USTDC

Photo of USTDC courtesy of Les Duffin

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Tien Mou in 1984 - Part 2

Today's photos are of the east side, where the recreation facilities were located.


3 comments:

Misty said...

TYPA is Taipei Youth Program Association.

I used to play soccer and baseball organised by this group but I didn't know they were still using the facilities still in 1984. I had assumed they were pulled down when the houses went.

From their current webpage:

"History
For many people in the community, TYPA appears to be an extension of the Taipei American School. In fact, we are an independent non-profit foundation that has been in existence for almost 30 years. Our beginnings go back beyond that to 1968, when the United States military founded the Taiwan Dependent Youth Activity Corps (TDYAC). This activity center provided services for the children of the U.S. Military and American Embassy.

In 1972, TYPA opened its own, full-time facility located within the military's recreation center. This center was located at the present Taipei American School site.

With the withdrawal of the U.S. Military in 1979, government, business and community leaders deemed that three entities were necessary to ensure the well-being of the expatriate community in Taipei. These leaders, primarily from the American Chamber of Commerce and Taipei American School, were committed to providing essential services through ICRT, the American Club in China, and TYPA.

At this time, TYPA assumed the role of TDYAC for the expatriate community by becoming an independent, non-profit foundation and assuming the lease on the entire military recreation center. Our facilities included: a bowling alley, a swimming pool, a movie theater, 3 tennis courts, 4 classrooms, a teen club, outdoor basketball courts, a snack bar, and several field areas."

In the last picture is that the entrance to the pool? It's sort of how I remember it.

Jim said...

The last image is the entrance to what was the Youth Activities Building and the Tien Mou Teen Club. Not the swimming pool.
I was a member of the TMTC from 1972 until 1978.

Unknown said...

I lived in Tien Mou and was a member of the Tien Mou Teen Club from 1976 to 1978. Played many a game of pool and enjoyed dances with live bands of Chinese musicians. You could go to the stage and give the lead singer a tip, usually 10 NT, and the band would play whatever song you selected out of their notebook of lyrics.

I also attended Boy Scout Troop 91 meetings in the same area and received my Eagle Scout Award prior to our family being reassigned from Taiwan.

I attended Dominican School with my sister and brother. We were not Catholic but my parents thought we would get a better education there versus Taipei American School. After one large typhoon, members of my scout troop helped clean up TAS after a dike at the back of the campus broke and flooded the entire campus…quite a mess.

My father was a Marine Corps pilot and served in the United States Taiwan Defense Command. He also flew the Navy Admiral's plane on occasion.

Besides my memories, I still have a bit of Taiwan with me every day as my parents purchased a Chinese Wedding Bed for each of us children. Mine is in our bonus room and overnight guests always love the experience of sleeping in a 3 sided bed with a roof overhead. My children and wife love Chinese food and cringe when I tell them about all of the noodle stands and night market vendors that I would eat food from…food was always great but the sanitation was not to the standards my wife and children have grown up with. They also find it hard to believe that for 2 years I did not drink water from the tap or brush my teeth using water from it either.

I also keep in touch with my longest known friend who I met in Taiwan. We see who can call each other up first to wish each other Happy Double Ten Day every year. We also visit each other at least once every 5 years.