June 9th was a special day for me. It marked 2 years of living in Taiwan.
Living and working here has been an unbelievable experience. But at the same time I cannot say if it surpassed my expectations. Mainly since when I arrived all I expected was to work and to live here. Part of that was I had minimal idea of what to expect and little guidance from my boss beyond being told where to go. I was ok with that.
In short, Taiwan has been amazing.
I won’t thank specific people here since most of the people I need to thank have already been thanked in person. Still looking back makes me truly humbled that so many people here in Taiwan have been so kind to me and done so much to show me guidance and take me under their wings. Almost without exception, the Taiwanese people have been wonderful toward me. Even more so now that I have been dating one for 7 months.
I have done my best to adopt the local manners, languages, culture, customs, and feeling. Taiwan has become my second home and I’ve become Taiwanese.
When I come back to Taiwan after my summer trip there will be a lot to consider in my remaining year. What I can be sure of is that I will continue to have great experiences here.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Highlight Reel
In the last 18 days since I have updated this blog there have been a lot of things that have happened. So over the next few days I’ll try to turn this into a highlight reel of sorts and go through those that stick out the most to me.
2 Years in Taiwan
Dragon Boat Festival
A mini ND dinner
My upcoming trip
2 Years in Taiwan
Dragon Boat Festival
A mini ND dinner
My upcoming trip
Thursday, June 3, 2010
NBA Finals
A lot of people cast election votes for the person who is the least bad. I feel that way about the NBA finals.
As a Blazer fan I completely detest the Lakers. Every little thing about them. On the other hand, I can't stand Sheed and Garnet on the Celtics.
I just want this over and Greg Oden to come back. Sigh...
As a Blazer fan I completely detest the Lakers. Every little thing about them. On the other hand, I can't stand Sheed and Garnet on the Celtics.
I just want this over and Greg Oden to come back. Sigh...
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Siesta and Chiptole (Kinda)
This weekend both my girlfriend and I were a little worn down. So instead of our usual weekend, which packs tons of things into those 48 hours, we decided to take a siesta and take it easy on Sunday. Even then the day before both of us had tests and I went out to get some tailored pants
It was a good choice. Just hang out at my place, watch tv shows, eat (lots), and rest.
Then that evening we went out to a newly opened Mexican place that was assisted in business planning by a ND MBA that I know and some of his cousins. I expected a nice sit down place with good Mexican food. Instead, I got Chipotle. Not that this is a bad thing. But I was surprised since I expected something different.
Basically, the restaurant was similar to Chipotle in all but name and interior design. Still the food was good. It is a little out of the way for me but I'll probably make it back there sometime.
It was a good choice. Just hang out at my place, watch tv shows, eat (lots), and rest.
Then that evening we went out to a newly opened Mexican place that was assisted in business planning by a ND MBA that I know and some of his cousins. I expected a nice sit down place with good Mexican food. Instead, I got Chipotle. Not that this is a bad thing. But I was surprised since I expected something different.
Basically, the restaurant was similar to Chipotle in all but name and interior design. Still the food was good. It is a little out of the way for me but I'll probably make it back there sometime.
How to Surprise a Taiwanese High School Student
This weekend I was out in the Ximen Ding area of Taipei to see Shrek 4 (like the others it was pretty good). It was there that I inadvertently learned how to surprise a Taiwanese female high school student.
In public areas in Taiwan students will often stand there with clear boxes asking for your receipts. Each time you buy things there is a standard numbered receipt and the number on the receipt is put into a lottery style drawing. So the kids are there to collect them for whatever cause they support. They will stand there and say in unison their pitch and ask you to give them your receipts.
As I walked by one group of two students in an especially crowded area they started their pitch in unison and a little too close to me (~2 feet away). I snapped my head around to see the source of the sudden intrusion. When I looked at them they stopped cold for a few seconds then mumbled (that's the best word I can think of for it as they said it at a normal speed and volume but they were just saying gibberish) the rest of the line before breaking into nervous giggles.
In public areas in Taiwan students will often stand there with clear boxes asking for your receipts. Each time you buy things there is a standard numbered receipt and the number on the receipt is put into a lottery style drawing. So the kids are there to collect them for whatever cause they support. They will stand there and say in unison their pitch and ask you to give them your receipts.
As I walked by one group of two students in an especially crowded area they started their pitch in unison and a little too close to me (~2 feet away). I snapped my head around to see the source of the sudden intrusion. When I looked at them they stopped cold for a few seconds then mumbled (that's the best word I can think of for it as they said it at a normal speed and volume but they were just saying gibberish) the rest of the line before breaking into nervous giggles.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Yilan!
This weekend I took a short trip with my girlfriend, her high school friend, and 3 friends of the high school friend to the Northeastern Taiwanese city of Yilan. I had never been to the city before and I did zero prep work to know the sights and attractions I wanted to see (such is the great benefit of having a girlfriend who is an amazing party/trip planner). After we first got there everyone went out to a traditional "museum" spread over a huge area of land with lots of shops and stores. We were able to see the guy below pulling sugar to make traditional candy.
I also got quite a view of one of the local hotties while I was in Yilan/Luodong.
After a quick stop at a riverside park and a roll down a hill it was decided that we would venture out for a night of shrimp fishing. Now, I had been shrimp fishing before. It is a very Taiwanese activity that tacitly encourages you to drink, smoke, and chew betel nut while you do it--maybe like bowling in the US minus the betel nut). Basically, you grab a pole and sit around a small cloudy pool put a little bait on your tiny hook and test your luck. Somehow these guys are more than slippery and despite your best efforts you dont land many of them. When you do land them then you have to be careful since they have some decent pincher claws.
When you take them off the hook that means you have to be careful. Then again you can just use my strategy of just ripping their claws off as you take them off the hook.
Once you have used your allotted time you take the catch to be cleaned and barbecued. We had 6 people and not many shrimp. But we were beyond lucky. A little Taiwanese lady who had been using what I can only imagine was super bait handed us a basket full of shrimp. Instead of having 12 shrimp we were suddenly in the great situation of having about 35 more. With the glut of shrimp we found that they made fantastic toys.
The next day we didnt do too much before going back to Taipei. As we dropped off our rented scooters we went inside a store to get some gifts. The owner and her daughter, below, were facinated by the black girl with us and her braids. So much so that they asked her to braid the her hair. The thing was the owner was really nice but the little girl was incredibly shy--to shy to even talk to us or say thanks.
I also got quite a view of one of the local hotties while I was in Yilan/Luodong.
After a quick stop at a riverside park and a roll down a hill it was decided that we would venture out for a night of shrimp fishing. Now, I had been shrimp fishing before. It is a very Taiwanese activity that tacitly encourages you to drink, smoke, and chew betel nut while you do it--maybe like bowling in the US minus the betel nut). Basically, you grab a pole and sit around a small cloudy pool put a little bait on your tiny hook and test your luck. Somehow these guys are more than slippery and despite your best efforts you dont land many of them. When you do land them then you have to be careful since they have some decent pincher claws.
When you take them off the hook that means you have to be careful. Then again you can just use my strategy of just ripping their claws off as you take them off the hook.
Once you have used your allotted time you take the catch to be cleaned and barbecued. We had 6 people and not many shrimp. But we were beyond lucky. A little Taiwanese lady who had been using what I can only imagine was super bait handed us a basket full of shrimp. Instead of having 12 shrimp we were suddenly in the great situation of having about 35 more. With the glut of shrimp we found that they made fantastic toys.
The next day we didnt do too much before going back to Taipei. As we dropped off our rented scooters we went inside a store to get some gifts. The owner and her daughter, below, were facinated by the black girl with us and her braids. So much so that they asked her to braid the her hair. The thing was the owner was really nice but the little girl was incredibly shy--to shy to even talk to us or say thanks.
As we left the owner/mother spoke to me in Chinese and said the daughter was too nervous since she could not speak English but after seeing us her goal was to be able to learn English when she got older so she could talk with foreigners.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Half a Year
Increbible really. It has been over six months since I started dating my girlfriend. In the long run of things, that really isn't in a long time and hopefully in terms of the total of our relationship that isn't a long time either. In the short run of things, it is a long time. Currently, I have been living in Taiwan for almost 2 years. So for more than a quarter of my time here I have been dating my girlfriend.
The time in the Taiwan and the last 6 months have flown by incredibly quickly and I'm sure that trend will only accelerate. Still the last 6 months have been an incredible adventure and a wonderful journey with my girlfriend. For those of you who read still occassionally read this thing, you will have to take my word for it until you are able to meet her in person; she is a great gal.
When I came back from Thailand and Cambodia I had to work on that Saturday then meet my boss for a business dinner. Even though I was tired, there was no question in my mind that I was going to meet her for KTV.
Then the next day we had our long awaited date day to celebrate 6 months. We were both tired and had a lot of work to do, but it was a great little escape to go visit Danshui for the day.
I'm looking forward to the next 6 months.
The time in the Taiwan and the last 6 months have flown by incredibly quickly and I'm sure that trend will only accelerate. Still the last 6 months have been an incredible adventure and a wonderful journey with my girlfriend. For those of you who read still occassionally read this thing, you will have to take my word for it until you are able to meet her in person; she is a great gal.
When I came back from Thailand and Cambodia I had to work on that Saturday then meet my boss for a business dinner. Even though I was tired, there was no question in my mind that I was going to meet her for KTV.
Then the next day we had our long awaited date day to celebrate 6 months. We were both tired and had a lot of work to do, but it was a great little escape to go visit Danshui for the day.
I'm looking forward to the next 6 months.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Cambodia and Thailand Trip
I didn't take a camera this time so all of these pictures are from my BlackBerry. When we arrived in Cambodia on Sunday evening the captain came over the loud speaker of the flight to announce the outside temperature was 40 C. Think of that as more than 100 F and you get the idea; I started sweating almost immediately. That night I went to dinner with a coworker at a river side pub. But as the band came on a bunch of Russians came in. They were drunk already, of course, and proceeded to harass waitresses and the singers while being all-around jackasses. My coworker, who was travelling with me, and I decided to head for the exit as both the pub owner and bouncers took the Russians aside.
