Teaching in Taiwan

I taught in a small town just outside of Changhua. I never ever ever ever ever ever thought I would be a teacher. I didn’t think I even liked kids. I never ever knew I would love it so much.

  
They made me laugh.

Everyday they taught me something new.

And occasionally, I could trick them into thinking learning was fun.

My students called me Teacher Ugalee (ugly) because they thought it rhymed with Ashaley (Ashley).

The classroom became like home. I was shocked to see an Iowa Hawkeyes T-shirt.

In the end, they were able to make me cry.

I loved themed lessons. The kids were so creative! I was shocked every time these classes didn’t end in disaster.

For this project, the students were given a country. They had to write about a holiday in this country and draw pictures of the photos they took while there. This was a great project because I heard them use these countries numerous times after.

This was a superhero costume lesson. The kids learned about different super powers and then had to create their own superhero.

 

In the winter, I decided to have the students make gingerbread houses. I had them all bring in their own milk cartons and then handed them a bag of candy.

  

We had a bowl full of sugar frosting and I suddenly felt that things could turn into Lord of the Flies very easily with the children overpowering me in their sugar rush. 

  

  

This disastrous scenario never played out and they made lovely gingerbread houses. 

  

I also did lesson on snow globes. The students brought in a toy and we glued it inside a plastic jar. They added glitter, filled it with water and then we super glued the jars shut.

 

I put a worksheet together that involved the toy they brought to class. They had to fill in what the toy was, colors, he/she/it, etc. This put together a story about their toy and how it became trapped in the snow globe. It then either broke free or stayed in the glass dome forever.

   

Oh dear. Astro and Minnie. They both have my heart forever. Astro had a rocket ship backpack that suited his name. Minnie selected a plastic box as her toy for the project. It was hilarious to read about the adventures of a box escaping a snow globe.

Some students drove me crazy, but I loved that about them.

  

The project was successful and no children were injured in the process.

My little monsters.

I was worried that I would favor girls more than boys before I began teaching. I was happy to discover that there was no favoritism between the two, but I had my favorite students none the less.

He grew so much in 4 months!

  

Every class had a different feeling and atmosphere.

Sometimes, they were very naughty.

One of my coworkers said that when I punish students, I should try and keep it with a positive message. This was my solution to that.

The student work always amazed me. I couldn’t believe the things they could do. I was known as the teacher that focused on writing. I had students take home first and third place in a nationwide speech contest and a nationwide creative writing contest. I also had a very high number of students accepted into the writing contest.

   

I encouraged my students to not all write that they were good (I knew some of them were definitely naughty all year). This was the only student I could get to write from that perspective. I couldn’t stop laughing.

  

I also taught private classes to adults. They kept me on my toes. I think I learned more English grammar this year than I did in my entire time in school. I always had to have an explanation ready for why certain things are done in English.

I was lucky to have enthusiastic coworkers, who helped me every step of the way.

  

    

For my going away party, they did the traditional hotpot. I avoid any celebrations where I will be the center of attention, but this was very nice.

This job was very different from my other careers. The moment I was in the classroom, I was happy. I never counted down the clock, I always wished for more time.

They annoyed me, mocked me, frustrated me, and were the cause of many headaches, but also impressed me with their skills, made me laugh hysterically with our own private jokes, made me cry with happiness when they did something so cute I couldn’t take it, and broke my heart when I left them. This is the best job I’ve ever had.

Living in Taiwan

I lived in Taiwan for a year. These are the things I learned, observed, and experienced. I hope this is helpful to anyone thinking of moving there.

Food

Before arriving in Taiwan. I had read it was the land of culinary delights with a fusion of many different countries. I loved the food I ate when traveling through China and Japan, so I was excited. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to my liking. The sushi has ham, carrots, brown sugar and other unwanted oddities, none of which are fish. Most things are fried and if they aren’t they still have a very oily quality. Hot pots (boiling broth that you add raw meat, seafood and vegetables) are a specialty, they are lovely, but not something I seek out.

Everything is sweet, the mayonnaise, the bread, the tea. I really missed Hellman’s, which could be bought, but only in bulk at Costco. Yes, they have Costco here and Carrefour (French owned form of Walmart).

Bubble tea (pearl milk) was invented in Taiwan. It is milk tea with round gummies in the bottom. It is served hot or cold and you order how much sugar you want. A fun drink, but it always made me full. There are tea stands everywhere, so this isn’t difficult to find.

