For the past few weeks, I have been exploring the beautiful country of Taiwan. Though it has fairly Americanized areas, there are several quirks that are unique to its Taiwanese culture. While some may be stranger than others, they are all vital parts of my enriching experience here.
1. Suns out, Guns out...More Like Suns Out, Umbrellas Out.
In Taiwan, you won't only see people holding umbrellas on rainy days but also on sunny days. Whereas Americans like to lay out and tan, Taiwanese people like to shield themselves from the harsh sun, as they want to protect their delicate skin.
2. Three Is A Magic Number.
Taiwanese people tend to speak quickly and repeat things multiple times. Words such as "thanks," "okay," and "it's okay" are typically said three times quickly during conversational exchange.
3. BYOTP (Bring Your Own Toilet Paper).
In addition to having weird squat toilets, local Taiwanese bathrooms typically only have one toilet paper roll outside the stalls or none at all. Since individual stalls usually do not have toilet paper, it is the norm for people to carry around a small pack of tissues.
4. Everyone Is Family!
The way Taiwanese people address one another makes it feel as though everyone is family. While Americans typically address individuals as "Ms." and "Mr.", Taiwanese people refer to one another using family titles such as sister, brother, aunt, uncle, etc.
5. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle -- Extreme Edition
Recycling isn't as simple as throwing trash into a blue bin with the recycling symbol on it. Trash much be specifically divided into plastics, cardboards, paper, etc. Anything with food must be washed before it can be thrown into the recycling bin. While this can be tedious, it's a part of Taiwan's environmental friendly system.
6. Star of David
While the Jewish star is a symbol of Judaism, it's embedded in a lot of Taiwanese clothing with no religious meaning. It is just another popular artistic design people like to sport.
7. So Phallic.
From stores such as Condom World to foods such as penis cakes, the Taiwanese culture sure keeps it interesting with selling phallic items. People often view these as funny souvenirs for foreigners.
8. Famous Night Markets
From delicious food vendors to carnival games, cheap shopping and street performances, the famous night markets of Taiwan are a must for both visitors and locals. Some of the most popular foods and beverages include fried octopus, barbecued squid, stinky tofu, mango shaved ice, boba milk tea, and sugarcane juice.
9. Goodbye Janitors, Hello Students.
With no janitors, Taiwanese students are responsible for the cleanliness of their school. In addition to tidying up the classroom every day, they are assigned days in which they must report to school and clean the whole building, even in the summer.
10. Scooters, Scooters, And More Scooters.
In addition to the high-speed rail, metro, and buses, one of the most popular forms of transportation is the scooter! No matter where you are in Taiwan, you are bound to see someone riding one of these bad boys.
