Today is somewhat of an anniversary for me. It's been six months since my semi-permanent arrival in Taiwan - i.e. excludes the month I came for interviews last May/June. Hmmm... sentiments? I don't know. Life's possibilities just became a lot more interesting with the scooter... so it's hard to see where things will go from here. The past six months have been have been about getting used to my new environment, work, the people, the language, and the drop in friendly faces. But despite that, I'm still intrigued and excited (okay, maybe not daily). There's still a lot to look forward to... 5-days in Malaysia in February, another 4-5 days exploring Taiwan (not yet sure where I'm going to go).

Work has been very busy of late, but with the office closed this weekend for the annual sanitizing (delousing?), it'll make sure I don't find myself spending hours there. Besides, the biggest company party of the year is this Saturday, as we have our company (Lunar) year-end party. I'm in it for the meal, the guaranteed 2000nt gift-certificate, and a chance to go for the 100,000nt grand prize! Traditionally, the year-end party (尾牙) also included someone getting fired, based on performance. They would place a cooked chicken on the table, and whomever the head pointed to, would be out of a job. Nowadays, they either point the head away from anyone or just remove it completely. Probably better. Who wants to see a dead chicken head while eating lunch anyway?

Guess what?!? I finally bought my scooter!!

The wait for an appropriate secondhand scooter was more than I could bare, so after some consideration, I decided to buy a new scooter instead. The tradeoffs are easily listed:

- Scooters get banged up a LOT. People generally don't care about their scooters too much, and crowded side-by-side parking results in scratches, dents, and more. Less to care about if you buy 2nd hand.
- 2nd hand scooters are cheaper, obviously. And for a casual rider like myself, this might be better.
- New scooters are extremely susceptible to theft, especially the models popular in China (which is where they usually end up)
- 2nd hands always have a question of reliability - people don't take care of their vehicles, resulting in reduced performance in as little as 2 years. And you can't trust 2nd hand dealers, because many of them will switch out good parts for older parts.

Anyway, after I started looking, it took two days to finalize the deal. I visited four stores/shops, and came across a decent scooter at a good price, about 10% cheaper than the other stores. Mainly because it was a "new old scooter", i.e. it had been "bought" or put under someone's name, but had never been driven. This is a tactic used by some dealerships to increase sales numbers. To me, it's all about the same, just cheaper.

I got a SYM 高手125 X-Pro. In FACT, coincidentally, in my Dec 5th blog, I based my original scooter on this model. Just a coinkidink.

To me, and any new scooter owner, theft is a major issue. In Taiwan, some 55% of new scooters get stolen. Unfortunately, it sounds like there is very little that can be done about it. Even with multiple locks, it doesn't stop someone from loading it onto a truck and leaving with it. In spite of it, here are theft prevention:

All scooters...
- ...have a handle bar lock. You turn the handlebars to the left, turn the key in the ignition all the way to the left, and then the handlebars are locked in that position.
- ...come with a U shaped lock. Same as the locks used on bicycles. The guy who sold me the scooter told me that he's tried breaking that lock, and he can't.
- ...are bound to get dirty, and this in itself is valuable. I've been told to never wash my scooter. Guess I won't bother waxing it either.

This model...
- ...has an extra hexagon groove next to the key ignition, which when turned slides a metal piece over the keyhole to prevent prying.

My scooter...
- ...has an added "button lock", which means you need to press a certain button before the ignition will start. It can be a left or right turn signal, highbeam, etc.

And that's about it! I took the scooter out into town, did some shopping yesterday, and had a great time! I love having a vehicle, and I guess I'm already wondering how I survived without it. Finally, acceleration doesn't require pedaling faster.

Today was just a large serving of "yuck", with an extra side of "yuck". I should have known, when I heard the pouring rain at 7:30am and felt a headache, that I shouldn't have bothered to get up at all. But stupidly, something told me inside that I should go to work today because it would be an exciting day.

It was supposed to be a good day because I was finally buying my scooter. This blog was supposed to be a happy blog because I was finally buying my scooter. It was supposed to start like this: "Guess what?!? I finally bought my scooter!!"... but it didn't. Instead it started like this: "Today was just a large serving of "yuck", with an extra side of "yuck"."

