At about 11:30pm last Friday, local band Tizzy Bac was toward the end of a
musical set at the Shihta Rd. pub Underworld (地下社會). That was when the
cops busted in and stopped the show, saying that from that moment on, no
one, as in neither foreign nor local groups, would be allowed to perform
there without the proper licenses or proofs of registration.
The police's basis for the action was a "performer registration" rule, which
was enacted as a stopgap measure by Taipei City when regulation of
performances was transferred from the national government to local
governments in 1999. It's called the Temporary Entertainers Act
(演藝事業演出人員暫行條例) of 2000, and states that all performances in
Taipei city by Taiwanese nationals are required to first register with the
bureau. There is no fee for registration and filling out the forms only
takes a few minutes. The major inconvenience, however, is that registration
must take place inside Taipei City Hall. According to Taipei's Cultural
Affairs Bureau, every municipal government in Taiwan has a similar rule.
They also said the rule is scheduled for revision and clarification within
the next couple years.
But as this "performers registration" rule was just sitting dead on the
books until last Friday's raid, none of Taipei's rock clubs had ever heard
of it before. Following the raid, which threatened to stop all Underworld
performances but didn't result in any fines, Underworld's management was
forced to explore its options. They contacted a member of the Taipei City
Council who, in turn, liaised with the police, arriving at a temporary
solution. Local performers will be allowed to perform at the club as before
(presumably a blind eye will be turned to registration status) as the band
Nomad (游牧) did two nights ago, but foreign bands won't be able to perform
without special licenses from the central government. So for the time being,
Taiwan's oldest and most respected rock pub is still in business, even
though enforcement issues remain as cloudy as ever.
Japan is celebrated for its exceptional levels of customer service. But the behavior of a growing number of customers and clients leaves a lot to be desired. The rise of the abusive consumer has prompted authorities in Tokyo to introduce the country’s first ordinance — a locally approved regulation — to protect service industry staff from kasuhara — the Japanese abbreviated form of “customer harassment.” While the Tokyo ordinance, which will go into effect in April, does not carry penalties, experts hope the move will highlight a growing social problem and, perhaps, encourage people to think twice before taking out their frustrations
There is perhaps no better way to soak up the last of Taipei’s balmy evenings than dining al fresco at La Piada with a sundowner Aperol Spritz and a luxuriant plate of charcuterie. La Piada (義式薄餅) is the brainchild of Milano native William Di Nardo. Tucked into an unassuming apartment complex, fairy lights and wining diners lead the way to this charming slice of laid-back Mediterranean deli culture. Taipei is entirely saturated with Italian cuisine, but La Piada offers something otherwise unseen on the island. Piadina Romagnola: a northern Italian street food classic. These handheld flatbreads are stuffed with cold
Oct. 14 to Oct. 20 After working above ground for two years, Chang Kui (張桂) entered the Yamamoto coal mine for the first time, age 16. It was 1943, and because many men had joined the war effort, an increasing number of women went underground to take over the physically grueling and dangerous work. “As soon as the carts arrived, I climbed on for the sake of earning money; I didn’t even feel scared,” Chang tells her granddaughter Tai Po-fen (戴伯芬) in The last female miner: The story of Chang Kui (末代女礦工: 張桂故事), which can be found on the Frontline
In the tourism desert that is most of Changhua County, at least one place stands out as a remarkable exception: one of Taiwan’s earliest Han Chinese settlements, Lukang. Packed with temples and restored buildings showcasing different eras in Taiwan’s settlement history, the downtown area is best explored on foot. As you make your way through winding narrow alleys where even Taiwanese scooters seldom pass, you are sure to come across surprise after surprise. The old Taisugar railway station is a good jumping-off point for a walking tour of downtown Lukang. Though the interior is not open to the public, the exterior
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