Category: Uncategorized

Along the river mentioned in the last text there were water outlets in several places. For some reason they had decided to decorate these. You decide which picture you find most suiting. 🙂

In Korea they are very good at landscaping. In the big cities there are small beautiful parks that makes a big contrast to the grey, boring city. Also companies build small, nice areas for people to spend their lunch break in or hang around smoking. These places are very well planned and clean. Usually the main features are stones and flowers.

I just have to continue the sounds of Asia stories. I thought when I left Korea to go to Taiwan I had heard “Für Elise” for the last time this trip. I was wrong. As I was writing the last text I heard a faint melody being played. It sounded like they had hidden speakers somewhere playing the radio on very low volume. But when I listened carefully it was just a short melody that was repeated, quite annoying actually. You know when you hear a faint noise and it irritates you to dead but if you don’t listen you don’t hear it. I could not figure out where it came from and was just hoping it would be gone by the time I would go to bed.

Later when we were sitting at the window in the restaurant next door to the hotel, I suddenly heard the melody again! I looked out and saw the garbage truck driving by. I had heard a truck in my hotel room on the 22nd floor emptying garbage bins in the neighbourhood. This means that it is played quite loud. Poor guys that have to do that job all day. I can imagine that kind of treatment being used as torture.

This afternoon we got stuck in the weekend traffic coming back from customer site and guess what I suddenly heard!? “Für Elise”. And guess what it was!? The garbage truck. Good thing that they work during the day…

I might just have checked in to my new favourite hotel, The Ambassador Hsinchu, Taiwan. The room is large and very tastefully decorated in the Asian simple but beautiful kind of way. The colors and materials are very nice and the bathroom luxurious. But what really made it was the content in the little box in the picture… Mmmm, they know exactly what I need after a long day of travelling and work.

If you’re in Korea and you suddenly hear “Für Elise” being played for no appearent reason with a very loud, digital, metallic sound, you should watch out. I know, it can be very confusing. What could it be? Someone’s mobile phone? Public speakers warning for earthquakes? You never really can tell over here. But in this case it is that small type of van that is mostly found in Asia. The kind that is smaller than the average american car and seems to fit better in a playground than on the motorway. And it is reversing so be careful! Nothing in my mind would automatically make me watch out when I hear a piece of music being played. Bummer..