop 6 days a week with a skeleton crew of 3 make it difficult to make music on the side, but Bruce’s fine attention to detail and hardworking spirit are apparent in both his professional and musical endeavors. Although finding and retaining talent can be difficult, and the band is further constrained by the fact the members are scattered throughout the island. Drummer Chewie runs an eatery, an omakase (menu-less) foraged and farm-to-table restaurant in faraway Taitung on the island’s Eastern coast, which likely makes Ashen the most chef-heavy grindcore outfit in the world.
a bowl of ramen noodle soup
Take works at a ramen shop, where he learned Japanese from the noodle masters there. That skill has allowed him to connect with Japanese bands like MIVK, leading to gigs abroad, one of the best ways for bands to grow their fanbase, given the island’s shrinking metal populace. Most of the more successful bands such as Flesh Juicer – who gained national recognition for their debut album GIGO – regularly tour Japan and other parts of eastern and southern Asia. But this wasn’t always the case.
“Five, maybe ten years ago, metal was in,” muses Kenneth, vocalist for Bloody Tyrant and Dark Charybdis, two well-respected outfits. “Everyone was in a metal band. If you were on the indie music scene, you were playing in a metal band.” The number of bands in Taipei alone numbered in the double digits, and shows regularly drew hundreds. Things are different now. A recent metal fest Autumn Attack, a combination of 4 heavy bands spanning metal, deathcore, and emo, drew a paltry crowd of 80, which was above average, according to the vocalist. “Used to be, in Taiwan, the biggest crowd I’ve ever played was probably…300. In Tokyo, 500.”
Dark Charybdis 暴噬者 – Selling Short (Official Music Video)
Yet, if attendance like those seen at Chthonic’s boxing day concert in 2015 which drew a crowd of over 10,000 indicate a wider fanbase than may be hidden in the midsts. But perhaps it is the band’s other activities that speak to broader audience than just metalheads. The band is well-known for their vocal critique of the nationalist government as well as the vocalist Freddy’s role in politics and human rights work. Lyrical content may be another factor, heavy bands are usually associated with a pessimistic worldview and dark lyrics, but FAAS is hoping to change that perception. “I write encouraging lyrics because I have a lot of friends that are often down,” says Take. “I hope that by listening to our music, if you’re in a bad mood we can be that thread of spider’s silk that lifts you back up.”
When asked why metal, a genre more popular than pop, isn’t as popular here, the theories are varied. “Some people age out,” says Kenneth, “They get married, have kids, stop going to music festivals. If you think about it, it’s always the same people going to the festivals. There isn’t really any new people entering the scene.” Some say people aren’t used to paying for music, there isn’t the same culture of live music enjoyment that there is in the west. Others cite a stagnating economy, although analysis has revealed it isn’t as bad as most suppose, and may even be improving.
Another factor may be the incredibly high cost of home ownership, which is regarded as a hallmark of success. A commonly cited statistic regurgitated by local media says a young family would have to neither eat nor drink for 15 years in order to afford to own a house in Taipei, the nation’s capitol and most populous city. Studies have shown that metal is most popular in wealthy countries, and while Taiwan isn’t doing too bad for itself, generally ranking in in one of the world’s top 20 economies, it’s not as affluent as say, the Scandinavian countries where metal is almost mainstream.
Trailer for the newest movie, Tshiong《衝組》
The movie is set in a village in the South of Taiwan
But there is hope yet on the horizon. Despite frontman Lim’s side-cursion into politics, the nation’s most famous band Chthonic is releasing a new album soon, as well as their movie, both of which feature Randy Blythe of American heavy metal band Lamb of God. Deathcore outfit Flesh Juicer were awarded the prestigious golden melody award for best album design last year, and younger bands continue to release new material.
Image from Chthonic Facebook page.
The film will be a comedy. Image from Chthonic Facebook.
The below photos courtesy of CHTHONIC 閃靈, they can also be found on: https://www.facebook.com/chthonictw/ (Official CHTHONIC 閃靈 Facebook page ).
Taiwan Observer 