Skiing school opens in Chiayi to help kids and adults master the sport

Skiing school opens in Chiayi to help kids and adults master the sport

2022-08-09

Everyone is looking for ways to cool off. Now residents of Chiayi can even go skiing, even in the middle of summer. A ski school has opened there, promising to help adults and children get to grips with the winter sport. Although skiing isn’t native to Taiwan, it is growing in popularity.

Kids don ski boots and protective gear. Then they get ready to go out on the slopes.

The coach is infinitely patient as they practice. They start with the most basic moves, falling down and getting up over and over.

It’s a hot summer, but these parents have brought their kids to learn how to ski. These 3-year-old twins are having their first try. They love it!

Parent
Indoors it’s a safe and cool space where the twins can come and learn as well as have fun.

This skiing school in Chiayi has attracted a lot of applications. Skiing is taking off as a leisure sport in Taiwan. It’s a fun way to escape the summer heat and get a great workout. Parents plan to one day take their kids abroad to ski.

Sha-sha
Skiing instructor
After you’ve learned how to ski in Taiwan, you can go to skiing resorts abroad and it’s easier to get the hang of it. You won’t have to hire an instructor there and spend loads of your time falling over.

Chiang Kuan-chun
Skiing school manager
All the classes are 1-on-1 or 2-on-1. With guidance from the coach you can master the skills of skiing.

Expert skiers say that choosing suitable clothes and equipment is one of the key factors in making sure you stay safe on the slopes.

夏季高溫嘉義滑雪學校清涼消暑

2022-08-09

夏天天氣熱，不少人會找消暑又好玩的活動，在嘉義就有家長帶著小朋友，到滑雪學校學滑雪，希望疫情趨緩後，可以出國實際體驗滑雪樂趣。

穿上雪鞋，戴上全套護具，裝備就定位，小朋友已經等不及上場滑雪。

教練耐心帶小朋友練習，從基本動作學起，跌倒了，站起來再試一次。

天氣熱，家長帶著小朋友躲進室內學滑雪，這對3歲的雙胞胎滑雪初體驗，玩得超開心

[[家長]]
“室內安全又涼爽的空間，讓兩位雙胞胎小朋友來這邊學習，也算在這邊玩。”

位在嘉義的滑雪學校，近來不少民眾報名，滑雪成為最新的休閒娛樂，除了在室內消暑，也能運動，家長希望之後，能實地帶著小朋友出國玩。

[[滑雪教練莎莎]]
“國內學完滑雪之後，我們到國外的雪場上，都會比較快上手，也不用再另外請教練，然後花很多時間在摔倒。”

[[滑雪學校負責人姜冠鈞]]
“都是一對一或是一對二，經過教練的指導，就能夠掌握滑雪的技巧。”

教練建議，要選擇適合自己的裝備和雪鞋，才能玩樂同時，兼顧安全。

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With China saying it will normalize drills east of the median line in the Taiwan Strait, foreign minister Joseph Wu on Tuesday held a bilingual press conference to raise international support for Taiwan. Wu said that Taiwan would not back down in the face of Chinese aggression. He warned that China’s ambitions would not end with Taiwan, and that China planned to link the East and South China Seas through the Taiwan Strait.

Joseph Wu
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China’s continued attempts to intimidate Taiwan will not panic us, nor will they defeat us. To Taiwan, the values of freedom and democracy cannot be taken away; they are built into our DNA.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu on Tuesday addressed China’s recent drills near Taiwan, in a bilingual press conference attended by members of the international press. Wu condemned China for using last week’s visit to Taiwan by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as a pretext for the drills. He said China was attempting to destroy the tacit median line in the Taiwan Strait. He warned the international community that China’s ambitions would not end with Taiwan.

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China is now determined to link the East and South China Seas through the Taiwan Strait so that this entire area becomes its internal waters. And its intentions are not likely to stop there, as the PLA has crossed the first island chain multiple times to conduct military exercises in recent years. In addition, in May this year, China signed a security agreement with the Solomon Islands, and intended to do the same with more Pacific countries. China’s influence also extends into Southeast Asia, South Asia, and even Africa and Latin America. China’s behavior towards Taiwan is merely a pretext. Its ambitions and impact is extending far beyond Taiwan. It is thus critical that all freedom-loving nations work together to explore means to respond to the expansion of authoritarianism.

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What is Taiwan’s concrete proposal or suggestion of how the international community could or should push the Chinese military back?

Joseph Wu
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That is something that we need to join our hands with like-minded partners [on] to make sure that the median line is still there, to safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait; and if you look at the East China Sea, or South China Sea, China’s doing the same.

