Taifeitang,
The cool old guy on the show was fun to talk with. We spoke English at first and then simply spoke Chinese. I figured we’re both basically “locals”, why not? His English, to me, is surprisingly good considering that he just “picked it up”. He doesn’t speak Chinglish.
I’m putting a book together now, but it’s cartoons that I have drawn about puns of things that sound similar in Chinese. Kind-of an exaggerated example of how things may sound the same to foreigners. After that, I might work on a serious book.
So far, I’ve had my ID card for just over 3 months and the fun of flashing it here and there hasn’t worn out. The best shock-reaction was in GaoXiong airport. I bought a ticket to fly to Jin Men Island. I said “I have reserved a seat” and handed the person my ROC passport and ID card. She said nothing, but there was one second of silent “Oooooh!” That was cool. That was just a few weeks after I was on TV, so I don’t know whether she saw that and recognized me or not.
SPEAKING OF MY PASSPORT:
I lost it! I can’t believe that. I still have my first two ARCs, my original US passport, etc. How could I possibly lose that thing? I think about a week or two after I lost it, I kept thinking it was in my motorcycle when I was home, and kept thinking it was somewhere at home when I was looking in my motorcycle. Finally, I started looking more carefully and couldn’t find it. Off and on I looked for over 3 weeks and decided to get a new one.
I needed to go to a certain police station and fill out two missing item forms. They kept one at the police station and gave me the other one. I took that to a travel agency (I’ve known them for 8 years) and after a day, they called me to say that I needed a document that says that I don’t need to do military service.
Once again, things come in one-year phases. Once you get your ID card, you have exactly one year that you are not at all responsible for military service. (Except the first day you get your ID card, you get a thing in the mail that says you have to go to the military office and kind of like “check in”, on paper. I took care of that). So, I went to the military office to ask for this kind of document. They said they can’t give me one because my first year isn’t up yet.
That “weird year” when you carry a TARC, you’re a national, but don’t have an ID card yet. Then, the first year you carry an ID card, you’re a full citizen, yes, but are not responsible for military service. (Also, you can’t vote until you have had your ID card for 6 months. I wasn’t able to vote in the last election and I’m not sad about that.) So here I am, a 35-year-old male, walking around setting off alarms because my ID card doesn’t have a stamp that I have either completed or don’t need to do military service. The military office told me to get my Hu Ko Ming Bu (Household Registry document that lists everyone in your family and your relationships. I guess that’s what it’s for, anyway. Mine is very simple. I AM my whole family, in Taiwan.) Somehow, that document tells them that I’m not yet responsible for military service.
I got my first ROC passport just after I got my TARC. The only strange part was they gave me an “entry/exit permit” in the back. I’m a national, but still need a permit to leave and enter? Now, I lost that and am trying to get a new one using my ID card. I called the travel agency and said I could give them my Hu Ko Ming Bu. She seemed confused. Then, she called back and said I needed the original, so she must have talked to someone who understood this. Even with an ID card, there are still some first-year growing pains.
My goal: never lose my passport again.
)[/quote]
…and thanks for the serious response to a half-assed retort from me, I done lurned sump’n 
