Tips for the Wet and Cold Months in North Taiwan

Word to the wise. If you've been trying to keep up the same Western habits for winter that you had in your home country, you've been doing it all wrong!

Winters in Taiwan's north are pretty depressing and uncomfortable. Often overcast with drizzle and rain and ranging in temperature from 10C to 15C, winters are, in some ways, much worse than in some of our more frozen homelands. This is mainly due to the fact that winters in Taiwan are so wet and humid but also because there is no way to get in from the cold, so to speak. Taiwanese houses don't usually have interior heating save for rudimentary electric heaters that don't really project a lot of heat. When you get out of the cool and wet, you're often in a house that is also cool(er) and wet.

So when it comes to staying warm, people from other countries living in Taiwan are often ill-prepared. So, to better prepare everyone, I give you my top two tips for making your winter much more pleasant.

1) USE A STACK OF HAND TOWELS, not full sized ones. Due to the humidity and the cool inside and outside, big towels will not fully dry from day to day, even if hung. In fact, because they stay wet, if you use any towel for days on end, they are likely to get moldy. Either buy one (several) of those quick dry camping towels or buy a stack of hand towels. They tend to dry faster. I suggest using one hand towel per shower and then throwing it in the laundry right away. As they are smaller, they'll take up less of your laundry anyhow.

2) FLEECE IS YOUR FRIEND! I mean anything fleece: jackets, shirts, hats and bedding. Yes, bedding! I'm sure the properties of fleece are probably well known to you in terms of keeping dry. There are also some new kinds of fleece that are wind and sometimes water repellant. Some stores sell fleece bedding which has a real advantage in the winter in that, when you crawl into bed, you won't feel that your bedding is wet. Crawling into a damp bed in the cold is a terrible feeling (my wife used to resort to using a hairdryer to thoroughly warm up her side before getting in). Wet bedding also eventually causes molding as well which I'm sure you won't like sleeping in either. You won't need to wash your bedding (and have difficulty drying it) as often with fleece.

If you're asking where I got these ideas from then the answer is simple: Taiwanese themselves. My in-laws keep stacks of hand towels as bath towels. I always wondered why they used small ones and threw them in the laundry right after using them. They also use tons of fleece for bedding and blankets. Now I know why on both counts. And I'm definitely a convert to these ideas!

If you have any other tips about getting laundry dry, buying heaters or anything else related to Taiwan winters, feel free to post a comment.

The Third Reich goes down!

Great news! It looks like the large Nazi swastika symbol at the door of Macana is gone! It's not hard to believe, as it was so blatantly in poor taste. What is surprising is that it took so long! As I had mentioned before, someone had tried and failed to deface it, but it lived on for months.

Now, Macana has very cleverly changed the winged Third Reich logo into a lion with Zodiac signs. It now looks reminiscent of the winged lion logo that Van Halen used on tour years back. logo

Anyhow, I guess the pressure to change finally had an impact! Taiwan 1, Macana 0.

Nazi post repository here.

Lost bird or abandoned "pet"?

Now I've been told by a bird expert that this is an Oriental Pied Hornbill.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_Pied_Hornbill

Trouble is, this variety of bird is not native to Taiwan, although it may be found in Southern China. So it makes me wonder how it got out in the wild here in Taiwan.

We were doing a long walk through a stretch of farm land near the river in Xindian when we heard a loud banging sound. Drawn in the direction of a water tower perched on the 5th floor of a building, we saw this astounding bird.

A local passed by and looked at us starring at the bird and asked, "What kind of bird is that?"

Anyhow, here is the video. You can hear the banging sound after the motorcycle passes.

 I think there are a few possible explanations here:
 a) the bird is lost and somehow flew to Taiwan (unlikely as  its not a migration bird)
 b) it was brought in (smuggled in) as a pet and it got loose
 c)  it was brought in (smuggled in) as a pet and it was abandoned
 d) it escaped from a preserve or a zoo

Any other ideas?

