That Smells Like Lam-a-khe

As in many places around the world, industrialization preceded environmental protection in Taiwan.  Environmental protection also preceded “quality of life” there, too. We lived in all three eras during our 39 years there, 25 of which were in Kaohsiung.

In the 70s and into the 80s, if there WERE any rules about air pollution, they went unenforced. Kaohsiung’s municipal government promoted the region as “A Scenic City of Heavy Industry”. The scenery could only be viewed from up close, though, because smoke and phytochemicals from refineries and power plants and dust from cement mills made the air both difficult to see through and hard to breathe.

Photo by Cudown @ flickr – https://www.flickr.com/photos/

The northernmost district of Kaohsiung City at that time (before the county line was dissolved in 2008) was the district of Nanzi (or Lam-a-khe in Taiwanese). A large oil refinery belonging to the government-owned China Petroleum Corporation sat next to a petrochemical complex owned by the private Formosa Plastics corporation.  Depending on what was being produced on any given day, the exhaust would perfume the skies above the plants and for miles around. When environmental protection laws came more generally into effect, things got slightly better at a distance, but in our home we had an expression for anything that gave off an odor. We’d say, “That smells like Lam-a-khe.”  Eventually we were no longer able to say that. Not only were the rules enforced, but a general concern for quality of life over industrial production moved nasty stuff out of the nation almost completely.

We no longer live in Kaohsiung, but in Holland, MI, where the air is sweet. Even the vinegar smell from the local pickle works can be pleasant. But as trees flower in spring, the beautiful Bradford Pears that line many streets, including the prime shopping and tourist zone, five off a smell that has been compared to “rotting fish and semen.” As I write, the first week of May, it’s that time.

It smells like Lam-a-khe.

David Alexander now resides in Holland, MI after 39 years in Taiwan.

 

The Not-so-Free Chair

When residing in Kaohsiung and replacing our living room furniture in 1997, disposal of the old stuff was necessary, I contacted the local environmental protection team and was given an appointment for a truck that would come and take the old stuff. My requirement was to have it at the curbside no earlier than 2 hours before pickup. Ten years later, preparing to move to Tainan, I contacted the team again. A lot of our furniture did not follow us.We started anew. 

We now live in Holland, MI, where the city doesn’t provide any such service. I’ve no complaints, though. Putting old furniture on the curbside is “casually allowed” so long as it doesn’t stay more than a day or two. Some intrepid people with their own trucks pick and choose. If it’s at all usable as furniture or salable as metal, someone will take it before the police knock on a door with instructions on what must be done.

We’d only been in town for about 2 weeks in 2018 when I espied a particularly valuable “glider rocker” in front of a house across the street from our temporary digs.I snatched it up. When we moved into our own home it became my favorite chair. The only only drawback was the color of the cushions. When I ordered replacements from the manufacturer in Canada, my free chair suddenly cost me $200. But almost as soon as I clicked “buy” on the web page the chair began to squeak and groan when sat upon.  

We’ve now been in the house for 18 months. Across about 10 of those, I lubricated, disassembled, glued, tightened and whatever else I thought might help. I needed to “redeem” the cost of the cushions. But finally, I gave up and looked on Craigslist, where I found a replacement for $50. The new cushions fit. The squeaky one with the Craigslist cushions was banished to an enclosed porch. 

With spring in the air, we want to use that porch. Today we cleaned it out.  I once again disassembled the chair. This time I put it back together without the “rocking-gliding” parts. It no longer rocks, glides or speaks. Though I’d never have paid $250 for this pair of chairs, each is comfortable in its own place. 

David Alexander now resides and scavenges furniture in Holland, MI after 39 years in Taiwan.

Malapai

I first heard the word Malapai when riding a train going east across New Mexico in the late 80s.  On that stretch of the route, an “old west” interpreter was employed to narrate the landscape. He mentioned that the ground surface in many places was wind eroded and stony, “hard on the feet”.  He could have been describing a stroll along the sidewalks in Tainan, Taiwan, where I spent the last 10 of my 39 years in that nation. 

Tainan is an old city. In many places the roads follow the landforms which determined ownership centuries ago. Strangely angled corners, narrow streets  and storefronts at several different levels, depending on when things were erected, are quite normal. Tainan can be a difficult place to navigate on foot. 

Where we live now is quite different. Streets are wide, traffic is light, and there are sidewalks everywhere. Older sidewalks have been made rough by the abundant trees along the streets, the roots of which have raised portions here and there. But if one is moderately aware of the surface, there’s no real problem. Our own block was rebuilt in 2019,, so the sidewalks are flat and clean.  Streetside trees were newly planted at the end of the project. Ours, emplaced early in the spring, looked like a dead thing at first. Now it is covered with attractive white blossoms.  We’ve seen several similar trees in the neighborhood, all of which look beautiful in April. 

