Welcome to Outreach For Taiwan’s sporadic newsletter. Apologies for the longer than usual delay. We’re a volunteer organization (consisting of Eric, Jess, and Bertha) and sometimes our personal lives get in the way. Below are quick links to get you up to speed on news surrounding Taiwan. (Not to get too meta here, but we haven’t done this newsletter in a while so any feedback would be much appreciated. We want to keep you in the loop on things you actually care about! So feel free to respond to this email directly if you have any suggestions, criticisms, or praises 🙃) OK, here we go!
Newsworthy
Taiwan’s Gay Pride Parade Draws Thousands, as Votes on Same-Sex Marriage Near: a look at how close Taiwan is to be the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage. A look back to the movement
Thousands rally in Taiwan, call for referendum on independence from China: a pro-independence demonstration.
When is Taiwan’s Birthday?:a look into why October 10th is the National Day for Taiwan, but why you might not want to consider it “Taiwan’s Birthday.”
Taiwan court: Excessive speed caused deadly train derailment – a look into Taiwan’s deadliest train derailment.
Cool Stuff
Spirit of Matsu Trailer: a powerful, emotionally-charged documentary short about the annual Matsu Festival in Taiwan. For anyone who needs a quick primer on Matsu, we’ve got your back.
Growing from the ground up with Té Company’s Elena Liao: an interview with the owner of Té Company, an intimate space that focuses on select Taiwanese teas accompanied with carefully crafted pairings.
On Happiness Road: a rite of passage animation spoken in Taiwanese.
– Hollywood Reporter
“Taiwanese director Sung Hsin-yin’s animated feature debut is an ambitious, affecting mix of history and nostalgia that avoids cheap sentimentality.”
Fun Fact
There are 5,322 7-Elevens in Taiwan!! According to 7-Eleven Japan ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Also second highest density of convenience stores in the world.
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