An American in Asia (Hong Kong, Beijing, Taiwan)

Obama-Mania.... and Fried Chicken

2011-10-22T18:03:00.003+08:00

In the often-surreal world that is Asia, comes a new brand of pirated goods, "Obama Fried Chicken".

The NAACP would have a field day with this one :)

Apparently Mr. Obama, having found the Presidency to be less enjoyable that he imagined, has flown to China to try his hand in showing up the Colonel in the Fried Chicken game....

After reviewing his Presidential performance, I think I'll stick to Mr. Sanders. ;-)

------------------>From the news---------------------------------------->
To OFC the current KFC China has issued a statement in English saying KFC has no relationship with “OFC”, and “OFC” has already violated Kentucky’s trademark, they will take legal measures.

There are a lot of people saying KFC has over-reacted, the students starting their own business, and it is very creative, KFC is being too serious.
<-------------------------------------------End<----------------------------------

(Adam climbs up on his soap box)

Ahem...

This of course, is one of the key problems in Chinese thinking... no, it's not really OK to copy people's ideas, even if that's just fried Chicken.

Why would anyone ever want to create something if someone else is just going to copy it and not be punished?

So in a land of over a billion people, innovation and creativity die... which is good for the west, because creativity and high quality are like the only weapon we have against cheap labor!

Adieu to the Beijing Belly

2011-09-16T00:03:00.000+08:00

As fall approaches and the summer days come to an end here in Beijing, there are a lot of goodbyes for this old foreigner to say, one of which is to...

The Beijing Belly

(There she blows!!!)

It seems to be a strange combination of the 80's half shirt and the clampits. What it lacks in style, it gains is sure boldness, pride in one's... body... or something... and a general statement of "I don't care what you think, look at my better side!"

It strikes when you least expect it.

Relaxing in the park? BAM! Beijing Belly

Riding in the cab? POW! Old man with hairy belly button coming towards you.

Crossing the street! ZAP! Tear out your eyes to stop the pain.

Sigh... the short skirts will be missed... the Beijing Belly... not so much.

NOTE: These are not my pictures... I tried many times to do it, but it just felt weird to snap a dudes pot belly in open daylight. But exist it does, and catch you it will....

Don't Forget Your Purse!

2011-08-15T12:55:00.000+08:00

Being someone who tries to be of the "modern world" and all that, I have made peace with (and frequently use) the whole "Satchel Bag" or "Man Bag" or whatever it is that people like to call it these days.

BUT!

Coming into work one day, I saw three guys that made me notice a new trend (at least here in China) that I don't think I can ever embrace... Women's purses/bags being used by dudes?

Yikes... since I noticed it that day, I see it everywhere!

Guys... I realize it might be convenient but... you GOTTA be a man on SOME things in life!

I know I know... it's a culture/gender learning thing right?

Yea, well, maybe for a reason, it's universal :-)

Suck it up and be a dude!

We used to say "Don't forget your purse" when guys were whining and complaining.. I never thought it could actually be true!

The FLOOD!

2011-07-02T16:30:00.001+08:00

As you may know, it rarely rains in Beijing, and especially in the last few years (I'm sure you've heard the news reports of drought over here).

So last week when it finally did rain, it REALLY rained, and the city flooded.

This is mostly because Beijing's drainage system.... NOT good.

Not because it's clogged or old or etc - it just DOESN'T exist in many areas, or it's totally inadequate in most.

I guess they decided they could design it for the most common rains in Beijing? It usually rains short and only a bit, so anything like an average NY rain will cause small lakes in the road.

A flood like this... aiyo....!

At first I thought the images were fake, but they ARE real! They are from the Chinese Twitter (Weibo).

One of my staff was unable to get a cab because they were either all taken or literally waved her off, saying they didn't want to drive in this mess and they were just going home.

She couldn't take the subway because her line was flooded.

So we had a dinner, hoping it would get better... and after dinner we remembered... Beijing's drainage system... not good.

After about 2 hours looking for taxis in the rain, she ended up sleeping in a hotel next to the office... and I walked home. :)

Graffiti = = Art?

2011-04-20T13:03:00.003+08:00

I don't like graffiti, but if I need to see it, I'd at least like to see ART!

I should start off by saying that I NEVER liked graffiti, so I might be a bit biased here... but for me, little is worse than the graffiti all over Beijing - and the patches of color from the painter that comes by once a week to cover it up!

In the first picture here, they actually painted the whole wall because there was so much graffiti on it (that's the gray/white stripe you see in the middle) but alas, days later it was covered again, so you can see the multi-patched paint over it, to cover the graffiti again.

I wonder how many layers are there? :)

Even the street is not safe!

The second picture shows that it's on the street too! And the same game goes on - with the painting first, then it's covered up, then painted again, then covered up...

So what is this graffiti?

Telephone numbers....!

Things like:

"lose weight - call this number"
"air conditioners - tel #"

"pirated (stolen) satellite TV - tel #"

"fake tax receipts (for government taxes) - tel #"

Sometimes they JUST have a number!!

I guess Chinese people know what it's about?

I personally would prefer little flowers painted on the street or sunshines on the side of a building to this!

I don't like graffiti, but if I need to see it, I'd at least like to see ART!

I've only seen art graffiti in Beijing once, although I've heard there is a "place" where there is a lot of it.

3 years in a city and only phone numbers painted everywhere ;-)

Don't Eat the Seeds~

2011-02-24T20:13:00.000+08:00

Not a terribly shocking or cultural post today... even I (as a New Yorker) get tired of complaining from time to time! ;-)

I just saw a really cool piece of art and wanted to share with you all - notice:

1 - it's actually art - meaning people see it and are impressed with it's design, not disgusted, confused or compelled to act like they see the "deeper meaning" :-)

2 - it looks really real! Even when I was standing there, I wanted to take a bite!

This was at a place called "Xin Guang Tian Di" (新光天地）, which I think is a Taiwan brand of high-end malls.

They always have some sort of ridiculous show or store opening here, with wine, music, models and etc, out in the middle of the mall BUT roped off so that anyone walking by can see the people enjoying themselves but not dare to enter lest a guard stop you.

But on the top floor, they always have this open art gallery for people to walk around and look at. It's my favorite part of the mall, and open to snobs and common-folk alike. :)

~Fresh Air~

2011-02-09T10:45:00.000+08:00

The winter has been chilly, but snow-less as well, and being one who prefers to see snowflake-free days, I'm thankful for that. It's also been less than the freezing cold temperatures we had when I was back in New York during Christmas, so it really is difficult to complain there.

With all that said, the "clear skies" have been touch and go. And when the sky is a color other than blue, it can be VERY cloudy gray indeed.

Even skyscrapers that are a block away can disappear from sight in blanket of pollution and sand.

But hey, it makes for great photos! The lights from signs makes a cool hazy "glow" on the horizon... psychedelic. ;)

Fresh Water (Part 2, The Beijing Edition)

2010-12-14T23:35:00.001+08:00

Fresh Water (Part 1) can be found here

While pouring a glass of hot water from the tap (faucet), I noticed something not quite right with the shade of the glass as it filled up....

Just after filling it up, this is what it looks like...

It's not mixed with anything from my side... just hot water from the tap.. yet.. I can't see the sunlit background behind it!

10 seconds later...

About the same, I used the flash this time.

You can see at the bottom, some transparency... it's slowly "clearing up"

20 Seconds Later...

We're at 1/2 and 1/2 now... woo hoo!!

30 Seconds later...

Is it getting more clear? I truly have no idea....

So I never use tap water for anything.

I think my maid uses it to wash dishes... yikes...!

I might want to ask her what the heck she thinks it is!

LUCKILY... I have one of these. :-)

~Ahhh NTU~

2010-11-23T21:17:00.000+08:00

I'm just taking a moment now to remember NTU - a great school, in a great city, on a great island. The first year I was there I hated it and wanted to quit. I'm glad I decided to give it another shot. :)

Don't get me wrong, a lot of professors, rules and old systems pissed me off to all heaven, but in the end they taught me patience! :) Anyway, most people I met were sooo nice.

Just letting the pictures speak now - now that I'm in Beijing, I can say that the palm trees look very very nice!

The Main Road to the Library

The Main Gate

My Business School

Cafe near the business school (closed now) where I had a coffee and jam/toast

This is also where I learned how to say "Toast with Peanut Butter and Jam"

ha ha

Smokey would be a happy Bear

2010-11-20T11:47:00.000+08:00

A few times each year, they do a check of all of the fire extinguishers - I'm not sure if they replace them or what, but the result is large clusters of these extinguishers left out in the open for 1-2 weeks.