We mentioned this to our daughter, who lives in a different part of the country. She said, “I hope it’s not one of those bad smelling ones.” It took a little reflection, but then we recalled. Some beautiful trees with white blossoms that grace the sides of a street that was rebuilt about ten years back. One day when strolling in that neighborhood we noticed  a strong reek. Upon exploration, it was discovered coming from the blossoms.  

We walked over there recently. The trees were in full flower and maximum aromatic power. We broke off a small twig with blossoms and leaves to carry home. Comparing what’s in front of our house to what was in hand, we discovered what could be bad news in the future. 

Beauty, it is said, has its costs. The Malapai land in America’s southwest has its own special kind of beauty, but you don’t want to walk there. Tainan is rich in culture and history, but it’s better to get around by taxi. Our new tree is a wonder to behold, but we may want to keep our distance during certain times of the year.

David Alexander now resides in Holland, MI after 39 years in Taiwan.

The Grim Reaper comes with Spring

The house in which we resided from 2008 to 2018 on the campus of Tainan Theological College was about 40 years old when we moved in. Taiwan’s frequent earthquakes met the house’s brick and concrete construction, resulting in enough cracks to give ants a strong hold long before we arrived. We achieved a livable stasis with them.

  Over the decades the house grew. It acquired a sheet-metal shed along one side (providing storage for gardening tools and paint cans) and a carport out back (unnecessary when the building was erected) giving us a dry place to keep our wheeled conveyances.The shed was unlit. Nighttime access required use of a flashlight was. We occasionally heard the squeaks of vermin emanating from therein. But if they didn’t come into the house, that was all right with us.

Winter in Michigan presents a house-hunting challenge to small animal life here. Birds fly south and squirrels find hollow trees. Field mice found our garage. For some reason, I noticed a couple scurrying across the floor there from under the lawn mower which saw no action after late October.  On April 30th the back lawn appeared to be ready for the first of what will be weekly trims for the foreseeable future. I rolled the mower out and hit the button to start it (it’s an electric one) and pushed it onto the lawn. On my next pass around the area, I espied the corpse of a mouse who had his (or her) final surprise when mechanical things sprang to life. 

The lawn is now trimmed, but that cost something its life. 

David Alexander now resides in Holland, MI after 39 years in Taiwan.

In Season and Out

Whether people dumped unwanted cats on the campus of Tainan Theological College while we resided there or not, the campus seemed to attract a few at all times. Controlled access meant fewer motor scooters to dodge, and the abundant trees and age of the buildings may have given scope for more avian and rodent life (living cat food) to make the living easy.

Stray cats are not necessarily spayed or neutered in Taiwan. The view from behind occasional passing toms made this abundantly clear. The howls from females in heat was an audible clue. During our final 6 months on campus I heard the caterwauls from just outside our front window and espied “cat sex” in action on the front walk. I wanted to shout, “get a room”, but left the happy couple to continue outside of my gaze. 

Far from there now, and it being spring here, a few days ago I glanced up towards a wire leading to the house next door upon hearing enthusiastic chirping from a pair of sparrows similarly engaged. 

I guess it’s the time of year. 
David Alexander now resides in Holland, MI after 39 years in Taiwan.

Serving Size

I probably eat too much.  Cutting back and losing 10 kilos would be very good for me. The active life I had in Taiwan, the regular meals with lots of vegetables and fruit, held my weight in my early 60s close to 91 kilos.  Two years of retirement see it at 99. 

Serving sizes may have something to do with it. I’m a “clean your plate” kind of guy. Some years back I learned not to take seconds, but I figured out that if I take a large portion of “firsts”, I can still eat too much.  

Taiwan is an “eating out” kind of place. Even for eating at home, many people buy a boxed meal which,though it probably contains too much rice, has meat and vegetables in measured portions. People sharing a bottle of beer over a meal drink from small glasses which would be seen as proper for orange juice at breakfast in America.

Recently I fell for the allure of a 5 liter box of white wine for the refrigerator. On the second day it was there, I told myself that I was only allowed one glass per day, either with my mid day or my evening meal. I’ve kept to that.  On the side of the box it is noted that there are 34 servings inside. I did the math. This is based on a glass of wine being 150ml.  I wondered how that would look in one of the wine glasses from which I drink at meals. I got out a glass and a measuring cup, put 150ml of water in the cup, then put it into the glass.  Seeing how high in the glass that amount of water would go, I decided that the box contains not 34, but 20 servings. 

Like I said above, I probably eat too much.  Drink too much, too.

Photo by Piotr Makowski on Unsplash

David Alexander self-distances in Holland, MI after 39 years of pressing the flesh in Taiwan.

Self-medicating in the COVID 19 Era

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Despite medical advice from my nation’s president, I shall not be drinking chlorine bleach, injecting household disinfectants or sunning myself in the yard. . I have a different regimen, using another widely available disinfectant.  Here’s the prescription.

