As part of Tekmos' ongoing Quality Control Standards, I traveled to Taiwan to meet with our supplier, Greatek to perform an audit. An audit is never an event one looks forward to. There seems to be a queasy feeling, or a need to put up your guard, that people associate with this type of event. This reaction seems to be universal. Mention audit and people get a pained look. They turn away. I imagine the feeling is similar to being a leper, in the olden days. My tin cup is my spiral notebook. The security badge clipped to my shirt, the old cape and cane. Hopefully I smelled better than lepers of old, but one is never sure. People move away quickly, with forced smiles. But there is an aspect to these events that I truly enjoy, and that is the travel.

Nothing compares to the glimpse of another way of life, through other cultures, with the opportunity to see and briefly share in different ways people choose to live. Travel is a chance to understand what others may value in other parts of the world. While I may look for similarities in business practices, I find the greatest enjoyment in discovering our differences.

While my stay was less than a week, I have the snapshot of memories that come to mind throughout the day. The country is teaming with industry and activity. Buddhist and Taoist temples are scattered throughout the countryside and what seemed to be random locations along city streets. I explored the late night markets, with local food smells and the rapid fire sound of intense negotiations being done in local dialects. I visited historical locations, such as the Chiang Kai-shek memorial hall, with a giant bronze statue of the former leader. And, of course, Taipei 101, which had been the tallest skyscraper in the world, prior to the latest new monstrosity, located in Dubai.

While I was impressed with the level of professionalism in the quality and management systems I viewed at Greatek, those experiences are summed up in tightly worded reports and polite reviews with key personnel. As important as they may be, it will be the smells, the smiles and the sights and sounds of Taiwan that I will remember with the greatest fondness. Those memories, along with the local pineapple cakes I brought back for my son's to sample. The cakes received mixed reviews, I might add. And that is as it should be.

Tekmos provides older parts and supplies a growing line of standard products that includes4Mb FPGA Serial Configuration Memories,  a 28C94 Quad UART, and a 74C3893 Futurebus Transceiver. We also have the 68HC24 Port Replacement Unit which has been used in hundreds of systems to replace the original Freescale component.