Falling off the Horse

Since moving to Taipei i have not been able to go to the gym as i was doing most days back in Taichung. Although a break is not necessarily a bad thing, it is when you see all that hard work to get fit steadily declining. A 30 minute run use to be my warm up before a workout. At the moment it seems that all i can manage is a 30 minute run. In my defence i suppose i am running in uninviting temperatures of 25oC on a near empty stomach yet i should not make excuses. Conclusion, join the gym as soon as possible and get back into shape! Otherwise a whole year of hard work has gone to waste!

Taiwan party chief heads to China

Source: BBC News

It is the first visit to China by a Taiwanese ruling party chief. The head of Taiwan's ruling party has arrived in China for a six-day visit that is being seen as another sign of warming ties between the two sides. During his visit, Kuomintang (Nationalist Party) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung will meet top leaders and discuss cross-strait transport links.

He is the first leader of a Taiwanese governing party to visit China since the two sides split in 1949. His visit comes days after Ma Ying-jeou was sworn in as Taiwan's new president.
Mr Ma wants better ties with China and has called for a "new chapter of peace" to be opened.
His predecessor, Chen Shui-bian, had angered China with moves towards formal independence, and relations had been severely strained.

'Second track'
As he left Taiwan, Mr Wu said his 16-member delegation bore a great responsibility.
"I hope the visit will help develop positive cross-strait ties, ensure security of Taiwan people, maintain welfare of Taiwan people and push for the government's China policy," he said. Mr Wu will meet Chinese President Hu Jintao on Wednesday.

The two men are expected to discuss establishing direct cross-strait flights and allowing more Chinese tourists into Taiwan. But, says the BBC's Caroline Gluck in Taipei, Mr Wu is not authorised to sign any documents with Chinese officials. And some analysts have said that China is calling the shots by allowing this high profile meeting to take place before a visit by the head of Taiwan's semi-official body, the Straits Exchange Foundation. It is the only organisation designated by Taipei to hold negotiations with Beijing in the absence of official contacts.
Nevertheless Mr Ma has said he welcomes this latest visit, our correspondent adds.
He says contacts between the two sides' ruling parties could serve as what he called a "second track" in helping to improve and promote friendlier relations between Taiwan and China.

Taiwan says China talks to resume

Source: BBC News

Taiwan's new president favours closer ties with Beijing. Taiwan and Beijing will resume direct talks next month for the first time in a decade, the chairwoman of the island's Mainland Affairs Council says. Lai Shin-yuan told reporters: "You will see very soon in June the beginning of institutional negotiations between the two sides."
There has been no comment so far on the subject from Beijing. Earlier this week a new president, Ma Ying-jeou, took office in Taiwan. He wants better ties with China. Two days later, on Thursday, a top Chinese official, Chen Yunlin, said there had been "major positive changes" in the Taiwan situation. Lai Shin-yuan said she was cautiously optimistic that direct transport links between the two sides, which were halted in 1949, could resume by July.
Goodwill. This could mean weekend charter flights of passengers and cargo, and more Chinese tourists being allowed to visit. "The July timetable", she told reporters, "is a realistic anticipation, and it is not based on wishful thinking". The BBC's correspondent in Taipei says Ms Lai also said both sides had shown goodwill and were speaking the same language on the issue. China and Taiwan have been ruled by separate governments since Mao Zedong's Communists won the Chinese civil war in 1949, and Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists fled to the island. China sees the island as a breakaway province which should be reunified, by force if necessary.

Bye Bye to my classes

Sadly i have lost my classes which i have been teaching for the past two weeks. My kindergarten, pre-school and elementary school classes will all change from next week. Although it has only been two weeks, it is surprising just how much of a bond you can make with the kids in that short time. I know I'm going to miss them a lot.

Anyway, my new classes are going to start next week and hopefully they will be as nice as the classes i have been subbing for. Fingers crossed!!

Seal: 'System'

Soaring onto the music scene in the early 1990's I instantly fell in love with the infectious singles 'Killer' and 'Crazy'. With his unmistakable hoarse vocals and impassioned lyrics, he seemed to be paving the way for well crafted dance music. Unfortunately, after two stunning albums he seemed to take a more middle-of-the-road approach which did nothing to utilize his unique talent. Exceptions along the way included the truly magnificent 'Kiss from a Rose' and the stunning 'My Vision'. Yet, it has not been until this Album that we see a true return to form. His soaring baritone is put to great use on these tracks. This album is voluptuous in its arrangements; skillfully layering electronics, synths, strings and bass to dance beats. This album almost dares you not to feel good and dance. My only fear is that this album may not age so well with time. In any case, a sure case pick-you-up album and a very welcome return to form.

