I started off with the opposite expectations of the food in Taiwan must be awesome having grown up in LA with much better cold noodles, pork chop rice and similar level of stinky tofu etc and visiting family here during my childhood to now Taiwanese food in Taiwan lacks flavor. Partially due to the food, sauces, ingredients here now all coming from the same mass distributors vs back in my childhood.
Not all Chinese food. Excellent HK/Cantonese food cannot be found here. That’s one discovery about Taiwan that really disappointed me. It literally does not make sense that there isn’t great Cantonese food here, but it is what it is.
Food diversity is decent here, once you find the good places. There might be tons of pizza places here, but there’s only really 2 or 3 that I consider good. It’s the same with other cuisines…there’s maybe only 1 or 2 that are decent, but as long as I can find them, I’m good.
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Hospital visit fees have increased a lot though . 500 ntd plus in a lot of hospitals now.
I guess the main issue is the vast amount of old people here.
Also the system is setup so that you are encouraged to come back often for renewing prescriptions etc. I guess what I’m trying to say any issues are bigger than some old people abusing the system .
But last time I checked the system wasnt going to bankruptcy abs there’s a tonne more cash hiding out there if they want fund it.
Definitely agree on that. Good Dim Sum is not common either.
The food definitely got worse over the last 20 years because of what you said, way too many chains versus family restaurants now.
Also they use less vegetables than years ago because green vegetables became more and more expensive.
In a way you can. If you felt the pollution affected your quality of life that badly, you have the choice of going back to your home country where it’s better. If you choose to stay, you purify your water at home and buy purified water. Use a air purifier at home and N95 masks outside if the AQI is red or deep yellow. Live on a high floor to avoid ground air pollution and live in Taipei or Hualien, not south and not west.
I just don’t feel as a foreigner that I should come here not respect the way things are done here. I hate scooter fumes, but scooters are necessary for the people here. I also hate burning incense/paper money like hell, but that’s people’s religion and spirituality. There’s still manufacturing and factories here, and that’s how people make their money. In the end, I choose to be here and I can only control what I can control. A lot of these concerns though will eventually be solved with technology in the next 5-10 years or so (clean/alternative energy, BEV, energy storage).
You can expect this to get better. HKers are moving in in droves.
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[quote=“ProphetJason, post:327, topic:203444”]
I just don’t feel as a foreigner that I should come here not respect the way things are done here. I
[/quote
Honestly speaking I think this is meaningless drivel.
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Respect is one thing, arguably if one respects the island and inhabitants they would want a healthy environment. The ‘go back to where you came from’ response is not in my opinion particularly convincing
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Plus I don’t know know with who I’m supposed to side in terms of 'how things are done here ’ ?
Gogoro or Kymco?
The guys who burn shit on the pavement or those who cleanup the place afterwards ?
The organic farmers or the pesticide merchants.
I’m confused.
I think I need to pray to the prophet for some divine guidance. 
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Serious situation with water supply right now
Ko said on Facebook that as Taiwan faces a water shortage, about one-quarter of the nation’s farmlands lie fallow, while the water supply for high-tech industries has also been affected.
“Taipei has increased its water supply reinforcement and has been transferring 910,000 tonnes of water daily to New Taipei City, Keelung and Taoyuan,” he wrote.
I dunno, started out as an expat in HK and everything I heard about in those circles listed Taiwan as the WORST place to be an expat…
It’s relatively easy when you’re an island and don’t have to worry about land borders (see New Zealand)
That said, I have mixed feelings about Taiwan and I think it’s more a matter of your own comfort zone
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I’ve not lived here nearly as long as many, but in my experience it’s quite the opposite. Taiwanese like a good moan about anything. Green, blue, Chinese, Taiwanese, independence/unification, taishang, trash collection, hey reminds me of a favourite song here
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They like a good moan for sure but if you start criticising Taiwan watch out. Similar dynamic in most countries as people switch into defensive mode.
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Again, the fact that you brought Ayi clothes To prepare yourself for negative things that are out our control (mostly) shouldn’t be in the same category as the negatives that are in our control.
You are basically saying you prepared for the pollution, so its not a big deal. Well it’s still a big deal whether it you prepared for it or not. I lived in shanghai before taipei and the pollution is far far less in taipei, but at the end of the day i should and i believe i could - if the govt grew a pair and if the people really cared instead of just making up endless excuses to save face - be breathing clean air.
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Plus only a simpleton could think we can escape from air pollution .
We obviously can’t.
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And hopefully a cap on doctors giving 3 days of medication and insisting on another visit so they can bill NHI again
They don’t mind if you agree with them as they criticize Taiwan but if you ever dare try to add a few things to the list… 
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The much, much worse abuse of migrant workers elsewhere is barely covered, so why would treatment of migrant workers in Taiwan be covered?
Same same. Look at it at a relative level.
And… how many non locals care? People hardly blink at China.
Because people don’t give no fucks about these issues, even for much, much bigger players.
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It will be interesting when I settle in TW for an extended time starting in the later part of 2021. I don’t belong in any of those ethnicities, but I already know I’ll get grouped as part of the SE Asian community.
Mind you, I’m someone who is already used to being part of an minority group, so It’s just another day for me.
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