I feel poor. I wanted to buy my mom a watch - perhaps Christmas or her birthday next year. Mentioned this in passing to Emily and she dragged me to the Taipei 101 to look at Rolexes.
That's when I started feeling poor. The classic Rolex Oyster Perpetual DateJust looks great and it's also greatly out of my league. Try 230,000nt. Ouch!
Sorry mom, one day I will be able to buy that for you. That day unfortunately isn't going to be today.
Then I came home and ate more of my cheesesticks and I feel fine again.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Floods in Taiwan
The last 14 days or so.. I lie awake at nights watching the disaster scene replied on our tv channels over and over again.
The full extent of the floods are really quite horrible. 2 entire villages were washed away by the mudslides. In the worse of the 2 : Xiaoling village, some 400 people out of 1000+ were buried alive. They still lie there, under 4 storeys of mud. Soldiers are digging - initially by hand, now by bulldozers in a recovery process of pure pain, dragged out pain to the surviving familes and even the rescue workers - mostly 20year old conscripts.
Everyone in Taiwan's hurting from this. The Taiwan president and his government has faced widespread criticism on being slow and ambivalent about its efforts.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/24/world/asia/24taiwan.html?ref=asia
Initially I was thinking we can't fault the government since in Taipei, the typhoon effects were mild. In fact, Saturday, the day Xiaoling village was wiped-out, I had gone out to climb at my usual climbing gym because it wasn't even raining. Taiwan has basically gone on a witchhunt, demanding the resignation of the president (for being slow and cold about his reaction), premier (for going for a haircut & then dinner on Saturday evening - even though he had on Saturday morning gone to the affected area), secretary-general of the cabinet (for eating a Father's day dinner at a 5-star hotel). Saturday 8 Aug, was celebrated by Taiwan as Father's Day (88 sounds like Papa).
My colleagues later explained to me that if you were a public servant, your salary comes from the people. More is expected of you.
I suppose that makes sense.
Please send your prayers to Taiwan, it's leadership for wisdom and speedy recovery of the affected areas. That the survivors are re-settled and their future taken care of by the government or by any necessary aid agency.
The full extent of the floods are really quite horrible. 2 entire villages were washed away by the mudslides. In the worse of the 2 : Xiaoling village, some 400 people out of 1000+ were buried alive. They still lie there, under 4 storeys of mud. Soldiers are digging - initially by hand, now by bulldozers in a recovery process of pure pain, dragged out pain to the surviving familes and even the rescue workers - mostly 20year old conscripts.
Everyone in Taiwan's hurting from this. The Taiwan president and his government has faced widespread criticism on being slow and ambivalent about its efforts.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/24/world/asia/24taiwan.html?ref=asia
Initially I was thinking we can't fault the government since in Taipei, the typhoon effects were mild. In fact, Saturday, the day Xiaoling village was wiped-out, I had gone out to climb at my usual climbing gym because it wasn't even raining. Taiwan has basically gone on a witchhunt, demanding the resignation of the president (for being slow and cold about his reaction), premier (for going for a haircut & then dinner on Saturday evening - even though he had on Saturday morning gone to the affected area), secretary-general of the cabinet (for eating a Father's day dinner at a 5-star hotel). Saturday 8 Aug, was celebrated by Taiwan as Father's Day (88 sounds like Papa).
My colleagues later explained to me that if you were a public servant, your salary comes from the people. More is expected of you.
I suppose that makes sense.
Please send your prayers to Taiwan, it's leadership for wisdom and speedy recovery of the affected areas. That the survivors are re-settled and their future taken care of by the government or by any necessary aid agency.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Wet and shaken
And the earth shoke again. I was shaken awake again this morning by another earthquake at 8.05am 6.5magnitude. And just a moment ago, another one.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8062670@N07/sets/72157622064718634/
It's a very unnerving experience when you're sleeping and you get shaken awake - not sure if you're dreaming or it's for real and you should get up, get dressed and run for safety.
