At 921 (September 21th) Earthquake a decade ago, a State of Emergency was declared and the military threw all its strengths into rescue and rehabilitation with out any excuse.  This time, the President who is the Supreme Commander of the Military Forces, was calmly enjoying himself at a wedding feast on the 88 Day.  Yesterday the Minister of Defense and his staffs say that some “necessary procedures must be followed”  before they can move the Forces.

Last year, when there was disastrous earthquake in the far away western region of China, Ma quickly acted and his wife sat many days at phone-side and lead in aid fund raising.  But so far no one sees her doing any thing.  Taiwan gave a total of 58 billion to China then, but this time, China after talk with the KMT agreed to give Taiwan ,6 billion for relief work via Red Cross which president in Taiwan is the First-Lady,  it is reported today.

A few days ago, the USA and Japan offered relief aids for the emergent needs after Marakot struck, Mr. Ma reclined by saying that there is “No Emergency”!  People are at lost  fathoming  Ma’s mind.  An angry Vice-Chancellor of a National University in Tainan said that the Presidential Office Building must sank in water before a state of emergency could be declared!

It was fortunate that the cyclone did not come while the International World Games were taking place in the southern port city of Kaohsiung.  Scarcely a week after the World Games, Typhoon Morakot arose in the Southeast Pacific and moves very slowly northwest ward, heading straight for Taiwan.  It behaves like a fat bull, moves slowly and stubbornly close to Taiwan.  After it’s landfall on day before yesterday till today, it poured some 1000 mm water on the north and more than 2000 mm cumulative rain on the south.  At the middle distance from Tainan to Taichung in the Chiayi mountain area, so far it has over 2500 mm rain today  and it is estimated to reach over 2900 mm.  It seems that more than a half of Taiwan is flooded and under water right now.  Bridges down,  roads damaged and  landslides, power is  lost and people flee their homes.

In the time of former administaration of Chen Shui-ben, a thorough plan for flood-controll was submitted to the Legislator Yuen, aimed at prevention of a replay of the 8-7 Flood many years ago. But it was blocked by KMT (The Nationalist Party) members who were the great majority.  Now, history has reenacted worse than before.  The present KMT government is busy trying, but at lost what to do with the situation.  After KMT’s  Republic of China fled to Taiwan in 1949, its atitude has been called by some, “a toothbrush-ism”, meaning “can move away  any time”, without thought of laying fundamental building-ups for Taiwan.  Everything they did and still do is “political” in the worst sense of the word. They take, but would not give back much, meanwhile people suffer continually.

After the main floor show with ten colorful themed dance and visual performances designed to showcase the history of the host city, then more than 100 traditional hot-air Sky Lanterns were released into the air to wish good fortune and health of the athletes before Ron Froelich, the President of the International World Games Association and Chen Chu, Mayor of Kaohsiung City addressed the packed crowd.  Mr. Froehlich called the Kaohsiung Games the “Best ever” and hard to be surpassed. Mayor Chen, speaking in Mandarin and Taiwanese, said the Games is the pride of people all over Taiwan, and will be engraved into the hearts of Kaohsiung residents. The Mayor especially paid tribute to the more than 6,000 vilunteers who sat in the VIP section for their contribution in making the World Games such a success. before calling for her fellow Taiwanese to “fight in unity for the dignity of our country”.  She concluded with asking everyone to help the upcoming September’s Deaflympics in Taipei a success and to “polish the brilliance of Taiwan in the international arena”.

After the addesses, the flags of the World games were lowered and carried over to the President of the Association and the Mayor by Taiwan’s triple-gold-medal-winning speed roller skater and the flag was handover to a representative of  Cali, Columbia, where the  next World games will take place  in four years time.

At this World Games, Taiwan had a total of 24 medals, 8 gold, 9 silver, and 7 copper and ranked number 7 after Russia, Italy, China, USA, Ukraine, and France. But the significance of the event was the spirit of the people of Taiwan who united  and worked hard for the Games’ success, while showing their pride and dignity in making contribution to an international event as a host country.

Ron Froehlich, the President of the International World Games, was reported to have negative view of Taiwan and Kaohsiung’s hosting the Games. But as he worked with the City and the people in preparation of the event, his attitude gradually changed to better. The unceasing pressure and nagging from China during the preparatory period also irked him and led to his formal introduction of Ma Ing-jhiou as the “President of the Republic of China” at the Opening Ceremony.

When Kaohsiung, Taiwan bid and chosen to host the international games some years ago, China threaten to boycott and blockade. But the 8th World Games has successfully opened with more than expected numbers of countries (105) participating, all people in Taiwan should be glad and bless it’s success. Snubbing of the event by an irrational China is understandable, but behavior of those officials in Ma’’s Government and of KMT dignitaries is very questionable. They flocked to the last year’s Olympic Games in Beijing, but so far, there is no showing up of them, except Mr. Ma.

Yesterday, there was an article submitted to Liberty Times, the best selling paper here, by  a former Ambassador of Taiwan to South Africa, Lu I-Chen, who  belittling the Kaohsiung World Games as a  “fake”.  He described Kaohsiung Games  by using a saying, “Hanging goat head up when selling dog meat”. In his terms, the 31 games contested at the event are rejects of the Olympics picked up by the World Games, and that the World Games is like a child of a concubine in old China, never able to lift his up high!  In his view, the whole exercise in Kaohsiung is “a waste of people’s money”, and the magnificently built Stadium with solar power generators will soon become a habitat of mosquitoes.

