Friday

41. Symposium

Thursday August 14, 2008

Symposium for the 10th Anniversary of the Comfort Women Museum at Nanumeh-Jip. Historians and activists from Korea, Japan, and U.S.A gathered to discuss strategies on the "Comfort Women" issue now that U.S. Resolution 121 has been passed.

Speakers included Eriko Ikeda, Chair of the Steering Committee at The Women's Active Museum (WAM) on War and Peace(Japan); Haruko Yoshikawa, the Former of House of Councillors(Japan); Ok Cha Soh, Ph.D, the President of Washington Coalition for Comfort Women Issues, Inc. (U.S.A.); and Hong Ku Han Ph.D., a Korean historian (Korea).

Many Korean High School and College students participated in the symposium.

Korean halmunis, (former "Comfort Women"), and Sung Yeun, Buddhist priest.

Introduction by Shin Kweon Ahn, General Manager at Nanumeh-Jip.


Eriko Ikeda at The Women's Active Museum on War and Peace(WAM) speaking.

With Eriko Ikeda at WAM and Murayama Ippei, a Japanese researcher.

Yung Nye Lee Halmuni, a former "Comfort Woman".
 
Haruko Yoshikawa(Japan), Ok Cha Soh, Ph.D(U.S.A.), and Hong Ku Han Ph.D.(Korea).


With Ok Cha Soh, Ph.D (U.S.A.)


40. Shyou Fung Ho ahma

Monday August 11, 2008

Li-Fang Yang (at the Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation) took me to Shyou Fung Ho ahma's home. The *ahma is an aboriginal Taiwanese and lives with her daughter and grandson.

* "halmunis" in Korean, or "ahmas" in Taiwanese means "grandmas". (In Asia, elders are commonly referred to as grandmother or grandfather, whether you are related to them or not, as a way of showing respect.)






39. Yaohua Su Director

Monday August 11, 2008

I had a meeting with Yaohua Su, Director of Taipei Artist Village. We talked about my previous projects, and about my current reaserch.

38. Meeting with Mali Wu

Monday August 11, 2008

I met with Mali Wu at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum where she was participating in the 2008 Taipei Biennial. We talked about the art scene in Taiwan and China.

Sunday

37. Hsiu-mei Wu at temple

Sunday August 10, 2008

Hsiu-mei Wu *ahma took Huiling and me to a temple. First she showed us how to pick offering foods for the gods. We picked a box of Taiwanese cookies and two pieces of red bread (Red means fortune) for blessing.

The temple was very colorful and decorative because of the upcoming "Pudu" ghost festival in Taiwan. Inside the temple there were many different gods and the ahma and Huiling explained to me how to pay respect to each god. 

* "halmunis" in Korean, or "ahmas" in Taiwanese means "grandmas". (In Asia, elders are commonly referred to as grandmother or grandfather, whether you are related to them or not, as a way of showing respect.)

Picking up offering bread with the ahma and Huiling

At the temple gate



With the ahma

36. Hsiu-mei Wu ahma's home

Sunday August 10, 2008

Huiling at the Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation(TWRF) took me to Hsiu-mei Wu, Hakaness ahma's home in Taipei. The *ahma lived alone in an apartment. The ahma was very social, talkative and easy-going. We spent all day with the ahma. 

She showed me her beautiful handmade bras which had been worn for over 20 years. She handwashed them and kept them so neat and white so, they looked almost new. These bras looked more like tank tops. The ahma said she liked them because she could keep her money inside the pocket of the bra when she went to market.

Also, she showed me a piece of burned wine bottle cork that she used to use for eyeliner many years ago. She demonstrated how she used it by burning the top of the cork with a match, then flattening the other end of the wooden match stick and using it as an applicator. Now, she said, it is much easier just to use an eye liner pencil.

About Hsiu-mei Ahma:
“I was deceived by the Japanese soldiers and became a military comfort women in 1940. Before we boarded the warship at Kaohsiung Harbor, the Japanese military doctor ordered us to undress for physical checkup. There were ten or more young girls on that shipment. None dared to defy the order. We kept trembling and followed the order. It happened over sixty years ago, but it is still vivid in my mind... As we got the ship, people told me that place was called Canton. It was a battlefield, the sound of cannons everywhere, full of Japanese soldiers at the harbor. Masses of Japanese soldiers were shouting “Wan-sui! Wan-sui!” (“Long Live!”)

