Talking Taiwan

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   May 15 to June 15th is Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month. To learn more about what Tourette syndrome is, I encourage you to listen to the episode that we did last year with Peter Zhao, episode 129. Peter is a Tourette Activist and has been a guest on Talking Taiwan several times. He’s also spoken up about Asian hate crimes.   I really appreciate the openness and candor with which he speaks about his personal struggles with mental health. It’s not an easy thing to do. Peter spoke about the challenges he’s faced in dealing with Tourette and bipolar I, and his concerns with the side effects of medication, which he noted has made him lose his “edge.” Dealing with mental health is a process that requires assessment, evaluation, and self-reflection.   To learn more about Peter, you can find him on social media as @fabulouslytourette or check out his podcast Fabulously Tourette Radio.   Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   Peter’s podcast Fabulously Tourette Radio Peter’s diagnosis of manic depression, bipolar I with major depressive episodes How Peter is considered neurodivergent How podcasting is a form of talk therapy for Peter The term neurodivergent What happened to lead Peter to get officially diagnosed with bipolar I Peter’s previous struggles in taking an anti-psychotic drug Orap (generic name Pimozide), which he shared in detail in Talking Taiwan episode 129 Peter’s Op Ed on AsAm News about dealing with bipolar disorder Peter’s struggles with his mood swings and comorbidities How Peter’s depression affected his job performance and family life The difficulties and challenges of Peter’s day job How Peter has experienced greater anxiety after working remotely since the beginning of the pandemic Peter’s candid posts about mental health on social media What happened after Peter was diagnosed with bipolar I and started taking a new medication The approach Peter took to starting this new medication How the medication stopped many of Peter’s tics and how he feels about that How Peter feels after being on this new medication for four months The side effects of the medication that Peter is taking and how he’s dealing with them The support of Peter’s partner How Peter came to the decision to take a leave of absence from work How Peter handled his leave of absence and used it as a mental health reset Peter’s considerations when it comes to job satisfaction and his career path Peter’s advocacy for Tourette syndrome and bipolar disorder Peter’s tip, the 50-50 mindfulness technique for people dealing with anxiety   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/peter-zhao-tourette-syndrome-awareness-and-his-own-personal-struggles-with-mental-health-ep-190/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   In this episode of Talking Taiwan, my guests are Richard Pearson, the Executive Director of the Western Pacific Fellowship Project and Professor Shelley Rigger. We will be talking about the Taiwan Fellowship Act, a bill which has been decades in the making, and was inspired by the Mansfield Fellowship. This bill which has gotten bipartisan support in both the U.S. and Taiwan. It has been added to the COMPETES Act, and has also passed through both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate in slightly different versions. Now the House and Senate are in conference committee to resolve differences in order to come up with a final version of the bill.   Learn more about what the Taiwan Fellowship Act is, how it serves to strengthen U.S.-Taiwan ties, why you should care about it, and how you can support passage of this bill in to law.   About Richard Pearson:   Richard Pearson is Executive Director of the Western Pacific Fellowship Project and Managing Director, Taiwan Fellowship. He has roughly two decades of experience in U.S.-Asia economic relations and the political-economy of the Asia-Pacific largely in the public service sector.   Mr. Pearson’s professional experience includes time as a business reporter based in Taipei and in public service focusing on the Indo-Pacific. From 2010-2014 Mr. Pearson was an Associate Director at the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation during which time he originally conceived and explored the Taiwan Fellowship concept. Along with Ryan Shaffer and former AIT Director and Chairman Ambassador Raymond Burghardt, Mr. Pearson founded the Western Pacific Fellowship Project in late-2019 to operationalize the Taiwan Fellowship.   Mr. Pearson received his undergraduate degree from St. Olaf College and his graduate degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Immediately after college, he held a Fulbright scholarship to Taiwan. His essays on U.S.