On one recent hike we encountered two giant hornets and one cobra within a period of one hour . You could be onto something there.
Yeah, tell me about it. Being outside this summer has been tedious. Don’t see them stopping it anytime soon though - I guess shortly we’ll be at modified Level 1 and still need to wear masks outside. 
You wanna be the next Starbucks boy?
I’m going to make a stand in Alishan!
Yeah nature in that way seems to be making a come back. There have been way less people out and about. I guess we could develop.a mask eating bacteria to recycle them. Or just drop them.all on Beijing during one of their CCP meetings. 
I saw a cobra relaxing on the side of the road about one month previous.
gold!
Anyway, to the OP, apologies for the hijack. In response to your original post, I would say to my mind it is simply not the same. Everyone is a little tetchy. Can’t relax, people at other tables seem edgy, glances being cast back and forth. Eating out is supposed to be a time to wind down, but now it has become a sort of unnaturally tense experience, just like every other damned thing in Taiwan.
Be nice! This has not been an easy time for folks in the hospitality industry.
If they cut the breakfast, you can also ask politely for a small discount. I’ve received such discounts from B&Bs in my current travels—and no problem as I zip over to my preferred danbing shop, get breakfast to go (they have not opened for in-person dining), and enjoy it in my room. Win-win.
Guy
Places that have ditched the masks, even with decent vaccination rates vastly higher than what we have now in Taiwan, have seen case numbers spike.
Put otherwise: if you’re in Taiwan, expect the masks to be around for a while.
Guy
Hang in there Mr Jones. We will unfortunately be in the thick of this for a while yet . . .
Guy
Outdoor mask wearing achieves literally nothing (delta may be a different issue). And that’s what we’re talking about here. The virus can’t jump from scooter to scooter or from hiker to hiker.
Recent Chicago music festival had almost 400k attendees throughout the weekend, only 200 Covid related cases due to this supposedly super-spreader event. Had a few buddies post hundreds of pics and there were only a few masks being worn.
looks like, as with everything Taiwan does, is based on February 2020 knowledge. Here’s the new memo: Why Anti-Covid Plastic Barriers May Make Things Worse - The New York Times
The restaurants are getting full so I do notice a bit of an attitude, like the kind you get when trying to eat at a popular hot pot place (or whatever) and need to register your name, etc. It’s more widespread now.
Lollapalooza right? Unfortunately Bonnaroo has been cancelled due ironically to flooding, not COVID.
90% of Lollapalooza attendees were vaccinated to be fair.
Taiwan is still so far behind on vaccinations. It’s all dribs and drabs. We need 200,000 a day for September and October.
Same here in Ximending. Just walk in and eat as normal. Pretty packed. Some places never even bought plastic dividers lol
I’ve asked and most didn’t provide a discount , a few did grudgingly.
They are greedy but actually mostly they are lazy. They want easy money. They just don’t want to provide breakfast because it takes effort (a trend that was already under way before the pandemic). I’ve stayed in numerous B&Bs around the island and it’s really a thing . I prefer hotels because at least you are actually getting the breakfast .
A few B&B owners here are nice but many are also surly, because when Taiwanese aren’t making a lot of money…That is a local trait.
I guess you’ve never been to Paris.
No it’s not when you go to right place.
Did you notice the Everest of take out boxes and cups?