What things from your home country do you make a great effort to get for your life in Taiwan? I’m not talking about things that are easily available.
Victorias Secret
Red Nail polish
nyquil
decent hair cut
I’m a heavy nyquil user as well. Thx SaF. Anyone else?
Vegemite, although here in HK it’s no effort at all.
HG
Things I buy when back home include sneakers (great sales at Big-5 stores), bluejeans, outdoor gear (REI store, NorthFace outlet, etc), cheese, beer, corn tortillas, books and coffee.
My wife likes to buy common over the counter medicines for our daughter or other pharmacy stuff (there’s nothing like a massive US-style Payless Drugstore in Taiwan) and childrens clothing (in Taiwan kids clothing is either overpriced fancy stuff or cheap, polyester stuff, whereas in the US lots of nice, affordable cotton clothes are available).
Socks. Can’t find good quality socks that fit my size 12s.
Any clothing that’s of decent quality and acceptable price. Stuff here tends to be super-cheap crap, or overpriced designer wear.
Vitamins. Tylenol. Allergy meds.
Fresh air. Cold, clean water out of the tap. Man, if I could pipe those in…
John Frieda ‘Frizz Ease’ hair products.
Jaffa Cakes
Marks and Spencers’ knickers.
When a man needs some support from home he calls his mumsie and asks for some Jockey Y-fronts. 
Television programming, football, cricket, chats with my family, fresh air, peace and quiet, spare time, friends… I couldn’t care less about the material things.
They don’t go in a parcel, though…
Loads of people have mentioned underwear. Why do we have this primal need to have our bottoms in familiar surroundings?
“B” grade Maple syrup from Vermont or upstate New York. Like a lot of other Vermonters I know, I can’t stand that sickeningly sweet and flavorless grade"A" fancy stuff.
[quote=“Huang Guang Chen”]Vegemite, although here in HK it’s no effort at all.
HG[/quote]
Ditto, I managed to find some in Taichung yesterday. Now I’m happy.
Alka Seltzer. I get the 1000 pack from Wallmart or Sams club. Nothing else works quite as well.
You’ll never fear the day after of Mala hot pot again.
Earl Grey and Twinings tea. And a packet of gingernut or custard cream biscuits.
And I’m successful in my endeavours.
[quote=“Dangermouse”]Earl Grey and Twinings tea. And a packet of gingernut or custard cream biscuits.
And I’m successful in my endeavours.[/quote]
Gingernuts! :lick:
They had them at Tescos, for an oh too short period. RIP gingernuts.
Edit: Custard Creams are a foul perversion.
Of what?
Of what?[/quote]
All that is holy.
[quote=“Elegua”]Alka Seltzer. I get the 1000 pack from Wallmart or Sams club. Nothing else works quite as well.
You’ll never fear the day after of Mala hot pot again.[/quote]
yes but for me it’s Brioschi.
tom’s toothpaste, large jars of sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, barbancourt rum, dvds.
Biltong and Boerewors…
Socks and underwear.
I do miss a lot of food from home, but there’s enough good Taiwanese food that I get by without. I can’t imagine girding my loins day in and day out with crap underwear.