★ Cultural creativity
(1) Media gave good credits to the performance "Eating in Taipei" (Taiwanese-food-in-a-wok drama) in Deaflympics opening ceremony as well as Taiwanese cuisine party in closing ceremony. These are so-called enhanced version of sports day in primary schools, because not world-class ideas ― players are simply moving around and playing slide in a wok model (air).
Compare to a similar-look but smart/sharp witty outdoors ads-show overseas (TV news reports worldwide) ― fresh shrimps struggling & jumping up and down in a hottest & huge iron wok ―― actually, those shrimps are costumed players playing skateboarding game in the wok hills.
(2) Taiwan always loves to present some unique cultural symbols, like Taiwan's god dolls/toys and the Electric-Techno Neon Gods ...., on all international stages (i.e., World Games 2009 Kaohsiung Taiwan, or MLB Dodgers stadium), but they are displayed in simple, low-class, tasteless way, nothing witty ideas ― like a heavy-slapstick. (I feel it's as boring as gods show in Seoul Olympics show )At most, those weirdo steps/dances completely different from traditional performance are exotic to international tourists, but won't really astonish or deeply impress anyone at all.
(3) Some street shows like Neon Gods riding motorcycles are just very simple or simple-minded collages (old + modern, Oriental + West) .
(4) Some stuffs seem not unique or not Taiwan's icon, i.e., traditional hand puppet show, steamed pork dumplings ( xiao long bao ) ― a lot in China, HK's Din-Tai-Fung ( not Taiwan's DTF ) won world best Michelin one-star award.
(5) Too much marketing atmosphere ― or even bit political ( China team absented in opening ceremony on purpose or for certain political reason : ROC President will make speech there ).
The cultural shows in World Games Taiwan should broaden global vision, Deaflympics should really care disadvantaged (underprivileged) people, focus on hearing impaired groups or mentally/physically disabled people.
(6) I feel some Taiwan's creativity team focuses on TV frame, not working too much for presenting audiences.
Conclusion :
I think at present Taiwanese work better on tech. things ― i.e., the visual image of hanging WIA (Li ling's show) in Beijing Olympics opening ceremony is awful, Taiwan improved this by fine & smaller steel wire rope. Taiwan is good on sort of realistic industrial design, but hardly has sharp-witty & style humorous ideas.
pic: "Eating in Taipei " performance players playing slide, food-costumed players playing around in the wok, a simple idea in <Deaflympics Taipei> opening ceremony.
★ Sports referee vs. Political judgment ― Taiwan's public/state enemy
Below are sporting news concerning "a Taiwan's public-enemy referee in
East Asian Games" which was happened soon after Taiwan's 2 world scaled games.
☃Chinese language version editorial, theme: "After Taiwanese people gave a cultural-revolution style public trial on a referee " : ( translation - summary)
Taiwanese Taekwondo association's penalty to Mr. Cheng (or Zheng or Chen) Da-wei is a political judgment for 3 reasons :
(1) Taiwanese people's angers ( lost gold medal, etc )
(2) Athletics units are afraid of high-ranking official
(3) Cheng Da-wei is "alone" ― no connection or background
☃English version : "Punishing a Taekwondo referee"
The Asian Taekwondo Union (ATU)
recently sent a letter to the Chinese Taipei Amateur Taekwondo
Association asking it to lift a penalty imposed on international referee
Cheng Ta-wei.
... Cheng was blamed
by some Taiwan people for making a judgment unfavorable to Taiwan's
athlete.
... This incident reflects growing populism in Taiwan and gives us a chance
for self-reflection. In recent years, discussions about public issues in
Taiwan are usually dominated by emotional and subjective rhetoric due to
a fundamental political divergence.
... We wonder if, in a
civilized society, it is tolerable to use the verdict of public critics
to punish a Taekwondo coach?
... We strongly believe that now is the time for
local society to conduct a deep examination of its conceit and shallow
culture. (By Flor Wang)
ps pls. search by Google or Yahoo
to read all details
☁ <Taiwan Post >: Taiwanese Taekwondo referee turns public enemy in controversy Dec. 10, 2009
KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan -- Tseng Ching-hsiang, the Taekwondo player who stirred controversy ... the Hong Kong 2009 East Asian Games is in the center of media attention when he lost gold to the Korean opponent Jihoon Song - who allegedly struck Tseng's throat and caused Tseng to drop to the floor unconsciously during the game. Instead of calling a foul, the group of judges declared Song as the winner.
... The Taiwanese judge, Chen Ta-wei, who did not call a foul for the reported attack but instead gave the final winning points to the Korean player, has apparently become a public enemy in Taiwan.
... Chen insisted that he had made a fair call according to the video footage which captured the hitting point at Tseng's headgear instead of on his throat.
... The Taiwanese
committee on
Taekwondo said... will no longer
be employing
Chen as a judge.
...
PS:
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2009/12/10/235885/Taiwanese-Taekwondo.htm
☁ <Taipei Times >: SAC says Taiwan's status in taekwondo unclear, May 12, 2010 By Shelley Shan
Minister without Portfolio Ovid Tseng , ..., protested against what he saw as an unfair ruling as soon as the match was over.
