I try to smile at foreigners who look like they’re having a Taiwan moment. I smile even bigger at those who acknowledge my existence. I have made friends with foreigners that I just happen to meet on the sidewalk…A Scottish friend of mine comes to mind. We had a conversation that lasted over eight hours and at three different locations. Iris also comes to mind as we met a few months back at a playground one random afternoon. I have also made friends with two foreigners on the MRT who happened to live near or at my old stop in Hsintien. Dated one of them for a little while. Just goes to show what you can get by just being open and friendly to others.
[quote=“JeffG”]
you can always spot the foreigner who’s just arrived …
even in winter, (s)he is wearing a t-shirt with no sweater and no jacket!
Man, it’s cold in Tamsui (Danshui) (Danshui)!
Kenneth[/quote]
Hey, I resent that. I just was a little too optimistic about today’s temperature…especially after talking to my sister-in-law this morning who informed me that they just got 7 inches of snow in Tennessee. But to that guy who was wearing shorts, a hawaiian print shirt, and sandals at Grandma Nitti’s this evening…it ain’t that warm.
I can spot foreigner women easily on a sunny day: they’re the ones who aren’t hiding under an umbrella. And usually it’s not the foreigners who are crowding under the shadow of a building 20 feet from the corner while waiting for the light to change. And I can spot them on a scooter because they’re the ones who drive along the street to find a parking place (as opposed to driving down the sidewalk…usually.) I cherish what little sunshine actually makes it to the ground of Taipei and makes it such a more pleasant place to be. Especially when I spend 8+ hours a day stuck indoors at work.