good luck. you're in for a dreadful time. taiwan winters are dreary- cold and wet. the temp will rarely get below 5 celsius, but the relative humidity and wind (especially around areas like shin dzu) will make you wish for spring.
the main problem is taiwan houses- basically concrete ice boxes. people always ask me "isn't it colder in the US?". my answer is "yes but we have some escape from it because our houses actually have an energy efficiency rating"!
taiwan houses are built to withstand earthquakes, but nobody thought or cared to install insulation. you get MEGA cold transference via osmosis thanks to a single concrete wall to the outside and a single glass window! some houses have wooden floors installed, but nobody cared to put insulation under them either.
taiwan people say, "oh well we don't need it" which is typical because a lot of them are cheap skates who just wear more clothes and get high all day on 5000NT a bag oolong tea. it escapes them that insulation also cuts down on outside/ floor to floor noise, as well as keeping out heat in the summer.
what can be done? if you live in a small "tao fang" suite, you can put those artificial puzzle tatamis on your floor as well as hang a decorative quilt from the walls around your bed. get a small space heater and make sure you have curtains on your windows. also have a rug near your bed, and sleep with a ski cap and socks on. make sure you have a good japanese style blanket.
open the windows at least 30 minutes a day to air out the house. you can leave them cracked while you're gone to work.
drink lots of hot tea/coffee, and buy some gortex underwear/base layer.
that's what gets me by.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Sunday, December 19, 2010
the end of those singing contests
i heard that Tao Jing Ying's singing contest will be off the air soon. i'm glad. the whole thing was a waste of young people's time and energy, and indeed their dreams.
anybody with the brains of a brick knows that the record companies controlled the whole thing. they put their "artist" in (picked of course because of who his/her uncle's cousin's friend is) then use the other competitors to show how "great" their guy/girl is. then they pretend they signed him because he won.
the other reason for these contests is the number of independent artists who have said "screw the companies" and are selling their work via Tunecore, i tunes, etc. the record companies are scrambling to find a way to remain as the voice telling people what to listen to. so they make these contests and sit there as judges,pretending that "they know".
the emporer has no clothes! these guys sit there judging minute details about the competitors' singing, when it doesn't matter,because whomever they pick is going to have his voice processed thru auto tune anyway. they do it EVERYTIME!
good ridance to Tao Dz's "show" (circus).
And kids, let this be a lesson to you: just because some old witch says there's a lollipop at the end of the rainbow, it doesn't mean she's going to actually give it to you.
anybody with the brains of a brick knows that the record companies controlled the whole thing. they put their "artist" in (picked of course because of who his/her uncle's cousin's friend is) then use the other competitors to show how "great" their guy/girl is. then they pretend they signed him because he won.
the other reason for these contests is the number of independent artists who have said "screw the companies" and are selling their work via Tunecore, i tunes, etc. the record companies are scrambling to find a way to remain as the voice telling people what to listen to. so they make these contests and sit there as judges,pretending that "they know".
the emporer has no clothes! these guys sit there judging minute details about the competitors' singing, when it doesn't matter,because whomever they pick is going to have his voice processed thru auto tune anyway. they do it EVERYTIME!
good ridance to Tao Dz's "show" (circus).
And kids, let this be a lesson to you: just because some old witch says there's a lollipop at the end of the rainbow, it doesn't mean she's going to actually give it to you.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
wikileaks and taiwan
wikileaks just confirmed what i have always said on this site: CIA is a big presence on this island. but that involvement went much deeper than a civilian like me could ever guess.
do i care? sort of. i feel taiwan should have the right to control their own destiny, if they can.The US using taiwan as their prime listening base (well they technically still own taiwan, having not officially released the island from WWII)is sort of a violation of all our rights. you want to live on an island to get the hell AWAY from big brother, and shit, he's here too!
and now AIT is talking about putting Marines at their new location when they move. is this a sign of a US military build up on the island?
hope not. taiwan took a lot of shit from US GIs during the vietnam era.not that "tai ke" probably didn't dish out an equal amount.it's just that the US military has a DESERVEDLY bad reputation, wherever they go. i hate to see that start up here.
