Corona Views

Another day during the Coronavirus Pandemic, and the kids are still home from school for a 4-day weekend. Taiwan has so far avoided a national lockdown. The growth of new COVID-19 cases in Taiwan is steady, at nine new cases yesterday. Enforced quarantines on the sick seem to still be working. Citizens are wearing masks in public places and standing in lines to get their weekly allotment of masks. Restaurants and business are still open, as practical measures are in place to keep the risk minimized. Staying at home, letting our kids be weaned on a steady diet of XBox, YouTube and Netflix seems unreasonable and irresponsible at this time, so we decided to take our dog out to find a scenic nature area to enjoy a walk. We drove our scooters to explore a forested area in Guantien District of Tainan City. There was plenty of space to stretch our legs without needing to get too close to crowds. Most of the hikers did have masks on. We enjoyed a fresh pineapple chopped up by a local ...

Our family members get out of the house regularly to exercise and avoid "cabin fever". As an American correspondent journalist in Taiwan, I feel compelled to share my experiences and the experiences of other ex-pats and Taiwanese, especially during this time of global crisis. People are desperate for answers on how to protect their families. They are unsure of who to trust for reliable information. Every government has approached the crisis differently. That's why I started a web site and Facebook Group called Corona Views. That's why I started writing this blog. I feel like I am witnessing a global crisis bigger than 9/11 or perhaps on par with a World War, in terms of societal and economic impact. It's springtime in Taiwan, so people enjoy visiting groves of cherry trees to view the blossoms. Since I am in Taiwan, I can offer my experiences and perspectives from this island nation that, despite being forsaken by the World Health Organization (WHO),...