In the US, they would either be:
1- Stolen
2- Damaged (boom!)
3- Fire Foam fight... yea!!!

So I have to respect the fact that none of them ever seem to be touched. I've always wanted to shoot one off just to see what it's like... and it would be handy to have one in my apartment...

hmmmm

Fresh Water

2010-11-17T21:52:00.001+08:00

While in Taiwan we had a really cool water machine - it made water hot, cold and filtered it too... to an American, this is all very new and cool stuff. After a little while, we noticed a... not so fresh taste to our clean water... after opening it up with a screwdriver (which took a long time) we found out why...

What is it exactly?

Not sure... some sort of filmy dusty residue...

Needless to say, we stuck to bottles after this ;-)

The people on the sidewalk, the cars on the road.. the scooters EVERYWHERE

2010-10-30T19:56:00.001+08:00

The pictures here are what the sidewalk on almost every side of my college campus in Taipei looked like. If there is one thing I remember vividly about living in Taiwan, it's the motor scooters.

At the time I was there (fresh from New York) I considered them a blight on the roads (and the sidewalks, for that matter!).

They were constantly weaving in and out of traffic, onto the sidewalk and between walking pedestrians, and just causing general havoc. Never mind the noise and (for the bad ones) exhaust! Even the cute little Taiwan girls drove these things!

The picture below I found from Google, but not because I didn't see them, just because I never snapped a picture when I did.

It was quite common to see a family of 3 or more on a scooter at least once a month, driving along the city street as calm as Mary Poppins... I'm not sure how... but somehow they never got in a wreck!

I have to say in parting though, compared to Beijing, the traffic there was timid and well behaved - 我的天啊。。。 I'll stop now... ;-)

Taste Testing for Dollars~

2010-09-04T14:28:00.001+08:00

When I first came to Asia, I used to believe that this sort of thing was totally innocent - "Hey, Asian people didn't realize what it looked like to the perverse 老外 from NYC", I imagined, "...so better to keep quiet and perhaps share a snicker with a few fellow 外国朋友".

5 years later, I still have no idea if they know what we (come on - admit it!) see here or if they just see a model eating a hot dog-like thing.. but that's not really the sad part... I'm actually getting used to it!

Who Said Snow Globes were Tacky?

2010-02-19T03:40:00.001+08:00

Even when I was a little kid, I never really liked snow globes... at first, I was always upset because I wanted to touch the little trains or snowmen inside and I couldn't. Then a few years later, I just found them to be annoying and a bit cheesy. In a bit of fear, I realized the last December that I miss them, which might mean I'm passing into another phase of old age... but that's another story!

I always go to Sanlitun (a foreign favorite in Beijing) on Sunday for brunch. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I was shocked to see what might be the biggest snow globe in the world!

Hmm... ok, well at least the biggest I've ever seen... The minicooper is real and operating. The house is about as big as my apartment in Hong Kong was. :-P

One thing I can be sure of, this baby wouldn't last 5 minutes if it was placed out all night and day in Manhattan... FREE MINICOOPER!

Oh... I should say... I hate minicoopers. But for obvious reasons (besides being cute - which a lot of Chinese girls I know love) it is growing in popularity here.

Note: A few weeks after taking this picture, I was walking past this again and saw some people in the house! I don't know what they were doing... I could only see all the feet... I just put my head down and went to brunch. heh heh

~Let it Rain, Let it Rain, Let it Rain~

2010-02-05T20:46:00.003+08:00

I was looking through some old photos of the office when I came across this little gem... this is the pantry of our office - you can't walk around in it... all blocked off. :-)

This is what happens when it rains in Asia - people don't close up their umbrellas, they leave them open to dry... for hours... walking into the pantry for a cup of coffee in the morning... this will wake you up quick!

Ommmmm (Ugh)

2010-02-02T00:46:00.001+08:00

So I started doing this Bikram Hot Yoga class in January. Mostly for something different - I started doing Hatha Yoga (very slow, relaxing yoga style) about 10 years ago, but I wanted a switch.

The room is HOT - over 100F!! Plus it's humid... they have little spraying hoses that put a mist in the air all the time - the result is pretty gross... people are sweating all over the place. The first time I did this class, I literally almost fainted twice. I still get light-headed, but not so bad.

I thought that might be a good thing to be in this weather (because rapid heartbeat and sweating mean weight loss, and I'm not getting any younger)! Turns out that this is not the case really. Most websites say you won't really lose weight (bummer!)

So I just finished my third class tonight, and here are some of my thoughts.

No weight loss, that's true. I am am slowly shedding pounds and getting muscle, but that is because I do Thai Boxing 4 times a week - starting Hot Yoga didn't increase that at all. That said, some muscles I didn't know I have DO hurt, so something good is happening there I guess.

One strange thing I did notice... I can breathe REALLY well now!

I didn't realize it at the time, but looking back, this can only be because of the Yoga class in the furnace-like room.

It started when I was running for boxing class... Usually I do well anyway, but suddenly I felt like I could fly or something - I had allll kinds of energy! My lung capacity was much much larger... no comparison.

Then the next weekend I was singing (yep, singing) and man... I was BELTING it out there! I could take huge breaths of air and really just let it all out (much to the pain of my neighbor I guess!). I also noticed that during these times (running and singing... ha ha) my body automatically straightened right up... I didn't do it on purpose, it just happened. Cool stuff. :)

Anywho... I'll keep mixing in the yoga for awhile and recording any results... having expected nothing, it's cool to see something this quickly. If all else fails, I can just go back to my Hatha. :)

Move Over, Doublemint Gum~

2009-12-29T23:57:00.000+08:00

Another little gem handed to me at work - a snack food of some kind. I thought it was gum and happily took two sticks, only to find out when I trie to eat them that... it was NOT gum...!

Actually, I don't know what it was... it might have been meat... or vegetable... I couldn't tell.

Whatever it was, it was definitely in a state of highly processed bliss...

I took a bite, no real taste as far as I could tell. A bit grainy... strange texture.

I really would have liked some Doublemint!

Chinese Wing Night

2009-12-23T16:13:00.002+08:00

Wing night in BJ Rocks!

The wings are all BBQ'd and then come in different flavors (a lot of them). Then of course you need the complimentary peanuts, veggies with some kind of vinegar oil (very tasty) and that funky tomato soup with noodle chunks in it... The salty fried chicken of my BJ is... wing night!

YenJing beer is the only choice if you have to drink Chinese beer... Tsingdao can kiss my &*% ;-)

Warning: I've heard all Chinese beer has formaldehyde in it... I do hope that isn't true. :-(

Warning (part 2): You should only eat this like once a month... it's really not healthy... but GOOD! :-P

Cute Lil' Duck.... stomach

2009-12-19T19:29:00.003+08:00

I was given a small snack by a coworker the other day and looked at very cute little duck on the outer-wrapper. I saw all the other coworkers happily chomping away, so asked them what this was - while the external packaging may have something like a "Daffy-Duck" smiling on the front, the inside is a bit less cute...

This is duck stomach... apparently very tasty (I gave mine away) but much less cute than the image on the outer-packaging - especially when one considers the time it's spent in it's package from the factory, to the store shelf, to my work desk, all in room temperature... Heavily preserved duck stomach... hmmmm....! :-P

Back in the Groove~

2008-12-31T04:38:00.002+08:00

I'm back in NY and I've found a way to be sure that (for the most part) while I'm in China, I'll be able to access and post on a more regular basis to my blog... this is very good news!

Until returning then, I'll be home for the holidays enjoying meat without bones, fat, cartilage or organs in it, and speaking only English (unless annoyed by anyone I want to yell at in Chinese).

Happy Holidays All!

Earthquake aid~

2008-05-17T19:58:00.002+08:00

Huge earthquake in South China. I didn't even notice it, but I guess the buildings shook even in Beijing (I guess after two years in Taiwan, I was a bit numb to that :-D)

A lot of people hurt, it was a huge quake. I will be send money soon - you can check it out at here.

One note, it's amazing to me how no one is critical of the government here, despite the terrible damage that was done here - more than New Orleans and hurrican Katrina by FAR.

A lot of nationalism I think, perhaps some shock, and maybe expectations as well.

But it made me realize, compared to the rest of the world, the response from the US Government and Churches in the United States, while slow, was still better than anyone would ever get in China.

