You know you're in Taiwan when...

I love Taiwan. Seriously. There is just so much awesomeness here. Of course there are the staples of convenience, good food and lots of it, good drinks and lots of them, the hustle and bustle, the busyness of the streets both in terms of people and signage, scooter-life, temples and all that comes with them and the Taoist beliefs, and more.

But being back just for two weeks so far, most of the time of which has been filled with typhoon-affected weather (super hot and humid, with heavy rains), a fever (me), colds (Judge and I), and of course our lost luggage hunt, I have still managed to experience some "only in Taiwan"s - some that make me smile and giggle happily to myself, some that make me sigh internally in knowing exasperation.

1. ...you are walking along the street (not on the sidewalk because there is none that is walkable), and see someone sitting outside a hair salon at a table with chairs, with curlers in their hair, and you think it is an older lady getting her hair done, but when you get closer you realize it is a young 'badass' guy in his early 20's sitting there having a smoke with his buddy waiting for the curlers to set. No-one bats an eye.

2. ...beetlenut chewing blue-collar workers (70+ year olds) are riding around on their scooters with pink helmets (Doraemo helmets).

3. ...a mom, who is following her daughter who's the same age as Leona around hand-feeding her cake and bread bites for breakfast, along with milk in a baby-bottle, comments "...and she's still wearing diapers?!" when she hears Leona is 2 years and 4 months old.

4. ...opening (or early) conversation questions thrown at me by random strangers are:

• What does your husband do? (after hearing Judge is Taiwanese) - I think I will just start answering with the current truth: 我養他 - which basically means I'm his sugar mama :P
• You guys must be rich over there (I answer with: Yes, Norway is an affluent country because it has a lot of natural resources; they clarify: No, I mean your family)
• Where do you live? (as in where in the town do we live)
• Do you live with your parent-in-laws?
• ...and many many more at this degree of so-personal-they-can-be-considered-intrusive-but-are-just-out-of-extreme-curiosity

5. ...you can see women jogging around the track at elementary or middle schools after school's out, for example, fully covered (long pants, long sleves, and even a hat that amply covers their face and necks, when just sitting in the sun - or shade even in my unaclimatized case - can cause sweat to drip down your back.

6. ...you are walking home from your daily dinner at grandma's and walk past a 'store front' that is actually someone's living room, and a group of 50-year-olds are sitting there singing kareoke, full blast.

7. ...you go to see the doctor and leave with an offer to tutor the doctor's 6 yo daughter in English [you can also replace 'doctor' with random person on street, shop clerks, and pretty much anyone else].

8. ...a grandma you are talking with at the play ground comments loudly to her friend that comes over: Her (Eliana's) dad is that guy who looks like he's in high school, can you believe it?

9. ...people comment to each other about your kids when you're at the play ground: look at that foreigner kid, she's so cute/white/etc., and no matter how many times you say to the person she's Taiwanese, they keep calling her a foreigner - because if you're not of 100% Taiwanese aboriginy or Chinese ancestry - or a mix of these, you will never be considered Taiwanese (meaning Taiwanese goes by blood, not nationality).

Looking forward to the many more of these you know you're in Taiwan when... experiences to come.

[My high school aged husband and foreigner kids]

 

 

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