When I lived on the island of Guam back in the mid 1960s I experienced the ravages of two major typhoons. Guam, is located in the tropical zone. The ecology is that of a jungle. When typhoons rip through islands like Guam the power of the 100-200 mph wind literally rip away all the leaves attached to every bush and tree lucky enough to remain rooted to the ground. For several days afterward the landscape tends to look as if a nuclear winter had devastated the place. Fortunately, the ecology of "jungle" growth has remarkable uncooperative powers. Within a week most shrubbery was well on it way to healing itself. Two hundred old banyan trees, on the other hand, were toast.
Visually speaking the impressive "leaf" building Taiwan plans on building strikes me as stunningly beautiful. However, having also lived on the island of Taiwan for several years as a small child back in the early 1960s I must confess the fact that Taiwan is not immune to occasional encounters with typhoons. Nuff said. Regards Steven Vincent Johnson www.OrionWorks.com www.zazzle.com/orionworks