Emily & I are convinced it's linked to the recent eclipse. Not good omen. Hmm...
I spent last weekend splashing about in a stream off Yilan. It's called 溯溪 or river tracing. You literally walk up a stream to the source - a big waterfall, then turn around and in parts, slide downstream.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8062670@N07/sets/72157622064718634/The company we used this time around was pretty professional - Cloud9.
Luca, our Italian colleague who spends most of his time eating/drinking and picking up cute nubile Taiwanese women, was totally out of his league. Most of the time... except when he tried to pick up one of our instructors - she's this really totally cool person. Awesome in the water. Glad he was around to provide the laughs cos after a while, when you're wet and cold and tired.. watching Luca makes you laugh.
We thought this event would be cancelled initially - because the terrible floods we have in central/southern parts of Taiwan. But it continued. On day 2, the 2nd stream, the initial part involved crossing this muddy river with fast-moving waters - it really looks like a scene on TV, and us roped up trying to cross it. Made us all feel guilty and sad. May God bless the recovery/continued rescue process, give us all strength/wisdom in the rebuilding process and most of all, bless the souls of those who lost their lives. Amen.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Floods in central/southern Taiwan
It has been pretty horrific and the pictures continue... It's day 7 since the typhoon hit us last Friday, but on TV we're still getting pleas for help from villages in the mountains.
HP has a website for donations to help these villagers but the aid agency they chose, er.. nobody around me has heard of it. Not good... Hmmm...
President Ma has been really slow to react to the crisis. Move quicker, declare a state of emergency if you have to! Accept assistance from other countries! Do something quicker. I cannot even start to imagine not having a hot meal for 7 days, not to mention what these villagers must be enduring and for the for last 7 days.
Whole villages have been swept away, thousands are missing.
While Taiwan has typhoon recovery experience - it is afterall a very mountainous country and typhoons are a yearly occurrence. However, the scale of this typhoon has been something Taiwan has not seen in the last 50 years. It's simply not able to do enough, quickly enough.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/13/world/asia/13taiwan.html?_r=1&ref=global-home
HP has a website for donations to help these villagers but the aid agency they chose, er.. nobody around me has heard of it. Not good... Hmmm...
President Ma has been really slow to react to the crisis. Move quicker, declare a state of emergency if you have to! Accept assistance from other countries! Do something quicker. I cannot even start to imagine not having a hot meal for 7 days, not to mention what these villagers must be enduring and for the for last 7 days.
Whole villages have been swept away, thousands are missing.
While Taiwan has typhoon recovery experience - it is afterall a very mountainous country and typhoons are a yearly occurrence. However, the scale of this typhoon has been something Taiwan has not seen in the last 50 years. It's simply not able to do enough, quickly enough.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/13/world/asia/13taiwan.html?_r=1&ref=global-home
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Majulah Singapura!
Majulah Singapura!
For a long time I had not sung our national anthem. It felt somehow natural that we sang it as 1 people again at the Howard Hotel over lunch.
The Singapore Trade Commission (that's what they call all embassies in Taiwan since everyone recognises PRC as China), had organised a national day party for all Singaporeans here.
They served chilli crab and satay, it felt nice to be able to mill around and speak Singlish loudly without anyone saying 'so Singaporeans don't speak good english...'.
As a special touch, I turned on my computer and went to google and they've gone patriotic as well...
Thursday, August 06, 2009
工欲善其事 必先利其器
Emily taught me this over dinner just now...
工欲善其事 必先利其器
She told me if I could repeat this just once in my lifetime, I would impress everyone. I think if I did this in Singapore, everyone would go, eh, lu gong simi?
We left office leisurely (except the part where we had to run in/out of taxis cos of the rain and wind), because... TOMORROW'S HOLIDAY! YAY!
