Matsu Trip

In Taiwan, any young man who is eligible for obligatory military service probably knows about the formidable "Golden Horse Awards", a pun on the real Golden Horse Awards. Although both of them are named after the islands of Kinmen and Matsu, the former means that those who are "awarded" actually go to serve in Kinmen or Matsu.

Serving in these two islands is considered dangerous because they are much closer to the People's Republic of China, who threatens to use force against Taiwan. It should not be hard to imagine that soldier's life on the first line of defense would not be an easy one, and there are plenty of battle/ghost stories during the First and Second Taiwan Strait Crisis that further horrify newcomers and their families.

Although I was not able to garner an "Golden Horse Award" when I served in the military, Evania and I collected our own "Golden Hourse Awards" after we completed our trips to Kinman and Matsu.