I’m the guy who did the interview. I plan on doing 16 of these. By 16 I’ll run out of questions anyway. The first 8 were with foreign residents in Taitung, and the last 8 will be with Taiwanese people. I started with 52 questions, I ask each question 3 times, and I’m down to less than 40 questions now.
What kind of pinyin abomination is Jer Ben?
The kind that serves to irritate you. 
In all honesty though, I’m not sure if I came up with that on my own or not. I might have seen it on a sign.
It wouldn’t surprise me…
I’ve checked out your blog before and enjoyed it. Keep it up!
Canadian here; I’ve lived in Taitung 30 years. Two of my sons are surfing instructors in Dong He. Parts of the coast are beautiful, but really agree with how bad Water Running Up is.
Opinions vary, but I think the two worst tourist attractions are Water Running Up and Chulu Pasture. The first place is free but not interesting, the second offers a less interesting version of what you’d see in Ruei Suei Pasture further north.
Your blog is fascinating.