The concept of having wild animals as pets is not uncommon in Taiwan. If you are interested, read more here about orangutans, wild boars and more:

http://blog.islaformosa.com/2008/06/orangutang-alert-and-other-strange.html

If you are a bird enthusiast, we saw the bird at the location on the map. You can see the water tower in Street View:

View Larger Map

More Taiwan Nazi imagery... unfortunately

Spotted this on the sidewalk in the center part of Taipei. The store is Macana. It is undeniably Nazi.

Should you care to lodge a complaint or accidentally splash it with fresh paint follow the link to the location.
Google Map location

A typical Taiwan experience

Mynah Bird Clip

I was finally able to get a decent recording of the myna bird in my neighborhood. Check it out!

Mynah by islaformosa

This is the previous article:
http://blog.islaformosa.com/2007/09/myna-birds-taiwanese-sounds.html

Yahoo Getting its Ass Kicked in Taiwan

Taiwan used to be a Yahoo country. It appears the tide is changing and Taiwan is becoming Google-fied.

When Yahoo teamed up with Taiwan-based Kimo to offer Taiwan a localized version of Yahoo it seemed like a match made in heaven. Google has made up a lot of ground though, I'm guessing based on the adoption rate of Android and the myriad of services on Google now offered in Chinese.

In Taiwan's Restaurants: Pineapple Shrimp Balls 鳳梨蝦球

Pineapple Shrimp Balls. This Taiwanese dish is delicious but may make you you take a step back when you first see it. Deep fried shrimp on a base of pineapple, covered in sweet mayonnaise and cupcake sprinkles - that's right, SPRINKLES!

How do you read 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 in Chinese?

This is for anyone who has taught large numbers to Taiwanese students.  As you may know, the Chinese way of saying numbers is extremely difficult.  When given a huge number, students will try and muddle it out for ages.  

This seeks to help out BUT it still looks complicated.  Can any Chinese speakers check it out and see?

In fact, I'm very interested to know how to say this in Chinese too:

123,456,789,012,345,678,901,234,567,890

Go for it!

Ghosts: Who ya gonna believe?

Taiwanese are a superstitious bunch and no more so than in their strong belief in the existence of ghosts. Living here, one is struck by the widespread belief in ghosts across all parts of society. Modern, educated, city-living Taiwanese believe strongly in ghosts. It's a fact. So it might be good to take a look at numbers to make some sort of comparison between American and Taiwanese beliefs with regard to ghosts. What you will find, if accurate, is a little more surprising than you think.

"A recent survey of Taipei college students found that 87 percent were believers, and some say that could be on the low side."
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/15369/in-taiwan-those-who-believe-in-ghosts-just-about-everyone-brace-for-long-spirit-month


I would have guessed just above 90% so my prediction was dead on about this. The article goes on to say that the belief is stoked "on numerous TV variety and ghost shows" where discussions and stories about ghosts are shared. This is not to mention the tons of Asian ghost movies that broadcast on a multitude of TV channels and that are shown regularly in movie theaters across the island.


Amazingly, even though Taiwan has emerged as a high-tech / scientific powerhouse, the belief in ghosts remain unabated:
"Although sociologists say Taiwan has seen some gradual weakening of traditional beliefs, given better education and wider use of technology, Taiwan’s ghost world has been surprisingly resistant to the erosive influence of globalization and MTV."


At any rate, maybe it's just a case of covering all your bases, just in case, similar to anti-religious people who miraculously get religion on their death beds:
"Many Taiwanese feel it’s best not to anger the ghosts, just in case they do exist."


Let's try to compare to the US situation. It won't be a pretty comparison since we are only comparing Taiwanese students to all Americans but it does offer a little insight.


In a 2007 poll a full 34% of US respondents said they believed in the existence of ghosts. I would have guessed more like 10% so I'm off here. However, this US 34% stands in sharp contrast to the 87% in Taiwan.
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071027/how-many-americans-believe-in-ghosts-spells-and-superstition/


Compare this 2007 result though with an online survey done in 2003:
"A 2003 Harris Poll found through surveying 2,201 adults on-line that 51% of people believe in ghosts. In their survey, 58% of women believed in ghosts along with a whopping 65% of younger adults aged 25-29. Shockingly, only 27% of the people polled over age 65 believe in ghosts."
http://www.angelsghosts.com/believe_in_ghosts

Well you can draw your own conclusions as to what the real numbers are. At any rate, even if you are a non-believer, it bears knowing that you are a strong minority in Taiwan so be mindful of the majority's beliefs in the existence of the afterlife.


