Re-animating The Zone
Dear Johnny,
I agreed with most of your article last week concerning a Reuters report on Taiwan.
Apart from, that is, your ill-informed comments on The Combat Zone. How long has it been since you paid a visit to Shuangcheng Street?
It is true that most of the old, seedy "hostess bars" (knocking shops) have long since disappeared, and that there are a lot fewer pubs than in your heyday.
But "terminal decline"? Surely not! Negative reporting does a grave injustice to the area.
What has sprung up in their place are new renovated cafes or shops. The existing pubs have almost all been renovated. My Place built a complete, new sports bar. Patina relocated, still in The Zone with a brand new setting. Same with the ever-friendly Peace Jazz, which moved from Dehui Street into The Zone's main alley.
Malibu West is the cleanest place that you could find. Manila Bar is always busy.
Pete Jones
The Zone
Johnny replies: Been there quite recently, actually. It was 3am, and the place was as dead as a Taiwanese UN membership bid. But don't get me wrong: I don't object to anyone gentrifying a corpse.
Flight or visa fight
Dear Johnny,
I worked for a German industrial waste company in the south of Taiwan, now relocated to China. Sigh. My girl, like yours, resides in Taiwan.
Taiwan used to be the head office. That was until last year. When we got notice to go to Shanghai, we were expected to be there five minutes before we were told.
The German boss passed it on to the Taiwanese assistant to deal with. This was her response: "If you are a foreigner residing in Taiwan and need to visit China it will take four days to arrange a visa for China."
And bear in mind you are unable to confirm a flight without a valid visa. Ask your girl; she can elaborate on this.
You don't need to politicize this, just absorb the facts. Company bosses are not interested in the political side. They say: "Why the hell can't we be in China the same day!"
We are not the only foreign company that suffered from this. Do a little research -- it may enlighten you.
Aki
Johnny replies: Aki, I can only assume that the pollution in Shanghai is playing havoc with your critical faculties. Whatever visas China offers are its business, not Taiwan's. And why can't you apply for a Chinese visa from Hong Kong?
Besides, I don't feel any need to account for Taiwanese bureaucrats in the case of businesses such as yours, that is, firms that have already decided to leave the country.
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