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ICQ Chat Save file
Started on Sun Oct 03 17:01:57 1999
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<Mad> hI
<Vance> Hang on, I'm trying to get YL in here
<Vance> No need to shout, I can hear you. Wait, can you read what I'm writing?
<ying> Hi
<Vance> Hi, YL. Can you read what I'm writing?
<ying> maggi and Vance.
<Mad> OK
<ying> Maggi , can you change your word's color .. yours is same as Vance.
<Mad> My finger slippeHi Ying
<Vance> Good, so you can read mine ... I wonder if Maggi can read us.
<ying> Vance, your word is white.
<Vance> Right, white ok?
<ying> o.k.
<Vance> Great. So, what's up with the Palace today I wonder.
<Mad> Yes...I can read you Vance...the laptop orks
<ying> How was going on your vocation?
<ying> I don't know...
<Vance> Vacation was great. I needed it. But how are things where you are?
<ying> mess.
<Mad> works...yes...every word. :-)
<ying> My house held up just fine.
<Mad> Sure Ying
<Mad>
<Vance> So you're in Taichung? Is that it?
<Mad> it's been that way allweek....
<ying> But there are a lot problem about reconstruction.
<Mad> let me see...eee
<ying> I am in Feng Yuan... you must read the work in newspaper.
<ying> word
<Mad> is this better Ying?
<ying> Feng Yuan
<ying> Feng Yuan is a small town near Taichung.
<Vance> reconstruction? What way Maggi?
<ying> Magii, I prefer dark color ,,, like blue.
<Vance> That's where the center of the quake was, wasn't it ...
<ying> Not exactly.
<Mad> the Palace Vance...Felix waqnted me to help him with a student but neither of usw could get there.
<Mad> ok
<Mad>
<ying> Fine. maggi. It is better.
<Mad> how is this?
<Mad> ok
<Mad>
<ying> Can you wait second... let me check newspaper.
<ying> I don't know how to say it in English.
<Mad> make the letters fat too....
<Mad> try Ying...
<Vance> That looks good Maggi. Epicenter?
<Vance> Bummahs about the palace. I've tried 3 or 4 and all are frozen out.
<Mad> yep...Dave has a nice room there somewhere.
<Mad> I get into the gate and other rooms
<Vance> I've tried several places already
<ying> The epicenter was Nantou.. but there were two power to break land.
<Vance>
<ying> One was passing by Feng Yuan at that time.
<Mad> we could go to the Playboy gate and even the fountain...:-)
<Vance> It really sounds scary. I was in a small earthquake once, but nothing that toppled buildings
<Mad> was the aftershock located in the same place Ying?
<ying> Yes.... there were five or six big aftershock... measured over 5 on
<ying> Richer Scale.
<ying> Tina?
<Vance> So when you say things are a mess, do you mean there is destruction, or loss of utilities ... obviously you have internet ...
<Mad> My student was thrown out of bed at two in the morning.
<ying> I mean that I don't know what the government has done.
<Mad> the aftershocks can be worse sometimes...
<Vance> You said there were people staying with you. Are they still there?
<ying> Maggi, were you in L.A. in 1992?
<ying> No, they went home.
<Mad> I got used to little shakes living in California.
<ying> It clam down... but I went to law class today.
<Mad> Yes, Tina.
<Vance>
<Mad> Tina is ok too.
<ying> One of classmates still sleep in his car.
<ying> He said he felt a big aftershock last night...
<Vance>
<ying> But I slept well last night...
<ying> I never felt any aftershock last night.
<Vance> did you? What should the government be doing?
<ying> We are angry at our Government sometimes...
<Mad> No, thnk goodness...but my mother was making Sloppy Joes when it hit.
<ying> I can not say the government did a mess, but we argue about some pr
<ying> problems.
<Vance> In San Francisco, Maggi?
<ying> One of serious accidents made people mad.
<Mad> I guess a car parked somewhere in the open is safer.
<ying> Our Presidend arrived the Nantou by ehlicopter but it caused a little
<ying> girl died.
<Vance> What serious accident was that?
<ying> The strong wind let the branch of tree cutted, it just hit the head of
<Mad> the government has been heavily criticized in Turkey too....