Night Markets

In the night markets, you will find fried quails eggs, meat skewers, mango milkshakes, a bit of international food, and too many carts serving deep fried squid. I used to really like squid, but now I have no interest in it. Stinky Tofo (Chow Doe Fu) is very popular and its funky smell is something you will always notice. You either love it or you hate it.  The night markets are also full of games of chance and shopping.    Grocery Stores              Starfruit juice loaded thick with sugar and corn popsicles.  Chicken feet aren’t hard to find in your local grocery store.     Shitake broth cubes, asparagus juice, corn popsicles, and chicken feet. There are many exotic items. Really fun for exploring and experimenting, but frustrating on the nights you want to cook something simple. I often made glass noodles with stir fried vegetables. A small amount of western foods is usually available. In the big cities, it’s easier to find, but not in the small towns. It is usually pasta and spaghetti sauce being the main option.

ComeBest is Taiwan’s answer to Red Bull. Energy in a bottle.

Yes, it says Cerear instead of Cereal.

Produce in Taiwan is amazing and seasonal, so there is always a different selection. Pineapples are grown here and inexpensive. Also, the largest pomegranates I have every seen. Watermelons are yellow or pink on the inside (taste the same). There are many fruit and vegetable stands, so it is easy to buy local produce. I always had my fridge full of fruit and veg.                                                                                                   Fashion

I have never seen a bra hanger before.

This was the most fabulous thing I have ever bought.

I’ve noticed my fashion choices have changed since living here. In Colombia and Spain, I would wear low cut dresses and tops, showing a good amount of cleavage. Here, the women don’t even wear v-necks. Everyone stares at me already for being a foreigner, but I didn’t like the additional stares for wearing something not culturally accepted. All of my low cut tops stayed in the bag or had the addition of an undershirt. 
On the other hand, skirts can never be too short here and it is common to see inappropriate or incorrect phrases (lost in translation) on clothing. 

I was a US size 8/10 and I have had no problems finding undergarments and clothes. I was a L or XL here, even though I was an M back home. If you are on the heavier side, shopping can be difficult, but it is still possible. You will find yourself having to buy something that is marked 5 or 6 XL even if that isn’t your size back home. They also charge a bit more for the larger sizes. If you are a female with feet larger than a 42 (size 8 US), it is easier to find shoes in the male section.
Shopping wasn’t a problem at all after 7 months. I lost 35 pounds, so everything fit.

Winters are cold with no heating and tiled floors. Make sure you have slippers and socks to get you through. The socks here are really cute and inexpensive. It is actually a popular gift that I send to friends and family back home. By cold, I mean that it gets down to about 10 degrees C (50 F) at the worst, but you get accustomed to the heat, so you become a baby to cold. Also, riding a scooter sucks the heat out of your body.

Garbage

You have to wait until you here a children’s tune being played on loud speakers. This is the alert that the garbage truck is on your street. You then have to run outside with your garbage bags and chase down the truck to throw your rubbish inside. It comes at the same time on designated days. It sounds like an ice cream truck passing by. I have talked to a few foreigners that chased down the truck, only to be disappointed by the putrid smell of rotting garbage, not an ice cream truck outside.

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They are very into recycling here too, so the same process is repeated for the recycling truck. There are big fines if you are caught not recycling.

The Language Barrier

I always forget to carry my silverware with me.

English is everywhere. Most signs are printed in Traditional Chinese and English. Most labels as well. Arabic numerals are also used by everyone here. It’s easy to get by without speaking Chinese, but why not take advantage of the time here? I loved when the characters finally began making sense. Here is a link if you want some help learning online.

Apartments 

Most are studios with a small fridge and no kitchen. People eat out for almost every meal. This is the norm. It is possible to get an apartment with a kitchen, but most are a bit expensive and multiple rooms. I managed to find a brand new studio with a kitchen. This link is a good place to look for rentals. You will need google chrome to translate.

Scooters

You need to have an International Driver’s License (easily picked up at a AAA in the US) or a Taiwanese Driver’s License to drive a scooter in Taiwan. To get a local driver’s license, you need to have an ARC (Alien Residence Card). There is a written and driving test that you have to pass along with submitting a medical form (filled in by a local doctor) and photos previously taken in a photo shop. Scooters can be rented for around 500 NT a day or bought used for around 10,000 NT.

What look like oven mitts are very popular to have on your scooter. They protect your hands from the cold in the winter and the sun in the summer.

The people are a bit crazy on their scooters, but there is usually a rhyme to the reason. Families of five will pile onto a scooter. Dogs ride with their owners by standing on the footrest.

I don’t know how they train the dogs to ride.

Children bring small stools to sit on the footrest as well.

I’m not kidding, you can buy the chairs from this link. These are fancy ones.

I always saw these small wicker chairs.  This picture comes from this Taiwanese website, where it proclaims the woman as an idiot parent. At least it is looked at as poor judgement.

You never know what types of passengers you will see. I was cut off by a woman driving with one hand because she was cradling her baby in the other arm. I do get upset by the large amount of children that are riding without helmets.

The woman on the red bike has a baby tied to her chest by a piece of cloth.

Can you spot the helmetless child squished between parents?

If you are riding a scooter, make sure you have good health insurance. I have a close friend who was hit by a drunk driver. If you get hit by someone who is poor, you are out of luck. If you are hit by someone with money, you will be paid so that the guilty party can show regret.

Funny Traditions

Taiwanese weddings have a long list of traditions, an even number of cars in the bridal party, bamboo, ham, and sugarcane on the roof of the car to signify a wedding and ward off evil spirits, a fan thrown out the window to symbolize the bride throwing away all of her bad habits, the list goes on. Western culture has plenty of symbolic wedding traditions as well, so I didn’t see these as abnormal. It was funeral traditions that blew me away.

In the more rural areas there are two very odd traditions for funerals. These are more popular with the older generation and are slowly fading away, but can still be seen. The first is that a professional mourner is hired. This person (I believe usually female) is paid to weep for the deceased. This very vocal mourning can last for up to twelve hours. The professional mourner wears a special garment and crawls up the aisle, crying loudly and saying how much the person will be missed, during the funeral. Paying a stranger to weep for my loved one seems so strange, but this is how they show their sorrow.

The second tradition is much stranger. For some male funerals, strippers are hired to dance during the funeral procession and at the gravesite. They have special flower trucks with lights and stripper poles to perform on. They will dance naked if enough money is paid. This is done to please the dead man and his male friends. I couldn’t believe in this modest culture that this was done! I read that it all ties back to when the gangsters of Taiwan moved into the funeral business. They brought the two industries together.

Here is a link to National Geographic’s coverage on the topic.

Healthcare 

The healthcare in Taiwan is fantastic. The only problem is that sometimes there can be a bit of a language barrier. For my occasional appointments, everything was wonderful. You get a card for the national insurance, but you should also purchase some extra insurance. Through my employer it was an extra $20 USD a month.

To make an appointment, you need to go to the hospital and register (only for your first time). At the information desk there is usually someone who can assist you in English. They will then make an appointment for you in the correct department. You are given a number and and a room number. They will tell you whether it is morning or afternoon. The lower your number is, the sooner you will be seen when the doctor’s office opens. You can gauge when to arrive at the hospital by that. You go to the room of your appointment and there is a large computer screen on the door with lists of numbered names. You stick your card into the slot and BOOM!, you are all checked in. No paperwork, nothing. You wait for your number to be called. If you have missed your number, they will double back to it shortly.

After you see the doctor, you pay a small amount for your visit at the check out counter. Then you go to the pharmacy in the hospital with your papers and your prescriptions are waiting (for free). I loved that part. Everything is done right in the hospital and so easy.

For more serious matters, things get a bit complicated. I had a friend hit by a drunk driver. Follow the link to read about how different things are when you have to stay in the hospital.

Dental care is also excellent and very inexpensive. Without insurance, it is around $20 USD, with insurance, it is $3 for a tooth cleaning.

Holidays

 After traveling, I realized Americans work very hard with very little holiday. I didn’t realize how spoiled we were until living in Taiwan. Thanksgiving is on a Thursday every year and normally, we get that day and Friday off. If Independence Day falls on a Thursday, again we will get the Friday off. It’s like this for many of our holidays.

If a holiday is only on a Thursday and not the Friday in Taiwan, they are gracious enough to let you have the four day weekend. Here is the catch. You have to work on the Saturday before the holiday. All businesses that are normally Monday to Friday will be open on that Saturday to ‘make up’ for the work missed. This includes banks and schools as well, so students and teachers have a six day week. It is brutal. It took all of the fun away from a four day weekend.

The best part was while the foreigners complained about how outrageous it was to make people go to school on a Saturday, the locals told us it was so kind of the government to allow them to make up the day. Totally different perspectives.

Lottery

To encourage businesses to print receipts, the government developed a lottery system. Every receipt has a number printed at the top. Every two months, numbers are announced and you can win up to $332,000 USD. There are a variety of smaller prizes for matching fewer numbers. It is very wise to save your receipts and check the website every few months to see if you have won. The prizes can be paid out at the local 7Elevens.

Drinking water

The tap water is safe in that it won’t give you any immediate illness. Long term however, it is not recommended to drink. There are metal deposits that can be harmful. It is best to stick to bottled water, but you need to research your water. Some Taiwan bottled water is filled from the tap, so you need to be very careful which brand you select.

Earthquakes and Typhoons

On June 3rd, 2013, I experienced my first earthquake. I was sitting on my couch in my pajamas on a Sunday afternoon, when a rumbling began. I thought it was a large truck passing by, but then, my apartment began to shake. I ran to the door frame of my front door in terror. I then began to fear that the building would collapse, so I ran for my bathrobe. Just as I was about to tear down the stairwell, the shaking stopped. I was shaking and the building was still swaying. The earthquake was a 6.5 on the Richter Scale. The epicenter was in the nearby town of Nantou (30 miles away). Damage was minimal, but my new apartment had many new cracks in the drywall. By October, I was used to the shaking and able to not look like a terrified mess in front of my students when there was a big quake during school hours on Halloween. 

Buildings in Taiwan are made to deal with the earthquakes. The island has thousands per year, but you only feel a handful of them. This link lists all the earthquakes for the day, month, or year. The saying I have heard is: the higher up you are in a building, the more you will feel the earthquake.

There were two large typhoons during my stay as well. I lived on the West coast of Taiwan and the strength of the storms weren’t as strong on this side. Lots of wind, lots of rain, and no work. Very similar to my experience with hurricanes in Florida.

Taiwan is an easy place to live. It is safe, the people are very friendly, and there is plenty of teaching work for foreigners. A year was enough for me, but I could easily have stayed longer if there was more dating variety. For male foreigners, it is a dating paradise. For many female foreigners, it is a lonely island.

Changhua City, Taiwan

Changhua (Zhanghuah) is a small city close to Taichung. Like many Taiwan cities, it is speckled with random temples.

I lived here for a year. I won’t sugar coat it, I didn’t like it. I found it depressing to see such ugly buildings after living in the beautiful architecture of Spain. It lacked the natural beauty that I had been spoiled with in Colombia. It is flat and industrial.

It isn’t a beautiful city, but has a very large Buddha on top of a hill as its main tourist attraction. It is lovely and a good distraction from the dilapidated buildings below.

Dried squid and eggs from a variety of birds (including ostrich) can be purchased around the Buddha.  

On New Year’s Eve, fireworks are lit off all around the Buddha. It is pretty spectacular.

    

 Unfortunately, this is all I have for high points of this city.

Taroko Gorge, Taiwan

This would be my second time attempting to see the gorge. The last time, Ms. Essex and I were greeted by a typhoon that spoiled our plans. Taroko was closed and we had to go home unsatisfied. I was determined to see it this time, no matter what the weather did!

So this time, there were nine of us in two rental cars. We began driving east, across the island and over the mountains.

This was very out of place. Looked more like Europe than Taiwan.

We pushed our beat up rentals hard and drove above the clouds.

              

On the way, driving on highway 7 through the mountains, it began to rain and rain and rain and then hail. We were driving up winding, narrow roads and Taiwanese drivers found us too slow; often dangerously passing us on corners. One came so close to danger with oncoming traffic that he forced us into a guardrail. I didn’t understand why the bad weather didn’t make them slow down and drive with more caution, especially on such treacherous roads.

Their desperate attempts to pass and be in the front were to no avail though. There was a gigantic mudslide, covering the entire road.

We got out of the cars and watched as a digger and 20 workers came to sort the mess out. I thought we wouldn’t be moving for hours. We watched as more mud kept pouring down the mountain and over the road. Miraculously, the digger could get to work. After about an hour, they slowly began letting one car through at a time; while watching for another slide. When it was our turn to go, we raced through as the worker yelled at us to keep going faster. It was fun to have the excitement on our 11 hour expedition in the car.

After spending the night in Hualien, we piled back into the car and drove to the park. It was nice to finally see it! The weather was perfect, a big change from the previous day.

  

  

       

Our first planned stop in Taroko was the Baiyan Waterfall. The view reminded me of a spot I still haven’t seen, Angel Falls in Venezuela.

I walked into a dark cave, following the wall with my hand and slowly moving forward. I couldn’t see anything and cold water dripped down from above. After shuffling through the cave, I came out the other side to see the curtain of water cascading down.

  

We made it out safe, but soaked.

Making our way back through the park, we were stuck behind a giant tour bus. Coming up to a one laned curve, the bus stopped. There was another bus from the opposite direction trying to take the same corner with three more buses behind. We were all trapped by traffic from both sides. I got out of the car and began directing the traffic behind our car to back up. Six cars full of Taiwanese followed the arm wavings of a silly foreigner. It worked. The cars moved, the bus backed up. Getting back in the car, I was disappointed there were no pictures of me working as traffic cop. A stream of buses and cars passed around the corner and then we had our chance to go. It was smooth sailing after that.

