Hi, we’re in Taiwan this week. Thomas has been working at the office here and I came along for the ride. Next week, we’ll be traveling to Japan for vacation, but in the meantime, Taiwan has been a great introduction to Asia for us. Neither of us had ever been on this continent before this trip. Thankfully, Thomas’ coworkers have been really great guides. Besides touring us all over Taipei, they’ve also taken us up to the coast and to many temples and markets.
In a way, Taiwan doesn’t feel that different from the US, but there are also some differences that really stand out…here’s some of them:
- Scooters are everywhere… Thomas’ coworker told us that in Taipei, 50% of the residents commute by scooter. They gather at stoplights and scoot in between cars, looking like little motorcycle gangs. They also carry lots of cargo, more than I would imagine could fit, including a family of 4 on one scooter.
- There is lots of paranoia about sickness… To get into his office, Thomas has to have his temperature checked for fever, twice – once to get into the parking garage, and once in the lobby. Thankfully, they check it just with a laser gun aimed at his head. We’ve also seen many people wearing masks on the street. Some are for pollution, but I assume some are for sickness too.
- The architecture reminds me of South America. Though there are many skyscrapers in Taipai, apartments look worn from the outside. They’re staggered on hillsides, often with narrow streets. The city is also lit up with more lights than Las Vegas. It’s quite a contrast with the tropical vegetation and green mountains in the background.
- American clothes are in style… If I compared an American and a Taiwanese solely on clothes, I might not be able to tell the difference. Even American brands (Hollister, A&F, Gap) are popular here. This is not true in Belgium, where Thomas and I stand out with our loose jeans and brightly colored jackets.
- The food is very different… Thomas has tried shrimp with legs, welk, abalone, iced soup, stinking tofu, an entire fish (head and all), and evil jelly. I haven’t been as adventurous. If I lived here, I think I would become vegetarian, as I haven’t cared for a lot of meat that I’ve tried and the food is a lot saltier than I’m used to. I’ve had very good sauted spinach, spicy tofu, and dumplings though. Another challenge is that jellied food is very popular here, and I can’t just get over the texture to enjoy the taste.
- There are a lot more edible things under the sea, than I thought… Thomas’ other coworker, Macroni, took us to the fish market and I saw many fish that I had only seen in books when I lived in Florida. The market sold (to eat) parrot fish, sharks, earthquake fish, blowfish (which we were warned not to eat unless prepared by a very skilled chef), seaweed, and snails.
- Temples can decorate better than the Griswalds at Christmas… As a religious location, I expected temples to be simple and solemn, but they are brightly-colored, ornate, and many have tacky animantronics out front. Thomas’ coworker taught us how to ask Buddha a question, by tossing wooden shells, but our response was always “laughing.” I guess Buddha just doesn’t understand English. :)
- Many toilets are basically a hole in the floor… You’re supposed to just squat and aim to do your business. It’s definitely odd, but I guess not that much weirder than camping. At least they don’t charge to use them, like Madame Pipi in Belgium.
It’s been a great trip so far and I’m looking forward to next week in Japan. We coincidently planned this trip during the cherry blossom season, so I’m looking forward to seeing some beautiful gardens. Until then…
I’ve posted our photos from the first half of our trip to PicasaWeb:
- Taiwan Trip (66 photos)
P.S. My favorite difference in Taiwan is that the garbage truck plays music like an American ice cream truck. This lets everyone know to hurry outside and bring their trash. That would make the chore much more enjoyable for me…
