Q: Do they need a license to drive? How old do they have to be?
A: According to the law, a license is required to operate a motor vehicle in Taiwan. That's about as far as I know the rules. I do know of foreigners that have been motor vehicle operators for awhile without licenses, and it's not hard to see how they pull it off.
I know I've mentioned it once or twice, but the amount of scooters in this country is astounding. It would be impossible to have random check-points for licenses, registration, or to look for anything to enforce any laws. It doesn't seem possible to even be able to scan a cluster of scooters for a certain license plate number. And, as previously mentioned, scooters have their own set of laws that allow them to disappear into even the most dense of traffic.
An interesting (and fool-proof, if I might add) idea for an Asian guy:
Rob a bank and have a get-away scooter. No ski-mask needed. What's going to come over the police radio?
"Stay on the lookout for an Asian male, appears to be between the age of 20 and 50. Around 5' 6". Short, straight black hair, dark eyes and driving a black and gray scooter, license plate ##x##x."
It's too bad the people in this country are so damn nice, otherwise I'd recruit somebody and split the NT dollars.
Showing posts with label Q and A. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Q and A. Show all posts
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Q and A: Part 4
Here is the latest installment of Q&A, keep the questions coming if you have any.
Q: Are there squirrels? If not, what animals do people typically swerve their car for while driving? Are there scary spiders?
A: For starters, yes, there are scary spiders. Last weekend I adventured up the mountain in Shijr and saw some spiders bigger than my open hand (and cried). And yes, there are indeed squirrels. Each class at my school has an animal name (Hamsters, Koalas, Rabbits, and of course Mike's class: the Unicorns), and my class, the Squirrels. So yeah, there are 21 of them. Besides that, I've seen some real squirrels. However, beyond stupid tiny white dogs with pink ears, stray dogs, stray cats, and cockroaches, animals are hard to come by in a city. Especially on a road, but don't let that fact fool you into thinking people don't swerve while driving.
Traffic laws here are less like laws, and more like guidelines. The lines on the roads are merely indications that at one point they had planned to have some type of organization. Enter: the scooter. A vehicle, that if it follows any laws at all, they are a hybrid of pedestrian, bicycle, and motor vehicle laws, while still taking many of the same liberties granted to an emergency vehicle. The scooter has access to roads, crosswalks, and sidewalks alike, and the scooter operator will not be tied down by a few painted lines on the road. Scooters in traffic are like water, always finding an opening to get through.
Having driven a scooter for a somewhat lengthy distance (more on that later, maybe), I have experienced the mayhem of Taiwan traffic first-hand, and it was has been by far the most terrifying adventure since I've been here.
Q: Are there squirrels? If not, what animals do people typically swerve their car for while driving? Are there scary spiders?
A: For starters, yes, there are scary spiders. Last weekend I adventured up the mountain in Shijr and saw some spiders bigger than my open hand (and cried). And yes, there are indeed squirrels. Each class at my school has an animal name (Hamsters, Koalas, Rabbits, and of course Mike's class: the Unicorns), and my class, the Squirrels. So yeah, there are 21 of them. Besides that, I've seen some real squirrels. However, beyond stupid tiny white dogs with pink ears, stray dogs, stray cats, and cockroaches, animals are hard to come by in a city. Especially on a road, but don't let that fact fool you into thinking people don't swerve while driving.
Traffic laws here are less like laws, and more like guidelines. The lines on the roads are merely indications that at one point they had planned to have some type of organization. Enter: the scooter. A vehicle, that if it follows any laws at all, they are a hybrid of pedestrian, bicycle, and motor vehicle laws, while still taking many of the same liberties granted to an emergency vehicle. The scooter has access to roads, crosswalks, and sidewalks alike, and the scooter operator will not be tied down by a few painted lines on the road. Scooters in traffic are like water, always finding an opening to get through.
Having driven a scooter for a somewhat lengthy distance (more on that later, maybe), I have experienced the mayhem of Taiwan traffic first-hand, and it was has been by far the most terrifying adventure since I've been here.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Q & A: Part 3
Q: Do people dress differently?
A: Eh, not really. But flamboyant trucker hats are very big over here.
For girls- your shorts are going to be shorter and tighter, but you are more likely to have the stems to pull it off.
For boys- it's not uncommon for you to be on the subway fixing your hair in a pocket mirror.
For couples- you might find yourself wearing matching t-shirts when you go out.
For children- there are some very, very cruel parents dressing you in the morning (there is a 7-year-old boy in one class that I refer to as Daisy Duke).
For women- "Back home I'd think the women are prostitutes. But here I think it's just women in their Sunday best." -Mike
For men- either business attire or a stained white tee.
Overall, there isn't anything that really that shocking. Just like back home, you've got your oddballs that march to the beat of some intergalactic transmission they are picking up.
As for me, I keep it low-key with a red polo and mouse ears:
A: Eh, not really. But flamboyant trucker hats are very big over here.
For girls- your shorts are going to be shorter and tighter, but you are more likely to have the stems to pull it off.
For boys- it's not uncommon for you to be on the subway fixing your hair in a pocket mirror.
For couples- you might find yourself wearing matching t-shirts when you go out.
For children- there are some very, very cruel parents dressing you in the morning (there is a 7-year-old boy in one class that I refer to as Daisy Duke).
For women- "Back home I'd think the women are prostitutes. But here I think it's just women in their Sunday best." -Mike
For men- either business attire or a stained white tee.
Overall, there isn't anything that really that shocking. Just like back home, you've got your oddballs that march to the beat of some intergalactic transmission they are picking up.
