Month: September 2018

The Architect – What will happen to Toad Mountain?

Toad Mountain is a settlement located between Wanlong and Gongguan district in Taipei.  Similar to Treasure Hill, it is a short fifteen minute walk from the National Taiwan University Campus (my host institution) and also like Treasure Hill, it is also a settlement for military dependents. Toad Hill was likely resurrected earlier but occupied by military inhabitants beginning in the 1940.  As time has progressed, Toad Mountain is has found itself situated on highly profitable real estate in direct proximity to National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST).   In 2000, the Taipei City Government allotted parts of Toad Mountain NTUST.  The campus was growing and needed more space to house students. NTUST went as far as to sue two households for illegal occupation even though the stipulation states that all residents must be properly relocated if any development plan is to be completed.  In 2011, NTUST requested that the Ministry of defense bulldoze the 39 dormitories left vacant by villagers in 2011. A grassroots movement formed and the Toad Mountain art festival was created to raise the profile of the village. While Treasure Hill has been re-developed, Toad Mountain’s fate remains unclear. There is no current plan for the preserved land.  It still remains to be seen what will happen to the inhabitants and the overall settlement. Approaching Toad Mountain spatially, it felt more as if I was walking on a private property where Treasure Hill is available for public use. And recently, the published material on Toad Mountain has decreased. To find more details on the progress of this project, I am going to have to conduct additional interviews and connect with the advocates for maintaining and preserving the settlement.     

  

The Matriarch – Writing our own stories

Leila’s school in Taipei offers some English, but is primarily a Mandarin immersion environment. I could have enrolled her in an International School where English was the dominant language, but I decided it would be best to primarily immerse her in Mandarin learning. Since she started school in Taipei, I have been working with her at home on English literacy. Leila and I have completed workbooks together and other small tasks, but never worked in a more structured learning environment than usual.  The new declaration this week is that she is not a fan of the small books with the simplified vocabulary, but I’ve found that we can work for hours if she is engaged creatively. Last week, since I was receiving so much resistance about the stories that she has been reading, we started writing our own stories. The best part is She doesn’t actually consider this “work”, and she can sit for hours thinking of stories about all sorts of topics. She draws photos of the narrative and then articulates the story and I help her with the words. In the evenings, at bedtime, we compare the stories she creates to the stories that we are reading and dissecting the characters, the plot, and the narrative arc.  (Last night, while reading her own story, she admitted that some of the storylines didn’t make sense. ) It has been a learning device that is more enjoyable for both of us. And, when we returned to the simplified books to review them, she could easily get through them because the vocabulary she using to develop her own books is much more challenging. She has a creative spirit and I feel fortunate to be able to nurture it while we are here.

Life in Taipei – Sexual Assault & Pick-pocketing Panic Button

I recently had a Sexual Harassment Prevention training here in Taipei that was executed by the Fulbright  program. The last one I attended was over 20 years ago for my first job after college. At the end of the session the presenter asked for questions, and very few people participated. There was an awkward silence, and the session ended. When I went to get water during our break, I noticed an informal session by the water cooler. There was a smaller gathering of women having a separate (honest) discussion just moments after the training.  It seemed obvious in that moment that the large group format was intimidating and and the topic would have benefited from a smaller discussion group. It wasn’t that people in the group had little to contribute to the conversation, it was more so that the format had created a space that it was difficult to share or ask questions.

Architecture is a creative, progressive profession that prides itself on being a  system rewarded by strict meritocracy so the there is an attitude that discussing discrimination and sexism is a waste time.  Unfortunately, it is just as needed in our profession as any other and avoiding the topics have led to continued problems on race and gender.  In Taipei, on public transit, I’ve noticed “sexual assault” panic button on all public buses in Taipei. It seems that an issue that is not being addressed is that most people do not feel that they have a safe space to report any issues (witnessed or experienced) without fear of being attacked or penalized. I suppose this issue has less to do with Taipei in particular and more to do with global issues involving reporting assault.  I don’t necessarily believe a button is the answer but perhaps there needs to be more discussion on safe spaces for people to report/discuss any issues. Our society has been a failure to sexual assault victims as we can see #whyididntreport stories are numerous and trending on twitter. Maybe the question shouldn’t be, why people wait to report; but what systems do we have in place that individuals feel safe to report.