-Asia relations have been published in various outlets in the U.S. and East Asia including the Taipei Times and The Diplomat.   About Shelley Rigger: Shelley Rigger is the Brown Professor of East Asian Politics at Davidson College. She has a PhD in Government from Harvard University and a BA in Public and International Affairs from Princeton University. She has been a Fulbright scholar at National Taiwan University (2019), a visiting researcher at National Chengchi University in Taiwan (2005) and a visiting professor at Fudan University (2006) and Shanghai Jiaotong University (2013 & 2015). She is a non-resident fellow of the China Policy Institute at Nottingham University and a senior fellow of the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI). She is also a director of The Taiwan Fund, a closed-end investment fund specializing in Taiwan-listed companies. Rigger is the author of two books on Taiwan’s domestic politics, Politics in Taiwan: Voting for Democracy (Routledge 1999) and From Opposition to Power: Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (Lynne Rienner Publishers 2001). She has published two books for general readers, Why Taiwan Matters: Small Island, Global Powerhouse (2011) and The Tiger Leading the Dragon: How Taiwan Propelled China’s Economic Rise (2021). She has published articles on Taiwan’s domestic politics, the national identity issue in Taiwan-China relations and related topics. In 2019-20 she was a Fulbright Senior Scholar based in Taipei, where she worked on a study of Taiwan’s contributions to the PRC’s economic take-off and a study of Taiwanese youth.   Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   The COMPETES Act and the Taiwan Fellowship Act, what they are and the background The Western Pacific Fellowship Project How the China Bill in the COMPETES Act aims to strengthen the U.S. response and monitoring of China’s economic activity, and political and security moves globally How the COMPETES Act aims to strengthen the U.S. semiconductor industry How the COMPETES Act contains a bill to change the name TECRO (Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office) change to Taiwan Representative Office is a part of the Competes How the Taiwan Fellowship Act fits into the larger question of the U.S.’s response to China What the Taiwan Fellowship Act is The Mike Mansfield Fellowship Why Americans should care about getting the Taiwan Fellowship Act passed Why Taiwan matters on its own, apart from China What is the procedure for an Act to get passed and what stage the Taiwan Fellowship Act is currently at The many Taiwanese American civic groups that support the Taiwan Fellowship Act For those who’d like to support the Taiwan Fellowship Act and see it get passed in to law, now is a crucial period; they should contact their members of congress to express their support for getting it passed You can write an email to your member of congress through an automated form on FAPA’s (Formosan Association of Public Affairs) website How the Mansfield Fellowship came from congress vs. the Taiwan Fellowship which has been a more grassroots effort U.S. sentiment toward Japan in the mid-1990s How Richard worked at the Mansfield Foundation and learned the value of the Mansfield Fellowship in strengthening the U.S.-Japan relationship How Richard spent time in Taiwan in 2000 and realized that there could be value in creating a fellowship program similar to the Mansfield Fellowship with Taiwan How Richard has been working on the Taiwan Fellowship Act since 2010 How now seems to be the one chance to get the Taiwan Fellowship Act passed If passed the Taiwan Fellowship could endure for decades like the Mansfield Fellowship What will happen if the Taiwan Fellowship Act doesn’t get passed Reaction and support for the Taiwan Fellowship Act in Taiwan How the Taiwan Fellowship Act had gotten bipartisan support in both Taiwan (pan-Green and pan-Blue) and in the U.S. (Democrats and Republicans) How the Western Pacific Fellowship Project is a volunteer-led organization and its funding needs How there are a lot of the leading figures in US-Taiwan relations among the Western Pacific Fellowship Project’s directors and advisors Shelley’s support of the Taiwan Fellowship Act Why there has been such broad support for the Taiwan Fellowship Act   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/why-you-should-care-about-the-taiwan-fellowship-act-a-discussion-with-richard-pearson-and-shelley-rigger-ep-189/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   This lost episode of Talking Taiwan features blogger Michael Turton. At the time Michael had written over 5000 blog posts for his blog The View From Taiwan. Michael began writing his blog in 2005 and I remember how popular Michael’s blog was. That’s how I learned about him when I was living in Taiwan, back in the days before social media.     