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Taiwan through the eyes of a French cartoonist

Thursday, February 14, 2008  CNA

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- A French cartoonist who published a comic book on Taiwan seven years ago says Taiwan remains a place full of wonder and surprises, with its "joy of living" its best asset. 
" Taiwan is a country living constantly in the present, " said the cartoonist known as Golo in an interview with the Central News Agency. "Working, investing, succeeding, claiming independence and enjoying life seem to represent the attitudes of most Taiwanese people
In his book "Made in Taiwan " published in 2001, Golo paints a humorous and incisive picture of Taiwan through its lively night markets, ubiquitous convenience stores, and people's obsession with karaoke.

His memories of Taiwan from his visit back then are all positive, he says, but he did find some surprises.

"I was shocked by the quantity of motorcycles in Taipei , but Taiwanese people's hospitality and kindness impressed me most, " he said. "So I was surprised that there were not many foreign tourists in Taiwan ."

Born in Bayonne in southern France and a resident of Egypt for the past 15 years, Golo has traveled all over the world. He said that these multicultural experiences "are really an advantage in my drawing.

Contacts with people from different cultures warrant an open-minded vision." 
Golo,who once worked for a news agency in Egypt as a caricaturist,incorporates his social observations in his illustrations. In his eyes, " Taipei is a modern city, but what is good is that it is not just a copy of other occidental cities."