Jackets on backwards - Taiwanese on their scooters

I have always found it very interesting that Taiwanese often wear jackets backwards when driving their ubiquitous scooters. I am told that if jackets are worn normally, wind resistance will increase making riding slower and more costly. Could this be seen as an environmental hack? I wonder why no one in Taiwan has designed a jacket that fits on backwards - market opportunity?

Taiwanese Life Hack - pharmaceuticals

Several American friends who live in Taiwan have related to me that they are able to purchase - purchase OVER THE COUNTER (OTC) that is - drugs that are prescription-only. I am told that the following drugs are indeed also prescription only in Taiwan, but that the pharmacists are rather lax and do indeed sell OTC:

* Nexium - much cheaper in Taiwan than buying apples-to-apples in the USA.

* Lipitor - ditto.

Harold recommends that Westerners visiting Taiwan come with their pharmaceutical bottles or blood tests (showing high choloseterol) and most pharmacists in Taiwan will simply sell to you.

When Americans live abroad for an extended period of time, we learn very quickly how much more expensive pharmaceuticals are in the US as compared to the rest of the world. For example, a good American friend of mine suffers from acid reflux and was prescribed Nexium by his American doctor (when he was visiting the States recently).

He assumed the price of Nexium in Taiwan would be much cheaper. The price difference was amazing. In the US, he bought Nexium for about US$300 for 30 capsules. (He, like a lot of Americans living abroad, has no health insurance in the US and the US has no national system like Taiwan does). In Taiwan, he is able to buy the EXACT SAME capsules for NT$1,040 (US$32 or so).

In the US, he needs a Rx to buy. In Taiwan, Nexium is over-the-counter.

When my friend related this story to me, we waxed poetic about medical tourism -- if one lived in the US, one literally might have to fly back to Taiwan to see the doctor and purchase medicines.

Something is wrong with the US medical system... Very wrong.... And, the Economist Intelligence Unit was "spot on" when it rated Taiwan's medical care system as the world's 2nd best in 2000.