March 4, 2013

Am going to clean out some notes I've been making in my notebook today, but first, need to make a quick follow-up to the last posting..  My local sources say the locals bang their bodies while exercising in acupressure points.  Suppose that makes sense and I have yet to explore that black art to have an opinion on it, but it did remind me that acupuncture is something I have wanted to try and will be looking into it near future.

Also, the Baby In Car stickers bothers most people as much as it does me, but the blame for them was assigned to Canadians by the Taiwan intelligentsia.  Not sure if I am buying that explanation.

Have been accused, and rightly so, of devoting too much time in this diary to life on the road, but need to get a couple more thoughts on it out there.  I know that as soon as I type this, that it'll jinx my luck, but it has been over three months since I've received a speeding ticket.  I received 7 or 8 of them from July to November but have rallied to go 0-fer the last three months.  Hooray for me.

I had a major revelation as to why there there are so many idiot drivers.  I would wager that the vast majority of the local population has their first driving experience on a scooter rather than behind the wheel of a car.  Scooter driving is totally different than a car as you typically weave through traffic at lights to go to the front of the line and easily maneuver around stopped vehicles to get ahead.  This is totally expected and acceptable, but once they graduate into a car, their scooter mentality is so ingrained that they drive their cars in a dangerous and selfish style.  Totally unacceptable, but at least I feel better with the understanding. 

Additionally, am somewhat disgusted by those that have shrines hanging from their rear view mirrors. It has been my experience that in general, drivers that have stuff hanging from the mirror seem to make poor choices on the road. They are like babies that get distracted when you shake your shiny key ring at them. Have always felt this way, but am noticing that the majority of the cars here sport all kinds of religious or other totems.  I would imagine that the distraction of these swinging charms causes more accidents than their good luck omens prevent.

Saw Django Unchained yesterday afternoon and loved it.  Pure Tarantino.  Twisted, brutal, funny and unlike any other movie out there. 

Feel like I've mentioned this before, but never know whether to acknowledge a fellow White Boy or White Girl on the street or just ignore them as I would on the streets in the States.

I know I've mentioned this one before, but being late to everything is not an endearing trait.  Had an encounter with one of these people yesterday and it ticks me off to no end.  I understand unexpected delays or traffic getting in ones way from time to time, and being fashionably late to a party is fashionable (dinner parties excluded), but it is the habitual tardiness types that need an intervention, so here it goes.  While we may make light of your affliction in front of you, we really want to tell you how much it pisses off the rest of us who lead organized lives.  You are disrespectful to us and it is a classic sign of rampant narcissism.  We secretly either tell you the wrong time of arrival or just stop inviting you.  Set your alarm, pull your head out and get your shit together.