As a growing company, we've needed to expand - and so construction of a new building behind our current building started in late 2004/early 2005. There are so many things to notice about this building, such as the way it is connected to our building, the new underground parking that will do wonders for our scooters, etc. But I keep focusing on how people in that building can look into the windows of our washrooms.

I'm on the second floor, and our washrooms have windows near the ceiling to let in light. Windows in Taiwan are almost always covered with some kind of tint to reflect the heat from the sun, making them mirror-like during the day. But at night, when the washroom light is on and its dark outside, people from higher floors of our new building can peer into the washroom watching men at the urinals. In some cases, they can probably see into some stalls too, but not to the extent that they'd see someone sitting on a toilet. When the new building opens, I'll likely move into it, so it's not really my problem. But how can I not notice? In fact, *I* will probably be in the new building looking at people going to the washroom.

I'm warring with an anonymous colleague. S/he doesn't know who I am either. Here's the basis of the war...

In our kitchenette are paper cups provided to employees for tea or otherwise. The cups come in a long plastic sleeve (like they all do when you buy paper cups). The old way of extracting cups was to make a hole at the top end of the plastic sleeve, and take out cups from the top. But I reversed that methodology. Hardly innovative, just more practical. I started making a hole from the bottom end of the sleeve, so you pull the cups out by grabbing on to the cup (like most dispensers).

But someone insists on the old way, which makes no sense to me. I don't want someone putting their fingers on the second cup trying to separate the two top cups. My mouth could be on that second cup. Not to mention, dust can fall into the open side, dirtying the inside of the cup. So we have this constant tug-of-war where s/he flips the cups one way, and then I flip them back the next time I see them. I've even gone so far as to tie a knot in the plastic sleeve just above the top of the cups, hehe...

Am I crazy or is there really some benefit to pull cups out the top? (Or do I just have too much time, thinking about inconsequential things like this?)

Good vs. Bad.

What makes a bad family? How do you deem someone's family "bad"? Unstable, abusive, unsupportive, unloving -- all qualities that easily fall into this category. Seems fairly clear how we would all define a bad family, doesn't it?

So, what makes a good family? "... and s/he comes from a good family." would be a plus when talking about a potential mate. But everyone's definition of a good family probably differs much more than their definitions of a bad family. Everyone has different priorities in life, and I think as long as the family in question matches those priorities, you would say that it's a good family.

How do you define a good family?
- Is wealth important?
- Is love important?
- Is education at the top of the list?
- How about manners and politeness?

All of those add points towards a good family standing, but what about the lacking of those?
- A poor family with loving parents...
- Parents who are wealthy, value education, but burp in public and are rather rude...
- A rich family whose loving parents want their kids to pursue their own dreams regardless of education...
- A poor family with a lot of love and support, but nothing else...

Where do you draw your line?

Alive and kicking...

If there was ever any doubt, MSG is alive and doing well in Taiwan. I heated up my free dinnerbox (which had cooled down while I was playing basketball) and sat down at my desk to eat. When I opened the cover, I saw that today's menu included deepfried battered fish. And for extra taste, there was some MSG crystals sprinkled on top.

Of course I still ate it. I was hungry. Did you read? I had just played basketball.

SFU recently published an article on their website about three students who created an algorithm to match a musical rhythm to musical rhythms within a database. They called this snazzy invention Song Tapper and created a website where people can try it out. Despite a very unsexy name, Song Tapper is worth a good 5 minutes of entertainment... so check it out!

There's a show on TV (生活智慧王) in Taiwan where they give simple tips for household problems, Do-It-Yourself solutions, and how to prepare simple meals.

Today's simple solutions:

P: Write on your skin with a ballpoint pen?
S: Use sunscreen and a cloth to wipe it off.

P: How to I take the tarnish off my silverware?
S: Use White Out (the liquid kind) on a cloth and wipe it.

P: Got White Out on your skin (maybe from cleaning your silverware)?
S: Use Green Oil (綠油精)

P: When you Stacking up newspapers, does it take up too much space?
S: Before you fold the newspaper, cut each end of the fold. This will flatten it quite a bit.

P: Having trouble storing away comforters because they take up too much space?
S: Fold the comforter into thirds, and then roll it up length-wise (like you do with a sleeping bag). Then use an old dress shirt, and "dress up" the rolled up comforter, using the buttons to hold it together, and tying the sleeves in a knot, as well as the bottom of the dress shirt in a knot.