 

 

The Architect – Informal Settlements + Indigenous Architecture

Informal settlements and indigenous cultural space privilege the pragmatic and thrive on innovation. Insurgent public spaces were shaped throughout history and are the foundation of spatial improvisation and creativity. I have a strong desire to translate strategies of impromptu place making into design practice. I am intrigued by what happens when sustainability is a necessity for survival rather than a financial incentive. There are opportunity for architects, designers, and planners to document, preserve, and acknowledge the experience of communities with modest means. Over the next ten months I will research cross-cultural, transnational, interdisciplinary, community centered, socially and environmentally sustainable design goals while also observing and documenting indigenous place making and overlooked communities in Taiwan. In particular, I’ve selected two urban settlements to compare in the Fall (Treasure Hill and Toad Mountain) and two indigenous communities for the Spring. The two indigenous communities  are Pongso-no-Tau/Lanyu and the village of Kochapogan in Pingtung. This week, I’ll be providing an overview of Treasure Hill.  I will focus on research in Fall 2018 and will be proposing a course for Spring 2019 with my co-researcher Dr. Shumei Huang. 

What is Treasure Hill?

Treasure Hill was built in the late 1940’s as an illegal settlement in what is now the Gongguan neighborhood in Taipei. It was created by Kuomintang Military, anti-aircraft war veterans of the China Civil War, that fled to Taiwan. They were members of the China Nationalist Party. They settled in an area that was designed to protect the city’s southwestern side from a potential Communist air attack. The soldiers stationed and eventually built homes adjacent to their anti-aircraft equipment. They married local women, started families, and settled in Taipei permanently. During this period, there was a housing shortage throughout Taipei, so the military veterans did they best they could to create what is considered a basic need – shelter.  Because of the illegal and impromptu housing status, the residents did what they could to make the environment sustainable. They recycled and filtered grey water, tapped into the cities electric grid for minimal electricity, composted organic waste, and re-used waste whenever possible. They lived in this area from the 1940’s to the 1980’s with little resistance from the government, but eventually, there was a threat to demolish the housing.  In 1989, there were protests and demonstrations by academics, students and citizens highlighting the lack of access to affordable housing and housing discrimination. An NGO and a group of scholars at National Taiwan University, (NTU) stepped into to work on developing the community as a settlement preservation area. The conversation was relevant to NTU since the settlement is in close proximity to the campus. It took many years of conversations and debates before any decisions were made on the land. After deliberation , the settlement was preserved for original inhabitants and artists in the 1990’s.  It was officially designated as a historic site in 2004. It was renovated in 2007 by the Taipei’s Department of Cultural Affairs. It reopened in 2010 under the management of Department of Artist-in-Residence, Taipei Culture Foundation. Only 22 original of the military veterans moved back into the community. It’s unclear how many relocated willfully and how many were displaced.

 

Why is this interesting?

1. Perhaps the solution to sustainable environment do not require complex engineering or expensive equipment but at a minimum the introduction of passive design system that work within the contexts of the natural environment.
2. Protest led to protection and preservation of a historical community but its unclear statistically how many residents were displaced.
3. As an academic institution and prominent landowner in Taipei, NTU advocated for the option of preserving rather than demolishing for market rate housing.  They chose to advocate over preservation of history and affordable housing over potential increase in real estate value of the land.

I’ll be documenting the history of this settlement in a Case Study and will be comparing to another similar settlement in Taipei called Toad Mountain.  Next week, I will follow up with a similar description of Toad Mountain.

The Matriarch – Being a Mom in Taiwan

Leila’s first week of school was pretty incredible. We live approximately six minutes by car, 27 minutes by bus, and 29 minutes walking. After I drop her off from school at 8:30, I can get to my office at NTU within 15 minutes.  I am also able to pick her up from school at the pick up time of 4:00 pm. The 4:00 pm pick up time is actually brilliant. I can easily work a 7 hour work day and then can personally pick up my daughter from school. I don’t have to stress about after-school or hiring someone else to pick her up.  We can spend our afternoon together, eat dinner, and once she goes to bed; I can continue my research from home. I did not have this flexibility in my New York work schedule, but it feels like a more humane work schedule. It breaks up the work, allows me to spend quality time with my daughter in the evening, and it is overall much less stressful.

