Scooter License Part II

Yeah, I passed my scooter driving test yesterday with a little trouble. I hit the buzzer once and had to start over but it turned out okay! I am now legal to drive a heavy scooter - up to 150 cc in Taiwan. When I finished all the local people clapped and were happy for me...

It really opens up a new world for me here. I am no longer limited to where I go by modes of transportation. I just have to be really careful because the roads are crazy here.

I'm headed to Hawaii tomorrow so I may not up grade my blog for awhile. It will be a little strange being away from my computer.

Aloha, Teacher Gerald

Air Conditioning Part II

Links to some old deoderant commercials - pretty funny and enlightening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVc5qZ7Lw6c&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngu6WHw04Es

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJRGt1v8bBE&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTQNByO0TnY&mode=related&search=

Old Freon. I didn't know!!!! Really, if I knew I would have chosen the new, non-ozone destroying, more efficient new Freon. I feel terrible about it but it's done.

Thinking about Freon made me remember using spray-on deodorant when I was starting to smell at the age of 12 in Toledo Ohio. I remember my mother having a talk with me. "Jerry," she said, "you are growing up now and it's time to use deodorant...because you are smelling." HA HA...I remember using "Ban" deodorant because they had the funniest commercial. I didn't know till later that the Freon in it was destroying our world. When I did discovered it ozone destroying, I changed (I remember thinking something wasn't right before I found out about it). Even being so young I switched to roll -on. It was a weird change. Roll-on felt so strange. Now I can't imagine spray-on.

Currently I use the "crystal" every few days. Interestingly, Taiwanese don't use anything and they don't ever have a bad smell that I've noticed. I wonder why?

Also, bigger is better - only in Air conditioners and burritos...

Air Conditioner - Ozone destroying

We bought an air conditioner and had it installed yesterday. I use to think air conditioners were a waste of energy, resources and money. I don't any more. Perhaps it's age. Perhaps it's living in a hot, humid and noisy urban environment and age.

Well, we bought an 18,000 BTU Kolin (Taiwan Brand) air conditioner. It cost $35,000 plus $7,700 installation fee. (Those are New Taiwan Dollars $1 US = about $32 NTD) It has good features like quiet running, fuzzy setting, movement and a few others.

What I didn't discover till the installer told us was that we have an air conditioner that has the old Freon that destroys the ozone. Great! Huh? They still sell that? By the time it hit me the installer was gone.

Apparently it is still available in the world today. What else I found out was that the new freon costs about $10,000 NTDs more than the old Freon but would save about $500 NTD per month in electric costs over the old Freon if the air condtioner is run 10 hours a day - not an unreasonable amount of time for about 4 summer months here.

Oh well, that's what we got and it works. If you need an air conditioner - I advise to always get a bigger size than you think you need. The more btu's the better - I can't believe I said that. But it does make sense. An air conditioner that is too small will work hard and use power while never really cooling the room.

Air conditoning -"It's my bag, baby."

Of course an alternative would be to live in the trade winds...

Scooter License

The bad news is that I flunked my heavy scooter driving test. The good news is that passed the written test - the same one that I flunked by one question last week. People thought I was pretty funny the way that I flunked my driving test. Lots of laughs...I have to say I laughed at a guy who flunked before me too. Ouch!

I didn't get 4 feet or 2 meters into the test before I hit the side buzzer - twice. Nerves.

I'll try again next week. I did drive the scooter home without the proper license and everything was fine. And because I passed the written test, I can drive a 50 cc legally. Maybe that's all I need ... but...but but... I want the bigger bike!

Steel Pulse is too cool!

Okay, I've move to Taichung. One of the big changes is VERY HIGH SPEED INTERNET. I have something called 8M here.

I really don't know what it means but I do know the songs fit the singing. I love it! Always pay for highest speed internet!

Four little birds

Hardy har har...it's four little birds. You can see the head of the fourth sticking out. Imagine the food and resources that the parents must provide to raise four children. And think of this...they just got done raising three others who left the nest. ....isn't there a song "Biology?" I'll include Bob Marley "Three Little Birds" here too cause it's so cool. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnDrbagYm24 What isn't cool but is interesting, is that I lost my ipod taking this photo. OUT of the bag! Maybe it wanted to stay in Taipei..