The Chinese government is now asking for money so they can buy hammers and equipment! Can you imagine if that happened in the US?

We really do have it good there.

Oh well, just a thought.

On a side note, I have heard that one reason many of the buildings have fallen, besides the fact that the hurricane was MASSIVE, is because many these building might not have been
built according to building codes. Corruption is common outside of the US afterall.

I can't see this blog now, blocked again, but if I can ever see it again I will be curious to see what people think.

Happy Memories

2008-04-05T01:47:00.004+08:00

Walking around the sunny clear skies of Taipei... I remember this day, the air was not too humid, the sun was high and the sky blue...

Well now, I do miss Taiwan!

I can't say I like being in Red China these days, especially when i remember the friends I met and memories I had on that wonderful little island..

>sigh<

Good times, good times... someday I'll go back... if for no other reason, then just to see the old places I used to know so well. ;)

2008-03-16T10:53:00.005+08:00

I can't view my blog (it is blocked by the Great Firewall of China), I can only edit and make new posts... so sorry for the way this looks.... I should probably make a blog posting about that sometime!!

Anyway, as you might all remembers, I blogged awhile ago about a toothpaste called "White Man"...

Turns out there is also a much more popular toothpaste in Taiwan called "Black Man" (In Chinese), in English it is called "Darlie".

It used to be called "Darkie", because Asian people thought that black people had very white teeth when they first saw them.

I guess they realized later that calling their product "Darkie" was not such a nice/good thing, so "Darlie" it is!

The thing that shocked me when I bought it was the Chinese - literaly "black" + "man". :-P

Anyway, looks like either "White Man" or "Black Man" make for good toothpaste branding! :-D

Huzzah!

2008-01-14T16:49:00.000+08:00

Ma Ying Jiou's party (KMT) swept into power for Taiwan in these latest elections. This can only be a positive thing for Taiwan for several reasons.

1 - Investors around the world were not happy with the other party's laws and inflammatory stances and statements towards the PRC. Laws passed by the DPP (the opposite party) encouraged independence at a high price - they seriously hindered and weakened Taiwanese Businesses and pissed off one of the largest, more ruthless governments in the world. In the long run, both of these are bad for Taiwan.

2- Whereas the DPP was angering China (and annoying the US) with its bold statements of independence, the KMT is interested in strengthening ties with the PRC and opening channels of commerce and trade. They believe you can want to be separate from the PRC and still do business with them. This attitude will help Taiwan's recently falling economy.

3 - The current president of the DPP and his entire family are wrapped up in a HUGE scandal that threatens to put the whole family behind bars. That really doesn't go far for helping the image of a nation and the confidence of outside nations.

Now, that's not to say that I don't understand why some people don't like the KMT. Certainly, they've had their own corruption problems in the past. Just two days ago as I was waiting by the bus stop a slightly insane woman was telling me how the KMT came to Taiwan from China after losing the civil war in China 50+ years ago and killed many Taiwanese, and forced them to speak Mandarin Chinese instead of Taiwanese (a dialect of Chinese). The infamous 2-28 massacre is the most striking example of this. (look it up if you want... I'm too lazy to place a link!)

But that was then, this is now, and the KMT is what is good for Taiwan - definitely. For the record, I think Taiwan should be separate too. I think they should be in the UN too (as the DPP brazenly pushed and campaigned recently).

But the mode you go about that cannot be to face off with China. That government would rather kill millions of people than look bad. The KMT has a better method.

Jia Yo Taiwan!

Kaboom!

2008-01-11T14:55:00.001+08:00

Another New Year's celebration in Taipei, staring wide-eyed at the famous 101 as it (seemingly) explodes in a terrorist attack of massive proportions - casting lights and sparks into the night air.

It's quite pretty actually.

Last year I went to 101 and stood in the massive crowd (think Times Square without the confetti or skyscrapers). That was cool, but VERY crowded.

This year was smarter - we went to a friends house and had risotto with crab cakes and some other good food they made, and the wii was beckoning to me from the living room.

When the "magic time" came, we went to the roof of the building and had an excellent view of the entire thing. Brilliance! :)

Happy New Year all! My resolution? To write in a journal and to be a better person! (I hope I can do at least one of these!)

Delicious Poison

2007-10-30T15:52:00.001+08:00

... is your name Salty Fried Chicken.

11pm... 12pm... 1am... always this time of night... it hits... an uncontrollable urge for deep fried chicken skin, chicken butt and other random chicken parts along with tofu, hash browns, hot dogs - all buried in deep fried cilantro and stuffed in a plastic bag. You eat it by poking different pieces in the bag with a little wooden stick.

It tastes so good, and makes you feel so oily, heavy and bad afterwards...

... but I can't resist it!

You know you've been in Taiwan too long when...

2007-10-22T21:20:00.000+08:00

1. You can order the entire McDonald's menu in Chinese.
2. You decide it makes more sense to drive a motorcycle instead of a car.
3. More than one garment has been ruined by betel-nut spit.
4. Someone doesn't stare at you and you wonder why.
5. You look both ways before crossing the sidewalk.
6. Hsiaohsing Wine tastes good.
7. You turn left from the right lane.
8. 70 degrees Fahrenheit feels cold.
9. You see three people on a motorcycle and figure there's room for two more.
10. "Squid" sounds better than "steak".
11. You don't notice the smell.
12. There are more things strapped to your motorcycle than you ever put in a car.
13. Looking at a dog makes you hungry.
14. You stop conjugating verbs.
15. You drive on the shoulder to pass traffic.
16. The main reason you stop at a 7-11 is to buy tea eggs.
17. You expect a Chinese New Year's bonus.
18. Firecrackers don't wake you up.
19. You spend two hours and US$75 to go get potato skins and buffalo wings.
20. You can distinguish Taiwanese from Hakka.
21. Your family stops asking you when you'll be coming back.
22. Taxi drivers are considered "good drivers".
23. You withdraw your money from the bank during Chinese missile tests.
24. Beer really isn't so expensive.
25. You stop and look both ways before driving through a red light.
26. "A", "an" and "the" aren't necessary parts of speech.
27. You know when the next "big bai-bai" is.
28. Smoking is one of the dinner courses.
29. You don't mind when your date picks her/his nose in public.
30. You wear out your horn before your brakes.
31. The police call you to get information about other foreigners.
32. You know which place has the best noodles & duck meat at 3:00 a.m.
33. a) You (male) wear white socks with suits and black socks with tennis shorts.
b) You (female) wear socks with pantyhose in summer.
34. People who knew you when you first arrived don't recognize you.
35. You speak Chinese to your foreign friends.
36. You own a karaoke machine.
37. None of your shoes have laces.
38. Chinese stop you on the street to ask for directions.
39. You leave the plastic on new furniture.
40. Forks feel strange.
41. You can spot the differences between the China News and the China Post.
42. The shortest distance between two points involves going through an alley.
43. You wear blue rubber flip-flops at work.
44. People don't see you for months, and when they do, they don't ask you where you've been.
45. Your deodorant stick has cobwebs on it.
46. You check that the karaoke machine is working before boarding a wild chicken bus.
47. Chinese remakes of Western songs sound better than the originals.
48. You stare at other foreigners.
49. Over half of your clothes were bought at night markets.
50. You become an expert on bug zappers: the best brands & where to get them.
51. The majority of foreigners who have been in Taiwan longer than you are buried here.
52. You find yourself saying, "Oh geez, not ANOTHER Year of the Rat."
53. You know which turn signal should be on when driving the wrong way down a one-way street.
54. You get homesick for Chinese food while away from Taiwan.
55. Praying at a temple for a winning lottery number becomes a regular thing to do.
56. It becomes a tradition that at least a part of Christmas dinner is stir-fried.
57. Other foreigners give you a funny look when you tell them how long you've been here.
58. You can't think of any good reason to leave.
59. The Statute of Limitations has expired and you still don't go home.
60. You understand that smiling and nodding is Chinese body language for "Stop speaking bad Mandarin and leave me alone."
61. Passing a construction site, you realize metal scaffolding is much more dangerous than bamboo.
62. You've spent more time on the island since 1990 than any of the Taiwanese you know.
63. The last few vacations you've had have been around Taiwan on company outings.
64. You've used up more than one phone card on local calls.
65. Locals are surprised to find out you can't vote in the upcoming election.
66. Your pets are bilingual.
67. Pizza just doesn't taste right unless there's corn on it.
68. Your preferred parking spot is on a sidewalk (and you get upset when someone else parks there).
69. Most meaningful conversations take place in doorways or on slow-moving motorcycles.
70. You can de-bone a piece of chicken in your mouth within seconds.
71. Your job title has more than three words.
72. You think the service in the restaurants isn't THAT bad.
73. You serve Shaoshing wine at home.
74. You're constantly the first on the elevator to hit the "door close" button.
75. You start cutting off the gravel trucks.
76.You prefer squat toilets.
77.You think having a scooter would be fun.
78.You eat squid on a stick.
79.You no longer find those strange and humorous articles in the paper to send home.
80.Your most commonly used Mandarin phrase is no longer "wo ting bu dong".
81.Your answer to an "either/or" question is "yes".
82.When the fashions in the stores look really hip.
83.You're into Sumo on NHK.
84.When chou tofu is no longer stinky.
85.You go to a nice restaurant and look for the rice bowl to put your food in.
86.You wish they had Lazy Susans in the middle of the tables at TGI Fridays.
87.You spend more time driving ON the lines instead of in between them.
88.You read books from back to front.
89.You start to like Kaoliang brandy more than XO.
90.You think packs of dogs are cute.
91.You are on home leave and you say "hsie hsie" instead of thank you.
92.You call it home.
93.You're ready to name the betel nut as a nutritional supplement.
94.You think that $3,000,000NT for a golf club membership is a steal.
95.You drive like this all the time.
96.You think the Taipei-Tamsui ferry is world class cruising.
97.You think that Taiwan is really trying to protect endangered species.
98.Your pinkie nail is over one inch long.
99.You stop using spell check on your word processor.
100.You buy round trip air tickets from Taipei.
101.You are worried when you DON'T see the soldiers on a bridge.
102.You think that ICRT is quality radio.
103.You tell the taxi drivers to hurry up.
104.You think your nose IS kind of big.
105.You hum along to the tunes in the taxi.
106.You've left umbrellas in more than 3 resturants.
107.You understand ICRT traffic reports.
108.You keep stuffed animals in your car.
109.You think walking up Yangmingshan looks like fun.
110.When US $4.00 is just about right for a cup of coffee.
111.You can tell the difference between Spring rain, the Plum rain, and the rainy season.
112.The last time you visited your mother you presented her with your business card.
113.The latest you can stay out is 11:30 pm, even on a weekend.
114.You can tell, just by looking, which moon cake has the egg in it.
115.You're getting allergic to fresh air.
116.You get used to being waken up by the "dump-truck tune" instead of a clock.
117.Cable TV reminds you of boring commercials and stock market advisories.
118.Everything you own is pirated.
119.You start to treat your scooter like a spouse.
120.You get used to the habit of not paying any tips while traveling.
121.Your first reaction in buying things is to ask for discounts.
122.Your first reaction in hearing the national anthem is to think of the Chinese elementary school.
123.You get addicted to MSG.
124.You get dogdoophobia -- the fear of stepping on dog doo when walking around.
125.You say "Wei?" instead of "Hello?" when you pick up the phone.
126.The red light is merely suggestive to you.
127.You talk on your cellular phone, play Tetris, smoke, and chew betel nuts, all at the same time.
128.You always ask your best friend back home when he's going to get a motorcycle.
129.You greet people by inspecting whatever they're carrying or telling them how fat they've gotten.
130.You can no longer tell the difference between a burp and the hiccups, a cracker and a cookie, or toast and bread.
131.You're on a first name basis with the staff at the local KTV.
132. The perfect date ends at an MTV.

