Thursday, January 15, 2009


July 7, 2008 - A plane flies over the Danshui River on its approach to Taipei's Songshan Airport (regional).


And a plane flies over the riverside bikeway. On the right is the floodwall that would protect Taipei in case the Danshui overflooded.

The Taiwan government is giving out NT$3,600 shopping vouchers (a little over US$100) to every Taiwanese citizen (and foreign spouses, I think) to try to give a boost to the economy. I thought it was a great political move. It makes everyone happy because they get a hundred free bucks, but they have to use it for shopping, they can't just save it. Although I hope there's a stipulation that people can't get cash change if their purchase is less than the voucher value. They should have to actually spend the value of the voucher or more. Otherwise most Taiwanese will use a voucher, buy something a fraction of its worth and get the cash change and save it.

Anyway, I didn't know if I was eligible. I applied for citizenship in April, but the vouchers are being given out through family registries, and I don't think I was placed on our family registry in Kaohsiung. I just got a notice in the mail from the Immigration Bureau that I am eligible and it told me where to go to get my voucher. Thank god, because my bike tires are as bald as I want them to get, and they're picking up glass (cheap rubber) and sliding on wet patches, so I know how I'll be using my voucher.

iTunes soundtrack:
1. King of Birds (R.E.M.)
2. San Tropez (Pink Floyd)
3. Mustang Sally (Wilson Pickett)
4. "40" (U2)
5. Television Man (Talking Heads)
6. Who Will Buy? ("Oliver")
7. Left of Center (Suzanne Vega)
8. Conditioner (Wu-Tang Clan)
9. Last Train to London (Electric Light Orchestra)
10. Death of a Clown (The Kinks)

2 comments:

joyce said...

i could use $100, and i certainly wouldn't save it! :)

Anonymous said...

I've been asking people what they were going to spend it on, and I haven't gotten any stand out answers. People here are so boring!