Taiwan Journal #5-Jessica's Random Observations About Taiwan

Greg posted his observations so far, so I thought I'd post some too! Here's what I've noticed!

1. All the young people here dress incredibly stylish! It's insane, even the men alway look like they stepped out of a magazine. The girls are so cute, and even though they dress well, they are modest. No one here dresses sloppily!

2. It is so cold here right now! I packed just terribly wrong! I wish I had my coat and sweaters with me! I've been freezing. Every time I get ready to walk outside without being bundled up, the concierge, bellman, and front desk workers all come to me worried about the cold. "Don't you need your jacket?" they all say. They are so kind!

3. Some men here carry their wives/girlfriends purses for them. It is not uncommon at all to be walking in the mall or on the street and seeing the men carrying purses. It's very kind! I even saw a little boy with his mother's purse last night!

4. Men also carry "man bags". Most men here have these stylish little bags that they wear as well!

5. The food here is incredibly, incredibly different. It has been very challenging for this picky eater! Some of the smells that I've encountered as I've walked past food stands have literally left me about to throw up! There have been two nights here that I've not even eaten dinner. It has been much more challenging than I thought.

6. Everyone, especially the young girls stare, point, and sometimes even giggle at us! One girls sat down right beside me, and just leaned her head on her hand and stared at me for at least five minutes. In America, this would be considered so rude, but here, everyone does it! It has been VERY hard for me!

7. I've traveled all over the United States, to all of the big cities. I've been to many, many malls! I've never seen a mall as nice at the one in Taipei 101. It's huge, clean, and incredibly nice. Name any high-end store that I'd never be able to afford and they have it. Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Armani, etc. etc. etc.! Five floors full of stores with socks I couldn't even afford, and tons of people everywhere! The residents of Taipei have some money!

8. It gets dark here around 5 p.m. It's so weird! Greg and I usually stay up late, but because of the early sunsets, we're usually exhausted by 9 p.m.!

9. The night markets are insane! They are so cheap and so crowded! It's hard to be in the mood to shop in the crowds though, and as your walking past stands selling roasted locusts for a tasty snack.

10. Everyone here has been so nice to us and helpful. They have tried to accommodate us as best as they can. We've found more and more people who speak a little English as we stay longer. The first day was really rough for us, but it has gotten better every day.

We have had two encounters with two different Taiwanese people who have taught us a great deal! We'll post about our wonderful private cooking class, and our private tour of the Taipei coastline next! Stay tuned!