Taiwanese Trash Nocturne

     Through the chorus of traffic and cicadas a cheerful lilt catches the ear:  a melodic rendition of Beethoven's "Für Elise" echoes around building corners.  People leave their homes and congregate under street lamps, chatting up the neighbors in easy anticipation.  Though the evening swelters, they are not out in pursuit of an icy treat (as the American palate whets in response to the jingle); instead, these folk are wielding bags of various materials.

     The source of music pulls into view, a convoy of two sizable vehicles.  At the vanguard is a garbage truck.  The people approach and the first bags of the night are unloaded, blue, full of useless trash, tossed into the maw of the compactor.  Simultaneously, the garbagemen unload large bins, which the eager audience then queues up to attend.  Over these bins the bags are upturned and emptied, revealing their contents: food waste, either to be composted or used as swine feed.

     At this point attention is turned to the second truck.  Less messy than its predecessor, it is full of compartments.  The gathered people bring their bags of plastics, metals, and various recyclables to a diligent sorter - that is, only after passing the watchful eye of any enterprising citizens who guard the path to the truck, appropriating the most valuable good for themselves.  In some areas, these scrappers will take the bags from busy residents, divvy of the goods, leave the sorted materials for the collectors, and take the best stock as payment.  Their prizes can be sold to nearby recycling centers.

     As they finish their orderly embarkations, the Taiwanese attendees say their formalities and disperse.  Having unloaded their disposables to the the city and their dramas to the neighbors, they return to their dwellings, their civic duties satisfied.  The bustle of the moment fades with the crowd.

     The convoy, complete in its humble processing, resumes its lullaby and takes off around the bend to visit further diligent citizens.  Tomorrow will invite the evanescent carnival's return.  Until then, the music of cicadas and taxi horns again denotes the atmosphere.

     Only the cleanliness of the street is left to extol this peppy procedure.