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This weekend is my birthday, but it's a makeup weekend and people have Christmas plans and stuff. I'd like to organize some kind of goony birthday celebration in the next couple of weeks, ideally before Chinese New Year. Anyone down for drinking too much?
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Dec 18, 2012 08:22
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| # ? May 18, 2024 00:34 |
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duckfarts posted:No Saturdays here.  Haraksha posted:Anyone down for drinking too much? * spies batsignal * ... you rang?
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Dec 18, 2012 17:50
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GoutPatrol posted:Yeah, you can thank your lucky stars if you're starting out with no Saturday class. If you have a good class it can be fun. But when you need to do make-ups at 5 PM... I managed to find a job with no weekend work, no babies, and even no splits. The last part especially is nice because in South America my classes were from 8am through to 9pm. But the catch is that its in the middle of nowhere. Some bumfuck town of less than 100k population. Definitely doesn't look like the kind of place there's much booze or parties at. I'm still tempted because the contract is so much better than what Shane's were offering. The location also makes me a little nervous because today I read some blog post about huntsman spiders in the Taiwanese countryside, and I almost poo poo my pants at some of the pictures. Here it is: http://bamboobutterfly.com/giant-taiwanese-spiders-fact-or-fiction . Jesus, I will definitely be getting a few cats. Google tells me it is not possible to die of fear, but if I ever see one of those, I don't fancy my chances. nubdestoryer fucked around with this message at 20:07 on Dec 18, 2012 |
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Dec 18, 2012 20:02
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I've lived in a small town in the middle of nowhere for almost two years and I have never seen a spider. EDIT: Ok yes, now that I think about it, I have seen some pretty big spiders, but only deep in the mountains. Never had any problems with them in town. Moon Slayer fucked around with this message at 20:13 on Dec 18, 2012 |
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Dec 18, 2012 20:09
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It's not like the Taiwanese are living in some kind of Fern Gully-esque paradise of natural harmony with nature. They loving hate wildlife as much as Americans do and pave the poo poo out of everything to make sure that nothing grows anywhere ever. Even "small towns" in Taiwan are going to be blocks of cement lined up one after the other.
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Dec 19, 2012 02:31
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Pshh, we have Huntsman Spiders in Hawaii and while they're big and scary looking, they are afraid of people and flee as soon as you approach. Plus they aren't venomous anyway. I've never seen one in Taiwan though. I've had lots of little tiny ones at my old apartment, but no big monsters. The little ones are probably more dangerous anyway.
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Dec 19, 2012 02:46
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nubdestoryer posted:I managed to find a job with no weekend work, no babies, and even no splits. The last part especially is nice because in South America my classes were from 8am through to 9pm. My friend had a house full of them out in the middle of nowhere in Florida. They don't really bother anybody and they run away most of the time. You should be more worried about the snakes.
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Dec 19, 2012 03:29
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I've seen a huge black and yellow spider in some web out in the mountains, a huntsman's legs sticking out from under a random door in the middle of Taipei and what could have been a huntsman, but was probably just a gecko moving in the darkness in my first apartment's hallway. I don't know because I shrieked and fled, and came back awhile later to find nothing. The worst one though was while walking along HePing DongLu, the road just outside of ShiDa, walking towards GuTing on the left side are a bunch of trees along the path. I was zoned out staring at the ground at dusk, when I glanced up to see a spider the size of my fist slowly lowering itself down on a line from the trees above... at head level 2 steps ahead of me. If I didn't glance up at that moment, I'd have a face full of giant spider. I started dry heaving. UGH. I'm ok with little spiders though. Edit: This was the one in the mountains: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_silk_orb-weaver Or maybe this one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nephila_pilipes Ravendas fucked around with this message at 03:45 on Dec 19, 2012 |
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Dec 19, 2012 03:43
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I've had two big ones in my current place, and maybe ~4 in my last place. I try to kill them if I see them in my apartment because they give me the willies, but anywhere else I leave them be. They do a pretty good job of killing pests so better to let them go. Really it's mostly like Haraksha said because you won't really see much wildlife with everything being so urban. Also if we are sharing spider stories my worst one was when I was getting the mail at my last place. The box was full of those stupid ads people always jam in there, and apparently a spider had decided to make a home in there. As I grabbed some of the junk mail it startled the spider, and it ran out across my hand fell on the ground and ran away... I was a lot more careful cleaning the mailbox after that.
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Dec 19, 2012 04:55
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You are for more likely to get seriously injured or killed in a scooter related accident in Taiwan than to get any kind of negative effect from a spider. I did know a guy who got bit by a giant centipede that was sleeping in his towel, though. 
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Dec 19, 2012 07:17
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Haraksha posted:You are for more likely to get seriously injured or killed in a scooter related accident in Taiwan than to get any kind of negative effect from a spider. I read that as bowel first time. I nearly had a heart attack.