I invite IslaFormosa readers to offer their ghost experiences in Taiwan or elsewhere and to share any other more accurate data about the belief in ghosts across countries.

It'll huff and it'll puff but it won't blow your house down...

Who's afraid of a big, bad typhoon?  Well not me and I live in Typhoon Alley (what I like to call the fact that most Pacific tropical cyclones seem to hit Taiwan square on).  However, I live in Taipei and being from a modern Taiwanese city of concrete and steel does have its advantages in a big typhoon.

As the countryside areas of Taiwan seem to be like crumbly sandcastles compared to the cities, typhoons there strike with devastation, bringing landslides and flooding and blowing down weak structures made of wood or the cheap aluminum and plastic siding (that lots of buildings have hammered on).  Wood and cheap siding just don't cut it in a typhoon but concrete does.

Just look at the devastation after Katrina in the US.  Taiwanese look to this kind of hurricane in America with amazement.  Not amazement about the typhoon force but about amazement about the destruction wrought in cities in their aftermath!  Well, there are a few reasons why cyclones don't bring the damage they do in America to homes.

First, homes are built with different materials.  Taiwanese city dwellings are built with concrete which stands a much better chance in the high winds.  What many Taiwanese don't know is that American homes are built with wooden structures.  Wood doesn't fare as well in the wind.  All it takes is for one small opening to let a strong wind take a whole house down.  If you want proof, watch this:



The second reason is better flood water management in the cities.  Big cities in Taiwan have got lots of flood water prevention systems, not the least being the flood water walls that you can find along the edge of rivers.  Remember the poorly built and maintained levees of New Orleans?  'Nuff said.

So in the end, if there is a lesson to be learned from all this then it is that of the Three Little Pigs.  When the big, bad wolf comes knocking on your door during a typhoon, if your house is made of concrete and brick, you stand the best chance and, in fact, are quite safe.  Let's hope you aren't the pig caught in the house made of straw or sticks...

Telling Asians Apart

Ohhhh, I love these kinds of things: people thinking they can tell each other apart and categorize.

I've posted similar stuff about types of girls in Japan before (http://blog.islaformosa.com/2007/03/girl-typology.html) but this one is far more interesting.

So what do you think of this take? Is it really so possible to differentiate and, if so, how many people could actually do it with any decent accuracy?

Weigh in folks! I'm thinking that determining differences is something akin to being a wine connoisseur; a lot of people think they can do it but the vast majority is pretty shit at it.

Watch this video and see how the whole differentiating process is so arbitrary:

http://www.watchdoit.com/how-to-videos/how-to-distinguising-different-asians-243

It makes me wonder: what's the point in trying to tell each other apart anyhow? Could it have to do with the pecking order theory again? See http://blog.islaformosa.com/2007/06/asian-pecking-order.html

Will Taipei's MRT really look like this in 2020???

(Click on the image to see it full size)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kzaral/3372201653/sizes/o/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kzaral/3373020522/sizes/o/

Personally, I'm pessimistic and yet the designs have clearly been set and major pieces of the system are under construction.

This design goes well beyond what I've previously posted though.

http://blog.islaformosa.com/2008/10/third-wave-of-mrt-lines.html

What do you think?  Do you approve of the station locations?  What do you think should be done besides this system to improve public transportation?

Improv Everwhere Hit(s) Taipei

Improv Everwhere had their first event last weekend with moderate success. Catch the photos and videos here.

http://picasaweb.google.com/raquelwu/ImprovEverywhereTaipeiSep122010# (PHOTOS)

There will be a second Freeze activity held Sep 14 at 16:30 in front of the Taiwan Museum on the north side of 228 Park. Details here:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=104204362973765&ref=mf
I assume it will be much like this:
http://improveverywhere.com/2008/01/31/frozen-grand-central/







More cool social experiments at: http://www.improveverywhere.com

High Five - Taiwan Style

If you're familiar with the High Five guys and their work on Funny or Die then you'll get a kick out of this Taiwan version done by a couple of expats. Well done boys!

