Wack Things in Taiwan 2018

Is that an STD?

Really? Except for those places that cater to those who prefer pour over, expresso drinks are all I see.

Yes, but most of them are not good.

The one Starbucks I know in Melb is in Southern Cross Station, non residents seem to be their customers. Too many other choices for coffee.

Pig skin everywhere in many dishes and street food.

Pork rinds almost nowhere.

porkrinds

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Reminds me of a weakness I have for a certain British television show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk7Yt0shNvM

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Sometimes Taiwan steps up and pleasantly surprises. I had to visit Yuanlin today . lived there 8 years ago for a short time. Got a haircut …busy but fitted me in .no waiting. Needed to fix lenses in my glasses…Laoban made them in 2 hours himself for 1300NTD. These places remembered me and really helped over and above. Thankyou Taiwan.:kissing_heart:

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As Shiadao noted, there are some amazing folks in Taiwan: people that care about what they do, take their business seriously, and go beyond the call of duty. It’s a nice reminder about the good side(s) of our home.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Guy

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depends where you are coming from i guess. getting something done quick and painlessly ain’t gonna happen back home in the uk.

well haircuts maybe not, sure. but doctors visits, buying glasses ect there are a lot of things that are pretty painless here compared to back home and i really appreciate it.

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I can understand where some people’s opinions are coming from about haircuts in Taiwan and other things. It really is above and beyond what you get back home in the US.

A normal $15USD haircut in Taiwan will get you a 10 to 15 min scalp massage, wash, cut, styling, a 10 to 20 min shoulder, back and arm massage, even a q-tip, a beverage and no tip expected. All with friendly attentive service. That is just unheard of back in the US. This kind of service is unique to Taiwan and other parts of Asia.

Back in the US $15 will get you a cut and that is about it. And they expect a tip of at least 15%!

So yeah, I understand being wowed by haircuts here. However, the service industry in Taiwan is not all cotton candy clouds, rainbows and unicorns. Restaurant service is under par as well as other places.

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Could not agree more.

Taiwan is home and home is good.

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When I first came here in the late 80s 7-11s were just opening up, and were the only place you could get hot coffee, as they all followed the American model and had a pot of coffee on tap. Unfortunately Taiwanese people didn’t drink hot coffee at the time, so the pots just sat there, brewing and brewing, until they contained a vile thick burnt black liquid or boiled away entirely.

7/11 sells stinky hard boiled eggs, but not regular hard boiled eggs. They had regular hard boiled eggs before.

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Sounds like American 7-11’s today. :slight_smile:
The last time I was home, I bought a coffee at a QuikTrip and my hubby said “You won’t like that.” He was right. They have 10 different kinds but none of them fresh or good.

They have the smoked eggs from…some farm (can’t remember the name), I find them delicious but they cost a fortune.
There’s a lady in front of Taipei University of Education who sells many soy products in the morning and she has packs of boiled eggs at 60nt for 10 pieces. When I arrive in Taipei I often to so at Tech Building, so I walk there, grab the eggs, have a few then carry the rest with me.

I remember that!
Like my 3rd friggin day here I was on the way to an early morning 1-on-1 and I stopped in to grab a coffee, 7-11 back home having been, historically, the originator of about 80% of all road coffee (because fuck Tim Horton’s) and when I went to drink it it was like hot frigging shoe polish. Last time I tried that.

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What’s with the stuffed-animal grabbing machines shops popping up all over the place lately? Do they even have business? Never see any people in there in my neighborhood.

According to the source below:

2016 – 920 shops in Taiwan
2017 – 2859
2018/Jan. – 3352

Apparently they can still sell an average of NT$74,000 per month, but down from NT$360,000~410,000 in 2016.

2018年04月18日 18:44 中時電子報 呂承哲 全台吹起一陣夾娃娃機台展店熱潮,近一年來增加了超過千間店面,大街小巷都可見其蹤跡。不過,數據顯示今年1月的銷售額7.4萬元,比起2016年單店平均36至41萬元,落差極大。 據財政部數據顯示,2016年的夾娃娃機店有920間,2017年為2859間,暴增了1939間,年增率達210%,再到2018年1月的3353間,再增加了494間。不過,與2016年之前單店36到41萬元的銷售額,2018年一月單店平均僅剩7.4萬元銷售額。 據《好房網》報導,同樣遍布全台的超商,擁有1萬2557間,2017年展店率僅有2.18%,然而銷售額高達千億元,不能與夾娃娃機店相比。 對於夾娃娃機店出現泡沫化憂慮,德天國際總經理田揚名分析,偏鄉地區仍有生存空間,但都市內的競爭度高,夾娃娃機店得要不斷升級才能生存。
http://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20180418004031-260410

Yeah, I’m concerned about how those are popping up everywhere; there’s just something soulless about them, and I’m pretty sure they’re not a good indicator of the economy (says someone who buys from small local shops approximately never!). There’s a discussion of them over here: