MRT Blog

Posted by Kerim

March 22, 2006

Now that I’m in Taiwan, I guess I should remove my listing from the NYC Bloggers subway map. Too bad I’m not living in Taipei, then I could be on the MRT Blog:

Unfortunately, it turns out that the MRT blog isn’t a blog at all, but rather a housing development.

Nor is it the only housing development to cash-in on the blogging craze:

While it is easy to make fun of the housing developers for failing to register the domain name they use in their ads, to do so would be like pointing out that Taiwanese have misspellings on their English language T-shirts. The purpose of the URL is for decoration, not information.

Years ago I used to get bubble tea at a stand which had a URL (something like “pearlmilktea.com.tw”) on its banner. I foolishly tried to look at their web site, only to quickly realize my mistake. One can see the trend on Taiwan’s scooters. Where they used to say things like: “We reach for the sky, neither does civilization,” now they are likely to simply have a URL. The cryptic nature of URLs means that you don’t need to worry about your English spelling or grammar, while still conveying the same sense of cosmopolitan modernity.

{blogs, taiwan, 台灣, 語言}

Info Tech, Language

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Comments

Comment by Joe Wiz on March 23, 2006 @ 10:16 am

I completely agree with you about how these convey a sense of cosmopolitan modernity. Your mention of the scooter mottos reminded me that I kept a notebook with these mottos during my visit to Taiwan in 2001. Why not share it with the world? Here’s the full list of what I saw (’sic’ applies to all):

Dream 100: All I Have Giving You the Best Function
Jog 50: Friendliest Scooter on Earth Dio 5P: The Best Sensation Jog: Is Fascinating to You Cabin: With Fashionable Feeling Cabin 90: The Sparkling Scooter Fuzzy 125: Urban Trend San Yang 125: Giving You the Best Function & Sensation All I Have Yup 90: Just For You & Me Duke 125-SP: The Best Racer You Are From Now On Fuzzy FR 125: The Scooter of Wind Called Freeway 125: specializing in noble model street bike for noble life… Dio: Fast and First and Best: Driving You the Best Function & Sensation All I Have Dio SP: Shuttle in the City Jengle, the New, Speedy Snail Clan Suke 1255P: The Modern Scooter Citizen Sapia 50: My Perfect Partner Fever: You Got to Feel the Happiness of Riding Freeway 125D: 1993 is the International Year of Kimco MAN/boy 50: Enjoy Yourself Sanyang Difa: New Urbane Rider Kymco: The Epochal Scooter, Heroism Jet 50: For New Century Sapia RS: Sporty Elegance Freeway 125: Get Away From it All, Get Away With it All Hondai: HO MEE! Super Sports Sutomobil Heroism 125, Powerful Scooter: The International Scooter from Kymco Charming 100 Super Edition Up 100: It’s New. It’s Only. It’s Now. CT505: For Your Nice Scene Attile 125 SR: For New Generation Zap 50: More Freedom from KYMCO, More Fun from Zap Yamaha: Aerodynamics Zone, Special Edition Movies: The Space of Character Kuanmei: Enjoy the Lovely Satisfaction on the Road MAN BOY 90: Close to Nature Honda SS90: Feel Big Y.E.S.S.: Yamaha Enjoy Sports System Yamaha Sparkling Scooter: Enjoy the Lovely Satisfaction of the Road Boat 90: Make a Boat, Be Your Dream Sniper 50: We Reach for the Sky, Neither Does Civilization Sniper 50: Just for Wind Cutting Yamaha 135: Elementalism Rudy FX 125: The World Hi Tech Scooter For You Cabin 2: Welcome to Cabin 2 Scooter, It’s A Scooter With European Styling and Dynamic Movements Freeway 125C: Let the Good Time Roll By Yamaha RZX: For Your Simple & Tasty Life Refined 50: The Experience Your Seek Honda Movie: New Concept By My Own Freeway 125: Enjoy the Riding of Comfort Lifa 125: The More You Look, The More You Like Joy: The Scooter that Brings Style to Life Winner: Status. Stylish. Sporty Taking 50: The Best Function and Good Sensation

Pingback by AsiaPundit on March 24, 2006 @ 1:19 pm

Although he has harbored high hopes for citizen journalism and punditry, AsiaPundit is joining the multitude of voices who are saying that the blogging phenomena is dead. Now that the term has been seized upon by Taiwan property developers,it is essential to find a new name for the medium

Pingback by Rojo - AsiaPundit on March 27, 2006 @ 12:16 am

[…] Although he has harbored high hopes for citizen journalism and punditry, AsiaPundit is joining the multitude of voices who are saying that the blogging phenomena is dead. Now that the term has been seized upon by Taiwan property developers, it is essential to find a new name for the medium. Technorati Tags: asia, northeast asia, east asia, taiwan […]

Comment by Ted Schurman on March 27, 2006 @ 12:32 am

Great minds think alike. I have to admit, I tried going to that exact same website (pearlmilktea.com.tw) when I was in Taiwan. I think it was on the signage of a bubble tea stand near Tai Da.

Comment by Kerim on March 27, 2006 @ 8:30 am

Joe,

Amazing list. Thanks!

Ted,

Yes, it was the tea shop near Ta Da!