HSR on the way - from the very beginning

Since HSR started it transport service, there has been many voices debating against or supporting.
I think as a Taiwanese, I couldn't miss the moment to witness the progress of our country.

How come the sub-title is “from the very beginning”? Mentioned about my first trip of HSR, I must described it from the service of ticket reservation system by telephone. I think the drama script is the best way to describe.

Me (M in abbr. below): (dialing) 4066-5678.

Service (S in abbr. below): All assistants are busy, please hold on. (Music)

after 3 minutes

S: (Advertisement for 30 seconds) For Chinese service , please press 1. For Taiwanese service, please....

M: (pressing 1)

S: All assistants are busy, please hold on. (Music)

Then just like you throw a stone into a sea. No body answers anymore. So I handed up the phone and re-dial.

M: (dialing) 4066-5678

S: All assistants are busy, please hold on. (Music)

after 3 minutes

S: For Chinese service, please press 1. For....

M: (pressing 3, Englis service)

S: Thank you for calling. For train schedule, please press 1. For requesting the assistant service, please press 9.

M: (pressing 9)

after a moment

S: (after a moment) 台灣高鐵公司你好，請問有什麼可以為你服務的嗎？（This is HSR Taiwan. What can I do for you? (in Chinese）

M: (astonished) ㄜ...我要訂票。（rhh, I wanna make a reservation. (in Chinese）

S: 不好意思先生可以麻煩你大聲一點嗎？（Excuse me. Could you speak louder, sir? (in Chinese）

M: I WANT TO MAKE A RESERVATION! (in English, and as well below)

S: Sorry my English is not very well. I’ll transfer this call to another assistant.

My jaw was falling down to the ground.

after a moment

S: Hello! My name is Michael! May I help you?

M: Yes. I would like to make a reservation....

After a “negotiation” with the assistant, I finally booked my ticket toward Taichung at 9:40 pm at Thursday. I thought there were a foreign assistant for the English service, but just a Taiwanese in not very good English (because he usually cannot recognise the numbers). I called again afterwards for changed my ticket from one way trip to round trip (fortunately I did it at Thursday cause I heard the announcement said there is no ticket left when I was waiting for leaving Taichung.).