personally, as long as CIA/FBI/NSA/whatever keeps low key,sticks to keeping China at bay, and doesn't INTERFERE WITH MY GOALS IN LIFE, then i'm ok with them.
just stay out of people's lives unless you wanna do some good.
do i care? sort of. i feel taiwan should have the right to control their own destiny, if they can.The US using taiwan as their prime listening base (well they technically still own taiwan, having not officially released the island from WWII)is sort of a violation of all our rights. you want to live on an island to get the hell AWAY from big brother, and shit, he's here too!
and now AIT is talking about putting Marines at their new location when they move. is this a sign of a US military build up on the island?
hope not. taiwan took a lot of shit from US GIs during the vietnam era.not that "tai ke" probably didn't dish out an equal amount.it's just that the US military has a DESERVEDLY bad reputation, wherever they go. i hate to see that start up here.
personally, as long as CIA/FBI/NSA/whatever keeps low key,sticks to keeping China at bay, and doesn't INTERFERE WITH MY GOALS IN LIFE, then i'm ok with them.
just stay out of people's lives unless you wanna do some good.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
taiwan foriegners: trust them.... not really
some taiwan people have asked me if i hang out with foriegners. the answer is, "not really".
i take people on a case by case basis. i have taiwan friends whom i love dearly, as well as japanese, african american, white guys, ABCs, south pacific islanders,India, pakistan, etc. all depends on if they're a good person and have a good personality.
so the idea of hanging out with "lao wai" is foriegn to me (pun intended). hell, i didn't hang out with whitey in college even. i was the egg (white guy into asian culture) at the "asian table" in the cafeteria.
and anyway, some foriegners are here because they're losers in their own country. i don't trust them. simple as that.
as much as i rant about taiwan, i would rather hang out with locals, because whatever faults they might have, i know what they are. asian cultures produce a fairly predictable personality, but even so there is a lot of variation in that. foriegners are a mixed bag.there are some really excellent ones,and some shity ones too who couldn't make it back home with half the level of woman they're banging here.
it's that lack of up/down in the personality style in asians that first attracted me to their friendship many years ago.
americans could be really nice or an axe murdering pedophile. there's just too much variation in the personality types. taiwanese, i know, and can choose my friends accordingly.
i take people on a case by case basis. i have taiwan friends whom i love dearly, as well as japanese, african american, white guys, ABCs, south pacific islanders,India, pakistan, etc. all depends on if they're a good person and have a good personality.
so the idea of hanging out with "lao wai" is foriegn to me (pun intended). hell, i didn't hang out with whitey in college even. i was the egg (white guy into asian culture) at the "asian table" in the cafeteria.
and anyway, some foriegners are here because they're losers in their own country. i don't trust them. simple as that.
as much as i rant about taiwan, i would rather hang out with locals, because whatever faults they might have, i know what they are. asian cultures produce a fairly predictable personality, but even so there is a lot of variation in that. foriegners are a mixed bag.there are some really excellent ones,and some shity ones too who couldn't make it back home with half the level of woman they're banging here.
it's that lack of up/down in the personality style in asians that first attracted me to their friendship many years ago.
americans could be really nice or an axe murdering pedophile. there's just too much variation in the personality types. taiwanese, i know, and can choose my friends accordingly.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
why taiwan can't do western music
classical musicians aside ( i think taiwan has some excellent ones, but they are rare too), taiwan just doesn't get western music.
take for example, if eric clapton were singing. granted, clap doesn't sing great, but then again, he's clapton for crying out loud. He is who he is. that's his voice.never thought about it til some taiwanese pointed it out.
in taiwan, they will say, "oh he doesn't sing that great" or "there's a taiwan player who is more 'li hai' than him. why, marty young can play 300 notes a measure" (which is lie, i can prove it...another article).
not that clapton is my favorite. just illustrating point.
taiwan people are always comparing one person to another. these singing contests have fostered this type of thinking. the average person thinks he/she can be a singing contest judge because he/she also sings karaoke.
also i've found taiwan students to be extremely lazy about music learning. they want quick results, even if it sacrifices really knowing what they're doing. they run to those TAB books, practice them, then try to convince others that they can play. then again, parents think music is a waste of time anyway, unless it can be used to compare with others or make their child "better" than others.
i never regretted being a musician til i came here. its really an ugly market. everyone from the idols to the guy who sells guitars thinks he's the SHIT! there is so much dishonesty and back stabbing. that's why i stopped teaching except for one or two really stellar students. you teach them something they didn't know, then they say "that teacher is nothing" and go on their way with their new info in their pocket.
then if you're a forigner, it doesn't matter how well you play. they'll just say, "of course you can do that, you're a foriegner. all foriegners can play guitar.you're here so you should be nothing compared to the ones in the states", so they think they don't have to pay any attention to you. then again, you still have to be careful, because local musicians hate being shown up. even if you're not trying to show them up, they'll think you're trying to show them up. ad infinitum.
why can't taiwan do western music? it's simple. because they lack a western mentality. i didn't say IQ. i said mentality. and going abroad to study at berkeley, julliard, MI, whatever, won't change a thing.
until taiwan changes their way of thinking, they will always be stuck in this ugliness. and the music will still suck.
take for example, if eric clapton were singing. granted, clap doesn't sing great, but then again, he's clapton for crying out loud. He is who he is. that's his voice.never thought about it til some taiwanese pointed it out.
in taiwan, they will say, "oh he doesn't sing that great" or "there's a taiwan player who is more 'li hai' than him. why, marty young can play 300 notes a measure" (which is lie, i can prove it...another article).
not that clapton is my favorite. just illustrating point.
taiwan people are always comparing one person to another. these singing contests have fostered this type of thinking. the average person thinks he/she can be a singing contest judge because he/she also sings karaoke.
also i've found taiwan students to be extremely lazy about music learning. they want quick results, even if it sacrifices really knowing what they're doing. they run to those TAB books, practice them, then try to convince others that they can play. then again, parents think music is a waste of time anyway, unless it can be used to compare with others or make their child "better" than others.
i never regretted being a musician til i came here. its really an ugly market. everyone from the idols to the guy who sells guitars thinks he's the SHIT! there is so much dishonesty and back stabbing. that's why i stopped teaching except for one or two really stellar students. you teach them something they didn't know, then they say "that teacher is nothing" and go on their way with their new info in their pocket.
then if you're a forigner, it doesn't matter how well you play. they'll just say, "of course you can do that, you're a foriegner. all foriegners can play guitar.you're here so you should be nothing compared to the ones in the states", so they think they don't have to pay any attention to you. then again, you still have to be careful, because local musicians hate being shown up. even if you're not trying to show them up, they'll think you're trying to show them up. ad infinitum.
why can't taiwan do western music? it's simple. because they lack a western mentality. i didn't say IQ. i said mentality. and going abroad to study at berkeley, julliard, MI, whatever, won't change a thing.
until taiwan changes their way of thinking, they will always be stuck in this ugliness. and the music will still suck.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
why halloween and ghost month aren't the same thing
last night at my apartment complex, we had a halloween party for all the kids. it was fun- 12 kids aged 1 to 5. we had stories, candy, went on a candy treasure hunt. all good!
a parent asked me before the party if halloween was like ghost month. i told her that it was originally, but since christianity took over europe, that part of it (ancestor worship) was abandoned. now it's just a holiday for kids.
halloween isn't like ghost month. for one thing, we don't really beleive that ghosts, gobblins, and most surely not that vampires and werewolves come out on that day. even though halloween shows death and other gruesome scary things, it's all making fun of it! that's right. we made death into a temporary joke. rather than fear it, we make a joke and a holiday of it to say" yeah we're gonna die, but til then we're gonna have fun"
contrast this to ghost month- death is serious business. ghosts are real. and they'll cause serious havoc if you don't do according to the tradition.
can't swim, can't do this and that, cause ghosts rule! they will kill you.
