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WARNING: Wall of text imminent
10) The 13 hour flight from Vancouver with the first 3 hours or so filled with crying babies in the front, back and sides. (Freaking 13 hours!) At least it was a direct flight. Tip: say yes to the headphones; they should be free if you fly China Airlines.
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| Somebody create this game already. |
9) Usually in more official public places, the toilets are the regular kind where you can sit down and go #1 or #2. However, the general stores and older buildings have the traditional slipper-shaped toilets where, if you are female, you have to crouch down to in an undignified position to pee. It's really just one step above a glorified hole in the ground due to its minimal plumbing.
8) Following the previous point, always carry a package of tissues because there are usually no toilet paper in those hole-in-the-ground stalls, nor sometimes in normal toilet stalls. Walking around town in damp underwear due to the fact that you didn't wipe feels damned uncomfortable. Trust me on that.
7) You will buy a lot of shit, so arrive with bare minimal luggage, or even empty suitcases if you can swing it. And because you will buy a lot of shit, memorize the exchange rate between your country's currency and that of the NT. ($1 CAD = $30 NT) Also know what's the maximum allowance of goods that you can bring back to your country. ($800 if it's 7 days or more for Canada).
6) Prepare to be gawked at when you walk down the street in t-shirt and sunglasses on a warm and sunny day during a Taiwanese winter. Excuse me if your high of 25C is the same temperature as a Vancouver summer. Note: Remember to layer your clothing and wear at least 30 SPF sunscreen on your face and body with PA++ if at all possible.
5) Cars have the right of way, not pedestrians so when the pedestrian light starts to flash the animation of a running man, do fucking run. For your life. Really, drivers have no compunctions about backing up over you to make sure that you're dead if they've already run over you. This is just so that you don't blab or worse, sue them. True story.
4) After a long hiatus, the NHL decides that hockey is back on again while you're on the other side of the globe with a spotty internet connection so that you can't catch any of the games. Seriously, not even the highlights. The fuckers.
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| For realz |
3) For a city that's got over 4 times the population of Vancouver, the streets of Taipei are ridiculously clean and absent of litter. However, the streets either smell like sewage or motor oil at all times. The locals wear a face mask for a reason so "when in Rome."
2) You'll be sleep deprived as all hell because you stayed up well beyond your bedtime the night before your flight trying to fit all the crap you bought within the weight and luggage restrictions. It is truly a the most vicious and cruel game of Tetris that you'll ever play. Then when you're finally home and it's 4am, you still won't be able to sleep because you slept for a couple of hours on the plane so you'll be jet lagged and tired as fuck. Note to self: say no to taking any shifts for at least the next three days after you're back if you don't want to be a brainless zombie at work.
1) When it comes to food, Taiwan is a country that is really not at all Jew-friendly. Nor is it friendly for any other religion that has dietary meat restrictions. If you want to survive your stay in Taiwan, then don't ask what's in the dish, just close your eyes and put it in your mouth. It's a lot like a particular activity that I'm only going to hint at: You may enjoy it more than you thought you would.
TL; DR
You shall suffer a very horrible experience in Taiwan if you don't scroll back up and read it from the beginning.
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