Replies

Well it looks like I might scoot out of Taiwan quicker than I thought. I was thinking it might be relaxing to hang out a week or so, but in fact, Taiwan is a major dump.

It's so ugly and industrial there's really nothing fun about it, it's just a good place to work. And it got boring exponentially faster than I thought it would. I have a reservation for a ticket on Wednesday (a day and a half from now), so that will be the end of my posting for quite some time until I have a new setup in Thailand.

Even buying the ticket was weird (well it's just a reservation right now). Here in Asia, probably only Japan has a truly modern economic model. Everyone else has this lingering "fish market" mentality, where they want to haggle and argue. It's so weird and annoying, and I keep forgetting to do it.

Their reactions make me nervous. When I made the reservation I casually mentioned that since I don't keep a US address anymore therefore I don't have credit cards, so I'd pay in cash (that's better right? you have the money right there). Well, suddenly, the chick's eyes got excited and creepy and she said "You have no credit cards?". I've found they try to make you repeat things you've already told them then they appear to be believing that it was their superior skills that got the "information" out of you. So they pointedly ask you what you just got done saying to them then act like they've "scored" somehow.

I guess I can't say exactly what attracted that reaction. When I was here 15 years ago Chinese scorned credit cards. Chinese are big savers, and really stress having a bundle of cash in their hand, so flashing a credit card immediately made someone look like a false pretender to past generations of Chinese. But I wouldn't be surprised if now they've learned from us and having credit cards is now some kind of status symbol here. Strange, because not too long ago it was the exact opposite.

But it's just creepy because they act like something exhilarating is happening and you're really just making a nothing everyday purchase. But I just remind myself "Look, whatever weird status value certain comments may have in this culture, still, they can't do anything, I can buy the ticket anywhere, or I could just go to the airport and buy the ticket there".

I could tell many creepy-to-stupid stories about very common financial transactions I've had here in Asia, but I don't want to use up my book material. I think that will be a chapter in my book, maybe "Chapter 4:Creepy Ways to Buy Everyday Things".

Anyway, the job ended on a surprising note, a special dinner with me as guest of honor. It really ended in a way that makes for a better book ending than I would have been able to think up myself! I'll touch on it before I go and leave you with a few teasers.

But if I really head out Weds, that means I just have this afternoon and tomorrow to settle everything (have a few loose ends to tie up), then the next morning I'll be on the bus to the airport (4 hour drive), Yippy!

I'll swing by again before I split.

Cheers,

starbase