When Kaohsiung successfully bid to host the Games, it was during the DPP Administration.  China threaten to blockade it, KMT legistlors attempted to pull Kaohsiung’s legs.  Even after Mr. Ma assumed the office of presidency last May, his government has not been cooperative.  But Kao-hsiung City worked hard and did  the best.  Now, it is successfully taking place, but those officials and dignitaries  are shy to attend.  How  insane to belittle the wonderful event, and what a  pity to have missed it.

The Opening Ceremony cost the City of Kaohsiung  NT$170 million last night, as it is reported.  But the Opening Ceremony was shunned by China, even a Chinese athletic party was near by. The s main stadium, which architect is Toyo Ito from Japan, alone costs  more than NT$5 billion,  has 55,000 seats, and is equipped with solar power system ( the world’s first) and shaped like a spirally ascending dragon ( very Chinese, unfortunately).   The solar generators can supply lighting and air-conditioning for the stadium, and surpass electricity can be sold to  Taiwan Power Company. The artistic surrounding is given much humanistic and environmental consideration and invites much favorable reportage.

The World Games takes after the manner of the Olympics, even though Taiwan is  the Host Country, only a substitute flag for Taiwan (as Chinese Taipei) is allowed to be placed among 105 national flags from all over the world.  But the Mayor of Kaohsiung City invited openly that she welcomes all kinds of  non-official flags that abide the size restriction. There are seen flags in many colours and sizes, of small national flag of the Republic of China (ROC), of Taiwan Independent Movement, of the DPP, those with picture in the  shape of Taiwan, or just written “Taiwan”, both in Chinese characters  and in English. This is a technical break-through of the ban forced upon Taiwan by China when attending international events. In the past years when there were similar events in Taipei, no  flag was allowed to be present other than the substitute flag.  In the City of Kaohsiung this time, people are venting their ire and hurt, but also their pride in participation of a world game hosted by the great city, Kaohsiubg, in the Southern Taiwan.

No doubt, the Games, which has been in preparation for the last 3 and more years, will draw the world’s attention to Taiwan and adds great light on the faces of the people, and should be supported by all people in Taiwan.  But Ma’s Government which comes to power last year in May, has been cool to it.  It’s reason probably stemmed from the fact that Kaohsiung ’s and those of municipal heads in the South Taiwan are all from non KMT background and/or belong to position, the DPP.  There is an International Deaf/Mute’s Game pending in Taipei, where the Mayer of the City is a KMT  member, the Athletic Commission of Ma’s Government  subsidized it with a huge grant of  NT$470 million.  Then for the Games in Kaohsiung, the City asked for a NT$350 million subsidy for the opening expenditures, only a fraction of NT$65 million was given by the Commission which says that they support it, but the responsibility falls on the City of Kaohsiung!

The fact shows a sad social/political division in Taiwan.  Ma’s Government wants unification with China however gradually, but it will not work for Taiwan as a nation unified.

Since the Forth of July last year, Taiwan under KMT’s Ma Government  has witnessed a fast capitulation to it’s once arch enemy, China , without caring for the sentiment of the majority people of the Island Nation. I do not know whether it was unfortunate or fortunate because of the shut down of my blog by it’s former server and therefor made me unable to vent my feeling through months passed.  Now, this blog  has come alive again , there will be no excuse not to post in time ahead.

On this Forth of July, a happier note for me was going to Taipei Fine Arts Museum to enjoy viewing Arcadie – Dans les Collections du Centre Pompidou exhibition. The works included those of  Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Gorges Braque, Pierre Bonnard, marc Chagall, Jean Dubuffet, Paul Klee and Luis Bunuel. Among the exhibition are many rarely lent important contemporary artworks of the Ponpidou collection.  As the exhibition will be close by July 12th, viewers flocked in from all over Taiwan.

Unhappier news of the day was that Yankee’s Wang Chen-min suffered shoulder injury while pitting hard to get his second win after his return to the mound. He was confident, saying that his new born son, Justin, would be his guardian angel.  What a disappointment to him and to so many fans in Taiwan.  On a happier side, there is a new ball player from Taiwan on the US Major Leagues, a left-handed pitcher, Ni Fu-Te, who done his successful rescue pitching briefly on this Fourth of July. Ni, a new comer to the Major League, loos like to have a good future ahead there.

Unhappy news of the day, among many, was that President Ma suffered snubs on his State Visit to the Central Americas.  This is his second visit with in a month. Otega, the Nicaraguan President,  failed to meet him at Ma’s arrival and did not turn up at the State Dinner hosted by Ma at the Nicaraguan Capital. News reporters have counted that as the sixth snubs on this visit in Nicaragua alone.  After threat of recalling the ambassadors and cancellation of US$ Two Million aids by Taiwan to Nicaragua, the Nicaraguan President showed up with some excuses.  Analyzers say that all this is stemmed from Ma’s Policy of  Gradual Unification with China and his call of halting diplomatic activity by his government in hope of gaining approval by China.  He is selling Taiwan out fast, and the snubs are only very little price to pay for getting approval from the other side of the Strait. But, there is no glory on the faces of Taiwanese people!

I will stop here less to conpound more unhappiness for the day.