Themes of the New Year
Whichever calendar one celebrates, whether it be the Gregorian, Julian, or the Lunar, 2016, the Year of the Monkey, will see turbulence and transformation. Waves and winds will continue to rage. People will continue to wade through the water, and some will walk above the tides. There may be more attempts of terror; there may be more heartbreaks from disasters. Yet, the this new Year begins with grace, compassion, openness, hope, and a responsive heart. It is my hope that wisdom, comfort, healing, and reconciliation can mend conflicts and dissolve divisions. This is also the year to re-evaluate priorities. It is my hope that humility and a genuine concern for the welfare of fellow human beings will permeate people's daily lives.
In Southeast Asia, 2016 marks a new beginning for Taiwan as its people elected the country's first female president, Tsai Ing-wen. In her victory speech, Tsai emphasized stability, dignity, and reciprocity in the cross-straight relation with China. "Mutually acceptable means of interaction" instead of provocation (Taiwan's News). One can apply the same principle to current global political challenges.
Each time I visit Taiwan, one of the places that I call "home," mixed feelings arise. Positive sentiments dominate this trip: strength, intention, anticipation, and aspiration. When I walk on this subtropical-tropical island with rich cultural traditions and diverse ethnicities, I feel both at once a local and a foreigner. The photographs narrate my sipping of Southern Taiwan. I took them in Hengchun, from 28 to 29 January.
Coconut trees and tropical flora accompany the scent of the sun and the sea.
Catch the light.
Presence - Absence. If only the frame shifted a tad left.
The clouds mirror the corals, coiling ripples, and seashell sand.
One of the many plants that fascinated me. This one hearty and less friendly. I adorned it with some seaweed that contained berry-like structures.
Though more petite and less succulent, this wreath of seaweed called into mind the grapes of Bacchus.
Wrap it up with Street Art. Refuel. Keep up the good fight. Happy New Year.
By a gas/petrol station. The most innovative sculpture-sign I have come across in Taiwan.
Sources:
"Taiwan Elects First Female President." Taiwan's News. Last modified January 16, 2016. http://www.taiwansnews.net/index.php/sid/240331417
