The Master and his apprentice

So during my trip to Taiwan, I found a new master- Uncle W. He took me under his wings and started to teach this clueless apprentice all things Taiwanese. It's not that I didn't know anything; it was the fact that I didn't know SO much that went into the making of the current Taiwan. It's sad that this heritage might someday be gone because people are too busy fighting over party line than to preserve the fragile Taiwanese identity.

Uncle W took me to 台灣人權景美園區 (Taiwan Human Rights Memorial Park). Since it used to be a military detention center, it was architecturally uninteresting- typical utilitarian concrete blocks, but nevertheless historically significant in Taiwanese democracy. This is where many human rights/democracy activists were held (beaten)/tried (what a joke) /sentenced (if you are lucky to be alive).

When we were there, there was a special exhibit for Uncle W's friend who died 20 years ago. He published articles re: freedom of speech/ democracy and was persecuted by the KMT dictatorship. He ultimately committed suicide.


All those green doors are doors to jail cells. The cells are about 8 feet by 8 feet, with a semi open toilet and sink.

Many walls were lined with propaganda posters- gibberish re: overthrowing the communists, returning to china, silencing those who stirrup trouble etc...

Oh yeah, the prisoners were farmed out to do laundry.

(sorry for the over and under exposed pictures, I was too taken with everything around me to pay attention to what my camera was doing. I also did not take any pictures of the many excellent exhibits we saw. I was too busy absorbing the exhibits and my master's tidbits)