READING IN TAIWAN

This tele-photo was taken at the Kaohsiung Branch of the famous Eslite Bookstore on Sunday evening. It was about 9pm, and this family just had dinner at the Food Court downstairs. I know, we came up the same lift. The kids were so animated, talking non-stop about books they wanted to check out, all the way up to the 17th floor. Before long all 3 of them were comfortably nested in one of the stair cases which, I now realize, are to double up as open back chairs. I remember more or less the same design at their Taipei branches. Ingenius! It really does not matter though as there is always the hard wood floor, where readers sprawl. Imagine doing that at Page One, or even worse, at Dymocks where there is not even room for people to pass each other.

For years this has been a part of the Taiwanese sub-culture. People still read, and love to read, despite the internet and web invasion. Readers from all ages will gather in the evenings or on weekends in bookstores, a-plenty in the cities with different focus. Visiting a book store as after dinner entertainment, when was the last time you did that with your kids? I did not stay around after taking the picture but I am quite sure they did not buy, most just go to read. By habit I was at the culinary section and saw people reading, and copying recipes, by hand. Why not? I believe the original Eslite store is still open round the clock. Cannot sleep, try reading, and you do not even have to buy the book. Brilliant!

When Dora and I were blue-skying about opening the school, we had a 3-tier 'Mission Statement' :

* Level #1 .... to teach young children how to read & write, via the DOORS Method
* Level #2 .... to help them develop the love for reading, as a life long habit
* Level #3 .... to hopefully bring the parents into this noble habit as well

I guess #2 & #3 are foregone conclusions here in Taiwan. Take a close look at the photograph, note their intensity, their total involvment and enjoy the sheer beauty of it.