17.6 milliliters of ethyl alcohol mixed with 337.4 milliliters of barley water to be taken with the noon meal, and 24 milliliters ethyl alcohol mixed with 176 milliliters of fruit juice with the evening meal, daily.

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

Photo by Zan on Unsplash

It’s not doing anything about the virus, but I feel much better about being locked in.

David Alexander self-medicates daily in Holland, MI after 39 years in Taiwan.

Not the Doorbell

Walking through a nature preserve on the outskirts of Holland, Michigan last week, we heard a sound that took us back to Taiwan, and it WASN’T the buzz of a motor scooter.

Doorbells in older houses in Taiwan sound like a frantically chirping bird when the button is pushed. I don’t know what mechanism resides in the bright little bird-house shaped plastic thing that hangs on the wall, but it starts out fast and the chirping slows when the finger is lifted from the button, getting slower and lower pitched until it dies away.

During our final two years in Taiwan, a couple from North Carolina came to live in a house near ours. He (Juan) and she (Ruth) had lived many places, but never in Taiwan.  The first time we rang their bell from outside they nearly panicked, not knowing WHAT kind of small animal was running around their living room.

On our walk through the preserve, we heard a similar bird call. Not nearly so shrill as a Taiwan doorbell, but lowering as it slowed to finally stopping. We heard that call several times, leading us to wonder if there were more than one of that species, or someone wanted us to open a door.

 

David Alexander now resides in Holland, MI after 39 years in Taiwan.

The Anaesthesia has Worn Off

The night of 27 September, 1984, was a difficult one for me.  I had an ache in my gut and apparently moaned in pain, even while asleep.  My wife, who is a delicate sleeper, spent many hours awake and concerned.  

We were expecting the birth of our firstborn in a few months hence. We’d begun to accumulate books about child care. One of these had charts through which guesses at diagnosis could be made, leading one to “stay cool and at home” or things like “SEE A DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY”.  When the sun rose, she got the book and said, “we’re going to the doctor”. 

For prenatal care and other routine family medicine needs at that time, we patronized the Kaohsiung clinic of the 7th Day Adventist hospital in Taipei.  I was compelled to dress, walk down 5 flights of stairs and climb into a taxi to the location. On exiting the elevator on the floor where the clinic was located, we discovered that it was closed. Of course! September 28 is a holiday, Confucius’ Birthday, in Taiwan.  

Back down the elevator and into another taxi, this time to the little Kaohsiung Christian Hospital, where my not-yet-fully developed Taiwanese had to serve me.  Unclear on the distinction between Internal and External medicine, I saw an internist, who questioned and prodded me and announced, “you need an operation”.  I asked, “when?” and he answered, “now.” 

I was sent to the “external” (surgical) doctor a couple rooms along the hall.

Within a couple hours I was coming out of anaesthesia, minus my appendix. Of course I was told that they got it “just in time”. That seems to be a standard trope following an appendectomy.  What puzzled me was the smiling nurse who visited me the next morning and asked, “Have you farted?”   I was slightly offended that she would inquire about something so personal.  I didn’t understand that passing gas was a sign that after being anaesthetized, the digestive system had resumed proper functioning. 

Last Sunday evening we had a vegetarian stew for supper. It was based on Cauliflower and Garbanzo beans. We had leftovers on Monday.   Tuesday afternoon, I can assure you, the signs of worn off anaesthesia were abundantly present.  

David Alexander now resides in Holland, MI after 39 years in Taiwan.

Counting

In the spring of 1978, chatting with a guy in Pingtung about the mutual friend who had introduced us the previous summer, he mentioned that they had been friends for three years already. I was a bit mystified, because in another conversation he’d told me that they had first met around Christmas of 1976.  The way I counted it, the time span was about 18 months, hardly 3 years!  He patiently explained, though, that they had become acquainted in the year of the dragon, and all of the year of the snake, and we were, at that moment, in the year of the horse: 1,2,3.

Photo by David Clode on Unsplash

Across my life in Taiwan, it took several years for me to take up the habit of a nap at noon. Beginning in 2008, though, my office was on the same campus as my housing, a mere 150 meters from my bed. Naps became more than a habit, they became a necessary part of my day.  But as for total sleep, I still only counted the hours of slumber between lights out and dawn.

The nap habit has followed me across the Pacific and into retirement. It wasn’t until this lockdown, though, that I began to fold the hour or so of mid-day sleep into my quotidian total. The lack of daily activity seemed to diminish my need for nightly sleep. A few nights last week included some wakeful hours in their middles. Knowing that an adult needs from 7 to 9 hours in each 24, I was concerned until I started counting on a “per 24” basis rather than merely “overnight”.  An hour at noon plus nearly 7 overnight totals out OK,

I’m OK. I just needed to count my American sleep like Taiwanese years. 
David Alexander now resides in Holland, MI after 39 years in Taiwan