<ying> the girl.. she died at once.
<Vance> oh, no. That's a very bad omen. Did the president do anything ?
<ying> Lee President said he wanted to express hie sympathy to victims.
<ying> But people hated his coming to make the girl death.
<Vance> (I know Gilroy, garlic) yeah, what a screw up ... to make the girl die.
<Mad> mother lived in Gilroy at the time Vance...south of San Jose...a relatively safe stretch of the Andreas fault.
<ying> We were angry at his word.
<Vance> or cause her to die. Of course, it wasn't really his fault, just an accident.
<ying> It was an accident... why he landed in elementary school ?
<Mad> well...he has to be safe too I guess Ying....no doubt the roads were not safe.
<Mad> oh, that is different.
<ying> Yess..... We don't think His Party will win next year.
<Mad> bad karma for him.
<Mad> yep Vance...garlic capital of the world.
<ying> I hope there were some misunderstanding between people and
<ying> government.
<ying> We hope our government will be better in the future.
<Mad> really bad karma then.
<ying> Who is Gerald Ford?
<Vance> What were his words? Why did he have to land in an elementary school? Yeah, not a good choice. Sounds like something Gerald Ford would have done. But he was harmless.
<Vance> He was a preseident of the USA who was prone to accidents.
<Mad> words could never brig bqack the little girl.
<ying> President said some words directly... like it was his fault.
<Mad> oops...bring back
<ying> But people thought why he said kind words to the bereaved of the
<ying> girl.
<Mad> No, Gerald Ford only hit people with golf balls...:-)
<ying> Why he did not say kindly words to the bereaved of the gril.
<ying> We understood it was not his fault.
<Mad> We all hope our governments will be better...fat chance I think....
<ying> There were many helicopters landed in the elementary school at the
<ying> same time.
<Mad> Gerald Ford was a real klutz.
<ying> On other hand, we are lucky now.
<ying> We are not afraid to be in jail because we cricitized our President.
<Mad> maybe too much happened too fast Ying and he didn't have time to think.
<Mad> Get Felix Vance.
<Vance> Oh, he said the accident was his fault. It must have been very difficult for him to have come to help and actually made such a terrible blunder.
<ying> Before tweny years ago, nobody dared to cricitized Presideint in Taiiwan
<Mad> Yes, at least you are free to critisize now Ying.
<Vance> got him ...
<Falcon> Good morning
<Falcon>
<Vance>
<ying> Who is Falcon?
<Falcon> Felix
<Mad> maybe even 5 years ago Ying....
<Vance> Falcon? This must be Felix. Right.
<Falcon>
<Falcon>
<Falcon>
<ying> I heard that another earthquake hit Mexicao ...
<Falcon> I can't see Mad's words.
<Falcon>
<Mad> good boy Vance...love it when a man takes control lol
<Mad>
<Mad> hey Felix
<Falcon> Well, it seems that the Revelations are happening..
<Falcon>
<ying> Her word is blue.
<Mad> new name?
<Vance> (takes control). They are happening all the time it seems. I understand that the frequency of earthquakes is the same a normal, but people are living more in areas where they have always happened.
<Falcon> the last I see from Mad is: name?
<Falcon>
<Mad> like a bird ...here one day and gone the next LOL
<Vance> It's OK Felix. She's just raving away.
<Falcon> Actually Mad, I am Barbie's husband, lover, whatever.
<Falcon>
<Falcon>
<Mad> a bird who like to take out lipstick...ROTFL
<Falcon> Vance, what do you exactly want me to check here with the travel agencies?
<Falcon>
<Vance> Are you Jane :-)
<Mad> ASK WHAT HE MEANS BY REVELATION S
<ying> That's lucky.
<ying> We always said it was lucky.
<Mad> sk whaqt he means by revelations...ROTFLMAO
<Vance> on the phone ...
<ying> The earthquake did not hit the big city in Taiwan.
<Falcon>
<Falcon>
<Falcon> //megafone; Vance ARE YOU THERE?
<Falcon>
<Falcon> oh ok
<Falcon>
<ying> We can not imagine it.
<Mad> At leaszt in Mexico Ying it hit in an area where there are not a lot of people.
<ying> Felix... do you find another job?
<Mad> I hope he gets that commnt Vance...:-)
<Mad> He's offline
<Falcon> yes, Ying, I will administrate an English Course in another city..
<Falcon>
<ying> I can not fine his name on the line list...
<ying> dind
<Vance> Sorry, I got a phone call ... ok, about Brazil travel. Problem is, I'm planning to visit my parents in Houston at Christmas, so I want to fly Alitalia from here because it's cheap to go to the states with that airline. Alitalia also flies to Rio, Buenos Aires, Caracas, and they can drop me any of those places and fly me home for the same price. Problem is I have to get from that place to Houston. So I'm trying to arrange that as cheaply as possible.
<ying> administrate...
<Vance> How far away, Felix?
<Falcon> Sorry, I have visitors now... Inviting me to a barbecue.. dancing, beer, you know.. GIRLS.....
<Falcon> I;ve gotta go
<Falcon>
<Falcon> Bye all...
<Falcon>
<Vance> OK, watch the lipstick.
<ying> What's problem with the lipstick?
<Mad> true...think about if it hit the capitol....this is the problem in California and other places...more and more people now live in areas that are dangerous.
<Vance> Didn't you read Felix's email about lipstick?
<ying> No...
<ying> I am restless these days...
<Vance> I think it was from today.
<Mad> hEY fELIX IS STILL HERE...{-)
<ying> I read some Chinese books instead of English.
<Vance> I can imagine. You've had a major disruption in your life.
<ying> But I have a English test next week.
<Mad> ey Felix is still here.
<Vance> What can you do to study for an English test in one week?
<ying> My calssmates said 'Are you sure that you want to attend the test?"
<Vance> Isn't it a test of how much English you've learned all your life?
<ying> He thought I would get the low score agagin.
<Mad> he must know a good trick Ying...
<Mad> no taking lipstick out?
<ying> take the test.
<Vance>
<Mad> bye Felix...have fun!
<Vance> Have you still got Felix there Maggi?
<ying> I bought English newspapers last weekend.
<Mad> the phrasel verb he used Ying....yesteray here
<Mad>
<ying> Then, I understood... how poor I am at Studying English.
<ying> Thanks , mad.
<ying> You know we were out of work for 7 days because of the earthquake and middel moon festiveal .
<Mad> you are trying to find some control again in your loife Ying.
<ying> I have a pile of works to do....
<Mad> life...
<ying> middle moon Festival.
<Vance> Everyone must be in the same situation. If people are sleeping in their cars, how can they work normally?
<Mad> take the test...
<ying> So... I think I am better than those guys.
<Vance> Do you mean you're better off than those guys?
<ying> I still live in my house and sleep on bed.
<ying> better off?
<Vance> Yes, you do ... You are lucky. Yes, better off means to be in a better situation.
<ying> I am in a better situation.
<Mad> maybe this time you will get a high score because you are worried about other things.
<Vance> Yeah, so you're better off.
<ying> One of my classmate, she lost her daughter in this earthquake...
<Mad> no I don't Vance...h left...girls..gets men going...
<ying> She is strong...
<Mad> Newspapers are not easy to read Ying...
<ying> Yesterday, she told me "Face the fact, "
<Mad> another good reason to take the test.
<Vance> That's really sad. That's terrible. How many people, percentage, were effected in your area? Really, that's a terrible blow to overcome. Devastating.
<ying> More than 2,100 died in Taiwan.
<Vance>
<ying> I think more than 800 died in Taichung county.
<Mad> I think I would really enjoy that fetival since I am a moon child.
<ying> I am in Taichung county.
<Mad> better off Ying
<ying> More than 100,000 left homeless.
<Vance> That's really serious. Is the government providing any kind of shelter?
<ying> They said they did their best.
<ying> Have you head a buddist group in Taiwan?
<Mad> better just means you are better than them but in a different way...there you go!
<Vance> Have I heard of a buddhist group? They have done more than the government has?
<ying> They helped a lot peopel when the earthquake hit here.
<ying> heard
<ying>
<Vance> Do people have tents? And food?
<Mad> that must be very difficult for her.
