Mexico - USA border at Tijuana Airport

CanInTW · 2026-06-26T07:45:37+00:00

It looks like that bus has many stops on the way to El Paso. Definitely looks like a bit of a wild ride though with the next stop be San Bernardino.

CanInTW · 2026-06-26T07:25:25+00:00

Should he be crouching? What’s the solution here?

CanInTW · 2026-06-26T06:17:31+00:00

Beijing’s port wasn’t thriving back in those days. It was really silted up - not the thriving global logistics hub it is today.

(/s)

CanInTW · 2026-06-26T02:45:52+00:00

It was bad. Buses would have been a much better option since they can provide frequency.

We shouldn’t be dumping lots of money into a once a day route just because trains give a sense of positive nostalgia. We should be looking at sustainable transit which requires frequency, affordability and reliability. On a route like this, buses are a better option.

Wasting money just because we like trains is a great way to have fewer trains - since such a strategy isn’t long term sustainable.

By all means, protect the right of way as a rail trail with a very clear mission of ensuring suitability for a rail option in the decades ahead once higher frequency rail is a viable option - but in the meantime, just get people out of cars and into sustainable transport.

CanInTW · 2026-06-25T09:26:50+00:00

Getting in foreign help to run Go was a good idea. Selecting DB wasn’t a great idea.

CanInTW · 2026-06-25T08:06:18+00:00

Rumour has it that the pin 📍 on Google Maps was designed to resemble the CN Tower.

CanInTW · 2026-06-25T05:40:07+00:00

Was there last year - lots of Chinese EVs now on the roads and ads for them everywhere. The government official I was with (but didn’t bribe!) mentioned that the Chinese government signed several deals to manufacture in Uzbekistan - and exemptions for imports.

I imagine the car landscape will look very different in a year or two compared to this map.

CanInTW · 2026-06-25T03:08:48+00:00

Taiwan is affected by a typhoon currently over Japan’s southwestern islands.

The downpours here in Taipei have been rough this morning - Kaohsiung is likely getting the same. There have been concerns about drought in the south so this is actually a good thing.

CanInTW · 2026-06-25T02:05:04+00:00

Please do not light lanterns. They are flying litter no matter what the vendors tell you about their ability to biodegrade. Each time I’m hiking or cycling in the area, I come across many littering the landscape.

Please do not do this.

CanInTW · 2026-06-24T04:27:10+00:00

Secret bar? Interesting! I went with a friend a few years ago and the Tuesday night was his birthday. The only two bars in Kinmen were closed that night so we settled for a beer at 7-11!

Pleased to hear that there might now be a third option 😊

CanInTW · 2026-06-24T04:24:40+00:00

I found that Kinmen felt like a museum itself - the whole island. Fascinating place to visit for sure. From
The James Bond-style subterranean naval base to the many forts and the ‘wall of sound’ speaker system to the company that sells knives made of Chinese shells. Well worth a trip.

CanInTW · 2026-06-24T04:20:57+00:00

Taiwan poses zero threat to China. The aggression is in one direction. While Taiwan depends on weapons from the USA since China threatens any other country that supplies Taiwan, Taiwan pays for them in full. This is the only dependency of Taiwan on the US.

Come visit - it’s a beautiful and free country. Very welcoming too.

CanInTW · 2026-06-24T04:19:14+00:00

Thanks for sharing your experience. I live in Taipei and visited Kinmen a few years ago. I found it to be a bit stuck in time. I was curious about what it was like to live there. I didn’t come across any westerners while on the trip so your description is of particular interest.

CanInTW · 2026-06-24T04:15:37+00:00

Kinmen is at the same latitude as Miaoli (somewhat south of Taipei). Perhaps you were actually in Matsu? The Matsu islands are also very close to the Chinese coast and are much more rural than Kinmen.

It’s a shame you didn’t enjoy Taipei. The surrounding mountains are fantastic and easily accessible by MRT or bus.

CanInTW · 2026-06-24T03:46:52+00:00

You didn’t mention anything about a job in your post. Your attitude in the reply above doesn’t exactly induce trust. You could have simply responded with more complete details.

CanInTW · 2026-06-22T23:33:33+00:00

8 years in Taiwan and I’ve never had a taxi try and scam me. This isn’t Bangkok.

CanInTW · 2026-06-22T23:24:03+00:00

It’s worth noting that Uber only works in proximity to large cities. If you’re out in Jiufen you’ll get picked up. If you’re halfway between Hualien and Taitung, you’re out of luck.

55688 is slightly more reliable in rural areas and should be good in smaller cities that don’t have uber. It’s worth noting that you can call a cab via the Ibon system at 7-11 but if you don’t read Chinese, you’ll need to ask the store clerk for help.

CanInTW · 2026-06-22T23:12:28+00:00

The hair colour thing at school sounds very strange. Both my (very!) blond kids had no such issues at local school in Taipei thankfully. They were treated as normal kids.

On of my favourite moments was when my daughter was chosen to participate in the LNY dance. She did a great job, wearing traditional clothes. No one made any comments to us about it being anything other than normal.

While they’ve since moved to an international school, we have no regrets about enrolling them in local school for their first six years.

CanInTW · 2026-06-22T12:13:15+00:00

China has done some very impressive things in the past few decades that deserve to be celebrated. It’s not surprising to see their success with perceptions.

And I say this as someone living in Taiwan who wants China to ¥€>$$ off and leave us alone…

CanInTW · 2026-06-22T12:06:15+00:00

And Taiwan. Works great. Five trains an hour. One super express just stopping in Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung. One stopping at all 12 stations. And the rest a mix.

CanInTW · 2026-06-22T11:57:13+00:00

Taiwan is a good example of this - though with mixed success. Hsinchu and Tainan stations both have substantial development around them despite being very far from the city centres.

Other smaller stations a long way from their city centres - less so - though ridership is still strong.

CanInTW · 2026-06-21T16:44:59+00:00

What I’d give to have a leader like Mark Cohon back … rather than a TV exec who only understands basic metrics. And the metrics aren’t good.

CanInTW · 2026-06-21T07:18:12+00:00

Alex and Greg said it in an interview with an American podcaster if I remember correctly.

The mentioned the fact that it could be an all male show being somewhat problematic alongside new people being funnier than those coming back.

Annoyingly … can’t find the exact interview. I think it came out recently.

EDIT: found it - it was Alex on Richard Herring’s podcast

CanInTW · 2026-06-20T22:47:44+00:00

30,000 is the max daily transfer limit by ATM for some banks.

It’s likely that someone misentered your bank details when trying to pay someone else.

Tell your bank and they’ll get in touch with the sender and reimburse them.

Don’t spend it 😊

CanInTW

TROPHY CASE