Monday, August 29, 2005
Canadian in Taiwan arrested for trafficking, selling weed.
A couple of days ago, I got a call from my gf in Taiwan saying I ought not to bring any weed with me to Taiwan or else she will have to visit me in Taiwan jail. Of course this was after mentioning this story. (English link) (中文 link)
Then today I got the following email:
"Among my many gigs is working with 24 hours newspaper. I'm following the story of Mathieu Forand, a Canadian teaching English in Taiwan. He was busted by police in Keelung on the weekend for drug possession and trafficking. I know how serious Taiwan authorities take these matters -- there's an announcement on the planes about capital punishment for drug offences.
There's a story in the Taipei Times:
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2005/08/28/2003269438
There are many, many Canadians teaching English there, but might you have known Mathieu or the school he taught for?"
As a matter of fact, it turns out that Canadian pot smokers all know each other by name and reputation!
Clearly, some Canadian pot smokers are crazy enough to sell and traffick restricted substances across international borders, and some aren't. Consider me part of the latter group, partly because I just don't have that kind of audacity, and partly I have a tendency towards gainful employment, so no, I've never heard of the guy by name or reputation until my gf told me about that news story a few mornings ago.
News travels differently these days, eh? From my point of view, this story originated from a telephone call, then got repeated in an email, then got posted on a blog! Who knows what media you'll use to blabber on about this story. Everybody's got an opinion these days, so how do you become famous as a pundit on any subject?
Post your opinion as a comment on this blog and you too can start your very own career as a pundit right now! I guarantee it! Unfortunately, pundits are very poorly paid...
Then today I got the following email:
"Among my many gigs is working with 24 hours newspaper. I'm following the story of Mathieu Forand, a Canadian teaching English in Taiwan. He was busted by police in Keelung on the weekend for drug possession and trafficking. I know how serious Taiwan authorities take these matters -- there's an announcement on the planes about capital punishment for drug offences.
There's a story in the Taipei Times:
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2005/08/28/2003269438
There are many, many Canadians teaching English there, but might you have known Mathieu or the school he taught for?"
As a matter of fact, it turns out that Canadian pot smokers all know each other by name and reputation!
Clearly, some Canadian pot smokers are crazy enough to sell and traffick restricted substances across international borders, and some aren't. Consider me part of the latter group, partly because I just don't have that kind of audacity, and partly I have a tendency towards gainful employment, so no, I've never heard of the guy by name or reputation until my gf told me about that news story a few mornings ago.
News travels differently these days, eh? From my point of view, this story originated from a telephone call, then got repeated in an email, then got posted on a blog! Who knows what media you'll use to blabber on about this story. Everybody's got an opinion these days, so how do you become famous as a pundit on any subject?
Post your opinion as a comment on this blog and you too can start your very own career as a pundit right now! I guarantee it! Unfortunately, pundits are very poorly paid...
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Zombies!
If you hang out long enough with zombies, you will become one. That's exactly what happened to me as I was innocently walking down Main street to the 7-11 for a Slurpee. A horde of perhaps 150 zombies approached me. Some of these zombies had extra zombie gear, and soon enough I was outfitted with makeshift zombie regalia, consisting mostly of blue and red facepaint.
Since I happened to be wearing my "Keep Music Evil" shirt at the time, I managed to blend in pretty well. After lounging around the final resting place, I even managed to leave the zombie horde with my brains still intact!
In this picture, you can see me kneeling near the back with my black shirt that has white-coloured fingers that form the "devil's horns" sign.
Still confused? Google Zombie Walk and see what turns up!
Since I happened to be wearing my "Keep Music Evil" shirt at the time, I managed to blend in pretty well. After l
In this picture, you can see me kneeling near the back with my black shirt that has white-coloured fingers that form the "devil's horns" sign.
Still confused? Google Zombie Walk and see what turns up!
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Friday September 2nd, let's make a Cambie night of it!
My going away party/get-together is on Friday, September 2nd, approximately 8PM. Don't come TOO late or you might have a long line-up to deal with. For those who have never been to the Cambie: it's VERY casual! Just chat, drink beer, chat with locals and travellers, tell me how much you're gonna miss me, etc, etc. Hope to see you there!
My cell phone (six-oh-four, seven-six-seven, seven-two-six-one) works again and it will work until August 31st. After that it's just my web phone (six-oh-four, six-two-eight, seven-oh-eight-five). My Email address is in my blog profile. My MSN address is the same as the email in my profile.
My cell phone (six-oh-four, seven-six-seven, seven-two-six-one) works again and it will work until August 31st. After that it's just my web phone (six-oh-four, six-two-eight, seven-oh-eight-five). My Email address is in my blog profile. My MSN address is the same as the email in my profile.
Second Teacher at Taiping Branch sez: is there a Broadband Connection to be found?
Looks like I'm going to be teaching at Shane's "Taiping Branch" in Taichung County. I'll be the second teacher at that branch. Back in October 2001, I was the first teacher at Woody's English. It was fun but it wasn't always easy. This situation will be different though I'm not entirely sure what parts of it will be different and how.
So I'll be teaching kids in the counties. Teaching kids in the counties is way different than teaching adults in the city and the fact that I have to do the former makes me somewhat nervous. Yeah, okay, I speak Mandarin, but these are the COUNTIES we're talkin' about here. I won't be able to decipher their crazy fish dialect. Well, okay, when it comes to kids, I won't understand a damn thing regardless of what language their using, so I suppose it doesn't make any difference...
I'm also worried about being completely isolated from the outside world. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE INTERNET? ARE YOU TELLING ME YOU HEATHENS DON'T HAVE AN INTERNET CONNECTION? Shane (I use this name to refer to an organization, not a person) CLAIMS that "there [are] no Internet access in the schools but plenty of Internet cafes all around," but like I said, this is the counties we're talkin' about, far away from my cushy Taipei life in the International Youth Center and the watchful eye of the pagoda behemoth.
I gots to have my broadband connection dammit! This is irrespective of the fact that I didn't have a broadband connection even when I was living in Taipei. How else will I be able tosurf for porn and download music check my emails and write my blogs?!?
And would somebody just tell me how long my commute is gonna to be?
My airfare is one way and I will teach until at least September, 2006 with two weeks vacation in addition to the one week Chinese New Year holiday. Wish me luck!
So I'll be teaching kids in the counties. Teaching kids in the counties is way different than teaching adults in the city and the fact that I have to do the former makes me somewhat nervous. Yeah, okay, I speak Mandarin, but these are the COUNTIES we're talkin' about here. I won't be able to decipher their crazy fish dialect. Well, okay, when it comes to kids, I won't understand a damn thing regardless of what language their using, so I suppose it doesn't make any difference...
I'm also worried about being completely isolated from the outside world. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE INTERNET? ARE YOU TELLING ME YOU HEATHENS DON'T HAVE AN INTERNET CONNECTION? Shane (I use this name to refer to an organization, not a person) CLAIMS that "there [are] no Internet access in the schools but plenty of Internet cafes all around," but like I said, this is the counties we're talkin' about, far away from my cushy Taipei life in the International Youth Center and the watchful eye of the pagoda behemoth.
I gots to have my broadband connection dammit! This is irrespective of the fact that I didn't have a broadband connection even when I was living in Taipei. How else will I be able to
And would somebody just tell me how long my commute is gonna to be?
My airfare is one way and I will teach until at least September, 2006 with two weeks vacation in addition to the one week Chinese New Year holiday. Wish me luck!
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Going to Taiwan
On September 4th I'm departing for Taichung, Taiwan to teach at Shane English. If you're in Vancouver between now and Sept. 4, check back here for the going away party.
