The Undating Service

This was on the BBC News website this morning. I guess there's enough chickenshits out there to create a profitable business opportunity.


Agency makes breaking up easier

Three reasons to end the relationship are passed to partners. A German businessman has set up a "separation agency" - a service to inform unsuspecting spouses and lovers their partners no longer want them.
Bernd Dressler will deliver the bad news - for those too scared to do it themselves - for 20 euros (£13) by phone, or for 50 euros (£33) in person.
The efficiency and directness of Mr Dressler's manner has earned him the nickname The Terminator.
The 52-year-old compares his company to a dating agency but "in reverse".
"We have had dating agencies for 30 years. If you want to have a new partnership then you have to quit your previous one.
"I think it's the same market - just in reverse," Mr Dressler told the BBC.
The message can be delivered in a "sympathetic or direct manner". Mr Dressler said that most of his clients do not want any further contact with their ex-partner.
The client is asked to provide three reasons why they want to terminate the relationship - these are then passed on by the agency to the former lover.
"The time is right for this service. Many clients are unhappy in their partnerships and they want to end it in a neutral way," Mr Dressler said.
The former insurance manager said he has been fortunate never to have witnessed any extreme emotional reactions.
"I am only the messenger," he said.

S'more Kenting photos

Here's a few more photos from Kenting.


Chicks on the beach.


Another speedo clad man. If you want to buy a bathing suit up here, the ladies' ones tend to be rather prudish and reminscent of the 1950s. But the guys likes the skimpy.

Julie and I, she's from Montreal. Even though I reapplied sunscreen at least 5 times and sat under the umbrella the whole time, I still got scorched. The sun does not like me.

The main drag.

Kevin and Laurie, offset by square blue tile.

Spontaneous Trip to Kenting

So I was supposed to go camping last week with a couple of girls I work with, but it was cancelled due to typhoons - which made it the third attempt to get out of Taichung this month that was twarted (the camping trip was originally going to happen the week before, but the girls decided they wanted to go see West Life in Taipei. I was also planning on going scuba diving this weekend, but it also got cancelled).

So on Friday when my friend Emily wrote me and said "there's a night bus that leaves at 2:00am and gets to Kenting around 7:00, let's go tonight." I said, "shag it, why not?" So we packed our backpacks, went out to a club and hopped on the 2:00 bus. Here are a few pics of the beach and stuff.


Men in speedos! We were trying to figure out where they were from as the Taiwanese usually avoid the sun.


Peachy beach.

Emily and I in the hotel room.

Taiwan boys hopping off rocks.

Me on the street, fresh off the 7 hour bus ride.

Banksy

I've been reading up on Banksy this week. He is the guerrilla graffiti artist who managed to change the tracks on Paris Hilton's cd to things like "What Am I For?" and "Why Am I Famous?" He also managed to sneak a fake cave drawing of a man pushing a grocery cart into the British Museum and no one noticed it for 2 days (he says 3, the spokesperson for the museum says 2). His paintings on the West Bank security barrier are amazing. I love shit disturbers (is that a compound word? Shitdisturber. Shit-disturber. There must be a proper way to spell this). Here's a link to his site.

http://www.banksy.co.uk/

Planning on going camping in Sun Moon Lake this weekend....of course, there's a typhoon a-comin'. Stupid nature, always interfering with my plans.

Peas out!

Bridget

funny for forty-one

Hey, I was looking at the "blogger dashboard" thingy and I have 40 posts on my blog. This is post 41. Does that make me a prolific blogger? What do I have to do to be prolific?

Hey, I was looking through my "jokes" folder on my hotmail account (I am sooooo organized with my separate folders! I may even have a folder for the emails that you sent me! That is, if you send me enough emails. You might want to get on that. Then, you'll have your own folder) and I found this thing my friend Anne sent me. It's the best cookbook ever. I think I may have sent it out to people before......anyhoo, here is the description and the link.

The introduction was written by some chick, it's not me, I don't work for a financial publishing company. That's why I'm writing in italics, to be clear that it's not me.

Bridget

Introduction

I work for a financial publishing company. Which means that sometimes, I get some random swag from companies, brokers or mutual funds. Usually pens or those little squeezy stress ball things. That stuff sucks.But one time, a company sent me their employee cookbook. It sucks, but in a completely awesome way.

Basically, this company has a lot of potluck events. The cookbook's intro tells a charming story of favorite dishes and taste-offs and like, five whole requests for a company cookbook. So everyone made their favorite recipe which was then professionally and earnestly photographed using lots of ugly table linens and fake flowers.

Employees were encouraged to tell the story of the recipe ("I done found this recipe on the back of the cereal box") and give a suggested wine pairing ("Boone's").I also think everyone was required to use at least one package of shredded cheddar cheese. Just a guess though. http://www.amalah.com/photos/the_company_cookbook/breakfastthing3.html

p.s.Because Diana is batshit crazy.

It's okay to be jealous of me....

....because all the cool, choice shit happens to me. I have a horseshoe up my...nose. Check it out.

From January 31st to February 4th I get a free flight and expense paid trip to, Iowa City! While I'm there, I get to meet and interview potential teachers for the school! So four full days of meeting fresh-out-of college, young Americans from the Midwest. Rad shit.

And, I also get to go with Bih Hua, the principal of the school and my boss! I really feel that once we're out of Taiwan and away from the school and the helm of responsibility that she's going to cut loose and par-tay! I foresee a wild road trip to Mexico! Tequila and gigolos! Thelma and Louise will look like a pair of fausty, rheumatic, bingo-addicted nuns compared to us.



Bridget

My brother is a rock star.

Patrick has put out an album, this is what he has to say about it.


I've finished work on my first solo album and I am releasing it myself right now. The album is just labeled Patrick, but of course if you know me then you know how much I hate titling pieces. its all produced with everything by me except some violins and drums. you can go on http://www.myspace.com/thebookburners to check out some of the tracks. I'm pretty happy with it and it's been getting a good response from the people who have heard it. anyway thats all my news. bye bye.

If I ever get out of here, I'm going to Kathmandu....

....and I am going to Kathmandu! I leave Oct. 6th and come back to Taiwan on the 22nd! I've always, always wanted to go to Nepal and since this is my last year and since the situation there has calmed down somewhat due to the king reinstating the House of Representatives in April, I said, screw it, I'm going. October is supposed to be the best month to travel there, it's the beginning of the dry season but the air is fresh and clean from the end of the monsoon season. Very, very excited! I'm going to take buckets of pictures and shop with abandon.

Not much else going on....I'm going hiking this weekend and will be trying to hike as much as possible so trekking in Nepal won't completely kick my ass. Next weekend I'm going camping in Sun Moon Lake with 2 girls from work. We were supposed to go this weekend, but they decided they wanted to go to Taipei to see West Life....anyway, no comment. Then on the 22nd I'm going scuba diving in Kenting. So busy but fun times ahead. I haven't been getting out of Taichung enough lately.

My work schedule has changed and I now don't have to be at work until 8:30 am.....change from 7:30 am all summer....which sucked. So, I'm trying to get better at calling and emailing people as I feel I've been really slack lately.

That's all, my boss just walked in and I have to go do work related things.

Bridget