Archive for December, 2005

The Meaning of the Word Formosa

Thursday, December 1st, 2005

Flash of insight: What does “Formosa” really mean?

“Stairs”

This became clear out on the coast north of Keelung. Any place there is a hill, there are stairs.

Starting to feel a bit of wanderlust. It’s fun here, but no question I’m not putting the kind of work in I should be on Chinese. Yes, some odd words are seeping in to the mind. But, it’s vaguely possible to blunder around without knowing anything useful. Heck, numbers can always be handled with writing.

Anyway, we’re looking in to renting a car to have a look at the northest coast of the island. Might not be what happens, though. Car rental doesn’t seem to have a lot of backers of people I’ve talked with. Eveyone talks of crazy Taiwan drivers. They don’t seem so crazy to me. But, car rental is a long way from LA prices. And – killer – there may be a milage limit. A low milage limit. Anyway, it may be that buses, etc, are, in fact, a better way to go.

Not only that, but for the first time, I’m aware of when this trip ends. Ouch.