[quote=“Dog’s_Breakfast”]My wife tells me that Tsai Ing-wen will be coming to Taidong tomorrow.
So everything will be fine now. At least it will be as long as she doesn’t say that the scenery in Taidong is like Provence in France.[/quote]
Eh, she already visited affected parts of Taitung,aside from Green and Orchid Islands.
m.focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201607100008.aspx
[quote=“Icon”][quote=“Dog’s_Breakfast”]My wife tells me that Tsai Ing-wen will be coming to Taidong tomorrow.
So everything will be fine now. At least it will be as long as she doesn’t say that the scenery in Taidong is like Provence in France.[/quote]
Eh, she already visited affected parts of Taidong,aside from Green and Orchid Islands.
m.focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201607100008.aspx[/quote]
I saw her on the news on Lanyu. There were people shouting at her. They have no respect for mainland presidents over there. 
[quote=“Charlie Phillips”][quote=“Icon”][quote=“Dog’s_Breakfast”]My wife tells me that Tsai Ing-wen will be coming to Taidong tomorrow.
So everything will be fine now. At least it will be as long as she doesn’t say that the scenery in Taidong is like Provence in France.[/quote]
Eh, she already visited affected parts of Taidong,aside from Green and Orchid Islands.
m.focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201607100008.aspx[/quote]
I saw her on the news on Lanyu. There were people shouting at her. They have no respect for mainland presidents over there. [/quote]
My wife said Tsai was already in Lanyu and Green Island, and Taimali, but I guess is supposed to visit Taitung City tomorrow. Or so I hear - I hardly ever watch the news myself because it’s usually about pineapple cakes or something similar.
As it happens, I live just on the north side of Taitung, and Typhoon Nepartak destroyed my lawnmower and left a few gaping holes in my back yard. So if I see Tsai tomorrow, I won’t ask for a new lawnmower but I’ll put in my request for a truckload of landfill, which you can’t really buy (except on the black market).
Indeed, she visited the worst affected parts, and from the islands flew over to Timali, Taitung.
People did shout because they did feel neglected, assitance came slowly.
And the xtend of the damage was incomprehensible. When have you seen a gas pump -!!!- torn off by the wind?! Damn!!! 
[quote=“Icon”]Indeed, she visited the worst affected parts, and from the islands flew over to Timali, Taidong.
People did shout because they did feel neglected, assitance came slowly.
And the xtend of the damage was incomprehensible. When have you seen a gas pump -!!!- torn off by the wind?! Damn!!! 
[/quote]
I think I might have actually seen Tsai’s motorcade yesterday driving through our village. I can’t be sure, it’s not like they held up a sign saying “Tsai Ing-wen’s Motorcade.” But anyway, there were six government vehicles with their flashers on. Car windows had Mylar film so you couldn’t see inside. Driving at high speed. Two of them were fire department vehicles, the other were some other government agencies but I couldn’t read the characters as they whizzed by so fast. I don’t think they were on any emergency call (no sirens).
In the past I’ve seen Ma Ying-jeou’s motorcade in Taitung, and this one was much lower profile. Ma had about a dozen black limos, plus police escorts blocking intersections all along the route. The motorcade I saw yesterday just looked like normal government vehicles borrowed from various departments - if they didn’t have their flashers on, I probably wouldn’t have noticed them.
Of course, maybe it wasn’t Tsai - it could have been some other politicians from Taipei taking advantage of the taxpayer-funded disaster tour. Just what good they do, I have no idea, but I guess they don’t have much else to do.
Getting back to something more relevant to the real world, I found out that quite a few of the work crews cleaning up the big mess in downtown Taitung were brought in from outside. Some are staying in government dormitories, but a few home stays are hosting them for free, or at least cheap. We have a home stay, but no one’s approached us to ask for free/discounted rooms - I’d be willing to host a few. But maybe they have enough spaces now. There are also a lot of military crews working - I feel sorry for them having to wear long sleeves, long pants and combat boots in the hot sun. Is there some rule prohibiting soldiers from getting heat exhaustion?