yet, i have lived 44 years without following the traditions of ghost month, and NOTHING HAS HAPPENED TO ME. that's right, not a ghostly thing!
now why is that? i also don't follow feng shui beyond basic air flow for my room.and i don't read the chinese farmer's almanac. i'm doing just fine.
and i have tons of dead relatives that i don't pray to/for and never will. life goes on for me. i have a rich, wonderful life in taiwan.
what gives? if all these taiwan traditions are true, how come they don't affect me? and how come they don't affect the millions of people living in the West?
maybe because i have an armor that protects me that's stronger than those silly idols sitting in your temples.
and maybe just maybe, your religion is a lie- a lie created to keep the chinese people in spiritual bondage. think about it.
a parent asked me before the party if halloween was like ghost month. i told her that it was originally, but since christianity took over europe, that part of it (ancestor worship) was abandoned. now it's just a holiday for kids.
halloween isn't like ghost month. for one thing, we don't really beleive that ghosts, gobblins, and most surely not that vampires and werewolves come out on that day. even though halloween shows death and other gruesome scary things, it's all making fun of it! that's right. we made death into a temporary joke. rather than fear it, we make a joke and a holiday of it to say" yeah we're gonna die, but til then we're gonna have fun"
contrast this to ghost month- death is serious business. ghosts are real. and they'll cause serious havoc if you don't do according to the tradition.
can't swim, can't do this and that, cause ghosts rule! they will kill you.
yet, i have lived 44 years without following the traditions of ghost month, and NOTHING HAS HAPPENED TO ME. that's right, not a ghostly thing!
now why is that? i also don't follow feng shui beyond basic air flow for my room.and i don't read the chinese farmer's almanac. i'm doing just fine.
and i have tons of dead relatives that i don't pray to/for and never will. life goes on for me. i have a rich, wonderful life in taiwan.
what gives? if all these taiwan traditions are true, how come they don't affect me? and how come they don't affect the millions of people living in the West?
maybe because i have an armor that protects me that's stronger than those silly idols sitting in your temples.
and maybe just maybe, your religion is a lie- a lie created to keep the chinese people in spiritual bondage. think about it.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
tai ji mun- cult of the KMT?
tai ji men is not just a martial arts group. they are, in my opinion, a front for a chinese nationalist cult, promoting all things chinese (which would be sort of ok if they were upfront about it) even using deception and myths.
take for instance the origins of tai ji chuan as they claim it. according to most tai ji-ist, it was invented by a taoist monk named zhang shan fung. they claim tai ji is of taoist origin and proves the teaching of tao.
actually tai ji was invented by a chinese general named chen about 300 years ago. and the original name was NOT tai ji chuan but Hao Chuan. it was not a taoist creation, but one of a chinese general who was very knowledgeable in the human body and the art of combat.in china there is a village called chen where the original art is still taught.
so the taoist connections are a lie. they are historically untrue.
personally, i can't stand a lot of tai ji-ists. a lot of them are all up in their own mystical-ness and percieved chinese superiority. i would love to see their anachronistic asses walk into a cage match and get taught a thing or two about humanity and equality.
tai ji mun is all up in themselves with their chi kung, dance, etc. they are the perfect vehicle for cult nationalism.
take for instance the origins of tai ji chuan as they claim it. according to most tai ji-ist, it was invented by a taoist monk named zhang shan fung. they claim tai ji is of taoist origin and proves the teaching of tao.
actually tai ji was invented by a chinese general named chen about 300 years ago. and the original name was NOT tai ji chuan but Hao Chuan. it was not a taoist creation, but one of a chinese general who was very knowledgeable in the human body and the art of combat.in china there is a village called chen where the original art is still taught.
so the taoist connections are a lie. they are historically untrue.
personally, i can't stand a lot of tai ji-ists. a lot of them are all up in their own mystical-ness and percieved chinese superiority. i would love to see their anachronistic asses walk into a cage match and get taught a thing or two about humanity and equality.
tai ji mun is all up in themselves with their chi kung, dance, etc. they are the perfect vehicle for cult nationalism.
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