Having qualified for a bus pass, I considered my mortality and whether I should slow down a bit, particularly when I was given a present of a black shiny pen and pencil set, the box looking suspiciously like a small coffin.

My bus pass tells me I will expire in June 2011.

So, three years to fit in everything I want to achieve and a handy little coffin to bury my ashes in - spooky! To kick off, I've spent two weeks in sunny Taiwan, trying all those things I wouldn't do at home, like: Surfboarding - not quite Hawaii standard, but I've got to start somewhere Taking on all-comers at go-carting (eat your heart out, Lewis Hamilton) Eating raw and barbecued fresh fish in restaurants, where you pick the one you want from a tank, name it Frederick and immediately wipe the smile off its face - superb.

The speed of service and the quality of the locally-produced fresh food put our mass-produced, much-travelled, chemically-induced, carbon-footprinted, supermarket-fed, obese society to shame, and at a fraction of the price.

Although they eat plenty of cheap fresh fruit and vegetables with their fish and meat, vegetarianism isn't really catered for and the Taiwanese are healthier than us.

So take heed, veggies, organic fresh meat and veg from now on - and perhaps I'll extend my three years as well.

Now, where's me bike?

MICHAEL HEAVEY Oxford Road Old Marston Oxford