Lung Ying Tai - Reloaded?

[*monkey*]

So there’s a new Ministry of Culture and no surprises that Lung Ying Tai was installed to run it. After all the egg she got on her face while running Taipei City’s Cultural Bureau, how did she manage to get this cushy job? She has already stated on the record that she hates being an official. For much of her life, she hasn’t even lived in Taiwan at all. What gives?

Anyone remember the incident when she asked the director of the 228 Memorial Museum how he planned to “celebrate” 228 Memorial Day?

How can someone so utterly incompetent (and who has admitted as much) get what actually amounts to a promotion?

[Feiren]

Ummm...Ma Ying-jeou and the Blue camp think she did a great job. 'Culture' is one of Ma's big policy pushes. She's a loyalist who somehow still retains credibility because of her 'bold' writing back in the 80s. The new Ministry is very busy and is demanding a big budget.

So there’s a new Ministry of Culture and no surprises that Lung Ying Tai was installed to run it. After all the egg she got on her face while running Taipei City’s Cultural Bureau, how did she manage to get this cushy job? She has already stated on the record that she hates being an official. For much of her life, she hasn’t even lived in Taiwan at all. What gives?

Anyone remember the incident when she asked the director of the 228 Memorial Museum how he planned to “celebrate” 228 Memorial Day?

How can someone so utterly incompetent (and who has admitted as much) get what actually amounts to a promotion?

[*monkey*]

I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels ill at ease about a 2nd generation Mainlander being made Minister of Culture (especially in light of her previous cultural gaffes). It would have scored real political points for Ma to show some sensitivity by putting a native Taiwanese in that role, rather than a KMT-affiliated celebrity writer.

On the plus side, it will give the green press someone new to lampoon.

One of Lung's "triumphs" as cultural bureau chief of Taipei City was to renovate the old American Ambassador's residence on Zhongshan N Road. Turning it not into a museum, or an art space or other useful cultural institution, but a coffee shop. Lung must have been particularly proud of her performance there. After all, there just aren't enough coffee shops in Taipei, are there?

[Feiren]

The former American Ambassador's residence is Spot Film House. Yes, it has a coffee shop and a very nice bar with on the verandah upstairs. It is also one of the only art house theaters in taipei, which is its main function.

As much as I dislike Lung, I can't complain about Spot. OK, I can. Like most Taipei city 'cultural' venues, it has a distinctly commercial feel and would benefit greatly from holding events etc to give it a more community feeling.

But it's really not that bad.

I would be careful about attacking Lung on the the ethnic identity issue. She speaks excellent Taiwanese from having grown up in Pingdong and is seen as relatively sympathetic to Taiwanese culture despite her Sinocentrism.

[*monkey*]

Feiren, you're absolutely right about Spot. I forgot about the little movie theater they put in the garage.

Guess there wasn't room for a McDonald's in there.