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Johnny Neihu's Mailbag

Saturday, May 05, 2007, Page 8

Joe foreigner, philanthropist

Dear Johnny,

You mentioned that it takes five years to obtain permanent residency ("Wangker the DPP bigot flips out," April 28, page 8). Actually that is only if you marry a Taiwanese citizen.

I know because I'm single and I just obtained mine, and it takes seven years.

You also either have to have NT$5 million (US$150,000) in the bank or in assets, or have an employer guarantee that they are paying you double the basic wage set by the Council of Labor Affairs (NT$31,680). This would make it almost impossible for someone from a country like the Philippines to get one unless he or she got married.

One thing I found was that officials were very friendly and helpful throughout the four months it took me to apply and get the visa. They did everything they could to help me get the paperwork together and be successful.

I spent two years in the Philippines and I found it to be a fantastic place with amazing people. It blows me away to read the horror stories that your newspaper frequently prints on the situation of Filipinos and other foreign workers.

Do you have any suggestions on what some average Joe foreigner like me can do to help these people and try to improve their situation in Taiwan?

Tom

Johnny replies: It's a tough question because the people who need the most help are the most difficult to locate -- and extricate. That's a job for professionals, and there are very few of them.

For starters I would suggest that you contact the Community Services Center in Taipei (02-2836-8134), which might point you in the right direction.

Note that well-meaning foreigners might be prevented from doing volunteer work because of visa restrictions. Normally such work might pass under the radar, but if you get involved in activities that endanger the incomes of avaricious labor brokers, then you'll very likely need to cover your ass.

Placeless plates

Dear Johnny,

Bought a new car at the beginning of the year and noticed that the car plates had no reference to Taiwan or in fact no reference to any place!

Is that a world first? A new entry for the next edition of Trivial Pursuit, maybe? What's next, remove the name from maps and replace it with a number?

Who knows? It might be easier to get UN recognition if we agree to just sit at the back and use our seat number as a reference.

I am just hoping that this is a tactical move by the pan-green camp, and that the word "Taiwan," minus province, will seep back on to the plates as the pan-blue camp concentrates all its efforts on keeping Mr. Ma out of prison.

Michael Grimes

Johnny replies: Here's the choice: Keep the number plate "status quo," shift licensing responsibility to each city and county and create unnecessary bureaucracies, or centralize the lot. The last option makes the most sense, but frankly, as long as the word "province" disappears from the plates, I don't care.

What we should do, however, is add one of those sexy slogans like they have for cars in every US state: "Taiwan: You can kiss my carbon footprint," for example, or maybe "Taiwan: Live free or drive trying."

Toasting a name change

Dear Johnny,

I like to read your articles. But it's so difficult for me, who has learned English in his whole life.

By the way, where are you from? Should not be a local.

May God bless you.

Dick F.

China Toastmasters Club

Johnny replies: Please don't be intimidated by my bizarre English, Dick; I've been learning it my whole life, too.

But here's the deal: I'll tell you where I'm from if you rename yourselves "Taiwan Toastmasters Club."

And thanks for the blessing, by the way.
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