iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I think it's a bigger deal than we're currently talking about that the face of the KMT's push for younger voters has managed to implode in that demographic, helped along by younger voters finding embarrassing videos of him. laorencha.substack.com/p/what-the-k...

laorencha.substack.com

What the KMT has already lost

Not just because I’m a massive Puma stan: I think the KMT’s push to gain youth support may be dead

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Lao Ren Cha is now a Puma Shen stan page All these photos are mine, so you can see how close I was able to get to Shen during this very interesting rally laorencha.substack.com/p/i-went-to-...

laorencha.substack.com

I Went to the Puma Shen 沈伯洋 Night Market Rally

...and it was great fun!

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Reposted by Lao Ren Cha (Jenna)

Yen-han Chen 陳彥翰 🇹🇼🇺🇸🇺🇦 @chen-yenhan.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

There's an essay to be written about how the re-appropriation of ill-gotten wealth has been one of the biggest, but also most underrated, accomplishments of Taiwan's democratic transition, and that it is also something that the US can emulate.

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Chiang's problem isn't his bad English (although his English is bad). It's that he's a goddamn moron, and Taipeiers are going to get what they vote for. laorencha.substack.com/p/does-taipe...

laorencha.substack.com

Does Taipei Deserve a Stupid Mayor?

Honestly...maybe?

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

I really wanted to say that Gibo has BJWE -- Big Joseph Wu Energy. But I can't, because Wu would never have been able to give a straight-up murder reply like this when it comes to the South China Sea. laorencha.substack.com/p/gibo-sets-...

laorencha.substack.com

Gibo Sets the Standard

That is, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. is the hero we need when it comes to standing up to China. I only wish Taiwan could match that energy but for complicated reasons, it can’t.

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

I tried to keep this fairly short because, aside from some interesting gender politics, the main answer here is literally a big fat "DUH" laorencha.substack.com/p/gee-golly-...

laorencha.substack.com

Gee golly, why don’t people want to do crappy jobs in Taiwan?

It’s the money, stupid. And the work climate.

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

I mostly complain about the state of transportation on Green and Orchid Islands, and a lack of information for travelers in #Taiwan (or perhaps they don't read the information?), but I do see real areas for improvement, especially in public transportation across the country.

laorencha.substack.com

Could the Taiwan tourism experience be improved?

Taiwan's easier to travel in than it was when I first moved here, but there are ways to make it a little easier for tourists. Mostly, by improving public transportation across the country.

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Reposted by Lao Ren Cha (Jenna)

The Onion @theonion.com · 03/05/2026

Fractures Emerge Between GOP’s Pro-Pedophilia, Extremely Pro-Pedophilia Wings

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

Rebel Island starts out quite well and is engagingly written, but the last few chapters on this history of #Taiwan fall off a cliff laorencha.substack.com/p/book-revie...

laorencha.substack.com

Book Review: Rebel Island -- The Incredible History of Taiwan

A new general history of Taiwan that starts out well but ends rather questionably

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

I wasn't really sure what to call this post, but both issues discussed in it ultimately boil down to Chinese bullying laorencha.substack.com/p/standing-u...

laorencha.substack.com

Standing up to China

Two takes on Chinese aggression in one post. They're barely related, but both have to do with Chinese bullying of Taiwan

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Book review of Mother Tongue (about #Taiwan in the 1980s and learning Taiwanese) by Linda Petrucelli laorencha.substack.com/p/book-revie...

laorencha.substack.com

Book Review: Mother Tongue

A forthcoming book that tells the story of one missionary's road to learning Taiwanese

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

I've definitely thought at least one thing that is illegal to say too openly

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

I'm on the Bookish Asia podcast talking about my favorite #Taiwan fiction! open.spotify.com/episode/2MUk...

open.spotify.com

E-17- JENNA CODY’S FAVORITE TAIWAN FICTION

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

I have lots of short-form opinions about current events in #Taiwan. Enjoy these bite-sized thoughts before Lunar New Year gets into full swing laorencha.substack.com/p/its-flash-...

laorencha.substack.com

It's flash-bang opinion time

There's a lot going on in Taiwan, and I have thoughts

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

Nicholas Kristof's recent NYT op-ed about #Taiwan set my teeth on edge. This is what happens when you lived in Taiwan half a century ago and asked two friends instead of reading a fucking poll laorencha.substack.com/p/when-it-co...

laorencha.substack.com

When it comes to Taiwan, read a damn poll before you opine

Nicholas Kristof's NYT piece reads like something not just out of another year, but another generation.

