How do the Taiwanese senior citizens do after their retirement?

Just like America, Taiwan society is aging; the baby boomers are now retiring. How do those retirees do in Taiwan? My initial finding is that they adjust the retirement very well. First, there are senior citizen community center that sponsors activities to enrich senior citizens' life (The membership fee is not free though.). Second, some city annually gives NT $20,000 to every senior citizens older than 70 years old. Third, senior citizens join local karaoke singing clubs to socialize and to sing among friends. The karaoke clubs are very popular among the retirees; in fact that is what my brother, a retired bank professional, spends most of a day in his retirement. I also participated in karaoke with my brother, Wen-Kai, and my sister-in-law on July 30. Regretfully, I forgot to bring a camera with me. There is no pictures of me singing songs in the karaoke club. But I attach a 'senior citizen-community-center' photo in this short message.

The old city is now a parking lot.

When I was still a high school student in Taiwan, I used to be able to go around the city anywhere with a bicycle in 20 minutes. I can also walk around; usually, it takes 40-50 minutes. It was always a good exercise to walk, and the air quality was good.

Not any more !! There are cars and motorcycles everywhere. Streets are usually narrow; they can only accommodate cars and motorcycles, not for the bikers and the walkers. How about the sidewalks like the sidewalks on College Ave in Appleton, WI? Sadly, there are no more sidewalks in Chang-Hua City!! Residents now use the "sidewalks" to park their motorcycles (See the attached first photo). Some of the sidewalks have become 'permanent-farm-market-selling-stands' selling everything from food, vegetable, fruits, to clothes. The city is such that if you don't have a car or a motorcycle, you cannot go around anywhere in the city. Automobiles in Chang-Hua City are now contributing to the global warming, air pollution, and poor living quality with the modern evils, automobiles. The good old days are gone.

How does this situation get started? Here is a brief history overview of the society transformation. During the economic boom in the 80s, a few very rich Taiwanese started to purchase automobiles to impress their neighbors and to show-off their social status. Later, when cars become affordable to mid-income families in Taiwan in the 90s, and when the oil was still very cheap, and when the politicians who were busy in making laws to build infrastructures such as freeway to make mid-income to high-income voters happy, the number of car-owners increases explosively causing this traffic congestion. Taiwan had tried to imitate the American automobile-transport society model but ends up in a much more miserable state than America. Even America today is trying everything to encourage biking or walking around the city, I don't see this change in Chang-Hua in a foreseeable future.

We have to blame the policy makers for their short-sights to enact many policies that encouraging automobile sales in Taiwan. The policy makers did not realize that in early days, Taiwan already had infrastructure for mass-transport; Taiwan doesn't need to be transformed into an automobile-based society. The law makers could have learned from those of Singapore that makes automobile license purchase very expensive so that few citizens owns automobiles. I would have to say that the politicians in Taiwan did not do their jobs well; every citizen of the city is now suffering from the consequences of bad decisions.

Photo illustrations: First photo shows that Chang-Hua residents use old side-walk as motorcycle parking lot; second photo shows the traffic scene of the intersection from the free way to the local traffic.

A-Jai's story

A-jai means 'My sister' in Taiwanese.

I am staying at A-jai's house for few days until August 12 when I will move in to Teacher's Lounge in Taichung. My nephew, VanTsai, and his wife, are visiting US on July 30 and are coming home to Taiwan on August 11. On August 12, VanTsai (A-jai's son and an electrical engineering professor at Formosa University in Yuen-Lin.) will help me move to the new place.

A-jai's house is a 4-story-brick-and-concrete house. The house used to be occupied by her sons' families and by her and her husband. Now, her sons' families had moved out; she also lost her husband few years ago. With several rooms vacant, A-jai rented out to several tenants with bargain monthly rents. She made small profits in the winter-months when the utility cost is low; during the summer months when it is hot and the utility cost (e.g. air conditional utility cost) is high, she was just making even with the rent to pay for the utility.

The rental offers A-jai several things: (1) the companionship of young tenants so that she is not completely alone by herself. (2) a small but a definite income that she uses for her 'mission', financially helping out the children of her deceased second son, VanTsung.

A-jai lost her second son, VanTsung, few years ago. Van Tsung had kidney problems for many, many years. He finally succumbed to kidney failure few years ago. VanTsung left three children, all in the school age. VanTsung's wife is a nurse, hardly can support her three growing children.

A-jai told me today, " The (rental) income is small, but steady," she said, " I use part of the rental income to support VanTsung's widow to support her three growing children."

"I will be 80 years old this yaer." she said, " When I die, I don't take the money with me. Giving the money to my grandchildren now when they need it is a good use of the money."

Attached is a picture of the garden that A-jai helps cultivate. The land belongs to the Chang-Hua City Government. Part of this land is now a garden which is cultivated and cared by volunteering senior citizens. A-jai is one of the volunteering senior citizens who take care of the garden.

I feel I swim fast when no one is around.

