The Surfer

I invite you to indulge me by coming on a journey, imagining yourself in the story that I wish to tell; a story about a travelling surfer.

The Craft Beer Industry in Taiwan (with Joe Merrell)

For a long time the beer industry in Taiwan was under the control of a government monopoly. Started in 1919 under the Japanese as Takasago Brewery Co., it remained a government monopoly through the Japanese police state and the KMT police state until the markets opened up in the 1980s. Even today Taiwan Beer (produced by the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation) accounts for the vast majority of beer sales in Taiwan. It’s easy to understand why craft beer is still a relatively new industry here.
To help us understand more we welcome Joe Merrell from Taihu Brewing to share his knowledge of the industry. He shares his general knowledge of Taiwan and of the craft beer industry which he joined in 2016.

Taihu Brewing
on Instagram
on Facebook
Distributing (on Facebook) for updates on new beers

TAIPEI:
Bars
-Landmark (Xinyi) Google Maps link and the Facebook link
-CYS (Daan) Google Maps link and the Facebook link
-Driftwood (Ximen) Google Maps link and the Facebook link
Restaurant
-Gyoza Bar (Daan) Google Maps link and the Facebook link

TAICHUNG (TAIZHONG):
Bar
-CYS Taichung (West District) Google Maps link and the Facebook link
Restaurant
-Med (West District) Google Maps link and the Facebook link

JAPAN
-Taihu Tokyo Google Maps link and the Facebook link

-TCRC bar in Tainan (not Taihu, but mentioned in the episode) Google Maps link

Links to other craft breweries mentioned in the episode:
–The Bruery (California, USA)
–Other Half Brewing (Brooklyn, New York, USA)
–Mountain Culture Beer Co. (NSW, Australia)
–Wildflower Beer (NSW, Australia)
–Range Brewing (Brisbane & Melborne, Australia)

And just for fun, here’s a link to a short YouTube series from Extra History on the history of beer (and coffee).

Episode 21 – Among the Head-Hunters of Formosa, Part II

In this episode we discuss the religion of the indigenous peoples of Taiwan, including their gods and ancestors, the duties of the priestesses and how they deal with illness and death. We also look at their architecture, their various arts and crafts, including pottery and fabric, as well as their styles of tattoos.

People squatting in the same manner that men do during courtship rituals.
Note the slate walls and roofing of the Paiwan buildings, including the artwork above the door indicating it to be a chief’s house.

The people in the picture are children, showing you how low the Paiwan houses are. Most of the house is subterranean.

(left) A carving of a Paiwan ancestor on a slate in front of a chief’s house.
(right) People from the Yami [Tao] of Orchid Island before a bachelor-house.

(left) A Yami man and woman in ceremonial dress to celebrate the Spring Festival.
(right) A Yami woman from the Yami tribe showing the differences in facial features and dress.

(left) An Ami family stands in front of their home.
(right) Men from the Bunun tribe, with Japanese officers standing in the background.

An example of women’s facial tattoos in Tayal culture, 2006. Here the tattoos cover the entire space below the bottom lip, as opposed to only partially, as Janet McGovern observed in 1916.

For those of you interested in reading McGovern’s work for yourself, here are some links to online versions of it.
One long scrolling page from Project Gutenberg or as a flip book from Archive.org or another flip book by Manybooks.

Prof. C.J.’s Alliance of Throne & Altar

Episode 20 – Among the Head-Hunters of Formosa, Part I

Janet Blair Mongomery McGovern was an anthropologist and explorer who visited Formosa from 1916-1918 during the first phase of the Japanese colonial period. While ostensibly working as an English teacher, she spent her free time travelling the countryside to meet and learn about the indigenous peoples of Formosa. Using the information in her book, which has the same title as this episode, we will learn all we can about the Taiwanese indigenous and compare it to Dutch records from the 17th Century.

Janet McGovern (left) dressed in traditional Taiyal garb and (right) standing with two Taiyal girls.

Pictures of Taiyal people, including one of a Taiyal village’s skull shelf.

A woman living amongst the Taiyal people suspected of having pigmy ancestory.
(left) pictured besides a Taiyal woman. (right) pictured crouched by a Taiyal man.

Janet McGovern’s mapping of the indigenous distribution across Formosa.

Link 1 and Link 2 to newspaper articles on the skull discovered in 2022 believed to have belonged to a pygmy.

Videos about the Jew’s Harp (mouth harp)
French performance
Brazil performance
American performance
Description on how to play the instrument
A short history lesson on the mouth harp

Episode 19 – Pacification Campaign

The Dutch suffer frequent attacks by the local indigenous on both the Dutch established village of Sakam, where mainly Dutch and Chinese merchants conduct their trade, and on their allies in Sinkan village. Hans Putmans, like his predecessor Pieter Nuyts, kept asking for Batavia to send military reinforcements. In 1635 they finally consented and Putmans was ready to put the hammer down.

A map showing some of the villages near the Dutch settlement in Anping (including Lamey Island), courtesy of Wikidata.

Link to the Taiwan government website for the Siraya people.
Link to the Wikipedia article on the Siraya people.

Episode 18 – Putmans continued; The Battle of Liaoluo Bay

After destroying Zheng’s fleet and liberally plundering the Chinese coast, Putmans is called to battle by Zheng and his hastily assembled replacement fleet. Can the Chinese turn the tide? What will be the long term consequences of this battle politically and economically?

The Battle of Liaoluo Bay, October 1633. [Image from Lost Colony by Tonio Andrade]

Sketch of Fort Zeelandia Circa 1635, by artist Johannes Vingboons.

Edit: I looked up the UK’s refugee plan and the African country was Rwanda.
Rwanda may have a rather poor track record in terms of human rights for anyone reading up on the Rwandan Genocide of 1994. One consequence of that was a vast reduction in the male population of Rwanda, which led to many leadership positions being filled – by necessity – by women. This actually led to some of the most progressive laws towards women and women’s rights than anywhere else in the world. Just food for thought.
Link here.

Episode 17 – Hans Putmans (Putman?)

Hans Putmans (or possibly Putman) was the fourth VOC Governor of Formosa and his first order of business was to fix the mess left at the end of Pieter Nuyts’ governorship. Like Nuyts, Putmans heralded from Middelburg, though he had a more varied career with the VOC, being posted to different trading posts before eventually being appointed to Formosa.
His role as governor began with a promising relationship with Zheng Zhilong, before taking an unexpected and somewhat bloody turn.

The Zheng family was based on Xiamen and Jinmen Islands. Xiamen had a perfect natural harbour that protected ships from ocean swells. That’s where Zheng kept his fleet. Gulangyu Island, where Putmans hid his fleet, is labelled south-west of Xiamen.
[Image from Lost Colony by Tonio Andrade]

Map of the Island of Formosa, circa 1665, by artist Johannes Vingboons.

Episode 16 – Pieter Laurens Nuyts

Pieter Nuyts (also spelt Nuijts) was the third Dutch Governor of Formosa. He was a father, a businessman, an explorer and a politician. He was also opportunistic, sometimes to his own detriment. This episode looks at his time as governor of Formosa.

In editing I discovered my Dutch pronunciation let me down a few times, especially toward the beginning of the recording. The Dutch pronunciation of Nuyts is ‘notes’, while the English pronunciation is ‘newts’.