The Mystery of Ephraim

When Taiwan became the first place in Asia to allow same-sex marriage on May 24, 2019, many thousands of gay people were cheering and waving the rainbow flags on the streets of the capital Taipei.

And the Taipei Pride parade a few months later drew 200,000 participants from all over the world to celebrate Taiwan’s image as a beacon of gay rights in Asia.

“One year has passed, the values we want to protect still exist and at the same time, we have let more people embrace happiness together,” President Tsai Ing-wen, who won her reelection by a landslide and was sworn in for a second term, said, expressing her pleasure that her Taiwanese society had become more diverse and open since passing the law.

Two years on, the island has been suffering its worst drought in 67 years, with the island reservoirs at dangerously low levels. Taiwan’s Sun Moon Lake is so low that parts of it have dried and turned to grass. Jetties that normally float are sprawled awkwardly on dry land, and tour boats are crowded at the tail ends of pontoons still in the water.

Taiwan is supposed to be one of the rainiest places in the world – its climate is subtropical in the northern and central regions, and tropical in the south. Typhoons are common in summer and autumn, and it also gets monsoons. It rains so often here that umbrellas are placed at subway stations and businesses for anyone to borrow.

Taiwan’s reservoirs are usually full, but in 2020 not one monsoon made landfall. And it could happen again in 2021. There have been mass prayer events to the sea goddess Matsu, but still no rain, only some drizzles!

The government also resorted to cloud seeding around several reservoirs, but the measure did not yield any positive result. Now, most reservoirs in Taoyuan, Hsinchu, and Miaoli are less than 15% full. Several in central Taiwan are less than 10%.

Chinese believe where there is crisis, there is opportunities! Taiwan’s true pride, TSMC, is currently at its Prime. Like eveything else, this could change. Their goddess Matsu who was originally revered by Fujianese across the Taiwan Strait might have other idea.

The Diplomat Reports (May 1, 2021) As Drought Worsens Chip Shortage, Taiwan Fights Brain Drain to China

Taiwan, home to two-thirds of the world semiconductor manufacturing capacity during the worst global chip shortage in recent memory, is under enomous pressure to alleviate this global chip shortage, but worst still, is fighting a recruitment drive of its engineers by its mainland Chinese competitors.

Taiwan’s labor ministry has ordered online job boards to remove all listings by Chinese employers attempting to recruit Taiwanese engineers to their semiconductor firms, an escalation in an intensifying technology standoff as mainland too, is also looking to Taiwan to alleviate its chip shortage.

The move comes as Taiwan continues to withstand a historic drought that has threatened the speed of chip production, which requires lots of water.

On April 27, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen called for the island to conserve more water, especially in the semiconductor hub of Taichung.

Taiwan has ensured that water keeps flowing to its chipmakers during its drought. TSMC has used large water trucks to help store water, and the company is building a plant that would treat industrial water for reuse.

While the world watches the impact Taiwan’s drought has on its chipmakers, the water shortage has also harmed the island’s agriculture industry. Taiwan has shut off irrigation to tens of thousands of acres of farmland, harming production of crops ranging from rice to lychees.

So is there a Strange Coincidence for Taiwan? Your take.

“Be afraid,” warns David Goldman of tsunamis to come, “Be very afraid!”

~ by Joel Huan on May 14, 2021.

Posted in Armageddon, Cultures, Taiwan