We are now enjoying our 3rd full day in Taiwan and have loved every moment since our plane landed.
Jet lag is still weighing heavily on us, but thankfully we still have 2 full weeks before we begin teaching our classes.
There is definitely western influence here; but, of course, so many everyday things are different from home. I have begun making a list of all the oddities we experience and will share them throughout each blog.
Scooters here, scooters there, scooters everywhere! We are not ashamed to pledge conformity and so have embraced the way of the scoot. (picture above is parking lot by our apartment)
Many people here wear surgical-type masks to cover the lower half of their faces. At first, we assumed they were anti-pollution enthusiasts. But today we learned that the masks are worn to block the sun. Furthermore, scooter riders tend to wear jackets (backwards) or what appear to be slip-on sleeves (to further prevent sun exposure). Some also wear hand coverings that are reminiscent of oven mitts.
Some other notables:
Rather than the infamous Wal-mart, there is the Carrefour. It's a multi-level building with escalator ramps. The wheels of the carts are magnetized and stick to the ramps (no danger of head-on cart collision = happy shopping).
Taiwan seems to be a place of b.y.o.t.p (bring your own toilet paper). Furthermore, the toilet paper comes in sheets - not rolls. Oh yeah, western toilets? If you're lucky.
Driving = insanity on wheels. Random u-turning, random pulling-out-in-front-of-vehicles-without-looking, random driving-on-wrong-side, random everything. But, though it looks chaotic from an outside perspective, there's a relaxed sort of rhythmn to it all. People know what they're doing and easily compensate for all the randomness. Unlike in America, there is no angry honking or startled swerving.
The sun rises here at 5:30 am, and today we rose with it. We ate breakfast from a food cart (delicious, I may add) and enjoyed a morning stroll through a park near the Sinying Stadium (pictured above). It was a beautiful, tranquil place. We were surprised to find so many people out for morning walks and everywhere we looked people were practicing tai chi. In America, it seems the morning is spent rushing off to work or downing that first cup of java.
The food here has such a different taste, even the "American" food such as cheetos and fritos. Nothing tastes saturated or heavy; and I was surprised to find that the milk has an almost sweet taste.
Ah, speaking of food ... this picture (below) is of the "KLC" restaurant. The long-lost cousin of KFC?
Sampling food is top priority. There are so many yummy smells (along with the not so yummy) everywhere. We have fallen in love with "milk tea" and can't get enough.
Rather than use the ol' stone age way of covering drinks (i.e., lids), vendors here use some form of advanced seal. You can shake, rattle or drop-kick it all you want, no spills! (great for scooter transport)
Well, that's all for this post. Until next time.
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