[quote=“Grasshopper”]We all like to thrash Taiwan. What do you like about it?
Here’s my list
Great post. There’s always stuff to bash about everywhere but we also need to be reminded why we went there (and stayed) in the first place.
Or obtain it even if you don’t have a terrible cough! 
I am here a few weeks now and never want to go back to where I came from… Germany… I thought its okay when I lived there, but …
Food in Germany: 3x expensive and sh.t compared to here
And our shop keepers in Germany almost kick your a… when you ask them something, and here they are hyper-friendly.
Now I understand why my wife had a nervous breakdown when I forced her to live in my home country 
When she started to smash her head against the closet, I thought its time to head for Taipei.
Strange, I heard the bang, but not a single scratch … hmmmm …
Almost no fat people.
… except for the foreigners … 
That’s changing. I’ve started to notice some real whales of Taiwanese lately…and I mean fat even by North American standards.
Cell phone services that make much more sense than the ones back home (meaning the US).
As for the garbage trucks, I have lived in Hsintien, Muzha, and Zhongshan district (moving on an average of every 8 months) so it’s hard to keep track of which song I have heard where. I have heard Maiden’s Prayer, Fur Elise, and one more song that sounds more ice-cream-trucky than the other two (in Muzha, I believe). Maybe that’s the elusive recycling truck song…
Still, Forehead of Doom, a day in the Las Vegas casinos, where a cross-section of Americana waddles, will show you that Taiwan has a long, fat way to go to even touch the 4XXXL hem of the average Yank.
Singing karaoke on the bus together on the way home from a long field trip. And good shui jiao.
Ever played the arcade game Crazy Taxi?
I often find myself cursing to myself in traffic, “This is not Crazy Taxi, people! Stop driving like you’re in a video game!”
Because you can wear flip-flops and an open shirt and still be well-dressed enough to go to a wedding! 
CK
Lets see,
The fact that I could speak Mandarin or Taiwanese wherever I went and pretty much everyone understood me.
This may not be very pc and might reflect my own biases and some wounding that still needs taken care of, but the feeling of being a part of the majority.
The smile on my grandma’s face after I give her a bath.
My childhood girlfriend’s newborn baby.
Gathering with friends to sing KTV whenever I felt the slightest emotional and needed some kind of release.
I could walk for less than five minutes and take care of many of my needs for that one afternoon: comic books from the rental store, cigarettes from 7-11, pick up my photos at the photo shop, excellent and cheap food right around the corner, oh, and make an appointment to get my teech cleaned for two hours later—I could do that all on the same block.
Homemade food, (now, this is SERIOUS stuff for me.)
Best Assam, English Breakfast and Earl Grey tea found in a little tea shop right near Shi-da.
Red envelopes that’s got money inside. (Although, practically, I should be giving those out by my age now. Oh shame on me…)
Many of my friends seemed to have very cool and new gadgets and were eager to show me how to use them even though I didn’t even carry a cell phone. (Kind of endearing, and I did get to learn.)
Me pops and grandma unsuccessfully trying to lower the volume of their voices when they realized that they were so loud that I got a headache. (It was hilarious though; I enjoyed their each talking about a very different subject and still managing to chat. Oh me family. My brother and I were cracking up later about it. Oh dear old pops and granny.)
Film festivals.
Book festivals.
The eagerness to learn about things never been in touch with before (now, how much my peeps integrate, that’s another story…heh heh.)
Strong political views that were many times emotionally based. The passion.
The tendency to think in an non-linear pattern that often times involves some kind of story-telling. (Although, it could drive me up the wall when I was in a hurry and needed a factual answer. Times like those, I threatened them that I’d suffer greatly if they didn’t cut to the chase. Most of the times, I love the delicate and rich nature of such expressions, although I could see how that could be puzzling for those who didn’t grow up in that particular environment.)
The compassion. The tendency to ponder how someone felt about certain situations and emphasize behind their backs. (To this day, I am still encourging my friends and family to include that piece when communicating directly with someone. For some reason they always take it out and just offer advice. Hmm. Regardless, I love it that they are able to emphasize in a very human way.)