Other tips:

Make a storage couch by taking a small shelf (say, with 3 levels), and turning it on its back (so the open end faces up). Then buy a piece of plywood and size it to the same dimensions as your shelf. Stick thick sponge on the plywood and cover it with a nice cloth which wraps around and is stapled to the back of the plywood. Add hinges to connect the cover/seat to the shelf. Done! A seat where you can store things inside. Simple and cheap.

Are you like me?

Do you ever say to yourself: "I want to get into a fight..."
And then add to it: "... but against someone I can beat."

Sometimes I feel like I want to just get into a scrap with someone. I want some guy to do something wrong/inconsiderate, and then when I point a finger at him, he fires off and throws a punch at me. And then I want to whoop his butt - just to prove to myself that I can and to teach him a good lesson. But com'on, no one wants to get into a fight just to come out getting his butt kicked. I don't want to go head-to-head with the wrong guy where he leaves the scene walking away and spitting on a beatened Kevin. That scenario just wouldn't fulfill my tustling fantasy. I want to win, and win convincingly.

Sigh. It's just so hard to tell these day whose ass you can kick.

Since coming to Taiwan, I've posted a few blogs about mosquitos, as have N and B. And it's not so much because I dislike mosquitos... it's because I despise them. Mosquitos are as menacing as insects come.

Flies don't bother me at all. Besides a little buzzing, most of the time, they're trying to get out of the room as evidenced by the way they continuously bang their faces into the window looking to get outside. Mosquitos are just the opposite. They come into your room looking for YOU. They follow you in the door unnoticed like unwanted pets and hang around on the wall just waiting for you to say goodnight.

Just watch the way they move. Flies zip around like they have somewhere to go, somewhere to be. Mosquitos float around in the air, not really looking to get from A to B, but scanning the grounds for something to suck on. Yeah, they suck. And for the record, it's only the female mosquitos that drink blood. And I'm not saying that has any relation to humans. Just a fact.

Everyone hates cockroaches, but a roach skittering across my bedroom floor (which, actually I haven't had yet) is less disturbing to me than knowing there's a mosquito in my room. Generally, my room is mosquito-free (and cockroach-free). But once recently, at around 4:30am, I heard the sound of a mosquito buzzing at my ear... and felt and itch on my face. That's one of the worse places to get a bite, because it's so darned visible. People either realize it's a mosquito bite or they think it's a zit -- either way, you lose. Regardless of the hour, if there's a mosquito in my sleeping quarters, it MUST die before I sleep - even if it takes me an hour to kill it and its comrades. Because I know that if it's there, 9 out of 10 times, it will get me (again).

I'm not violent and I'm no psycho, but I can tell you that it's extremely satisfying "clapping" a mosquito or smacking one against a window or wall in a bloody mess because I know it's my blood and it's just the sweet sight of revenge.

Even those big stupid mosquitos back in Vancouver that don't bite humans - they look like they're high off drugs, flapping around uncontrollably with wings maybe too small to carry their own body weight comfortably - they have to die.

Mosquitos. Die. Mosquitos.

With former gangsters, drug dealers, and felons like 50 Cent, The Game, and Akon coming up big in the music industry, I wonder if we'll start seeing more and more coming out of the woodwork and making their ways into recording studios.

I'm sure there are a lot of homies in the ghetto who be chillin' wit der homeboys and der 40s watchin' a 50 Cent video saying "Yo ni**a, _I_ can do dat too!" regardless of whether or not they've ever rapped a verse in their lives.

Just pondering...

I'm starting some treatment on my knees. Back in 1998, I injured both knees while running The Vancouver Sun Run with bad shoes and no training. Since then, I've had occasional pain after running, walking downslope, and excessive jumping. Finally, I'm getting some physiotheraphy done to fix that problem from the source. A recently met a doctor, David Wong (MS.ATC) who's from Hong Kong but got his education in the States. He's worked with NBA players (he has a picture of him and David Robinson in his home practice), Taiwanese baseball league players, and came to Taiwan on an invitation by an IOC member to the Olympic center in Taiwan. So, he's been involved in a couple Olympics, Asia Games, and other events. He diagnosed my knee problem as being chondromalacia patella syndrome [ 1 | 2 | 3 ], which was initially caused by the run, with inflammation caused by weak quadriceps (causing rubbing and irritation behind the kneecap). So, besides bringing down the inflammation, I need to start doing quad exercises. Unfortunately, this treatment isn't covered by my medical coverage, but I don't mind spending some money to get my knees healthy again. Imagine... downward hiking with no pain. Soon to be reality...