Culture Shock Part 1: The Singing Truck

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 10:30:00 +0000

If you flip through my site, you can see that I have had the privilege of travelling around the world. Even though I don’t often experience “culture shock,” I sometimes encounter things that are genuinely unique. This was one of them.

One of the first nights after I arrived in Taipei, I was doing something in my room when I heard music. I didn’t quite know what was going on, didn’t really care, and forgot about it. The next night, I heard the music again. By the fourth night, I asked my host, “What is that noise?” She just started laughing. One question I forgot to ask when I moved in was, “Where does all the rubbish go?” In this part of Taipei, there is no room to leave rubbish by the road. Instead, when the rubbish truck comes by, it plays music and everybody runs outside. Believe me, the sight of a 60-year-old man running after one of these trucks in nothing but his bathrobe is priceless.

Back to Bangkok

Fri, 11 Aug 2006 10:30:00 +0000

Today is my birthday, and it was slightly disappointing to spend the first part of it on a bus. I can normally sleep anywhere, and although I slept for much of the journey, I never became comfortable. Eventually, I arrived in Bangkok and made my way to Khaosan Road, a popular area for backpackers.

I find my companion’s fascination with night markets and bazaars highly entertaining. To borrow a line from Karl Marx, if religion is the opiate of the masses, then markets must be hers. Even supermarkets qualify.

Culture-Shock on Kelvin Nicholson

Culture Shock Part 1: The Singing Truck

Back to Bangkok