Face to face with the Ministers & Councilor

This picture below has nothing to do with the title of this post =P

Early this morning when I step out of the apartment, this particular gray car right in front of me caught my eyes. The cute puddle was waiting it's owner inside the car with it's head outside the window~

awwwww~ okay back to topic! 

Today is an important for us as we will be meeting the Minister of Agriculture & dinnering with the Minister of Foreign Affair.  

The Administrative building for the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan

 Taiwan Minister of Agriculture.

 Linda was the one who brief us all the way.

There's a funny part when he mentioned that having a dog is worth it because comparing to father & son. If father ask his son to go there *right* son go there *left*. But if he ask his dog to 'come here!' Dog will be so reluctant to come running towards the father =)

 Our group photo with the Minister.

We were shown a video with a details description of the entire Agriculture Organization.

Taiwan Agriculture

Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan. Yup we've were here.

Moving on to dinner. We were honored to have the opportunity to dine with the Minister of Foreign Affair, Amb. Rong-Chuan Wu. We were told by Aunty Liu that he is very eager to meet us students from different country in Taiwan learning the culture and joining the NGO movements.

Indeed he was, also a very humble person. He respects Aunty Liu a lot for her contribution towards the people in Taiwan.

We shared our Taiwan experience with him. It was a really comfortable evening as the minister was really friendly towards us and he told us a lot of interesting history of Taiwan and some of his experience in many different countries while he was working as Taiwan Ambassador.

He even encourage us to pursue our postgraduate studies in Taiwan. He emphasis that it is not necessary for one to know mandarin to study in Taiwan because in Taiwan there are universities in Taiwan that offers fully English studies for foreigner.

He also hope that we all will come back to visit Taiwan. He told us a true story about how a father eventually fell in love with Taiwan in the process of searching for his son who got lost in the mountains, he never found him. A nice but sad story to know, it is no doubt the warm-hearted Taiwanese people that makes everyone feels like home,

Dinner was really great with lots of amazing food we don't see in night market! haha~

Us with the Taiwan Minister of Foreign Affair *bottom 2nd left*

Lunching with Taipei City Councilor, Huang Shan Shan*黃珊珊* & her assistant Zhèng Yàn Tíng who are both very good friend of Aunty Liu.

You can even find her on Facebook. Here's the link.

Three amazing ladies portraying their inner cuteness =) 

Our group photo with Taipei City Councilor, Huang Shan Shan

Our final jump shoot with Taipei 101! Aunty Liu gave it a Kung Fu KICK!!~

Last Class of our Intern

Our last class of our Intern. This was personally given by Director Yen I Feng himself! He is the director of the Taipei City Animal Protection Organization. What an honour for us.  

Director Feng was a very nice person who likes to joke a lot. Creating a very comfortable atmosphere for us all rather that just another session of class. He start of his presentation with an introduction of the Taipei City Animal Protection Office which he defined the team as Guardian of Animals. Such strong words which I'm sure will move the teams motivation to step up and stand up for the Animals!

The core values of the team is to provide specialize care efficiently and harmoniously to the Animal. Their Mission is to promote and protect the animal rights and welfare.

With a strong vision to transform Taipei City into an Animal Friendly City, they strives towards their goal with the strategy objectives

1. To improve and perfect the animal management
2. Safeguarding the health of the people and animals
3. Initiate opportunities for the animal industry
4. To build a sustainable animal environment

He also introduce their organization structure from the Animal Health Inspection Group, Animal Management Group, Animal Sheltering Group, Animal Industrial and Conservation Group to the Animal Rescue Team. Everyone plays a very vital role in helping the organization in achieving their goals! 

Director Yen is very interested with the animal issue in our country too!

Over the years they run countless event in promoting the responsibilities education to pet owners and to impart an "Animal Life Education" to the citizen of Taiwan. So many efforts put into educating the people, like for example the annual "Animal Caring Day" which was official set by Taipei City Government to the 24 April.    That is the day where pet owner will bring their pet and parade down the street of Taipei.

The 466 Animal Caring Parade!

Taipei City Home for Animals Shelter has sheltered 10, 644 homeless dogs and cats from 2010 to the end of June 2011! That's a huge number of strays they had rescued! The organization had been regularly advocating TNR activities in each district and street of Taipei

 We had a good time as he is very interactive during his session with us. 

Our group photo taken inside Taipei Animal Shelter.

After the session it's time to check out their super cool Animal Rescue Team Vehicle which cost them NT1.7 Million! Director himself gave us  a tour~ how cool is that!

 He went out and ask the staff to drive the truck over..he was like "lai lai lai...reverse reverse..here here here"...haha...very nice of him to show us around.

One of the coolest vehicle I've ever seen I must say!

This is one of the latest truck the Animal Rescue Team use for Animal Rescue situation. It is fully equip with all the necessary facilities and cage that will assist in rescuing the animals and transporting them safely to the shelter. All the cages are equip with proper ventilation and also air-conditioned to make sure the animals gets the best environment while being transported to their destination.

One of the facilities is this elevator cage that can easily move more aggressive animals into the truck without hurting them.

