just another strange interaction I had with a Taiwanese person that I just remembered…
I was hanging outside a 7-11 drinking beer with a Taiwanese friend. An old man approached us who was a bit disheveled looking and starting saying something. It appeared he was singing a song and doing a little dance to go with it. My friend at first tried to shoo him away but then I realized that he was singing “Land of Confusion” by Genesis. I joined in and we had a laugh and he eventually took off. My friend was very confused by it and I told him it was an old song from the 80s and that as a foreigner, sometimes these random interactions with locals just seem to happen.
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Okay and here’s another one. Today I was approached by a Taiwanese woman who started speaking to me in English, she said that she was hungry. I have seen this woman before and she has done this to me more than once before. I told her that I remembered her and for her to go away. It’s also pretty clear that this woman has mental problems. I saw her cross the street and try the same thing with another foreigner, this time an old man. He also ignored her.
This isn’t a classic anecdote tbh. Also I’m not that old. 
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this thread got split off another topic about racism in Taiwan. the conversation diverged into “strange interactions with locals” and these are a couple stories I shared, you can check the original thread, I have a couple more. not sure what you mean by this “not being a classic anecdote.”
yeah, it was originally about a racist encounter I had in Taiwan and then it diverted to a discussion about other strange interactions with locals that were perhaps not necessarily racist but did have to do with the fact of being foreign and how we can sometimes attract some… interesting… people.
One of my favourite songs in the world: Mama Juanita
She said she was hungry and told me to feed her
So I got an expresso and a hot burrito
“MAMA JUANITA” LYRICS by THE 2 LIVE CREW: Yo soy Juanita, pero… (flashlyrics.com)
I’ve encountered her a few times as well. Sadly she does appear to suffer from mental illness. I’ve given her some fruit a few times and money. Be kind to people like this because they suffer tremendously.
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perhaps you’re more kind hearted than I, but because she does this so regularly and seems to target foreigners, I think of her as a scammer. but yeah, she’s clearly got some mental issues going on, and I hope she would get proper help, but I have no idea what that is for her. she’s often around Zhishan station in Taipei.
Now I know who you mean. Just ran into her and not for the first time. Yeah, feels scammy.