Michael has been a guest twice on Talking Taiwan. in episode 119 he spoke with me about China’s ban on Taiwan’s pineapples. And in episode 138 he spoke about his love of biking in Taiwan.  That episode earned Talking Taiwan a Golden Crane Podcast Award. Be sure to give those episodes a listen to learn more about Michael.   For the month of June we’ll be slowing things down by sharing lost episodes every other week, and in July we’ll be taking a break from the lost episodes. We’ve got a lot of great new content planned and we just can’t fit it all into our weekly publication schedule.   Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   Michael’s blog the View From Taiwan How Michael has written over 5000 blog posts How long it takes him to write a blog post on average What keeps him going with his blog writing How his blog posts are fact based and he’s been quoted by journalists How being based in Taichung, gives him a different perspective than those living in Taipei Michael’s love of biking in Taiwan The most active English language bloggers in Taiwan   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/ep-188-lost-episodes-michael-turton-5000-blog-posts/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   Karen Lin is running as the Democratic candidate for Judge of the Civil Court in Queens, New York. Presently, Karen serves as Court Attorney-Referee in Kings County Surrogate’s Court. She has also served as a Judge in the New York City Housing Court, adjudicating disputes between landlord and tenants in the Bronx and Manhattan.   We spoke about her current position as Surrogate Court Referee which involves estate settlement between family members and other matters such as guardianship, which was the central issue of the #FreeBritney movement involving Britney Spears.   Karen talked about what she loves about the legal profession and the challenges of working as a Judge in New York City’s Housing Court, which is one of the busiest courts in the nation.   Karen also volunteers as Co-Chair of the Pro Bono and Community Service Committee of the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY), she also spearheaded the Queens Pro Bono Clinic and helped to set up and manage AABANY’s Remote Legal Clinic during the pandemic, to assist seniors and low-income families by phone.     Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   Karen’s connection to Taiwan What Karen wanted to be when she grew up and how she got interested in law as a career What Karen does in her current position as Surrogate Court Referee The #FreeBritney movement and guardianship What’s been a challenging moment in Karen’s career What’s have a highlight or high point in Karen’s career What it was like being a judge in housing court The confirmation hearing for Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson How the civil rights movement led to the Immigration and Naturalization Act (1965) How landlord tenant law in New York is very tenant friendly and could be reformed to protect individual homeowner landlords who are renting out a space in their homes The reform of landlord tenant law is an issue for lawmakers to address How New York City’s Housing Court is one of the busiest courts in the nation How Karen’s experience as a judge in New York City’s Housing Court and Surrogate’s Court has prepared her for being a civil court judge How in the Anglo American system (or common law system) that we have in the United States, a judge’s ruling or interpretation of the law can affect or create laws Karen’s pro bono work as Co-Chair of the Pro Bono and Community Service Committee of the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) Karen’s involvement in setting up AABANY’s Remote Legal Clinic during pandemic Her decision to step down as judge of the New York City Housing Court What a civil court judge does and can accomplish during their 10-year term How Karen would like to see greater access to legal advice and support for those who most need it Karen’s mentors and advice on finding them If Karen would like to be a Supreme Court Judge The difference levels of the U.S. court system The importance of voting In Queens, NY Asian Americans are 25% of the population Karen is running in the Democratic primary, on June 28; only people registered as Democrats and who live in Queens can vote for Karen   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/karen-lin-democratic-candidate-for-civil-court-judge-in-nyc-talks-about-her-career-in-the-legal-profession-ep-187/      