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Dec 19, 2012 07:20
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If you want bugs to genuinely give you the willies around Taiwan, that's easy. Don't worry about spiders, it's the billions of loving cockroaches that'll ruin your day for you.
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Dec 19, 2012 08:18
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TetsuoTW posted:If you want bugs to genuinely give you the willies around Taiwan, that's easy. Don't worry about spiders, it's the billions of loving cockroaches that'll ruin your day for you. Don't forget, they fly! But seriously the only bugs I've had a legitimate problem with are the mosquitoes because one of the Taiwanese variety will absolutely murder my skin. I've had welts the size of playing cards that lasted for hours. One bit my eyelid while I was sleeping and my eye was practically swollen shut for a day. I have to fill my room with poison gas at night otherwise the itching will be so intense I won't be able to sleep. I need more goddamn bats is what I need.
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Dec 19, 2012 08:47
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I hate how often little bastard mosquitoes seem to find their way into the bathroom. It's goddamned terrible being stark bollock naked in a locked room and then discovering a couple of mosquitoes buzzing around in there with you.
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Dec 19, 2012 09:13
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That triggers a real primal hunter mode in my brain. Stark naked, covered in sweat and steam, the blood of my enemies splattered on the wall. It's a glorious time. Except it's actually my blood, the little fuckers.
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Dec 19, 2012 09:56
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  i'll be getting something like that p soon i hope. i currently use a plug in thingy, and i don't really like it (have to buy refils etc etc)
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Dec 19, 2012 10:16
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Uh, guys, maybe be proper foreigners and grow thick fuckin' gross body hair over every square inch of your body so mosquitos can't reach your flesh and feast on the delicious blood pumping inside. Works for me.  (I dunno why I don't have any problems with mosquitos here, definitely did so back home, but eh, I'm not complaining!)
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Dec 19, 2012 10:31
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Yeah, I'm the opposite. Mosquitoes back in the States don't affect me at all. My first hour in Thailand was hell as I watched my legs triple in size, but then I wasn't bothered again the entire time I was there. I guess the shock must have acclimated me rapidly. But the fuckers in Taiwan only get me once or twice a week and when they do it's absolute hell.
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Dec 19, 2012 10:42
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I had a problem with mosquitos until I discovered the miracle cure: rub a bit of lightly moistened bar soap on the welt. I've had welts the size of 50NT pieces completely disappear overnight doing this. It saved my poo poo around October when there were a couple of days when I accidentally left my window screen open overnight.
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Dec 19, 2012 12:24
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Haraksha posted:Don't forget, they fly! My best advice for mosquitoes in your home is to use fans instead of A/C. The winds from the fan not only disrupt the flight of the mosquitoes, but also helps break up all the smells coming off you that they use to find prey. Spring through fall it works like a charm, and you will save massively on your electric bill by not running the drat A/C constantly. Winter time your kind of SOL, but it's usually cold enough to sleep with a blanket over your head with only your nose poking out which helps.
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Dec 19, 2012 14:17
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HappyHelmet posted:My best advice for mosquitoes in your home is to use fans instead of A/C. The winds from the fan not only disrupt the flight of the mosquitoes, but also helps break up all the smells coming off you that they use to find prey. Spring through fall it works like a charm, and you will save massively on your electric bill by not running the drat A/C constantly. The problem with the nose out approach is then they circle your head. Hearing them is almost as bad as feeling them. Almost. quadrophrenic posted:I had a problem with mosquitos until I discovered the miracle cure: rub a bit of lightly moistened bar soap on the welt. For me, a bite has a super loving intense itch for an hour and then goes away. It's bad enough to wake me up and keep me awake for that whole hour.
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Dec 19, 2012 14:49
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So I've got a bunch of whiteish-greenish mould growing on one of my jackets. Is there anything I can do? I read something online about desiccants in supermarkets but I can't read any of the Chinese 
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Dec 19, 2012 14:57
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Haraksha posted:The problem with the nose out approach is then they circle your head. Hearing them is almost as bad as feeling them. Almost. Yeah it doesn't always work that well. I find if I sleep at the edge of my pillow with my nose pointed down (where fresh air is) and a light(ish) blanket entirely over the top of my head it's not really a problem though. Dark Onion posted:So I've got a bunch of whiteish-greenish mould growing on one of my jackets. Is there anything I can do? I read something online about desiccants in supermarkets but I can't read any of the Chinese I think that is the same mold I got on a couple of my belts. I don't know if you will be able to get it out of your jackets, but on my belts it was so entrenched into the leather I just had to throw them out. Random question for you guys. Anyone here seen a place that sells GOOD food processors? I could really use one for some of my baking, but I can't find a decent one anywhere. I'll probably try Costco tomorrow, but I'm not really getting my hopes up for that because the Costco here doesn't have poo poo for appliances.
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Dec 19, 2012 15:04
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Buy a new jacket. Problem solved.