The next day was a full day of meeting and running around the scorching sun of Phnom Penh in a tuk tuk. Then Tuesday we spent the day again running around the city until 2pm when we went to check out of the hotel and head to the airport for Thailand. I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined a country with no McDonalds, like Cambodia, would have a Dairy Queen in the airport.
Then we landed in Bangkok. Everyone had told us the Red Shirt protests were dying down and there was a good chance of a negotiated solution in the coming days (we arrived on Wednesday). That said, there was still some danger in the city. But the danger was contained in a few areas of the city and the rest was safe. Thankfully I had been to the city about 10 times so I knew how to get around and avoid trouble.
The next morning I woke up for a full day of meetings. Then we were off for a meeting close to the protest zone. Again, we were lucky as at that time things hadn't really kicked off. Below is the area near the protest zone from about 38 floors up.
At night we headed to the night market for dinner and shopping.
Along the way I found a stall selling some bugs, including some huge cockroaches.
Then we settled in for a nice meal outside. Thankfully they had cold beers and fans since it was about 38 C and humid. I have no idea how people lived there before the advent of AC.
The next day was a full day of meeting and running around the scorching sun of Phnom Penh in a tuk tuk. Then Tuesday we spent the day again running around the city until 2pm when we went to check out of the hotel and head to the airport for Thailand. I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined a country with no McDonalds, like Cambodia, would have a Dairy Queen in the airport.
Then we landed in Bangkok. Everyone had told us the Red Shirt protests were dying down and there was a good chance of a negotiated solution in the coming days (we arrived on Wednesday). That said, there was still some danger in the city. But the danger was contained in a few areas of the city and the rest was safe. Thankfully I had been to the city about 10 times so I knew how to get around and avoid trouble.
The next morning I woke up for a full day of meetings. Then we were off for a meeting close to the protest zone. Again, we were lucky as at that time things hadn't really kicked off. Below is the area near the protest zone from about 38 floors up.
At night we headed to the night market for dinner and shopping.
Along the way I found a stall selling some bugs, including some huge cockroaches.
Then we settled in for a nice meal outside. Thankfully they had cold beers and fans since it was about 38 C and humid. I have no idea how people lived there before the advent of AC.
It was all good until the next day. I woke up at 4:30am feeling terrible and knowing I needed to visit my most important customer for a big meeting at 10:00am. Lucky for me I had a cocktail of Imodium, water, and powerful antibiotics. It seemed to do the trick and I was able to hold it together. That night we began to hear news about the protests.
We were still in a safe area. So safe in fact you could not tell there was anything amiss in Bangkok. But after a nice dinner we did notice lighter traffic. Throughout dinner we were getting reports from the protest zone (via our customers at the table) and given the expectation that things might go south (it actually took about 3 more days for that to happen) we decided to leave early in the morning for the airport. The next day I was up at 5am and was able to catch some early flights back to Taiwan.
As for being sick, I am still not 100% better but the worst is past.
We were still in a safe area. So safe in fact you could not tell there was anything amiss in Bangkok. But after a nice dinner we did notice lighter traffic. Throughout dinner we were getting reports from the protest zone (via our customers at the table) and given the expectation that things might go south (it actually took about 3 more days for that to happen) we decided to leave early in the morning for the airport. The next day I was up at 5am and was able to catch some early flights back to Taiwan.
As for being sick, I am still not 100% better but the worst is past.
Thailand Protests
Well, it looks like the government and the military were able to disperse the protests by the Red Shirts from their central area. But I think they may well have fanned embers that fall throughout the country.
This is sad. Thailand is a wonderful country with fun and welcoming people ("The Land of Smiles"). Seeing a country tearing at itself is one thing but to see a country that I have visited about 10 times and enjoyed doing this is never fun.
That said, the struggles that we see going are on are in many ways proxy fights between the real powers that be in the country. Certainly we can all hope the situation improves soon.
This is sad. Thailand is a wonderful country with fun and welcoming people ("The Land of Smiles"). Seeing a country tearing at itself is one thing but to see a country that I have visited about 10 times and enjoyed doing this is never fun.
That said, the struggles that we see going are on are in many ways proxy fights between the real powers that be in the country. Certainly we can all hope the situation improves soon.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Back Home
Well despite what you have seen on the news Thailand was fine, for me at least. There are serious fissures in Thai politics and in society in general that have been on display for the world to see. It would take a long blog entry for me to give the political problems the air time they deserve. But it should suffice to say that the news has not done well at providing the complex view that is necessary.
Thailand is a young democracy and it is going through turmoil and still working to define itself. The news has shown this as two sides, Red Shirts and the government, facing off. If only it were that simple--then it would already be over. From my count there are at least 4 sides and each of those sides has multiple internal divisions and competing agendas. Pictures of the violence make for good news but the real story is much deeper and involves fundamental political changes that are afoot in Thailand.
All of that said, I was in Bangkok from Tuesday night until early Friday morning. Not once did I see a protester or encounter any violence. Bangkok is a large city and the protests are confined to a limited area. So other areas are not impacted. Yes, there was a degree of tension in the city but by in large life went on as usual and away from the protests you would hardly know what was going on.
With the exception of one meeting in the vicinity of the protests I was in the safe zones the entire time. Still on Thursday night things seemed to be going south so my colleague and I made the decision to play it safe and leave a little early on Friday. Now I'm back in Taiwan and all is well, for me at least.
Thailand is a young democracy and it is going through turmoil and still working to define itself. The news has shown this as two sides, Red Shirts and the government, facing off. If only it were that simple--then it would already be over. From my count there are at least 4 sides and each of those sides has multiple internal divisions and competing agendas. Pictures of the violence make for good news but the real story is much deeper and involves fundamental political changes that are afoot in Thailand.
All of that said, I was in Bangkok from Tuesday night until early Friday morning. Not once did I see a protester or encounter any violence. Bangkok is a large city and the protests are confined to a limited area. So other areas are not impacted. Yes, there was a degree of tension in the city but by in large life went on as usual and away from the protests you would hardly know what was going on.
With the exception of one meeting in the vicinity of the protests I was in the safe zones the entire time. Still on Thursday night things seemed to be going south so my colleague and I made the decision to play it safe and leave a little early on Friday. Now I'm back in Taiwan and all is well, for me at least.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Thailand
Well now I'm in Bangkok. The protests here seem to have died down and the word on the street is that the situation will be resolved. Still I am staying away from the affected areas. When I get back to Taipei (Friday) I'll try to provide more updates about this trip.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Back in PP
I'm back in Phnom Penh for the first time in almost 6 months. But it has changed a lot so it feels like I've been away a long time ago. Yes, today is Mother's Day but I was able to talk with my mom yesterday on Skype to make sure that she heard my best wishes.
I thought Taiwan was hot. I was wrong. It's 38-40C here and humid. Unreal.
I'll be here for a few days then, despite the protests and apparent danger, I am going onward to Bangkok. Things are smoothing out there so hopefully all goes well.
I thought Taiwan was hot. I was wrong. It's 38-40C here and humid. Unreal.
I'll be here for a few days then, despite the protests and apparent danger, I am going onward to Bangkok. Things are smoothing out there so hopefully all goes well.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Summer is Here?
There have been multiple times this year where I have fired up the AC at night. Then, almost inevitably, within a day or two I have to break out extra blankets since the weather is cold again. Such is life in Taiwan during the spring. A few days of warm weather and a few days of cold.
Now, I think, that dynamic is changing. It is getting closer to summer. When I say a Taiwanese summer what I mean is ~90 degrees hot on a normal day with oppressive humidity that makes saunas unnecessary.
I can feel it coming. The last few days have been really hot and have been increasingly humid. The summer is on it's way. Luckily for me there will be a good period this year where I will be outside of Taiwan for the hottest of the heat, but that will be discussed later.
Now, I think, that dynamic is changing. It is getting closer to summer. When I say a Taiwanese summer what I mean is ~90 degrees hot on a normal day with oppressive humidity that makes saunas unnecessary.
I can feel it coming. The last few days have been really hot and have been increasingly humid. The summer is on it's way. Luckily for me there will be a good period this year where I will be outside of Taiwan for the hottest of the heat, but that will be discussed later.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Thoughts From a Nobel Mind
Even if you aren't into economics jargon, I would hope that you take the time each day to read Paul Krugman's blog (http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/), Conscience of a Liberal. He is indeed liberal and his best economic work is behind him having taken the mantle of an endowed Princeton professor and New York Times columnist. Still it's not every day you can read the thoughts of a Nobel Prize winning economist written in accessible prose. He has recently had some great stuff about the Greek debt crisis, the Euro-zone, and Republican excesses.
While I'm at it I also have to give a plug to the other blog on my daily reading list, The Best Defense (http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/), which is written by defense expert Tom Ricks. If you are interested in defense issues this is the place to go (if you are really interested in defense then peruse "The Small Wars Journal" http://smallwarsjournal.com/ as well ).
While I'm at it I also have to give a plug to the other blog on my daily reading list, The Best Defense (http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/), which is written by defense expert Tom Ricks. If you are interested in defense issues this is the place to go (if you are really interested in defense then peruse "The Small Wars Journal" http://smallwarsjournal.com/ as well ).
Monday, April 26, 2010
Trip to Taichung
This weekend I took a nice trip to Taichung in central Taiwan; otherwise known as my girlfriend's hometown.
I got off of work a little later than I wanted on Friday and hurried home to get a backpack ready. Before I could even eat dinner I was off to catch the High Speed Rail (HSR) to Taichung. It is very fast, on time, convenient, and has a stop near my house. Except for talking with my girlfriend's parents (who are very good to me) I took it easy and hit the sack for some sleep.
The next day started a little earlier than normal for me at 6:50am because I had to join my girlfriend, her friend, and a friend of her friend for a day trip to the near-by Sun Moon Lake. The nice thing is that it is more than just a scenic lake. There is a big amusement park, gondola line, and Taiwanese aboriginal shows to see.