I’m explaining to everyone why I am always right.

We found a temple.

    

I really wanted to see the Eternal Spring Shrine.

The main entrance was closed to construction, so we took a back path up a mountain. We crossed over a swinging suspension bridge and then began climbing zig-zagging steps. I hate stairs, but made it puffing to the top. More gorgeous views of the mountains and valleys below. There is a bell tower to honor the construction workers that have died making the many bridges and tunnels cutting through the park. We rang the bell and then continued on.

To my disappointment, there was orange tape blocking the steep stairs down to the Eternal Spring Shrine. With three weeks left in Taiwan, I wasn’t having this. I selfishly didn’t say anything to my companions and crossed under the barricade. I wondered what dangers laid ahead from the previous nasty weather. Worst case, I could always turn back. I walked down about 300 stairs and through a cave. There were a few rocks fallen on the path and some angry bats from being woken from their slumber, but besides that…it was fine.

  

The shrine was beautiful, but I quickly ran around it taking photos, trying to not be spotted by the construction workers across the river. I huffed and puffed back up the steps where my travel buddies waited and out of Taroko we went.

We decided to take a different route home and follow the east coast south and then cut across. We stopped at the popular tourist trap of the Tropic of Cancer Marker.

Women were dressed up in ethnic costumes and doing traditional dances. Very nice, but the star of the show was this man’s eyebrows.

We drove all day and arrived home in one piece. It was a nice trip. Taroko is gorgeous and one of the few sites in Taiwan that has genuinely impressed me.

Drunk Drivers and Bribery in Taiwan

After living in Taiwan, I didn’t understand why it was rated highly for corruption and bribery. http://www.transparency.org/country#TWN I hadn’t seen any of it and assumed it only went on with the gangsters or government. It’s not. It is viewed as a way of showing regret, so it is used by everyone that can afford it.

It was around 10:00 P.M. on a Wednesday night. I had just got home from work and was settled on the couch when my phone rang. It was my manager. She told me that my friend, Ms. Essex, had been hit by a car while driving home from work on her scooter.

The scene of the crime. Drivers drive on the right side of the road in Taiwan. Notice the car’s position on the wrong side of the double yellow line.

I later learned that she was hit by a drunk driver. The woman had made a left hand turn and gone into the oncoming traffic lane, hitting Ms. Essex head on. Ms. Essex’s leg had been pinned with her scooter and the car on top of her. Someone had to scream at the woman to back her car up to get it off of Ms. Essex. The woman seemed to not understand what had happened. Some friends of hers showed up on the scene and had her downing bottles of water before the cops could arrive. She still had a BAC of .08. She told the police that she had eaten soup with beer in it. With the police reports, CCT camera recordings (everything is caught on tape here), and photos of the scene, this woman was very guilty.

The small town hospital was transferring Ms. Essex to the Changhua hospital, so I rushed out to be there when the ambulance arrived.

I posted on Ms. Essex’s facebook page, saying that she was in the hospital and to give her parents my number. I didn’t know how else to get in touch with them. It is a scary part of living abroad. What if something happens? It’s not like you hand out your mother’s phone number to everyone you know. This worked though and I had her mom on the phone and talking to her in the ER.

Our manager dealt with the translations and clerical while I tried to keep her calm. She was in an extreme amount of pain from her leg and needed a tomography. I was photographing every x-ray and writing down everything the doctor said.

She had a fractured 9 tibia plateau and a depression fracture of the lateral condyle and the medial condyle was depressed. She would need surgery to have 2 metal plates and 16 screws put into her crushed leg. She wouldn’t be walking for at least three months, maybe even six months.

The doctor pulled me away from her bed to make some decisions. I felt uneasy, but there was no one else there. I instantly became the go to for the doctors and insurance company. The doctor asked, “There are two kinds of plates. This one is very expensive, but it is very very good. We have one that is less expensive, but she could have many problems.” I didn’t hesitate, “She wants the expensive one.” I learned later that expensive was the equivalent of $2300 USD. A bargain in my opinion. I thought Kelsey would agree with this decision.

I was also told we would need to get her 24 hour care, which would cost around 3,000 NT (about $100 usd) a day. I later found out that this care could not be attained, so I offered to stay.

