Woohahahaha!!!! Got it fixed??? You got to be the funniest at home!
Honestly my landlord is a decent bloke. But his builders are the worst cowboys you can get!
Yesterday a carpenter came over to cut up the kitchen work top. This was a decent guy. Nice chap, did his work. Even preferred to do his work BEFORE getting the coffee I offered.
After that I called the landlord to say it was done and the plumber could come over. So I don't hear from the landlord until the end of the day, when he returns my calls. He asked me if this plumber had called me back, and I said "are you kidding me? ofcourse he hasn't!". So the landlord gets pissed off as well, and decides to give him a bullocking and have him call me back. A few minutes later he calls back and tells me he left a message on his phone to call me back, which by the way he still hasn't. The landlord stated that he should be able to come around this morning or at least today as a minimum. Ofcourse he won't. I know this guy longer than today...
He is doing the same thing he did when we had a leak. Show up a couple of times. Spend 5 minutes looking around, and leave without having done a bloody thing. And charging for each time he shows up. He is just conning the landlord, and my flatmate and I suffer the consequences.
I can see coming that he shows up tomorrow (not today), look at the, now accessible, boiler, say that he needs parts (or needs to replace the whole damn unit), and comes back a week later to finish the job. Easy money...!
Mean time my flatmate run the risk of being poisoned by carbon monoxide, or worse, having a gas leak that could blow up the whole building!
Another thing that points to this guy being a crook, is that he claims he checked the gas installation when he was working on the leak (ofcourse I asked a copy of the certificate, which should be next to the boiler, but I haven't received it yet). Now I wonder how he can check the boiler, when he can't even access it!!!!
Maybe my flatmate is right. Maybe it is best to get your own house. That way you are boss of what happens in and around the house, and you can fire builders at will, any time you want.
November 30, 2005
November 26, 2005
Life threat...
Sounds serious? well, it probably is... Last thursday someone actually theratened to kill me.
For the last 1,5 to 2 weeks Lucas and I have been living without heating and sporadically hot water. The boiler had broken (and still is...). Last post I referred to the brain fart that "checked" the boiler. As I got to hear from my landlord, who by the I met and turns out to be a very reasonable guy, he first sends someone to check if the unit was just not incorrectly used, before he sends an expensive mechanic.
Anyway. The builder was supposed to come over on tuesday morning. Needless to say if you know england that the builder showed up on thursday evening. He comes in, walks to the cupboard, looks at the boiler and says that he can't do anything. It is completely build in and he can't access it. He also says that if you "press the button the red light will go out"... Like we haven't done that! I said we did do that every 5 seconds without success and he sais I have to press the button (is this guy deaf or just wants to play dumb???) Though this was actually true, he has been here before and knows the situation. This builder was soo uncaring and arrogant! He said a carpenter had to come to cut up the kitchen and he was not gonna do that. So I tried calling the landlord, who suddenly was not available. Then I call sidekick steve, the "maintenance manager" of the landlord. This wanker is supposed to manage all the maintenance on all the landlord's properties. I try to explain that we didn't have any hot water or heater. He didn't want to understand. I tried explaining for ages and ages (because I wanted it fixed then and there), then I tell him "it's the unit that provide hot water and central heating!", and he still was saying "I don't unederstand can you be a bit clear". SO I get furious and ask him where the hell he was when they were handing out brains, called him a fucking moron and hung up on him. The builder left. My guess is that steve called the builder to check what was broke and what the technical term was and the difference between a heater and a boiler. He obviously didn't know himselve otherwise he would have called me back immediately. Instead he calls me back 5 minutes later on a different mobile phone, and forgets to hide his number, thereby confirming he was indeed absent when they were handing out brains. This guy started swearing, even MY ears were flapping! (and I'm not impressed easily when it comes to swearing) And he said he would kill me if I would take such a tone with him again. He said he was not some cunt (which by the way he actually is, as he proved himself earlier and during that phone call). He asked me if I was listening. I told him I was listening extremely carefully. I asked him again if he was threatening me, and he said yes (he is even dumb enough to admit even that!) I asked again if he was really sure, that he would kill me next time. So I told him thanks and that I heard enough. I told him if he so much as points a funger at me, or threatens me ever again, I would report him to the police and I hung up.
a few minutes later I finally got in contact with the landlord and discussed the whole issue. I told him that this behaviour is unacceptable and I could report this guy to the police for this. To my surprise the landlord said that it may be better if I did just that (something I think is really quite silly...). ANyway, the landlord was also furious and had words with sidekick steve. he took him off our case. He said he couldn't fire him just like that, but steve was no longer allowed to have any dealings with our flat whatsoever.
The next day the landlord shows up himself with some portable heaters. Again we discuss steve, and other issues over a cup of coffee. The landlord explained how much both steve and the builders are a pain in the rear end.
Now all we have to do is wait for a carpenter to cut up the kitchen, the builder to come around and fix the bloody boiler, and we are good to go again. This will probably take up another 2 weeks or so.
Oh, extra piece of information: It has been 2 degrees during the day, freezing at night... nice...
For the last 1,5 to 2 weeks Lucas and I have been living without heating and sporadically hot water. The boiler had broken (and still is...). Last post I referred to the brain fart that "checked" the boiler. As I got to hear from my landlord, who by the I met and turns out to be a very reasonable guy, he first sends someone to check if the unit was just not incorrectly used, before he sends an expensive mechanic.
Anyway. The builder was supposed to come over on tuesday morning. Needless to say if you know england that the builder showed up on thursday evening. He comes in, walks to the cupboard, looks at the boiler and says that he can't do anything. It is completely build in and he can't access it. He also says that if you "press the button the red light will go out"... Like we haven't done that! I said we did do that every 5 seconds without success and he sais I have to press the button (is this guy deaf or just wants to play dumb???) Though this was actually true, he has been here before and knows the situation. This builder was soo uncaring and arrogant! He said a carpenter had to come to cut up the kitchen and he was not gonna do that. So I tried calling the landlord, who suddenly was not available. Then I call sidekick steve, the "maintenance manager" of the landlord. This wanker is supposed to manage all the maintenance on all the landlord's properties. I try to explain that we didn't have any hot water or heater. He didn't want to understand. I tried explaining for ages and ages (because I wanted it fixed then and there), then I tell him "it's the unit that provide hot water and central heating!", and he still was saying "I don't unederstand can you be a bit clear". SO I get furious and ask him where the hell he was when they were handing out brains, called him a fucking moron and hung up on him. The builder left. My guess is that steve called the builder to check what was broke and what the technical term was and the difference between a heater and a boiler. He obviously didn't know himselve otherwise he would have called me back immediately. Instead he calls me back 5 minutes later on a different mobile phone, and forgets to hide his number, thereby confirming he was indeed absent when they were handing out brains. This guy started swearing, even MY ears were flapping! (and I'm not impressed easily when it comes to swearing) And he said he would kill me if I would take such a tone with him again. He said he was not some cunt (which by the way he actually is, as he proved himself earlier and during that phone call). He asked me if I was listening. I told him I was listening extremely carefully. I asked him again if he was threatening me, and he said yes (he is even dumb enough to admit even that!) I asked again if he was really sure, that he would kill me next time. So I told him thanks and that I heard enough. I told him if he so much as points a funger at me, or threatens me ever again, I would report him to the police and I hung up.
a few minutes later I finally got in contact with the landlord and discussed the whole issue. I told him that this behaviour is unacceptable and I could report this guy to the police for this. To my surprise the landlord said that it may be better if I did just that (something I think is really quite silly...). ANyway, the landlord was also furious and had words with sidekick steve. he took him off our case. He said he couldn't fire him just like that, but steve was no longer allowed to have any dealings with our flat whatsoever.
The next day the landlord shows up himself with some portable heaters. Again we discuss steve, and other issues over a cup of coffee. The landlord explained how much both steve and the builders are a pain in the rear end.
Now all we have to do is wait for a carpenter to cut up the kitchen, the builder to come around and fix the bloody boiler, and we are good to go again. This will probably take up another 2 weeks or so.
Oh, extra piece of information: It has been 2 degrees during the day, freezing at night... nice...
November 22, 2005
British engineering
The British did a marvelous job in engineering some 2 centuries ago.
The voctorian age where engineering ruled, was an age of technical progress and scientific ingenuity. Kingdom Brunel is only one of the famous names of engineers, who's work is well known in the industry.
Steam engines developed at the speed computers do now.
Britain ruled the industrial revolution!
...To bad they stuck to those ages...
Nowadays British engineering can be considered the laughing stock of the industry. Rover just went bankrupt. Not even the Chinese wanted them!!! Jaguar, Aston Martin, TVR, Bentley... All famous names, famous BRITISH names...None anymore British than you or me...
Houses are still build largely from wood! Heating by default is night-storage-heating (a process where cheap electricity at night, heats up bricks, that subsequently release their heat during the day, when no one is at home because they work!).
My water heater broke down (thank god that someone had the idea to put gas central heating in my place... and insulate it as well....). Although I still have hot water, I do not have any heating.
Unfortunately for me it has been freezing in bristol for the last week. yet we haven't been without heating since last thursday. On friday the landlord said someone would come in on saturday. Needless to say no one did... (Famous english "I am lazy and don't give a shit" syndrom). I called the landlord on monday morning and said no one came around. He asked if his side kick hadn't called (another lazy wanker). Ofcourse he didn't! That would mean he would do his job, an dthat is really not possible in ENgland. God forbid you do your job! And it would even be blasphemy if you do it quick, efficient, good and cheap!!! That is just plain heresy!
SO someone would come in on monday evening. Miraculously this "engineer" did come in, not even that, he actually came on time!!!! (normally with an apointment in england add 30-60 minutes for a more realistic time frame).
So this guys starts to play with the buttons. Asks for a manual (which we don't have). Asks us 5 times where the thermostat is, on which we 5 times reply the same answer: there is no thermostat, you have to adjust the temperature using the dials on the heater (direct control, no temperature feedback loops). Basically he did all my flatmate and I had already thought of. Then he gave up and said that he had to get a gas engineer to come in.
Relaly you don't need a "gas engineer" for such a job, just someone that can fix heaters. I bet this guy just came in to stall.
My expectations are that not today, but maybe tomorrow someone comes in, by which I would already have bought a portable heater, and deducted that from my monthly rent (obviously). It will probably be fixed in 2 months time, guessing by how they treated the water leakage that went on for months last time...
It's sad that a once great empire has now been reduced to a third world country, by people that are rather lazy than tired...
The voctorian age where engineering ruled, was an age of technical progress and scientific ingenuity. Kingdom Brunel is only one of the famous names of engineers, who's work is well known in the industry.
Steam engines developed at the speed computers do now.
Britain ruled the industrial revolution!
...To bad they stuck to those ages...
Nowadays British engineering can be considered the laughing stock of the industry. Rover just went bankrupt. Not even the Chinese wanted them!!! Jaguar, Aston Martin, TVR, Bentley... All famous names, famous BRITISH names...None anymore British than you or me...
Houses are still build largely from wood! Heating by default is night-storage-heating (a process where cheap electricity at night, heats up bricks, that subsequently release their heat during the day, when no one is at home because they work!).
My water heater broke down (thank god that someone had the idea to put gas central heating in my place... and insulate it as well....). Although I still have hot water, I do not have any heating.
Unfortunately for me it has been freezing in bristol for the last week. yet we haven't been without heating since last thursday. On friday the landlord said someone would come in on saturday. Needless to say no one did... (Famous english "I am lazy and don't give a shit" syndrom). I called the landlord on monday morning and said no one came around. He asked if his side kick hadn't called (another lazy wanker). Ofcourse he didn't! That would mean he would do his job, an dthat is really not possible in ENgland. God forbid you do your job! And it would even be blasphemy if you do it quick, efficient, good and cheap!!! That is just plain heresy!
SO someone would come in on monday evening. Miraculously this "engineer" did come in, not even that, he actually came on time!!!! (normally with an apointment in england add 30-60 minutes for a more realistic time frame).
So this guys starts to play with the buttons. Asks for a manual (which we don't have). Asks us 5 times where the thermostat is, on which we 5 times reply the same answer: there is no thermostat, you have to adjust the temperature using the dials on the heater (direct control, no temperature feedback loops). Basically he did all my flatmate and I had already thought of. Then he gave up and said that he had to get a gas engineer to come in.
