I live on Fuxing South Road near Zhongxiao and am very frustrated. We have had no power or water since Sunday night. My apartment is on the 16th floor, which means for the last four days I have lived in a 16th floor walkup apartment. The power company says that they won’t be able to fix the electricity until Saturday… what??? Do I live in the far hills east of the valley jungles in the Congo? Why should it take a week to restore power to one of the most commercially and residentially (word?) populated arease in one of the biggest cities in the world? VERY hostile.
Some places design their infrastructure for the maximum flood likely in 1000 years. Some places base their design on “it looks nice out today”. I guess Taiwan is somewhere in between.
However the entries to MRT stations, and the 50cm floodgates on some buildings’ basement vehicle entries, give some indication of what was anticipated.
I have to say that I too, am disappointed with the way in which this whole clean up operation has been (un) organized.
What bothers me most is that in my area (no power and water either), they still don’t know why we don’t have any power and water. The terribly unsatisfactory result I got from Taipower etc is that it “should be ok”. Yeah, “should be” but its not. Does this mean that because it “should be” ok, that the case is now closed? I got that distinct impression from the person I spoke to…
I can’t stand this, shoulder shrugging, ‘mei guanxi’ type half heartedness anymore.
And PLEASE no one tell me that it’s a cultural thing, and that I should learn to be more patient about these things like the Taiwanese.
For several days, I too suffered from the absence of eletricity and water in my apartment. But instead of whining, I just consider myself lucky compared to a lot of other people who have lost their loved ones because of this natural disaster and those whose homes have been inundated by the floods and have been left virtually homeless. That’s the only way to look at it. Yes, I’m still lucky.
Yeah, that’s the ONLY way to look at it. Because I didn’t lose my life or a loved one I lose the right to complain about or even to have access to water or electricity.
Good point!