Taiwan's New President

Ma Ying-Jeou has been officially sworn in as Taiwan's new president today replacing the outgoing, and ever unpopular, Chen Shui-Bian. One can only see this as a positive step for Taiwan. Although Chen's independent stance throughout his entire presidency has been admirable, it was deliberately provocative and proved quite dangerous. Added to this has been the never ending corruption allegations which have hounded him for years and led to alarmingly low opinion ratings and voter apathy.

Ma, on the other hand, represents a new direction, a fresh change if you will. He aims at easing tensions between Taiwan and China by opening up dialogue, trade, and transport between the two neighbours. He also seems to have a more international feel about him, unlike Chen. This presents the chance for Taiwan to make its mark on the international stage without actually reunifying with China. Taiwan's democracy is still relatively new and this change of power will surely be a turning point in Taiwanese politics.

Could it be that Taiwan is replacing a troublemaker with a peacemaker?

A weekend of good food!

What glorious weather the weekends are bringing. I just wonder how long this will last? Anyway, Saturday saw Willemien and the rest of the Dajia crew come to Taipei. After meeting them in the afternoon, we decided to eat at Cold stone's which was absolutely great then off to Page one bookstore.

In the evening i met Richard for some much needed Thai food. I think i may be enticed into becoming a regular as the food was so good. Although, the fact that i had hardly eaten all day probably had some influencing factor on my taste buds! After that, we met Brian, Rachael and the others for a Reggae night at the underground. Although the venue was nothing to write home about, the music was actually, surprisingly, pretty good and a far cry from the music scene of Taichung.

Sunday turned out to be a much needed relaxing day. After getting up around two we went to the Tavern for the biggest all day breakfast i think i have ever had in my life and it was truly great! After playing pool for a while we met Rachael and went to R.T.Mart for shopping. We seem to spend more and more each time we go there! The rest of the day was spent with me trying to catch up with Prison Break. Didn't really get that far and still have a long way to go.

California Lifts Ban on Gay Marriage.

Map showing the status of homosexuality laws of the world.

Homosexuality Laws:

Dark Green: Same sex marriages Yellow: Minimal penalty Green: Same sex unions

Orange: Large penalty Light Green: No same sex unions Red: Life in prison

Blue: International marriage licenses recognized Dark Red: Death penalty Gray: No information

Source: BBC News
California's ruling is expected to have an impact on the nationwide debate. California's top court has ruled that a state law banning marriage between same-sex couples is unconstitutional.
The state's Supreme Court said the "right to form a family relationship" applied to all Californians regardless of sexuality. The ban was approved by voters in 2000 but challenged by gay rights activists and the city of San Francisco. The state legislature twice passed laws to legalise gay marriage, but Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed them. He said California's court system should rule on the matter. The seven-judge panel voted 4-3 in favour of the plaintiffs who argued that the 2000 law was discriminatory. "Limiting the designation of marriage to a union 'between a man and a woman' is unconstitutional and must be stricken from the statute," California Chief Justice Ron George said in the written opinion.

The decision was met outside the courthouse by cheers from gay marriage supporters.
"I'm profoundly grateful. This is a historic day," said San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera, who argued the city's case to the court. "Everybody being entitled to equal protection under the law probably carried the day," he said. The ruling paves the way for California to become only the second US state, after Massachusetts, to allow same-sex marriage.

The decision is expected to re-invigorate the fight for same-sex marriage rights nationwide, say gay activists and legal experts. California's Supreme Court has a history of landmark rulings that are later picked nationally. The state currently offers same-sex couples who register as domestic partners the same legal rights and responsibilities as married men and women.
Other states, such as Vermont and New Jersey, have similar civil union provisions.

Californian voters approved the ban against same-sex marriages in a 2000 referendum. The law stated that "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognised in California".
In early 2004, San Francisco became the first place in the US where gay couples were able to marry after the city's Mayor Gavin Newsom authorised same-sex marriage licences, claiming the state legislation was discriminatory. In August of that year, California's Supreme Court ruled the mayor had overstepped his authority and nullified the hundreds of marriages.
Gay rights group Equality California was joined by nearly two dozen gay couples and the city of San Francisco in bringing the case to the Supreme Court.