Do you want fries with that?

2007-10-11T09:19:00.001+08:00

There are several things about Taiwan that you must do in order to say that you've really seen "everything", and the snake markets is one of them. Which is too bad, because they are a bit traumatizing (at least for me)!

I went there a few times in the last two years to show my friends or on a bet to drink the snake blood/venom/bile shots that they sell there. I was very confident to drink it too, until I saw the owner of the restaurant prepare it for us.

Here is one of our friends giving a public display of the preparation, hanging the snake by it's "neck" area by a noose and cutting it open with scissors as it wriggles and squirms frantically before the guy then cuts the ventricles to it's heart so we can all watch the blood pump out into a container.

When that is done, he will do the same thing for the area near the stomach so we can all see a nice blackish-green stuff come out, at which time he'll say something about how that's good for our skin (or lifespan... or sex drive, I can't remember which).

I should say that many of the Taiwanese I was standing next to had never seen this kind of thing before, and most of them were somewhat disgusted by the whole thing.

However, at one point, the one of the girls that came with my friends and I was pushing people aside to get the closest look possible at the guts and blood, which I found disturbing - she seemed like such a nice girl! Meanwhile little kids poked at whatever snake was closest and tried for the closest view of all the action as other guys and girls almost threw up ! XD

This other woman here is at the shop I once entered determined to drink the blood and bile and venom. This woman's shop is very popular, and she has a huge snake she always tries to force this guinea pig on, but the snake never eats it... this goes on for many many minutes as she hands out free samples of snakes blood (she offered one to my horrified ABC friend, who drank it because of the peer pressure: he had a very red face afterwards). After my friend drank it, she said "Look, even the Americans drink it!" Ironic, since he later told us that he only drank it because he felt he had to show his "Asian Pride" :-D

The snakes were kind of gross but I didn't mind too too much because I hate snakes. But then I saw turtles too! Turtles are one of my favorite... I even have a pet turtle! Anyway, they seem to chop of the head and poor the blood out, and you can see that the shell is there without the head... actually, I have no idea how you are suppose to eat the poor turtle, or what the health benefits are.

Ah well, that is the snake market. The snake market also has gross things like herbal remedies for your sexual illnesses (complete with poster-sized, color images of other people's sexual illnesses), sex toys, etc etc etc... There was even a yellow KTV there! You've gotta love Taiwan~ XD

An extra "something" in the air~

2007-09-07T18:18:00.000+08:00

A time back, a neighbor of ours died (not sure who it was, as I never spoke to them). We all were as respectful as we could think of being, but a few cultural differences began to creep up that were a bit annoying to us.

The first thing was not such a big deal, they basically sang songs and rang bells several times a night... for over a week. This was a bit distracting after the 3rd or 4th night, and especially when we were trying to sleep or eat... but seeing how a family member had obviously died, we couldn't exactly tell them to stop. And besides, if that was their way of mourning, then we figured it would be best to respect the culture and maybe even learn something.

The thing that was quite annoying was the constant burning of papers for the whole week. It started small, but before long, a portable burning pit was brought in and the smoke was everywhere!

Making matters worse, we were on the second floor, and they were on the first. The wind always took the black/gray smoke from their daily fires and brought it right through our sliding glass doors and into our apartment.

It was bad... I'm not sure what they were burning (I guess the fake money they use?) but whatever it was, it was not simple paper, and the smoke was thick and choking, and had a way of catching in the back of your throat and making you cough a bit...

Bleack...

What started as a funny scent in the air...

... turned into an overpowering stench of smoke!

And the smoke lasted for a loooooong time. (She caught me taking that last picture, didn't she?) Note the bell sitting next to her...

Summertime Blues~

2007-08-22T16:36:00.000+08:00

Summer in Asia has translated to a lot of different things, one of which is large, flying, wall-climbing, dollar-coin-sized cockroaches. The one to the left (in the sink) was found by my roommate as he was standing and using the bathroom... imagine "doing your business" and looking up to see an enormous roach on the wall less than 2 feet away from you. @_@

The one below is put next to a Taiwanese coin that is as large as a quarter.

>bleack!<

Ahhh... the sad thing is that I'm actually getting used to it~

Is it hot in here?

2007-08-13T16:45:00.000+08:00

The image to the right is another somewhat shocking picture I took in my quest to document interesting/quirky (and yes, shocking) things in Taipei. You may wonder what is so shocking about this subway sign compared to the sign posted in a another, earlier post here.

Well, you'd be right to wonder. The image to the left is not at all shocking, actually. It is a heater company that has advertised in Taiwan for some time, selling German heaters in Taiwan. It's quite a nice product, and very practical - with a little rack on top socks and... "unmentionables".

The reason I posted this picture above is to show an improvement in their marketing campaign, actually, when compared to their earlier attempt, listed below..

When I asked a close friend of mine about this new ad to the left, she said that it wasn't offensive or sensitive in the least, and in fact quite effective because it helped customers remember that "it was from Germany"; and besides, "...it wasn't like a lot of Jewish people live in Taiwan."

