Vicariously Visiting Taiwan Through Sinorama

Dear Editor:

I am originally from Guangzhou in Guangdong Province, and I've been in Honduras for a year. This has indeed been, as other people call it, a period of "getting on board" (i.e. an adjustment period). It is necessary to adapt to different people, lifestyles, and social norms.

For example, in Honduras there are many fewer men than women, so a man here can have several female partners at the same time. One result is that there are many so-called "fatherless children." However, you guys out there should not consider this something to be envious of, because there is also a high incidence of AIDS.

Here, my only solace is Sinorama magazine. After reading each issue, I put it carefully away; I never lend it out. Although this may be a bit selfish, a good book can be read over and over again with pleasure.

In fact, I'm not a complete stranger to Taiwan. Before coming to Honduras, I worked in a Taiwan corporation. Therefore, I'm familiar with things like Taiwan tea, wedding cakes, and various kinds of special dishes. Now, from Sinorama I have a deeper understanding of Taiwan. I long for the beauty of its mountains and rivers, for the simplicity of the indigenous people, for the passion of the Hakkas, and for the exciting modern lifestyle.

In the past I hoped only to visit Taiwan, but now I hope to live there. Until that wish becomes a reality, however, I'll just have to keep enjoying Taiwan vicariously through Sinorama.

A few errors

Dear Editor:

In reading your May issue (Vol. 25, No. 5), I noticed a few slight errors that I thought I should bring to your attention.

1. On page 122, the Chinese text mentions Shen Lu-hsun, a former head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States. One of the Chinese characters in his name was wrong.

2. In the article entitled "Madame Chiang's Portrait," the photo caption on page 81 says that Madame Chiang came back to Taiwan at the age of 88 to "pay her respects to relatives." The Chinese term used here only refers to a person visiting older relatives, of which Madame Chiang had none by that time.

3. Pages 57 through 72 are printed on non-glossy paper. I like that very much. The reflection of the light off the glossy paper in the rest of your magazine is hard on the eyes. I would like it much better if you used the non-glossy paper for the whole magazine. l

Editor's reply:

You are absolutely correct about the Chinese character in Shen Lu-hsun's name. Also, in describing his occupation we should have listed him as the former director general of the North American Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and current deputy head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office.

We have discussed the problem of glare from the glossy paper in our magazine, and have considered the possibility of switching completely to non-glossy paper, but the matter is still under review due to considerations of cost and photo quality. Basically, however, we intend to change in the general direction that you have requested. Thank you for your excellent suggestion.