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 21/12/2025

Do I really need to explain why the #Taiwan legislature are doing a "nuh-UH I'm rubber and you're glue and I locked the principal out of the classroom" strategy? laorencha.substack.com/p/for-the-ta...

laorencha.substack.com

For the Taiwanese legislature, every accusation is a confession

I'm really starting to hate these jokers in a system that's fast becoming Oops All Constitutional Crises

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

I think I've found the best book to give friends and loved ones to learn more about #Taiwan, available for pre-order or Kindle now laorencha.substack.com/p/book-revie...

laorencha.substack.com

Book Review: Ghost Nation

If you want to recommend a book to clarify what Taiwan is about and why Taiwan matters, this is the one.

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

I dunno. Who, in this dispute that was ultimately about what freedom of speech does or doesn't mean in #Taiwan, was right? Probably not the Little Grass, but perhaps my friend. laorencha.substack.com/p/handling-a...

laorencha.substack.com

Handling a Little Grass

My Taiwanese friend and I had very different approaches to someone in a cafe whom we both felt was being rude. I still don't know who was right.

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

I wanted to write an article that covered every single argument for why #Taiwan is a country (from another perspective, every argument against why it's a part of China) so I only needed to offer one link to Internet chuds. Now, you have one link to send chuds, too ketagalanmedia.com/2025/09/28/a...

ketagalanmedia.com

AIT Was Right, and More Reasons Why Taiwan is a Country - Ketagalan Media

Under international law, Taiwan’s status is either undetermined or it qualifies as a nation.

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Reposted by Lao Ren Cha (Jenna)

James Medlock @jdcmedlock.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

Conservatives love to darkly say stuff like “you aren’t prepared for what’s next, we’re not going to be moderate anymore, you have no idea what you’ve unleashed” and then cry like babies when you call them fascists

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

Even I was surprised how long it took for my neighbors in #Taiwan (same apartment for 14 years) to start treating me like I really lived here instead of a temporary weirdo, but it did eventually happen. A flooded back room a few weeks ago made that clear. laorencha.substack.com/p/without-an...

laorencha.substack.com

Without and Within

It took fourteen years living in the same Taipei apartment, but my neighbors finally treat me like a member of the community, not a transient foreigner

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

I'm still not convinced I should care about Ko himself, but the court of public opinion is fascinating. laorencha.substack.com/p/should-i-c...

laorencha.substack.com

Should I care about Ko Wen-je?

Anecdotally, public opinion seems to be turning in his favor. I don't know if I should pay more attention.

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 06/09/2025

Any other #americansabroad (in #taiwan or anywhere) who read the news from the US and don't want to visit at all because it looks like a dangerous shithole? Are we overreacting? I really don't know. laorencha.substack.com/p/through-th...

laorencha.substack.com

Through the Looking Screen

From Taipei, the US seems so terrifying now that I don't want to visit.

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Reposted by Lao Ren Cha (Jenna)

Micah @rincewind.run · 30/08/2025

look, think of it this way: he’s probably not dead, but he is in bad enough shape that we will almost certainly get to run this back a number of times over the next 3.5 years and maybe one of them it’ll actually happen

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Reposted by Lao Ren Cha (Jenna)

Frances: Meh and Loving It @francesmeh.reviews · 30/08/2025

he'll always be dead in our hearts

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Reposted by Lao Ren Cha (Jenna)

Michael Hobbes @michaelhobbes.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

I will never understand how American elites managed to convince themselves that uncivil debate — not fascism, not impunity and not widespread indifference to facts — is the defining problem of our time. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/o...

How We Brought Respectful Debate Back to The Harvard Crimson’s Editorial Board

To us, the solution is deceptively simple. Universities should create environments where students with different views must talk to one another routinely and establish ground rules that ensure they do so without distractions or prejudgment.

Illiberalism on college campuses isn’t inevitable. At The Crimson, it took only a few months to radically improve.

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