Department of Civil Servant Development

  In preparation for the 2025 World Masters Games in Taipei and New Taipei City, and to foster international exchange and enhance the global vision and cultural awareness of Taipei City Government (TCG) employees, the Department of Civil Servant Development (DCSD) held a special lecture on the morning of May 14 titled Exploring the International Village – French and Dutch Culture.

    Guest speakers included Jeroen Uijttenhout and Prue Chan, co-founders of Dutch in Taiwan Ltd., and Patricia Lopes, a French language instructor from the Alliance Française de Taïwan. In addition to the lectures, the event featured interactive activities designed to give participants a firsthand experience of French and Dutch culture.

    In her opening remarks, Department of Civil Servant Development (DCSD) Commissioner Ho Ya-jiuan noted that the 2025 World Masters Games will be held from May 17 to 30. To prepare for the arrival of athletes from around the world and help Taipei City Government staff better understand international cultures, DCSD has organized a series of cultural lectures since last September. These sessions have covered regions including Northeast Asia (Japan and Korea), Southeast Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia), North America, Oceania (Australia and New Zealand), and India.

    This sixth session focused on French and Dutch culture. Commissioner Ho expressed her sincere thanks to the French Office in Taipei, the Alliance Française de Taïwan, and the Gin Shin Construction Culture and Arts Foundation for their generous support of the event. The program also featured hands-on cultural activities such as a live French chanson duet and a tasting of traditional Dutch stroopwafels, offering participants a richer and more immersive experience of French and Dutch life and culture.

   Guest speakers Prue Chan and Jeroen Uijttenhout delivered a talk titled Dutch in Taiwan, beginning with the fact that the Netherlands’ official name is Nederland. They noted that the country is home to the world’s oldest national anthem and that 26% of its territory lies below sea level. The Dutch are widely recognized for their high English proficiency and their reputation for direct, open communication.

    The Netherlands has also been a cradle of artistic genius, producing legendary painters such as Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Vincent van Gogh. Among Vermeer’s most iconic works is Girl with a Pearl Earring, which features a young woman in an exotic, turban-like headscarf glancing back at the viewer—her luminous pearl earring capturing the spotlight.

    One of the event’s highlights was a charming cross-cultural exhibit that playfully reimagined Girl with a Pearl Earring featuring beloved character Miffy the bunny, creating a whimsical fusion of Dutch fine art and children’s pop culture.

    Chan and Uijttenhout also shared the powerful story behind the Dutch slogan Stop deKindermoord (Stop the Child Murder), which became a street protest movement in the 1970s following the tragic deaths of over 400 children in traffic accidents in a single year. This sparked a nationwide push for transportation reform, prompting the Dutch government to redesign roads with a human-centered and sustainable safety approach. These efforts led to a dramatic reduction in traffic fatalities, making the Netherlands one of the safest countries in the world in terms of road safety.

    In her talk titled Stepping into the Soul of French Culture, Patricia Lopes explored how France’s cultural identity has been shaped by its founding values of liberty, equality, and fraternity. This deep-rooted heritage has fostered a strong national pride and a confident embrace of culture. The French love to engage in lively discussion, value critical thinking, and prioritize quality of life and personal expression. Everyday gestures—like greeting one another with a warm Bonjour or exchanging cheek kisses—are rich reflections of this cultural philosophy.

    Lopes noted that cuisine is the indispensable soul of French culture. From a simple breakfast of croissants and black coffee to elaborate multi-course lunches and dinners, meals in France are not only a gastronomic experience but also a vital social ritual—an opportunity for conversation, connection, and cultural exchange. French cuisine embraces a wide range of flavors with confidence and curiosity, from wine and cheese to more adventurous dishes like frog legs, calf’s head, tripe, escargots, and wild hare. Lopes also introduced the audience to French table etiquette, the art of wine pairing, and the close relationship between regional identity and local cuisine, showing how in France, eating has evolved into an everyday form of artistic expression.

    Beyond the keynote talks, the event featured immersive cultural experiences from both France and the Netherlands. The French Chanson Duet opened the program with the classic C'est si bon, performed by Nicolas Drouet, adjunct lecturer in Tamkang University as well as Chinese Culture University where he teaches in the French Department, and Soochow University where he teaches in the Music Department, accompanied on the accordion by Vincent Tsai, guest lecturer at University of Taipei. As they played a string of evocative tunes, the music transported listeners to the streets of Paris, with poetic melodies and dreamlike accordion harmonies that filled the room with the atmosphere of French artistry.

    The Dutch Cultural Experience featured hands-on baking of traditional Dutch stroopwafels, led by instructors Ciao Chan and Judy Chen. As participants enjoyed this multisensory activity, they were treated to a delightful blend of experiences: the elegant strains of French music in the air, the rich scent of caramel wafting through the venue, and the soft, slowly melting sweetness of fresh stroopwafels on the tongue—a feast for the ears, nose, and tastebuds alike.

    The event wrapped up with an interactive online quiz that energized the audience and added a final touch of fun. Through this program, participants journeyed through the art, charm, and romance of France and the Netherlands, gaining a meaningful glimpse into the gentle yet profound philosophies of slow living that define everyday life in both cultures.