Our New Place

Commercialism runs rampant in Taiwan. You walk down the street and are constantly bombarded with advertisements, business signs, people handing out leaflets, and businesses. Here it is very difficult to distinguish between residential areas and business areas. This is especially so in our city of Taoyuan. In Taipei, it is a little bit easier to distinguish between residential and commercial areas in the newer sections. In Taoyuan, however, where you live is likely where you work. Most buildings are three or four stories. The top floors are where you live and the bottom floor (the garage) is where you run your business. Your business could be anything from a restaurant to a car repair shop or from a pet store to a travel agency. Whatever the market will bear seems to be the rule. When walking down the street, you also have to maneuver through the other businesses that occupy the sidewalk. These more mobile businesses sell clothes, jewelry, and any kind of food imaginable. If you imagine 15-20 hotdog stands per block, you will have an idea. And, this is practically everywhere, not just in some certain areas.

With this kind of "commerce friendly" atmosphere, I guess we should not have been surprised that a disco opened up in our apartment building. But there we were, very surprised when it happened. We lived on the 15th floor and this dance club opened on the 9th floor. We had heard that a disco had been in that building before, but was not very successful and only lasted for six months. I guess this one survived by turning up the music and by being open from 10pm to 10am.

We tried to weather the storm for a few weeks, but the music was really loud. We called the police a few times, but once they came the music would be turned down for a few minutes and then back at full volume, or even louder. We were not getting enough sleep and getting grumpy so we moved into Anting's mom's place and then eventually into her brother's place. Fortunately her brother (Leo) is working in China and his wife Mikiko and two kids are living with Anting's mom so we have the place all to ourselves. Actually we really enjoy the place as it is much bigger than our first place and has a kitchen. The only downside is that it adds another 20 minutes to my commute to Taipei every day.

Here are a few pictures of the new place that we moved into in the beginning of January. We even have an extra bedroom for you to come stay. So, if you are ever in Taiwan and need a place to stay, you are more than welcome to stay with us!



The kichen and Dining Area



















The Living Room