Category: Sigur Center 2019 Summer Fellows

Coming to Taiwan has allowed me to practice and improve my Mandarin by leaps and bounds. The immersive experience goes beyond the classroom and allows me to be learning 24/7. However, what many students do not consider is the practice of language exchange. Language Exchange involves two or more people that help each other practice languages that they are learning. This can be a great help to students on a budget as participants teach their partner their native or fluent language instead of charging money as a tutor would. I found many partners through Facebook groups as well as sites like tealit.com that focus on language exchange.

I was very lucky to meet a few Taiwanese locals who have helped me learn and practice more than I could learn in the classroom. I was able to work on fine-tuning my pronunciation, learn about Taiwanese culture, and much more. Through meeting language partners, I was also able to explore new parts of the city and try new foods every time I met up with a language partner – I’ve made some of my best friends in Taiwan this way. One language partner in particular even went to the extent of teaching me Zhuyin (also known as Bopomofo), which is the Taiwanese equivalent of Pinyin. It’s a feat in of itself as many Taiwanese people do not know how to use pinyin. Learning Bopomofo has helped to improve my pronunciation as well as allowing me to access more resources as children’s books often use Zhuyin. Language exchange allowed me to improve my speaking speed and learn more casual expressions that younger people will more often use. It has given me the liberty to design my own plans about what I wanted to learn and dive into topics that my classes may look over, such as  movies or music that were trending in Taiwan. From talking about the work of Hebe Tien to Jay Chou, I discussed song lyrics and the clever ways that artists use Mandarin. I was also able to pick up on some Taiwanese (Taiyu) and Hakka words that have infiltrated into everyday Taiwanese Mandarin conversation to better appreciate the many regional variations of Mandarin. I learned about the many views on the upcoming presidential race and the controversial KMT candidates that have been stirring heated debate among the Taiwanese public.

It also felt great being able to help so many people learn English and achieve their goals as well. While there were some meetups that were awkward or boring, after meeting a few people I quickly found that most people looking for exchange were friendly, engaging, and offered a lot to learn from. I’ve done exchanges with fellow students, as well as people who were in their 60’s. I was able to meet and have intriguing conversations with people from different workplaces and political views. I am grateful for the opportunity to take intensive classes at National Chengchi University but also grateful to be surrounded by so many partners who help push me to the goal of fluency.

 

 

 

7/10/19

 

My Bahasa Indonesia has improved significantly. Per my instructors, I have already reached the CEFR B1 level. In general, I find myself better able to converse with people in Indonesian and do so regarding more complicated topics. For example, I can now talk about political or cultural topics with relative ease. In my remaining month here, I hope to continue the progress at the same pace, but even if I don’t, I will have still have opened up many doors that were previously locked up tight.

Indeed, I would go so far as to say that the most salient experiences I have experienced since my last blogpost were all directly related to my advancing language skills. I finally feel comfortable enough to haggle at the market, even if I still end up on the worse end of every exchange. Being able to hold my own in a conversation played no small part in easing the stress involved in applying for a visa extension, a process that included multiple trips to multiple immigration offices and fun bureaucratic wrangling.

This weekend I will finally get the chance to travel a little outside the Jakarta metro area (specifically Bali), something I hope to do a couple more times before I return to America.  In other news, soto ayam – a soup composed of chicken, noodles, and potato – is quite tasty and is best consumed by the street alongside a menagerie of motorcycles and stray cats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marine Debris Beach Cleanup in Taiwan