As for me, I keep it low-key with a red polo and mouse ears:
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Q & A: Part 2 (updated)
Q: Hey Johnny! If the world were flat, would Taiwan be on the left or right side of the map?
A: It depends where you live.
This question was sent about 2 days after I became prepared to answer it. To prep for a lesson for my class, I drew a map of the world on my whiteboard. Mind you, I drew a map the way I know how, which is with England and the Atlantic Ocean in the middle, and the Pacific Ocean at the ends of the Earth, if you will:
For the most part, in Asia, the maps have the Pacific Ocean in the middle and the Americas are about as far to the right as you can get without falling off the map.
So I'm putting the finishing touches on my whiteboard map when a few of my students walk in, and to gauge my drawing skills I ask them to point out New York (keeping in mind these kids know its location very well). They went straight to the right side of the board and pointed at Japan. Confused at first, I asked them to point to Australia. They walked to South America, stared at it for a few seconds before pointing to Brazil. Taiwan? They pointed at Cuba.
So maybe I'll answer your question with another question: Where do you think Taiwan would be?
Q: Isn't America considered to be "Western civilization?" So wouldn't it be to the west of the rest of the world?
A: I'm don't know why I'm even responding to you people about this question. Can't we just accept that the world isn't flat, and you can reach the U.S. by traveling both east and west? If not, than please consult your internet browser for more information.
a hemisphere lesson with Dr. Globe
Dictionary.com's definition of "Western" (see def. 6)
Wikipedia's article on the "Western World"
A: It depends where you live.
This question was sent about 2 days after I became prepared to answer it. To prep for a lesson for my class, I drew a map of the world on my whiteboard. Mind you, I drew a map the way I know how, which is with England and the Atlantic Ocean in the middle, and the Pacific Ocean at the ends of the Earth, if you will:
For the most part, in Asia, the maps have the Pacific Ocean in the middle and the Americas are about as far to the right as you can get without falling off the map.
So I'm putting the finishing touches on my whiteboard map when a few of my students walk in, and to gauge my drawing skills I ask them to point out New York (keeping in mind these kids know its location very well). They went straight to the right side of the board and pointed at Japan. Confused at first, I asked them to point to Australia. They walked to South America, stared at it for a few seconds before pointing to Brazil. Taiwan? They pointed at Cuba.
So maybe I'll answer your question with another question: Where do you think Taiwan would be?
Q: Isn't America considered to be "Western civilization?" So wouldn't it be to the west of the rest of the world?
A: I'm don't know why I'm even responding to you people about this question. Can't we just accept that the world isn't flat, and you can reach the U.S. by traveling both east and west? If not, than please consult your internet browser for more information.
a hemisphere lesson with Dr. Globe
Dictionary.com's definition of "Western" (see def. 6)
Wikipedia's article on the "Western World"
Q & A: Part 1
Frightened by the legitimate threat of becoming just another burn out, I've decided to post the Q & A's in installments. With that being said, thank you to those who sent questions, and please don't hesitate to continue entertain me (and my billions of readers) with your questions!
Also, if you're wondering how I got here in the first place, please re-direct your attention here.
Q: Hello Johnny, I would like to know your thoughts on 7-11 (in Taiwan, of course).
A: In a word: convenient. Even in Shijr, there is a 7-11 (or Family Mart, or Hi-Life) within ear shot of the next one. One of my favorite sarcastic jokes (which will never get old) is when I'm on the phone either giving/taking directions and I use 7-11 as a reference point. There are 4 on the main floor of Taipei Main Station alone.
Practically speaking, however, 7-11 in Taiwan takes "convenient store" to a new level. In addition to buying my tea, breakfast, and beer there, I can also pay all of my utility bills there. They scan the bills, take the cash, and bada-bing bada-boom you're on your way.
Q: Who are the people from all over the world?
A: I'm assuming this is in reference to my ClustrMap, which boasts IP addresses from 28 countries around the world, including the recent addition of Nigeria, which gives me at least one red dot in each of the 6 inhabited continents.
The only thing I can attribute to this is the button on the top of the page that says "Next Blog," which when clicked, brings you to a randomly selected blog. I've used it a bunch of times and found some pretty interesting sites, but a lot of times I'm directed to a blog in another language. So unless you know the people in Peru, Kuwait, or Brunei Darussalam, these people will remain a mystery.
Thanks again for the Q's, more A's are on their way!
Also, if you're wondering how I got here in the first place, please re-direct your attention here.
Q: Hello Johnny, I would like to know your thoughts on 7-11 (in Taiwan, of course).
A: In a word: convenient. Even in Shijr, there is a 7-11 (or Family Mart, or Hi-Life) within ear shot of the next one. One of my favorite sarcastic jokes (which will never get old) is when I'm on the phone either giving/taking directions and I use 7-11 as a reference point. There are 4 on the main floor of Taipei Main Station alone.
Practically speaking, however, 7-11 in Taiwan takes "convenient store" to a new level. In addition to buying my tea, breakfast, and beer there, I can also pay all of my utility bills there. They scan the bills, take the cash, and bada-bing bada-boom you're on your way.
Q: Who are the people from all over the world?
A: I'm assuming this is in reference to my ClustrMap, which boasts IP addresses from 28 countries around the world, including the recent addition of Nigeria, which gives me at least one red dot in each of the 6 inhabited continents.
The only thing I can attribute to this is the button on the top of the page that says "Next Blog," which when clicked, brings you to a randomly selected blog. I've used it a bunch of times and found some pretty interesting sites, but a lot of times I'm directed to a blog in another language. So unless you know the people in Peru, Kuwait, or Brunei Darussalam, these people will remain a mystery.
Thanks again for the Q's, more A's are on their way!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)