[Richard was decanted in 1997. Before that, he was in America on the top shelf, next to the pickled beets.]
If you could put Taiwan into a can, you would have an exciting product indeed. There are many slogans to put on the packaging and promotional materials.
Try Taiwan for pleasant aroma and satisfying taste. It comes vacuum packed for freshness.
[Richard is 3/32 Choctaw. The Choctaws are one of the Five Civilized Tribes.]
Long before the Europeans came to North America, Native Americans were living on the land. There were hundreds of tribes, most with a unique language and culture. The explorers were looking for a passage to India and believed that they had found one. They called the native people “Indians” and the name stuck. The name “American Indians” also was a term that was used often. Today, Native Americans” is the preferred term.
The Native Americans had their land taken from them because they lacked the firepower and technology of the invaders. Many died from diseases that the explorers brought. Their immune systems were not able to protect them.
[Richard has been sensing the future from Taipei since 1997.]
I used to be psychic. I could foretell trends and events. Many of my predictions proved to be accurate. With a flash of insight, I could see the outcome of a sporting match or political election. The next fashion crazes were within sight of my mind’s eye.
For example once I had sudden and sure knowledge that a famous celebrity couple would soon get divorced. I knew it, but I couldn’t see who it would be. I had the feeling that the wife in this case would be extremely attractive. It was only a month or two later that Burt and Loni broke up. Just as I had predicted. Loni Anderson was quite beautiful in those days.
The YouBike program in Taipei is beneficial in many ways. It is good for the environment, it promotes better health, and it helps alleviate traffic congestion. Every day more people are riding YouBikes around. Taipei will have a healthier population and less pollution because of it.
Is that a YouBike? It’s not a my bike.
You can find YouBike stations at almost every exit of the MRT system. Rent a bicycle at one station to travel for short distances and then return, or you can leave it at another YouBike station. It is good to see so many people using them and getting healthy and environmental.
[Richard has lived here for 18 years and thinks that Taiwan is his cup of tea.]
Taiwan has excellent teas. The people here are very proud of them. They have red tea, black tea, green tea, and many others. The best tea is grown on the high mountains. The sparse air up there gives the tea rich aroma and smooth taste.
If you visit a person at home in Taiwan, you may get to have some tea served Taiwan style. They usually have a big coffee table in the living room. The host will sit in front of a big tray with small tea cups and a ceramic teapot. He will have a kettle of hot water and rinse the teapot and cups. He will put the tea into the kettle and fill it with hot water. Then he will pour out the water after about twenty seconds. He then refills the kettle and pours for his guests.
*Richard has lived in Taiwan for over 18 years. His battles with these insect pests have reached an uneasy stalemate.
Mosquitoes are the most disgusting of the insects. They are horrible, horrible little things. They take nourishment from you and give you nothing in return except maybe a debilitating disease. They use you and don’t care about you at all. You could die and they wouldn’t care. They would just go on to the next victim.
Mosquitoes are not smarter than most people. In the cold weather they are slow and stupid. At this time they are easy to kill. There are many kinds of products available.
[Richard has a smart phone that is too smart for its own good.]
Younger people, kids, adults, and the elderly all have them. Devices are everywhere. Playing games, texting, and watching video are some of the things that people are doing all the time. On the train, on the bus, or on foot, it seems that everyone has closed themselves off in their own little worlds.
On the MRT, at least half the people are lost in their mobile devices. Then, when the doors open, many of them keep playing the games as they walk out. (Where they walk slow and don’t pay attention to the people who are trying to get in or out of the car before the doors close.) I wonder how many people have been crushed because of Candy Crush. It’s not worth it.
Lost in their own worlds.
[Richard eats out often in Taiwan. (Unless you don't count McDonald's.)]
Outside food in Taiwan has been getting more and more healthy. Convenience stores are now stocking a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. They are in the aisle next to the ice cream and between the potato chips and the candy bar racks.
The traditional food court offers much variety.
[Richard went to the weiya and stayed relatively sober this time.]
At the end of each lunar year, businesses in Taiwan have a dinner in honor of their employees. It is called the weiya, or year-end banquet. This is a celebration for a year of hard work. People have poured their souls into the company and the management needs to show their appreciation.
The dinner is meant to be fun. Drawing are held for prizes, including cash, merchandise, and gift certificates. Almost everyone goes home with something. You may have a drink or two as well. You don’t have to pay for it.
Sometimes they have karaoke, sometimes they have games, and other times they hire a singer and an emcee and have a show. You can have a glass of wine if you want. It won’t hurt. Just relax, talk with people, and have a good time.
[Richard is tall, puts ketchup on all his food, and has a big nose.]
Foreigners get upset about some of the commercials shown on TV in Taiwan. Even some product names can upset the expatriate community.
Some advertisements may seem innocent to the people of Taiwan, but outsiders can be much offended. Reactions may include revulsion, anger, or laughter, but they are not intentionally insulting. These mistakes came from unawareness and not from hatred or ill will.
