FAPA YPG’s “Democracy in Action” Taiwan Trip • [link]
The blog recounts YPG’s travels in text and photos.
A collaborative blog tracing the experiences of YPG members on the “Democracy in Action” Taiwan Tour. In 2007, we observed mayoral elections; in 2008, we will witness the presidential election. So what did our participants decide to write for the public? Read the excerpts below:
I certainly hope that this trip was a learning experience for all participants as it was for me. My initial purpose behind organizing this trip was simply to give people the opportunity to learn more about Taiwan through firsthand experience. There is so much that we cannot experience sitting behind the computer reading news articles about Taiwan. This was YPG’s first group trip to Taiwan and certainly not that last.
It’s hard to imagine I’m already in Taiwan and participating in the FAPA-YPG Democracy in Action observation tour! I’m still reeling from the hour and a half long meeting we just had with President Chen this morning. The entire experience thus far has surpassed anything I could have imagined. Everyone on the tour brings to the table such differing experiences, that I’m learning not just from the observation tour, but from the members of the tour as well.
I’ve saved the most exciting news for last: we got to meet President Chen this morning!!! We were able to spend more than an hour conversing with him, hearing his opinions on both domestic and international issues. I was especially impressed by how down-to-earth and personable he was, and by how much time he took out of his busy schedule to meet with FAPA-YPG. Iris presented President Chen with an American flag that once flew over the U.S. Capitol Building and a U.S. Capitol Building snow globe. Rumor has it that pictures of our group with President Chen have been airing on Taipei television stations, but we haven’t had a chance to see the news yet.