What else? The list could go on and on, but my wrist is hurting me. By the way, I am a Taiwanese-Chinese Asian-American immigrant living in LA, CA. (Man, wasn’t that a mouthful? But what the heck, it’s the best I could come up with these days and still it ain’t that great of a description.) I’ve left TW for ten years now and just recently went back for a visit for two months. It was heartbreaking to get on the plane…my grandma…
I am thankful that I’ve found this forum. In a way, it gets me in touch with what majority groups probably feel like when having to absorb minority groups into the dominant culture–I haven’t been able to tap into it that much prior to this. (Well, kinda been a minority here in the US.) In general, it helps me to see the other side of the coin–(how white folks might feel when I start rattling away about white privilege, for example.) What I mean to say is that it helps me to see and remember that, no matter what groups we fall in, we are all doing the best we know how and we all want to feel understood and accepted.
Catch ya later.
I love Living in Taiwan because I have no pressure to get a good tan each summer. Taiwan people just love my lilly white skin and wish they were as white as me.
I also like that most everybody is so skinny that I always seem fat, thus forcing me to stay fit and trim. I go back home and people look at me and think I don’t need to lose weight, but then, there are a lot of overweight people back home.
LOL!!! I always yell to stop trying to imitate Michael Shumacher, hoping that they don’t in reality imiate Kimi Raikkonen based on his form (or really that of his car) thus far this year.
Ever played the arcade game Crazy Taxi?
I often find myself cursing to myself in traffic, “This is not Crazy Taxi, people! Stop driving like you’re in a video game!”
[/quote]
ludahai,
It’s not that bad.
I once had an experience on a scooter in Taipei. I’m just zipping along and this old lady decides to cross the street when she has the right light. I never knew “respect ones elders” had this effect in Taiwan. She just stared down anyone that tried to run her over.
The main reason I love Taiwan is that it isn’t a carbon copy of the United States.
I love the fact that stores are open wide and still run their air conditioning full blast on a hot summer day so it’s more comfortable to walk down a commercial zone (is there a such thing here) street like the Sogo area of Chunghsiao (Zhongxiao) E. Rd. than to go to the local park.
Oops, maybe that’s the wrong thing to post on Earth Day…
I love the fact that everyone here is so dorky a geek like me feels ‘cool’.
Always the optimist, I was thinking while walking down the street today (I know it’s dangerous).
There are so many things that I love about living here, so why not say something. Here are a few…
COMMUNITY - There is a definite support structure inherent in the culture here (both local and foreign communities) that will stand by you. Maybe it is due to the amount of effort I have spent building relationships here, but I’ll bet if you really have a problem, someone (whether it be Taiwanese or “foreigner” friend) will help you out. I know this happens abroad, but I doubt very few people would be willing to sign as a guarantor abroad. Overall, I count many of the Taiwanese friends I have, as my family.
IMBIBING IN THE PARK - What is with the US? Having a picnic in the park with family and friends and being unable to “indulge” in alcoholic beverages like a glass of wine? Talk about repressed.
PROXIMITY TO WATER - For me (for a lot of reasons) being near water such as a river, lake, ocean, sea, etc. is a requirement. There is nothing like being next to or in H2O. Anywhere in Taiwan, you are just an hour or two, at most, away from the ocean.
WEATHER - Sure it is humid and/or hot sometimes but sweating is good for you. No need to go to a sauna, just walk outside.
PEOPLE - I have met so many interesting / caring / supporting / friendly / loving / sexy / beautiful… (so you see how my mind works) people in Taiwan. Sure, abroad I meet a lot of very intelligent, articulate, artistic, etc. people, which is great. But, there is no beating Love.
These are just a few of my favorite things… about Taiwan.
[url=http://tw.forumosa.com/t/how-do-you-long-timers-deal-with-living-here-part-2/7843/1 keeps you here?[/url]
[url=http://tw.forumosa.com/t/taipeis-best-kept-secrets/7403/1 best-kept secrets[/url]
…there are many others.