The amusement park was fun. The first ride I was on lifted you about 200 feet into the air then dropped you for about 2 seconds. Scary as hell but fun. Then there was a small roller coaster that I sat in front for. No problem I thought its only about a minute ride. But dear God, that thing was insane. Would I do those again? Absolutely
I got off of work a little later than I wanted on Friday and hurried home to get a backpack ready. Before I could even eat dinner I was off to catch the High Speed Rail (HSR) to Taichung. It is very fast, on time, convenient, and has a stop near my house. Except for talking with my girlfriend's parents (who are very good to me) I took it easy and hit the sack for some sleep.
The next day started a little earlier than normal for me at 6:50am because I had to join my girlfriend, her friend, and a friend of her friend for a day trip to the near-by Sun Moon Lake. The nice thing is that it is more than just a scenic lake. There is a big amusement park, gondola line, and Taiwanese aboriginal shows to see.
The amusement park was fun. The first ride I was on lifted you about 200 feet into the air then dropped you for about 2 seconds. Scary as hell but fun. Then there was a small roller coaster that I sat in front for. No problem I thought its only about a minute ride. But dear God, that thing was insane. Would I do those again? Absolutely
After that it was off to see the aboriginal cultural villages and culture shows. In a way it made me feel bad that they were being reduced to attractions on the level of a theme park. Sing and dance all day then do it again the next. So then we all headed off to the gondola to the Sun Moon Lake. It was great scenery and lovely views...but only if you like fog.
We had the fun we could then went back home for dinner. Before going to bed my girlfriend's mom taught me the basics of Chinese calligraphy and gave me a shot. It was my first time and despite my best efforts I was atrocious but after some practice improved to the level of pretty bad.
The next morning I went on a hike with my girlfriend's parents in jeans and nice shoes. Needless to say the hike wasn't hard.
The next morning I went on a hike with my girlfriend's parents in jeans and nice shoes. Needless to say the hike wasn't hard.
So when I got back I cleaned up a bit and then made a french toast breakfast for everyone. I hadn't cooked french toast forever, which is sad considering I used to wake up early on the weekends back home and cook it for my family. Well it tasted just like the french toast back home. So I was quite pleased. On that note, I returned back to Taipei
Friday, April 23, 2010
Seriously?
Today was Round 1 of the NFL Draft. I was stunned that Denver would take Tebow. They mismanaged Cutler who was much more polished out of college and now they are taking a quarterback who (let's face it) isn't used to pro offenses, has a poor passing motion, and if he tries running like in college will get clobbered. What makes that even more inexplicable is that Jimmy Clausen was still on the board.
That said Tebow seems like a great guy. So best of luck to him. But, seriously, Denver what were you thinking?
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Let's Have a Tea Party
As a political science major and a connoisseur of current events, I am somewhat intrigued by the American Tea Party movement (jokes about tea bagging aside).
Here is a disorganized umbrella movement that has no particular agenda but has still managed to shake up the American political scene. Normally not having a clear agenda is bad. But here it allows them to become a big tent where all members can bring their grievances and feel included since there is no set agenda. At the same time, their disorganization and lack of a clear agenda will eventually hinder their growth and political influence (unless they organize more tightly).
I mean if you say you don't like big government that feels good; not many Americans will say the oppostite. But what does that really mean to not like big government? Do you like big government (military) defense spending or do you taken away? Do you like Medicare or do you want that to be taken away? Do you like public roads or do you want that to be take away? Do you not like public healthcare and want that to be taken away? What I mean is that saying you don't like big government is fine, until you have to make a decision about what constitutes "big government" and should be cut.
The question of why has this movement blossomed has been bedeviling columnists. I suggest looking at the columns by Leonard Pitts Jr. he has some good stuff on the topic. Although the reactionary aspect and the vitrol the protesters have shown is extremely worrisome to me I don't mind people organizing politically. After all, that is the basis of America. So I'll let others deal with the why, I'm more interested in the implications.
A lot of people think this is good for Republicans and bad for Democrats. That maybe so--but don't bet on it. Republicans have just as much, if not more, to be frightened of than do Democrats. You see the Tea Party is generally right wing, far to the right of moderate Republicans. Now is the primary season and to capture the votes of those on the far right (who are the key to winning over in primaries in order to be elected) you must appeal to them. So what we have seen is normally centrist Republicans (John McCain and Charlie Crist) running to the right to gain votes.
That is normal. The problem comes in the general election when Republicans are split. Their candidates will have taken far right positions in the primaries that they cannot easily renounce. So they will be stuck on the far right. The unfortunate part for them is that most of the electorate is in the middle (Median Voter Theory). So while they may make it out of the primary intact they will be shooting themselves in the foot for the general elections. Furthermore, their is no guarantee that the Tea Party candidates will pull out of the general elections. This hurts them by splitting the base Republican vote even further while repelling moderates, who are central to winning any election in American politics. At the same time the Democrats don't face a similar third party challenge, so they should have the advantage, right?
No. Or at least not necessarily. The Tea Party seems to be tapping into a strong anti-incumbency current in the US. That feeling could be bad for Democrats. But unless the Republicans/Tea Party can put up viable candidates in big races, things could still swing the Democrat's way (assuming the left votes as a block and turns out). The biggest question will be turnout. If the right gets a lot of people out to vote then the Democrats will be in trouble. Still the Democrats are running scared and after the election likely still will be scared (keep in mind it is normal for the minority party to gain seats in the mid-term elections).
I do wonder, though, if the elections go poorly for the right what the reaction will be. My fear would be that all this talk of impending doom on their side would fuel many crazies. If they did poorly in an election then they would lose hope of affecting change at the ballot box and instead resort to other means. Hopefully that doesn't come to pass. The problem, though, is that they have adopted very extreme rhetoric towards the government in general and Obama in particular. This is a problem because, despite what Jesse Helms said, politics is the art of compromise--so when you call your opponents devils and say there are soon to destroy all that is good then you leave yourself no room to compromise. Ironically, people angry at the government not moving fast enough adopt extreme rhetoric which then incentivizes politicians not to compromise thereby introducing further gridlock.
The final interesting thing is that most politicians are elected saying what they will do to bring your more services or pieces of pie. Instead, the Tea Party wants nothing of the sort. I wonder how long it will last in an electoral system geared to generate two parties and weighed with its own contradictions.
Only time will tell.
A Crazy Little Thing
A crazy little thing indeed. I was talking to a college friend who, for now, shall remain nameless when I was in Xiamen. Told him I was dating a very lovely lady over here and it was going on 5 months since we had been together. He responded by joking and saying something along the lines of, "5 months? Wow, she must be great since 5 days is usually a long time for you." I laughed. In college 5 days sure was a long time since I had other interests like running, beer, and class that came first.
Then I came to Taiwan and lived here for a little less than a year and a half before I met my girlfriend.
Time certainly does fly by and those 5 months have been no exception to that rule. So to celebrate our 5 months together my girlfriend and I both went to take a gondola ride, have a nice dinner, and do some shopping this last weekend.
Like all time with my girlfriend it was great fun and I had an absolute blast. So here's to the next 5 months!
Xiamen
Looking back at this month you can pretty clearly see it is threadbare in terms of posting. The reason for that sorry state of affairs is that at the beginning of the month I was in Xiamen, China.
There really isn't too much to report.
Up at 6:30am most days, outsourcing company by 8am, lunch and dinner there, head out ~6pm, work in hotel lobby until late, talk to my girlfriend on Skype, sleep, and do it again. Besides talking to my girlfriend the highlight was seeing the graffiti below (it says "Heaven"):
I was there solely for work and that is exactly what I did. I arrived on Wednesday and then worked full days (plus using a few hours of hotel wifi to do more work when I got back) until I left on a Tuesday. So basically full days sitting in an outsourcing factory going crazy with emails, Skype, and all manner of other communication.
Back story is that I was there to monitor some outsourcing production we were doing. The company we were working with has a good reputation and in the end turned out a good product. The problem was that every step along the way was fraught with errors, problems, or delays. What should have been a quick project dragged on far too long. I'll keep the details confidential but it should suffice to say that the outsourcer had some serious problems with production management. At one point, the problems came to a head for me. Those of you who know me know that I do not get visibly angry very often--especially not in front of customers or in a professional setting. But this was not most times. Seeing these problems and the lack of urgency on the part of the workers made me very angry. Thinking like a Chinese person I knew there had to be a hard response but one that would allow everyone to save face.
So I first worked myself up even more to prepare for my show (I was angry but what I did was more of a show). When I was angry enough I took the lady in charge of this project and the manager aside for a terse conversation in Chinese. Basically, I told them, "We are going back to the office now! I cannot accept this situation because it has already taken you so much time to adjust this machine and we've had too many delays." That was to let the manager know I was angry. Then as we walked back to the office and inside the office I tried my best to bust the chops of the lady in charge out of ear shot of other; to let her save face. When I finished she went away smarting. I have no idea if it worked but after waiting 5 hours to that point the adjustments were done within 45 minutes. But, damn, did it feel good. Now I know why my GM likes to bust chops so much.
After that there were still problems. But we got things done and I've been taking care of shipping since then. Toward the end I was just tired of things. I was tired of the problems, tired of delays, and tired of not seeing my girlfriend. I made sure things were set and then promptly came back to Taiwan.
There really isn't too much to report.
Up at 6:30am most days, outsourcing company by 8am, lunch and dinner there, head out ~6pm, work in hotel lobby until late, talk to my girlfriend on Skype, sleep, and do it again. Besides talking to my girlfriend the highlight was seeing the graffiti below (it says "Heaven"):
I was there solely for work and that is exactly what I did. I arrived on Wednesday and then worked full days (plus using a few hours of hotel wifi to do more work when I got back) until I left on a Tuesday. So basically full days sitting in an outsourcing factory going crazy with emails, Skype, and all manner of other communication.
Back story is that I was there to monitor some outsourcing production we were doing. The company we were working with has a good reputation and in the end turned out a good product. The problem was that every step along the way was fraught with errors, problems, or delays. What should have been a quick project dragged on far too long. I'll keep the details confidential but it should suffice to say that the outsourcer had some serious problems with production management. At one point, the problems came to a head for me. Those of you who know me know that I do not get visibly angry very often--especially not in front of customers or in a professional setting. But this was not most times. Seeing these problems and the lack of urgency on the part of the workers made me very angry. Thinking like a Chinese person I knew there had to be a hard response but one that would allow everyone to save face.
