Day #113: Taipei arrival

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Today I flew from Kinmen Island to Taipei.

There are more Westerners in Taipei, more than any Asian city I have visited so far, many on business or to teach, but large numbers are here to learn Mandarin, as Taiwan is easier to get a visa for - and much easier to adapt to culturally - than China, though there are differences between Taiwanese Mandarin and classic Mandarin. I am often asked if I am a student here, whereas everywhere else I have been the question was always whether I am a traveller.

The Taiwanese are generally pretty laid back and Taipei is a liberal city - lots of alternative fashion and gay couples holding hands in the street (prostitution is also legal here). Recycling is a big thing - the place I am staying has has 8 recycling boxes for different trash. I thought the receipts box was part of this, but discovered there is a receipts lottery here - the receipts have the numbers on. The downside is a lack of public rubbish bins, supposedly to encourage the taking home of rubbish for recycling (and because, in Taiwan, citizens pay per bag of garbage they produce).

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