<Vance> The 100,000 homeless, I mean.
<ying> Yes, they do.
<ying> tents and food...
<Mad> It would kill me to lose my son.
<ying> Tents and food are engough for victims now.
<ying> The government focus on the reconstruction.
<Mad> I am strong too but not at an age where I can start over.
<Mad> true...there is nothing else you can do...
<ying> But Victims also need the therapist.
<Mad> still doesn't male it easy.
<ying> People made donation for victims...
<ying> Money is not our problem.
<Mad> make it easy...
<Vance> In a fair way?
<ying> The problem is how to use donation in fair.
<Mad> Still not as bad as in Turkey.
<ying> We hope the victims will rebuild their house in a short time.
<ying> But the old loan have made another problem here.
<Vance> What problem?
<ying> Government hope Bank take the loan....
<Mad> A local radio station collected money and bought 300 tents to house 8 people each and a transport company drove them down.
<ying> Vicitim hope they do not need to pay those old loan.
<Vance> In Turkey or in Taiwain, Maggi?
<Vance> You mean the old loans that they took to build their destroyed homes?
<ying> But Bank will bankrupt if they get the load off.
<ying> The old house have been destoryed in the earthquake, but their load still be in bankc.
<ying> They bought the destroyed house by loan.
<Mad> That was the problem in Turkey...Muslim group were quicker to act, but the govt tried to keep them out of the way.
<Vance> I see. That's a big problem. For gov't to help it has to be the bank. It has to give money away.
<ying> It is hard to say in English...
<ying> The victims have to pay the old loan, but they need new loan to rebuild their house.s.
<Vance> I understand. They borrowed money from the bank and put their houses up as collateral. The victims don't want to pay off old loans for houses they no longer have and the bank can't keep the house, obviously.
<ying> I am staff in a bank... I don't know what to do now.
<Vance> ahh, so you have to deal with people who owe the bank money and who need more money to rebuild their houses ...
<ying> Government hope bank do not force the victims to pay the old loan.
<Vance> What is the attitude of your bank about the old loans?
<ying> I don't know.....
<ying> We don't know what to do.. it depends on the attitude of Government.
<ying> But Government said the unconfrim words.
<ying> I think it up to the attitude of President Lee.
<Vance> uncertain words. ... it's up to who will put up the money ...
<Mad> The best thing that happned was when Athens had an earthquake and turkish rescue teams went to help...they rescued a little boy after 4 days. This has done more to help relations between both countries...that people help in a time of need.
<Mad>
<ying> Bank is not so easy to make profit this year.
<Vance> it's really up to the people of Taiwan because they have to pay the taxes that the government will use to pay off the old loans and keep the banks from going bankrupt.
<Mad> Money is never the firwst problem.
<Vance> Who can think of profit when 2,100 have died and 100,000 are without homes?
<ying> Vance, it is not easy to do like you said.
<Mad> yes, Ying... who gets it...
<Vance> Of course not. Everyone has to survive.
<Vance> Guys, I've got to leave. I'm supposed to teach a diving class tonight and I have to go and get some equipment for it.
<Vance> Maggi, it seems like you've been a little behind us ...
<ying> o.k.
<Mad> In Turkey and Greece...before the earthquake in Taiwan.
<ying> I want to go now.
<Vance> YL, it's been very intersting talking to you.
<Vance> I'm glad you're ok and that you were able to join us this eveing.
<ying> Thanks... I hope you understood what I said.
<ying> Thanks.
<Vance> I understand you perfectly. I think your English gets better the more you use it.
<ying> Sure.
<ying> I am jealous Felix...
<ying> at
<Mad> like federal disaster relief after a hurricane...the govt pays.
<Vance> jealous of Felix ... but he can't speak Chinese ???
<ying> He could speak English than me.
<ying> I also do not speak his language, either.
<Mad> the government will have to help through the bank.
<ying> Jealous of Felix...
<Vance> We all have talents the others don't have.
<Vance> I've got to run. Is Maggi with us or behind us?
<ying> Got it. mad.
<Mad> In other words the government has not said any concret.
<ying> I want to go now.
<ying> See you next week.
<Vance> bye
<Mad> anything concrete
<ying> bye.
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