Later, I was taken to a building to a building over ten-story high. I’ve never seen this kind of building before. The elevator was out of order and there was no electricity. There were many rooms, all totally dark. One person to one room. It was always foggy outside the window.

There were many soldiers. No matter how much I feared, I was assaulted by twenty or thirty Japanese soldiers daily. I was in so much pain I’d rather die. Whenever I didn’t go along or when they were drunk, they drew their samurai sward and threatened me. They said they were patriotic soldiers and should be well served.” 

From “Compassion Without Borders” by The Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation.

* "halmunis" in Korean, or "ahmas" in Taiwanese means "grandmas". (In Asia, elders are commonly referred to as grandmother or grandfather, whether you are related to them or not, as a way of showing respect.)

The ahma showing us her beautiful handmade bras

The ahma demonstration how she used to use a piece of charcol as an eyeliner




35. Taipei Artist Village

Friday August 8, 2008

I got together with Lulu Shur-tzy Hou who was an Asian Cultural Council Taiwanese grantee and a photographer dealing with Taiwanese women's issues. She took me to Taipei Artist Village and introduced me to Jill Yang, who is the Manager. We toured the gallery and met a Korean resident artist from Kwangju. 

Lulu also took us to It Park Gallery. The Director and Eve Wu, Administrator, invited us to sit down for an informal chat and offered us beer and a bite to eat.

We also stopped in at Very Temple and VT Salon, an interesting alternative art space.  




34. Artist Talk at TWRF

Friday August 8, 2008

I had an artist talk at Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation (TWRF) at noon. I presented my previous projects and discussed my intentions and hopes associated with the "comfort women" research. The staff was very interested and asked lots of questions. 



33. Artist Talk at BCS

Thursday August 7, 2008

I had an artist talk presentation at the Bamboo Curtain Studio(BCS). I presented my previous projects and my "comfort women" research in Korea and Taiwan so far. Later, I met some Taiwanese artists including Yiyi Wan, a photographer and Director of Taiwan Women's Art Association. 

Preparation


Artist Talk

32. Meeting with Betsy Lan

Wednesday August 6, 2008

I got together with Betsy Lan near Taipei Power Station, a very lively neighborhood where university students and young people were hanging out.

Betsy is a theater performer who directed a special version of a play called "The Vagina Monologues" dealing with "comfort women" for V-Day. 

"The 'V' in V-Day stands for Valentine, Vagina, and Victory, linking love and respect for women to ending violence against women and girls. Proceeds from the performances go to programs that work to end violence against women."

We exchanged our experiences and politics around the "comfort women" issue in Asia.



31. TWRF in Taipei

Monday August 4, 2008

I visited The Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation(TWRF)in Taipei. TWRF has been dealing with three women's issues: Comfort Women, Human Trafficking, and Domestic Violence. 

I went their office to gether some historical materials on the Taipei "Comfort Women." Everyone at TWRF including Graceia Lai, Director of International Affairs, Shu-Hue Kang, Deputy Excutive Director, Huiling Wu, Associate Supervisor, and Li-Fang Yang gave me lots help and support. 

In front of TWRF's office

With Shu-Hua Kang and Graceia Lai

TWRF staff





30. Yang Chen ahma

Monday August 4, 2008

Huiling Wu, Associate Supervisor at the Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation, took me to visit Yang Chen Taiwanese ahma's home in Taipei. The *ahma spoke Japanese as well as Taiwanese, and had a very gentle manner.

* "halmunis" in Korean, or "ahmas" in Taiwanese means "grandmas". (In Asia, elders are commonly referred to as grandmother or grandfather, whether you are related to them or not, as a way of showing respect.)







29. Man-Mei Lu ahma

Sunday August 3, 2008

Man-Mei Lu Hakaness *ahma was particularly active, energetic, and social. She lives with her son.

About Man-mei Ahma:
“From a poor family, the three-year-old Man-mei Ahma was given by her paternal uncle as an adopted daughter. Her adopted parents adored her. Since she was little, she climbed the mountains with her adopted mother, picking tea leaves to help out. When she was seventeen, people told her that cafeterias on Hainan Island were recruiting staff, offering higher wages than Taiwan. To help her family in dire straits, the filial pious Man-mei decided to leave Hsinchu with other girls. Fearing that her adopted parents would worry about her so far away, she lied to them. She arrived in Hainan Island. The woman in charge of the comfort women station ordered the young and beautiful Man-mei to receive guest at any time. She was in so much pain that she didn’t wish to live any more. Alone and abused daily by the Japanese soldiers, she had no one to confide in. Then she started smoking and she had been smoking for sixty years.”

