The Obblogatory Life

No cell phone signal or broadband wireless?

ObverseView — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:27:20 +0000

Ever wished you could just answer your cell phone indoors or find a decent 3.5G connection? I know I have a lot of trouble in some buildings when we’re away from the window! It seems I’m not the only one: a company is selling a cell phone signal booster for your house or room even! [...]

Wedding Gold: It’s expensive getting married!

ObverseView — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:17:55 +0000

One of my wife’s cousins is getting married. In Taiwan, this is a huge affair and involves all the extended family. On the day, you will see the bride arrayed with all kinds of wedding accessories that include copious amounts of gold. I’m not even talking about 18K stuff, they typically use 24K gold (which [...]

220 Kg pure gold brick

ObverseView — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:14:03 +0000

220 Kg pure gold brick, originally uploaded by James Tung.

Gold from Taiwan’s Gold Museum! I would love to see this! It’s amazing!

How not to do affiliate marketing: A Lesson

ObverseView — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:52:09 +0000

I’ve been working with one affiliate marketer who’s been building niche affiliate sites for several years now. It’s a fun and challenging process, but if you take a look at some of the sites that typical marketers promote, like this one promoting a stretch mark cure.

A quick gander around the site will highlight a [...]

Don’t smoke in public places in Taiwan – PLEASE!

ObverseView — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:26:53 +0000

As a non-smoker, I’ve never been particularly bothered by smokers 2nd smoke until I contracted a form of asthma induced by a nasty bronchitis a few years ago. Ever since then, I have become vehemently anti-smoker even to the extent that I actually walk out of restaurants that openly flout the non-smokers’ rights.

Why? Because even [...]

My wife’s dresser: Confusion Reigns

ObverseView — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:48:23 +0000

There are so many pots with various face creams in them on my wife’s dresser that I wonder how she can keep a track of them all. That’s not to mention all the ear-rings she has collected, the other perfumes (some over 10 years old and never thrown away), and the half-used makeup.

It’s a dresser [...]

The Six Principles of the Taiwanese Education System: An Outsider’s View

ObverseView — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:02:38 +0000

Having taught at pretty much all age groups throughout Taiwan’s educational spectrum, I believe that there are six axioms that pretty much inform ALL of Taiwan’s educational philosophy in the 21st Century. Whether any of these is relevant for Taiwan in the 21st Century is entirely another question.

1. To learn it you MUST memorize it. [...]

Things you NEVER wanted to know about me #1: Zits

ObverseView — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:16:40 +0000

Geez, who would have thought a 4x-year old man would still be worrying how to get rid of blackheads but my skin is oily, and my father’s is the same.

I don’t know if it helps me look younger, but even now I can get the most horrendous zits on my nose, chin, and neck. I [...]

Summer is coming!

ObverseView — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:07:28 +0000

Image-nokia407, originally uploaded by obblogatory.

Don’t let the cold weather get you down! The sun is still there, waiting its turn!

Costco says: "Summer IS coming! Hold in there!"

ObverseView — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:04:00 +0000

In the stores, today, I realized that while the weather is still inclement (we’re facing cold northerly winds and low temps again)… the stores are preparing for summer with ice boxes, patio furniture, summer brollies and beach equipment!

I’m so glad that they are feeling confident, but when I looked out my window this morning [...]

How long should I keep blogging?

ObverseView — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 15:02:00 +0000

I’ve been working away on my blogs for a number of years now, and in the process of blogging, I’ve learned a great deal about the technology, blogging, writing and myself.

But with so many great websites that I am keen to build (now about 5 or 6), and I only have time to build one [...]

Movie Reviews: Up in the Air

ObverseView — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 14:55:00 +0000

Well, … this is a first. I went to the new Taipei Bus Station Mall, which is a great place to have dinner, get a coffee, buy some decent shoes, and… watch a movie! And even the bus station isn’t half bad, either!

We went to see the new movie: Up in the Air with [...]

Took too long, but it’s worth it.

ObverseView — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:33:00 +0000

During the winter vacation, we cleaned our school from top to bottom, then we painted it thoroughly. Some of what frustrated us, though, was that we didn’t know where to buy industrial equipment that would help us do the job more thoroughly and in less time.

