A Walk (sort of) Around the Neighborhood!

For the last couple of days, I’ve been tooling around in my neighborhood.  Yesterday, I went out to the Rice fields and some areas to photograph birds, and today, I took Charlie for a walk around the block and grabbed some shots of the neighborhood.  There’s so much to see in my neighborhood, that I’ll probably have to do another one pretty soon, showing some other areas.  In the meantime, though, I have some things planned with Eric and Elizabeth that I’ll be posting. 

I feel really lucky to live where I live.  The rice fields and some nature areas are close by, as well as two or three Ecology Parks to visit.  It is an urban area, but right on the edge of an agricultural district. 

In the evenings the local parks are full of people taking walks or just sitting and visiting.  The street vendors are selling their wares and it’s just a nice area.  People stop to chat with me, pretty often, especially at the mall or the traditional market near my house. 

I have a great view of the Taoyuan City skyline out of my living room window.  Taoyuan City has a population of About 2.56 million people.  What I can see out my window is just the Taoyuan District.  Taoyuan City is broken down into thirteen districts.  I live on the edge of the Taoyuan and Bade districts.  Currently, the government is in the process of expanding the MRT from Taipei into Taoyuan District.  Right now, the most popular way into Taipei is the train system, which is efficient and fast.  The MRT will be even faster, people here are looking forward to its completion. I’m personally looking forward to it, since I can’t drive anymore, I can go visit my friends in Taipei on my mobility scooter.

Anyway, here’s the first installment of my neighborhood shots.  Stay tuned for others and a couple of special events with Eric and Elizabeth.

在過去幾天裡，我一直在附近四處閒逛。昨天，我去了稻田和一些自然區域拍攝鳥類，今天則帶著查理（Charlie）在街區散步，順便拍了一些附近的照片。我的社區有太多值得一看的地方，可能很快就會再來一次，去探索其他區域。

同時，我也有一些和艾瑞克（Eric）及伊麗莎白（Elizabeth）計劃好的活動，之後會分享給大家。

我覺得自己很幸運能住在這裡。稻田和一些自然區域都在附近，還有兩三個生態公園可以參觀。雖然這裡是都市區，但就在農業區的邊界上。

晚上，當地的公園裡總是充滿散步或閒坐聊天的人們。街頭小販販賣各種商品，整個環境十分愜意。人們經常會停下來和我聊聊天，尤其是在購物中心或我家附近的傳統市場。

從我客廳的窗戶望出去，可以看到桃園市的天際線。桃園市的總人口約為 256 萬，而我窗外所見的只是桃園區的一部分。桃園市分為十三個行政區，而我住在桃園區與八德區的交界處。目前，政府正在推動台北捷運延伸至桃園區的計畫。目前前往台北最受歡迎的交通方式是火車系統，快速又高效，而捷運完工後將會更加便捷。這裡的居民都期待著捷運的開通，我自己也很期待，因為現在不能開車了，未來我就能騎著電動代步車去台北探訪朋友了。

總之，這是我社區照片的第一輯，敬請期待接下來的照片，還有與艾瑞克和伊麗莎白一起參加的特別活動！

 

A local Taoist god! (Sign says Protect Country and People)

Taoist Temple

Bird Pictures

Egretta garzetta - Little Egret (See the Tilapia?)

Pycnonotus sinensis - Light-vented Bulbul

Pica serica - Oriental Magpie

Gorsachius melanolophus - Malayan Night Heron (Endangered Species)

Around the Block

Charlie and I

Alrighty Then!

I like all of the parks with the buildings adjacent!

Cherry Blossoms in Bloom!

The Taoyuan District Skyline from my window (a bit hazy because of the humidity)

Bird photos by Chris Banducci

Other Photos Crisel Joy Bringula

All posts and photos property of Taiwan Adventure Publications

AI Translating Earpieces, A Review!

I live in Taiwan, and my Mandarin is weak at best. So, the other day I did something that kind of surprised even me.  I bought myself a set of AI translating earpieces.  I was wondering how well they worked, so I thought I could risk a few bucks and get a set to try out. So, I did.  Here’s my review.

You see them on Instagram and other places for just about $650 NTD ($20.00 US).  They sell on Amazon for $29.00 USD ($956 NTD) all the way up to $300.00 USD ($9900 NTD).  I decided to get a mid-priced set.  I spent $49.99 USD ($1649.62 NTD). 

They were delivered promptly and I opened them.  The way they work is through an app called “vtrans.”  I loaded the app on my phone and started playing with them with my son-in-law Eric.  It took me a bit to figure out how to make them work, not because it’s difficult, but because I’m stupid.  I did eventually work it out. 

Then I took them to my tea shop and used them to talk to the tea master.  I spoke English and she responded in Mandarin.  They worked perfectly.  She was delighted with them and so was I. 

There are three keys to success with them.  First, it works better in a quiet room.  If there’s a lot of other people talking then those things also get translated and it gets really confusing.  The second thing is you need to speak clearly, especially in mandarin, because tones and sounds work together.  It can confuse the translator.  I was talking with someone yesterday who was saying battery, which sound similar to the sound of the word elevator and the translator kept confusing the two words. Finally, you need to wait until it finishes translating to answer, or it gets muddled together.

Those are the only issues I’ve experienced with them.  This is amazing technology.  If you’re planning to go abroad, somewhere where the language you speak isn’t spoken and they will really help you.  I can have more complex conversations with people now.  That’s quite a blessing.  It’s not perfect but Eric and I figured it was accurate about 85% of the time, so it’s still better than not wearing them. 

我住在台灣，而我的中文只能算是勉強能應付。所以，前幾天我做了一件連自己都感到驚訝的事情——我給自己買了一副 AI 翻譯耳機。

我很好奇它們的效果如何，所以想說反正也不算太貴，值得試試看。於是，我就買了一組來試用，這就是我的心得評價。

在 Instagram 和其他地方，你會看到它們的價格大約是 650 新台幣（20 美元）。在 Amazon 上，它們的價格從 29 美元（約 956 新台幣）一路飆升到 300 美元（約 9900 新台幣）。最後，我決定選擇一組中價位的耳機，花了 49.99 美元（約 1649.62 新台幣）。

耳機很快就送到了，我立刻打開來試用。它們的運作方式是透過一款名為「vtrans」的應用程式。我下載了這個 App 到手機上，然後開始跟我女婿 Eric 一起試玩。剛開始花了一點時間才搞懂怎麼使用，不是因為它們很難用，而是因為我太笨了。但最後，我還是弄懂了。

接著，我帶著耳機去茶店，想用它來跟茶師交流。我用英文說話，她用中文回答。結果效果非常完美！她對這個耳機感到驚喜，而我也一樣。

要讓這款耳機發揮最佳效果，有三個關鍵要素。第一，它在安靜的環境下效果比較好。如果周圍很多人在講話，耳機會把其他人的話也翻譯進去，這樣會變得很混亂。第二，說話時要清晰，特別是講中文時，因為中文的聲調和發音會影響意思。如果發音不夠清楚，翻譯器可能會搞混。我昨天跟一個人聊天時，他在說「電池」，但因為「電池」的發音跟「電梯」有點相似，翻譯器就一直把這兩個詞混在一起。最後，在回答對方之前，必須等翻譯完成，否則翻譯會混在一起，變得難以理解。

這是我唯一遇到的問題。這項科技真的很厲害！如果你要去一個講不同語言的國家，這種翻譯耳機會是你的好幫手。現在，我可以和別人進行更複雜的對話了，這真的是一種福氣。雖然它不是 100% 完美，但我和 Eric 測試後發現，它的準確率大約有 85%，所以戴上它總比不用來得好。

Eric with an AI Translating Earpiece

Here is a short video to show you how well they work:

這裡有一段短片來展示它們的效果有多好：

All posts. photos and video property of Taiwan Adventure Publications

Thanks to Eric Liu for his work on the video!

Importing My Dog to Taiwan!

 

Well, my little buddy finally made it to Taiwan.  My dog Charlie was finally able to immigrate with us.  He’s a poodle breed (Taiwanese Red Poodle).  His name in Chinese is Cha Li Wang (茶裏王).  My Taiwanese friends will know that this is a brand of bottled tea sold in Taiwan, but it is sometimes translated as Charlie Wang.  My dog is named after this tea, because he is the color of oolong tea.

There is a process for importing a pet from the US to Taiwan.  Taiwan is a rabies-free country, so they are very strict about letting pets from countries with rabies into Taiwan. There are a number of hoops that must be jumped through in order to make it happen. 

First, you must go on the website of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency (APHIA).  Here is where you will find updated requirements for importing an animal from your country. 

Second, your pet requires a FAVR (called the titration test).  This will determine exposure to rabies.  This test must be done 90 days to one year prior to import.  This is a recent change as of 2025.  90 days is a minimum they are not flexible about the timeline. 

Third, the pet must have a certificate from a veterinarian (In English or Mandarin) stating the breed, age, sex, microchip number and date of last rabies vaccination.

Fourth, the importer must have a current passport or Taiwan ID or APRC/ARC (Alien Permanent Registration Card).

Fifth, an import permit must be filed within 20 days with APHIA.  This permit can be filed on-line. (LINK)

The most difficult aspect is finding a veterinarian that is knowledgeable about this and is willing to do it.  You must explore and be familiar with the requirements, it varies for every country and the vets can’t keep up with all of it 

Finally, all of the paperwork, with the import permit must pass through the US Department of Agriculture.  This can be pretty stressful, because the import permit must be processed and sent to USDA.  We got the USDA paperwork the day before leaving for Taiwan.

The airlines must be notified ahead of the trip.  Someone must travel with the pet. The total cost to get the dog to Taiwan, veterinarian cost and airline costs was about $2,500 USD. That does not include the person travelling with the pet.    

All in all, it was simpler to get visas for me and my family than one for the dog.  He’s worth it.

嗯，我的小夥伴終於來到台灣了！

我的狗狗 Charlie 終於能和我們一起移民來台灣了。他是一隻貴賓犬（台灣紅貴賓）。他的中文名字是「茶裏王」。台灣的朋友們應該知道，這也是台灣市面上販售的一種茶，有時會被翻譯為「Charlie Wang」。我的狗就是以這款茶命名的，因為他的毛色和烏龍茶很像。

從美國將寵物帶入台灣是有一定程序的。台灣是一個無狂犬病的國家，因此對於來自有狂犬病國家的寵物入境管控非常嚴格，必須經過層層審查才能辦理成功。

帶寵物入境台灣的流程

1. 查詢動植物檢疫檢驗局（APHIA）網站
   你需要先前往「動植物檢疫檢驗局（APHIA）」的官方網站，這裡會提供最新的寵物入境規範，並根據你的國家列出具體要求。

2. 進行 FAVR 檢測（抗體效價檢測）
   你的寵物必須接受 FAVR 檢測（也稱為抗體效價檢測），以確認其是否具有足夠的狂犬病抗體。此檢測必須 在入境前 90 天至 1 年內完成。這是 2025 年起的新規定，90 天是最低標準，官方對此時間點沒有彈性。

3. 獸醫健康證明
   寵物必須持有獸醫開立的健康證明（可為英文或中文），證明須包含寵物的品種、年齡、性別、晶片號碼及最近一次的狂犬病疫苗接種日期。

4. 進口人必須持有有效證件
   進口人必須擁有有效的護照、台灣身分證，或 APRC/ARC（外僑永久居留證/居留證）。

5. 申請進口許可證
   進口許可證必須 在入境前 20 天內申請，並向「動植物檢疫檢驗局（APHIA）」提交申請。此申請可在線上完成。（[連結]）

最困難的部分

最困難的其實是 找到一位熟悉這項程序的獸醫，或是願意協助辦理的獸醫。由於每個國家的規定不同，獸醫不一定能掌握所有細節，因此飼主需要自己研究並熟悉相關規範。

最後，所有文件（包含進口許可證）都必須通過 美國農業部（USDA） 的審核。這個過程相當緊張，因為進口許可證必須送交 USDA 審批，而我們是在 出發前一天 才拿到 USDA 文件！

此外，航空公司必須提前通知，且寵物必須有隨行旅伴。帶 Charlie 來台灣的總費用，包括獸醫費用與機票費用，大約是 2,500 美元（不包括陪同旅客的費用）。

總結

幫我和家人辦簽證都比幫狗辦簽證還要簡單！但他值得！

 

Charlie about 15 years ago

He was a cute little guy!

Charlie was born in Taiwan, moved with us to Tucson...now he's home again

In Arizona with my son-in-law's dog Reggie

Charlie's Namesake

Photos and Post Property of Taiwan Adventure Publications.