Thank you typhoon Morakot! It's heading directly for Taipei - eye of the storm aimed directly Taipei. Packing 144km/h winds, it's enough for all of Taiwan to declare a typhoon holiday - so everyone in Taiwan gets Friday off! Cool! For the first time we were actually wanting this typhoon to hit Taiwan, it's been a pretty dry season and the water levels in Shimen reservoir which feeds most of Taipei has been dangerously low. We were going to face water rationing measures when this typhoon appeared as a God sent.
工欲善其事 必先利其器
She told me if I could repeat this just once in my lifetime, I would impress everyone. I think if I did this in Singapore, everyone would go, eh, lu gong simi?
We left office leisurely (except the part where we had to run in/out of taxis cos of the rain and wind), because... TOMORROW'S HOLIDAY! YAY!
Thank you typhoon Morakot! It's heading directly for Taipei - eye of the storm aimed directly Taipei. Packing 144km/h winds, it's enough for all of Taiwan to declare a typhoon holiday - so everyone in Taiwan gets Friday off! Cool! For the first time we were actually wanting this typhoon to hit Taiwan, it's been a pretty dry season and the water levels in Shimen reservoir which feeds most of Taipei has been dangerously low. We were going to face water rationing measures when this typhoon appeared as a God sent.
Storm!
Thanks to the kind people who forwarded me this news.
They named a hurricane after me.
Ha! I always knew I would make a big influence on people's lives.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32284375/ns/weather/
They named a hurricane after me.
Ha! I always knew I would make a big influence on people's lives.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32284375/ns/weather/
Monday, August 03, 2009
The unbearable ease of taxis
Year 1 of arrival into Taipei summer of 2007 - that year, I walked to work daily even in the worst of the summer heat.
Summer of 2008, I started taking taxis to work most days in summer, too hot to walk, too uncomfortable to start sweating so early in the day.
Summer of 2009, I started to call for a taxi. So when I step out of my lift lobby, I jump right into the waiting taxi. Save the 1min walk out to the street.
Transformation to being more and more Taiwanese.
Summer of 2008, I started taking taxis to work most days in summer, too hot to walk, too uncomfortable to start sweating so early in the day.
Summer of 2009, I started to call for a taxi. So when I step out of my lift lobby, I jump right into the waiting taxi. Save the 1min walk out to the street.
Transformation to being more and more Taiwanese.
Losing Father Renckens
Mom told me about Father Rencken's passing last week. To the end, he was praying to be healed and discharged from hospital because he wanted to finish planning some trip. And that is Fr Renckens - Mr Efficiency to a fault.
This morning's reading about Jesus feeling sad on hearing the news about John the Baptist's death.. made me think about Father Renckens.
I remember the first time I met him was at my Pa's wake. Pa had just passed away, we were still in shock, I recall seeing this very tall man with a strange accent show up day 1 of Pa's wake. I remember he stayed with us until Pa's body arrived from the embalmers. Not long after, mom took all 3 of us to Blessed Sacrament church where Fr Reckens was parish priest, and signed us up for cathecism classes. It took a further half year before I understood Fr Rencken's accent completely ;)
I realize he was always there. Cathecism classes, baptism, confirmation and much later, theology classes. I can still see him (in my mind) walking his dog on a long raffia string. Incidentally, his dog doesn't have have the most pleasant of dispositions, he barks and then bites you.
I will miss you Father Renckens. Blessed Sacrament will not feel the same without you around.
Singapore also lost Father Tom O'Neil from St Ignatius church. 2 priests overnight, I would imagine our priest to congregation ratio must take a big hit.
Let's keep their souls in prayers.
http://www.catholicnews.sg/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3063:father-renckens-a-father-tom-oneill-called-home-to-the-lord&catid=184:information
This morning's reading about Jesus feeling sad on hearing the news about John the Baptist's death.. made me think about Father Renckens.