Marine debris not only adversely affect marine animals when they ingest or are entangled in the them (i.e. the viral video of the turtle with a straw stuck in its nose), but also threaten food safety and quality, human health, and coastal tourism. Moreover, marine debris risk destabilizing the economic livelihood and health of the nearly 2 billion people who rely on the ocean for their primary source of protein. The most hazardous and wide-spread marine debris are plastics. Plastic waste makes up 80% of all the waste in the world’s oceans. How did this happen? Well, in short- we produce a lot of plastic! Plastic production has been exponentially increasingly since it became a commonplace consumer good in the 1950s (i.e. Tupperware, shopping bags, and candy wrappers). In 2015 alone, the amount of plastic produced was nearly equivalent to the estimated mass of 2/3 of the entire human population. Of all this plastic waste, it is estimated that only around 10% has been properly recycled, with the rest entering landfills, incineration plants, and natural environments. East Asia and the Pacific Region account for 60% of the global total of marine debris. Therefore it is no surprise that Asian countries make up eight of the top ten marine debris-polluting nations. Thus, I’ve come to Taiwan not only to increase my Mandarin language skills but also to conduct intensive research on finding/developing sustainable business solutions and emerging technologies that can be leveraged to reduce plastic marine debris. My research has been fascinating so far, and I am already assisting various organizations to adopt Circular Economy business models and technologies to reduce their waste generation while increasing profits at the same time. The best solution to addressing the plastic marine debris issue is to make solving it an easy and profitable decision for businesses, especially large corporations which heavily influence global supply chains. Below is a link to a video produced by my colleague Matt Girvan of a recent beach cleanup we documented in northern Taiwan. While beach cleanups do not solve the marine debris issue, they are immensely valuable as an educational and community building activity to increase awareness of this rapidly evolving global challenge. Enjoy the film! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTo96Tdnb_w *video credit: Matt Girvan Media; https://mattgirvanmedia.com/   Grayson Shor M.A. International Affairs, Specialized in Asia’s Emerging Circular Economy Business Ecosystem and Plastic Marine Debris Solutions Sigur Center 2019 Asian Language Fellow National Taiwan University, Taiwan

Ander Tebbutt, BAccy 2022 Sigur Center 2019 Asian Language Fellow National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan

Despite being halfway through my summer in Taiwan, I still find myself failing to abide by all of the cultural norms that run deep in Taiwanese society. There are the standard rules such as, “Don’t eat or drink on the metro!” or “Always watch for cyclists and motorcyclists.” However, what I want to talk about are the infrequently discussed faux pas to watch for if you are ever traveling to this country.

 

 

Don’t: Set your bag(s) down on the ground.

Although we had a fairly large group, you can see in the front there was still a chair set aside for backpacks.[/caption]

This was a norm that I learned from my Taiwanese roommates. Of course, you are not always obligated to find a place to set your bag or backpack, but the Taiwanese culture values cleanliness. Restaurants will sometimes even bring you an extra chair to set your belongings on top of while dining. Thus, placing your backpack on the ground is not something that is commonly practiced and might earn you a couple of stares. 

 

 

Do: Bring gifts for your co-workers during your first week at work!

A small pastry from my co-workers, later they also gave me a couple of mangoes and zongzi [sticky rice].[/caption]

If the country of Taiwan took the “Five-Love Languages” test, the overwhelming resultant would be that of gift giving. In order to introduce yourself and show respect to your co-workers, gift giving is the chosen practice in the workplace. Unfortunately, this is a lesson I learned a little too late as I did not realize this until week 3 of my internship with the Democratic Progressive Party. Nevertheless, I still brought some boxes of candies and pastries to work and it was, for the most part, well received by my co-workers, who probably gave me a pass as the resident foreigner. 

 

 

Don’t: Be abrasive or loud; being discrete is key.

During this night (and many others), we were told to keep quiet, as we were disturbing the other customers.[/caption]

For every mainland Chinese stereotype of being loud, direct, and unconcerned with personal space, the exact opposite is true for the Taiwanese. When I first noticed this Taiwanese tendency towards quietness in the metro, I quickly ran through my recent experiences in public spaces, such as the bus, in shopping malls, and in restaurants. I found that I couldn’t recall anyone laughing or being as loud as my friends and I had been. Thus, if you do not want to stand out as a foreigner, in any public setting keep your voice low and do not get too rambunctious. 

 

 

Do: Ask for help when needed!

If you accidentally left belongings on the Taiwanese metro, fear not because you will most likely see it again.[/caption]

The majority of Taiwanese citizens will treat visitors with compassion. If you ever find yourself lost in the city, do not be scared to approach someone to ask for directions. They will usually gladly assist you in whatever capacity they can. Furthermore, if forgetfulness is something you have been cursed with, you needn’t fear. People I know personally have lost their phones, wallets, and laptop chargers in the city but they have all found ways to find their belongings once again. 

 

 

As I was leaving a coffee shop one day, I was astounded when a random couple chased me down across the street to tell me I had forgotten a pencil back in the shop. These little acts of kindness are very common in Taiwan. Additionally, they have begun to affect the lens in which I generally view strangers and tourists. I want to be able to bring back this habit when I head back to the States, especially regarding the plethora of tourists that come to Washington D.C.

On June 4th, 1989, hundreds of Chinese student protesters were gunned down by the People’s Liberation Army for expressing their discontent in the government. This year, I was able to experience the commemoration of the thirtieth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre in a country that is able to easily empathize with the horrors of an authoritarian regime.