Now then, this underlines one of the key issues that I've seen in Taiwan, and that I guess exists in much of Asia.

To advertise with this sort of image is to be in ignorance of one of the major villains of our time. To put the villain on a German product is an insult to both Jews and Germans, and even to me (neither) simply because as a citizen on this planet earth, I am loathe to see this.

I wonder if the situation would be different if the furnace was sold in the US (pick your state) from Taiwan, and the man was a Japanese soldier with a Taiwanese head in his hands (Japan ruled Taiwan for sometime). Trust me, there would be protests; as their should be.

I do want to state that the very interesting thing about this advertisement is not that it was done in viciousness towards anyone, many Taiwanese tend to be very open and kind to foreigners. But the fact that most Taiwanese simply don't see anything wrong with it at all makes this pretty bad.

Pepsi does some serious localization in it's marketing~

2007-08-09T14:32:00.001+08:00

While sitting outside of the Library a while back, taking a rest and enjoying a lull in the incredibly hot and humid weather, I noticed that the labeling on my Pepsi bottle was... well... certainly nothing I've ever seen in NYC.

I'm trying to think of some of my friends or perhaps a policeman in Manhattan... or better yet, perhaps my old boss (worked on a farm when I was much younger) sitting back and clutching a cold bottle with this fine young... eh... "pretty" boy on the side, staring back at him. :D

Aha!

2007-06-13T22:25:00.002+08:00

I'm not one to say that the good ol' US of A is always right, and the others are always wrong, but even I am getting sick of Iran and their little monarch's stories, lies and cheap shots against... well... against the entire west, really.

So I was happy to see them finally get caught in their lies for everyone to see. To make things better, it wasn't even the states who caught them, but NATO troops.

Of course they have an alibi (this is a country after all, and not a 3-year old child... although I realize it can be hard to tell sometimes), but I think that it's evident to everyone what exactly is going on now.
A bigger question... if they are supplying Afghans against NATO, shouldn't one wonder if they are supplying their fellow tribesmen in Iraq?

Hmmm....

Of course the best part is that regardless of how this makes them look, no one in the Middle East/Iran will probably care enough to do anything... they only get upset if you draw the wrong cartoons in your own country's newspaper. :-S

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070613/ap_on_re_eu/iran_taliban

Let there be.... Idols!

2007-06-06T01:20:00.000+08:00

It's that time of month again... walking down the sidewalk, you take a deep breath of air and inhale a dark gray cloud of smoke... is there a fire in one of the stores?

Hmm... nope... and then you see them. All along the sidewalk, little red cans with holes in the side, and a fire belching out a smoke to the gods.

Beside the red can is a table full of tempting treats (I almost broke down and stole a big mac from the McDonalds table, I must confess).

I'm not sure about all the details (perhaps someone else knows more than me), but I believe that this has to do with inviting the gods in to smell the food on the table... then, after they smell the wonderful food, they bless the store and the store will make money... something like that.

Anyway, every store seems to do it, even western stores like Haagen Daaz and L'OCCITANE; and I actually wonder if it doesn't have more to do with marketing (especially for McDonalds. Haagen Daaz, etc) than a true belief in the religion... especially since the store workers don't seem to be strong believers... but who am I to say? I could indeed be wrong.

I've always been too shy to ask the people burning the fake "god money" what is really going on and why this is tolerated by pedestrians on the sidewalks.

I guess I wouldn't mind the practice that much at all, actually, if it wasn't for the disgusting smoke that billows all around the sidewalk and even makes it's way into the subway sometimes.

Ah well, culture shocks aside, it is an interesting practice to watch.

Scooter Madness

2007-06-01T16:21:00.000+08:00

This seems to be the week of ambiguously gay scooter spottings...

No sooner had I published the previous scooter post than I saw this scooter, even closer to my house, as I was going to buy Subway a sandwich. I couldn't figure out why "Man Boy, Closer to Nature" seemed strange to me until I googled it at home. :)
If everyone wasn't riding a scooter here, I'd start to think driving scooters was a sort of sub-culture in Taiwan.

As it is, I can only wonder what this means to Taiwanese (if anything), or what the marketing people thought it meant... or maybe they just saw it somewhere and put it on?

No Tailgaiting.... (?)

2007-05-27T13:07:00.000+08:00

I was walking around the other day in a somewhat sad mood when my eyes came across this scooter near my house.... I'm pretty sure that you'd have to pay extra for this one in the states!

Irregardless, the occurrence made me laugh and lifted my spirits, another quirk of living on this wonderful, unpredictable island! (I wonder if the owner knows what it means?)

Here's Lookin' at You, Kid

2007-05-26T12:59:00.000+08:00

I know it's a bit silly, or perhaps just very "American" of me to be "shocked and awed" by things with eyes and heads that I am supposed to eat... the small fish that Taiwanese (and perhaps all Asian countries) like to put in their soup or with rice freak me out... too many eyes looking at me while I prepare to eat them... daring me to take a bite... maybe it's a sort of performance pressure!?

"Come on, eat me, eat me, kid"

Anyway, I had the chance to confront and conquer this silly fear of mine when I ordered chicken with my room mate. As soon as the box was opened, a cute little roasted chicken head popped out, to the surprise and delight of us both.

Being manly men, we attempted to shrug off our initial surprise and do the cool "Chinese Chef Chop", with the big knife they use in Chinese restaurants. When the first large, arc of the knife missed the chicken neck and instead split open the head, I lost my cool. What followed was a flurry of frantic chops from my roommate that ended with the head flying through the air and landing in the kitchen sink...

And so my head-o-phobia remains~

Goooooooooaaaaaaallll!!!!

2007-05-04T23:51:00.000+08:00

Building off that old traditional theme that seems to be a trend, the marketing in Taiwan is both innovative, imaginative, and shocking to me. I spent several minutes in the MRT train station looking at this sign, trying to figure out the point... when I finally saw what this picture was, I actually took a step back in open-mouthed shock... this is surely something I would never see back in NY, but it is somewhat effective at... well... at getting attention I guess. ;)

Taiwan is certainly a land of paradox... on the surface conservative, but underneath, and in many different facets/areas, very surprisingly liberal. As for the ad, well, if a man-sized penis cannot stop AIDS, then I guess nothing can...!

Modern marketing~

2007-05-03T08:13:00.000+08:00

I am often "shocked and awed" by some of the creative marketing here in Taiwan/Asia... take this underwear above, which apparently not only helps store your balloon collection, but also has a lot of stretch/support for those who want to wear it. ;)

A whole new world~~~

2007-05-02T16:47:00.000+08:00

This is somewhat dated news, but I wanted to say something about that new planet everyone was talking about last week (in case you hadn't heard of it). It seems like pretty exciting news, although it's reeeeaaaallly far away. Still, how cool is it that another world with an atmosphere possibly the same as ours is out there...?

Well, only somewhat cool, I guess, as scientists also said that the gravity on this planet is so strong (due to the larger size of the planet) that the only thing here is probably big, flat bugs. Ah well, maybe they have people too... with really, really big calves.

Do the math...

2007-04-30T11:43:00.000+08:00

One popular stereotype is that Asians are good at math, and Westerners are not... it's stated almost if it's strictly a genetic thing... but it's not. It has a lot to do with this, math and science is stressed, no, forced upon students in Asia. They must study at math/science for many more years than Westerners, and do well at it if they want any hope at a strong, successful career. Contrast the two images... something really has to be done in the west...

>sigh<

Rain, rain, go away...

2007-04-25T19:34:00.001+08:00

Living in a tropical area has brought some interesting differences than living in New York. One difference lies in the weather patterns.

The two times I've planned on traveling, I'm been "shocked and awed" to find that the weather was bad... for a long time. Usually, if you decide not to go on a trip because of the weather, it means you just wait a day or two and go when the sun comes back out.

Not so in tropical Taiwan... when it rains, it pours... and pours... and pours...

Now that's... fresh?

2007-04-24T12:35:00.000+08:00

While shopping around for something to eat the other day, I was suddenly faced with another cultural difference between the east and the west... namely, the conception of "fresh".

These bins of fish were placed into the aisle for any people to take and buy, although I have no idea how they would do it... there were no bags that I could see to put the fish into, and only the metal prongs to pick the fish up with... maybe they do it like the seals?

Anyway, I'm sure that these fish, sitting in stagnant water all day in the aisle of a shopping market, for everyone to touch, poke, squeeze and what-not, would be considered spoiled fish in the states. But in Taiwan, they don't view it the same... and it's called "fresh". It has to do with the concept of being so fresh that the fish is whole, and in cold water, and ready to be prepared for your stomach...

