2323 - Taichung City, Taichung, Taiwan

As I progress further with this blog I have started looking for interesting aspects of the city, rather than giving a quick history and economic activity. For Taichung I discovered the Global and World Cities Research Network and was interested in learning more.

Twice a year, the Global and World Cities Research Network categorizes cities into four different tiers: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Sufficiency. These are based on the city's international connectedness. Connectivity is based on four areas: accountancy, advertising, banking/finance, and law. Economics are ranked more heavily than political or cultural factors. For example, you would think that Washington, DC would be an Alpha+ city because it is the capital city of the United States, considered to be the leader of the free world. Washington, however, is only considered a Beta+.

Taichung is considered a Gamma city. A gamma city are cities that link with smaller economic regions into the world economy.

In Canada, Toronto is an Alpha city and Montreal is an Alpha- city. Vancouver is a Beta+ and Calgary is a Beta-. Ottawa is classified as a Gamma city. Halifax is categorized as Sufficiency.

There are only two Alpha++ cities: London and New York.

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3584 - Blaine, Minnesota, United States of America

The sender was in Las Vegas recently and bought this card from The Mob Museum. The Mob Museum, officially known as the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, is located in downtown Las Vegas. It open in 2012. It features artifacts, stories, and the history of organized crime in the United States, but also the actions and initiatives by law enforcement to prevent such crimes. The museum is found at the former Las Vegas Post Office and Courthouse, which was built in 1933. The quote on this card was from John Gotti. John Gotti (1940-2002) was the mafioso and boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. After ordering the killing of Gambino boss Paul Catellano in 1985, he took over the family and led what was the United States' most powerful crime syndicate. He was known as The Teflon Don after three high profile trials in the 1980s resulted in acquittals. Later it was revealed that the trials had been tainted by jury tampering, juror misconduct, and...

3564 - Kassel, Hesse, Germany

A wonderful message on this card that translates to to those wh o can wait, everything comes with time.

2346 - Iwate, Iwate, Japan

Keita is a junior high science teacher in Iwate 岩手町. He sent me a photo of the Tokyo Sky Tower during a fireworks display. The Tokyo Sky Tower is a broadcasting and observation tower in Simide, a special ward in the Tokyo Metropolis. It became the tallest structure in Japan in 2010. In 2011, when it was completed at a height of 634 meters, it became the tallest tower in the world, and the second tallest structure in the world, after Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE.

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