Stray dog in a bookstore

This stray dog in Taipei County knows how to beat the summer heat! Sneak into a crowded, air-conditioned bookstore! The Taiwanese seem kind to strays letting them roam free. Or might it be better for the Taiwanese to exhibit tough love to the strays, coral them up and prevent them from starving and getting mangy?

Taiwan's tiny trash tins

Taiwan is one of the most crowded places on earth and yet the garbage bins are about 1/3rd the size of those found in places like Hong Kong or North America. Why? One would think the Taiwanese - who love their island - would learn from overseas and expand the size of cans? Does not seem to match with Taiwan's excellent (world-class) recycling program.

Taiwanese with their lights off

Just another venting of the spleen in terms of Asians driving with lights off.

Almost-post-industrial architecture in Taiwan

The almost-post-industrial architecture of Taiwan. This shot taken in Hsinchuang, Taipei County.

McDs delivers in Taiwan!

Following the lead of Dominoes Pizza and Pizza Hut in crowded Taiwan, McDonalds has started delivering by scooter as well. American fast food adapted to Taiwanese charateristics!

Asian Engrish # 1 - Candy Oiler

This guy is a Candy Oiler? Lost in translation?

Illegal vehicles for senior citizen scavengers in Taiwan

Taiwan presents itself - rightly so - as a high-tech powerhouse (such as the Bill Gates-laden ad on CNN now). However, some parts of the economy and society are still quite low-tech. Dare I say poor? It is frequent in Taiwan to see dilapidated, old and illegal (no license plate) motorized or pedal-powered vehicles such as these. Elderly men and women use such vehicles to scavenge Taiwan for recycleables such as cardboard.

Police don't seem to enforce traffic rules against these poor senior citizens - not sure if that is good or bad for society.

Streetside vendors - Taiwan's cash economy

The cash economy in Taiwan is huge. Almost every street (and under bridges as here) have vendors selling wares -- often produced in Taiwan's (or China's) factories.

Fun with outdoor electrical wiring

Boing Boing had a post on creative, ad hoc (can you say "poor urban planning?") electrical cables in Hanoi, Vietnam. One finds such wacky (and dangerous?) cabling all over Asia -- even Taipei County, Taiwan as these photos I took show.

Driving with lights off - saving gas or bad drivers?

A rant here. Please don't misconstrue this as racism or as anti-Taiwanese or anti-Chinese. I am just concerned for the road safety of all who drive (including me) in this part of the world.

Why do about 1 in 20 drivers in "Greater China" (Taiwan and China) drive with their lights off at night? Saving on petrol (gas) -- is this scientifically valid? Or the bumper-to-bumper traffic congestion makes it seem that lights are unnecessary? Are are these drivers just bad drivers?

Labor for sale graffiti

Throughout Taiwan (and China) graffiti that advertises ad hoc labor can be seen. Only mobile phone numbers are provided.

This photo was taken near Fu-jen Catholic University. Perhaps location-based services one day might service this labor market? A real Blade Runner-esque scenario with rough-and-ready laborers illegally finding dangerous work in the largely unregulated factories of Greater China (to manufacture for the world).

Lu Wei (魯味)

It is evident even to short-term visitors to Taiwan that Taiwanese love streetside food vendors. One popular dish is "lu wei" (魯味) that has an assortment of vegetables and meat that are boiled and served with spices. Here is a video clip and some photos of a lu wei stand in Hsinchuang near Fu-jen Catholic University:

Great new Italian restaurant / coffee shop near FuDa

There is a great new Italian restaurant (with some Taiwanese characteristics) along the "restaurant row" right next to Fu-Jen Catholic University in Hsinchuang. It is called "Milco Coffee" in English.

Here is a video clip of the interior:

This is how I roll...

This is how I roll... from Hsinchuang to Linkou.

Homelessness in Taiwan (台灣無家可歸)

Despite Taiwan's economic success over the last half a century, there are still those left behind. One such is an old man who lives in Hsinchuang (新莊), Taipei Hsien (台北縣). He lives in a three-wheeled truck that is parked in a parking lot. He scavenges cardboard and other recyclables for small income. As you can see here, he hangs his clothes out to dry on the parking lot's wall.

Traffic hell in Hsinchuang

Poor urban planning. Noise pollution. Crowded conditions. Too many scooters (very polluting). Taiwan.

Democracy or noise pollution?

Video of a Taiwanese political worker riding his scooter around with candidate flag and boom box blaring. Warm-hearted democracy at work or noise pollution or both?

More Mom shots

View from a Taiwanese taxi

Typical scene from a Taiwanese taxi. Chaotic traffic outside the taxi; the driver playing annoying music and chattering away on his phone with colleagues or friends in the Taiwanese dialect of Chinese.