The Taipei Kid

It may not be the world’s most beautiful airport, but Peach Orchard International Airport was ranked THIRD best worldwide in flight punctuality!

Just for fun, I took my first-ever new housing development tour today at this place in Banqiao. The complex was called “Royal” something or other, and it turned out to be royally expensive–about NTD 21 million for a three-bedroom unit (about USD 700,000). For USD 700,000 you do get a free gift, however–a scooter parking spot!

It reminded me of when friends and I took a housing development tour a few years ago in Palm Springs, with units already dolled up to lure buyers into feeling they’ve arrived at home. In Royal’s case, however, home means these god-awful etched metal doors opening up to what seemed like an updated version of a Brenda Dickson set. Unlike the units in Palm Springs, neither of the two model units I saw were decorated with phony framed photos of people. All in all, let’s just say it was better to see the unfinished units.

The bathrooms in the apartments were too small. I would have gladly gotten rid of one of the three bedrooms just to expand the bathrooms (and kitchen) more. The complex did have a huge pool, spa and sauna, all waiting to fall into neglect as these things in complexes here usually do (or at least to close after a child drowns in it). In my current complex alone, they have canned the laundry room, the auditorium is now a storage room, and they “drained” that big tub of colored balls for kids to roll around in.

I have to give the agent credit for being friendly, knowledgeable and actually pleasant to be around during the tour. She was chatty, but not in an annoying way. Not once did she give off creepy real estate agent feeling.

Two women got in a catfight at California Gym after one, um, passed gas in the jacuzzi. Full story (in Chinese) here.

I keep hearing about this Leatherheads movie. I thought it was some sort of sequel to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but apparently it is about football.

We got these neat facts (in italics) from one of the English papers. Can you guess which one it was?

Did you know (newly elected Taiwan president) Ma Ying-jeou is “tall, handsome, athletic, a refined gentleman who is also a go-getter…is popular, not just among womenfolk but among the young hard-working men of Taiwan.”

And we be you didn’t know: His landslide victory is proof that the islanders, particularly those in their 40s and younger, are free from the February 28 trauma….Tens of thousands of innocent islanders were slaughtered by government troops sent from China (emphasis ours) to suppress the incident which broke out on that day 61 years ago. The massacre, followed by what is known as the reign of white terror, spawned a lasting feud between the islanders and the mainlanders.

Did you know we like to breastfeed baby camels for the friggin’ fun of it?

A Harvard-educated lawyer and former Taipei mayor from the Nationalist Party, Mr. Ma
The New York Times

The US-educated lawyer
BBC

But Ma, a Harvard-educated lawyer
United Press International

Nationalist (KMT) candidate Ma Ying-jeou, a Harvard-educated lawyer
ABC News

Ma Ying-jeou, a Harvard-educated lawyer
VOA

Can you guess what it is?

Happy Easter!

I am not sure which is grosser. Was is it the time I watched a colleague who sat across from me, back during my newspaper days, scrape his front teeth with his nails, inspect the gunk, then eat it? Or was it today when I watched the businessman in the taxi cab next to mine continually pluck hairs out of his nose and eat it? Not really sure.

…try this list of the 25 most baffling toys from around the world. (Thanks to P. for this.)

P.S. Happy Holidays to All!

(Photo of “Kinglenic” brand athlete’s foot medicine, complete with feet screaming in pain. Thanks to Big Bad Ela for the tip.)

This morning while walking my dog we were nearly hit by this giant SUV as it turned the corner. It stopped right in front of us and then just stayed there. The driver seemed to be fixated on his side mirror as I waited for my dog to finish her business and I cleaned it up. Was he looking at me? What was he doing?

I proceeded to walk her down the other side of the street when the doorman from my building yelled at me from across the street to tell me he had a dog bag for me to put my dog’s waste in. I held up the paper I had already used and said thanks. When I came back to the building, the doorman informed me that the guy in the fancy gray SUV is a spy for the local government, looking to see if anyone dumps any garbage on the street. He told me to be careful with dog waste and to not let this guy catch me throwing anything on the ground. Apparently the doorman has had run-ins with this plainclothes pollution police officer, since the guy claims to be looking out for litterbugs but throws his own cigarette butts on the ground. I am all for less litter, but driving around in an SUV and spying?