Driver’s test offered in several languages
Taipei City’s Motor Vehicles Office is offering its written test in several languages to accommodate expatriates and new immigrants. The office offers written tests in Mandarin, English, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai and Cambodian. To allow alternative testing, the office also built a database of pre-recorded spoken questions in different languages. The alternative testing is available in Mandarin, Taiwanese, Hakka, English, Japanese, and Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai and Cambodian. Details about the English-language test are available at: www.mvo.taipei.gov.tw/cgi-bin/SM_themePro?page=461d9c5e. A list of sample questions from the foreign language testing database is available at www.mvo.taipei.gov.tw/cgi-bin/SM_themePro?page=461f1ead.
More information about the exam is available from the 1999 Citizen Call Center at (02) 2720-8889.
Mykonos founder dies
Long-time Taipei resident Michael Stephen Waldor, who brought Greek food to Taipei with a string of Mykonos restaurants beginning in 1993, died in Pattaya, Thailand, where he had a second home, on Oct. 10. The 61-year-old Waldor, known as Mickey or Mike Waldorf to his loyal clientele, had been battling pancreatic cancer since being diagnosed on Oct. 8 last year. The New York native first came to Taipei in April 1985 to work for Asia World Hotel after working on cruise liners and passenger ships for 22 years, mostly in the Mediterranean area, as a catering manager. Those years at sea served as an inspiration when he decided to leave the hotel industry to run his own restaurant, Mykonos, which he opened in a lane off Anhe Road in November 1993. Mykonos moved from its first location to the other side of Anhe and then to Lishui Road and is now in its fourth incarnation in a lane off Siwei Road. Waldorf also owned a Chinese restaurant in Athens for several years and the Cruise Ship Restaurant, which opened on Anhe in December 2003. He was famous for his authentic spanakopita and New York cheesecake, for his sense of humor and for always encouraging people to travel to Greece or try a cruise. He is survived by his partner of 23 years, Gino Lin.
TAS holds flea market, rummage for orphanage
Taipei American School’s (TAS) Orphanage Club will hold a Flea Market and Rummage Sale in the school’s lobby on Saturday, rain or shine. Items offered at the sale include clothing, household items, electronic appliances and furniture, TAS said in a press release. “The proceeds from the Flea Market will go to the Orphanage Club to provide funding for needy children and orphans in Taiwan [and] overseas,” it said. TAS is located at 800 Zhongshan N Road Sec 6, in Tianmu (天母). For more information, contact Richard Arnold at (02) 2873-9900 ext. 239, or Ms Koh at (02) 2874-0902.
AIT sponsors democracy challenge
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) has invited all budding filmmakers, democracy advocates and the general public to participate in the inaugural Democracy Video Challenge. Winners will enjoy an all-expenses paid trip to the US to meet prominent figures in the movie industry and democracy advocates. “We expect this competition will be well received and lively in Taiwan, not only because of Taiwan’s vibrant democracy, but also because of Taiwan’s creativity in filmmaking,” AIT Chief of Public Affairs Thomas Hodges said. The three-minute film must complete the phrase “democracy is.” Three semi-finalists from Taiwan will be chosen to compete in the regional finals and the ultimate winners will be selected by YouTube viewers worldwide. For more information on the contest rules, visit www.videochallenge.america.gov. All videos will be judged on artistic content, promotion of democracy and production values.
Grand Hyatt hosts St Andrew’s Ball on Saturday
The British Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the annual St Andrew’s Ball at the Grand Hyatt Taipei on Saturday. Traditionally a Scottish evening, the event is now held in more than 200 cities around the world. The ball in Taipei features a wine reception starting at 6pm, a seven-course dinner of traditional Scottish Fayre and a dance to Scottish music, followed by breakfast at 1am and “carriages” at 3am. The fee is NT$4,600 per seat and NT$44,000 per table of 10. More information is available on the British Chamber of Commerce Taipei Web site at www.bcctaipei.com/Events/20081101_SAB.htm, by e-mail at aurora.chien@bcctaipei.com or telephone on (02) 2547 1199.
CRITICAL MOVE: TSMC’s plan to invest another US$100 billion in US chipmaking would boost Taiwan’s competitive edge in the global market, the premier said The government would ensure that the most advanced chipmaking technology stays in Taiwan while assisting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in investing overseas, the Presidential Office said yesterday. The statement follows a joint announcement by the world’s largest contract chipmaker and US President Donald Trump on Monday that TSMC would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next four years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US, which would include construction of three new chip fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities, and a research and development center. The government knew about the deal in advance and would assist, Presidential
‘DANGEROUS GAME’: Legislative Yuan budget cuts have already become a point of discussion for Democrats and Republicans in Washington, Elbridge Colby said Taiwan’s fall to China “would be a disaster for American interests” and Taipei must raise defense spending to deter Beijing, US President Donald Trump’s pick to lead Pentagon policy, Elbridge Colby, said on Tuesday during his US Senate confirmation hearing. The nominee for US undersecretary of defense for policy told the Armed Services Committee that Washington needs to motivate Taiwan to avoid a conflict with China and that he is “profoundly disturbed” about its perceived reluctance to raise defense spending closer to 10 percent of GDP. Colby, a China hawk who also served in the Pentagon in Trump’s first team,
SEPARATE: The MAC rebutted Beijing’s claim that Taiwan is China’s province, asserting that UN Resolution 2758 neither mentions Taiwan nor grants the PRC authority over it The “status quo” of democratic Taiwan and autocratic China not belonging to each other has long been recognized by the international community, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday in its rebuttal of Beijing’s claim that Taiwan can only be represented in the UN as “Taiwan, Province of China.” Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) yesterday at a news conference of the third session at the 14th National People’s Congress said that Taiwan can only be referred to as “Taiwan, Province of China” at the UN. Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory, which is not only history but
INVESTMENT WATCH: The US activity would not affect the firm’s investment in Taiwan, where 11 production lines would likely be completed this year, C.C. Wei said Investments by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in the US should not be a cause for concern, but rather seen as the moment that the company and Taiwan stepped into the global spotlight, President William Lai (賴清德) told a news conference at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday alongside TSMC chairman and chief executive officer C.C. Wei (魏哲家). Wei and US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday announced plans to invest US$100 billion in the US to build three advanced foundries, two packaging plants, and a research and development center, after Trump threatened to slap tariffs on chips made
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