Relaly you don't need a "gas engineer" for such a job, just someone that can fix heaters. I bet this guy just came in to stall.
My expectations are that not today, but maybe tomorrow someone comes in, by which I would already have bought a portable heater, and deducted that from my monthly rent (obviously). It will probably be fixed in 2 months time, guessing by how they treated the water leakage that went on for months last time...
It's sad that a once great empire has now been reduced to a third world country, by people that are rather lazy than tired...
October 28, 2005
Quotes...
Well, I've been hearing some good lines lately, so I thought I share some with the world...
Homer Simpson:
>> If it takes efford, it is not worth doing...
>> Alcohol: the cause of, and solution to all of live's problems
>> In a world gone mad, only a lunatic is truly insane
>> Trying is the first step towards failure
>> No beer, no couch, no TV.... I am so alone...
Ofcourse there are more... These are from "Serenity"...
Operative [seeing a whole fleet of Reaver ships coming at him]: "Will someone just fire!!!"
Jayne Cobb: "Hell, I'll kill a man in a fair fight, or if I think he's gonna start a fair fight, or if he bothers me, or if there's a woman, or if I'm gettin paid; mostly only when I'm gettin paid?"
Dr. Simon Tam [in the middle of a fire fight]: "In all that time on the ship... I've always regretted... not being with you."
Kaylee Frye: "With me? You mean to say...... as in.... sex?"
Dr. Simon Tam: "Yes..."
Kaylee Frye: "To Hell with this. I'm gonna live!"
Kaylee Frye [to Simon who wasn't on the mission that the captain and others just got back from]: "Are you ok? "
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: "Is HE ok???"
Hoban 'Wash' Washburn: "...This is gonna get pretty interesting..."
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: "Define "interesting"..."
Hoban 'Wash' Washburn: [deadpan] "Oh God, oh God, we're all going to die...?"
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds [Over the ship's intercom]: "This is the captain speaking. We have a little problem with our entry sequence, so we may experience some slight... turbulence... and then explode..."
Jayne Cobb: "We're gonna explode??? I don't wanna explode!"
The Operative [to Mal]: "You are fooling yourself, Captain. Nothing is what it seems. You are not the plucky hero, the Alliance is not an evil empire, and this is not the grand arena."
Inara Serra [Pointing to a bomb she has lit]: "And that's not incense."
Hoban 'Wash' Washburn [about to crash the ship]: "I am a leaf on the wind - watch how I soar."
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds [shouting down into the vault]: "We're coming down to empty the vault now!"
Vault Guard [calling back up]: "You'll have to give me your authorization password!"
[Jayne fires a burst from his automatic rifle]
Vault Guard: "...Okay!"
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: "Do you want to run this ship?"
Jayne Cobb: "Yes!"
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds [caught off guard]: "Well... you can't..."
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: "Dear Buddha, I would like a pony and a plastic rocket."
Hoban 'Wash' Washburn: "Can we start with the part where Jayne gets beat up by a 90 pound girl? Because that's *never* getting old."
The Operative: "Do you know what your sin is?"
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: "Hell, I'm a fan of all seven... but right now, I'm gonna have to go with wrath."
Zoë Warren: "How much ammo we got left?"
Jayne Cobb: "Three full mags, and my swinging cod!"
Some quotes from Star Wars:
Obi Wan [seeing Anakin jump off a speeder at dazzling heights]: "Damn it! I hate it when he does that..."
Obi-Wan [just caught by anakin with a speeder]: "What took you so long?"
Anakin: "Well, you know, Master, I couldn't find a speeder that I really liked..."
Darth Vader: "leave them to me. I will deal with them myself"
Darth Vader: "You have failed me for the last time admiral..."
Bar customer [notices Obi-Wan arriving at the bar]: "You wanna buy some death sticks?"
Obi-Wan [using a Jedi mind trick]: "You don't want to sell me death sticks."
Bar customer: "I don't want to sell you death sticks."
Obi-Wan: "You want to go home and rethink your life."
Bar customer: "I want to go home and rethink my life."
Obi-Wan: "I was beginning to wonder if you'd got my message."
Anakin: "I retransmitted it to Coruscant, just as you'd requested, Master... Then we decided to come and rescue you."