So I went down to a dealership today at lunch with my coworker and picked up a new scooter for $44800. I put a $3000 deposit down, left them to do the paper work and make some minor mods, and all was good. For a reason not fit for blogging, I had a crummy afternoon. It was one of those I-don't-want-to-work-anymore-today kind of feelings. So instead of picking up the scooter tomorrow, I decided to pick it up today after work -- just to leave the office early. I called up the shop and they said it would be another hour before the scooter was ready, because of some modifications I had asked them to do. So I got a ride there, and waited. And then, I realized... "oh, SH!T!! I forgot my money in my office drawer!" So that sucked. Then I called my coworker up, who was still in the office, and he offered to bring it down (in spite of me saying I'd take a taxi back and forth) - which was out of his way and totally unnecessary. So I felt pretty awful about that.

So I'm sitting there waiting for him, and I have this brand new helmet sitting on the scooter seat. It's black, all shiny, and I vowed to keep it looking good -- because most helmets look like they volunteed to be juggled around with lotto balls, all scrapped up. I even imagined the store owner being careless and knocking it over, and how I would tell them to give me a new one.

Now I'm checking out my new scooter, all the bells and whistles. I turn it on, the rumbling engine makes me feel good. And then, from the vibrations, the stupid helmet falls and rolls!! Scuffed! Before ever wearing it out! AAARGH.

Anyway, for some reason, the day just felt long and stupid. A stupid day it was.

I guess I'll have a better blog in the next couple days when I feel better and have some pictures of my new baby. A day where I don't forget my security card for work, and when the food I bring home doesn't drool into a freshly washed sock (I had a load of laundry in my bag).

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Okay, I JUST posted this blog, and I got a call from the shop owner saying I left something there. AAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! WHY WON'T THIS DAY END???

The mysterious case of the shortening pants...

I don't get it. It seems like since my arrival here in Taiwan, 4 pairs of pants have shortened by roughly 2-3 inches. These are pants that I paid to have altered in Canada to the right length... and then I come here and they get even shorter!! Maybe it's the heat (well, not at this moment, but in August when I arrived), maybe it's the moisture. And these pants have absolutely nothing in common, aside from being pants. They're Mexx, Esprit, Club Monaco, Dockers, jeans, khakis, slacks... They're jury pants! Not to mention that none of them are new either -- some have been worn for years. So not only do I have this whole silliness of exposing my socks Erkel-style when I walk, but the tightened crotch area doesn't add much comfort when sitting either. So it's pants shopping this weekend. Time to switch up some clothes!

Who doesn't love Twins? Twins are great in so many contexts... firstly, two kids that uncannily alike, how cute is that? The second, I won't mention here because I will likely get slapped. And now a third, a restaurant/club in Taipei called Twins, an all-in-one location for food and fun. Best of all, MRT-accessible.

In celebration of my cousin's birthday, we went to this place recommended to her boyfriend. Upon entering, the darkened room and strategically placed lights provided a nice ambience for a romantic atmosphere or a place for friends to get together. The all-u-can-eat menu of different salads, meats (lamb, chicken, beef, pork) cooked with a variety of delicious recipes, soups, and desserts were a la carte, and were, for the most part, quite satisfying. Over the course of dinner, classic easy listening songs played over the speaker system. For 550nt (roughly $22 cad, an elevated weekend price), you could walk away happy... despite lacking friendly service from the odd waitress.

But wait, there's more! At 10pm, you can stick around when the lights directly above each table dims, the strobe lights over the dance floor start up, and the DJ puts on some nice hip hop tracks at his booth. And at no extra cost, you're engaged in some good nightclub action (while the people who are just arriving paid $599 at the door). The music started great with familiar popular hip hop songs, some oldies but goodies, and eventually turned techno/house, then R&B slow jams, and back to hip hop. A packed dancefloor always makes a party liven up. Again, for 550nt, dinner and dance is a good deal.

