Taiwan

We’ve been in Taiwan for 6 days and I’ve been stalling this blog entry. At first I wasn’t too thrilled with Taiwan. The pollution here is just as bad as Beijing’s air quality. But instead of factory pollution, the foul smell comes straight into your face from the scooters. And when a burst of exhaust fumes isn’t hazing up your nostrils, then something else, like sewage, stinky tofu (a Taiwanese dish), or wet dog is sure to catch your every breath. No two inhalations are alike and I can’t foresee an end to bad smells in Taiwan, although the occasional whiff of incense is always welcome. I am now completely aware and empathetic to the cause of Aaron’s poor sinus issue. But now I’m wondering if he has any sinus tissues left to be repaired.

Furthermore, the sidewalks are not uniform and so it’s very difficult to get anywhere with a stroller. Most of the time we are forced to walk on the streets and pray not to get hit by traffic. These people are absolutely nuts! I have to cross my fingers and do the sign of the cross each time I attempt to risk our lives by just getting from one street to the next. Stop signs do not exist here and I’m sure you can’t find driving schools either…especially for learning how to drive a scooter.

Okay…now that my rant is out of the way I can focus on the good things about Taiwan.

What I’ve read about the people being so friendly here is really true. They are not visibly afraid of us and strangers who know even a little English are willing to strike up a conversation. This is in great contrast to mainland China where you are seen as a threat by most older people and the younger ones are just too shy to approach you (unless they want your money). And in Macau and Hong Kong, foreigners are so common that no one really cares to talk to you. So, being the minority in Taiwan in interesting, and it’s nice to be appreciated here. I’ve had many young men openly flirt with me in the awkward Chinese way of shouting out that I’m beautiful and giving me the thumb’s up sign. Of course Aaron is never around to see this.

Another very charming aspect of Taiwan is the small businesses. I would kill for some of these fresh squeezed juice stands in the U.S. For 80TWD (under 3USD) you can watch your fruit being turned into juice and walk away with a liter of orange or grapefruit refreshment. Because sidewalk food vendors abound, there is never any need to go hungry in Taiwan even if you are on a time or money restriction. And if rice rolls or fried fish meal doesn’t suit your fancy, there is always a Starbucks, Subway or Pizza Hut nearby. However, the local pizza is just as bad as it was in Beijing. The Chinese have no concept of good crust or toppings. I’ve experienced orange oil on one pizza, and corn seems to be the standard topping like pepperoni is in the states.

Although the people are friendly and the food is convenient, I am more partial to some other areas we’ve been. I guess everywhere I go in Asia I’ll say things like, “This is no Hong Kong.” But I’m still looking forward to visiting Thailand someday and spending an entire day on the beach with cheap Thai massages. And then my phrase will become, “This is no Thailand.”