#taiwan bee

[thistransient]

[peterarkledrawings]

© Peter Arkle 2024 BUMBLE BEE FROM TAIWAN

[buffetlicious]

My breakfast’s Fried Bee Hoon (炒米粉) or Fried Rice Vermicelli came wrapped in paper food wrap. For the toppings, I had over easy egg, Ngo Hiang (五香) and Taiwan sausage (台湾香肠). Ngo hiang is essentially a composition of various meats (pork & prawn or fish) and vegetables plus other ingredients seasoned with five-spice powder (which it is named after), then rolled inside a tofu skin and deep-fried.

[mycthefirefly]

sweat bees. Tiny tiny bee that's about 1cm. Due to their small size, I first mistaken them as hover flies. But they have longer antennas and "smaller" eyes (unlike the silly sunglasses-looking eyes flies have).

隧蜂，一種非常小的蜂，會採蜜。約一公分長。喜歡人的汗水。

[darwhl]

bee under a macro lens, Taichung, February 2021

[calochortus]

Bee and flower by 牧童 Mu-Tong

[alaphantasma]

[herpsandbirds]

Coffee Bee Hawk Moth aka Pellucid Hawk Moth (Cephonodes hylas), same individual at larval and adult stages, family Sphingidae, Taichung, Taiwan

Diurnal Moth

Notice that the wings have scales right after emergence, but they gradually wear off during their first flight.

photographs by Gracy Kam

[breannasfluff]

Wing Bois Size Comparison Chart!

Biggest wings on the left, smallest on the right.

And here’s the wingspan of actual birds to help see the comparison

Sky – Magnificent Frigatebird - 90in

Warriors - Ferruginous Hawk - 56in

Time – Swallow Tailed Kite - 48in

Twilight – Harris’s Hawk - 48in

Wind – Tropicbird - 37in*

Wild – Taiwan Blue Magpie - 24in

Four – European Bee-eater - 20in*

Legend – Flame Bowerbird - 14in

Hyrule – Brown Thrasher - 12in

* Wind is still growing so his wings will get a bit bigger

* Four would have larger wings, but he himself is small

[greatyme]

Some VERY interesting things are happening in the ql world over in Taiwan!! I could’ve sworn someone already made a post about this but I can’t find it now (I might’ve just been recalling when the HIStory account posted about it before though) and now I’m learning some very interesting news I hadn’t seen before so I’m making my own post about it. And also so fellow ql fans can hear abt this too.

So here’s the rundown. Last month there was an event titled “Be Love, Go Love” in which LINE TV & TAICCA announced they would be working on developing more BLs & GLs in Taiwan. They ALSO said they’d be working with people from other countries including the director & producer of semantic error and other important people from Thailand and Korea. Wayne Song was also at the event and said not only that he’d like to work with the director & producer of semantic error, but that he’d be willing to do so without pay/paying out of his own pocket just for a chance to act with her (I love this guy)!

The way this event will work is people will register & submit a bl or gl story to LINE TV X TAICCA in order to develop it into future pitches that are expected to be completed by August 2024. Out of all the submissions they’ll select a total of SIX they’ll be working on developing. Obviously this is all really exciting because we’re not only getting six new qls but they’re going to be collaborating with other significant people in the industry.

Now idk about y’all but I loooove this incorporation of different countries considering they’re the primary ql producers (and maybe Japan too but that’s not one of the countries they’re working with). What I didn’t see before (although it’s literally been up on the page with all the info since they announced this in early November…) are some of the other people they plan on working with. Listed on their website where people can register for this series development plan are:

Tsai Mi Chieh (HIStory2: crossing the line, HIStory3: make our days count, about youth, etc.)

Pepzi Banchorn Vorasataree (bad buddy, dark blue kiss, kinnporsche, the warp effect, etc.)

Bee Pongsate Lucksameepong (2gether, a tale of thousand stars, bad buddy, kinnporsche, love mechanics, vice versa, my school president, last twilight, etc.)

Yuan Wan Thabkrajang (I feel you linger in the air, manner of death, my gear and your gown, etc.)

Hwang Da Seul (where your eyes linger, to my star, blueming, etc.)

And apparently this might not even be everyone???!! So the lineup is already really impressive. It seems like they’ll each have different roles (representatives of their country, consultants, etc.), but all be mentors in some form. I also got especially excited when I saw the HIStory Instagram account post a photo with Cheng Yi Xu who acted in fragrance of the first flower, a Taiwanese gl. What I wanna know is… are my HERstory dreams finally coming true???! PLEASE… regardless, I expect we’re gonna get some super awesome qls in the not-so-distant future from new filmmakers with influence from a hell of a translational mentors group.

