Our time here is winding down. I’m quickly checking out of Taipei and
migrating my thoughts to relocating in the US.
I’m narrowing in on a job and we are searching for apartments in
Columbia, Missouri. Being near to
friends and family is an extremely exciting prospect, but I know that leaving
Taipei won’t be so easy. This is a great
city that has been incredibly kind to our little family. We have thrived here and I know we will miss
it. What will I miss the most?
10. Fruit and Vegetables
Fresh greens and ripe fruit all year round – what’s not to
like? My favorite veg is Chinese
Broccoli and my favorite fruit is papaya, which I used to despise.
9. Public Transportation
Cheap, clean, affordable, and far-reaching public
transportation that everyone uses. In my
hundreds of trips on the subway (MRT), not once has a train been delayed or
late. Never. I’ve never had to wait more than five minutes
for the next train to come. The buses
and train cars may get a bit crowded on certain routes during peak hours, but
people take it in stride.
8. Punctuality
People and activities are on time here. If someone says “I’ll be there at 1:30”, you
better believe them. I think that
punctuality is a sign of respect – showing someone that you value their time
and presence, so I always appreciate it when people try hard not to be late.
7. Affordability
Taipei is a world-class city, but even the ritzy parts of
town are affordable for part-time teachers.
Eating out, getting around, and renting an apartment are all very
affordable. Compared to major cities in
the US and Europe, Taipei is an incredible bargain.
6. Amazing Food
There is a reason why Chinese food is popular around the
world – they have spent thousands of years combining flavors to make a
universally appreciated menu. Not only
is the Chinese food great here, but there are hundreds of Vietnamese, Japanese,
and Thai restaurants all around the city.
5. Parks
We are spoiled. We
live between the two largest parks in the city – Da’an Forest Park and Chiang
Kai Shek Memorial Park. Even without
these two large green spaces, every neighborhood has its own block-sized park
with trees, a playground, and benches.
4. Efficiency
I’m still surprised almost every day by how efficient
everything is here. Hospitals,
government offices, transportation, even restaurants – they all operate quickly
and at a high standard of quality. The
people here have an incredible work-ethic, and it shows.
3. Safety
I cannot exaggerate how safe we feel here. Walking alone at night in a dark park in the
city is safe. Random violent crime is unheard of in the city. I completely take this for granted on a
day-to-day basis, so I know that I’ll experience some culture shock when I
return to the US and have to worry about theft and other random crime.
2. Walking Everywhere
We walk to the grocery store, our favorite restaurants, the
doctor, the pharmacy, the home-goods store, the post-office, and pretty much
every other business of interest. Most
neighborhoods are self-contained units that have everything you need. Public transportation is great for getting to
and from work, but the rest of the day I prefer to hoof it. This is definitely something that is not
possible in most places at home, so I’ll have to get used to strapping Abel in
a carseat rather than the baby-carriers every time we need to run to the store.
1. Nice People
I’ve been to a lot of different places in my travels, but I
can say with confidence that the Taiwanese are the nicest people I have ever
encountered. Genuinely kind and
even-tempered. There are exceptions to
this, of course, but amazingly few. I
could count the unpleasant encounters I’ve had in Taiwan on one hand, which is
especially surprising because I moved to their country without speaking a word
of their language! Imagine a Taiwanese
person moving to the US without speaking a word of English – I wish I could say
that they would experience as much hospitality as I have, but I know that they would
not. The world can learn a lot about
manners, kindness, and hospitality from this little island.
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