10 Facts About Taiwan

Culture shock is always the big question when one comes to a new place, how and when will you adjust to the differences surrounding you? During one of our team meetings, Mirjam spoke about it, since it was Kajsa and my first time living in another nation for a long period of time. I find it very interesting to see how different Taiwan is compared to Canada, and I would be as bold to say the difference is pretty huge. I wouldn’t say I have had too much of a culture shock, as I’ve been to China several times before this, but there are definitely obvious differences I have seen and had to get used to. Here are 10 facts that were the interesting know about Taiwan:

1. You can’t flush toilet paper down the toilet! That sure has been something to get used to. Although they have Western toilets here, the piping here is not built to handle toilet paper going down them and would lead to major clogging. It was especially hard at first, but now I’ve gotten used to it. Lol

2. Taiwan is very populated, with the population being more than 23 million people! It is considered one of the most densely populated countries in the world. There are so many people everywhere all the time.

3. Ordering on your phone when you eat at a restaurant is very common here. There are times when you don’t even have to speak to a person. Another common way to order is on a piece of paper, which has the list of food, and you tick boxes of the ones you want to try; then when you’re done, you bring it up to the counter, and they’ll prepare what you ordered and bring it back to you.

4. Taiwan is very clean, and they do that by keeping a limited number of garbage cans on the street. Sometimes it’s very annoying because you have to carry your trash a long distance before you find a garbage can, but the streets are very nice, cockroach-less, as well as trash-less, so it clearly works.

5. Literally everyone here drives a motorcycle; it is their preferred way of transportation. Motorcycles are left, right, and centre. They are parked up on the sidewalk, the street, and wherever else it can fit. On the road, they weave in and out through traffic and appear out of nowhere, which makes me stressed out when I walk or am in a car.

6. This is probably one of the most amusing parts of Taiwan. As I’ve mentioned before, garbage cleanup is a big deal here. Garbage trucks drive through each neighbourhood five times a week, and people carry their bags of trash to the street and put them into the trucks themselves. The funny part about the garbage truck is the song it plays telling people of its arrival. The song is Beethoven’s “Fur Elise.” A funny story is that when Kajsa was playing the piano on the 3rd floor one day, I told her she should play that song, and as soon as she did, the girls faces lit up as they immediately recognized it. They loved to tell others that Kajsa can play “the garbage truck song.” Lol

7. I haven’t experienced too many earthquakes since I’ve been here, but I did feel a noticeable one this month. I was lying in bed when I felt the ground gently rumble; I thought nothing of it until I was talking with the other girls and they confirmed that it was one. Statistically, Taiwan is one of the most active regions in the world, as there are about 1,000 earthquakes per year, ranging from small to large.

8. The 24-hour convenience stores 7-Eleven is everywhere here, on every corner and every street. Unlike the Canadian version, these 7-Elevens are not only a place to buy junk food or a Slurpee (in fact, there are no Slurpees here); you can buy train tickets, call a taxi, ship packages, print documents, go for a nice snack, etc… However, like the Canadian version, you pay more than you would at the supermarket for the convenience.

9. Opposite our home in Canada, which has heating but no air conditioner, the homes in Taiwan are the other way around; they have air conditioning but no heating. Though the winter months can get windy and cold, it’s still +10 and above, so you just have to dress in layers. The summer months, on the other hand, are +25 and above, but not only is it hot, it’s humid, which makes you wet and sticky…

10. Colour is very important, especially the colours white and red. White symbolizes death and is used at funerals. Red represents good luck and is used at weddings and other celebrations. So when you’re getting a gift for a Chinese or Taiwanese person, make sure to mind what colour of envelope you’re giving them.

Sorry for this short blog post, we have had another very busy week. I’m posting early because tomorrow I have to get up at 5 am because we have to travel to Taipei, which is 3 hours away, to attend a 2 day conference that is teaching about caring for those with special needs. Will write more on that later.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Hosanna