The Finger Prince

Teacher John: A "clue" is something that helps the police or a detective solve a case. That's why Sherlock Holmes is always holding a magnifying glass, so he can look for clues. For example, a piece of hair can be a clue. What else might be a clue?

ESL Student: The finger's here (motioning towards the tip of the finger).

Teacher John: That's right! Those are called "fingerprints." Fingerprints can definitely be a clue.

ESL Student: Teacher John, is there a "finger princess?"

EPA: "Idling OK in Moderation"

The EPA recently banned vehicles for idling for over three minutes (story here). After reading this story, I couldn’t help but notice the many absurdities surrounding this new regulation.

The EPA openly admits that “Emissions from motor vehicles are the main source of air contaminants in urban areas and have a severe impact on air quality and public health,” yet at the same time is condoning

Revolution Against Pollution

Dear Idle-Free Taipei supporters-

First of all, for those who haven't heard, Idle-Free Taipei was entered in a Carbon-Reducing contest (held by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Bureau of Energy) and we placed 3rd overall!!! 

Second,

Taiwan Bucket List

I live near Shi Da Night Market in one of those top-floor apartments without a mailbox. Cockroaches the size of my thumb have the run of the place, and a couple buildings block my view of Taipei 101. On summer nights, sweat leaks into my bed linens, and in the winter I wear a scarf to bed. This is Taiwan.

Taipei 101 still wins

Although Taipei 101 has recently lost the title of "Tallest Building in the World" to Burj Dubai (just barely, see graph below), the bamboo-shaped building in Taiwan's capital city still has a few things left to boast about. 

Letter to the Editor

As it appeared in Taipei Times:

‘Idle-free’ is catching on

Two months ago I wrote a letter to this newspaper calling out for people to “support an idle-free Taipei” (Letter, May 17, page 8). I ended the letter with a plea to people out there that not only care, but also are proactive. Fortunately, some people contacted me and helped Idle-Free Taipei grow.

Swim Rage!

[Disclaimer: I swam competitively for almost 15 years, which means I'm used to swimming in a lane with maybe only 5 or 6 other people that swim around the same speed as me. Taiwan is the FIRST place I've ever swum by myself in a public pool during open swim hours.]

Here are some things I've learned about swimming in Taipei, mostly at Daan Sports Center. (Note that these observations have taken place at only 2 pools in Taipei, so please don't misconstrue this as a rant against any group of people.)

Clean Air Promotion

Saturday, July 2
9:00 AM- 2:00 PM
Please join Idle-Free Taipei in this educational promotion event!

Many people are unaware that idling engines cost money! In fact, in the Taipei City area alone, almost $900,000 worth of fuel

Clean Air: You Deserve It!

Imagine this:

You are walking down the street with a friend, and he falls down. Somehow he manages to cut his leg open on a piece of glass, and he is bleeding profusely. You immediately realize he needs to be rushed to a hospital, as the wound can only be closed with stitches. You have three options:

Idling scooters are nutritious??

This is in response to a blog post written by one Michael Fagan (his words in green), who apparently wasn’t a fan of my letter to the editor in the Taipei Times. Although his blog post was peppered with positive feedback about the cause, “The proposition itself is as sensible as it is simple,” he wasn’t satisfied with the language I used in the letter.

I used to word “campaign” to describe the actions I’m taking (which largely consist of a website, Facebook fan page and a Facebook event) towards reaching an Idle-Free Taipei.

Fagan’s interpretation of the word “campaign” stirred up thoughts of a “military metaphor,” as he went on to say that “that’s distinctly uncivil.”

Idle-Free Taipei

If you are a scooter driver, this is a rare opportunity. With the simple turn of a key, you are not only saving yourself money, but you are also taking a step towards a cleaner Taipei.


The next time you are stopped at a traffic light for more than 15 seconds,

Soccer vs. Football vs. Rugby

This post is in reference to some particular games that involve people playing in a field, on foot, with a goal of somehow getting a ball to the opponent's side of the field. These sports go by any of these names:

• Football
• Soccer
• Rugby
• (American) Football

Here is the history-

Yellow Fever and 白人看不懂

Here's a funny take on the mystery of Asian (female) and Caucasian (male) couples.

A Wong Fu Productions film.

Day 6: A washout

5/30
I think I keep losing focus on my goal for this trip... I was thinking I could stick it out in the rain... I would have missed some great scenery along the way.

Animal Cruelty in Taiwan

I just recently went to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Taipei. While I, among thousands of others, have already witnessed a fair amount of animal cruelty in Taiwan, it appears that artist Chang Li-shang has decided to take an alternative form of action:

Day 5: Taroko Gorge

5/29
I can't imagine being at Taroko without a scooter. It was so easy for me to zip around the bus traffic and pull over whenever I felt a picturesque moment. On that note, there is no justice in pictures of this place.

Day 4: Backtracking

6:00 AM. No rain. Lots of roosters (or other animals with loud noises). OK sleep. Spent the night being paranoid about sounds and a truck that parked near my scooter. Not sure what to do today after I return from Wai'ao. Maybe head straight for Taroko.

The Ultimate Map

10 days of scootering down the east coast of Taiwan.

Here's what I wrote about it.

Here's how I did it:

He said "gao wan!"

If you know for a fact that nobody around you can hear/understand what you're saying, that's basically a free pass to talk about whatever you want. This applies to people who go hiking by themselves, adults who talk about "grown up things" in front of the kids, friends who have code words for other people, and people in the U.S. who speak any language other then English. This also applies for Taiwanese students in the presence of their English teacher who doesn't know any Chinese. The difference is, recently I am able to understand a lot of what they are saying, and they don't know!!

"The History and Evolution of the Peace Sign"

I just found this video, thought you'd like to see it: