Hey Doc

(Bing cherry, imported from US)

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Taipei city is available in Google street view. Above is where I live in the city. You can't really see the actual building but follow the passage way on the right of the store named Beebub.
In case you are familiar with Google street view, feel free to navigate around the city. If you follow the direction to the left, you will arrive at the busiest area called "East District".

Another torrential downpour afternoon. The grounds are completely satuated by now. Some minor flooding is reported in the city.
Plurk, a twitter like web application popular in Asia, is making a big impact on relaying the information on disaster area and victim rescure.

Rescue effort continues since the typhoon Morakot ravaged the island 4 days ago. Casualty is mounting as the rescue workers slowly reach the remote villages. Food, water and shelter are in dire need for those victims. We need to give our thanks to the people risking their own life to help the needed. A rescue helicopter had just crashed during the mission, killing all three crew members onboard. The heavy rain is falling again today, not making any easier for the matter.

Typhoon Morakot came with a vengeance. Northern part of the island was spared, The rest received record breaking rain fall. Caused flooding and landslide all over the places. Displaced thousands of families. Rescue effort was hindered by lack of personnel and equipment. Many flood victims have no food and no water for days. The most dramatic scene played on TV over and over was a 6 stories building toppled into the overflowing river. The rushing water eroded the riverbank and the soil around the foundation of the building.



For 50 years, the lesson is still not learned. The geographic feature of the island is steep mountains and short rivers. Uncontrolled harvesting the river sand and the rock had reshaped and changed the river flow. Clear cutting the hillsides caused the mudslides. Many reservoirs were filled up slowly by the rock and mud from upstream. They are not capable to hold the runoffs. Illegal use of the riverbank was choking the river. You may ask that why the government don't stop these things? I will let you guess.

Tomorrow marks the 50th anniversary of the big flood in Taiwan. It just so happen that there is a midrange typhoon approaching the island. Morakot is expected to land by tomorrow.

Dadaocheng Wharf is a popular spot in Taipei for photographers taking sunset photos. I have been there many times but only once with my full arsenal. Other times were just happened to be in the area. I found it very interesting to watch other photographers at work. Waving a black card in front of the lens seems to be a common practice for dodging the bright light of the sky. Some said that if one can master this technique then you became a real Taiwanese photographer.


(Taipei World Trade Center)
One from an old archive. I was out walking one day, got caught in a huge thunder storm. Often seen in Summer afternoon, the sky turned very dark quickly. Then came the lighting, thunder and down pour like no tomorrow.