Hartzell’s approach sounds like a “play it safe” approach - and there is nothing wrong with playing it safe to avoid unnecessary hassles, if it does not involve betraying your own convictions or doing anything on the back of other people. On the other hand, giving people a headache when you may have to deal with them in the future does not sound like a safe approach.
[quote=“kitkat”]Could you not call and say that since you have a young baby you generally don’t accept home visits from strangers, especially ones whose work brings them into contact with a wide range of people, worries about Swine flu, colds etc.
Offer to pop down to the office and complete the questionnaire instead. Or fill it in online or by telephone.[/quote]
thanks for all your replies, opinions and remarks.
I would never dismiss a Hartzell comment. I know what he is dong for Taiwan and the foreign community here, and I read his book ‘harmony in conflict’ shortly after arriving in Taiwan more than a decade ago, it helped me a lot.
We had a similar visit, where basically the copper or whoever he was came round day after day but never found us, as we both work nights and did things together during the day. One time he eventually ran into my wife, and had a conversation with her. It turned out that he basically needed visual confirmation that we actually lived in the house we said we did, as opposed to just putting down a false address on the household reg form.
Once he was satisfied that we did actually live where we said we did, he went away and we never saw him again.
I had a visit last night from the Community Chief (not sure if that is the correct title). The purpose of his call was to talk about the upcoming elections for mayor and magistrate AND to convince us to vote for certain candidates. The wife wasn’t in, so he did his best in very broken English.
Funny how all the candidates for magistrate only got a high school qualification. The mayoral candidates do have tertiary qualifications, both local and abroad. One even listed a degree from the ‘Dominican University’ in the US.
[quote=“CraigTPE”]
Sounds like a parole officer…[/quote]
Thanks for the insinuation, but no, not in the slightest.
In the West this would be similar to parole officer activity, but here the cops seem to go to great lengths to keep track of foreigners’ whereabouts. You have to inform them when applying for your ARC, the school has to inform them, the landlord has to tell them…
[quote=“ice raven”][quote=“CraigTPE”]
Sounds like a parole officer…[/quote]
Thanks for the insinuation, but no, not in the slightest.
In the West this would be similar to parole officer activity, but here the cops seem to go to great lengths to keep track of foreigners’ whereabouts. You have to inform them when applying for your ARC, the school has to inform them, the landlord has to tell them…[/quote]
I am not implying anything about you or your wife, but the whole procedure seems a bit over the top. Even the household registration seems a bit like monitoring.
[quote=“CraigTPE”]
I am not implying anything about you or your wife, but the whole procedure seems a bit over the top. Even the household registration seems a bit like monitoring.[/quote]
Ok, that’s fine. I agree it is over the top, and it most definitely is monitoring, which is a bit unnerving. But on the other hand, I’ve really had no problems with the police here, apart from the “keeping tabs on the foreigners” bit they’ve left me alone.
[quote=“CraigTPE”][quote=“ice raven”][quote=“CraigTPE”]
Sounds like a parole officer…[/quote]
Thanks for the insinuation, but no, not in the slightest.
In the West this would be similar to parole officer activity, but here the cops seem to go to great lengths to keep track of foreigners’ whereabouts. You have to inform them when applying for your ARC, the school has to inform them, the landlord has to tell them…[/quote]
I am not implying anything about you or your wife, but the whole procedure seems a bit over the top. Even the household registration seems a bit like monitoring.[/quote]
Big Brother is watching you. Yes! YOU!
Edit: I had a knock on the door about two, two and a half years ago at 3am in the morning. Half asleep and with a grumpy look on my face I yank open the door and shout, “What? It’s the middle of the f***ing night!” (I’m a very sad specimen of humanity when I’m woken up unexpectedly, not much of a morning person either ) to be met by too rather taken aback young coppers.
Conversation went something like this…
Cop 1: We’re looking for the foreigner who lives here.
Me: :ohreally: What?
Cop 1: says to his partner I don’t think he understands us.
Cop 2: Ask him again…
Me: I can understand you. It’s 3am in the morning. What do you want? I’m obviously a foreigner. Who do you want?
Cop 1: Oh! So you are the foreigner who lives here?
Me: :fume: Yes! Of course!
Cop 1: Are you Mr. so-and-so from Canada?
Me: No. I’m Mr. So-and-so from South Africa.
Cop 1: Do you know Mr. So-and-so from Canada?
Me: No.
Cop 1: … :homer: :help:
Cop 2: Do you know where we can find him? We found his scooter that was stolen and we need him to come down to the police station and claim it right now or we have to let the guy leave with the scooter. He said he bought it and if Mr So-and-so from Canada doesn’t come and claim it we have to let him go.
Me: Let him go then.
Cop 1 and 2:
.
.
.
Cops: Ok, thank you. Good night…
All seemed a bit odd to me. If you can’t find the owner immediately you have to let the suspect go??? :loco: What if Mr. so-and-so from Canada had just moved? Wouldn’t it be better to check with NIA in the morning?
I don’t know whats with all the tea and water offering here.
I don’t even let my friends visit my home
The paper you got is not from the immigration agency or police.
Its just the house hold registration office of South District, Taichung City (台中市南區戶政事務所).
They write that they would like to provide assistance, and if you like,
do an appointment for this, to interview you as they couldn’t reach you at your home.
So if you need it you could contact them.
The TW police used to use the Japanese system of having house visits , especially if you are new to the neighborhood. It was their responsibility to know everyone that lived in their neighborhood personally. Cops used to come over and usually at ungawdly hours and just say a few words, ask a few questions and thats that.
The police do the same thing in Australia too you know.[/quote]
In South Africa they put up road blocks (During rush hour, they love Fridays and poaching on law abiding citizens while the rapists, child rapists, murders and molesters go free. Some of them even ascend to the highest political office. ) and check everyone’s driver’s licenses. If you have outstanding tickets and no money on you to pay immediately, they put you in a bus and detain you. If it’s Friday you get “free room and board” until Monday morning when you go in front of a judge. If you’re “lucky” you get free sex, also.
Somehow, I prefer Taiwan where normal usually law abiding people are sometimes stopped, but not detained over the weekend with rapists and sodomists for the weekend over a R50 (NT$250) speeding fine you forgot to pay.
Depending on your perspective, a home visit from the Household Registration Office, or coppers policing their neighbourhoods to get to know everyone who moves in and out (thereby being better able to do their jobs) doesn’t seem that bad.
) to be met by too rather taken aback young coppers.
) and check everyone’s driver’s licenses. If you have outstanding tickets and no money on you to pay immediately, they put you in a bus and detain you. If it’s Friday you get “free room and board” until Monday morning when you go in front of a judge. If you’re “lucky” you get free sex, also.