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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna)

@channamasala.bsky.social

680 followers 440 following 570 posts

Pro-Taiwan blogger lacking any and all Chinese characteristics http://laorencha.blogspot.com (for now), սփյուռքահայ but my Armenian sucks. I speak 華語 and English but prefer Taigí and հայերեն. If you support President Rapist that's an insta-block

laorencha.blogspot.com

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · Nov 15

I started an
#Armenia
Starter Pack, but it doesn't have a lot of content because I just can't find a lot of content. #Armenian diaspora, #Հայաստան
#Artsakh #սփյուռքահայշ #հայերեն media, anyone -- come find me and get in my starter pack!

go.bsky.app/8U8VfaY

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 1d

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...

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.

laorencha.substack.com

Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 6d

I hope by 'fixed' you mean both 'made better' and also 'neutered'

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 6d

I tell you a lot about myself in this post, but it's in service of discussing #Taiwan's healthcare system.

Taiwanese Healthcare and Me

Discussions of the Taiwanese healthcare system, including National Health Insurance, make it seem either impeccable, or deeply flawed. The truth is that it's pretty good, but not perfect.

laorencha.substack.com

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 9d

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...

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.

ketagalanmedia.com

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 14d

One thing I will say, which is probably a good thing, is that Taiwan doesn't care what my opinion is, so it really only matters for me

Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 14d

Classic 2am rant about #Taiwan needing to draw a line between making strategic choices, vs. cozying up with fascists -- personal stuff in there too

laorencha.substack.com/p/no-i-wont-...

No, I won't coalition-build for Taiwan with MAGA

Because I don't think we should play nice with misogynist fascist transphobic pedophiles. Not even for Taiwan. This may be hard to hear for some men who aren't affected by MAGA's horrors.

laorencha.substack.com

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Reposted by Lao Ren Cha (Jenna)

James Medlock @jdcmedlock.bsky.social · 16d

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 · 19d

A solid "based on a true story" historical novel about twentieth century #Taiwan with an exceptional translation by Timothy Smith

laorencha.substack.com/p/book-revie...

Book Review: Banana King Ngôo Tsín-sūi

A novel of twentiety-century Taiwan, focusing on an entrepreneur in the banana business, weaves uniquely Taiwanese history with the life of one man

laorencha.substack.com

Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 21d

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...

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

laorencha.substack.com

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 28d

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...

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.

laorencha.substack.com

Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · Sep 6

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...

Through the Looking Screen

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

laorencha.substack.com

Reposted by Lao Ren Cha (Jenna)

Micah @rincewind.run · Aug 30

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 "Are You Scared Yet" Meh @francesmeh.reviews · Aug 30

he'll always be dead in our hearts

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Reposted by Lao Ren Cha (Jenna)

Michael Hobbes @michaelhobbes.bsky.social · Aug 28

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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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · Aug 29

Hell, it's bad even by 1984 pulp novel standards!

Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · Aug 29

This book is only nominally about #Taiwan but I did a #bookreview anyway because it's absolute trash.

laorencha.substack.com/p/i-read-the...

I read the worst novel ever written about Taiwan so you don't have to

A review of William Arnold's "China Gate"

laorencha.substack.com

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · Aug 24

I wasn't too enthusiastic about yesterday's vote in #Taiwan, but I have some takes anyway.

Warmed-up referendum takes

I don't have a lot to say about yesterday's vote, so I'll keep it short

laorencha.substack.com

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · Aug 21

Right? I understand why "we" (people who live in Taiwan) do -- international awareness, soft power, goodwill etc etc. and yes, the tourism industry. But *I* personally am so ambivalent about it.

Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · Aug 19

By the way, please subscribe to my (free) new substack! Leaving Blogger meant leaving subscribers behind, though I'll eventually figure out how to import them.

Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · Aug 19

As someone who does occasional travel writing and acts as an unofficial tour guide to friends and family visiting #Taiwan, I have some thoughts.

laorencha.substack.com/p/is-interna...

Is International Tourism in Taiwan Really That Bad?

Yes and no. Or just read on for some of my favorite places to take visitors.

laorencha.substack.com

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · Aug 13

I moved to Substack and wrote about my recent (second) trip to Orchid Island (蘭嶼), #Taiwan!

laorencha.substack.com/p/weather-st...

Weather Station

I visited Orchid Island (蘭嶼) for the first time in over a decade. What's changed?

laorencha.substack.com

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · Jul 26

Here you go. #Taiwan recalls. Boo.

laorencha.blogspot.com/2025/07/i-do...

I don't want to write this thing about the recall

Travel, books, politics, history and opinionating on life in Taiwan.

laorencha.blogspot.com

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · Jul 26

This already feels like old news after that complete fuckin slaughter

goddamnit

Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · Jul 26

I attended both rallies (anti-recall/KMT and pro-recall/pan-green) for #Taiwan Total Recall Day.

Spoiler alert: I liked one more than the other

laorencha.blogspot.com/2025/07/some...

Some rally observations for Total Recall Day

Travel, books, politics, history and opinionating on life in Taiwan.

laorencha.blogspot.com

Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · Jul 26

honestly I'd start a GoFundMe for their one-way tickets if they'd just go to China and not come back

Not that they need a GoFundMe, they're already funded by the CCP

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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · Jul 26

I attended both rallies (anti-recall/KMT and pro-recall/pan-green) for #Taiwan Total Recall Day.

Spoiler alert: I liked one more than the other

laorencha.blogspot.com/2025/07/some...

Some rally observations for Total Recall Day

Travel, books, politics, history and opinionating on life in Taiwan.

laorencha.blogspot.com

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