... Zheng said in a television interview that Ovid Tseng had no right to protest and may be seen as intending to cause riots. Because of the comment, the CTTA's disciplinary committee suspended Zheng from coaching taekwondo and refereeing for three years. The committee later decided to reinstate his right to be a referee, but his right to coach remained suspended.
... local media as saying that the
penalty was perceived as an outright challenge to the ATU's
authority....
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2010/05/12/2003472793
☁
<Taiwan Post >:
Taekwondo meeting will not discuss Taiwan ban
May 14, 2010
... The controversy began at the 2009 East Asian Games in Hong Kong, where Cheng ruled in favor of a South Korea taekwondo participant, even though he attacked Taiwan's participant, Tseng Chin-hsiang, in the throat, knocking him out.
Taiwan's Minister Without Portfolio Ovid Tseng, who attended the event, rebuked Cheng from the sidelines in an irate, emotional manner.
Cheng later criticized Tseng's action, saying it was tantamount to stirring a mutiny at the scene. His remarks deeply angered the CTTA, which subsequently suspended Cheng for three years. The ruling was upheld during a disciplinary meeting of the association on May 6.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2010/05/14/256414/Taekwondo-meeting.htm
☁ <Taipei Times >: Taekwondo union suggests lifting ban on referee, May 13, 2010 By Shelley Shan
... The Chinese Taipei Taekwondo Association’s (CTTA) disciplinary committee suspended Zheng from coaching and refereeing for three years following comments he made upon his return from the tournament.
...... Taiwan’s right to compete in international games could also be suspended because of the ruling, Lee said.
The letter, however, did not mention anything about suspending Taiwan’s right to participate in international competitions. The CTTA ruled last week to reinstate Zheng’s referee status, but upheld his three-year suspension from coaching.
http://taipeitimes.net/News/taiwan/archives/2010/05/13/2003472861
ps:
May 2011 ―
Taiwan paid
fine to
World Teakwood organization for another taekwondo
event (Yang in Asian Games in Guangzhou China) .
July 2011
―
Yang took back the accuse against
Teakwood organization.
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Reports on <World Games> , <Deaflympics> by media
★ New York Times
▼ July 15, 2009
Stadium Where Worlds Collide, Humanely
For some of us, entering a vast sports stadium is always an anxious pleasure. Behind the electrifying anticipation of the game there’s the nagging feeling that every stadium contains the seeds of mass hysteria — that it can, in extreme times, become a place of terrifying intensity....
▼ July 12, 2009
Architecture: Inside His Exteriors Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Designed by the Japanese architect Toyo Ito, the World Games’ main stadium, which will be unveiled at an opening ceremony here on Thursday, is shaped by a sensitivity to those conflicting sensations. ... It reflects his longstanding belief that architecture, to be human, must somehow embrace seemingly contradictory values. Instead of a self-contained utopia, he offers us multiple worlds, drifting in and out of focus like a dream.
▼ July 17, 2009
Beijing, in Snub to Taipei, Boycotts a Sports Ceremony
.... Some 4,800 athletes from 105 nations will compete,
... mainland athletes were in Taiwan but that they did not register to take part in the opening ceremony.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of its territory and protests any suggestion that the self-ruled island is a separate state. But the ceremony Thursday night was held in accordance with past practice at the Olympic Games and other international sporting events, under which Taiwan competes as “Chinese Taipei” and cannot fly its national flag.
Antonio Chiang, a media commentator and former government official, speculated that Beijing’s no-show may have been related to the appearance by President Ma Ying-jeou of Taiwan, who opened the World Games.
“It makes a very bad impression on Taiwan,” ... it’s a mockery of Ma Ying-jeou’s policy.”
★ IFeng , Hong Kong, July 17, 2009
summary
(1) The opening ceremony (of World Games, Kaohsiung Taiwan) itself really reminds us of those performances in Beijing Olympic opening ceremony, in spite of the scale is lots smaller, some creative ideas are familiar to us ...
(2) The appearance of President Ma Ying-jeou of Taiwan (who opened the World Games) resulted in China team's absence in opening ceremony.
( extract/excerpt from Chinese language report as below)
| WorldGamesChn. version |
按照慣例，世界運動會主辦方的領導人不會宣佈開幕，但馬英九還是來了，儘管沒有致詞，更沒有像陳菊那樣，使用閩南語，仍然招致大陸選手缺席開幕式．而比賽第一天也沒出現在賽龍舟現場。 不過開幕式本身，確實容易讓人聯想到０８年京奧開幕演出。儘管氣勢規模遜色許多，但是有些創意似曾相識。如外國歌手中文演唱，海上行船，還有橢圓場館上空的焰花。 也相信現場同文同種的兩岸選手，一眼就能看出，本屆世奧會的會徽，是高雄的高字，站得高，才能看得遠。 鳳凰衛視/周軼君
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★ PC Home, Taiwan, Oct 23, 2009
Theme: Taiwan only promoted Deaflympics Taipei to communist China and HK.
Summary:
Deaflympics Taipei's promotion expense for 250 countries worldwide is only NT one million, but spend NT 250 million on domestic, so even our neighbors Korea and Japan had not heard that we are holding Deaflympics.