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Dec 19, 2012 15:04
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HappyHelmet posted:Random question for you guys. Anyone here seen a place that sells GOOD food processors? I could really use one for some of my baking, but I can't find a decent one anywhere. I'll probably try Costco tomorrow, but I'm not really getting my hopes up for that because the Costco here doesn't have poo poo for appliances. https://www.ruten.com.tw
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Dec 19, 2012 15:05
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url posted:
Hey man, the plugin stuff is pretty solid though, and refills last for some time. I use the Raid one in the blue box, unscented, and it works great during those times mosquitoes start popping up suddenly. Another method of dealing with bites: put a piece of tape over it.
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Dec 19, 2012 15:46
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APRC is almost a go. Got most of my required documents, might actually get everything turned in before the end of the year.
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Dec 20, 2012 09:55
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Has anyone shipped anything from Taiwan to America by boat before? At what point do I begin to worry? Its been two months and the last activity is still getting sorted in Taipei..
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Dec 20, 2012 23:33
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Has anyone seen anything about Django Unchained getting released here?
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Dec 21, 2012 03:47
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Hey, I don't really know how much I should be talking about this on the internet, but something pretty major is going down at my branch: http://tinyurl.com/dy5qrrw (Very) Short story: one of the Taiwanese homeroom teachers for Kindy got caught hitting a kid and leaving bruises. The kid was pulled out of school, the HRT got fired, and now the parents of the kid are on a mission to bring down HESS. The government's going nuts, we've had one unannounced raid today probably with more to follow. Our branch manager is being pretty curt about the whole affair, telling the parents of the other students that the HRT is sick and we don't know when she'll be back. There are reporters surrounding our branch at all times. If it wasn't for the beat-up kid and the possibility of being deported, I'd almost find this funny. But yeah, I think this might have a larger impact for HESS teachers and kindergarten NSTs as a whole, of course it's still too early to tell.
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Dec 21, 2012 05:02
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So basically it's totally cool to emotionally damage kids to the point where some of them are barely functioning adults and it's also totally cool to smack them around when they misbehave, don't do their homework, are looking in the wrong direction, didn't respond fast enough, or because you felt like it, but it's not OK to leave a bruise. No wonder my school seems to be stockpiling oranges.
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Dec 21, 2012 06:25
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I have serious doubts anything at all comes of that. Like anything news worthy in Taiwan it will be all you hear about for a week. Then it will be right back to 24 hour news coverage of a 15 second clip from a CCTV camera that caught a man scratching his butt while folding clothes at a night market. Ideally this would force some sorely needed regulations on cram schools, or at least enforcement of the existing rules. However, it won't.
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Dec 21, 2012 07:48
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Just wait for a couple of days and see if they can find a way to implicate a white person, because that is a guaranteed couple weeks worth of ratings-driving "news" filler.
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Dec 21, 2012 08:43
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quadrophrenic posted:Hey, I don't really know how much I should be talking about this on the internet, but something pretty major is going down at my branch: If my APRC experience is any indicator, the new rules about white collar workers should be in play, and if your HESS shuts down or whatever you should have 90 days to find a new job.
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Dec 21, 2012 09:40
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If my branch shuts down I'm gonna expect either a transfer or some hush money. Either way, whoops and hollers. It's just kind of a madhouse right now over there. Right now I don't expect anything huge to happen but everyone's acting very frantic and the game plan is changing all the time.
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Dec 21, 2012 09:48
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The rumor at my (Hess) branch earlier this week was that some kid in kindergarten had a crushed trachea? Or something. Assumed to be from a CT, because they are way more nuts than NSTs when dealing with kids. Maybe it was some version of this. Wonderful.
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Dec 21, 2012 15:35
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dtb posted:Has anyone shipped anything from Taiwan to America by boat before? 60-90 for container stuff isn't uncommon. it depends on the firm (shippping is a shady industry outside of the brand names and moreso within) do the follow up and apply pressure phone calls and then have your insurance firm contact them, you did insure your poo poo right?
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Dec 21, 2012 19:13
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url posted:60-90 for container stuff isn't uncommon. I shipped it through the post office and yea, I always ship insured  I stopped at the local US Post office today (they're the ones that will actually deliver it and the same tracking number works on their site as it does on the Taiwan Post Office site) to see if they know anything and didn't. I'll call the Taiwanese Post Office I guess. Thx
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Dec 21, 2012 21:58
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dtb posted:I shipped it through the post office and yea, I always ship insured oh hold on - for some reason I was thinking about international shipping with 20, 40 foot containers. drat, 60 days for a post office is waaay wrong. Yeah follow that stuff up.
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Dec 22, 2012 05:37
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| # ? May 18, 2024 00:34 |
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Guys, it's cold up here (Korea) and I miss Taiwan. Also, congrats Spanish Matlock on the APRC. I was hoping economic talk would make me feel better. There is no good economic talk for me in Asia these days. Just some tall tales out of HK and Vietnam.
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Dec 23, 2012 20:16
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