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   It’s Thursday and we’re releasing another “lost” episode of Talking Taiwan! We’ve discovered some never before published, “lost” episodes of Talking Taiwan that were recorded 10 years ago, when Talking Taiwan was being created, and we’ve decided to re-release them on Thursdays.   This week’s lost episode of Talking Taiwan features Jerome Keating, the author of The Mapping of Taiwan, Desired Economies, Coveted Geographies, New Perspectives on Cartography, Competing Monopolies and the Destiny of Taiwan.   We’ve had Jerome on Talking Taiwan twice in the past. In fact, in episode 97 he gives a great synopsis of the history of Taiwan. That episode was also the number one episode of 2020. And in episode 98 he talks about the books he’s written. Be sure to check out those episodes to learn more about Dr. Keating.   Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   Jerome Keating’ book, The Mapping of Taiwan, Desired Economies, Coveted Geographies, New Perspectives on Cartography, Competing Monopolies and the Destiny of Taiwan The meaning behind the title of Jerome’s book The purpose behind the Dutch and Spanish colonization of Taiwan How Japan was the first to control the entire island of Taiwan Taiwan’s trade history Taiwan’s fong tian jade How the indigenous people of Taiwan were Taiwan’s first traders The Austronesian empire   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/lost-episodes-dr-jerome-keating-phd-ep-186/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   In this episode of Talking Taiwan, I’m speaking with Brian Foden. We’re welcoming Brian back on as a guest after discovering his lost episode that was recorded 10 years ago. Originally from Canada, he’s been living in Taiwan for over 20 years now. We spoke about what Taiwan was like when he first arrived, how it’s changed and what life is like for him these days. Brian is a writer/editor and part-time newscaster at ICRT.     Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   When Brian arrived in Taiwan How life is like in Taiwan now that the government has switched away from a zero-COVID strategy What life was like in the early period of the pandemic when Taiwan had no local COVID cases How Brian manages working remotely and in-person at the office Brian started working at ICRT in May of 2000 and worked there full-time until 2004 Brian’s position as morning show news producer at ICRT How Brian left ICRT in 2004 and returned in 2012 Brian’s work as a news reader at ICRT Brian’s background in journalism Comparing winters in Regina, Saskatchewan and in Ottawa, Ontario How Brian ended up in Taiwan How Taiwan has changed in the time that Brian has lived there Chen Shui-bian was elected President around the time that Brian moved to Taiwan; it was the first time that a Democratic Progressive Party candidate had been elected President in Taiwan The development of Taiwan’s MRT system The popularity of English learning magazines in Taiwan How ICRT has changed over the years The podcast series Rick Monday made about ICRT (Radioactive Taiwan) The glory days of ICRT and the impact it made on Taiwan’s culture and society in the 1980s How Brian first got his job at ICRT in 2000 Brian’s advice for anyone considering living and working in Taiwan The type of writing Brian does for work What Brian found difficult about journalism   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/brian-foden-newscaster-for-icrt-talks-about-how-life-has-changed-in-taiwan-ep-185/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   As some of you may know, I started hosting Talking Taiwan in 2013, but Talking Taiwan was actually created back in 2012. And we’ve discovered some never before published, “lost” episodes of Talking Taiwan that were recorded 10 years ago! Some of these guests featured in these “lost episodes” may already be familiar to our listeners and some of them will be reintroduced with a follow up interview for us find out what they’re up to these days.   Stay tuned every Thursday a new “lost” episode of Talking Taiwan.   This “lost” episode of Talking Taiwan features Brian Foden, a proud Canadian. Next week we’ll be bringing Brian back on to find out how he’s doing and what he’s up to these days.   Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   Where in Canada Brian is from What brought Brian to Taiwan Brian’s work on the ICRT News team How he left ICRT Brian’s travels through South America The Brass Monkey in Taipei’s pub quiz nights and Brian’s pub quiz team The Three Stooges Brian shared what kinds of job opportunities there were in writing, editing, recording or for those with a journalism background   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/ep-184-lost-episodes-brian-foden/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   Erin Hale is an American Journalist who has lived and worked across Asia.  