Civilization at its best and at its worst, reflected at the turn of the decade!

Past goes the 2009 and in comes 2010.





For some strange reason I did not know, I initiated a new year count down plan with my buddies: dinner then fireworks from 101.



My last experience of counting down was celebrating the coming of 2006. I was 21 back then. And I was eager for the crowd.


I am turning 26 in January.


And this time, I am not eager for the crowd either.

The fireworks itself is a show of modern technology (although artistically speaking I find this year's work only okay).

What I hate about is the trash that was left behind on the street.

The streets were closed by the cops by around 10. And people start walking on the street that used to be driven by cars. So people were excited. It felt a bit like a big party we used to have in Queen's during homcoming weekend.

Streets were clean.

Yet, by the end of the counting down, when the year already turned to be 2010, things were different.

The streets were not only filled with people, but also trashes and spilled drinks. I saw some guy doing his bit to impress his girl at the entrance of one MRT entrance, where a circle was formed by bistanders, all the same time when people were trying to get home, which further congests teh traffic.

So...Is Taipei still a modern place?

Where so many selfish acts surface in one single event on just one night.

When we Taiwanese people were proud of our progress in the last few years, about clean cities or "technology" island, our citizenship education, along with our average salary, stagnated at the same level. I know selfish behavior can be seen everywhere in the world, but to which extend such selfishness is been seen as norm, I believe, there is a problem. And this problem, is in our collective soul.

So, how ironic to see this so called World's tallest building with "Taiwan Up" on it surrounded by streets filled with trash?