amazing Taiwan

I typically don't hide my love for Taiwan; it has nice scenery, friendly folks, and a certain charm about the place that attracts me. The roadside eateries fronting the old shop houses, the warm crowded night markets and the untidy but functional back alleys and small roads are the little things that always fascinate me, coming from a country where my childhood gets torn down piece by piece to make way for brand new identical soulless concrete buildings.

This week, I found myself another reason to be amazed by this little island. University students stormed their 立法院 (and tonight, their 行政院) to protest the signing of a trade pact without undergoing parliamentary review, which they deem an undemocratic move.

Its not appropriate for me to argue whether it is right to accept or reject the trade pact. I am also not sure if it is a right move to storm government buildings and disrupt usual government activities. What I am impressed with, however, is the strong sense of nationalism in their people. Their university students, most of them younger than me, are showing so much concern for their homeland, its developments and future.

When I was young, people laughed at Taiwan when they saw their politicians fight in Parliament. Today, I feel sad that our Singapore's younger generation seems to be more knowledgeable in Korean celebrities than our own country's affairs. I am definitely not an expert myself, and I feel that active citizenry is something we can learn from the Taiwanese.

On the other hand, a highly democratic system requires a highly educated and mature population, and I have the impression that Singapore is not at that stage yet. But I think we can first start by reading and understanding more on our nation matters.

A colleague of mine thinks Taiwan has the most successful democratic system in Asia. I think its true to some extent. However, a successful democratic system doesn't feel like an efficient system. For starters, its almost impossible to please everyone.