Business opportunities among the rubble - hardware stores are doing raging business. Sales of chainsaws have never been better - you’ve got to stand in line to buy one.
Another observation - there seem to be a lot of tourists in Taitung right now. I was downtown last night, every restaurant filled to overflowing. Disaster tourism?
They have a government program hiring people to clean up their own homes, plus loans to rebuild.
Dunno about homestays or tourist attraction. But I guess visitors are a bit crammed with so many facilities damaged.
And it is that time of the year.
did she conclude on her trip that metal sheet structures and other poorly made dangerous additions should be banned or not? if she did not then i do not have much faith in her as a leader.
I would like to see some rule about being able to request that neighbors trim trees to a reasonable height, or if he/she can’t do that then allow the neighbor to do it, or else face liability if that tree topples over and does damage to neighbor’s house. I’ve got a problem with a neighbor who has too tall trees growing to the point where they are a danger to my house, and I don’t know what I can do about it.
I like trees as much as anyone else, but I don’t want it falling through my roof. Some photos I took two days ago…
Taiwan’s nutty Tree Party will probably accuse me of genocide for posting this.
I would like to see some rule about being able to request that neighbors trim trees to a reasonable height, or if he/she can’t do that then allow the neighbor to do it, or else face liability if that tree topples over and does damage to neighbor’s house. I’ve got a problem with a neighbor who has too tall trees growing to the point where they are a danger to my house, and I don’t know what I can do about it.
I like trees as much as anyone else, but I don’t want it falling through my roof. Some photos I took two days ago…
Taiwan’s nutty Tree Party will probably accuse me of genocide for posting this.[/quote]
thats a good point too. we need more rules!
I would like to see some rule about being able to request that neighbors trim trees to a reasonable height, or if he/she can’t do that then allow the neighbor to do it, or else face liability if that tree topples over and does damage to neighbor’s house. I’ve got a problem with a neighbor who has too tall trees growing to the point where they are a danger to my house, and I don’t know what I can do about it.
I like trees as much as anyone else, but I don’t want it falling through my roof. Some photos I took two days ago…
Taiwan’s nutty Tree Party will probably accuse me of genocide for posting this.[/quote]
At least in our neighborhood they are pretty strict about it. When typhoon season starts, and frequently during the summer and winter, the municipal crews trim the trees that line our road to a reasonable height. I know they also issue “strong requests”, like to my neighbor downstairs who cut the tree that reached up to my second floor just before Soundelor. That has not affected the gecko population. However, what I thought was a leftover branch turned out to be a whole tree growing off the second floor wall. When the 3rd floor neighbors tore it out, it took its revenge by holding its roots to a water pipe: instant waterfall! 
So better leave that kind of work to experts and trim frequently anything that can float away.
This is a matter of enforcement rather than a new law. It will be interesting to see if there is a new push to get rid of illegal structures. I know that Mayor Ko made a big push last year but I am not sure if there has been any follow through.
Indeed. Downtown Taipei doesn’t seem too ugly. Where I am living it’s business as usual though. Sheet metal as far as the eye can see and it’s still going up. My building is covered in it. It used to have a nice view from the roof and now it’s all covered by metal sheets. Its made the place 95% noisier too. I like the old buildings here, they have charm but there’s really no benefit of living in them over new tower blocks other than price.
For those looking to donate to typhoon relief to the hardest hit Taidong county, Taidong county government has provided 4 ways to do so:
taitung.gov.tw/cp.aspx?n=77B … FC0CA53DEF
It’s all in Mandarin, but the jest is this.
