Today is August 8 and it is Father's Day in Taiwan. It is not a public holiday, but it is widely observed here at this time of the year. In Mandarin Chinese, the pronunciation of the number 8 is bā. This pronunciation is very similar to the character "爸" "bà", which means "Papa" or "Father". The Taiwanese, therefore, usually refer August 8 as "Bābā Day" (爸爸節).
By the way, we were hit by Typhoon Morakot and have been cooped up at home for the last two days. The weather has cleared up today and it looks like a perfect day to celebrate Father's Day.
Here's wishing all Papas out there a Happy Father's Day from us in Taipei!