There was a Taipei memorial event being held in front of the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. Stalls and booths surrounded the area informing the attendees of the different social and human rights issues people were facing today. A documentary of the infamous “Tank Man” was playing on a screen in the center of the memorial.

People walking further into the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial will notice a large, inflatable depiction of the “Tank Man” photograph. A podium in front of the display explained the artist’s intent to promote remembrance of the danger of the Chinese regime.

This event hits close to home with many Taiwanese citizens, not only because of their current, precarious situation with the Chinese Communist Party, but also because they experienced their own version of Tiananmen Square, which they refer to as the February 28th incident, or “228.” On a tour of old town Taipei, our tour group was able to hear about Taiwanese history concerning the Chinese regime.

 

Our tour guide explained that the 228 incident was sparked when an elderly, Taiwanese woman was heavily beaten by a couple of officers of the ruling party, the Kuomintang from mainland China, for selling cigarettes in order to survive. A citizen who came to her aid was subsequently killed, sparking a gathering of protesters the following day. Without warning, the protesters were shot upon, leaving many dead and marking the beginnings of indiscriminate killing of Taiwanese known as the “White Terror”.

It is important to understand the culture and politics of Taiwan or of any other country you might visit in order to be respectful if discussing touchy subjects. Within the first week, CET Taiwan has already done a great job making sure each student is better educated in these areas, leading us to further our understand of the new world and culture around us.

 

Since arriving in Taipei 5 weeks ago, time has flown by faster than ever. For my first post about my experience here I thought I would explain why I decided to study at National Taiwan University (NTU) this summer and how my time has been so far.

My reasons for studying at NTU’s Chinese Language Division this summer are twofold. First, I wanted to improve my abilities in the language and there is no better way to do that than being constantly surrounded by it. Secondly, I wanted to learn more about Taiwan’s unique cultural and political environment.

I have had an interest in both Chinese language and international affairs for a long time, and so when I decided I wanted to go abroad to continue studying Chinese, I was quickly drawn to Taiwan. Taiwan’s complex political status and its ties to the US have made it an important element of US-China relations and I was fascinated by the opportunity to learn more about it by living and studying there.

Those were my reasons for applying to this program in Taiwan, but upon arriving I have only gained more reasons that I would use to recommend others to apply for the same program. NTU has a beautiful campus that is conveniently located within Taipei City. The classes themselves are extremely well taught and interesting. The people here have been very welcoming, encouraging, and helpful in improving my language ability.

 

My classes here meet every weekday afternoon for 3 hours, and with a singular focus on the language, I have already felt great improvement in my ability as well as confidence in using it. I have 4 classmates and everyday our teacher, 程老師 (Cheng Laoshi), teaches us through lectures and activities.

In addition to my classroom experience, my language learning is supplemented by hands on experiences living in Taipei, and by regularly meeting with Taiwanese friends for language exchange. Through this combination I have developed a deeper appreciation for the Chinese language as well as Taiwanese culture.

In my time here so far I have had the pleasure to try great food at restaurants and night markets around the city, learn about the history of Taiwan, and become friends with other students both international and local. I’ve had particularly interesting conversations with many Taiwanese people about their views on Taiwan’s political situation, and I have learned a lot more about the island’s internal political scene, as opposed to just its relations with mainland China and the United States.

I can’t wait to experience what the remainder of the summer will bring.

 

Max Kaplan, B.A. International Affairs 2021

Sigur Center Asian Language Study in Asia Grant Recipient Summer 2019

National Taiwan University, Taiwan

 

 

 

I’ve been in Jakarta, Indonesia for a couple weeks now. The jetlag took a few days to get over, but I did eventually get used to being 11 hours ahead. Luckily, it did not take as much time to acclimate to the weather, since it is very similar to Washington, DC this time of year: hot and humid.

I arrived in Jakarta in the midst of the Eid holiday celebrations. As such, for a few days after I arrived, the city was almost empty, as people left the city to see their families or just to take a holiday. Soon after, however, citizens returned from their holiday and the city returned to its bustling self—including its infamous traffic, which came back with a vengeance. The city just broke ground on its first underground rail transit system (the MRT) and, according to a number of Jakartans I’ve spoken with, has made efforts in the last year to expand the number of sidewalks. Nonetheless, Jakarta remains a motorist’s city.