Other cool built in facilities including a rear view monitor that is connected to a close circuit camera installed behind the truck for the Rescue Team to monitor the condition/situation on behind inside the truck while driving at the same time! COOL!

I'm pretending to be one of the rescue team's driver!

Other equipment includes oxygen tanks, masks and even the instrument for catching snakes!

It is without a doubt a well equipped Animal Rescue truck!     

The organization really welcome us with open arms. What a wonderful experience they implanted into my life. I will never forget all of these amazing life changing experience!

Super Awesome Taipei Pet Expo 2011!!

This is one of the most exciting event happening throughout my entire project! The once in a year Taipei 2011 Pets Expo! Get ready for lots and lots of photos!!

It's located at Nangang Exhibition Hall. This will be a 4 days event where for once you get to see animals everywhere!!!

Especially cute ones like these~

Yes I do mean everywhere!

Seven of us EP will be helping Aunty Liu at her booth doing charity sells that will use the money to help the strays.

Of course when huge events like these take place, there must have a grant opening ceremony!

with lots of reporters!

And super cool high tech crystal ball that projects the animal expo Chinese characters on it!

Everyone brought their pets

Really happy being able to be part of this wonderful event because I have never seen such gigantic animal expo in my life before.

This one particular dog who got shaved and colored and the same time! Hrm~ I'm not sure how to comment on this but it's my first time to have ever come across anything like this!!

 They even have professional chef to feed them~ I feel dogs here lives a so so so much better live that humans!

Usually we have babies on stroller.

But in Taipei they have strollers for their PETs! I was WOW~ing~ my way the first time I saw this.

Not just 1 or 2 but hundreds of them!

Stroller for doggies can you imagine that? Will that make doggies lazier to walk eventually?

I found Swarovski product there too. BEHOLD Pooparazzi! This super elegant Swarovski product is designed for you to collect your dog POOP elegantly! Zzzz

Doggies can have their personal SPA too.

Their outfit, this is considered the more 'normal' ones for me.

There were all types of promotion to get customer's attention. Some use costume~

Some use pretty girls+costume+free stuff. I think this is the most efficient ones! haha...especially the free stuffs. Everyone wants it! Even I got some...because free stuff just come raining down when I walked pass~ haha~

More pets~

They even sell pets dryer!! Not sure what's the difference between the human ones. Hrmmm~

This is one of the many that I really really like!

All of us together with 2 other awesome volunteers from Pu Tai Senior High School. They were really helpful promoting all our stuffs!

There were a lot of performances, competition going on too at the back. It's so interesting to witness this.

So interesting to watch that even other dogs were enjoying it~

I know you will see all kinds of pet in a pets expo...but this one just blow my mind away!

Piggies on strollers! Unbelievable...for those Malaysian who is reading this...can you imagine what will happen if we start doing this?? *STOP IMAGINATION*

I understand when there is times owner just want their dog to look unique...thought the same breed...so what will be the solution to that?...color them!

There's also dyeing competition which looks like a coloring competition to me! It's really crazy...I'm not so sure the doggies were very reluctant to be dyed so color full.

Of course when there's dogs there bound to have cats somewhere. These are some of the big fat cats in the expo! Big fat cats always likes to sleep sleep sleep.

Kitties sleeping position are always the cutest!! Some of them just hugging each other like best buddies.

More kitties~

More doggies on strollers~ there's even one connected to the bicycle! The owner just cycle it around and cycle it back home *I think*.

Really amazing seeing how most Taiwanese treating their pet as one of their family.

There's one particular funny looking dog *bottom left* form the picture above. I can't even see it's eyes, not very sure how it walk straight~

This ones know how to make happy and angry facial expression listening to his owner's command. Really cool!

This one is literally trying to be cool~

This reminds me a lot of Pussy Cat from the film Shrek‏! right right right???

Pussy Cat from Shrek

Coming back to our own booth. Everything went pretty well too! We even manage to get some of our cute kitties adopted =)

more cute, weird looking doggies and bunny *2nd top left*! The dog *top right* doesn't really look so willing being tied up like that =_='''

There's also people who have snake as pet. It's really cool..but Aunty Liu can't stand it! haha~

This is another dogs which I like a lot! huge and fluffy =)

one of the Golden Retrievers with many tricks including balancing an orange on it's forehead. Cool? I'm pretty sure my dog snoopy, balu or JJ can't do that because before they coul....they will eat up the orange first!!

Will you marry me? *doggy shy*

There's one with pampers on too! I will rather die than to wear that on public...naked still!

Lizard pet! *like*

Last day of the expo came so fast without us noticing it. Meet Ada *top left* another volunteer from Taipei Municipal Yucheng Senior High School. Also one of the 'Love Mama' *bottom middle* who brought the kittens for adoption.

Some of the AISECERs came visit too!

We went to Raohe Street Night Market for dinner and some awesome big bowl of MANGO ICE!

Bato was very economize when spending his money. But when he saw this game..immediately plays it without hesitation! haha~ Guess it's pretty fun for him =)