Who's in Charge?

Moscow, May 7th, and with a grandiose entrance through the Kremlin's banqueting hall, Vladimir Putin took his place at the podium. Meanwhile, the little known Dimitry Medvedev entered through an ordinary door and took his place next to him. Any observer would be forgiven for mistaking who was in charge here. This was supposedly the official inauguration of Medvedev as President of Russia while Putin takes up his new, and comparatively lowly, position as his prime minister.

What does this actually mean for Russia? Well, what actually happens in Russia really matters and has major repercussions for the world at large. Although Putin has brought Russia back onto the international stage as a main player again and assured stability, this has all been at the expense of democracy and major tensions with the West. Therefore change in the doldrums of power leaves Russia hanging in the balance. The new youthful Deep-Purple-loving Medvedev is the first leader not to come from the old Communist party or the security services. His inaugural speech appears optimistic, respecting both the rule of law and what seems to be genuine liberal tendencies. Therefore, in theory the change of power seems to be a good thing.

However, in practice, any optimism is overstated. Next to nothing is known about Medvedev, even in Russia itself let alone on the international stage. Additionally, he owes everything to Putin for rising to this position and it is this very thing which will prove problematic. There is no sign that Putin is going anywhere. He still looms ominously over Russian politics and has transferred significant powers to himself. Medvedev will surely be smothered by his embrace. The general expectation is that Putin will remain in charge as the dominant figure. Footage of the inaugural service only reinforced this view with the appearance of the stern headmaster (Putin) lecturing the student on the last day of term (Medvedev). This is clearly not a real transfer of power.

In saying this, this surely presents the West, and the rest of the world for that matter, with the opportunity to take advantage of this new situation. The presidency is still the most powerful position in Russia and hopefully he has the courage to forge out an independent line from Putin. Russia's entire history is based upon direction coming from one source. It is endemic of their political culture and any division of power will surely cause major problems. Things are too early to call, but every leader starts off in the shadow of their predecessors to some extent. A cautious olive branch should be extended from the West focusing on his actions rather than rhetoric. This is not time to show weakness against this mighty bear.

Change in Lifestlye?

Reflecting upon my weekend i was just thinking about just how much my lifestyle has changed since moving to Taipei. In Taichung i was effectively out almost every weekend drinking to excess and even in the week on occasion. Although, looking back, i don't regret it because i had some great nights, I'm just thinking how glad i am that this is no longer the case. To be honest, i thought that giving up nights out would be difficult. In fact, it has not been an issue at all. I haven't missed it one little bit. I suppose in part this is due to me not actually knowing that many people in Taipei at the moment. However, also going out with someone who doesn't really drink has a positive impact to. I'm hoping that the main reason is that i'm just getting older and i don't really need to go out an drink every weekend anymore.

I really hope that this trend continues as it was surely bringing down my efforts to get fit and healthy. All those months of eating well and going to the gym were overshadowed by my drinking. This is not to say that I'm giving up drinking for good, God forbid! Just hope that my drinking can be less excessive and the intervals more intermittent.

Also, my work patterns could also prove to be beneficial if i can keep up this new routine. Having to work mornings ensures i am up at a reasonable hour everyday, i.e. 7:30 rather than sleeping in to the late morning or early afternoon. This new working schedule should ensure that i eat at the right hours to and have enough time to do everything that i want to do during the day. Let's just hope i can keep this up, something tells me its not going to be easy!

Raising Sand: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss

He symbolized rock excess for decades with his fender baritone. She, on the other hand, has crooned country audiences with her virtuoso fiddle and mountain soprano. This most unlikely pairing of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss seemed as imaginable as a collaboration between Slipknot and Dolly Parton. However, what seems inconceivable on paper is nothing short of remarkable in practice. The album starts off on a high note and just gets better. They transcend their remarkably different worlds to create something truly unique. Essentially a rework of classics, it is a tour de force taking on folk, country, blues, and rock and roll. By no stretch of the imagination am i a country fan, but that is the beauty of this album. You don't need to appreciate country music to hold this album in esteem. It is mature and intelligent and their relaxed, smoky harmonies are nothing short of sublime. I can understand people buying this purely for background music. In my opinion, it deserves one's full attention and nothing less. An essential addition to any serious musical collection.