So I first worked myself up even more to prepare for my show (I was angry but what I did was more of a show). When I was angry enough I took the lady in charge of this project and the manager aside for a terse conversation in Chinese. Basically, I told them, "We are going back to the office now! I cannot accept this situation because it has already taken you so much time to adjust this machine and we've had too many delays." That was to let the manager know I was angry. Then as we walked back to the office and inside the office I tried my best to bust the chops of the lady in charge out of ear shot of other; to let her save face. When I finished she went away smarting. I have no idea if it worked but after waiting 5 hours to that point the adjustments were done within 45 minutes. But, damn, did it feel good. Now I know why my GM likes to bust chops so much.
After that there were still problems. But we got things done and I've been taking care of shipping since then. Toward the end I was just tired of things. I was tired of the problems, tired of delays, and tired of not seeing my girlfriend. I made sure things were set and then promptly came back to Taiwan.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
The Dentist
Last night I went to the dentist after probably the longest absence my whole life (going on 2 years since I last visited) thanks to the joys of not having insurance.
For a lot of people a trip to the dentist is kind of like the picture above. Frankly, I have never found it that scary or bothersome. Even as a little kid they gave me laughing gas when filling my cavities and I had a great time. A few years ago having oral surgeries I talked with the doctors while they were slicing and dicing my gums and I had a great time.
But I was a little nervous about the Taiwanese dentist since I know NO Chinese vocabulary words for dentistry.
So the night before I set up an appointment by walking to the dentist office about 1 minute from my apartment. It was no problem, I set up an appointment for 7pm the next day and took 1 minute to fill out a form.
On the day of the appointment I arrived at 7pm and got right in. At 7:24pm I walked out with a basic tooth cleaning (using the scratch tool and then smear some mystery solutions on my pearly whites). The cool thing is that I could have been out 10 minutes sooner if the dentist hadn't wanted to talk so much. He would be cleaning my teeth then take of his mask and talk for a few minutes about his kids in the US or ask me questions to practice his English. Real nice guy.
The best part was that my wallet was only NT $500 lighter (US $15) when I walked out. I will eventually get my Taiwanese health card and then that number will be even less.
That Time Again
I can feel it in the air, sometimes. Summer is coming. How do I know this? In Taiwan you can tell by the humidity. When you walk outside in the middle of the day and it feels like someone draped a wet towel over you in a sauna then you know summer has arrived. Right now I can tell that it's coming.
The last few days have been in the upper 70's and low 80's with a hint of humidity. But I can feel it; I know it's coming.
Sure the weather will mess with my head like it has the last two months. Three days are hot and require AC then the next three will be cold and rainy requiring some layers. It goes back and forth and is wonderful if you want to get a cold.
So tomorrow will no doubt be cold. Still the mercury will creep ever upward as the days go by and soon even the cold days will be mid 70's and humid. What else does that mean, besides me drowning in sweat for a few months before I get used to things? Typhoon season is around the corner.
The last few days have been in the upper 70's and low 80's with a hint of humidity. But I can feel it; I know it's coming.
Sure the weather will mess with my head like it has the last two months. Three days are hot and require AC then the next three will be cold and rainy requiring some layers. It goes back and forth and is wonderful if you want to get a cold.
So tomorrow will no doubt be cold. Still the mercury will creep ever upward as the days go by and soon even the cold days will be mid 70's and humid. What else does that mean, besides me drowning in sweat for a few months before I get used to things? Typhoon season is around the corner.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Whew!
Well it's been a while since I have posted anything. Yes, I've been busy. But more importantly I've been in China and thanks to the censors I have no access to my blog--hence, the lack of updates. I'll try to provide a bit of insight about what I was doing in China for 6 days.
Just note that it's really not too interesting. 6 days of only seeing production, the same office, a hotel lobby for free wifi, and an apartment isn't overly interesting material.
The worst part was missing my girlfriend. She is one hell of a great gal.
Just note that it's really not too interesting. 6 days of only seeing production, the same office, a hotel lobby for free wifi, and an apartment isn't overly interesting material.
The worst part was missing my girlfriend. She is one hell of a great gal.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Shrimping
This last weekend I decided to pull a Forest Gump and go shrimping--shrimp fishing that is. It is a very Taiwanese activity to do. Throughout Taiwan there are businesses that are set up like this.
They build several big pools (~20 feet long or so). Then fill them with shrimp (ranging in size from large to gigantic), lobster, or crab. Then you charge people a fee per hour to come in and catch them. Once they are done catching their fill you provide a place to clean and cook the catch on a little grill. Most also have a little refreshment stand or small kitchen at which you can order some food.
There are a few problems though. First, the prices tend to be expensive. Second, the shrimp are quite hard to catch when it is colder since they are cold blooded and don’t move or eat as much in the cold. But the plus side is the shrimp are big and incredibly good to eat.
Still I went this weekend with my girlfriend and a few others despite the cold. It was expensive and we only got a few shrimp. But damn those things were tasty.
That would be the first one I caught. Notice that massive single claw (the other likely got taken off in a fight).
They build several big pools (~20 feet long or so). Then fill them with shrimp (ranging in size from large to gigantic), lobster, or crab. Then you charge people a fee per hour to come in and catch them. Once they are done catching their fill you provide a place to clean and cook the catch on a little grill. Most also have a little refreshment stand or small kitchen at which you can order some food.
There are a few problems though. First, the prices tend to be expensive. Second, the shrimp are quite hard to catch when it is colder since they are cold blooded and don’t move or eat as much in the cold. But the plus side is the shrimp are big and incredibly good to eat.
Still I went this weekend with my girlfriend and a few others despite the cold. It was expensive and we only got a few shrimp. But damn those things were tasty.
That would be the first one I caught. Notice that massive single claw (the other likely got taken off in a fight).
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Lost in the Shuffle
I need to stop and take a moment to say a word of congratulations. Right now I have several friends in both the U.S. and in Taiwan who are engaged. In no particular order:
Steve and Katie
Joshua and Tingting
Joe and Kara
Brian and Aimee
Congrats to all of you guys! I won't be joining you anytime soon for the married life so I'll just go ahead and live vicariously through you.
Steve and Katie
Joshua and Tingting
Joe and Kara
Brian and Aimee
Congrats to all of you guys! I won't be joining you anytime soon for the married life so I'll just go ahead and live vicariously through you.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Healthcare!
"congrats man! we have health care"
Those were the words I received from my friend who is stationed in Baghdad with the Marines. Very cool to have someone in a combat zone so happy that the U.S. Congress passed a plan to extend health care coverage.
First however, I need to state two qualifiers before delving into this post:
1. I have done minimal research on the provisions of the bill beyond reading Paul Krugman's economic analysis.
2. I am not sure, as of yet, how the bill will impact me given that I am currently uninsured.
Having said that I was happy about the passage for several reasons. First, I think this can help to make the U.S. more economically competitive by reducing the burden on employers to provide insurance (however, I don't think what I have seen of the bill does nearly enough to reign in costs). Second, providing health care for the poor, the young, and the elderly is never a bad thing. Third, if the experience of Taiwan is an indicator health care can be extended quickly. Fourth, I recall a story by Fareed Zakaria saying that much of GM's production has been moved to Canada because workers there are just as skilled but don't have the huge burden of health insurance.
Despite the good that I think can result from this bill I have been disappointed in many aspects. As mentioned above, costs will not be controlled well enough because we fear "death panels." Speaking of which, leads me into the most disheartening parts of this debate: political behavior of the American right.
Politics is the art of compromise. So when you start things off by screaming that a bill is the return of Stalin, Mao, and Hitler then you don't leave yourself room to compromise or even improve that bill. As has consistently been the case this year, the Republicans (and Tea Par tiers) have not sought to improve things and instead turned to purely vitriol-filled spouting. So much for acting like adults. They alone haven't poisoned the political process, but they have done far more than anyone else to poison things.
While I am happy the bill passed I am sorely disappointed in a significant section of the populace. Then again disappointment doesn't even begin to describe low lives who would use the n-word when yelling at Congressman John Lewis. Shame on them and the Republicans for not doing more to reign them in.
Those were the words I received from my friend who is stationed in Baghdad with the Marines. Very cool to have someone in a combat zone so happy that the U.S. Congress passed a plan to extend health care coverage.
First however, I need to state two qualifiers before delving into this post:
1. I have done minimal research on the provisions of the bill beyond reading Paul Krugman's economic analysis.
2. I am not sure, as of yet, how the bill will impact me given that I am currently uninsured.
Having said that I was happy about the passage for several reasons. First, I think this can help to make the U.S. more economically competitive by reducing the burden on employers to provide insurance (however, I don't think what I have seen of the bill does nearly enough to reign in costs). Second, providing health care for the poor, the young, and the elderly is never a bad thing. Third, if the experience of Taiwan is an indicator health care can be extended quickly. Fourth, I recall a story by Fareed Zakaria saying that much of GM's production has been moved to Canada because workers there are just as skilled but don't have the huge burden of health insurance.
Despite the good that I think can result from this bill I have been disappointed in many aspects. As mentioned above, costs will not be controlled well enough because we fear "death panels." Speaking of which, leads me into the most disheartening parts of this debate: political behavior of the American right.
Politics is the art of compromise. So when you start things off by screaming that a bill is the return of Stalin, Mao, and Hitler then you don't leave yourself room to compromise or even improve that bill. As has consistently been the case this year, the Republicans (and Tea Par tiers) have not sought to improve things and instead turned to purely vitriol-filled spouting. So much for acting like adults. They alone haven't poisoned the political process, but they have done far more than anyone else to poison things.
While I am happy the bill passed I am sorely disappointed in a significant section of the populace. Then again disappointment doesn't even begin to describe low lives who would use the n-word when yelling at Congressman John Lewis. Shame on them and the Republicans for not doing more to reign them in.
