《RHYTHMS MONTHLY》vol. 138 Contents

The Power of Small Voices
The Women Journalists of Khabar Lahariya
Text and Photography – Edwin Koo

The Banda and Chitrakoot districts of Uttar Pradesh, where the two editions of Khabar Lahariya are based, are among India’s poorest regions. The small newspaper, written by women of the Dalit caste, is making small but promising changes in the gender, caste and information imbalances in regional society.

【Taiwan Mountains】
Hot Springs
Resort development and Mountain Conservation
Text – Jerome Tien
Photography – Liu Tzucheng

Out of Taiwan’s more than 140 hot springs, over 90 percent are in the mountains. Largely developed during the Japanese colonization, hot spring culture still holds a key place in Taiwanese society, while also presenting problems of overdevelopment, as witnessed most recently during Typhoon Morakot.

【Straits of the World】
Johor Strait
Dividing Singapore and Malaysia
Text – Wong Sansan
Photography – Chen Hungtai

Connecting Singapore to Malaysia’s Johor province, ‘The Causeway’ links the interdependent cultures and peoples. The article explores historical and cultural influences around the strait, as well as land and water-rights disputes between the two nations.

Mapping the Human Body
Text – Lin Weihsuan
Photography – Alberto Buzzola

Photographs created with Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) help physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions, by allowing a glimpse at transverse ‘slices’ of the human body. A fascinating look at the research and future of this developing field.

【Taiwan’s Fruit】
Taiwan Oranges
The Dark Side of the Sun
Text – Julia Tsai
Photography – Theodore Kaye

Rather than being bound for the marketplace, this dump truck filled with oranges is headed to the fertilizer plant, a scene replicated across the country. After Taiwan joined the WTO in 2002, certain changes in local farmers’ planting patterns created agricultural imbalances that are still being sorted out today.

【Taiwan’s Invasive Species】
Red-billed Magpie
Text – Juillia Kuo

Many of Taiwan’s endemic bird species face the risk of total assimilation through inter-breeding by newly introduced invasive species, often imported as pets. Government efforts to protect the population of the endemic Taiwan Blue Magpie have been largely successful, but the illegal import of Red-billed Magpie cannot be entirely stopped.