She is currently a freelance journalist based in Taiwan. Her work has appeared in The Guardian, The Independent, Al Jazeera, Voice of America, The BBC News, The New Statesman, The South China Morning Post, Marie Claire, The Southeast Asia Globe, Forbes.com and other outlets.   I came across her work through a recent article she wrote about how Taiwan’s banking system is stuck in the 80’s. I happened to discover it the same week we released episode 180 with Paolo Lising. In that episode Paolo and I talked about how people in Taiwan still update their account passbooks by running them through dot matrix printers at the bank.   Erin has lived in Asia for seven years. We talked about how she's lived in Hong Kong, China and Cambodia and the reporting she's done on Hong Kong and Cambodia, in addition to Taiwan.   Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   What brought Erin to Taiwan What Erin witnessed of the Hong Kong protests in 2019 Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement of 2014 John Lee who was elected to succeed Carrie Lam as Hong Kong’s next leader How the recent article that Erin wrote for BBC News about how Taiwan’s banking system is still stuck in the 80s was inspired by a tweet by Catherine Chou (@catielila) The reaction on Twitter to Erin’s article and how she used Twitter to crowdsource research for it How often Erin uses Twitter to do research for her stories How Erin appealed to Twitter for people’s experiences voting in the Philippines presidential election How Erin deals with bots on Twitter, fake news and disinformation as a journalist Taiwan-related visa and immigration issues that Erin has dealt with The bureaucracy that Erin has experienced in Taiwan How Erin gets ideas or sources for her stories Working as a freelance journalist What it takes to succeed as a freelance journalist What Erin enjoyed about writing the story about banking in Taiwan The article that Erin wrote about Taiwan’s indigenous people What it’s been like for Erin to learn Mandarin Chinese in Taiwan and what her goals in studying Chinese are How Erin ended up moving to Asia Beijing’s 'Airpocalypse' in 2013 How journalists’ experiences in China have changed over the last five years How Cambodia has changed and become influenced by China   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/erin-hale-on-taiwans-antiquated-banking-system-and-being-an-american-journalist-in-asia-ep-183/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   Taiwan’s Employment Gold Card program has come up in several past episodes of Talking Taiwan. I’ve been wanting to bring someone on to talk about what it is, who might be eligible for it and how to apply for it. In this episode I spoke with Michael Fahey, an American lawyer who’s lived in Taiwan for 30 years. He worked with the Taiwan National Development Council on Taiwan’s Gold Card program. Michael is co-founder of Forward Taiwan, an organization founded to improve Taiwan’s immigration laws as they pertain to foreign professionals.     Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   How people may consider Taiwan small but with its population of 23 million people it could be compared to one of the U.S.’s largest states or a mid-sized European country What is the Taiwan Gold Card How the Taiwan Employment Gold Card is a four-in-one card: visa, work permit, resident permit, and re-entry permit, that is valid for three years After three years Gold Card holders who have been in Taiwan for an average of 183 days can apply for permanent residency in Taiwan How there was an increase in Gold Cards issued during the pandemic The government of Taiwan’s goal of getting to 10,000 Gold Cards issued by the end of the year and a long-term goal of having 100,000 foreign professionals in Taiwan by 2030 How to apply for a Gold Card The eight fields that people can apply to in order to obtain a Gold Card The special category of consultation for those who don’t fit in to any of the eight fields What documentation needs to be provided in order to apply for a Gold Card The importance of providing objective evidence of your professional accomplishments (e.g. an award, a measurable accomplishment) 60% of Gold Card holders have qualified by meeting the salary qualification in the economy field The type of work that Gold Card holders can seek while in Taiwan Singapore’s Employment Pass program and the backlash it’s gotten from Singaporean citizens Recent changes to the Gold Card program including the requirement for applying for permanent residence was lowered from five years to three years and different tax incentives Changes to ordinary work permit requirements which previously required both a college degree and two years of related experience The American Chamber