All those years that I got so many tips from swimming coaches in the university and in the high school. So, all those years, I thought I was learning something useful and I thought I was swimming fast when I was all alone myself. But, all those self confidence immediately vaporizes when my wife swims next to me. She learnt how to swim 10 years later than I and she never had a coach to help her. Yet, she just zips through by me when we swim next to each other. What a feeling!!

Chen's garden at the backyard.

This year, Meeilei has cultivated a beautiful garden in the backyard. In addition to the yearly 'impatient' flowers in the flower-bed, she got two pottery-flower pots sitting beside the flower bed. We look at the flower everyday; but she doesn't bother to take the picture.

Now, I am leaving Wisconsin in 2 days; I better to take this garden picture before I board the airplane. Here we go.

What a communication challenge!! I am not even in Taiwan yet

This morning, I got a big surprise from my nephew via Skype phone conversation. He and his wife are visiting US for 12 days starting July 30; 2 days after I land in Taiwan. They are 'supposed' to be my host family; how come I did not know about it until today, just few days before I take off from Wisconsin.

There are always communication challenges with him in the past even with the state-of-the-art modern communication technology, Skype. What do I do after I land in Taiwan? I only know bits-of-bits information. I probably will stay at my sister's place for few days until I can find someone to take the luggage over Taichung, to settle in Taichung's teacher's lounge.

The wonder drug of metaxalone

Dr Elisberg prescribed metaxalone as a muscle relaxation medicine for my low-back-pain problem; I took one today (800mg) this morning. Wow, what's a difference. I felt 100% improvement over my back pain. Now I can sit and work for as long as one-hour at a time. I should save the sample medicine for the trip.

The drug company did disclose possible side effects of this medicine. they are: nausea, vomiting, gastrointestinal upset, drowsiness (don't take it before swimming), headache. So, just like any other wonder drug, take the medication with caution.

I said 'Hello' to Dorthy Johnson, another neighbor

Meeilei and I just had conversation few days ago, "What happened to the Johnson's?" our another Glendale Ave neighbor, except the Johnson's are quite elderly. We used to see them a lot in the backyard. Last year, they complained to us about our huge maple tree giving so much shading that their tomato could not grow well. So, we cut the tree last year. Then for months and months, we did not see the Johnson's working in the backyard. In fact, we did not see them at all. Are they well? Are they doing OK?

Since I am leaving in a few days, I knocked at their door this morning.

"I hope I am not rude to knock at your door to ask how things are going." I said.

"Quite contrary, thank you for doing that," said Dorthy Johnson, who used to be Appleton Mayor, "We are doing just fine. You head-up south, we had us East. That is why we don't see each other."

"Wonderful," I said, " I also come here to say good-bye, as I am leaving for Taiwan in a few days."

"That is great." said Dorthy, " we can keep an eye on your property."

That was a very pleasant conversation.

What happens to our Glendale Ave neighborhood?

When my back was healthy, I rode a bike roaming Appleton downtown. With my back aching, I walk around the neighborhood instead and I learn more about our Glendale Ave neighbors. Here are what I have learned about my neighbors:

Steve and Kara Huston got a puppy, Winchester, or Chester. Chester likes to nimble; however, he cannot distinguish between nimble and bite. As a result, both Kara and Steve got several Chester's bites on the arms. Chester needs to go to school for training.

Patricia Harvey, the retired teacher living across the Glendale Ave is still in Ireland. She is coming back on Friday. Both John and Patricia are interested in visiting Taiwan someday.

Paula Johnson had a neck surgery about 6-month ago. She had an auto-accident about two years ago. The accident must have affected the spinal cord nerve system that leaving her left arm and leg semi-paralyzed. The surgery will speed up her recovery.

Independent or Inter-dependent

We are all yawning for independence. Independence means freedom, whether it is a financial or a physical freedom. My back-pain episode teaches a deeper meaning of independence: the true independence comes from the inter-dependence. How true it is when I am feeling physical handicap with the back pain! My eyes probably can still see and my ears can still hear well without the back; however, how different could my eye see and could my ears hear without a healthy back? How true it is when we are all dependent on one another, supporting each other whether it is in the family or in the community that each one of us to achieve our freedom and independence?

Flight to Taiwan postponed one week

The original plan to fly to Taiwan on July 20 is postponed 1-week to July 27. I accidently hurt my lower back; it would be impossible to sit on a plane for 20 hours with an aching back.

Once again, I appreciate the impotance of good health. Our body is so intrically made; a malfunction of one part of our body means that we have to let go many life activities we have taken for granted such as biking, tennis, and of course travelling abroad. Last night, when I painfully laying on my back, I appreciate the difference between "illusion" and reality. Life is a gift; nothing is an entitlement.

This low-back-pain episode, once again stresses the importance of making the best of this trip: making contributions to Taiwan and Taiwanese which had invested 24 years on me and had yet seen my contributions to the home land. I probably would not have many opportunities, or any opportunity at all to contribute to Taiwan.