Ok Pope...
I'll be the first to admit I don't go to Church often enough and I'm not always the best Catholic. That said, I'm still Catholic and I've gone to Catholic schools the majority of my life. So the mess the Church has found itself in has a degree of resonance.
The Vatican seems to have (tacitly, at least) drawn the battle lines and decided to man the ramparts in response to the growing problems they face about abuse by priests. What they have to realize is that they are up a creek and the best response is that "the truth will set them free." By fighting back or denying they seem to be covering things up to those outside the Church.
These problems will not go away, especially if their existence and scope are not acknowledged. The Vatican is out of options in fact. Fighting back is a last ditch and completely incorrect response. For an organization that is supposed to be open, loving, and following in the steps of God this is completely wrongheaded.
To start the beginning of the end for this scandal the Pope needs to forcefully say that all abuse by priests is wrong and there is no statue of limitations any longer in effect. Then he needs to act to create guidelines to prevent abuse from happening in the future. Get ahead of your critics. Act decisively and swiftly. Make sure that heads roll for those who abused and allowed abuse to occur. But at the same time make sure that abuse cases are properly investigated (by outside police organizations) so that freeloaders cannot hitch themselves to these charges.
Think of Letterman. He was able to get in front of the story. He was embarassed but suffered far less than if he had waited for someone else to break the news. Compare that to Tiger Woods who let the news get far ahead of him. When he eventually did open up it was too little too late.
In sum: fighting back will only make matters worse. Instead, pre-empt critics and get a jump on these charges. But also take necessary measures to make sure false accusations are rooted out.
The Vatican seems to have (tacitly, at least) drawn the battle lines and decided to man the ramparts in response to the growing problems they face about abuse by priests. What they have to realize is that they are up a creek and the best response is that "the truth will set them free." By fighting back or denying they seem to be covering things up to those outside the Church.
These problems will not go away, especially if their existence and scope are not acknowledged. The Vatican is out of options in fact. Fighting back is a last ditch and completely incorrect response. For an organization that is supposed to be open, loving, and following in the steps of God this is completely wrongheaded.
To start the beginning of the end for this scandal the Pope needs to forcefully say that all abuse by priests is wrong and there is no statue of limitations any longer in effect. Then he needs to act to create guidelines to prevent abuse from happening in the future. Get ahead of your critics. Act decisively and swiftly. Make sure that heads roll for those who abused and allowed abuse to occur. But at the same time make sure that abuse cases are properly investigated (by outside police organizations) so that freeloaders cannot hitch themselves to these charges.
Think of Letterman. He was able to get in front of the story. He was embarassed but suffered far less than if he had waited for someone else to break the news. Compare that to Tiger Woods who let the news get far ahead of him. When he eventually did open up it was too little too late.
In sum: fighting back will only make matters worse. Instead, pre-empt critics and get a jump on these charges. But also take necessary measures to make sure false accusations are rooted out.
Shanghai Trip
Well not really a Shanghai trip. You see, I was in several locations in China:
Thursday: Fly to Hong Kong in the early morning and spend the day at an Expo (quite tiring actually) then arrive in Shanghai on a flight right before midnight. The meal on the flight was great, even in economy. It was so nice in fact that we got ice cream! One more reason to love Asian airlines.
Friday: I woke up early and went to work on my presentation for that evening. After finding a small budget hotel in the Pudong area of Shanghai I checked in and went to work practicing. In reality it didn't matter too much, our guest was late so I had to rush through the presentation. Unlike the original plan to pass me off as an IT specialist we just said I was my boss's assistant because everyone else in the room was involved in IT. That done, we went out for a nice dinner.
Saturday: Woke up very early to head to the new Shanghai West Train Station and caught the train to Hangzhou. That was to be my fist time in Hangzhou.
Thursday: Fly to Hong Kong in the early morning and spend the day at an Expo (quite tiring actually) then arrive in Shanghai on a flight right before midnight. The meal on the flight was great, even in economy. It was so nice in fact that we got ice cream! One more reason to love Asian airlines.
Friday: I woke up early and went to work on my presentation for that evening. After finding a small budget hotel in the Pudong area of Shanghai I checked in and went to work practicing. In reality it didn't matter too much, our guest was late so I had to rush through the presentation. Unlike the original plan to pass me off as an IT specialist we just said I was my boss's assistant because everyone else in the room was involved in IT. That done, we went out for a nice dinner.
Saturday: Woke up very early to head to the new Shanghai West Train Station and caught the train to Hangzhou. That was to be my fist time in Hangzhou.
It is supposed to have a nice lake and some scenery but I saw the inside of conference rooms and restaurants instead. Showing the many dialects of Chinese I met one guy with a thick Cantonese accent to his Chinese and another with a thick Hangzhou accent to his Chinese. Also, for the first time in at least a year a waitress took it upon herself to bring me a plate with a knife and fork. I had no idea what to do with it. I was using chopsticks. That night I flew to Xiamen and arrived after midnight.
Sunday: I woke up early again and went to another meeting. Then I caught the ferry and a plane back to Taiwan. It was good to get home.
Sunday: I woke up early again and went to another meeting. Then I caught the ferry and a plane back to Taiwan. It was good to get home.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Mag Lev in Shanghai
I'm really not sure why the Chinese brought in the Germans to make this train. It runs on magnents for about 6 minutes. The line runs from the airport to a connection of a subway station. That's it, one stop. The only reason I could think of to build such a contraption was that the world fair was coming.
Oh yeah, maybe build it since, damn, it's cool. The thing runs at a top speed of 430 km/hr which apparently makes it the fastest train in the world. However, when I was on it the fastest speed we reached was 301 km/hr.
I took this video on my Blackberry. We were coming from the Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) to the Pudong side of Shanghai.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
New Career Path?
My job in many ways involves me being a chameleon. Last week I was sales, purchasing, the president's assistant, and a travel agent. Today I was a machine trouble shooter, shipper, trainer, and outsourcing sales manager. Those are pretty standard roles for me.
Still today I was caught a little off guard about a new role my boss wants me to do. A little background first. In China, the top people never get involved early in any business meeting or new project. They leave that to an underling. Some businessmen and politicians even have designated people for this. The underling handles the details and works out unsavory or tough things then the bosses meet at the end and shake hands. The idea being the big guys are too busy and they don't want to play hard (publicly) or bust chops.
So my boss is taking a trip for a big meeting in Shanghai (we are talking meeting with CEO's and other big guys), which means he can't be seen as too involved early on. He also wants to throw a little curve ball toward the guys he is meeting. That means I'm coming and giving a presentation in Chinese to these big shots.
The fun thing is that when I go in and give this presentation I will be introduced as an IT professional. Frankly, that couldn't be further from the truth. I know next to nothing about IT. But I'm not paid to say no. So on Friday evening I will be an IT professional.
Still today I was caught a little off guard about a new role my boss wants me to do. A little background first. In China, the top people never get involved early in any business meeting or new project. They leave that to an underling. Some businessmen and politicians even have designated people for this. The underling handles the details and works out unsavory or tough things then the bosses meet at the end and shake hands. The idea being the big guys are too busy and they don't want to play hard (publicly) or bust chops.
So my boss is taking a trip for a big meeting in Shanghai (we are talking meeting with CEO's and other big guys), which means he can't be seen as too involved early on. He also wants to throw a little curve ball toward the guys he is meeting. That means I'm coming and giving a presentation in Chinese to these big shots.
The fun thing is that when I go in and give this presentation I will be introduced as an IT professional. Frankly, that couldn't be further from the truth. I know next to nothing about IT. But I'm not paid to say no. So on Friday evening I will be an IT professional.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Weather and Tests
Don't get me wrong I like Taiwan a lot. It is a nice place to live and the people are great. Still the weather leaves a lot to be desired. A few weeks ago I had to turn on the AC. The sun was out it was humid and it was hot--lovely weather for shorts.
Then last week that was reversed the temperatures were dropping into the 50's. That may not seem too bad but to transition from a temperature in the 80's to the low 50's is a pretty big change in the span of a week. Even for the Lantern Festival it was like that. The first day was a little overcast but warm. In the evening there was a drizzle. By the next day it was raining hard and it was significantly colder (~20 degrees F).
Then this weekend I did something I had not done for almost 2 years. I took a test. I was taking a practice LSAT and I managed to score right at the median. The cool thing was I when I spoke with a girl who was also there to take the test. She was from the same state, same city, and lived pretty close to me. When I asked where she went to high school--you guessed it--she went to the same school as me. She was a year older.
Nevertheless, I was stunned. It is a small world indeed.
Then last week that was reversed the temperatures were dropping into the 50's. That may not seem too bad but to transition from a temperature in the 80's to the low 50's is a pretty big change in the span of a week. Even for the Lantern Festival it was like that. The first day was a little overcast but warm. In the evening there was a drizzle. By the next day it was raining hard and it was significantly colder (~20 degrees F).
Then this weekend I did something I had not done for almost 2 years. I took a test. I was taking a practice LSAT and I managed to score right at the median. The cool thing was I when I spoke with a girl who was also there to take the test. She was from the same state, same city, and lived pretty close to me. When I asked where she went to high school--you guessed it--she went to the same school as me. She was a year older.
Nevertheless, I was stunned. It is a small world indeed.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
The New Addiction
Not an addiction , yet. But I get it linked with my Outlook email (work email) so I'll soon be a goner. That said, I've already decided that have to turn this bad boy off during the weekends since there is a huge temptation to check it.
Still coming to work this morning for the first time with a working Blackberry 9000 was great. I was able to check my email and get a jump on my work for the day.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Drinking Snake Blood (Mildly Graphic)
If you are on the squeamish side of things I would recommend waiting for a later post to read this blog. This is not like the movies where they say no animals were harmed. There was a snake that was grievously harmed (killed) for this.
The setup. A friend of mine from my student days in Beijing happened to be in town a few weeks ago so my girlfriend, my friend, his coworker, and me all went to a dinner then headed to the Mengjia area of Taipei. We first went through the Longshan temple which was still decked out for new year and then my friend had a fun fortune telling. Below is a picture from inside the temple
Step 3: Owner slices and dices the live snake and bleeds it into a cup.