1. Donate by transferring money through a bank teller
Fill in the following in the transfer application:
Account name: 臺東縣政府臺東縣社會救助金專戶
Account number：臺灣銀行 臺東分行 023-038-295107
In order to get a receipt for tax purposes, either fill in this form: goo.gl/xn0Np7
Or fax the transfer information to this number: 089-350154
2. Transfer through an ATM or Internet banking
Account number: 臺灣銀行 004 臺東分行 023-038-295107
In order to get a receipt for tax purposes, either fill in this form: goo.gl/xn0Np7
Or fax the transfer information to this number: 089-350154
3. Donate through a convenient store
You can donate through 7-11, Family Mart, Hi-life and OK mart. You have to access i-bon, FamiPort or other e-payment machines at the convenient store. Click the “尼伯特颱風捐款(台東縣政府)” button to make donations from 100 NTD up to 20K NTD.
Your donation will be free of fees, and the convenient store will give you the receipt.
4. Bank or credit card outside Taiwan
You may donate through the 17life site: http://bit.ly/29oZo0O
The site accepts credit card donations.
To donate from abroad, wire money using the following info.
Bank Name: BANK OF TAIWAN
Branch Name: TAITUNG BRANCH
Swift Code: BKTWTWTP023
Beneficiary’s Name: TAITUNG COUNTY GOVERNMENT
Beneficiary’s A/C NO: 023-038-295107
Bank Address: NO.313, CHUNG SHAN ROAD, TAITUNG, TAIWAN
So this would provide funds directly to the Taidong County Government? With all due respect to the crisis at hand, those guys are among the last people on earth I would trust to handle funds transparently or fairly. I presume the usual NGOs have sprung into action too?
Guy
[quote=“afterspivak”]So this would provide funds directly to the Taidong County Government? With all due respect to the crisis at hand, those guys are among the last people on earth I would trust to handle funds transparently or fairly. I presume the usual NGOs have sprung into action too?
Guy[/quote]
I don’t know which NGOs to trust either.
You can also donate to World Vision on their typhoon relief page:
i-payment.worldvision.org.tw/htm … te/158.htm
It’s a long form in Chinese to get the money out though.
You can also donate to two hospitals directly:
Taitung Christian Hospital
tch.org.tw/TchWeb/ArticleCon … ory_D_ID=3
You have to donate through the post office:
Post office transfer deposit number (劃撥帳號): 06714451
Account name: 東基醫療財團法人
Effort to Dedicate to: 東基風災重建
St. Mary Hospital
st-mary.org.tw/news/news_lis … ws_id=1032
Post office transfer deposit
Post office transfer deposit number (劃撥帳號): 06620781
Account name: 台東天主教聖母醫院
Or bank transfer
Account name: 天主教花蓮教區醫療財團法人台東聖母醫院
Bank Account: 華南銀行台東分行 (008), 830-20-050683-9
You are right to also have suspicions about some NGOs (or more particularly, some GONGOs) like Taiwan’s notoriously opaque Red Cross.
In any case, thank you Hansioux! You are an asset to this online community.
Guy
Absolutely. You should donate directly to the people in Taidong who have suffered the effects.
I’ll be standing on the corner of Chunghua and Hsingsheng Lu between 4 and 8 pm, and you can put the money straight into my can.
Damages caused by the typhoon. Cars flipped over, trees ripped out of the ground, traditional roof tiles blown off, trailers laying on their sides… The only upside is that not a lot of people were physically harmed…
That’s a stunning video–Taidong from Above, where the camera (presumably a drone?) shows how the typhoon did not discriminate: buildings or trees, rocks or cars, McDonald’s or a temple. That was one scary storm!
Guy
This might go against the grain but there was a lot of devastation in that video with very little devastation. I saw trees, sheet metal, signage and roof tiles (and many cars and smaller objects) damaged but very little significant damage to reinforced buildings up to code (considering how ridiculously violent the storm was). If this kind of storm hits the Philippines we are talking about 100’s (if not 1000’s) of casualties because so many live sheet metal or brick housing. Obviously it will take a long time to clean and fix everything up but Taiwanese buildings (most of them) are pretty incredible even if they are mostly ugly.