My First Week At My New Job

Today marks the end of my first week at my new school, Giraffe. A little less cram school orientated than what i am used to which is by no means a bad thing. I actually feel like a 'proper' teacher rather than a trained chimp who sole aim is to entertain children! Gone are the hammers and sticky balls, in are the grammar explanations and a level of respect for foreign teachers that i have rarely witnessed before. So things are generally looking good so far. Still don't have my own classes as such as i have started in the middle of a semester but i can't wait to get going. My little kindergarten class is so sweet. No ridiculing the teacher from them, all you get is "teacher i love you," so sweet!

This should all be taken with a pinch of salt as the whole experience is still in the novelty value stage. No doubt before long i will be complaining non-stop about the job. As or now, things are going well and i can only view the change of job as a positive move, which is a relief.

Continuing the positive theme, i am feeling much more at home around Taipei as well. Moving to a new city is never an easy feat, yet it hasn't taken long to feel quite at home here. I suppose deep down i have always been a big city boy despite my sporadic tendencies to live a secluded life far away from it all.

"Let's get cracking tomorrow and let's have a drink tonight!"

London Mayoral results Overall results:

Johnson CON 1,168,738
Livingstone LAB 1,028,966
Paddick LD 878,097
Berry GRN 409,101

Known more for his bumbling, self-deprecating persona, along with his obscure sense of humor and startling flashes of instability than a serious politician. Nevertheless, Boris Johnson finds himself as Mayor of one of the great cities of the world, London. Probably more of a backlash against Labour than any firm conviction in the man himself, i believe this position to be an ideal outlet for such an eccentric figure. Contrary to the wide held cross-party belief that he is "an accident waiting to happen", i think we should place some quiet confidence in him. Despite his lack of experience and obvious concerns, he did manage to offend ethnic minorities, the poor and the entire population of Papua New Guinea in one fowl swoop, his election platform seems admirable. Twenty-four hour policing, revamping public transport, cycling, along with green initiatives are all plausible policies to pursue. With lines like these: "I think I was once given cocaine but I sneezed and so it did not go up my nose. In fact, I may have been doing icing sugar", "I have not had an affair with Petronella. It is complete balderdash. It is an inverted pyramid of piffle", "Voting Tory will cause your wife to have bigger breasts and increase your chances of owning a BMW M3", "Try as I might I could not look at an overhead projection of a growth-profit matrix and stay conscious"; the next four years is going to be anything but dull. I just hope my conviction in him is not proved wrong!

Goldfrapp: Seventh Tree

Goldrapp's fourth offering is considerably different from its predecessor, which is widely accepted as their greatest achievement to date. This more subtle album combines the familiarity of electronica with a more chilled-out rustic folk edge, creating an altogether rather organic sound. Admittedly, it proves challenging upon first listen and any attempt to decipher some of the lyrics have left me nothing but bewildered. Is 'Clowns' really about the longevity of upper body implants for women of a 'wag' disposition? Nevertheless, I always admire artists that change, adapt, and experiment whilst still retaining their individual style and that's exactly what Goldfrapp appear to be doing with this latest release. In a word, sublime. This beast is not to be overlooked.

Prison Break and a Gammy Foot

The weekend saw some beautiful spring weather. Before the relentless torridness of summer sets in, and while i was a man of leisure, I decided to have a relaxing afternoon reading in Da An park. After picking up Brian late afternoon, the rest of the weekend was spent being drawn into another epic American serial drama. First Six Feet Under, then 24, then Lost, now Prison Break. I'm a sucker for them and once lured in there is no getting away! The whole weekend was spent devouring episode after episode stuttered only by intermittent breaks for food.

On Saturday Chairity came over to the apartment. It's always great to see her and although we didn't spend that much time together we had a good time eating and chatting at home.

Unfortunately, owing to some 'issue' with my foot i was rendered incapacitated for the remainder of the weekend. I'll Spare the gruesome details but let's just say its not very pleasant to experience or look at. Although completely grossed out by it, my great boyfriend took care of me. Love is easy to show when you see the best of someone. It's when someone sees the worst of you and still loves and takes care of you that you realize how much someone loves you.