Leila’s first week of kindergarten was filled with multiple activities such as field trips, library visits, and class helper duties.  The teacher met with us and explained that this year is a big year for her filled with responsibilities and expectations. She will be graduating from kindergarten and in Leila’s school that comes with a few requirements. Every Tuesday she is the designated class helper. She will be selecting a book of her choice and presenting and reading it to the younger students and acting as the assistant to the teacher. Len and I were both surprised to learn that one of the other requirements for kindergarten graduates in her school is to  complete a 7 km (4.3 mile) bicycle ride just North of the city next April. So, Leila does not  know how to ride a bike without training wheels. I imagine that if we were diligent and spent time in our neighborhood park and teaching her the essentials of bike riding 101, she would know by now, but alas, she does not. Last week, we went to the bicycle store and purchased a bike (with a basket) and this week Leila has been cycling to school. I eventually have to work with her until the training wheels come off.  Initially, I was a little overwhelmed by the thought of my daughter riding a bike for 4 miles, but I’m increasingly more comfortable. Maybe, she can actually do this?!? I started by run/walking along side her trying not to panic in the chaotic city traffic scene.  I recently purchased my own back, and now we ride together.  Although there are scooters and cyclist everywhere, and the traffic seems a little scary at times; the city has created bike lanes and to our walk on school we pass a handful of cyclists. The school is 2.2 km (1.3 miles) from our home and we are working toward removing the training wheels.  Hopefully, by April she will be prepared for her bike ride.  

  

Life in Taipei  – Recycling and Composting

Each week, I will discuss a personal aspect to living in Taipei and the ways that it is unique. This week I want to address the way the city deals with trash.  There is a complex system for trash here in Taipei which ultimately leads to cleaner streets and more awareness about your personal trash usage. Taipei residents are given a specific time and place for trash disposal and a list of what goes out on each day in the various categories of recycling.  Our time is between 6:18 and 6:30 pm. The days are Monday – Saturday, but what goes out each day is very specific.  All discarded food is completely separated and placed in a bin for composting. And since, organic trash and subtropical climate don’t mix, we were advised to place food/trash in the freezer to avoid attracting ants or other miscellaneous insects. The plastics and paper are sorted separately and no soiled paper/plastics can be included with the rest of the recycling. And, you are required to purchase a specific blue recycling bag. And to eliminate the use of plastics, if you go grocery shopping or shopping at a convenience store, you either have to bring your own bag or purchase one.  Len, Leila, and I made a group family trip to the trash bins on Friday evening. It is a site to behold. You can see all of your neighbors venturing out bringing their bags and physically engaging with the items they must discard. The benefit is no one ever sits trash on the street or the curb for pick up. It is inconvenient, but on the other hand, it makes me very very conscious of the amount of trash I consume in a week. It also makes me wonder if the trash and composting was influenced by the military veterans that settled in 1940’s in Treasure Hill.  

 

 

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The Architect – Equity in Architectural Research

Global information travels fast. As I was waking up Sunday morning, I saw the result of the US Open Women’s championship game. Serena Williams lost and Naomi Osaka became the first Japanese-Haitian woman to win the US Open. Between social media, international news networks, and numerous articles and thought pieces, it was easy to decipher what happened: equity for men and women is still an issue. And new mom Serena Williams’ attitude about fighting for equity is a perspective that resonates with me. Being a mom to a daughter has shifted my thinking on the way that I react to inequity because, like Serena, I don’t want my daughter fighting the same battles of fairness in her adult life. Stepping away from architectural practice and beginning research as a Fulbright Grantee with a focus on the marginalized is a part of my transformation. Architecture is a male dominated practice and many firms struggle with diversity and inclusion. Architecture has historically served the rich and the powerful which means the perspective of white males has been largely the only history documented. I want my research to step away from that very limited scope of what has been deemed acceptable.  Innovation can be observed and studied beyond the scope of the rich and the powerful and we’ve certainly seen this in other creative professions. So when Leila arrived at Taipei Taouyan, I was ecstatic because it symbolized the beginning of our new adventure together and of the way that I visualize myself in the context of the architecture profession.

“I have been in Sorrow’s kitchen and licked out all the pots. Then I have stood on the peaky mountain wrapped in rainbows, with a harp and a sword in my hands.”

― Zora Neale Hurston, Dust Tracks on a Road

The Matriarch – Reunited. . .

