Always Expect the Unexpected

Always.  This is something that we are still adjusting to, and it ain't easy!  We realized, right away, that Taiwan is not America.  Culture shock!  Disappointment is common and it is easy to get frustrated or sad when things don't go the way we think they should go.  Even though Taipei is considered "Asia-light", with its westernized restaurants, shops, and English signs, it is still a far cry from home.  We don't realize how good we have it in America.  The things that we take for granted in the U.S. are pure luxuries here.  Sometimes the unexpected is hilarious, sometimes it just makes you mad.  We are learning to let go of any American expectations in order to fully embrace the Asian experience.  Notice that I said "learning".  It's a slow process.

Here are a few examples of some random frustrations, although there are SO many more that we encounter, daily...some funny, some not so much. 

* When you go to a restaurant in Taiwan, do not expect the same service as you would get in the U.S.  The food, rarely, comes out all at the same time.  Instead, each meal will be served as soon as it is finished cooking.  It's annoying, but we learned that they do this in Taiwan, because, traditionally, Taiwanese people eat "family-style".  Everyone shares food...which is kind of gross, too.  It's like double dipping!  But, apparently, if you are with people and you are sharing food, that means that you are close friends.      

* When you order water or milk, be sure to order it cold, or it will come out warm, or even hot.  Imagine our faces when our water came out steaming hot, or Lily's expression when she realized that they served her warm milk!  Why would we want ice water and cold milk?  It's winter, right?!  

* The language barrier.  They try so hard to understand us, and we try so hard to understand them, but, quite frequently, there are many miscommunications.  Tonight, Matt took Hannah and Lily on a "date" for Valentine's Day.  They had to wait an hour to get a table.  When they were finally seated, Matt was informed that the hostess misunderstood him and thought that he said that he had a party of five, not a party of three.  They waited for nothing.  This brings me to my next frustration...

* ...everything takes twice as long to accomplish.  I'm sure that part of this has to do with living in a big city and having to walk everywhere, but also the language barrier really holds us up a lot of the time.  Grocery shopping also takes twice as long, if not more.  There's no "one-stop" shopping here.  You have to go to multiple stores to get one or two items that you need, and you can't just hop in your car for a "quick trip" to the grocery store and park in a parking lot like you can in the U.S.  Parking is very limited here.     

* The scooters.  This is not a culture of cars, but a culture of scooters.  They are convenient and cheap, so many people drive them.  It's not unusual to see a family of four on a scooter, going down the road.  The worst part is that, many of them drive like maniacs!  They weave in and out of traffic and are not careful...at least that's how it appears to us.  It doesn't seem to phase them at all.  Traffic laws aren't really enforced here, they are merely "suggestions", so people get away with a lot of traffic violations.  Pedestrians, definitely, do not have the right of way!  It can be a little bit stressful to cross the street, especially with the girls.

A common sight



Even dogs get to go for rides

 



* The girls and I went to see Disney on Ice this week.  I was so excited to take them to something that would make them feel like they were home in America...a little comfort for the week.  I should have remembered to "expect the unexpected", because, even though Ariel, Belle, Rapunzel, and Cinderella were all Americans...they were "singing" in Chinese.  We were pretty disappointed, but the girls made the most of it and just enjoyed the entertainment.

Enjoying Disney on Ice

 

 

I think Lily is testing out her "smolder" like Flynn Rider

 

 

Taiwan hasn't been all bad, though.  There are a lot of great things about it, too!  The nature is beautiful, the people are very friendly, the expat community is amazing, the Taipei American School is top-notch, and there's always something new to see, experience, and learn.  And they have Yoppi!  It's a frozen yogurt bar, almost identical to the ones in the U.S.!

Enjoying Yoppi for the first time

 

  

We have learned a lot of interesting things about Taiwan.  Here are a few random things... 

* If you import drugs, even marijuana, it is punishable by death! 

* Taiwan is not recognized as a country by most of the world.  America doesn't recognize it and, as we learn more about the history of Taiwan and its relationship to China, we begin to understand why.  It's very political.  So, there is not a U.S. Embassy here...but there is the American Institute.     

* People drive crazy and very offensively, but there is no road rage. 

* It is a very superstitious culture.  Numberology is very big here.  Eight is a very lucky number, because the word "eight" in Chinese sounds a lot like the word "fortune".  Four is a very unlucky number.  The word "four" in Chinese sounds a lot like the word "death".  You, usually, won't see a 4th floor in an apartment building...or 13th. 

* They use umbrellas for rain and sun.  They do not like to be tan.  Lighter skin is more attractive in their culture.

* 7-11's are huge here!  You can do everything at a 7-11, even pay your bills!

There is definitely a humorous side to Taiwan, from an American perspective.  We find ourselves giggling a lot at random things that we see or hear. 

Something funny, that we haven't gotten used to, yet, are the stares.  Everywhere we go, we feel like a spectacle...especially with Lily and her blonde hair.  It never fails, when we go out in public, someone stops us and comments on how beautiful Hannah and Lily are and how their hair and eyelashes look like dolls.  Hannah didn't know how to handle the constant barrage of compliments, so she finally started throwing them back at people.  The kids at school: "Ooooooh...Hannnnnaaahhhh!  You're sooooo prettttyyyy!"  Hannah's response: "Sooooooo are youuuuuuuu!!"  I love her wit.

Here are some funny snapshots from around town...

Seaweed-flavored Cheetos

 

  

Just one example of the funny, random sayings on shirts - they just don't realize what they say.  You see them everywhere (and, yes, I bought this one!)

 

 

After their lunch-break is over, they press Play

 

 



Don't even THINK about doing your laundry at the park!

 

 

Yeah, this should work...why not?

 

 



 

The aisle for Potato Slices

 

 

They are just as crazy about their dogs as Americans...but this was pretty extreme, even for the U.S.

 

 

Probably the most specific store in all of Taipei

 

 

We ordered fruit salad, and we got fruit salad

 

 

At the Taipei Zoo, they are a little obsessed with poop for some reason

 

 

Poop art

 

 

Don't forget to group your feces

 

 

Not sure what to say about this...

 

 

The rabbit and guinea pig exhibit was fascinating!

 

 

My cutie pies being silly 

 

 

Look, closely, at the bag...there's breaking news in Pennsylvania!

 

 

Trying, desperately, to learn about DNA, in Chinese, at the Science Center, but that wasn't going to happen...

 

 

...but, we made sure to readily homing!

 

 

 

 

Even through all of the hard times, we are really enjoying ourselves and trying to be as light-hearted as possible.  There is a reason for every little thing that we go through. 

 

As Hannah says, "When nothing goes right...go left."

 

Baby steps!