Taiwanese Particularities

Autumn has finally begun and the weather no longer makes Taipei feel like a polluted sauna. It is still somewhat humid, but the temperatures have become more bearable and some of my teachers have even started wearing several layers of clothing.

It occurs to me now that a while ago, I wrote myself a little list that I intended to post on this blog – I entitled it “Things about Taiwan that might surprise a person arriving from mainland China”
  • Discovering that everyone’s English is better than one’s Chinese
  • People not barging through the door and politely letting others go first
  • No shouts of “laowai” or “waiguoren” (perhaps this just comes with being in a big city, but I remember attracting attention even in Beijing)
  • Indonesian nannies and elderly caretakers
  • NGO volunteers soliciting support on the street
  • Christians handing out promotional materials
And, of course, there are also some behaviours that a person must unlearn upon arriving in Taiwan:
  • Even when on the pavement, instinctively backing away when a motorbike comes close, for fear that it will drive onto the pavement
  • Double taking public displays of same-sex romantic affection
  • Expecting to see red stars on police stations

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