Leila and Len arrived on the same 5:00 am flight from JFK to Taipei (Taoyuan) on China Airlines. They arrived with much more energy than me and it’s a good thing because we had to handle some immigration logistics immediately. Applying for our Alien Resident Card, directly impacts the timing of our healthcare access. Taiwanese residents have universal access to healthcare and those applying for a Visa receive access after six months of residency. I’ve heard really positive things about the Taiwanese healthcare system mostly from my doctors in the United States. In addition, to Healthcare once you have access to get a Taiwanese phone number, you have free access to the countries WiFi. WiFi and healthcare are covered. This is amazing on so many levels.

I didn’t hesitate getting Leila acclimated to her new schedule. She arrived on Monday morning and was attending her first (half) day of school on Tuesday. I questioned myself on whether or not it was a good idea, but when we picked her up after her first day, we had to coax her out of the school. She seemed beyond happy with her new environment.  Leila has been fortunate to attend Ms. Lam Montessori Brooklyn since it began when she was two. She will be attending the Ms. Lam Taipei Xinsheng Branch for her kindergarten year. This means that when we arrived at the Taipei Branch on Tuesday she had an established comfort: the learning materials were the same; the daily routine was the same; and her teachers made sure she knew they had friends in common.  Moreover, the school is absolutely beautiful!  It has a water feature in the front, plenty of natural light, plants and greenery throughout the building, and a thoughtful use of materials on the interior that creates a warm environment.  Leila’s favorite space is of course the indoor playground.    

Additionally, good friends have made my transition easier. Alice Yinghu Chen and I graduated from University of Pennsylvania School of Design in the Master of Architecture program in 2008. Ten years later we reunited in Taipei. She is teaching and working here in Taiwan within the design profession. She has a six year old son with her husband who studied at University of Washington with my co-professors Doctor Shu-Mei Huang. The world is small and the architecture and design profession is even smaller. Arriving a week before Leila, I wanted to make sure her space was ready for her and that she felt comfortable and that I had some things figured out. Alice helped me pull all of this together. There is literally no way I could have gotten it done without her.  It doesn’t hurt to have a friend (a fellow mom) in the design profession helping you pull together a living space. Culture shock, homesickness, and jet lag are real issues and I wanted to make Leila’s transition as comfortable as possible.  While I believe this experience will be mostly positive for her, I know that there will be challenges. 

The Research 

Last Friday, I heard from the other Senior Scholars, fellows, and MA candidates on their research proposals as well as presented my own work here in Taipei.  I’m anxious to begin the research. This week, I received my office, signed up for intensive Mandarin lessons, and mapped out my research plan for the semester.  More to come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prep

Hair products, foundation, shoes above a size 8, and clothes greater than a size 4.  These are the items I had to make sure I had plenty of before leaving Brooklyn. It remains to be seen whether I can pick up these items in Taipei.    I have already seen several black women walking around Taipei with fly hair styling and color, so I next time I see one, I’m going to muster the confidence to track them down and start asking questions.

As for Leila, it seems that children’s items are plentiful and much more affordable on this side of the globe, so other than hair products and a few clothing items to get us started, her packing was relatively less stressful.

Arrival

The flight was uneventful, other than fantasizing about the accommodations in Crazy Rich Asians versus my economy class ticket on China Airlines. The 15 hour flight was fine once I got beyond the first two hours. The reverse countdown didn’t help until the hours were below four. Nonetheless, my luggage and I arrived to Taipei greeted by a sign.  

“Dr.” does look great in front of my name, and certainly I have enough years of schooling under my belt to be one, but unfortunately, I am not a doctor.  There are some  awkward corrections in my future . . . or perhaps this is foreshadowing to a PhD I didn’t know I was going to pursue.  I was so exhausted; I didn’t even notice the title until I looked at the photo.

 It’s easy to calculate the time difference in the east coast of the United States and Taiwan because all you have to do is switch the “a” with a “p”. No  math involved. So when I was fully starting Saturday with my 5:00 am arrival. My family was finishing the work/camp day on Friday evening in Brooklyn at 5:00 pm. If you’re wondering where Leila is, Len and she have stayed back for the week while I sort out the logistics of our new adventure, and now that I’m here I believe that was the wisest decision.  When I arrived, I was immediately able to text my husband using the airport WiFi, and by the time I arrived at the hotel, I could use Facetime to chat with them both.  She was at acting camp this week and performed as Helena on Midsummer Night’s Dream.  Just before I left, I was helping her rehearse her lines, and when I got off the plane, I was looking at videos of her performance.  