High Five Taiwan (台灣擊掌) - watch more funny videos

幹!好熱 It's Freakin' Hot

Ok ok, it doesn't actually say those exact words but you get the idea. Popularized on Green Island, this slogan sure seems appropriate for these last few days with the mercury reaching up as high as 38C (100F) in Taipei City.

Thank god the convenience stores just started their summer beer sales events. Family mart offers 50% off any 3 beers while 7eleven has their regular selection plus several imports available. From now until July 27, buy 3 beers of any kind and get 21% off at 7eleven. They've kindly imported a few new beers 1664 Blanc from France (a fruity white beer), Longboard (lager) and Wailua (wheat with Passion Fruit) from Hawaii and Samuel Adams (bitter) from the Mainland US + a few others.

Stay frosty Taiwan!

A Mascot for all Occasions

Whatever happened to recognizable animals for mascots?

Taiwan really goes all out with mascots. Teams have them. Products have them. Companies have them. The government agencies have them. Just about anything or anyone that wants to be something must have one.

I'm not sure it's always necessary to have mascots for every single thing but it does fit in line with making even the most boring or mundane things seem lively and/or cute be it Company XYZ's wingnut to the ROC's military. Amazingly though, a lot of mascots are very ambiguous looking such as the one in the picture for ShuLin City on a barren road in the middle of nowhere. What exactly is it supposed to be?

Feel free to send in your stories and pictures of the most ridiculous mascots you have seen in Taiwan or elsewhere.

UPDATE: I recently went to a Japanese cartoon culture exhibit that might share some light on why every organization is adopting mascots. See the last paragraph.

Soccer Hysteria soon coming to considerably Soccer-less Taiwan

World Cup 2010 is coming!  World Cup 2010 is coming!

Taiwanese will soon be going crazy with soccer madness with the Cup on the way.  The funny thing is, there is little to no general interest in soccer on the island (save for mostly expats who, I'm sure, love the sport to death).

So what are the most popular sports?  Well, baseball is still the most popular spectator sport.  I emphasize spectator sport as it is definitely not the sport that most people actually play.  That distinction belongs to basketball.  This is a statistical fact:

http://taiwanreview.nat.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=43967&CtNode=128

 

I've speculated in the past that, based on this trend of people actually playing a sport, basketball would eventually rise to the top of the sports heap in Taiwan.  This is not to mention the other factors that make basketball attractive, as opposed to baseball and soccer, such as the lower level of organization needed, the smaller playing area required and, very important in Taiwan's hot weather, the ability to play indoors.

http://blog.islaformosa.com/2007/10/taiwans-national-sport-baseball-being.html

 

And what about soccer you say?  Well, there are pockets of support across Taiwan but it doesn't show any signs of interest and expansion like basketball definitely does.  It exists, for the moment, due primarily to expat enthusiasm (as does ice hockey for that matter).

So enjoy the momentary soccer euphoria coming to Taiwan come the World Cup.  It will be quite short-lived

For more background information about Taiwan sport:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport_in_Taiwan

New DaAn Sports Center

A new BOT sports facility has opened in the DaAn District.  The gym costs only NT$50 an hour but the fee is only $25/hr until the end of the month for the new opening. No membership necessary much like the other facilities (see http://blog.islaformosa.com/2008/06/looking-for-bare-bones-gym.html)

The facilities are great and the building is sparkling clean.  Check it out!
 http://dasc.cyc.org.tw/
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2010/04/11/2003470314

Kill Pig Day and MORE

Marc Scott is a budding video maker based in Taiwan.  Catch his latest work entitled "Kill Pig Day" at the link below:
http://www.vimeo.com/10602546

Marc's Taipei Film Network has plenty more video links.  Check them out: facebook