[thistransient]

Cherry blossoms at 指南宮 in February

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Bunch of Stuff Coming in August

July 2023 Wk 5

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Laws of Attraction (Sat iQIYI) 2-3 of 8 - Oh good, we now know that Thailand has the same statutory rape laws as the US. Dub con is as dub con does. MEANWHILE Oh my God I love evil lawyer cutie so much. Him and his beautiful weaponized smile, maybe my new favorite character. I like the way this director is playing with noir mystery tropes, settings, and archetypes too - it’s feeling very 60s pulp, I’m getting gay Travis McGee vibes. Grandma knowing that her grandson likes boys is so sweet. I have to be completely frank here, this is what I wanted from both Manner of Death and KP. I truly love this show

Hidden Agenda that isn’t hidden (Sun GMMTV YouTube) ep 3 of 10 - It’s a very Cyrano de Bergerac kind of narrative... If Cyrano fell in love with Christian instead of Roxanne. Mock date was fun. 

Low Frequency (Sat iQIYI) ep 4 of 8 - Into the lion’s den. Investigation begins. Why isn’t the ghost acting lookout? Who are these random side characters? I’m confused. Half way through kiss is right on schedule tho. 

Wedding Plan (Weds YT & iQIYI) ep 2 of 7 - The kiss was nice, but it’d be nicer if Nuea had punched Lom. Manipulative arse. A trash watch is happening!

Be Mine Super Star (Mon Viki) ep 4 of 12 - Meh. 

Dinosaur Love (Sun iQIYI) ep 5 of 8 eps - The hazing has begun + secret relationship and it’s kinda like a v soft SOTUS. Dino is getting a bit too controlling and obsessive for me so it slid down the ranks. I much prefer La Cusine’s version of this dynamic. The friends protecting Dino’s interests were funny tho - boy is so obsessed he outsources his stalking. 

Be My Favorite (Fri YouTube) ep 10 of 12 - Max is BEST BOY. I hate Kawi. Tra la la. Trash watch here.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Jun & Jun (Korea Thurs Viki) 2 of 8 - Our ex idol is a total FLIRT. Nice to see an uke with agency. I mean baby girl is a newbie worker bee… but still flirty, good for you, sweetie. I see your little lip bite and so does your soon to be husband. Speaking of, I love Choi Jun’s style of seme aggression: a little sleezy + a bit too handsy + ultra clever with his words. Plus tie tug!!! Also threatening to take off your TAILORED suit so baby wears your shirt and smells like you? HOT. Boy you sped right past American style and into Italian - that’s real Corinthian leather, that is. 

Stay By My Side (Taiwan Fri Gaga) 5 of 10 eps - Mid series kiss right on schedule. Thank you for never upsetting me, Taiwan. Omg. Such boyfriends. Only Taiwan gets this sappy. I have to say, I watch this show after Tokyo on purpose. (I need the pallet cleanser.) Still, I’m scared that the perception will be that Bu Xia is using Jiang Chi, not in love with him, when the truth about ghosts comes out. Why doesn’t BX’s useless sister do something for her disaster brother? I guess JC likes a needy boy? Oh no, the kiss confusion. Lip touch but rejection (?). Nooooo. I suppose they have to draw this out for 10 eps. Gah, they’re so cute. But BX is a bit dim, isn’t he? Poor thing. 

Minato's Laundromat Season 2 AKA Minato Shouji Coin Laundry Season 2 (Japan Thu Gaga) 4 of 12 eps - Shin is such a worrywart, over protective, over the top boyfriend. I guess we saw a little bit of give from Minato? More than usual, baby steps. This is Japan after all.

Tokyo in April is... AKA Shigatsu no Tokyo wa (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 7 of 8 - Japan’s favorite trope = the running of the gays. Kazama knows everything now. Ep ends on one of my few triggers. SKIP! Japan you better NOT go there.

Vian the series (Vietnam YouTube ) ep 11-12fin - terrible ending, he turned back into a cat and the whole thing was pointless. I am very annoyed. 4/10 FATALLY FLAWED 

It’s airing but ...

Stay With Me ... NO I WILL NOT! And you can’t make me.

In case you missed it

Stay (Pinoy YouTube) finished its run at 7 eps. It’s mostly English & set in LA (shudder) so I did not bother. I say little to no chatter about this (that’s normal with the Pinoy stuff tho). Did anyone watch and enjoy? 

Next Week Looks Like This:

Coming August 2023

8/1 Stay Still (Hong Kong Tues YouTube) 5 eps - Yes we have had BL from Hong Kong before, but that was... before... who knows what it’ll be like now. Hayden, moves into a new apartment and starts a complicated relationship with his neighbor’s grandson, Damien, after an unexpected kiss. Meanwhile: Archie rekindles a romance with his high school sweetheart, Kelvin, who is now married.

8/11 Love Class Season 2 (Korea Fri Viki) 10 eps - Hyun, Minwoo and Joo-Hyuk are looking forward to their freshman year at college. But trials and tribulations of love that await them outside the classroom: from learning about maturity to being unable to forget the scars of past lovers. (All new cast from season 1.) 

8/12 My Personal Weatherman AKA Taikan Yoho (Japan Sat ????) 8 eps - hum. 

8/19 Love in Translation (Thai Sat One31) ? eps - Two strangers start working in a cafe together.

