Current Weather Conditions

Current Date: 19 September 2006
Current Time: 2:49 in the PM
Conditions artly Cloudy
Temperature: 84°F (29°C)
Humidity: 51.5%

Days in Taiwan don’t get much more perfect than this. It’s too bad I actually have to go to work in about 2 hours. I can only hope that Saturday ends up being similar.

The Scooter: Taiwan’s Version of the SUV

Pictured below is your basic, run of the mill, 125cc motor scooter.

 

The scooter is a staple of Taiwanese society. As a matter of fact, I once heard (or read… I forget which) that Taiwan has the densest concentration of scooters of any place on Earth. Not sure if that’s actually true or not, but the following evidence is quite convincing.

 

 

As the title of this thread implies, scooters are not for merely carting you or maybe you and a passenger around. Today’s scooter can easily be fitted with an optional car seat for toddlers.

 

Wanna take the family for a drive around town but don’t want to lose that primo parking spot your car is occupying? No problem! The friendly scooter is more than willing to accommodate.

 

And what about man’s best friend? Good news! The socially conscious scooter does not discriminate against quadrupeds.

 

So there you have it. The scooter is quite possibly one of the most efficient (60 miles to the gallon on the Red Dragon) and versatile vehicles on the planet. I don’t know where I’d be without mine. Life just wouldn’t be the same.

Below you’ll find a short list of records I have witnessed. Sadly, I wasn’t able to obtain photographic proof.

• Number of people (including children) on a scooter: 5
   
  I’ve seen a family of five on a 125cc scooter. One husband, one wife, one infant, and a couple of children who were most likely between the ages of five and ten.
   
• Number of adults on a scooter: 3
   
  On a weekend trip to the south end of the island last October, we were able to successfully fit five full sized Americans onto two 100cc scooters. This, of course, meant there were three on one scooter; one male over six feet in height (though he is quite thin), a six foot tall female (she rode behind the male, who was of course the driver), and one more average sized woman (she rode “hound”). We were also able to fit two good sized backpacks on with them as well. I wish I could go back in time and get a photo. It was certainly a memorable feat.
   
• Number of dogs on a scooter: 2
   
  Saw this just last week and found it highly amusing. One dog was lying down on the floorboard of the scooter. The other dog, a fairly large golden retriever, was standing over the other dog. That was certainly an impressive sight. Wish I had a photo of that as well.
      

  Note: The two pictures of the parked scooters were taken right here in Hsinchu by yours truly. The other four photos were found by performing a Google image search.

Indescribable

By Chris Tomlin

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation’s revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God

I have been so unbelievably blessed since my return to Taiwan. God is amazing.

Amazing Archer

I’d like to see some of my bow hunting friends back in South Dakota do this. Actually… on second thought, let me retract that statement. I’m not sure I would want to witness that at all.

Still, this girl is pretty darned impressive. If I didn’t already have a girlfri… er… um… I probably shouldn’t finish that thought, should I?

I’m Not the Only One Who Is Speechless

According to a recent study, nearly half of the 1.3 billion residents of mainland China can’t speak Mandarin Chinese, which is the official language of China and also Taiwan.

I guess now I don’t feel so bad that I can’t speak it either.