User talk:Achou79

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[edit] Welcome to my talk page

Feel free to add any comments. I welcome any constructive feedback about my edits and changes, or if you just want to chat it up, that’s fine too! [/copy paste from user page]

Alan

[edit] Conscription stuff

Hi, welcome to Wikipedia and thanks for the info about the crap pay for reservist service, seems to go along with what I've been hearing. In my case however I'm not sure that I have much of a choice in the matter as my folks established my ROC citizenship when I was a kid and I stayed long enough to be on file with the local Conscription Office, and for me to be classified as a draftable male instead of the much coveted overseas status. The primary reason I'd consider going for the reservist service over being a traditional grunt is, I suppose, the belief that I might as well make the most of my time; being involved in scientific research (albeit with crap pay) being more desirable to me from a career perspective then 12 months of marching around singing "梅花“ and counting mantou. I'll probably add more detail to the Conscription article, or perhaps even create a whole new Conscription in the ROC article as I progress further along through the system. -Loren 03:17, 7 January 2006 (UTC)

Funny you should mention thinking about joining the Canadian Forces... I very nearly joined up with the U.S. Navy under their nuclear engineering program after I graduated college until I learned that getting security clearance in the US means relenquishing your citizenship in the other country, which Taipei doesn't let you do until you've served your time as an ROC grunt. :P Ah well... at least in either case I won't have to worry about sitting things out if the proverbial shit hits the fan. Oh, and thanks for getting me started on a new article: Conscription in the Republic of China. :P -Loren 06:40, 7 January 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the comments on my mini-rant on politics. I agree that democracy is far from being the perfect system since as human beings we seem to have a natural propensity for screwing others over. Though the main thing it has going for it that makes me consider it superior to other forms of government is that at least people get to take turns screwing each other over :). It's interesting that you should mention problems in Canadian politics, plenty of Americans also complain about the country being run by an imperial presidency where the president wields too much power. Ironically the solution often proposed is to move to a parliamentary system since, as the argument goes, the people can express thier displeasure at the executive by electing enough opposition legislators to Congress to call for a vote of no confidence. No system is perfect even among democracies, and if I may be allowed to sound cynical for a moment, politicians will always find a way around various safeguards. Nonetheless I'd have to say that it sure beats a system where the people don't have a say at all and both the US and Canadian systems are far from dictatorial (enlightened or otherwise), though of course, I still intend to continue the time honored tradition among free people of bitching about the people in charge :D -Loren 16:45, 14 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Shared Experiences

Hey Achou (啊臭? - just kidding!), as you say, interesting to see someone with shared experiences, particularly as I thought I had a fairly unique combo going on there! I spent five years in Jeddah as a kid then we moved back to England when I was seven, so my memories of the place are quite impressionistic now. I'm on my second spell in Taiwan now (since September last), in Taipei county. It'd be nice to chat - leave me a message! Oh by the way, are you a Forumosa user? If so, my moniker is Taifeitang, drop me a PM! Taiwantaffy 13:20, 7 January 2006 (UTC)

Hi Alan, thanks for the message on my talk page. Unfortunately I haven't received your Forumosa message yet - don't know what's going on there. Anyhow, let me know your login name there and I'll get in touch. Thanks! Taiwantaffy 02:07, 12 January 2006 (UTC)