Changing of the guard - CKS Memorial Hall

The ceremonial changing of the guard at the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall in Taipei is worth a few minutes. Nice eye candy.

Fireworks in rural Taiwan, Lunar New Year

During the Chinese New Year holiday season, Taiwanese set off lots of firecrackers and fireworks. The following is a short video in rural Taiwan at night. Above a nearby farmhouse, fireworks went off.

Families that gamble together, stay together

During Lunar New Year celebrations, families in Taiwan return home and often engage in robust games of chance with each other. They often play for money.

CKS Memorial Hall (中正紀念堂) at night

The CKS Memorial Hall (中正紀念堂) remains a really nice place for a walk or a show (theater), etc. Here are some photos at night:

China's Brown Cloud of Death invading Taiwan

With a chest cold (obtained in Nanjing, China), certainly not fun to head back to the relatively clean air environment of Taiwan only to be followed by China's brown cloud o' air pollution.

David blogs quite elegantly about the bout of Mainland particulates hitting the island with the cold spell.

I blogged quite extensively about China's air quality and did analysis comparing the Pearl River Delta's air pollution index with that of the US -- the point being "so so" air in the PRD seems to be equivalent to "extremely hazardous" air in the USA.

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.

Toothpaste in Taiwan

In addition to racist Darlie (formerly "Darkie" or 黑人 - "black man") toothpaste in Taiwan, there is also a White Men toothpaste!