Taichung voucher drawing

Like most other cities in Taiwan, Taichung is holding a drawing to encourage people to spend their vouchers in their area. If you qualified for the vouchers you can enter the drawing. Here is what's what with that.

• First, you need to spend at least $3,000 worth of your vouchers ( it doesn't have to be at one place at one time ) and save the receipts.
• Check your receipts. The ones printed by the cash registers should have the correct info without anything needed to be added. They will have the voucher characters on them (消費券).
• Some printed by the cash registers will not have this. Have the clerk write them along with the voucher number(s). A store chop might also be necessary.
• Hand written receipts need the store's official chop, the uniform invoice number of store, store name and address.
• Attach receipt(s) to entry form and mail in or drop off at almost any store in town - convenience stores, Costco, Carrefour...

There are 3 major prizes.

Third prize is for 5 plane tickets to Hangzhou and has already passed.

Second prize is 3 Hyundai cars. The dates for the drawings are 2/15, 3/01 and 3/15. Make sure you have dropped off your entry the day before the drawing.

First prize is an apartment on Wen Hsin South Rd. It's about 50 ping and valued at around $13 million NT. Be careful. The entry form states that the drawing goes until 3/29. However, this is not accurate. On 3/22, the government will draw the names of 10 lucky souls who then have to wait until 3/29 when the gov holds the final drawing for the lone winner. So 9 people get the opportunity to sweat it out for a week before being disappointed. So, if you haven't entered before the 22nd, you're out of it. Entry forms are supposed to be available at the same places you can drop off your form, i.e., practically any store.

Vouchers - How have you spent your vouchers or how do you plan to do so? Comments, please.

I have yet to pick mine up but have a couple of ideas.

• Freeze-out poker with vouchers
• A cash trade with any ARC holder who didn't qualify and wants the excitement of stimulating Taiwan
• Buy gift certificates without an expiration date (can you do this?)

Karate Kid remake - D-Wayne and I have been discussing the remake with Will Smith's son, Jaden, as the Kid. Jackie Chan is said to be the favorite for the Mr. Miyagi role. This would mean shifting the Japanese story arc to a Chinese one ( patriot Chan would never play a villain or a Japanese - the same in many Chinese eyes).

Problems, problems, problems have I with this. First, acting ability. Pat Morita could bring it all: The Hip Nip stand-up comic, Ah Chew on Sandford and Son, Arnold on Happy Days, Ohara on Ohara and of course, the Colgate Wisdom Tooth. Jackie Chan's acting ability is best described with a little help from The Blues Brothers:

Casting director: So, Mr. Chan, which acting methodology do you subscribe to?

Jackie Chan: Oh, I do both kinds. David and Caruso.

Secondly is drunkenness. When Morita's Miyagi was drunk, he was like one of your friends whom you feigned listening to while directing him to his bed or a park bench and your worries were over. Chan's drunken martial artist is more like the grinning village idiot hopped up on Gao Liang, prompting Moms to cover their children's' eyes and walk them quickly away the twirling bowl-cut drooling guy.

Age and physique. Chan's too young and he too fit looking. He would need to go on the Dennis Quaid Doc Holliday anti-fitness regime to have any hope of pulling it off. Pat Morita was short, 5'3", (5 inches shorter than Chan) and not intimidating. If it had to be a Chinese actor, then I would suggest 元華 / Wan Hua, the landlord in Kung Fu Hustle. He's got the physique, the age (59) and the martial arts skills (part of the 7 Little Fortunes ). Better yet, if no suitable Japanese actor is found, have him play Japanese. He's done it before. In Fists of Fury, he plays a Japanese guy who makes Bruce Lee crawl on the floor like a dog.

If Mako were alive, he would be a no-brainer for Miyagi. However, he is not. So, suggestions please, along with explanations supporting your choice.