around taichung

I think that an extremely clever, fast-talking tile salesman came to Taiwan in the 70's or 80's sometime and unloaded his entire supply onto this poor country. Or maybe some important government official had a brother who manufactured tile. Or maybe the Taiwanese thought that making their cities look like the inside of a bathroom was the way to go. Whatever the reason, about a tenth of the buildings here are covered in tile. It looks ok actually, but it is something I have never seen before. My problem is that many of the sidewalks are covered in it too. And while they look nice, they get a little slippery Or, actually, really slippery. I have been caught up short while walking down the street a few times. (Especially when it rains.) But I can't be the only person who has this problem. Granted, it is not unusual for me to trip over myself while walking across the street, but part of the problem is definitely the material I am working with. Didn't someone test this idea out before they started slapping tile down everywhere? I really don't get it.

So, many of the buildings here are shrouded in tile. A lot (of other buildings) have beautiful, modern architecture. (Especially in the areas that I have been in, where the princeton review offices are.) But the majority of the buildings are old school, run down, communist era looking. Not that the communists were here, exactly. (I think. I haven't read super extensively.) But there was a repressive regime, and the outside of many of the buildings represent what that usually does to a country. However, I have heard (of the buildings in Taiwan generally) that the outsides don't reflect the insides, and that many of the insides of buildings are all beautifully refurbished. I have seen a little evidence that this is true, but my experience hasn't been extensive enough to really speak to this. I have seen some of both, crappy outsides with crappy insides, crappy outsides with nice insides.

A lot of the buildings lining the streets have little tiny storefronts, and when I walk home I look through them. Many of them are still open, but aren't actually being used as storefronts. They are being used as living rooms/pseudo store fronts, and the sidewalks have a kitchen stand or piles of merchandise hanging out all over the place. So when I walk by it is either like I walking through someone's front "yard" or through the middle of their stuff. It's weird. Or, if the sidewalk is completely taken up, I get to walk in the street. Where the mopeds and cars go. But that's ok, the drivers here have a really polite way speeding around you.

Speaking of which, the taxi drivers here are artists. They have absolutely no respect for the lines on the road. This ethic isn't a surprise, but it is amazing how fluidly they push their way into intersections. I mean, we are on city streets, with obstacles and all, so they can't go nascar fast, but it is sort of like decaffeinated nascar. The other day, one driver made left hand turn across three lanes of traffic. Across 3 lanes of moving traffic. He just drove straight across. Over yellow lines. Just decided, hell, I want to be on the other side of the road. It was extremely exciting. And no one was injured. Or surprised. Except me. But I was very quiet. I just didn't know anyone had balls that big. And, really, I guess I should be complimented that the driver thought I had anywhere that important to go, or that I needed to be anywhere in that kind of a hurry. Maybe he thinks I deliver babies, or change oxygen tanks for people with no lungs or something, and he is shocked, SHOCKED, at the casual way that I get into the cab, and he needs to make up for my attitude with reckless speed.

Anyway, at least they haven't been scamming me. I have been paying attention to the routes they take and all have been honest about how they take me around town. So, they are honest, but with no respect for the traffic laws of mankind. Or, with a transcendental understanding of the physics of what happens when 2 solid objects meet.