 

Arriving in Jakarta during Indonesia’s biggest holiday is an interesting experience. The celebration of Eid seems to manifest itself in varying levels of jubilation, piety, and commercial opportunism that I usually associate with the month of December. It’s also been a couple of months since the Indonesian presidential election—and only a few weeks since the post-election riots that rocked Jakarta—but, at least on the surface, there does not appear to be much evidence of political rancor.

 

My language studies are progressing well, I think. My instructors suggest that I will be ready to begin intermediate level Bahasa Indonesia within a couple of weeks. Without the generous grant from the Sigur Center, I would likely never have had the chance to devote so much of my time to improving my language abilities. All in all, I look forward to continuing my journey exploring Jakarta, Bahasa Indonesia, and Indonesia itself.

 

Michael K, MA, International Affairs 2019
Sigur Center 2019 Asian Language Fellow
Language Studies Indonesia

 

A few weeks back my team and I were announced as Finalists in Taiwan’s international Presidential Hackathon. We were selected for our digital platform, known as Madaster, which creates a digital ledger of all the building materials existing in designated infrastructure. In July 2019 we will be meeting with the president of Taiwan as well as various ministers and CEOs of Taiwan’s leading environmental and technology institutions to demo our platform and compete with the other five finalist teams from across the world. I’ve received countless requests to share our Hackathon application, so in the spirt of the event’s focus on open-data and civic responsibility I am posting our application publicly below. But first, I must explain, “what is the Taiwan Presidential Hackathon and its challenge theme this year?”.

 

According to the Hackathon’s website:

“In line with the needs of the country’s social development, the Taiwan Presidential Hackathon, launched in 2018, is an initiative designed by the Taiwanese government to demonstrate its emphasis on open-source, open data, and related best practices to address the needs of the country through social innovations and economic development.

This event aims to facilitate exchanges among data owners, data scientists, and field experts to tap into the collective wisdom across government, industry, private and public sectors. Ultimately, it aims to accelerate the optimization of public services and stimulate inclusive social and economic growth for all people.”

The challenge theme of the 2019 international track of the Hackathon is to make a working platform which facilitates sustainable infrastructure development. Without further ado, our application is below. Enjoy!

 

2019 Taiwan Presidential Hackathon: Enabling Sustainable Infrastructure

Project Name: Enabling Sustainable Infrastructure The Madaster Platform for Material Identity

 

WHICH PROBLEM DO YOU WANT TO SOLVE:

We want to solve the problem of waste. In our vision, waste is material without an identity. We can eliminate waste by giving materials and products applied in the construction sector an identity through detailed registration and documentation through material passports. Our focus is specifically upon addressing waste generated from buildings and infrastructure, a sector which globally produces 40% of all waste annually, in order to promote sustainable and circular materials management.

 

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT:

Our planet is a closed system, meaning that all our resources are limited editions. Still we throw away valuable resources – limited editions – as waste. And we don’t have to, as waste is material without an identity. With Madaster we want to give identities to materials applied in the built environment. Madaster created a register to safely capture all material and product data, within the limitations of privacy and security. Registration of materials contributes to the transition towards a circular economy, as the identity data of products and materials provide necessary insights in the potential reuse. The Madaster platform indicates to what extend circular characteristics are applied to a building and encourages circular design. Financial valuation of the materials in a building provide transparency in the potential financial benefit of reuse. With a register like Madaster, the potential of the material stock in real estate, infrastructure and regions can be identified and a transition towards a circular economy can be facilitated.

TO UNDERSTAND THIS PROBLEM WHAT DATA DO YOU HAVE:

1st: Material related data: source files (BIM/IFC or Excel) are the basis of a building in Madaster. The building information models gives insight in the metrics (volumes) of materials and its characteristics. This is the basis for the material passport.

2nd: Pricing data: this data gives insight in the historical, actual and expected future value of materials. The transition towards a circular economy requires that we do not only give an identity but also a financial valuation to materials.

3rd: external product data sources for enrichment of the registration.

4^th: building data, such as land registration details, images, quotations, assembly instructions etc.

5^th: circularity data: to indicate the re-use potential

DO YOU NEED OTHER TYPE OF DATA? HOW DO YOU PLAN ON GATHERING IT?:

The platform is linked to external product data sources to enrich the registration and has an interface (API) for automated exchange of data with partners. Data Partners provide data and services that enrich the Madaster Platform and enhance data reliability. Examples of the data provided by Data Partners include financial, circular and material- and product-related data.

Globally we require additional data partners to enrich the platform the same way we did for the Dutch construction market. For Taiwan we need for example environmental data and price data in order to support the financial indicator and product data to enrich existing building registrations.