Oh My!

2007-04-20T19:07:00.000+08:00

For certain, some of the most eye-catching signs I've ever seen in my life are here in Taiwan... you have to give them credit for being great marketers.

At first, I couldn't understand why in the world someone would ever have the name here for their store, but it all lies in the different meaning and usage they have for our words/language...

Hence, you get a clothing store called "Oh my God!"

It makes for an interesting walk through the market, I must confess.

The Kinder of Nightmares...

2007-04-17T17:29:00.000+08:00

Here's a bit of packaging that has haunted me for some time. One of the nice things about Taiwan is the wider expansion of products from Europe. They have lots of European treats and drinks that are either not in the US or are of better quality here. However, it also includes different marketing and packaging that I've never seen too... sometimes really cool and sometimes... well...

This is a bit of packaging that has scared me for some time... how does that not look like a demon-child on the package... or perhaps the man from Clockwork Orange as a kid?

>CHOMP<

2007-04-16T21:24:00.000+08:00

One thing you can credit the Taiwanese press for is the freedom of the press they enjoy here... in fact, the images and stories you see in the news and newspapers are far more graphic than those in the US.

Here, we can see the severed hand of a zoo keeper trying to take care of an alligator... Taiwanese news had the images all over the place. Some people, I have heard, were actually quite angry about it all being displayed in color as it was... imagine that.

There is a nice note to it all... the hand was successfully re-attached.

Big Buddha

2007-03-23T11:52:00.000+08:00

One of the more famous parts of Hong Kong is the enormous golden Buddha that sits on a high mountain (forgot the name of the mountain). After a somewhat nerve-racking cable car ride that climbs two large mounatains, does a 90 degree angle, and then leads to the Buddha, I was there.

I think the Buddha must be pretty cool, because so many people go there and want to go there... but I couldn't really see it well... it was all in fog. Still, that had it's own really cool affect. :-)

One other impressive thing was the number of Coke machines... I saw over 5 in two areas! And two were directly under the Buddha himself! It was enough to make me want to burst out in a "God bless America" right there... but I guess that wouldn't go over too well... :-P

Taiwanese Italian Noodles

2007-02-02T00:45:00.000+08:00

Taiwan has a lot of "Italian Resturaunts", which I've started to call "Taiwanese Italian" resturaunts... It's not that they aren't good, but they are very different from the Italian version. For one, the sauce is very much like tomatoe-flavored water. Also, the beef is not at all like Italian-styled beef, it's more thin and has a somewhat boiled feel to it.

Still, it was delicious in it's own way, and even came with a small, cute basket of bread. The bread also wasn't the same as Italian bread, but was still good. I didn't try the dish my friend had, but it looked a little less appealing... featuring a sort of bright green sauce... maybe I'll try that next time. Might as well be adventurous. :-)

And it is Chinese...

2007-01-14T15:40:00.000+08:00

I have created a name for my pain. And it is Chinese.

I was sitting in the cafe digging through Chinese books and struggling through dialogue when I realized how much work and pain it is just to read a story about a boy and his friends talking about children's mandatory education in Taiwan.

Why do I do this to myself? Look closely and you can see the signs... almost every character is circled and translated or underlined and sounded out.

I must love pain.

Shock...awe...annoyance...!

2007-01-14T00:10:00.000+08:00

In an annoying bit of news for today, I was able to experience, once again, the unique way in which these "polite Taiwanese people" can be more rude than any American I know... even in New York.

I rode my bike home to my apartment, from campus today, and parked it by the stairs, inside the apartment building. There is nothing wrong with that, many people park their bikes there, especially if they think it might rain.

Later tonight, as I walked downstairs to go outside, I was shocked to find that someone had taken my bike outside from the apartment and moved in onto the street so they could park their bike inside, in my place! To make it worse, it had rained tonight, so my bike got all wet!

Now, it's true that my bike is not new or beutiful (see "Red Thunder Tofu" post below), but it is my bike, and it has no rust on the important parts (chain, gears, etc). AND I was there first!

So, I just moved their bike outside as well, right next to mine.

I'm tempted to take their bike for a little walk - a block or two away.

This is what would happen in NY if someone had the NERVE to be such a selfish bastard!

Finally~

2007-01-13T23:24:00.000+08:00

For many years of my life, I've lived with and grown accustomed to the fact that as an American, the one thing we don't have is the most technologically advanced cell phones in the world. Since coming to Taiwan, friends and classmates have been happy to remind me of this as well.

But now... for once... we are the ones with the coolest phone around (in my opinion, and for at least a short time). Woo hoo! Take a look~

I would gloat more, but I'm not sure these aren't being made in Taiwan already... or maybe next year...!

The other white meat...

2007-01-13T01:34:00.000+08:00

During my first semester at NTU, I saw one of these enormous bugs outside of my classroom, inside the business building! I was pretty shocked, because this is no small bug we are talking about... it's bigger than my nose (which is quite large, I must say)!

Ever since seeing that bug, I always wanted to get another chance to see one, so I could document this thing... I mean, I guess it makes sense, as this is a tropical area, but me being a New Yorker, I've never
seen such a thing!

I never saw another one, until last week, when I was going through the night market to get some food. This time, I was prepared... but decided against eating it...

Contrasts

2006-12-30T00:26:00.000+08:00

The boy is a Palestinian holding a toy gun... the soldier is an Israeli holding a real gun...

That kid is so cute - isn't there some way to fix all this crap?

Mooo ( x 2 )

2006-12-29T23:28:00.000+08:00

I was shocked to read on the BBC today that the US has judged cloned beef to be fine for eating.

Now, I know, it probally is fine to eat. And I know, I'm probally over-reacting here. But I have three chief concerns.

1 - Do we really need to be doing this? Is there some kind of shortage of beef in the US? Last I saw my hometown, there were cows everywhere. And the midwest if full of 'em.

2 - Have we been doing this test long enough to know the long-term results? Just because the flesh seems ok, and the genes seem to be acting normal, that doesn't really mean that ten years from now we won't all get new, funky diseases.

3 - Doesn't this seem a little creepy to anyone but me? I mean, I know it's not "Brave New World" come to pass, but it surely isn't too far off. We're all still debating what GMO crops do and what they mean to everyone, including the soil that supports them (and can't be used to grow anything for several years after GMO crops have been there). Besides, this really seems like something I saw out of a Marvel comic book.

Rumblin' & Tumblin'

2006-12-29T01:03:00.000+08:00

Earlier this week I had my first earthquake... nothing special, I was sitting in my room at night and the room kind of "creaked" before the floor seems to sway a bit. I sat at my computer feeling dizzy and wondering if the whole thing was from too much browsing, when my roomates shouted out "earthquake". Small thing, nice way for me to have a first earthquake... life went on.

But then, shortly after Christmas, when I was in a large building in downtown Taipei, I had my second earthquake, with a cute little aftershock too. That was no fun. The Christmas tree in the room started swaying, the hanging lights were swinging, the windows were shaking, it was a little scary.

Turns out, I still had it kind of good - in the south of Taiwan some buildings collapsed and some people even died. The whole thing reminded me how small we puny little humans are next to nature.

Who needs a Ferrari?

2006-12-24T13:47:00.000+08:00

Here at NTU, everyone has a bike. Some people have more than one... I myself used to have three at one time... two were stolen, and woke broke on the way to Spanish class. After the last incident, I decided not to get another one, and went for more than a year without a bike. It was only recently then, that I got a new bike!

Bikes here are cheap, $400NT, which is about $9 USD. The lock was $200NT, which is almost as much as the bike...

So without further ado, I present to you my bike, called "Red Tofu Lighting!"

The Joy of Marketing...

2006-12-17T13:46:00.000+08:00

This is me and my marketing group hard at work on important marketing issues... feel the power.

Great Taste AND Healthy Teeth

2006-12-09T13:45:00.000+08:00

I was suprised to see that the toothpaste I've been using recently is... "whitemen". Apparently, I not only look fine, but fight cavities and plaque... I wonder if I am the whitening kind too?

Interesting, I wonder if they are an equal opportunity organization...

Xia Tai!

2006-12-02T13:36:00.000+08:00

In an effort to experience a protest of the likes I have never before seen, I went with some friends to a demonstration against the president in Taipei... of course in the end it didn't work, but it was cool... and fun to do! I think it was kind of historical too - it went on for a month or more. They had a parade and everything... we stayed there for a while but eventually went home. I felt a little funny being a foreigner there, at a Taiwanese domestic issue anyway.

