FYI South, Compass February, 2006
When Royce (pronounced ‘Hoyce’) Gracie stepped into the octagonal cage in 1993 at the first ever Ultimate Fighting Championship agianst Ken Shamrock there was no question who would win: the bookies favored Shamrock to take home the gold, Shamrock had wrestled his first opponent into submission is less than two-minutes, and, though they were both 6’0, Shamrock outweighed Gracie by 60 lbs.
FYI South November, 2005
The last Tuesday of every month the upstairs of the Greek Restaurant undergoes an incredible metamorphosis—at six o’clock in the evening it’s is the same comfortable, dimly lit dining room as usual, with perhaps, a few Taiwanese diners enjoying a quiet supper. Around eight-thirty the first foreigner climbs the stairs, looks around confusedly at the diners, then at his watch, and, after realizing he’s arrived too early, he leaves. About nine o’clock he returns with a small group of his friends, purposefully enters the room, and sits at a large table in the back. This group sparks a steady stream of foreigners, gradually building to a near stampede of pale faces, khaki shorts and Birkenstock sandals. By ten o’clock a pungent mix of cigarette smoke and Mediterranean spice wafts through the air, the walls vibrate with English chatter, and every table in the room is covered in appetizers, wine, and Coronas.
Xpat Magazine December, 2006
The Rundown
There are two permits you must apply for in Yushan National Park – a park entry permit (which is issued by the park) and a mountain entry permit (which is issued by the police).
Xpat Magazine December, 2006
The fastest elevators in the world : Taipei 101’s high speed lifts, which travel at 17m per second
The world’s tallest building : Taipei 101 at 509m tall
The world’s largest proposed building : Burj Dubai in Dubai, UAE, expected to be completed in 2008, will be 800m tall
Xpat Magazine September, 2006
On Jan. 29, 2004, the largest whale ever recorded in Taiwan exploded on a busy Tainan city street drenching cars, storefronts, and bystanders with rotten blood and entrails. It was awesome.
Xpat Magazine September, 2006
Tyco executive Dennis Kozlowski’s brother-in-law’s defense for an extravagant bachelor party held for his son with Tyco company money: “It wasn’t like a three-ring circus…there was only one dwarf.”
Xpat Magazine June, 2006
V
olume of soft drinks consumed by the average North American in 1999 : 48 gallons
Top grossing soft drink company in the world : Coca Cola