10/04/2009

Postcards from Taiwan

I received an interesting request a few weeks back from a blogger in Malaysia: "How are you doing? I’m from Malaysia. I’m a postcard collector. I’m trying to collect postcards from all over the world. I have not yet got postcard from Tuvalu. I would be grateful if you could send me a postcard from Tuvalu, and I will send you a beautiful postcard from Malaysia as a return". The sender has a blog with postcards from all over the world. I sent him one of National Taiwan Democracy Hall ( 國立台灣民主紀念館): http://kajang-postcard.blogspot.com/2009/09/taiwan-07.html



This is the postcard of I received from Ian in Malaysia


Actually, I'm in Taiwan and always have been. I just said I was in Tuvalu because I'm tired of people asking me where I am from. I am from Wanhua, Taiwan, this city that I am standing in as you are asking me.  Plus I guess I found it amusing at the time.

Ian found me online at my Patrick Cowsill Wanhau Taiwan profile, where I claim to be Tuvalu-based: http://www.blogger.com/profile/12904899672214340947. For Taiwan, Tuvalu has been a good friend. The country was one of only 15 to support a UN resolution last week that Taiwan be treated more respectfully by the United Nations. Can't argue with that.

If anyone out there is in Tuvalu, Ian wants to get in touch with you.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Living in the States, I use the same techniques as Patrick by telling them that I am from Papua since I hate people keep asking where I come from. When I told them that I am from California, certainly they will ask again that where are your ancestors come from originally. Forgetting that the first settlers of this continent were yellow-skinned American Indians; they simply do not accept a guy like me racially as an American unfortunately.
Instead of waiting somebody from Tuvalu to contact you, Patrick you should use SKYPE, the internet free phone to locate a user from that country who can speak English. You will be surprised that all of them speak English, as a former British colony and many are willing to talk to you. BTW, 5x5 sq. mile total area of 9 islands have population less than 10,000, which is less than that of town of Tamsui when I left half an century ago. Only 5 feet above the sea level, certainly it is the country afraid of global warming would cause the sea level to move up in the future.
Cho-San

Anonymous said...

This other Taiwan blogger (I think)called Islaformosa wrote about Tuvalu. It seems that they use the sale of their domain suffix to finance their UN membership. .TV is the suffix. Also Tonga and Cocos Islands. These countries will do anything for money.

Anonymous said...

http://blog.islaformosa.com/2007/06/cc-to-tv-cocos-islands-tonga-and-tuvalu.html

Patrick Cowsill said...

Yes, I know this blogger. We go back a long way.

Andre said...

here's a good site for your friend in malaysia. http://www.postcrossing.com/

Anonymous said...

Run out of topics?
It is almost 6 weeks; see nothing new on this blogs.
Cho-San

Patrick Cowsill said...

"Run out of topics?
It is almost 6 weeks; see nothing new on this blogs.
Cho-San"

Of course not. I have so many I can't keep them straight. I just ran out of time.

Ian The Simple said...

Hello everybody.....

I'm the "star" guy who sent Patrick e-mail asking for Tuvalu postcard..... hehehehhehehe

By the way, I am still looking for someone from Tuvalu......

cheers,
Ian

Patrick Cowsill said...

Thanks for the site Andre. Bathmate, get off my site.

Tropic of Cancer Taiwan

  The Provincial Highway 9 Ruishui Marker (above) marks the Tropic of Cancer, 23.5 degrees on the northern latitude, in Taiwan. The spot was...