But wait, there's more! From 10pm, FREE DRINKS from a selection of juices and alcoholic beverages! On the menu, Smirnoff Ice, Jose Cuervo Tequila (which I wouldn't personally recommend because J.C. is crap), Absolute Vodka, Whiskey, Tropical Jungle, Sex on the Beach, Blue Hawaii, Purple Rain, and more.... And not watered down either!! Now, com'on... who wouldn't pay 550nt for dinner, dance, and all you can drink booze! Not to mention the vomit-sink (really! a sink for the purpose of vomitting! Although someone still opted to use a toilet, while his friends stood around trying to convince him not to fall asleep).

I definitely give Twins a twinful thumbs up, and will be happy to return there real soon. The best place I've spent an evening since arriving in Taiwan half a year ago. Too bad the website on their business card doesn't work.

"I'm so happy, so very happeeee...."

This week has been a most splendid one. For once in a long time, life hasn't been so stressful (from work and play). I finished work at a reasonable hour on most days (7pm), and managed to get a lot of exercised over the course of the past work-week, also something I haven't done in a while. So the week after work went something like this...

Monday - basketball. I've been playing a spirited game of basketball over the last 3 weeks, getting my shot back and learning to drive a little more. Still gotta work on D! Sucks being short.

Tuesday - course. nothing fun there.

Wednesday - workout (mainly back) and ping pong. Got to use the new adjustable dumbbells for the first time! So excited!

Thursday - ping pong and then a workout (chest and bi's)... I think I'm going to quickly out-lift the new dumbbells. To my surprise (albeit a very pleasant one), I found that I wasn't as weak as I had thought - given that I hadn't done dumbbell presses in some time. Anyway, I'm hoping to hit the max in about 1 month. We'll see.

Friday - More basketball.

I'm exhausted. :P But it's so wonderful to have a week where I can have so much physical activity.

The fun continues this weekend. I'll be going to an RT-Mart tomorrow to check out some scooter models and prices. And hopefully (finally) make a purchase next week.

Tomorrow night will also be a birthday celebration for my cousin. Happy Birthday!

Thanks to NK, I have this clip I can share so you can see what I saw on Dec 31st, 2004. So you... can see... what I saw. Enjoy!

"Party like it's 19... hold up, it is!"

New Year's Eve, like I said in my previous blog, was a cold day. It's not that it was really that much colder than the winters in Vancouver, but it was unexpected arrival of the cold front. The current of cold air swept from Northern China, and brought a drop in temperature of 10+ degrees Celsius overnight. Now, normally I wouldn't complain about yesterday's 4.8 degrees Celsius temperatures... but when houses don't have insulation nor heating, you can bet I was happy to wear my thin sweat pants under my regular pants when leaving the house. Wish I had brought some winter clothes.

Anyway... let's talk about New Year's. I was hesitant to want to return to Taipei for the New Year's celebration - what, with it being to-the-bone chilly, with me still struggling to get over a cold, and with the long bus ride in busier-than-usual rushhour traffic. But I did go, it was chilly (still is), and my cold is worse, but I'm glad I did.

There were two outdoor concerts in Taipei that evening, 10 mins walking distance from each other. The Taiwanese were out in the masses, with in the range of 200,000 out to enjoy the celebrations. Myself, TC, and BH went to one concert, and left after 10 minutes to get a better view of Taipei 101 (the world's tallest building), which would make its opening debut. The second concert was better, in my opinion, with 'the musical stylings of' Machi, Stephanie Sun, and "500" (五佰). It was cool to be out in a New York Times Square environment. Large screens synced up the crowds into a countdown from 60 seconds. Then, at the last 10 seconds, the entirely-lite 101 building turned off its lights, from the bottom up, one section per second. When the clock struck, the 508m building exploded outwards in a fantastic display of fireworks. Then the upper levels continued with a few more outward explosions while some more common fireworks lit up the sky behind. It was a great site, and a nice way to bring in the new year. We even had a few bottles of Bacardi Triple Black -- and without a bottle opener (they weren't twist offs), there are a few scrapes on painted pillars.

But like the Symphony of Fire / Celebration of Lights events in Vancouver, leading 200,000 people away from one place makes for some massive congestion. MRT stations jammed packed, hordes of jaywalkers, and so on.

