Musical trash collection

Trash collection is a social event

Several times a week, we hear popular classical songs such as Beethoven's “Für Elise” and Tekla Bądarzewska-Baranowska’s “A Maiden’s Prayer” blaring in the streets in Taipei. These songs signal that it's time to bring out your garbage! Trash collection is quite a neighborhood social event in Taipei. No one leaves their trash on the sidewalk because there is not enough space and there are a lot of of creatures running around looking for food. Instead, people wait and hang out together until they hear the garbage trucks singing and bring out their trash: one bag each for trash and recycling. I read that these classical songs were selected in the 1980's because Hsu Tse-chiu, (former head of the Department of Health), heard his daughter playing them on the piano. It's typical to see people gathered around the garbage truck, talking, and joking as they pile in their trash. Furthermore, in Taiwan, you pay for garbage by paying for special bags (rather than pay a quarterly bill). Very convenient!

Our trash truck comes by around 9:30 PM at night so most people are home from work by then. The people who don't want to wait around for the trash truck, hire workers to do it for them (domestic workers, doormen, etc.,). Many of these workers are recent immigrants from Indonesia or the Philippines so on a given night, you will hear many different languages spoken around garbage collection.

Video Fur Elise trash truck

Video Musical garbage truck

Note: photo from http://crackingtheegg.wordpress.com/tag/living-in-taipei/