 

Hospital care in Taiwan is very different from what I’m accustomed to in the West. Families take care of their loved ones in the hospital. The nurses administer injections, I.V.’s, and drugs, but the family empties catheters, bathes the patient, and provides any assistance the patient needs. No food is given to the patient by the hospital, this is brought in by family. No towels or soap are provided; this, along with lots of other miscellaneous things, must be brought by the caregiver. I didn’t realize this until the parents of a Taiwanese friend were kind enough to bring some of the basic things needed for the hospital room.

The next day, she was taken into surgery and everything went well.

One of the recovery gifts that didn’t include a box of apples.

Two plates and sixteen screws. She can now stick magnets to her leg. All of this metal could be removed after two years or left in for life. It is up to the patient.

Then the drunk driver tried to visit Ms. Essex in the hospital. This was shocking to us, but in Taiwanese culture, they do it to show regret and the cops would look very badly on the driver if she didn’t show regret. She brought apples, a popular gift for someone recovering in Taiwan. We give flowers, they give apples.

As Ms. Essex recovered, negotiations were to begin. It is normal for the guilty person and their family to be in the hospital room for this negotiating. We said this was very uncomfortable in our culture and had the family stay outside of the room. A relative who spoke English came in. I showed him the photos of all the x-rays before and after the surgery.

When negotiations began, Ms. Essex had already been given several wads of cash by the family for her immediate expenses.

Casts are no longer plaster. They mold plastic to your leg and then strap on with velcro. It can be taken off easily.

Insurance here works very differently too. In Taiwan, patients claim it on their insurance, even if it is paid by someone else, so basically the hospital gets paid and the patient gets paid the same amount. I explained that this is fraud in our countries and I was not comfortable. When I finally got our negotiator to understand that her insurance would cover all of her medical expenses, we began to understand each other. The money the drunk driver was going to use on Kelsey’s medical bills would now be redirected to her settlement. We spent ten days in the hospital. I don’t think I have ever been so tired in my life.

A few days after Ms. Essex was discharged from the hospital, a deal was struck. She was to be paid for the salary she would not be collecting over the next three months, taxi allowance, flights for her family, nursing care, and various other expenses. She had to meet the family to sign the paperwork. I believe this meant she couldn’t pursue the woman for any more money in the future. During the signing, the mother of the drunk driver asked how old Ms. Essex was and tried to matchmake with her son who was a similar age. The papers were signed. A huge wad of cash was handed over and the deal was done. In my eyes, this was bribery. It was a fee paid to make sure the driver didn’t go to prison and that the cops wouldn’t have to pursue charges against her. My manager told me that at any time, the driver could simply say she would go to prison and then she wouldn’t have to pay any money. So, in my eyes, they were buying her freedom. 

 

It was so interesting to talk to locals about it though. They didn’t view the insurance issue as taking money twice, it is how things are done. They don’t view what happened as bribery, it is showing that the guilty party is really sorry. 

 

This system is better than many things back home, but dealing with negotiations during the high stress of a loved one coming out of surgery is horrific. Expecting a drugged up patient who is in constant pain or a sleep deprived caregiver to make decisions is unrealistic. I was yearning for insurance companies, police, and lawyers to simply deal with it all. On the other hand, this way gave fast results, both parties walk away feeling better, and the lawyers don’t get a cut.

 

Kaohsiung, Taiwan

We arrived in Kaohsiung during the lantern festival. These funny characters light up at night to celebrate the event along the Love River.

Ms. Essex and I spent our first day wandering around town. Churches in Asian culture always surprise me. They just look so out of place.

We passed by this little plaque and I had to get a picture. Would it still be a building if it wasn’t certified?

The 85 Sky Tower, this is the second tallest building in Taiwan. Our hostel had a wonderful roof terrace and was right next to it.

That night, we walked down the Love River to see the lights and ate at Outback Steakhouse. Sounds lame, but I hadn’t eaten in that restaurant in years. I got my fill of steak and bloomin’ onions.

Me and the Love River

The next day, we took our scooters up to Shoushan (a.k.a. Monkey Mountain). We went up the winding roads to the top of the mountain for views of the city below. 

Temple at the top.

After the view, it was time to search for monkeys. We worked our way down the mountain on the bikes. After curving around to the far side of the mountain, we found a small crowd gathered around a group of monkeys that were hanging out beside the road.

After snapping photos, we walked into the jungle in search of more monkeys. We only had to walk for about five minutes. We were suddenly surrounded. They came out of the trees in every direction. One almost peed on my head from the branches above. When they realized we didn’t have any food, they lost interest.

The path took us to the coast. In an old cement fort, we came across a blind man. He shared some fruit with Ms. Essex while I crawled down the rocks to look for sea creatures in the tide pools below. There were lots of green crabs, but no other treasures.