I remember the first time I met him was at my Pa's wake. Pa had just passed away, we were still in shock, I recall seeing this very tall man with a strange accent show up day 1 of Pa's wake. I remember he stayed with us until Pa's body arrived from the embalmers. Not long after, mom took all 3 of us to Blessed Sacrament church where Fr Reckens was parish priest, and signed us up for cathecism classes. It took a further half year before I understood Fr Rencken's accent completely ;)
I realize he was always there. Cathecism classes, baptism, confirmation and much later, theology classes. I can still see him (in my mind) walking his dog on a long raffia string. Incidentally, his dog doesn't have have the most pleasant of dispositions, he barks and then bites you.
I will miss you Father Renckens. Blessed Sacrament will not feel the same without you around.
Singapore also lost Father Tom O'Neil from St Ignatius church. 2 priests overnight, I would imagine our priest to congregation ratio must take a big hit.
Let's keep their souls in prayers.
http://www.catholicnews.sg/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3063:father-renckens-a-father-tom-oneill-called-home-to-the-lord&catid=184:information
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Presidential Palace of Taiwan from the inside
After Sunday mass today, I visited the Taiwan Presidential Palace and the nearby Taipei Guest House, 台北賓館 - which wasn't planned. The taxi had dropped by right in front of it, since 
security does not allow cars nearer to the Presidential Palace. The security guards by the road, suggested I see it. Since I was being tourist for the day, why not.... Built in 1899 it was the official home of the Japanese governor of Taiwan during Japanese rule. Just a nice classy house with a lot of chandeliers, used today by the Taiwanese heads of states and their guests.
security does not allow cars nearer to the Presidential Palace. The security guards by the road, suggested I see it. Since I was being tourist for the day, why not.... Built in 1899 it was the official home of the Japanese governor of Taiwan during Japanese rule. Just a nice classy house with a lot of chandeliers, used today by the Taiwanese heads of states and their guests. Now, I've seen the Presidential Palace ttp://www.president.gov.tw/en/ from afar, and also on TV, but it's my first time inside it. Security was real strict, guards every couple of meters and most of the rooms are blocked off, understandably. But still a big eye opener. Pity the President wasn't home...
My 3rd and last stop - the Smiling Kingdom exhibition at the National History Museum. There was a 2nd part to the terracotta warriors of Xi-An, China. Some 70 years later, in the tombs of Emperors Wen & Jing, more terracotta warriors were found. Since these Han dynasty emperors ruled in a time of peace, unlike the Qin Emperor and his terracotta warriors, the terracotta warriors were different. They had peaceful, even smiling faces, they were nude with movable arms and parts and even er.. genitals. They were men, women and even eunuchs. They are known as the Terracotta Warriors of Han Yang Ling.
3 museums on a Sunday afternoon in the 38degrees of summer heat made me sleepy. Time for bed.
Excellent cake shop in Taipei... to die for cheese cake!
Ah Liang whom I climb with, brought us to this fabulous cake shop. His friend who learnt the craft in France, has his own shop in Minsheng East road. It's called Gouter or good day in English.
http://www.paul-cake.com/
Ah Liang spoils us, he ordered a LOT of cakes. Then very subtly walked away while Rae and I stuffed our faces. In much reciprocated good manners, we half-ed each cake, and gestured to everyone, share with me please. In reality, everyone else ate very little.. er.. so er..
And Ah Liang even bought us a pack of multi-layered cakes slices each to go.
I just ate 2 slices for dessert. Absolutely fabulous. Although my personal favourite is the cheese cake sticks. Those are to die for...
I will be back.
http://www.paul-cake.com/
Ah Liang spoils us, he ordered a LOT of cakes. Then very subtly walked away while Rae and I stuffed our faces. In much reciprocated good manners, we half-ed each cake, and gestured to everyone, share with me please. In reality, everyone else ate very little.. er.. so er..
And Ah Liang even bought us a pack of multi-layered cakes slices each to go.
I just ate 2 slices for dessert. Absolutely fabulous. Although my personal favourite is the cheese cake sticks. Those are to die for...I will be back.
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