For example, there once was a German-made air conditioner for sale. The Taiwan seller wanted to emphasize its German roots, so in the advertising, they had a cartoon Hitler. He said it was because German products have a good reputation for dependability, and when people think of Hitler, they think of Germany. The ad cause a stir and even some official condemnation from foreign governments.
[Richard thinks he will die in Taiwan, but not any time soon.]
After a loved one passes away, there are many despondent relatives to comfort and console. They gather and comfort one another, mostly in private. Taiwan has some unique methods of its own.
In Taiwan there are temporary shrines constructed for the recently deceased. They look like little barns or garages lined with yellow flowers. A picture of the dearly departed is displayed. They are important to the friends and the family.
[Let's just say that you don't want to be around Richard when he sweats too much.]
“It's not the heat; it's the humidity.” That is what they say. Moisture in the air makes it seem much hotter than the temperature gauge indicates. The water comes from the ocean, and Taiwan is surrounded by oceans. Hence the humidity. Some shade and a cool breeze is what is called for here.
The humidity causes things to rust fast. Rust doesn't sleep, they say, but rust isn’t alive. It is an oxidation process, so of course it will not sleep. Water is a catalyst. It speeds the chemical reaction between the air and steel.
私は先日、初めてサーフィンをしました。
場所は、台湾のサーフィンの名所のひとつ、宜蘭の烏石港。
台北市内のMRT圓山駅からバスで1時間半ほどの場所にあります。
運賃は120元（＝400円；2016年8月24日現在）。
[Richard has a few implants. He also has an irrational fear of people in white coats carrying pliers.]
A visit to the dentist is distressing. You know it will hurt, and the dentist has the power to control how much it will hurt. If you only have a minimal comprehension of basic Chinese, then going to a dentist here just adds another layer of fear, dread, and uncertainty.
Sometimes you can be fooled by the cuteness of their signage.
[If you do not speak English, I am at your disposal with 187 other languages, along with their various dialects and sub-tongues. – Robby the Robot]
There are some free automated translation websites. The quality of their output is far from perfect, but due to customer feedback, they are continually getting better. Users can suggest improvements in translations of words and phrases. It has been very useful to people like me who never could become proficient at using the Chinese language.
Translation involves much more than knowing what words mean in other languages. It requires a deeper understanding of how the words are used. There often is not much logic in what people decide a word or phrase may communicate. Chinese phrases are often just a few words from a longer name or sentence. Instead of saying 國立臺灣大學; they just say 臺大; instead of saying 7-11, they will just say 7. A translation machine needs to be aware of that.
[Richard has been shopping in Taiwan for 18 years.]
Taiwan supermarkets sell meat, cheese, bread, noodles, vegetables, and rice, but I can never get anything that tastes like home. There are many kinds of cream-filled wafers sold in Taiwan, but they are none of them very sweet. The ones that they sell in America are sweet and heavenly. Of course, the Taiwan style is probably healthier, but who needs that. If I had wanted healthy, I would have moved to Finland.
I miss TV dinners. I used to eat TV dinners often. Most homes in Taiwan don’t have large ovens, so there is not a lot of baking supplies. TV dinners are nowhere to be found in Taiwan. There are not even any microwave TV dinners.
[I didn’t do it.]
Taiwan is a safe country, but they do have criminal activity. Petty crimes happen everyday, but once in a while, there is a big crime that gets covered in all the papers and television news programs. Even more than seeing it happen on TV, you can detect the tensions out in the naked streets of a trembling city.
There was that time when police were stopping all the cars coming driving over the bridge between Taipei and Yonghe. The officers had scary looking rifles slung over their shoulders and they shined flashlights into the cars and looked at all the passengers. They were looking for a group of murdering kidnappers. It was 1997.
[Richard has logged 18 years in Taiwan, but he rarely goes to these markets. He’s not a shopper.]
You can still find these in the big city. They may not be as numerous as they once were, but on a weekday morning in Taipei, you can watch as homemakers pull small, 2-wheeled shopping carts to one of the city’s traditional markets to collect a few days worth of food for large and busy households. The markets are stocked with fresh vegetables, fruits, and fish. It is tasty, healthy, and inexpensive produce.
[Richard tried to learn how to play Chinese chess, but it was hard.]
There are two board games that are played in Taiwan and have been played by Chinese people for centuries. They are Mahjong and Chinese Chess. Mahjong is usually played by 4 people and the Chinese version of chess pits two players against one another.
You can tell by the sounds when someone is playing Mahjong. Clickety clack, the shuffling noises fill the room. It is a deep and earthy sound like rocks falling onto a giant cheese grater.
[Except for about six months in Kaohsiung, Richard has spent 18 years living in Taipei.]
Living in a capitol is different than living anywhere else. When you are not from a major city, you notice that most of the TV shows are filmed in the capitol. The capitol becomes a fantasy land from TV and movies. It doesn’t seem real, and when you visit, it is a mystical experience. When you live in the capitol, however, the exceptional becomes commonplace. You get used to being in the limelight of the national media.
成功案例 (3)