Family & Home

2006-11-30T13:18:00.000+08:00

"Not going home is already like death."

"A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it."

"My home is not a place, it is people."

Newfound treasures...

2006-11-28T13:18:00.000+08:00

I found a new singer today... she is wonderful... classical piano with an amazing voice... and great lyrics... it's one of those great moments when you realize there is a new artist in your life, and they have a whole list of art you will be enjoying for the first time in the days to come...

Chantal Kreviazuk

The point

2006-11-25T13:16:00.000+08:00

“People are disturbed not by things but by the view they take of them.They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”

The effectivness of science...

2006-11-21T13:14:00.000+08:00

The usual approach of science of constructing a mathematical model cannot answer the questions of why there should be a universe for the model to describe.

— Stephen Hawking

The line between too far and not far enough...

2006-09-07T12:15:00.000+08:00

A lot of thoughts and questions to me these days about the whole illegal immigrant thing in the United States. Currently there are a lot of Mexican workers who are there illegally, and have a lot of groups such as the churches (hungry for members) and the ACLU fighting for their "rights" to stay in America, despite having run into the United States illegally... A lot of immigrants come the United States, and do so legally, so I think that this illegal population is, among other things, discrediting the work and sacrifice made by immigrants who became citizens the legal way, and are proud of it.

But how else to explain it? Does not wanting mexican immigrants make me a racist? Or predjudiced? Or too conservative? I don't think so at all... and I don't think this population, until legitimized, has a right to even be here. Look at it this way...

--------------

Recently large demonstrations have taken place across the country protesting the fact that Congress is finally addressing the issue of illegal immigration. Certain people are angry that the US might protect its own borders, might make it harder to sneak into this country and, once here, to stay indefinitely. Let me see if I correctly understand the thinking behind these protests.

Let's say I break into your house. Let's say that when you discover me in your house, you insist that I leave. But I say, "I've made all the beds and washed the dishes and did the laundry and swept the floors; I've done all the things you don't like to do. I'm hard-working and honest (except for when I broke into your house).

According to the protesters, not only must you let me stay, you must add me to your family's insurance plan, educate my kids, and provide other benefits to me and to my family (my husband will do your yard work because he too is hard-working and honest, except for that breaking in part).

If you try to call the police or force me out, I will call my friends who will picket your house carrying signs that proclaim my right to be there. It's only fair, after all, because you have a nicer house than I do, and I'm just trying to better myself. I'm hard-working and honest, um, except for well, you know.

And what a deal it is for me!! I live in your house, contributing only a fraction of the cost of my keep, and there is nothing you can do about it without being accused of selfishness, prejudice and being an anti-housebreaker. Oh yeah, and I want you to learn my language so you can communicate with me.

At what cost?

2006-08-16T12:09:00.000+08:00

Only Media Producers, intent for bad or scary news to report, and terrorists, hiding in caves or within their government offices, could call this sort of thing a "success" for Lebanese people. Will anyone ever learn to see what really happened here? Nothing good... but as long as someone always declares victory, I guess no one will ever have a lasting peace.

The effectivness of hypocrites

2006-08-05T12:07:00.000+08:00

What kind of world is this when citizens of a nation love a group of people who shoot missles at others, hoping to kill kids and old people, kidnap and kill soldiers unprovoked, and hide behind the children of those they are "standing up for"? What's worse, what kind of world is this when the country being hit with missles aimed at their old and young all the time (pre and post invasion) are blamed when they fight back, and accidentally (key word!) kill civilians of the other nation when trying to kill the militants who hide behind them... (keep in mind, it's likely these militants made the citizens stay in the danger zone and "shield them")

Israel could have flattened any town/city is south Lebanon before any western or arab nation even knew what was happening, but they are trying to kill as few civilians as possible as they fight to kill stupid, ignorant idiots who care more about "standing up to israel" than they do about their own families, futures, or lives.

Citizens in Lebanon need to stop blaming Israel for trying to destroy this militia group. They should realize that if you let something militant grow in your country, you need to take responsibility for it - either by marching against it yourself or watching another country march against it. You cannot let a group live in your country, kill people in another country, have a parade in the street when it happens (or let your friends have a parade in the street), and then expect everything to be OK. If you march against this group and they try to kill you, then you know they are not interested in your safety afterall, and you should work twice as hard to get rid of them.

Personally, I think Israel should leave the Middle East... if you lived in a town of ignorant idiots who shot their hunting rifle at you everyday, wouldn't you want to put your house up for sale? Let them kill each other after you leave - from "Enemies of Israel" to "Enemies of the Shia" or "Sunni" or whatever other group is out there... good riddance.

All those terms...

2006-08-01T12:06:00.000+08:00

chipset

"A number of integrated circuits designed to perform one or more related functions. For example, one chipset may provide the basic functions of a modem while another provides the CPU functions for a computer. Newer chipsets generally include functions provided by two or more older chipsets. In some cases, older chipsets that required two or more physical chips can be replaced with a chipset on one chip."

I often forget a lot of terms and definitions that I learned before... especially in the IT world... this one was "Chipset". I knew what it was, generally speaking, but with the latest news of AMD buying ATI (yes, this is important for you too), I wanted to know exaclty what was going on.

I actually think this could be a bad thing for AMD, as an annoyed NVidea could end up moving to the Intel side of life. If NVidea wanted to punish AMD for buying and therefore teaming up with their competitor, all they had to do would be to make a minor change in their Chipset configurations, and BAM! AMD would suffer major setbacks (yes, you do find this interesting!!!)

A good leader doesn't need a good situation...

2006-07-31T12:04:00.000+08:00

"Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm."

— Publius Syrus

This is a pretty good point... but I'm not sure it's true... just look at what G.W. has managed to pull off in 4 years... he had a great situation when he was elected, and still managed to make all sorts of mistakes and trouble... he actually made waves!

...

2006-07-19T12:05:00.000+08:00

It's really not fair... I am growing old and dying in my little island cage.

...

2006-07-18T12:05:00.000+08:00

Sometimes in your life you have those moments... when everything is turned upside down... right is wrong, left is right... everything you let yourself believe changes cruely and unfairly. Sometimes it happens over and over and over... some people get more of this than they deserve - others are allowed the pleasure of avoiding it.

In the end, what is there for someone to do? After awhile, what's the point of trying over and over again. Maybe the real peace comes in accepting emptiness - accepting the ever-changing and unfair situation that will always repeat and repeat and repeat.

Sometimes the best way to defeat a problem is to get up, dust the pebbles and dirt off - once again, and accept the fact that the world truly is as cruel and dark as it seems. And that it will most likely never change... it's not worth working at. That is the manner of things.

Time

2006-07-13T12:02:00.000+08:00

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time."

— J. Lubbock

In a sad statement... most people I know today would call this a waste of time, or being lazy... but why live to work when you should work only to live a better live?

Some days...

2006-07-08T12:01:00.000+08:00

Somedays you just feel like complaining... this year would be one of those days for me~

No time for chinese

2005-12-05T02:50:00.000+08:00

I am so busy with MBA work these days that I'm having a hard time studying for my chinese classes! That's not to say that I am not learning chinese, but I really need to learn some of the basics... from a book. How to find time!?! If I do that, I'll fall behind on MBA work. I know the reason I came here (and gave up sooo much) was to learn chinese, but I want to learn business too... I can't just come out speaking chinese and not knowing anything about options or whatever... Argh...

3am... my roomate is snoring... time for bed...no time for chinese.

Thanksgiving

2005-11-26T02:54:00.000+08:00

I have to say, I really missed home on this holiday... this is my favorite of all the holidays... no presents, no stress, no crazy functions at this church and then that... just gather around with people who are close to you, count the things in life you have to be thankful for, and then have a spectacular meal. No pig feet, no pigeon eggs... I mean MEAT - no organs or ligaments... THE MEAT! Full-fledged, thick, juicy meat from a big ol' healthy bird. Put some creamy mashed potatoes and big crisp green beans next to it, and then add a big bunch of nice stuffing... then drown it all in GRAVY! Sweet, lovely gravy... don't forget the cranberry sauce... and the 10 pies everyone brought for desert...

These are the things I miss the most... ugh...

There's only one word for it...

2005-11-20T02:33:00.000+08:00

The one word for it... "s**t".