Step 4: Owner continues his grisly work while an assistant takes the cup full of blood and mixes it with some booze and water (but not too much!).
Step 5: Drink that shot glass of snake blood before it begins to coagulate but remember not to look back at the snake that is still squirming.
The setup. A friend of mine from my student days in Beijing happened to be in town a few weeks ago so my girlfriend, my friend, his coworker, and me all went to a dinner then headed to the Mengjia area of Taipei. We first went through the Longshan temple which was still decked out for new year and then my friend had a fun fortune telling. Below is a picture from inside the temple
Then it was time to head to the infamous Snake Alley in search of snake blood to drink and good times for all, execpt for the snake of course. Here's how it's done:
Step 1: Choose a restaurant. The best ones are the ones with live snakes. Bargain for a good price and then have the owner choose a nice one for you.
Step 2: He hangs it up in full view of all passers-by while it is still alive and squirming.
Step 3: Owner slices and dices the live snake and bleeds it into a cup.
Step 4: Owner continues his grisly work while an assistant takes the cup full of blood and mixes it with some booze and water (but not too much!).
Step 5: Drink that shot glass of snake blood before it begins to coagulate but remember not to look back at the snake that is still squirming.
Books I've Read Part 5
A heads up, the blog formating functions are not working so hot right now. So there are some extra spaces in there where there shouldn't be.
This is a fascinating book. It tells the story of the burgeoning Chinese investment in Africa. This, development of the third world and the opportunities this poses, is the story of the coming decade. We don’t realize it. From my own experience I have a contact in Mozambique. He told me of a Chinese guy there who opened a plastic bag factory—he makes over $1 million a year since no one else was doing it. When I was in Africa the estimate that I heard was that there were over 1 million Chinese in Africa. So the authors have plenty of material—and they do a very good job of showing both the good and bad of Chinese investment. That said they focus very much on the bad and they use a sarcastic tone at several points (maybe this is the result of the French translation.
Greg Mortenson is amazing and I hope he wins a Nobel Prize someday. He has been able to accomplish so much with limited resources. If you haven’t read Three Cups of Tea don’t worry this book stands on its own and explains the back-story while also explaining how he has expanded his work into Afghanistan. There really isn’t much more to say—I was fan of his going in and I’ve given money to his organization—I was going to like the book no matter what. But don’t take my word for it.
I had read some of his stories in the New York Times and found him knowledgeable and insightful. So I decided to read the book. Especially at the beginning, it is choppy and disjointed. I understand why it was like that. But I thought it would have been more interesting to provide more background and give more stories about some of his experiences covering the Middle East. Still that doesn’t take away from what is a very engaging book from one brave reporter.
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
Much like his first book, Gladwell follows a formula. Make big and bold predictions about stuff that appears normal. Then use lots of stories and studies to give examples that may only vaguely support your main thesis. By this time hope the reader has forgotten the thesis so you can give them more (very interesting—not kidding here, they are very interesting) stories and examples. At the end scale back so your conclusions are positively mundane. Go on speaking tours.
China Safari by Serge Michel and Michel Beuret
This is a fascinating book. It tells the story of the burgeoning Chinese investment in Africa. This, development of the third world and the opportunities this poses, is the story of the coming decade. We don’t realize it. From my own experience I have a contact in Mozambique. He told me of a Chinese guy there who opened a plastic bag factory—he makes over $1 million a year since no one else was doing it. When I was in Africa the estimate that I heard was that there were over 1 million Chinese in Africa. So the authors have plenty of material—and they do a very good job of showing both the good and bad of Chinese investment. That said they focus very much on the bad and they use a sarcastic tone at several points (maybe this is the result of the French translation.
Stones Into Schools by Greg Mortenson
Greg Mortenson is amazing and I hope he wins a Nobel Prize someday. He has been able to accomplish so much with limited resources. If you haven’t read Three Cups of Tea don’t worry this book stands on its own and explains the back-story while also explaining how he has expanded his work into Afghanistan. There really isn’t much more to say—I was fan of his going in and I’ve given money to his organization—I was going to like the book no matter what. But don’t take my word for it.
The Forever War by Dexter Filkins
I had read some of his stories in the New York Times and found him knowledgeable and insightful. So I decided to read the book. Especially at the beginning, it is choppy and disjointed. I understand why it was like that. But I thought it would have been more interesting to provide more background and give more stories about some of his experiences covering the Middle East. Still that doesn’t take away from what is a very engaging book from one brave reporter.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Nothing to See Here (Political Post)
I've held off too long. Her are my unsolicited thoughts about some political matters facing the US right now.
Mit Romney
As far as Republicans go, he is not too bad. Then again when your only competition is rapid and frothing at the mouth you don’t have to do too much to look better. He has set himself up very very well for the 2012 Republican bid by staying out of messy stuff and being selective with his appearances. He will be the frontrunner for sure.
That said, even a not so bad Republican reminds me why I am a Democrat. In his new book he says that Obama’s moves to soften the US image (dialogue with Muslims, less bravado, closing Gitmo, etc.) have harmed the US. What that tells me is his head is so far up his ass that he has ceased to see daylight.
First, he doesn’t get out of the US much. Those moves of Obama’s have done a great deal to help the US image. Second, when it has never been more important to do so, he is not displaying any knowledge of shifting global politics and power. The US can no longer set the full global agenda and watch while countries fall into line. Those days are gone. He doesn’t seem to understand or care.
Torture
A lot of Republicans are after Obama about torture, not having military trials, and a legal response (trials in NYC) to terrorism. That is a bunch of crap.
Regarding torture, there was a good article by Fareed Zakaria recently. Looking at the case of the underpants bomber, he said the kid’s dad turned him in—or went to the US embassy in Nigeria to report him. Think about that—a father reporting on his kid. Zakaria’s point is that such a report would never happen if the father believed the US would detain the kid indefinitely and torture him. But if that father believes the son will be treated humanely and face an open justice system he will be more likely to turn him in. Something to think about.
Military Trials and Legal Response
I’ll stay on the subject of the underpants bomber. Face it people. There was one dude with chemicals in his briefs. Think how many people could possibly do this. Now think how much time, energy, and talking we spent on it. For basically nothing, terrorists made us all freak out. The best thing we can do is take it as a risk of flying and move on with life and grow our economy. Nothing would hurt them more to see us shrug this stuff off and face it that we cannot fend off every attack.
So I find it hard to believe that we want to use military trials. That confirms the thoughts of terrorists that they are in a big war—a few fighters waging war on a whole nation—and that the nation is deeply threatened by them. If you put them on trial in a civilian court the message is that you guys are common criminals. That’s the message I would want to send.
Palin
Please, Sarah, run for the 2012 nomination. I want to prove (crosses fingers) that Americans can see through fake populism and a lack of intellectual understanding of issues while rejecting you for not basing your policies in reality. Let’s prove it once and for all.
Obama
The guy is still better than any alternative. But that is no longer saying much. He seems too wishy-washy. The main problem was trying to compromise (too much and too often) with Republicans who decided there was no way in hell they would ever compromise. At some point he needs to put his foot down. He would also do well to give Americans an over-riding goal and explain how is policies work toward that goal.
He is also losing my title of favorite world leader to Australian PM Kevin Rudd (a fluent Chinese speaker).
The State of US Politics
Crappy. I did something I hardly ever do—I wrote a letter to a US Senator, who didn’t even happen to be from my home state. Senator Richard Shelby was holding all federal nominations in order to get more federal money (anti-terrorism center) in his home state. I was appalled when I heard this (the same guy will likely slam Obama if he ever tries to spend federal money) and felt compelled to tell him so.
The Developing World
I’ll say it again. Those of you in the US are missing it, the story of the decade. The world is moving on. We need to get with it. Africa, Asia, South America, etc. they are all getting on with things and trying to grow rapidly. Our political squabbles just hold us back. The developing world is where the action and the money are now. The longer it takes us to realize this—the longer we will fall.
Mit Romney
As far as Republicans go, he is not too bad. Then again when your only competition is rapid and frothing at the mouth you don’t have to do too much to look better. He has set himself up very very well for the 2012 Republican bid by staying out of messy stuff and being selective with his appearances. He will be the frontrunner for sure.
That said, even a not so bad Republican reminds me why I am a Democrat. In his new book he says that Obama’s moves to soften the US image (dialogue with Muslims, less bravado, closing Gitmo, etc.) have harmed the US. What that tells me is his head is so far up his ass that he has ceased to see daylight.
First, he doesn’t get out of the US much. Those moves of Obama’s have done a great deal to help the US image. Second, when it has never been more important to do so, he is not displaying any knowledge of shifting global politics and power. The US can no longer set the full global agenda and watch while countries fall into line. Those days are gone. He doesn’t seem to understand or care.
Torture
A lot of Republicans are after Obama about torture, not having military trials, and a legal response (trials in NYC) to terrorism. That is a bunch of crap.
Regarding torture, there was a good article by Fareed Zakaria recently. Looking at the case of the underpants bomber, he said the kid’s dad turned him in—or went to the US embassy in Nigeria to report him. Think about that—a father reporting on his kid. Zakaria’s point is that such a report would never happen if the father believed the US would detain the kid indefinitely and torture him. But if that father believes the son will be treated humanely and face an open justice system he will be more likely to turn him in. Something to think about.
Military Trials and Legal Response
I’ll stay on the subject of the underpants bomber. Face it people. There was one dude with chemicals in his briefs. Think how many people could possibly do this. Now think how much time, energy, and talking we spent on it. For basically nothing, terrorists made us all freak out. The best thing we can do is take it as a risk of flying and move on with life and grow our economy. Nothing would hurt them more to see us shrug this stuff off and face it that we cannot fend off every attack.
So I find it hard to believe that we want to use military trials. That confirms the thoughts of terrorists that they are in a big war—a few fighters waging war on a whole nation—and that the nation is deeply threatened by them. If you put them on trial in a civilian court the message is that you guys are common criminals. That’s the message I would want to send.
