For me, I’m going to leave and go to the US for the summer, but it’s not a decision I made lightly, and it’s not because I’m scared of being here. It’s because I have summer vacation from school anyway, I want to see my family, I miss home and I want to get vaccinated. I’m planning to come back at some point, just don’t know when right now. It’s what makes sense for me, everyone else will have different thoughts and calculations about what is best for them. I am of course planning to quarantine in the US and will follow all rules. I love living in Taiwan and will come back, but this is what is best for me right now for lots of reasons. I really don’t think anyone should be judging anyone else for doing what they think is right for them. This has been a traumatic two years for most everyone, and we’re all just trying to do the right thing. Well, most people are, I think.
The “None are correct” made me laugh
And then they show that same scooter falling over 5 times on repeat in case the viewers missed it the first 4 times with a shrill voiced reporter speaking a mile a minute. 
That’s what I always found entertaining about travelling. Every country being pretty much unaware of what is even happening in the next town over. I have local friends that haven’t even been to Taipei for at least a decade.
Ontario is happy to have consecutive days with less than 2000 new cases, but vaccination rates are high and growing
We’ve been here before. Remember when everyone was leaving after:
The 921 quake - OMG, the island is gonna split!
The 2000 election after Chen Shui-bian won - OMG China is gonna attack
SARS - OMG we’re all going to die!
Japan quake/nuclear meltdown - OMG we’re all gonna die of radiation poisoning
Am I missing anything? All the time there were people running away and calling us who stayed idiots.
Be grateful you have somewhere to run if the time comes. But we’re resilient, we’re still here and it is your choice to come and go. It is a free country after all.
I have nowhere else to go. For better or worse, this is my home. I’m not going scampering off to some supposed safe haven.
Yes. Last year the virus spread rapidly around the world, brought along by the very people trying to flee it.
The difference this time around is vaccine availability. Currently it’s not available in Taiwan, but if one goes to the US, one can get vaxed on arrival at the airport.
Yeah, that’s nice, Except I’m not a US citizen. I doubt they’re handing out vaccines will-nilly to foreigners.
I understand that they are giving them to anyone, citizen or not, who wants them.
Yes, that’s true. California, Alaska, and Guam coming soon. Anyone can get vaxxed. Check out the vaccine tourism thread. You can also go to Europe for the Sputnik V vaccine. Don’t laugh. I’m reading positive news about this one.
Sputnik on par with J&J, with both below Pfizer/Moderna.
If you have chance for Sputnik, and zero chance for others, I’d recommend it.
Seriously thinking of doing so.
Me too. Guam would be ideal. Close and I’ve been wanting to go back after first failing then passing a work related exam there years ago.
I’m not a US citizen. Wondering what I’d say to the immigration officer . ‘Morning, Sir. Yes, only coming for the vaccine and heading out as soon as the next flight back leaves’ don’t know how that’d work. Or I’d have to find something to do for a couple of days so it is not so obvious.
Are the vaccines given to tourists prior scheduled?
Yes. As per my brother, you make the appointment, book the flight, show up, get stabbed, that’s all.
We got family in the States who pay taxes so I don’t feel that bad. And by looking at my brother’s consumption while there -hotel, meals, shopping- it is a good deal in revenue from vaccine tourists.
Sure makes 7k a stab here look cheap. Woulda, shoulda, coulda… too late now
7k is the PCR test.
The stab here is 600 NTD if pay by yourself.
It was 600 a jab (for AZ) in Taiwan.
No, no one should feel bad, the US has a lot of vaccines. I mean I’m a citizen, but I haven’t lived there for 7 years. So I guess in that way I will be like the overseas Taiwanese who came back here in 2020, and I do feel guilty about that, but I want to see my mom while I can and I am more homesick than I have been in 7 years (probably due mostly to anxiety, I worry that after a month in the US I will be ready to come back here. depending on how things are)
(Sidenote, and I just thought this was funny in a very USA sort of way: I was looking on a vaccine website for the city of Seattle, and it contains the disclaimer, “None of the vaccines contain microchips.” Welcome to America where they have to add that disclaimer).