Well, one of the big changes in Taiwan, was the emergence of gated communities. Much like in New York City, there are now lots of tall towers that have condominiums, Taiwan now has many gated condos and they have security people, and people to help keep the places clean. The place reminds me of the old movies that take place in New York, where someone lives in a wonderful apartment complex and has a person that acts as the security person, is alive and well in Taiwan.
OK, maybe you didn’t like my last video, because it wasn’t live entertainment. Here is Buffalo Springfiled and a performance For What It’s Worth. It is sung by a very young Stephen Stills.
Did you recognize a political feature in yesterday’s post? It was a young man, with a famous Beatle. 2 points for whoever can guess who it is.
Lots of opposition to the War in Iraq. We here a lot about that right now here in the United States of America. However, the opposition now is nothing like it was back in the good ole days, the late 60’s. The times they were a changin, and with it, all of the social mores were turned upside down. The summer of 1967, 68, 69, saw riots in the streets, demonstrations against the Viet Nam War, unmatched by the situation we see today.
I was there. It was an incredible time. This song, written by Stephen Stills, with it’s accompanying pictures from that time, give a glimpse of what it was like. There is nothing like the past, particularly when my kids weren’t there so they can’t contradict me about what it was really like. Here is the group Buffalo Springfield singing a war anthem that resonated with the movements of the 60’s, called, For What It’s Worth.
For those of you who may have lived overseas, or who specifically lived in Taiwan back in the 70’s, there was a distinct smell when you got off of the plane. First, it was the smell of rotting vegetation. However, also part of the smell was the fact that there were open sewers that criss crossed the land. They smelled as well. One of the great projects in Taiwan was to cover over those open sewers and make the land more healthy. They succeded. The place was magnificant this visit, and the smell was primarily gone. I really believe that Taiwan has moved from what 30 years ago I would have classified as a 3rd World Country, and they have become first world in each and every way.
The last couple of weeks I have been listening to a group from the 60’s called Crosby, Stills, and Nash. What a time, the 60’s. Listening to them brings back some great memories. It was wonderful to be a music fan, and I am not sure we have seen such creativity since then.
In any event, this particular tune, “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes”, was performed at Woodstock. For those of you who are ignorant of music history, this was a 3 day concert in upstate New York which was kind of the ultimate musical event of the 60s. Here is one of their most famous tunes. Enjoy.
Hope you enjoyed it.
I guess that the ultimate in capitalism must exist in Taiwan. When buying things in most stores, they start ringing up the purchases and one of the first things they ask is whether or not you want a sack for the goods. If you say yes, then immediately the sack is scanned (since the also use bar codes) and it is added to the total price. You quickly learn to carry sacks with you so you don’t need to buy a new one. You don’t through things away. I guess that is a good use of the resources that we have. If they sell you the sacks too, you won’t through them away at the drop of a hat.
When it comes to Boy meets Girl, Taiwan is a very interesting place. In the old days, it used to be a matter of marriages being arranged between families. It was not unusual for the bride and groom to never see each other before the day that they were wed. While this was OK in the China of the 19th century, the Chinese have tried to make adjustments. They try to do the dating thing. However, it isn’t so easy. They are not used to the old dating game, the boy meets girl in lots of different places. They don’t quite flirt like they would in the states. It still is a matter of introduction. Boys meet girls in very structured environments. The church helps to provide that kind of environment, but the fact of the matter is that boys and girls meet each other later in life, and they don’t manage to get married to much later in life. In some ways, it was easier when it was just arranged by well meaning parents.
Ah, Julie, the Star of the Day. My one and only daughter of my loins. What a special girl, amongst all of those boys. She is a special girl with a special spirit. She is one that has always loved her father, even during those tumultuous teenage years when even some young women revolt against parental authority.
She is passionate in her beliefs. When she takes ahold of an idea, she doesn’t let go. She moves forward with faith, believing that she can change the world. She bucks the authorities, fighting for what she believes in.
She has tender feelings. She cares about those who care about her. She cares about others too, looking for ways to make all happy. She is a clone of her mother in many respects, and you know how much I love her mother.
Julie has great faith. She has done what the Lord would have her do. I am so glad that she is my daughter, and that she is the Star of the Day.
Well, in the next day or two, or even today, we experience the fall equinox. That is the day when the day and night are about equally as long. All I know is that I look out to the west, and when the sun goes down, or when it comes up in the morning, it is almost due west or east. This is depressing. While I like the seasons we have, I love the summer and spring, and hate it when the sun disappears for a longer time each day. I am a sun person. Well, I guess I will just have to put up with the march of time.
Oh, as a parent, you sometimes can’t wait until those little ones, the kids, are out on their own and out of your hair all day long. While that is sometimes true, you also find yourself missing the kids. We recently had a pair of our young uns move out of state, and it really pointed out the pain to me because you realize just how much fun the “kids”, those little terrors, have become. I must say, I miss the kids, all 5 of them (whether they are actually at home or not) and I hope we can see them often.