Palin
Please, Sarah, run for the 2012 nomination. I want to prove (crosses fingers) that Americans can see through fake populism and a lack of intellectual understanding of issues while rejecting you for not basing your policies in reality. Let’s prove it once and for all.
Obama
The guy is still better than any alternative. But that is no longer saying much. He seems too wishy-washy. The main problem was trying to compromise (too much and too often) with Republicans who decided there was no way in hell they would ever compromise. At some point he needs to put his foot down. He would also do well to give Americans an over-riding goal and explain how is policies work toward that goal.
He is also losing my title of favorite world leader to Australian PM Kevin Rudd (a fluent Chinese speaker).
The State of US Politics
Crappy. I did something I hardly ever do—I wrote a letter to a US Senator, who didn’t even happen to be from my home state. Senator Richard Shelby was holding all federal nominations in order to get more federal money (anti-terrorism center) in his home state. I was appalled when I heard this (the same guy will likely slam Obama if he ever tries to spend federal money) and felt compelled to tell him so.
The Developing World
I’ll say it again. Those of you in the US are missing it, the story of the decade. The world is moving on. We need to get with it. Africa, Asia, South America, etc. they are all getting on with things and trying to grow rapidly. Our political squabbles just hold us back. The developing world is where the action and the money are now. The longer it takes us to realize this—the longer we will fall.
Pingxi Lantern Festival
I was really looking forward to the weekend. Last year I remembered seeing pictures of the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival in Taiwan (look it up on YouTube, Flickr, or others for even better pictures than I have here). There is a similar festival in Thailand—but this was my chance for a nice weekend trip with my girlfriend while having a chance to see a cool event.
We took the train to a small town nearby Pingxi then we headed up to another hillside town called Jiufen. That place has some great food on their old style street. They have some grilled mushrooms that are absolutely to die for.
From there we headed out to the festival—sort of. We got to the train station to head toward Pingxi and found it was crowded beyond belief. There were swarms of people squeezing onto the trains. No problem though, they had extra trains running on the line that day and it wasn’t supposed to be too long of a trip. We made it through a few stations squeezed into the train with hundreds of our best friends so tight that we almost didn’t need to hold onto things. Then the train just completely stopped at one station for 20 minutes and just waited.
Finally, it started again only to stop again and wait at the next station. The problem was the tracks were old so only one track could be used so each train had to wait for the train ahead of it to complete its pass before it could proceed. Thankfully we found this out from a nice guy who we had been chatting with on the train so together with him and his mom we got off and walked to a nearby bus which took us most of the way there.
Pingxi was a rush of activity and was completely packed with people. There were innumerable food stalls and stalls selling lanterns. The lanterns were made of sort of a rice paper and stood about 5 feet tall. The Taiwanese “ghost money” was placed in a metal holder attached to the wooden ring at the bottom and lit. The hot air would fill the lantern and it would take off.
The lanterns are related to Chinese New Year in that people write their hopes or wishes on them then watch as those wishes are carried into the heavens. The lanterns, like smoke signals, also served the practical purpose of communicating in the rough and steep terrain of Northern Taiwan.
There really isn’t too much more I can say about the lanterns. The festival was beyond amazing and it was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. The hundreds of lanterns floating into the sky in unison (around the main ceremony, other places were haphazard) was unbelievable to watch.
That said, it was also really fun to watch people screw up away from the main ceremony. There was a strong breeze so some of the lanterns would take off and crash into trees or telephone poles while the paper was still burning. When one went up the whole crowd would breathlessly watch and cheer if the lantern made it past the obstacles. But as cool as it was for us I could only imagine the people downwind, who 3 times a year had to watch out for smoldering orbs falling from the sky.
On the way back we saw a pretty wicked fight. Still that was nothing compared to the crush of people trying to get on the trains and get out. But get out we did.
The following day was much colder and there was a light rain that was coming down so we decided to go to the Gold Museum near Jiufen before heading home. They had 220kg block of gold that you could touch
Overall this trip was definitely the coolest one I have been on in Taiwan.
We took the train to a small town nearby Pingxi then we headed up to another hillside town called Jiufen. That place has some great food on their old style street. They have some grilled mushrooms that are absolutely to die for.
From there we headed out to the festival—sort of. We got to the train station to head toward Pingxi and found it was crowded beyond belief. There were swarms of people squeezing onto the trains. No problem though, they had extra trains running on the line that day and it wasn’t supposed to be too long of a trip. We made it through a few stations squeezed into the train with hundreds of our best friends so tight that we almost didn’t need to hold onto things. Then the train just completely stopped at one station for 20 minutes and just waited.
Finally, it started again only to stop again and wait at the next station. The problem was the tracks were old so only one track could be used so each train had to wait for the train ahead of it to complete its pass before it could proceed. Thankfully we found this out from a nice guy who we had been chatting with on the train so together with him and his mom we got off and walked to a nearby bus which took us most of the way there.
Pingxi was a rush of activity and was completely packed with people. There were innumerable food stalls and stalls selling lanterns. The lanterns were made of sort of a rice paper and stood about 5 feet tall. The Taiwanese “ghost money” was placed in a metal holder attached to the wooden ring at the bottom and lit. The hot air would fill the lantern and it would take off.
The lanterns are related to Chinese New Year in that people write their hopes or wishes on them then watch as those wishes are carried into the heavens. The lanterns, like smoke signals, also served the practical purpose of communicating in the rough and steep terrain of Northern Taiwan.
There really isn’t too much more I can say about the lanterns. The festival was beyond amazing and it was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. The hundreds of lanterns floating into the sky in unison (around the main ceremony, other places were haphazard) was unbelievable to watch.
That said, it was also really fun to watch people screw up away from the main ceremony. There was a strong breeze so some of the lanterns would take off and crash into trees or telephone poles while the paper was still burning. When one went up the whole crowd would breathlessly watch and cheer if the lantern made it past the obstacles. But as cool as it was for us I could only imagine the people downwind, who 3 times a year had to watch out for smoldering orbs falling from the sky.
On the way back we saw a pretty wicked fight. Still that was nothing compared to the crush of people trying to get on the trains and get out. But get out we did.
The following day was much colder and there was a light rain that was coming down so we decided to go to the Gold Museum near Jiufen before heading home. They had 220kg block of gold that you could touch
Overall this trip was definitely the coolest one I have been on in Taiwan.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
It's a Bird! It's a Plane!
I'm really excited about this weekend. This will be my first real trip with my girlfriend. That alone will make things pretty amazing and fun.
What is better is that we are going to the Pingxi (I've also seen it written as Pingsi) Lantern Festival. It should be awesome (so long as it doesn't rain). To get an idea of what I am talking about check out these Flickr photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dans180/sets/72157594573716216/
Or you can check out the event site (in traditional Chinese): http://act.tourism.tpc.gov.tw/skylantern/activeinfo1.html
I'll update about it when I get back!
What is better is that we are going to the Pingxi (I've also seen it written as Pingsi) Lantern Festival. It should be awesome (so long as it doesn't rain). To get an idea of what I am talking about check out these Flickr photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dans180/sets/72157594573716216/
Or you can check out the event site (in traditional Chinese): http://act.tourism.tpc.gov.tw/skylantern/activeinfo1.html
I'll update about it when I get back!
China Trippin'
So last weekend I was at home and on a conference call. I knew there was a potential I would be headed to the Middle Kingdom since I had already cancelled one trip. I figured that I wouldn’t go this week since there were some potential customers from Japan coming in on Monday and I would need to take care of them. But I was wrong.
So I was up at 5:30am on Monday to go to the airport. It is nice now to have the Gold VIP card for the domestic Taiwanese airline flights. I no longer need to book domestic flights in Taiwan—just show up and be upgraded to business class. I was in China before noon after a short ferry ride. Right after arriving I had some time to read my book before a contractor came to meet me (watch out since I'll have another book review post soon).
My few days in China were basically filled with "hurry up and wait" jobs. Basically, I was there to manage and oversea some production at a contractor’s place. There was a lot of, “Quick solve this problem!” Followed by, “Ok, wait an hour while us to make these adjustments.” That would have been ok but my work email was uber slow so there was a lot of computer chess while I waited.
So I was up at 5:30am on Monday to go to the airport. It is nice now to have the Gold VIP card for the domestic Taiwanese airline flights. I no longer need to book domestic flights in Taiwan—just show up and be upgraded to business class. I was in China before noon after a short ferry ride. Right after arriving I had some time to read my book before a contractor came to meet me (watch out since I'll have another book review post soon).
My few days in China were basically filled with "hurry up and wait" jobs. Basically, I was there to manage and oversea some production at a contractor’s place. There was a lot of, “Quick solve this problem!” Followed by, “Ok, wait an hour while us to make these adjustments.” That would have been ok but my work email was uber slow so there was a lot of computer chess while I waited.
The first night I was at average priced but slightly creepy Chinese hotel. They had condoms and other sex items in the bathroom and a small card in each room for a “special” massage that you could call the hotel for. 
There were also some cool clubs (none of which I went to) near the hotel. One was a pirate ship in the middle of a big square. It was warm enough to walk around that night. Unfortunately for me, I thought I would only be there a short time (1 night) so I didn’t even bring a light jacket. Then when the second night rolled around I was a little chilly as the weather began to change. 
The next day the hotel wasn’t a problem. I slept in a dorm provided by the contractor since I was there working until well past 11pm. By the time I made it to the little hotel style dorm room I was pretty beat but I remembered to put some strong mosquito repellent on my forearms. Still when I woke up there were several newly fat mosquitoes buzzing around the room—they had feasted on my hands and elbows.
The third day was a lot like the second. The most exciting part was that from about 7:20pm until 10:15pm I was involved in some negotiations with the contractors. I basically held not cards in the negotiation—so I really didn’t get much, but it was a good and fun experience to do it.
If it says anything about my trip the other thing that stood out on the final full day was the toilets. I had been using a squat toile for the whole time. Not until it was about 9:30pm on the last day did I realize the last stall had a normal Western toilet. I laughed.
If you don’t know or have never used a squat toilet you aren’t missing much.
After all that I cam back to the office in Taipei and got back to work.