At the base of the mountain, we stopped at The Pink House. It is dedicated to pink and Hello Kitty. This much pink scared me.

Next, we drove to the Lotus Pond. It is a very large pond surrounded by statues, temples, and pagodas.

We finished the day with a visit to the top of The 85 Sky Tower to watch the sun go down.

The last place I wanted to see was The Dome of Light in the Formosa MRT Station.

Above ground, the MRT is lit up pyarmids of glass.

Below is a world of color from stained glass.

It was absolutely beautiful. I’m very jealous of everyone who has this as part of their morning commute.

We had to leave Kaohsiung the next day. We sped up the coast, trying to get back to Changhua. We passed lots of duck farms about an hour outside of Changhua. I had to get a picture with my full bike getup on.

Hostel: Harbour Views 39

No.39, Lane 140 Xinguang Rd, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

p. +886-986704253,+886-970143766
email: harbourviews39@gmail.com

Can’t say enough about this hostel. It is located right next to the 85 building (2nd tallest building in Taiwan), so you can always find your way home. The rooftop area has great views, rooms bathrooms are clean, beautiful kitchen/common area on the 2nd floor. It is only about $15 a night. 

Kenting, Taiwan

Continuing our scooter journey south, Ms.Essex and I battled the Chinese New Year traffic into Kenting. The highway has two lanes for cars and a smaller third lane for motorbikes. I found myself dodging rogue cars; veering into the scooter lane to get around the frozen lines of traffic. It was frustrating, but after about two hours of it, we pulled into town.

The streets were packed with people and lined with hundreds night market food carts. Behind a cart selling large shrimp, we found our hotel. I was so happy to have a shower after the dirty, windy road. Our room was nothing fancy, but the hotel had made efforts to make it accommodating. Instead of a window, we had a wall mural of a sea view. I actually got a big kick out of it. Another interesting touch, I didn’t find until the lights were out. Black lights lined the molding in the ceiling, displaying a whole starry sky with planets. It sounds cheesy, but I loved it!

The photo really doesn’t do it justice.

Ms. Essex and I walked through the crowds. Since we eat night market food all the time, we chose to get out of the slow moving mass and into one of the vacant restaurants. It was odd all of the restaurants were empty, but I realized that when the holiday weekend was over, all of the night market carts disappear and they get business again. I enjoyed not being on a bike, having a nice meal, and people watching from our window booth.

The next day, we drove up to the national park. Examining the park map, I was shocked to see a nuclear power plant inside the park.

We entered the park and immediately went up an observation deck. After exiting the elevator at the top, my worst nightmare appeared in front of us. It was a restaurant, packed with screaming children, servers dumping left over food into slop buckets smelling of vomit. We went straight for the stairs. One floor down, we got the view with no restaurant and no people.

 

Ms. Essex and I followed the paths through the trees, caves, and ravines. It was a beautiful park, but something I probably won’t be seeing a second time.

That evening, we met up with our Chinese teacher, who was also on holiday with her husband. We dined off random delicacies in the night market and then piled into their car. They were taking us to see Henchun Chuhuo or Eternal Flame. It is a fire fueled by natural gas that seeps through the mudstone. This is a completely natural eternal flame that has been burning for almost 30 years.

I did make it to the beach the next morning. Everyone always raved to me about the white sands and how beautiful it is. I think I was too spoiled with the beaches of my past travels. It was okay. I wouldn’t wear a swimsuit because of all of the onlookers. The Taiwanese go to the beach fully clothed. And swimming is either not allowed or just not done. I spent the morning sitting in the sand and watching the waves.

It was amazing to see how clear the streets were compared to the night before. The food carts all disappear until the late afternoon.

 

By noon, we were back on the bikes. We had to get to Kaohsiung before dark.

Advice: A scooter isn’t needed if you are staying in the town of Kenting. Taxis are inexpensive and you can get them to take you to the national park and the eternal flame. The beach is a two minute walk from town. If you want a relaxing holiday, don’t go during a Taiwanese holiday.

Hotel:

Kenting Jin Cheng Guesthouse

No. 92 Kenting Road
Hengchun Township, Kenting, Taiwan

p. +886-8-8861506, +886-927726533; email: alan8861506@yahoo.com.tw,1396398106@qq.com

We paid about $41 per person, per night, but this was during the peak weekend of the holiday season.

 

Chiayi County, Taiwan

Ms. Essex and I decided to drive our scooters through the mountains on our way to Kenting for the Chinese New Year Holiday.

A few hours after leaving Changhua, I saw signs for a Honey Museum, we decided it was a good spot to stop and stretch our legs.

My best impression of the bees behind the glass.

