I went a little high on that one.
2 Likes
Yeah, I’m sticking to that, in view of the continued foot-dragging over vaccines and the obsession over finding as many ‘cases’ as possible. Seek and ye will find. To be clear, that’s my prediction for the total/final number when the dust clears and they allow us to live our lives again.
The second part of my prediction was total deaths in the ballpark of 100. Possibly a few hundred. Feel free to make a note of that too. The reason I’m predicting an extremely low CFR is that (IMO) many Taiwanese people have been exposed to the virus for a very long time, and I believe much of the population have some immunity.
2 Likes
They’re out, aren’t they? How do they know what you’re doing? You may be imagining this?
2 Likes
You make a lot of great points in this thread. I always wondered how many cases were missed last year due to the “we are not testing because of the false positives” policy that has now been turned on its head.
I had two experiences last week. An employee at the local OK froze when she saw me and let her colleague serve me. And when I crossed a road with my kids a local teenager on a bike blocked my way because my son’s mask had dropped below his nose and he demanded I fix that immediately.
I have been here for some time, so I know the locals tend to slip into “us vs them” mode easily. Hope this blows over soon. Starting to feel home sick for the first time in years.
3 Likes
You think Taiwan is suffering.
Look at Hong Kong. I have two close friends there.
One with a wife and 2 kids. They haven’t left to go anywhere since early-2020.
Their island is smaller and much denser populated.
One (a foreigner) says he’s been hiking the hills over and over and over again, and he just does it. Has now gotten to where he enjoys it.
Do not worry about going out to exercise/walk/bike.
Do your “caution” thing, naturally, but just go out if you have to get out. It’s fine.
6 Likes
Me too. And I’m never home sick.
2 Likes
It’s normal. Some of us haven’t been home in a few years. I haven’t seen many family members in years.
I’m pretty fixated on getting over there late Summer.
3 Likes
I’m not saying these things can’t and don’t happen, but asking about the specifics of the situation @owleyes described.
Same here for this Streamsider
3 Likes
I started typing the details here but decided to edit my reply as it was even more triggering mentally.
A summary would be, me asking a question in the group about classes and parents crucifying me for just asking a simple question about graduation dates and procedures. Something
like ‘why are you asking? Just stay home and the be quiet you want to make Taiwan as the west (coronavirus wise)’ 
I only asked about if there will be a graduation certificate and when the paperwork for high school will be done. Nothing even related to presencial classes.
Another example is asking about a competition in a sport I practice since the coach only had published classes would be temporarily cancelled until 5/21. Everyone in the group was saying I’m irresponsible just because I asked to when the competition was postponed.
My child let is slip through we went hiking during a phone call to family members. They called us all types of things and shouldn’t go out anywhere and that’s because people who act like this that Taiwan is in desperation. Mind you the hike had not other hikers all the way up and down the mountain I chose.
Neighbors murmuring in front of me when they see me in exercise clothes leaving the building complex.
And so many others.
I am isolating myself. I am staying at home. But if a chair breaks and I need to go to ikea to chose another one I will. And people shouldn’t tell me ‘you are a disgrace for going to ikea in this pandemic’. First of, I didn’t chose to, I had to because something was broken. Secondly, If government didn’t want me to they’d have it closed and have delivery sales only available. It is not like I went there to dine as o saw many Taiwanese people doing, or just to roam around window shopping.
If I am getting physically sick for the lack of movement I will go for my hike. Don’t murmur at me.
And I’m not a law breaker because I am asking about certain dates as I will have deadlines to follow through the pathetic paperwork bureaucracy for school application etc.
This behavior is ridiculous.
I was in hard lockdown with over 20k new daily cases and people didn’t have this nonsensical approach.
1 Like
Epic rant.
It really is an immense waste of time (and money). I had a pretty time-optimized routine of cooking certain things and eating outside otherwise. That’s all gone to the dogs. I’m dealing with it by just keeping things real simple - stews/hotpot, things from jars, and (unfortunately) things on bread, which I generally avoid.