Obi-Wan [looks at his handcuffed hands]: "Good job!"
Obi-Wan [to Anakin]: "Why do I get the feeling you're going to be the death of me..."
[R2-D2 is pulling C-3PO's head back towards his body]
C-3PO: "This is such a drag..."
[In the speeder, while chasing the assassin]
Obi-Wan: "You know I don't like it when you do that."
Anakin: "Sorry, master. I forgot that you don't like flying."
Obi-Wan: "I don't mind flying, but what you're doing is suicide...!"
[With head stuck on a battle droid's body]
C-3PO: "DIE, Jedi dogs!!!.... Oh... what did I say? "
Anakin: "You call this a diplomatic solution?"
Padme: "No, I call it an aggressive negotiation."
Homer Simpson:
>> If it takes efford, it is not worth doing...
>> Alcohol: the cause of, and solution to all of live's problems
>> In a world gone mad, only a lunatic is truly insane
>> Trying is the first step towards failure
>> No beer, no couch, no TV.... I am so alone...
Ofcourse there are more... These are from "Serenity"...
Operative [seeing a whole fleet of Reaver ships coming at him]: "Will someone just fire!!!"
Jayne Cobb: "Hell, I'll kill a man in a fair fight, or if I think he's gonna start a fair fight, or if he bothers me, or if there's a woman, or if I'm gettin paid; mostly only when I'm gettin paid?"
Dr. Simon Tam [in the middle of a fire fight]: "In all that time on the ship... I've always regretted... not being with you."
Kaylee Frye: "With me? You mean to say...... as in.... sex?"
Dr. Simon Tam: "Yes..."
Kaylee Frye: "To Hell with this. I'm gonna live!"
Kaylee Frye [to Simon who wasn't on the mission that the captain and others just got back from]: "Are you ok? "
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: "Is HE ok???"
Hoban 'Wash' Washburn: "...This is gonna get pretty interesting..."
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: "Define "interesting"..."
Hoban 'Wash' Washburn: [deadpan] "Oh God, oh God, we're all going to die...?"
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds [Over the ship's intercom]: "This is the captain speaking. We have a little problem with our entry sequence, so we may experience some slight... turbulence... and then explode..."
Jayne Cobb: "We're gonna explode??? I don't wanna explode!"
The Operative [to Mal]: "You are fooling yourself, Captain. Nothing is what it seems. You are not the plucky hero, the Alliance is not an evil empire, and this is not the grand arena."
Inara Serra [Pointing to a bomb she has lit]: "And that's not incense."
Hoban 'Wash' Washburn [about to crash the ship]: "I am a leaf on the wind - watch how I soar."
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds [shouting down into the vault]: "We're coming down to empty the vault now!"
Vault Guard [calling back up]: "You'll have to give me your authorization password!"
[Jayne fires a burst from his automatic rifle]
Vault Guard: "...Okay!"
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: "Do you want to run this ship?"
Jayne Cobb: "Yes!"
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds [caught off guard]: "Well... you can't..."
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: "Dear Buddha, I would like a pony and a plastic rocket."
Hoban 'Wash' Washburn: "Can we start with the part where Jayne gets beat up by a 90 pound girl? Because that's *never* getting old."
The Operative: "Do you know what your sin is?"
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: "Hell, I'm a fan of all seven... but right now, I'm gonna have to go with wrath."
Zoë Warren: "How much ammo we got left?"
Jayne Cobb: "Three full mags, and my swinging cod!"
Some quotes from Star Wars:
Obi Wan [seeing Anakin jump off a speeder at dazzling heights]: "Damn it! I hate it when he does that..."
Obi-Wan [just caught by anakin with a speeder]: "What took you so long?"
Anakin: "Well, you know, Master, I couldn't find a speeder that I really liked..."
Darth Vader: "leave them to me. I will deal with them myself"
Darth Vader: "You have failed me for the last time admiral..."
Bar customer [notices Obi-Wan arriving at the bar]: "You wanna buy some death sticks?"
Obi-Wan [using a Jedi mind trick]: "You don't want to sell me death sticks."
Bar customer: "I don't want to sell you death sticks."
Obi-Wan: "You want to go home and rethink your life."
Bar customer: "I want to go home and rethink my life."
Obi-Wan: "I was beginning to wonder if you'd got my message."
Anakin: "I retransmitted it to Coruscant, just as you'd requested, Master... Then we decided to come and rescue you."
Obi-Wan [looks at his handcuffed hands]: "Good job!"
Obi-Wan [to Anakin]: "Why do I get the feeling you're going to be the death of me..."
[R2-D2 is pulling C-3PO's head back towards his body]
C-3PO: "This is such a drag..."
[In the speeder, while chasing the assassin]
Obi-Wan: "You know I don't like it when you do that."
Anakin: "Sorry, master. I forgot that you don't like flying."
Obi-Wan: "I don't mind flying, but what you're doing is suicide...!"
[With head stuck on a battle droid's body]
C-3PO: "DIE, Jedi dogs!!!.... Oh... what did I say? "
Anakin: "You call this a diplomatic solution?"
Padme: "No, I call it an aggressive negotiation."
October 23, 2005
Finally some images
Well, I finally found some time to rework my images, so here they are...
Here is a wet leaf. I took this photo in Taipei ZOO. Some plants were continuously irrigated by some water jets that were spraying a mist of water particles onto the plants. I saw the glittering in the sun and thought it make a good shot, and I am not disappointed.
This photo has some history (the subject that is...). It is a memorial shrine in Tarokko Gorge in Hualien county Taiwan. The Tarokko Gorge is a very popular attraction, and if you visit it you can see why. It is indeed a lovely place. One of the reasons Tarokko is so well known, is because some 50 years ago, the Taiwanese build the central cross country highway. That led them through the gorge. It sadly cost the lives of 500 workers to build the highway in the gorge. They build this temple to remember their sacrifice. The temple had to be rebuild several times afterwards due to land slides and earth quakes.
This is a bridge that ran next to the memorial temple. I thought it was pretty interesting. It led to a tunnel where you could take a food path to the temple, but that was off limits due to the risk of falling rocks, something not uncommon.
At the end of the tour through Tarokko Gorge we arrived here. Whilst most of the tourists in our group went buying souvenirs and having coffee, I walked up the steep stairs to visit the buddhist temple. They were just restoring the damage done by one of the typhoons that had hit the area not too long ago. Little did they know that the same evening another typhoon, force 3, would sweep the land...
The temple featured this golden buddha statue. There was also a nice pagoda of which I also took some photos. I may show that one some other time.
This photo is of a fishing boat on Green Island, another popular tourist location in Taiwan. Green Island is very small and it is best to book your trip well in advance. ALthough they fly on Green Island, they use VFR, so if the weather is slightly off, you can count on all flights being cancelled. There is still a boat though. We took the boat on the way up, which was in the middle of a small typhoon, so you can imagine that almost everyone on board got pretty ill. Luckily I kept everything in. Tina insisted on taking a flight back.
Taipei 101, for now the tallest building in the world, shaped like a bamboo tree.
The photo you see here is the interior of this little orifice of 500+ meters. It is part of the construction that keeps a counter weight suspended in mid air. Several hydraulic dampers dampen the movement of this massive ball, that acts as a buffer for any movements caused by earth quakes and typhoons. A clever gadget if you tell me...
Martyr's shrine. This place is a huge shrine where they honour those that gave their lives during the endless wars over the past millenia. It is mostly oriented to those who gave their lives in their fight against communism and the second world war. The guard change is quite impressive and always managed to get a crowd of people attending. The soldiers twist and whirl their rifles in a well practised routine. If you are visiting, note the yellow/brown stripes on the pavement, worn by army boots marching every day multiple times per day. SInce the guards have to stand still perfectly in the blistering heat, they have awhole crew that waters them, dabs their sweaty foreheads, tug their uniforms, etc etc.
I think this is a little memorial that was constructed for the women that lost their husbands during the construction of the central cross island highway in Tarokko Gorge. I don't know the exact details because we didn't really have the time to stop and have a look.
Taipei MRT at peak hours...
"...yeah, I'm gonna have to work late darling, so don't wait up for me."
The railing on Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall.