8/20 My Universe series begins (Thai Sun iQIYI) 24 episodes - This is sampler pack BL, 12 pairs, each pair gets 2 episodes, not entirely sure on the order they’ll drop in. Known couples include EarthBank from Destiny Seeker and KaownahTurbo from Love Stage!!!, mostly fresh faces otherwise. Jane to direct several. 

8/22 Kisseki: Dear to Me formerly known as Miracle (Taiwan Tues ????) 13 eps - From screenwriter Lin Pei Yu (We Best Love, H3: Trapped) features a student doctor forced to take care of a gangster. I love the premise and like the writer, I’m thinking Viki or Gaga will get this one.  

8/24 Man Suang (Thailand movie domestic cinemas) - historical drama about Thai burlesque with KP’s MileApo. Tong is in this one too? 

8/? Sing My Crush previously Follow The Wind (Korea ????) 8 eps - supposed to have released in the first half of 2022 this is a adaption of Myung’s webtoon, from the director of My Sweet Dear, and the Love Tractor production house, looks like Korea does About Youth.

8/? Why R U? (Korean remake)  is supposed to be out this month, filming started in sept 22. I find everything about this hilarious. I mean if Korea remakes it, we lose all the sexy and then... would we have a story at all? No we would not. Not even for six short eps. It’d be like one of those mesh shopping bags. 

We can probably expect a new BL from GMMTV too, to slot into BMF’s spot mid month. 

2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED)

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

I do love a hyung romance, and this aggressive ghost-ish thing is working for me. (Low Frequency) 

Hidden Agenda + My Ride. 

So coy

I agree with @heretherebedork​ that these two make a great side couple but I am utterly in love with...

HER. (All Laws of Attraction.) 

(Last week)

[mycthefirefly]

do you see the blue banded bee?

[arkipelagic]

[OPEN ACCESS] “How Taiwan Became Chinese: Dutch, Spanish, and Han Colonization in the Seventeenth Century” by Tonio Andrade

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments Preface Reader's Guide Introduction 1. Taiwan on the Eve of Colonization 2. A Scramble for Influence 3. Pax Hollandica 4. La Isla Hermosa: The Rise of the Spanish Colony in Northern Taiwan 5. The Fall of Spanish Taiwan 6. The Birth of Co-Colonization 7. The Challenges of a Chinese Frontier 8. "The Only Bees on Formosa That Give Honey" 9. Lord and Vassal: Company Rule over the Aborigines 10. The Beginning of the End 11. The Fall of Dutch Taiwan Conclusion

[digitaldoeslmk]

Okay, I must ask about my favorite pig demons/yaoguai. Is Pigsy a reincarnation of Zhu Baije, a possible family member or just Zhu Baije under a new name?

I heard he had become a small god, not from the journey but still a minor deity but I am still very much learning when it comes to.

Basically what is going on with our chef and the once fellow brother pilgrim within your au? Especially cause I love it a lot even if just started posting it.

Pigsy is his own man, him and Sandy are more like thematic successors to Bajie and Wujing than anything else! i do like to think he has some ancestry with the Cao family tho uwu

he's very much MK's adoptive father along with Tang, they're an item in my au cus freenoodles is cute as hell. most of his arc is about how to cope with MK being in so much peril all the time, without turning into a helicopter parent xvx

he's also part of a thematic triangle about parenthood in my au. he's with Tang on the very caring and emotional but volatile corner, Wukong and the ascended pilgrims on the caring but very free range style parenting, and the Bull family with the deeply attached but stern and tough love corner. there are others of course, like the Long family and the dragons, and Guanyin herself, but they are the main ones i'm focusing on cus i wanna delve into how Red Son and MK handle being caught in the middle of those three.

and that is quite true, Zhu Bajie is a god of prostitutes in Taiwan in our own world!! you can read some about it over at @journeytothewestresearch's article, he's a great guy and a great source of info surrounding JTTW and his blog is def worth checking out if you haven't already!

[respectthepetty]

Finding out about the various ways color coding is used in BL pairings sort of opened a whole new door for me. I'm way more familiar with BL manga, so finding drama in general has been an entirely new experience, let alone learning how everything varies country to country.

I already added like 3 new shows just from browsing the color tag. Can't wait for your new analyses, even if I'm unfamiliar with the show, they're super interesting to read so thank youuuu <3

Anon, I'm glad that you are seeing the shows you watch a bit differently, but know color coding is not limited to BL pairings. I focus on queer media, but we see color coding across all types of media from all countries.

See You in My 19th Life (Korea)

Tokyo in April is . . . (Japan)

Esteros (Argentina)

Good Omens (United States of America)

Young Royals (Sweden)

20,000 Species of Bees (Spain)

Big Dragon (Thailand)

We Best Love (Taiwan)

So although I appreciate you browsing my color tags, once you start to notice the colors, you'll notice them everywhere, and that's when you should start writing your own posts! I'm not the only one writing about colors; I'm just being the most annoying about it, so come be annoying with me!

Don't just read my posts.

Join in!