She keeps a broken mirror, a gift from her late husband. As a result of the rumors about her years abroad, her husband treated her with indifference. Nevertheless, she still held onto their love and treasures the mirror. Man-mei Ahma makes her living by doing laundry for policemen. She collected laundry daily at the police station.

From “Compassion Without Borders” by The Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation.

* "halmunis" in Korean, or "ahmas" in Taiwanese means "grandmas". (In Asia, elders are commonly referred to as grandmother or grandfather, whether you are related to them or not, as a way of showing respect.)





28. Graceia and her family

Sunday August 3, 2008

Graceia, Chi-Hsi Chao, her husband, and Emily, her daughter generously provided a ride to Shimpu to meet two Hakanese "comfort women." Chi-Hsi is a lawyer and Emily is a junior high school student. They showed me a temple on the way. Later, they took me to Chi-Hsi's hometown, a beautiful harbor city in Taiwan.

With Graceia at the temple in Shinpu


With Graceia's family, Chi-Hsi and Emily

27. Yin-Chiao Su ahma

Sunday August 3, 2008

Graceia took me to Yin-Chiao Su *ahma in Shinpu, outside of Taipei. Both Yin-Chiao Su ahma and her sister were taken as "comfort women". They were Hakanese. Her sister passed away and she currently lives with her son. 

During the interview another Hakanese comfort woman, Man-Mei Lu ahma came by.

About Yin-chiao Su Ahma:
The eldest daughter in her family, Yin-chiao Ahma picked up any chore to help the expenses. Her sister told her that cafeterias on Hainan Island were recruiting waitresses. Both sisters went to Hainan Island. Only when they arrived in that barren island didi they find out they were to be sexual slaves for the Japanese soldiers. Because of her homely appearance, soldiers didn’t like her, so she was detested by the managers of the comfort station.

The women in charge were ruthless and threatened them not to escape, or they would be captured and shot by anti-Japanese Communists. Girls were all afraid. Besides, there was no place to hide. They could only live at the mercy of soldiers. Yin-chiao’s working hours went from six in the morning to six in the evening. Officers had the privilege of spending the night. They must attend to every need of these officers with long swords and guns. When soldiers were in a bad mood or were drunk, they cursed her for no reason. To survive, Yin-chiao suffered in silence.

From “Compassion Without Borders” by The Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation.

* "halmunis" in Korean, or "ahmas" in Taiwanese means "grandmas". (In Asia, elders are commonly referred to as grandmother or grandfather, whether you are related to them or not, as a way of showing respect.)

Entering Yin-Chyao Su ahma's home with Graceia

Graceia translating



Yin-Chiao Su ahma and Man-Mei Lu ahma

Friday

26. ACC in Taipei

Thursday July 31, 2008

Lunch with Rita Chang, Representative and Melissa Chan, Program Associate, at The Asian Cultural Council(ACC) in Taipei.

They gave me contact info for variety of different people who are working on similar issues in Taiwan and offered me any assistance I needed for the project. 




25. Cafe Noir

Wednesday July 30, 2008

Graceia took me to Cafe Noir where a photo exhibit of Taiwanese "Comfort Women" was being shown.

We discussed how I can meet with "comfort women" from diverse backgrounds here including Taiwanese, Hakanese, and even Aboriginal women. We also talked about differences between the Taiwanese "comfort women" and the Korean "comfort women".





24. Hwa Chen ahma

Wednesday July 30, 2008

I met with Graceia Lai, Director of International Affairs at the Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation. She is dealing with the "Comfort Women" issue in Taiwan. 

In 1992, 58 Taiwanese "comfort women" came out. Now, 21 remain. 

Graceia took me to Hwa Chen Taiwanese *ahma's home. She lived with a daugther and two grandchildren in Taipei. 

* "halmunis" in Korean, or "ahmas" in Taiwanese means "grandmas". (In Asia, elders are commonly referred to as grandmother or grandfather, whether you are related to them or not, as a way of showing respect.)



With Hwa Chen ahma and Graceia Lai