Go out at night. Apart from it being quieter and cooler, it’s more difficult for people to see if you have a ‘chin diaper’, and of course you can just pull it back into position if you pass someone. If you can find a place where there are naturally only a few people around, it’s quite enjoyable.
One of the most unpleasant things about all this is the wedge that has been driven down the middle of society - even, as you said, between close friends. Fortunately I have family I can sound off to, but I feel I can’t discuss all this with friends.
I’m afraid you may have to find new friends.
Realistically we are now in a situation where level 4 conditions are almost mandatory, but yes, people had adopted those measures almost voluntarily by the time the official announcements were made. Bizarre stuff.
Stick to your guns. It seems to me that you understand the science of transmission even if nobody else does, so you’ll be careful where it matters. Follow your conscience and your intellect.
The sheer futility of it is really getting to me. I was perfectly happy in quarantine because I recognised its value. “Level 3” is nothing more than woo-woo.
I bought some crypto in March last year at a very low price and seriously regret not buying more. I bought some XMR on the dip yesterday.
The superstitious beliefs of Taiwanese people have really come to the surface here; you wouldn’t believe some of the ridiculous shite I’ve heard (eg., “I know someone who went out into the hills to walk and that was where they caught the virus!”). But do bear in mind that those people giving you furtive glances in the street may actually be thinking “I wonder if he’s one of us or one of them?”, not necessarily “bloody foreigners spreading their germs around”.
2 Likes
I’m more of a morning person. But will give it a try today.
Pretty much my routine before this craziness. But not good enough to just make something too easy when you have a kid who gets bored easily with same food and is not a big fan of Taiwanese food. Then it is either ordering delivery every day or cooking from scratch. Since we are already damaging our health by being locked up i choose cooking. But it is definitely taking a toll on me. I do order delivery but feel guilty about my own health and my kid’s health to order too much food made in restaurants.
Indeed
Can I second that?
Truth is, I feel if the government didn’t have any level 3 announcement but cases were spiked to the numbers we know today people would have isolated themselves anyway. That’s what they are doing now even though we don’t have a lockdown, isn’t it?
I must admit a few of them I don’t even want to see anymore. They are spewing poison typical of toxic relationships. Or irrational panic. Who knows.
Honestly, @owleyes I was cycling yesterday and motorists were giving us 加油, im sure a lot of this is in your head.
4 Likes
I don’t feel much restricted yet. WFH with kids who need to be given food are bothersome, but I cook really simple things. If they don’t like it, they don’t have food to eat. I go to grocery store whenever I need. Bus and MRT are operated, though I prefer bicycle now. Am I lucky that our neighbours don’t mind we play on empty sidewalk of a dead end road?
Parents of kids who graduate this school year must have felt more stress, though.
2 Likes
There is a chance of that. Were you cycling in Taipei?
Cycling all over Taipei and New Taipei City now. Not much else to do. Running, walking, and hiking also all over. It sucks with the mask, but it’s doable. I’ll be trying one of these dust masks on my next ride. If you laugh at the color, I’ll hit you with my purse. Recommended by someone in the cycling sub forum.
6 Likes
I posted it on the vaccines thread but it’s more appropriate here.
Ruminations of a Friday Morning
by The Half Vaccinated Man
This morning I woke up, I tried to turn the aircon off but it kept turning itself back on.
I decided to have my eggs overeasy, not soft but not hard you know what I mean (stop tittering in the back).
I brewed my coffee. It was luke warm by the time I drank it.
I looked out the window , it’s so humid I just wish it would rain already.
My boss keeps making appointments , and then changing the meeting time at the last minute. I don’t know what’s up with him. It seems to be going around lately…
I think I’l go for a run later. Yeah right.
2 Likes
Yeah right.
1 Like