Too often we were relying on tools and equipment [...]

6.4 earthquake and I didn’t feel a thing

ObverseView — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:55:00 +0000

Apparently, there was an earthquake this morning, a 6.4. The first I knew about it was the lunchtime news,… Neither Christine nor I felt a thing. But there has been some damage, and some casualties, though non fatal. Here’s the news bulletin.

Did you feel the quake? Or not?

《艋舺 / MONGA》Official Trailer (English Subtitles)

ObverseView — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:27:00 +0000

This is the latest movie popular in Taiwan that features a lively and popular area of Taipei. It isn’t a particularly great movie, but it will give shots of Taipei’s backstreets, atmosphere and liveliness! I hope to go see it soon!

How did I decide to start Amazon?

ObverseView — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:23:00 +0000

I enjoyed watching this interview with Jeff Bezos who started Amazon.com. He talks extensively about how he decided to quit his safe job, and do something that he really wanted to: his big hairy audacious dream!

Have you ever made a tough decision like that? I quit several jobs, just when things were going well [...]

PurelyCoffeeBeans Rocks On! 48 pages and counting!

ObverseView — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:15:00 +0000

My new site is coming along very nicely, if you’re interested in Coffee Beans. I recently uploaded the 48th page of content/information, though I have to redo the last eight pages. But I’m surprised how quick it is that I was able to put together even a site like this.

There is still much to do, [...]

Pitfalls and Pitholes of Underground Parking

ObverseView — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:10:00 +0000

We have an underground parking lot in Taipei, and it’s on the B3 floor. It’s not the most salubrious place to park your car, but it’s okay for us. But our building is now about 10 years old or more, and showing some signs of wear and tear, due to earthquakes, rain, typhoons and dust. [...]

Which is the most hygienic way to dry your hands?

ObverseView — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:52:00 +0000

Towels, paper towels or hand dryers? Which would you prefer in your bathroom or in a public restroom?

Towels: They feel great on your hands, warm and soft in winter. But they get dirty, they can get mouldy, and what happens if one person has a skin disease and then shares a public towel! Yuck!

Dryers: [...]

New Coffee Machine: Electrolux ECM3000

ObverseView — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 15:05:09 +0000

This is our new coffee machine, we’ve been using the machine for about 2 weeks. It seems to make good coffee, is capable of making a lot of the stuff, and is overall a good machine. It’s got one flaw: the basket has to be in the right way around, or the coffee will flood [...]

Tropical weather: a boon for travelers, except if you got hayfever!

ObverseView — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:32:00 +0000

Spring is here, and slowly the flowers are blooming! Relief from winter, it’s true. But not if you’re an allergy sufferer. I’m lucky, I don’t really have allergy problems or hayfever, except in Taiwan’s rather humid climate when I get the occasional skin issues, but I’m not sure they are allergies! …

But if you [...]

Red underwear: It’s traditional, you know!

ObverseView — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:21:38 +0000

Red underwear, originally uploaded by Jean-François Chénier.

One of the weirdest traditions in Taiwan (I think it’s a fairly new one!) is the wearing of red underwear at Chinese New Year. In past years, red is a popular color at Chinese New Year anyway, and people (esp. children) are encouraged to wear red.

However, in the [...]

All for the sake of Lasik: Eye Power

ObverseView — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:59:00 +0000

I use computers a lot these days for work and play, so I guess I sit in front of one for at least three or four hours every day… Recently, my eyes were beginning to complain, esp. the left one, I didn’t know what was wrong… I think it was the reflection from the flourescent [...]

A Wii or a new PC? Which would you buy?

ObverseView — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 07:47:00 +0000

I’m looking to buy a new PC this year. The one I’m typing this post on is already 7 years old! I couldn’t believe it, but in fact, it was purchased as a second hand system in 2003. It was already quite old at that point, but in my office, the sulphur fumes from the [...]

Alien Landings? No, ROC U2 Pilots!

ObverseView — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 07:32:00 +0000

TaipeiTimes today is reporting a bizarre story from the late fifties:

The City of Cortez is a small town in an isolated and mountainous area of Colorado. It has long been rumored that, 50 years ago, an unidentified flying object (UFO) piloted by an alien landed there. It was only when US military files were declassified [...]