I can't remember the name of the shopping mall where I took this shot. The mall is huge though! It contains a cinema as well where we watched Deuce Bigalow does Amsterdam. They have stuff for everyone. Mind you, it is not as crazy as Ximen Ding, a shopping mall Japan style, fashion shopping!
The mountains of Hualien County. Actually quite impressive! The landscape in Taiwan can be really gorgeous. The day we took this train from Taipei to Hualien was gorgeous as you can see. Too bad that many a factory poluted the view as well as teh environment. When you want to go swimming on the coast of Taiwan, make sure you check if you can. Treacherous currents and dubious sea creatures are not the only dangers that lure in the water.
Here is a wet leaf. I took this photo in Taipei ZOO. Some plants were continuously irrigated by some water jets that were spraying a mist of water particles onto the plants. I saw the glittering in the sun and thought it make a good shot, and I am not disappointed.
This photo has some history (the subject that is...). It is a memorial shrine in Tarokko Gorge in Hualien county Taiwan. The Tarokko Gorge is a very popular attraction, and if you visit it you can see why. It is indeed a lovely place. One of the reasons Tarokko is so well known, is because some 50 years ago, the Taiwanese build the central cross country highway. That led them through the gorge. It sadly cost the lives of 500 workers to build the highway in the gorge. They build this temple to remember their sacrifice. The temple had to be rebuild several times afterwards due to land slides and earth quakes.
This is a bridge that ran next to the memorial temple. I thought it was pretty interesting. It led to a tunnel where you could take a food path to the temple, but that was off limits due to the risk of falling rocks, something not uncommon.
At the end of the tour through Tarokko Gorge we arrived here. Whilst most of the tourists in our group went buying souvenirs and having coffee, I walked up the steep stairs to visit the buddhist temple. They were just restoring the damage done by one of the typhoons that had hit the area not too long ago. Little did they know that the same evening another typhoon, force 3, would sweep the land...
The temple featured this golden buddha statue. There was also a nice pagoda of which I also took some photos. I may show that one some other time.
This photo is of a fishing boat on Green Island, another popular tourist location in Taiwan. Green Island is very small and it is best to book your trip well in advance. ALthough they fly on Green Island, they use VFR, so if the weather is slightly off, you can count on all flights being cancelled. There is still a boat though. We took the boat on the way up, which was in the middle of a small typhoon, so you can imagine that almost everyone on board got pretty ill. Luckily I kept everything in. Tina insisted on taking a flight back.
Taipei 101, for now the tallest building in the world, shaped like a bamboo tree.
The photo you see here is the interior of this little orifice of 500+ meters. It is part of the construction that keeps a counter weight suspended in mid air. Several hydraulic dampers dampen the movement of this massive ball, that acts as a buffer for any movements caused by earth quakes and typhoons. A clever gadget if you tell me...
Martyr's shrine. This place is a huge shrine where they honour those that gave their lives during the endless wars over the past millenia. It is mostly oriented to those who gave their lives in their fight against communism and the second world war. The guard change is quite impressive and always managed to get a crowd of people attending. The soldiers twist and whirl their rifles in a well practised routine. If you are visiting, note the yellow/brown stripes on the pavement, worn by army boots marching every day multiple times per day. SInce the guards have to stand still perfectly in the blistering heat, they have awhole crew that waters them, dabs their sweaty foreheads, tug their uniforms, etc etc.
I think this is a little memorial that was constructed for the women that lost their husbands during the construction of the central cross island highway in Tarokko Gorge. I don't know the exact details because we didn't really have the time to stop and have a look.
Taipei MRT at peak hours...
"...yeah, I'm gonna have to work late darling, so don't wait up for me."
The railing on Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall.
I can't remember the name of the shopping mall where I took this shot. The mall is huge though! It contains a cinema as well where we watched Deuce Bigalow does Amsterdam. They have stuff for everyone. Mind you, it is not as crazy as Ximen Ding, a shopping mall Japan style, fashion shopping!
The mountains of Hualien County. Actually quite impressive! The landscape in Taiwan can be really gorgeous. The day we took this train from Taipei to Hualien was gorgeous as you can see. Too bad that many a factory poluted the view as well as teh environment. When you want to go swimming on the coast of Taiwan, make sure you check if you can. Treacherous currents and dubious sea creatures are not the only dangers that lure in the water.
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