I have a feeling that one of the national pass times for men in Taiwan is drilling holes in concrete. Here I am sitting in my office on a sunny Saturday trying to focus on completing some tasks with the room full of the sounds of drilling. It’s likely being carried down from 4 or 5 stories up and with out a doubt they are completing work absolutely essential to the success of this organisation (sarcasm). My place of employ is famous for these weekend ands sometimes weekday intrusions. The first question I always ask before coming in on the weekend is whether they are — waxing floors (toxic), spraying for bugs (toxic), building furniture (to use up budget), fooling with the air system (dusty), working on the walls (noise- like now), or fooling with the electricity (no power = no work). These all happen with incredible regularity.
Drilling is limited to work though. Spend anytime in an apartment building and you will soon here the weekly hole drilling work. It’s a wonder the buildings are still standing. I can understand, I just bought a Bosch drill, I ruined a borrowed one, and am using it to put up some frames on my strangely thin concrete walls. Now that the work is done I still feel compelled to drill holes. It’s about the only handyman thing i can accomplish in a rented house made of brick and concrete.
Taiwan is likely the noisiest culture I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing.