I'm glad to say that this time round, I felt like I was rooted in reality after I landed in S'pore. My previous trips overseas were marked by this sense of unreal-ness even after I came back. Was I there? Did I visit this and that? And I'm already back?!
So folks, I hereby declare that I have been to taiwan and back! :)
On a general note, people from Kao Hsiung and beyond were more hospitable than the city folks. Not that people in Taipei were snobs of course, but some were perhaps slightly less helpful to a certain extent. Having said that, we met some unfriendly folks in Kao Hsiung as well, in contrast to the nice folks. But who am I to comment when Taiwan has been ranked above S'pore in the recent Reader's Digest's Courtesy Test?
Fashion wise, I would say that the city girls dressed up more trendily. Better to shop in the city area, especially Wufenpu! We only managed to get some decent shopping done when we visited the place on the last night before our departure. So imagine how deprived we felt before that... But for guys, I certainly can't put a finger as to where they shop for their clothes. Random shops here and there but yf and hd were sure bored stiff.
I saw news on SCV of protests against President Ah Bian before we headed over. But this was the only sign of a political upheaval we spotted, other than being told of a strike held at Nanwan. Whether that had political connotations, we wouldn't know.
One thing that irked me was why the locals were amazed that we could speak fluent Mandarin. But there were some who thought we were Hongkies or even one of their own.
Taiwan's traffic is reckless. You got to give way to the drivers instead of the other way round. So keep your eyes peeled when you cross their roads! I am particularly fond of their traffic lights. Some crossing timings can take up to 90s and as the countdown draws near, the digital green man progresses from his leisurely walk to a literal run. How cute.
Their MRT system, called the Jie Yun, is uncannily like ours. Clean, efficient and speedy. Just that the people have the habit of standing on the right side of the escalator, instead of our left. And without the alert panel for the next train's timing, you can still tell if the train is arriving. Just lift your face and feel for the wind. The breeze can even be felt from the control station! Take a look at this notice they put up:
Betel Nuts Banned! NT$7,500 would roughly convert into S$375.
Taiwan is also the land of the scooters. Lo and behold!
And we rode on one!! The grins of delight on the boys' faces were a gem.
It was definitely more scary than I thought...
As the lady boss patiently explained to me, "It's like riding a bicycle. (And I thought, that should not be a problem?) You press on the brakes to stop and turn the handles to accelerate." But nervous me gripped the handles and the scooter shot forward with no warning. Ahh! Later on, I overturned it with its wheels still spinning madly. Coz I was still gripping onto the handles. -_-"
Not like riding a bicycle at all. Sigh. Looks like I'm not made out to be a biker chick. There goes my dream of owning a little Vespa!
And we went snorkelling and banana-boating at Kenting! We were so glad that we didn't give the place a miss, as originally planned.
The warm folks at the snorkelling shop. We had a great time thanks to them! :)