The Taiwan correspondents of most major press organizations were present at the press conference, ready with questions for the foreign minister. Wu called on democracies to support Taiwan, and to resist Chinese hegemony. He said Taiwan would continue to engage in exchanges with its allies and other countries, and that it would not be intimidated by China.

Joseph Wu
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Recent surveys have also shown that the overwhelming majority of Taiwanese welcomed the visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. I am also confident that many more house speakers will visit Taiwan in the future. China wants to block Taiwan’s participation in the international community, to pressure us and squeeze us out. Given this situation, we in Taiwan can’t simply sit around with our hands tied waiting to be captured. What we in Taiwan strive for is for more countries and more leaders to support us.

Separately, Lithuania’s minister of foreign affairs on Monday issued a statement in which he said that the free world cannot and will not allow Taiwan to become a second Ukraine. In response, Taiwan’s foreign ministry called Lithuania a good friend with whom true feelings would emerge in times of adversity.

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Naval officer gives personal account of a confrontation with a Chinese destroyer

A naval officer in command of a confrontation with a Chinese destroyer near Kaohsiung has spoken about the encounter. China’s PLA Navy was instructed to approach Taiwan’s territorial waters, but Taiwan’s Navy was determined to not let that happen. After a tense standoff, the Chinese vessel turned away, narrowly avoiding conflict. The story has come to light thanks to a university student with a penchant for analyzing PLA movements.

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While Chinese military aircraft are crossing the strait, Chinese naval vessels are also approaching Taiwan’s territorial waters. Taiwanese university student Joseph Wen, who has gained notoriety for a map he compiled of Chinese military bases, on Saturday tweeted a photo of a Taiwanese guided missile destroyer facing off with a Chinese destroyer off the coast of Kaohsiung. In his tweet, Wen included comments from the naval officer in command of the Taiwanese destroyer.

Wen’s tweet cited information showing that the Chinese destroyer was ordered on Friday to pass the strait’s median line. The Taiwanese naval officer said it was their mission to not let the Chinese destroyer pass, and that they were preparing to collide with the enemy vessel if necessary. The two vessels came within 200 yards – roughly 180 meters – of each other, before the Chinese vessel gave up its course and turned west. The officer said the Navy was at the ready, and that it would prepare for war, but not incite it.

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China test-fired a missile. Of course, following a missile test like that, the military’s officers will be nervous. My friends in the Navy said that they would defend Taiwan’s territorial waters to the death, and would not let the PLA approach. The PLA talks tough, but in reality it still exercises caution. I’m sure it is aware of where the bottom line is.

Wen’s social media posts drew praise from Taiwanese users, with people thanking officers for their bravery and determination.

Voice of Joseph Wen
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When the Navy officers feel that they are needed, it’s natural that their service will bring them a sense of honor. The defense ministry is like a simple and honest person who is not good at expressing themselves, but in intercepting the PLA they will fully devote themselves to their duty. If the ministry spoke more, I feel the results would be good. If they come out and speak to the public, it will be good for their image.

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Wearing a bulletproof vest, Robert Tsao was on Monday a guest at FTV’s Coco Hot News. His garb caught the attention of many on set.

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China’s Taiwan Affairs Office has declared me a Taiwan separatist. I read comments online that were all saying I should get beaten up or killed. So right now I feel like I should take special care to protect myself. Wearing a bulletproof vest has the benefit of offering protection against attacks. That’s the same as Taiwan’s defense strategy. We must protect ourselves and increase the cost of a Chinese attack on Taiwan and lower their chances of taking over Taiwan.

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Robert Tsao
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In June, my private company paid NT$1.6 billion in income tax. I’ve put the NT$3 billion together how I could. If I hadn’t paid that NT$1.6 billion in taxes, I would be donating NT$5 billion instead. My two sons are not just supportive of me. They are proud of me.

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I have given it a name, the “CCP Zombie Virus.” Within minutes, those who catch the virus look out only for themselves and turn from humans to beasts. They suck your blood out. Look at China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and their Taiwan Affairs Office. All of them have caught the virus.

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When I saw it I was distraught. Many of my friends were beaten up. Anyone who was in Hong Kong then would definitely become anti-CCP. Afterward, I swore that I would never let Taiwan become a second Hong Kong.

Tsao’s words on the CCP have garnered attention online, with thousands of views and comments on the episode uploaded on social media. With his NT$3 billion donation for Taiwan’s defense, Tsao’s CCP stance has become one of the hottest topics of debate in recent days.

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