We couldn’t  leave without buying some ‘pollen fudge’. We were both excited at the idea. Unfortunately, like most things in Asia, fudge is not really fudge. They were honey flavored chewy candy. Still alright though, but I wanted honey and chocolate!

As we rode further into the mountains, the scenery became stunning. It was so nice to be out of the city.

We followed curving roads through the mountains for hours. It took almost eight hours of riding to reach Tainan, but it was worth it.

Advice: Highway 3 takes you through the mountains and around the lake.

Driving a Scooter in Taiwan

Obtaining a driver’s license in Taiwan is not an easy task and not really worth the effort. Foreigners are rarely pulled over in Taiwan. Few of the police speak English well enough to deal with you. If you strictly follow the traffic laws, you shouldn’t have any problems, but if you absolutely must to have it, my advice is below.

Taiwanese Driver’s License

1. Fill out the medical form. You will have to go to the DMV and pick up the form before you can do anything else. You will then need to take this form to a hospital and have it filled out.

2. Several copies of your visa photo. If you have this on cd, take it to a local photo shop (Fuji Film is popular) and ask for the size need for a motorcycle license. I believe it is four copies needed.

3. Now you are ready to study for the written test. The link below gives you access to many of the questions asked on the test. It is offered in English, so you won’t have to memorize Chinese. http://www.tealit.com/article_categories.php?section=transportation&article=drivers_license

4. After passing the written exam, you will need to pass the driving test. The tests are usually conducted every hour and you are free to practice in between these testing times. It is highly recommended to practice before attempting the test.

5. After passing the tests and submitting the above items, you should have your license!

Registering Your Motorbike

1. To do this, you must have the original passport or ARC of the previous owner of the bike (copies are not accepted).

2. You need to get a stamp made of your name exactly how it is on your passport or ARC (alien residence card). The seller will need a stamp as well. This costs around 85NT.

3. The easiest way to deal with the registration is to take it to a mechanic and they will do everything for you for a small extra fee.

Some Tips for the Road

• Right turns are not permitted at a red light.
• Motorbikes turning left usually rush in front of the oncoming traffic at the light. The oncoming traffic yields to this.
• Horns are used to make you aware of a vehicles location with a short tap of the horn. It is not normally used to show frustration with another driver.
• Always be aware, it is common to see motorbikes going the wrong way and usually in your lane. Also, keep your distance from parked cars. You don’t want to get hit by an exiting driver.

Hualien, Taiwan

Thursday was a holiday in Taiwan, but Friday was not. The government allowed everyone to be closed, if they worked on a Saturday. I was very bitter and shocked that I had to work a six day week in order to have a four day weekend. I felt much worse for all the poor children that had to be at school on a Saturday.

So after the long week, I had four days of holiday. A friend and I decided to go to Hualien on the east coast. Hualien means lotus flower in Chinese.

There were warnings of a typhoon, but the weather predicted it wouldn’t hit until Saturday. We were crossing our fingers that the rain would hold off until then.

Our train arrived early in the evening. As I pulled out my map to locate our hostel, it began to rain. It rained almost non-stop for the rest of our holiday.

In the morning, we rented scooters to explore the seaside cliffs north and south of the town. I negotiated for the bikes in Chinese and was quite proud.

Southern coast

Hot springs south of Hualien. We basically paid for a private bath tub that we could fill with artesian well water. A bit disappointing.

 It’s been a while since my last hostel. Was glad to be out of the rain.

This was as close as we got to Taroko Gorge. The tunnel into the park was closed with a gate and a guard. We were so disappointed, but decided to head north and see more coastline.

I think that this river looks very different when there isn’t a typhoon.

 Rain pouring into the tunnel.

Shortly after the tunnel, the rain became so bad that we decided to turn back. It was nice to see such a pretty coastline.

On Saturday afternoon, we had had enough. Our train wasn’t due to leave until 2:00 A.M. on Sunday, but we decided to see if the train station would exchange out tickets for earlier ones. It turned out that all trains were cancelled due to the typhoon. We were giving the option to take a small local train north, and then a bus to Taipei. With our tickets refunded, we were happy to leave.

Exhausted and sick of rain, we managed to squeeze onto the local train north.

The holiday was a bust, but I did get to see some nice coastline and I had excellent company.

Advice: Don’t go when there is a typhoon. The majority of the spring, summer, and fall has spectacular weather.

Hostel – Surfing Formosa Backpackers Hostel 15 minute walk from the train station. 

206 Jian Guo Road, Hualien City, Hualien, Taiwan

p. +886 3 8352515/+886 0913 810 828 

email:taiwanbackpackers@yahoo.com