Taiwan Travelogue — CHAPTER II

1. 1. Taiwan's railway system, crucial for travel, included a key fork into Coastal and Mountain Lines at Chikunan, merging at Shōka, with the Mountain Line reaching Taichū.
2. 2. During the colonial era, Taiwan's population was primarily Han people from China, whose dialect was referred to as Taiwanese, distinct from indigenous languages.
3. 3. The narrator, Aoyama-sensei, moved into a compact yet comprehensive Japanese-style cottage in Taichū, provided free by Madame Takada, a Satsuma aristocracy descendant.
4. 4. Aoyama-sensei was enraged when a school official attempted to demean Chi-chan by demanding she clean shoes, exposing the deep-seated prejudice against Taiwanese 'Islanders'.
5. 5. A university administrator, I-san, further exposed pervasive prejudice by justifying the school official's behavior, questioning the professional abilities of female Islander interpreters.
6. 6. Aoyama-sensei firmly rejected the notion of using her writing for war propaganda and strongly opposed social expectations that superseded reason, such as women being obligated to marry.
7. 7. Aoyama-sensei defined authentic 'traveling' as 'living in a foreign place,' experiencing normal life and all four seasons, rather than just visiting designated tourist attractions.
8. 8. Chi-chan recounted a local tale of a young police officer who died on Kappan Mountain in a handcar crash due to his reckless insistence on excessive speed.
9. 9. Despite Aoyama-sensei’s dramatic expressions and declaration of friendship, Chi-chan consistently maintained an inscrutable, 'Noh mask' smile and delivered perfectly composed responses.