of Commerce Taiwan Business Topics publication Useful resources for people applying for a Gold Card including: the Taiwan National Development Council’s website Foreign Talent, the Taiwan Employment Gold Card Office Help Desk, Taiwan EZ Permit The challenges faced by some Gold Card holders in finding employment in Taiwan It’s not necessary to speak Chinese to live and work in Taiwan If there is something missing or incomplete with a Gold Card application, you will have 30 days to rectify it Currently Gold Card applications are taking 4-6 weeks to get approved What happens if someone’s application for the Gold Card is not accepted The most competitive sub field under arts and culture is popular music/TV/movies Special considerations for people wanting to live and work in Taiwan Considering places to live in Taiwan other than Taipei Michael’s work with Forward Taiwan How Forward Taiwan is working on access to dual nationality for people naturalizing as Taiwanese citizens How Michael is transitioning to working on migrant workers issues The most meaningful accomplishments of Forward Taiwan: an increased number of countries that Taiwan has working holiday agreements with, making it easier for graduates of Taiwanese universities to stay and live and work in Taiwan How the National Development Council came up with Taiwan’s Gold Card program and modeled it after Singapore’s Employment Pass program Taiwan’s independent artist work permit   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/michael-fahey-of-forward-taiwan-talks-about-the-gold-card-program-ep-182/  

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin: Yao Huang is funding minority owned businessess to solve the financial inequality problem. I first met and interviewed Yao Huang, in 2013. She is founder and managing partner of The Hatchery. If you want to learn more about her and the Hatchery you can go back and listen to episode 147 of Talking Taiwan.   Last year I looked her up, wondering what she’s been up to and reached out to invite her back on to Talking Taiwan as a guest. A lot can happen in 9 years!   I learned that she had done two TED Talks and a stint of standup comedy.   Yao has been focusing on some very big things like solving the problem of financial inequality through a $100 million dollar fund for minority-owned small to medium-sized businesses. And from her social media posts it looks like she’s living the life and having a ball at these gatherings called the Wonder Women Dinner Series all across the country.   When I asked her what she’s excited about these days she mentioned crypto, blockchain and Web3. To some, these may sound like things of the future but the future is already here. Last year Facebook’s name change to Meta was a nod to the metaverse, and earlier in the year, the buzz over a thing called NFTs hit mainstream media. When it comes to understanding NFTs you’ve got to also understand crypto currency, and blockchain technology. We covered that topic in episode 157: DJ Kaku Trailblazes NFTs in Asia. All of these things together- crypto, blockchain and the metaverse make up Web3.     Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   What the Wonder Women Dinner Series is How the Wonder Women Dinner Series has been going on for 16 years How the Wonder Women Dinner Series is a way for women to network, connect, make friendships, and have fun How Yao did standup comedy at Caroline’s, B.B. King’s and around New York City around 2014 Division One Capital a $100 million fund for women and minority small businesses How venture capital only helps 2% of all companies How Division One Capital’s lending is based on a company’s sales or revenues How it is difficult it is for women and minorities to secure a loan from a bank How loans from traditional banks can be at higher rates than funding obtained from Division One Capital How funding from a fund like Division One Capital can stabilize and allow a business to grow How Division One Capital was previously called Diana Capital How Division One Capital is working with cities’ initiatives to help SMBs (small and medium-sized businesses) How Yao believes there is a lot of wealth that can be more equally distributed and easily accessed The businesses that Yao has helped grow e.g. a Black woman owned HVAC company and a woman-led company in the data security space that has raised $3.5 million How crypto, bitcoin and block chain has revolutionized the fintech sector, banking, credit, currency, stocks, and led the wave of Web3 How important it is to learn about bitcoin and cryptocurrency and how it works The bitcoin 2022 conference in Miami, FL   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/yao-huang-solving-financial-inequalities-by-funding-minority-owned-businesses-ep-181/