Because the working methods in Taiwan differ from those in the Netherlands, it is important to implement a local demonstration project. For Taiwan we have sought cooperation with Taiwan Construction and Research Institute (TCRI) to create a local proof of concept. We are convinced that if we can carry out a demonstration project locally we can convince Taiwanese businesses and the government of the added value of Madaster. This way potential customers, investors and data partners can be attracted.

PLEASE DESCRIBE THE EXPECTED OUTPUT OF YOUR PROJECT:

Globally we want to digitize all applied materials and products in the construction sector. Through documentation we can provide insight in the potential of existing material for reuse in a circular economy.

For Taiwan we want to demonstrate:

1. The efficiency of applying existing information (BIM models) for registration in Madaster and the realization of the Madaster functionality (including materials passport, circular and financial valuation).
2. The necessity of having detailed material and product data available for the realization of a circular economy and the way in which Madaster can realize this.
3. The potential of a database with a public objective in which all products, materials and buildings are registered for the development and application of – new – circular business models such as market places, certification companies, financiers and builders.

WHAT IS YOUR PROGRESS TO DATE:

Madaster is a concept that has already been tested and proven to work. Since our launch in 2017 in The Netherlands we’ve registered over 2 million square meters in our database.

In 2018 we came in touch with two Taiwanese delegations from the construction sector. This introduction revealed the interest in the Madaster platform and the possibilities to facilitate the transition to a circular economy.

In November 2018 we visited Taiwan together with a Netherlands Circular Economy Mission to Taiwan. We visited the local governments of Taipei, Taoyuan, Tainan, Taichung, and the Taiwan Sugar Corporation (TaiSugar).

In March 2019 we signed an agreement to work together with TCRI as our local partner in Taiwan. This marks a unique opportunity to evolve and internationally expand Taiwan’s domestically-founded green building certification, EEWH, the world’s first green building certification designed for structures in sub-tropical regions. We also signed an agreement with TopOne International Consultants for a demonstration project of 167,772 m2. TaiSugar introduced their planned project for Yuemei Sugar Refinery (500m2) and another in Shalun (30,000m2). Furthermore, at this moment we are registering into our platform Taiwan’s first-ever circular building, the Holland Pavilion of TaiChung World Flora. All the materials and products of this building will be re-used by TaiSugar in future construction.

 

ONCE COMPLETED HOW DO YOU PLAN TO USE THE OUTPUT OF YOUR PROJECT:

Madaster has the ambition to realize a local ecosystem that consists of:

1. a) a not-for-profit foundation that stimulates and oversees the transition towards a circular economy supported by the Madaster Platform and
2. b) a Taiwanese service organization that develops and operates the Madaster Platform in Taiwan.

The outcome of the project and resulting platform will be used to kickstart the realization of the Taiwanese circular economy ecosystem.

 

DESCRIBE THE EXPECTED OUTCOME AND IMPACT OF YOUR PROJECT, ONCE IMPLEMENTED:

Globally and regionally we trust using the anonymized metadata of the platform is a way to help cities and governments better track and trace and understand their Resource Banks. Furthermore, this data can be used in conjunction with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to analyze infrastructure and human settlements in a way which has never been done before. Specifically, this will allow for the analysis of the distribution and make-up of materials in human settlements which can in-turn provide profound data-driven indicators for the analysis of environmental and socioeconomic factors (i.e. inequality, environmental change, and sustainable communities). Importantly, this data can be used to understand the barriers to reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how to most effectively overcome them. The complete data set on the platform is supervised by the Madaster Foundation, a Dutch non-profit organization, in order to guarantee the privacy, security, and public availability of the (anonymized) data.

Madaster Taiwan will provide insights to construction owners, stakeholders, users and regulators in the potential of existing materials and products applied in the built environment. This potential can be monetized through reuse of materials and reduction of risks. Most of all, Madaster Taiwan will facilitate the elimination of waste through providing identities to all applied products and materials so they can never end up as anonymous waste.

 

ANY REFERENCES? LINK TO YOUTUBE OR CLOUD DRIVE?:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh6yvOzlIZU

https://www.madaster.com/en or https://www.madaster.com/cn

https://mailchi.mp/8261d2d75d97/madaster-news-2019212

 

Grayson Shor

M.A. International Affairs, Specialized in Asia’s Emerging Circular Economy Ecosystem and Plastic Marine Debris

Sigur Center 2019 Asian Language Fellow

National Taiwan University, Taiwan