The next day the hotel wasn’t a problem. I slept in a dorm provided by the contractor since I was there working until well past 11pm. By the time I made it to the little hotel style dorm room I was pretty beat but I remembered to put some strong mosquito repellent on my forearms. Still when I woke up there were several newly fat mosquitoes buzzing around the room—they had feasted on my hands and elbows.
The third day was a lot like the second. The most exciting part was that from about 7:20pm until 10:15pm I was involved in some negotiations with the contractors. I basically held not cards in the negotiation—so I really didn’t get much, but it was a good and fun experience to do it.
If it says anything about my trip the other thing that stood out on the final full day was the toilets. I had been using a squat toile for the whole time. Not until it was about 9:30pm on the last day did I realize the last stall had a normal Western toilet. I laughed.
If you don’t know or have never used a squat toilet you aren’t missing much.
After all that I cam back to the office in Taipei and got back to work.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Shutter Island
You have to see this movie. It was extremely good, in a messes with your head sort of way. I don't have much time and I dont want to give anything away but the movie is more thriller and less horror. Not at all what I thought.
Last Minute
I have a last minute trip to China in the morning. So I wont have facebook or blog access. Not sure if I come back first of go to Bangkok.
We shall see.
We shall see.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Hamas Hit, The Iranian Connection?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8537740.stm
This is interesting stuff that I have been following for the last few weeks. It is very unusual to see something like this get pulled out into the open. I'm interested because I think it shows an intersection of regional and global politics.
Depending on your side you have the Dubai police to blame/praise for shedding light on this stuff. The Dubai police have done a lot of work on this one--just look at the CCTV video they put together of the hit teams (check youtube if you have 30min and watch it since at the very least it is interesting). In fact, it is fascinating to watch this play out. I was actually surprised by the number of people involved and how the various teams switched off duties.
Everyone seems to be pointing the finger at Mossad. Yes, this does fit with their MO. But there is likely much more than meets the eye here.
There are a few strange things: 1. Why didn't they do anything about the cameras? 2. There are now a total of 30 or so suspects, why are there so many to kill 1 guy when Mossad likes smaller crews?
A lot of people are calling these guys and gals amateurs because there is so much CCTV footage of them (let's also not forget Mossad has screwed up and gotten caught before so despite their reputation they don't always get their man). But even to someone without any background in this stuff, like me, it's clear from the footage that these guys aren't amateurs. They go about things, prepare, make the hit, and get a large number of people out of a foreign country on faked passports all while hiding in plain sight. That's good.
I think these guys wanted to be seen--unless I'm completely off base (a distinct possibility) they had to know about the cameras, yet did nothing about them. I think they wanted to send a message and make sure people saw. Or they may have believed that messing with the cameras would leave an even more clear trail to them and so they gambled that the Dubai cops wouldn't be able to piece things together.
That would explain the first strange thing.
The article I link above posits that there is a potential that Dubai was a Mossad station, and that station has now been uncovered. Hence, the number of people. This is a distinct possibility. But what deserves more attention is why there would be a station there. To me the answer is Iran.
Just this week Israel unveiled a new UAV that can fly to Iran and their military continues to view Iran with great alarm. Dubai--a country not overly hostile to Israel and close to Iran--would provide a great place for a station. If the focus was indeed on Iran, then you can bet the US and Britain had knowledge of the station and potentially its activities. This could explain the reason so many people were involved--not all were Mossad. It would make sense that a Hamas military operative in Dubai would have contact with Iran for weapons or other materials. Just being Hamas opens him to the Israelis but the second part would bring him to the attention of Western intel agencies.
So the large number of people could be from various agencies. Their goal was potentially to send a message to Hamas and Iran (by killing a go-between) that they are being watched and they are vulnerable.
That would explain the second strange thing.
The one thing that I have been wondering though is how much did Dubai know? Dubai doesn't like Iran (too much that is) and many Gulf states are nervous about Iranian nukes. So I wonder if there is a possibility that Dubai invited Israel to set up a covert station to focus on Iran. During this course of events Mossad finds the Iran-Hamas contact is in town and put a hit on him. That prior knowledge could explain how quickly Dubai pieced things together. Or if you really want to go another route, you can even wonder if Dubai knew in advance hence their quick and thorough investigation.
My view: Mossad all the way on this with Western support. Mossad likely had a center for operations in Dubai to focus on anti-Iran operations that was supported by other intel agencies. Realizing this was in their midst Dubai has been working over time to shut them down so they don't appear like they are stooges to the Israelis. Mossad is happy to send such a loud message and Israel figures it can patch things up over fake passports over time.
This is interesting stuff that I have been following for the last few weeks. It is very unusual to see something like this get pulled out into the open. I'm interested because I think it shows an intersection of regional and global politics.
Depending on your side you have the Dubai police to blame/praise for shedding light on this stuff. The Dubai police have done a lot of work on this one--just look at the CCTV video they put together of the hit teams (check youtube if you have 30min and watch it since at the very least it is interesting). In fact, it is fascinating to watch this play out. I was actually surprised by the number of people involved and how the various teams switched off duties.
Everyone seems to be pointing the finger at Mossad. Yes, this does fit with their MO. But there is likely much more than meets the eye here.
There are a few strange things: 1. Why didn't they do anything about the cameras? 2. There are now a total of 30 or so suspects, why are there so many to kill 1 guy when Mossad likes smaller crews?
A lot of people are calling these guys and gals amateurs because there is so much CCTV footage of them (let's also not forget Mossad has screwed up and gotten caught before so despite their reputation they don't always get their man). But even to someone without any background in this stuff, like me, it's clear from the footage that these guys aren't amateurs. They go about things, prepare, make the hit, and get a large number of people out of a foreign country on faked passports all while hiding in plain sight. That's good.
I think these guys wanted to be seen--unless I'm completely off base (a distinct possibility) they had to know about the cameras, yet did nothing about them. I think they wanted to send a message and make sure people saw. Or they may have believed that messing with the cameras would leave an even more clear trail to them and so they gambled that the Dubai cops wouldn't be able to piece things together.
That would explain the first strange thing.
The article I link above posits that there is a potential that Dubai was a Mossad station, and that station has now been uncovered. Hence, the number of people. This is a distinct possibility. But what deserves more attention is why there would be a station there. To me the answer is Iran.
Just this week Israel unveiled a new UAV that can fly to Iran and their military continues to view Iran with great alarm. Dubai--a country not overly hostile to Israel and close to Iran--would provide a great place for a station. If the focus was indeed on Iran, then you can bet the US and Britain had knowledge of the station and potentially its activities. This could explain the reason so many people were involved--not all were Mossad. It would make sense that a Hamas military operative in Dubai would have contact with Iran for weapons or other materials. Just being Hamas opens him to the Israelis but the second part would bring him to the attention of Western intel agencies.
So the large number of people could be from various agencies. Their goal was potentially to send a message to Hamas and Iran (by killing a go-between) that they are being watched and they are vulnerable.
That would explain the second strange thing.
The one thing that I have been wondering though is how much did Dubai know? Dubai doesn't like Iran (too much that is) and many Gulf states are nervous about Iranian nukes. So I wonder if there is a possibility that Dubai invited Israel to set up a covert station to focus on Iran. During this course of events Mossad finds the Iran-Hamas contact is in town and put a hit on him. That prior knowledge could explain how quickly Dubai pieced things together. Or if you really want to go another route, you can even wonder if Dubai knew in advance hence their quick and thorough investigation.
My view: Mossad all the way on this with Western support. Mossad likely had a center for operations in Dubai to focus on anti-Iran operations that was supported by other intel agencies. Realizing this was in their midst Dubai has been working over time to shut them down so they don't appear like they are stooges to the Israelis. Mossad is happy to send such a loud message and Israel figures it can patch things up over fake passports over time.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Chinese New Year Part 2
Following the posts below, this stuff took place last on Tuesday February 16. The previous night I got home a little late but the plan was that we would all go to a place called Wulai that is famous for hot springs, water falls, scenery, an old cultural street, and a large aboriginal population.
When we took off it was cold but not raining. Then along the way it started to pour. We were already pretty far out of Taipei city so it wasn't worth it to turn back, and we had rain gear (as you can see in the picture of me below with the moped).
The rain continued but we eventually made it to Wulai. Once we got there and parked the hard rain stopped and it just sprinkled a bit. Made me want to wink.
From there we went along the old cultural street. We had some wild boar and veggie kabobs (see below). We watched the guy below make some candy. But most of all we tried, in vain, to avoid the rain, which had since picked up and was coming down pretty hard. Despite the rain the area was still cool and still packed with people on Chinese New Year vacation. As the rain wore on we got a little tired of things and decided to head back.
By this point we were all cold, wet, and tired. But my friend decided that he would forgo his umbrella on the walk back. He is uber Christian, not as rare as you would imagine in Taiwan, and said in his usual sunny manner, "Well God will take care of me." Wouldn't you know it, we hadn't walked 100m when he found an umbrella laying on the street. He loved it.
When we took off it was cold but not raining. Then along the way it started to pour. We were already pretty far out of Taipei city so it wasn't worth it to turn back, and we had rain gear (as you can see in the picture of me below with the moped).
The rain continued but we eventually made it to Wulai. Once we got there and parked the hard rain stopped and it just sprinkled a bit. Made me want to wink.
From there we went along the old cultural street. We had some wild boar and veggie kabobs (see below). We watched the guy below make some candy. But most of all we tried, in vain, to avoid the rain, which had since picked up and was coming down pretty hard. Despite the rain the area was still cool and still packed with people on Chinese New Year vacation. As the rain wore on we got a little tired of things and decided to head back.
By this point we were all cold, wet, and tired. But my friend decided that he would forgo his umbrella on the walk back. He is uber Christian, not as rare as you would imagine in Taiwan, and said in his usual sunny manner, "Well God will take care of me." Wouldn't you know it, we hadn't walked 100m when he found an umbrella laying on the street. He loved it.
From there we got colder and wetter on the moped ride back. The only good part was stopping for some hot lamb soup along the way. Still despite the cold and rain I had a good time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