At the end of the night, the only regret I had was forgetting to bring my camera. Well, guess I'll have to do it all again next year!

Oh my LORD is FRICKIN' COLD!! Today's weather in Hsinchu (according to Yahoo) sees a high of 13C and a low of 6C - it also states that the current conditions feels like 3C. For a Canadian - albeit one who lives in a not-so-cold Vancouver - to come to Taiwan and say it's cold, it must be fairly chilly. It's cold enough for me to see my breathe - which is an indication of the moisture.

For New Year's Eve, I had been planning on going to Taipei City Hall and Taipei 101 (World's tallest building) for a countdown celebration... but given that I don't have my scarf or gloves here, I'm hesitating now. I'll probably still do it because I'm crazy. Besides, I hear that it's going to be a mob of people there, New York Times Square-like, so maybe there'll be lots of body heat.

Anyway, best of luck in the coming new year! See you (online) in 2005.

R.I.P. to those taken in recent natural disasters.

Well, that was a long hiatus. But things are winding down and I can finally sit down and blog a little. So, let's backtrack to over 1 week ago...

Last Friday (Dec 17th), after a week of practice and studying, I went for my scooter test. A week earlier, I went to the Hsinchu Motor Vehicle Department to scope out the testing grounds and get some preliminary things out of the way, such as my health inspection. In general, I don't think they try very hard to prevent people from getting their licenses. So, here's the quick breakdown of what's involved:

HEALTH CHECK -- The doctor is an OLD OLD man, and he starts by giving an eye exam (wearing my prescription eyewear) - both eyes, right eye, left eye -- reading some letters through an old machine (but not as old as the doctor). Then he asked me my height and weight and wrote them down. He tells me to do 3 simple movements: arms extended open and close hands, wrist rotations, and a bend down (I bent at my hip and touched my toes, not sure if that's what he was looking for, but I passed). Finally, he tells me to look thru a little hole and tell him what color I see. I saw yellow. He agreed. With the paperwork done and stamped, I was out of there.

WRITTEN EXAM -- I got a rules and regulation book in English which I spent 2 nights on. Basically, 52 pages of multiple choice and T/F questions, with the objective of teaching you the rules of the road, signs, license rules, and penalties. Most of the questions can be guessed correctly, especially the morality questions. They could be characterized in this format:

Are you stupid?
(1) Yes
(2) No
(3) I don't know.

I took my test in English on a computer with audio, while those who can read Chinese did theirs on paper. 40 questions needing 85% and higher to pass. With questions so easy, it didn't take much effort to get 97.5%. I wonder what I got wrong.

ROAD TEST -- The "road" test is conducted under a covered blacktop, and it's one
loop that literally takes < 1 min to complete (unless you screw up). There are 4 sections. At the start, you drive, and a couple meters out, you stop at a simulated "train crossing", then you go, turn left, then you stop at a red light, then you go when it's green, turn left, then you stop at another blinking light thingy, go when it turns green, turn left, back up and straighten out for the last section. So, basically, the first three sections test whether you can stop and go, and turn left. Don't practice right turns.

Now the last section is where most people fail. You have two tries to drive straight between a narrow path at a slow pace and without putting your feet down. It's not that difficult, but people often go too fast or put their feet down. It's basically a length of 20 paces (my paces), and you have to complete it in 7 seconds or MORE. This is where I spent more of my efforts during practice. During the test, I put my foot down only a quarter of the way through, and that kind of shook me up. But my second pass was successful with the help of the shifting knees balancing act. You know, to counterbalance the handle steering. It looks like you're dodging bullets with your knees.

My general impressions of the tests... pointless. After reading the rule book, I notice that at least 1/2 of the rules are broken on the road by EVERYONE. In theory, they talk of "right of way"... in practice, there is no such thing, and you'll get honked by the person behind you if you should ever try to abide by such a silly concept. Lots of people who pass, shouldn't. Tiny girls whose feet can barely touch the ground pass. Old folks who probably shouldn't even walk pass. In many ways, it's a test of luck when it comes to the final stretch of the road test because it depends so much on your start (i.e. when you start the final stretch).

Anyway, I passed. I need to find a scooter now.