As part of our transition, the Foundation of Scholarly Exchange offered four nights in a hotel in the Ximen neighborhood. I checked in the previous day, so I would not have that awkward noon check-in time wait.  Day 1 arrival was spent resting.  I did not pressure myself to hit the ground running into the city.  I have 10 months and had been running around Brooklyn and Manhattan all week, so primarily I forced myself to rest. The Jet Lag is very very real.  I’m five days in and I’m still waking up between 1:00 am and 3:00 am.  It will take some time for my internal clock to reset.  

The weather is extremely hot and humid.  I am from the Southern United states so I’d say the summers are probably compatible.  If you notice from the slide show below, there are palm trees in the campus photo. The temperature was pretty compatible to the weather in New York, but here the humidity does feel a bit more extreme.  I am told that by October the temperature will be more comfortable and there will be much less rain.

Day 2 (Sunday, 9/2), I headed to the campus of National Taiwan University so I could see the campus and locate my apartment.  The subway system is a color coded system, not unlike the one in Washington, DC. The transfer points are easy, and it’s easy to determine the direction.  It is not surprising that public transit here is pretty awesome – clean, organized, efficient.  I was able to arrive on campus easily. The campus is  beautiful and quite large. It is said to be one of the greenest spaces in Taipei.  There are all these beautiful tropical trees with enormous roots.  The campus was built during the Japanese occupation in 1928 and they are celebrating this year 90 years of being an institution.  While in the bookstore, waiting to meet my guide, I could see the focus on indigenous culture and art.  It is evident that there is a conscious effort to celebrate aboriginal/indigenous Taiwan. There were several postcards showing the beautiful artwork which reminded me of work I’ve seen in the African Art museum in Washington, DC.  Many of these artifacts are held at the Museum of Anthropology. I am curious how the vernacular of the art influences the architecture and what the differences are stylistic among the eleven indigenous cultures recognized in Taiwan.

My Taipei residence is technically located in an apartment that is a 10 minute walk from main campus in the Da’an District — a fully furnished two bedroom apartment. I had not seen photos of the campus provided researcher housing, but was pleasantly surprised. The building is nice and the apartment is spacious and newly renovated. 

Before I left, the hotel printed me a map with directions from the subway of Leila’s school  location. It was a simple four minute walk. Beyond the hotel, I have no WiFi access (yet) which means no Google Maps access.  When I arrived at the location, I immediately wished I’d spent more time learning the traditional characters rather than only focusing on pinyin because the map the hotel printed me was only in Mandarin traditional (not simplified) characters.  I was completely disoriented and could not match the street names.  In this moment, I knew I had to rely on the kindness of strangers. As with most places, many people speak English very well.  I was able to track down a young lady that shared her WiFi with me so I could access Google maps and find my way to the location. Yes, that happened.  I was able to find my way to Leila’s school easily after that.  What would life be like without WiFi and Google Maps?  The language of technology has been a common language shared across cultures beyond even a mother tongue.   

7 Eleven is a massive force in Taipei. 7 Eleven in Taipei is equivalent to the bodega in Brooklyn in that it’s open 24 hours, it carries food, beverages, and any other immediate household needs. Restaurants/take out is so inexpensive here that most young people do not cook, so 7 Eleven is also an option where people purchase food (and alcohol). I’m still trying to wrap my head around this. Where I’m from; 7 Eleven was known for big gulps but you would never go there to purchase dinner.  Navigating ingredients as a pescatarian has been tricky.  I’m definitely going to have to learn to say (very quickly) in Mandarin “Do these noodles come in a vegetarian broth?”  Also, the seven eleven ingredients are fully in traditional Mandarin characters.  While I learned, to clearly say that I don’t eat chicken, beef, or pork; I’m not familiar with the associated characters.  Yes, I will be learning and studying more Mandarin while I’m here with more of a focus on learning the characters.  

This week will be filled with more logistics such a visits to IKEA, meetings, orientations, etc. Not so different to moving to a major city in the U.S. Other than finalizing my Alien Resident Card, getting a local phone, and navigating a foreign language; it has been very similar to moving to any major U.S. city.   Perhaps that’s an understatement, but for now, since it is new and I’m adjusting,  I think it’s good to highlight the similarities. 

I’ll be updating my blog weekly on Wednesday, and I hope that you will continue to follow this journey.  If you have any questions about my experience or would like me to highlight, please feel free to contact me via email or post a comment.  The semester at National Taiwan University starts mid-September, so I have time to adjust before beginning my research.

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