Today from UDN I read a piece of essay commenting that in Taiwan many plants have been removed from arable lands so as to make way for cherry trees. The author pointed out the popularity of cherry blosssoms in Taiwan might have something to do with the sentiments that Japanese colonists had for their motherland when they were ruling the island, and now the islanders inherited the similar nostagia from their erstwhile masters. But the author stopped there and deliberately evaded this sensible topic,then concentrated on the issues of enviornment and biodiversity. Are that short-lived, shocking pink cherry blossom worth islanders while to worship as their sole flower of fondness that making famers sacrifice other trees or cash crops for? Why arent beautiful flowers like rose, peony, begonia and so many others? I think there must be some subliminally empathic sentiment towards Japan,the philo-Japanese phenomenon easily seen at every corner in Taiwan: autos of Japanese make, Japanese lingual usages, baseball,Japan as a place of pilgramage, 海角七號, etc. Go ahead, I just cant change the social mindset, but I must remind you someday when the 3rd Sino-Japanese war breaks out, dont be too smart to stand on the wrong side.
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