All these people burping as loud as they can in classrooms, cafes, hallways, computer labs... what can I say?? What can I do?? Give a nasty look?? They don't understand.... it's like sneezing here, everyone does it - even some of the little girls with pink shirts and hello kitty socks... I'm at a loss... there is only one word for it...

It must be the midterms...

2005-11-19T02:38:00.000+08:00

What a day... I begin the day on the way to class... I think everyone must be as stressed as me, and anyway, they certainly are not concerned with their outward appearance. On the way to study in my nearby cafe, I saw a cute little girl casually fit her pink little finger into her nose to the knuckle. Needless to say, that woke me up!

Upon reaching the cafe I began to study, but on the other side of the bookshelf I was sitting against I kept hearing loud burping... we're not talking a "pop" here and a "hiccup" there... we're talking full-blown, downright wet expulsions of gas that reek of the bile they sat in during the overnight stay in someone's stomach. It was a bit distracting, especially when I found out the person doing it was a little old lady!

Then for lunch I went to a resturaunt to get some "San Bao Fan" - duck, chicken, pork on rice. I was chomping along only to see the "Meat guy" picking his nose while preparing the meat... I almost lost my duck all over the table in front of me...

An hour later I went to the computer lab to be treated to a boy burping (again with the burping) right next to me for at least 15 minutes... the best part... right when we both thought he was done, he began hitting his chest and making weird noises (like he was gonna throw up) only to do what? Let out some of the nastiest smelling burps this side of the Jade Mountain.

To cap off the night I met up with a friend to go to nowhere cafe... you guessed it... our neighbors... burp city... I know it must be annoying to read over and over, but I'm telling you, it's much more annoying to HEAR it over and over again... IN ONE DAY!

Maybe it's the midterms...

Woot!!

2005-11-04T02:16:00.000+08:00

Tonight was a long and somewhat stressful night, to be sure, but it ended with me feeling some satisfaction. I studied for the majority of the night at the "Nowhere Cafe" - a very laid back, somewhat cool/trendy cafe that is usually pretty quiet and features students and young professionals clicking away on their laptop as they sip cafe and try to match the atmosphere.

In the middle of all this, I have found a casual, quiet, relaxing place to set up and stress out... :)

I managed to read a chapter of finance, although there is a huge list of terms I don't know and will have to look up in Wikipedia later.

After leaving the cafe around 1:30, I got to my bike and started home. Now, this is actually my favorite time to be up and around in Taiwan - the air is fresh and cool, the streets are empty, and I share the world with only massive roaches and the few couples huddled near fountains or the NTU bell (usually crying or kissing).

Tonight it felt so good to do something like ride my bike without anyone around, I started going really really fast... it felt great! The cool air is rare in Taiwan, but in the early morning, it is fresh and cool and feels good in your face.

I guess a lot of people were confused or annoyed by the crazy white boy flying through campus standing up on his bike and swerving wildly as he felt like it... as I WHOOSHED past the freaked out couples at the NTU bell, I felt the urge to let out a "WOOT!!".

But alas, the timid foreign student came back, and I just sat down on my bike and headed back to my room, first to write this, and then go to bed. :D

A word on trust...

2005-11-03T20:57:00.000+08:00

Despite the little "voice of reason" in the back of my head... I find I'm reliving an important lesson these days... namely:

"He who does not trust enough, Will not be trusted"

Lao Tzu ~

>Sigh<

Mr. Brown and I...

2005-11-02T21:36:00.000+08:00

It's been another day... nothing more to say than that - not good, not bad... not really fun at all, but not terrible. I stayed up too late last night chatting on MSN, and ended up paying for it by oversleeping... I just started my new schedule and I am already oversleeping!! :(

It's OK - no time to feel bad... just get back to the schedule - this is life, no?

I've noticed that I'm drinking an unhealthy level of coffee since coming to Taiwan - this is either due to the fact that I don't sleep much or that it's so cheap here... or maybe both... certainly it is not due to the taste - most of the coffee is canned, and tastes terrible. The one I can tolerate is a certain style of "Mr. Brown" brand coffee, which shows a jolly-looking man endorsing a fine cup of coffee... to bad it's on a tin can, eh?

Still, it's a convienant little jolt during the day or in the morning. And you can get it cold or warm - they have it in a cooler and a warmer... convienance and service overcomes taste and quality!! Starbucks beware!

Well, in an effort to end such habits (we're talking a six pack a day here!), I've taken to putting a green tea bag in my coffee cup each day, so that during class breaks and meals I just fill up the travel mug with hot water at one of the many hot/cold water stations they have all throughout NTU. I hate green tea, but it's healthy, right? We'll see how long this lasts...

Here we go again... I will go to read for my finance class now - I'm a bit scared of that class, so all the better to prepare for it as much as possible... then on to read the Alibaba business case...

Blaaaaah

2005-11-02T00:40:00.000+08:00

Ugh... what a day... busy, always trying to catch up... and then 6+ hours of class with the same teacher - although I like this teacher, it can get old to sit and listen to the same man for sooo long in one day.

Came home, finished the IKEA case with my roomate after wandering around the night market for awhile looking for dinner... I need new shoes, I need to do laundry, I need to catch up on e-mails, I need to make some coursework for my student, I need to return the umbrellas to "Nowhere" cafe, I need to study for finance midterm, economics midterm, marketing midterm... case studies, oh...

blaaaah!!

Annoyance...

2005-11-01T17:37:00.000+08:00

I just finished my International Business course, and on a bit of a sour note. The class itself was uneventful - sometimes interesting, usually dull. However, the class vote we had at the end of the class made my caffenated blood boil...

We were to vote on the place our class was going to travel for a field trip, and the class leader proceeded to stand up and speak entirely in chinese... when the teacher told him he should speak in english (since this is an english MBA class, and 50% of the students are foreign), he said in chinese that another girl (ABC) can translate for us and proceeded.

I have two problems with this:

1 - This is an english MBA class... if you can't speak english or don't want to, the solution is simple, drop the class. Speaking chinese to english-speaking students even after the professor asked you to do otherwise is a slap in the face.

2 - Class had already ended, and several minutes late. While your method may be easier for you, I really don't have the time or the desire to sit and wait for the translation from your announcement - what kind of class leader are you not to consider needs/wants of the students!?!

3 - The translation is never going to be as descriptive as the original statement when everyone is trying to leave a three hour class... if for no other reason than because the translator has to speak before people start moving around and making noise.

I'm really annoyed by it all - maybe I'll get used to this sort of thing - I'm certainly used to people speaking chinese around me (and therefore ignoring me) for 5 - 30 minutes at a time. However, this was something I hadn't been expecting... I would think that in an English MBA class, the class leader would speak english when addressing the class!

I didn't wait around long after the vote, I was the first to leave, and I tried to convey my annoyance... the leader was still talking when I left, but obviously not to me, so I don't consider leaving early rude at all.

Phew!

2005-11-01T15:59:00.000+08:00

Things are moving along at a fast lil' pace here, and it's becoming harder and harder to screw off as much as I used to... :-(

I got no reading done tonight, and just barely managed to finish reading over the first version of my groups paper... not good Adam! I should have studied much more! I'll be making the effort to do so in the future (as usual :-S ).

In addition, I've taken on the initiative to practice chinese every day... it really is the most important reason for me being here... so there is no excuse in not doing it! On a bright note, I did manage to get an hour of Goo Zhen in today... and I made some breakthroughs!

>Yawn<

3:00am - it is time to sleeeeeeep!

Gotta wake up early and start it allll over again ~ :-P

Running to catch up...

2005-10-31T15:24:00.000+08:00

Today is a continuation of the latest trends for me - with mid-terms approaching, it seems everyone is very nervous about what will happen to thier grades, and how well (or poorly) they will perform...

For my part, I've got a hold of all the assignments, but my textbook readings are seriously lagging. I'll be spending 2-3 hours reading Marketing and Finance today, in the effort to catch up in at least on of the two subjects.

Anyway, I'm trying not to be too nervous or pessimistic - actually, the reason I came here is to learn two things - Chinese and Business (especially business in Asia); I really don't care much about the grades on my report card or the cum GPA. I will admit that there is some sort of "pride" thing going on - I don't want to be the stupid American who gets all "C"s. Also, I think that the people over at the MOE will be annoyed if my grades are bad.

Still, worrying about it all is no good, and a 3.8 GPA with little knowledge is worth little in the business world. So, I will continue my current tactic... learn the concepts, understand the lessons, and let the grades be damned! :-)