Some good points

Reading some of my previous posts, I'm noticing that the general tone might sound as one-sidedly critical of Taiwan and everything Taiwanese. More than anything, this has to do with my strong propensity for sarcasm and feeling (lacking any evidence) that this just suits me better. That is not to say that I don't like Taiwan though. I do, most of the time. This time then, I'm forcing myself to be positive.

One of the best things about living here is the convenience. Obtaining most necessities, goods or services, usually turns out to be very simple. On my first day here, when I needed to make a copy of my dorm room keys, buy bed sheets and few other essentials, I found all the shops right outside the university gate. When Noora needed to have her heels repaired, we also found a grandpa repairing shoes literally right outside the gate. Staff in a clothes shop were happy to shorten the just-purchased jeans, so as to make them fit perfectly. Getting an appointment in the hospital can be done over the internet for the exact date and time, so that one usually doesn't have to spend the whole afternoon waiting for their turn in the hospital. Traveling to any major city on the island is easy too - all I need to do is show up at the central bus station and odds are that there will be a bus headed to the desired destination within the next 20 minutes. And I'm sure that if I knew Chinese better, I would discover many other ways to make life easier.

7-11 sells just about anything one might need, it has decent coffee, ATM, and utility bills can be paid for there. And it is almost always open. At least until 11 p.m., anyways. Going back home, I'm sure I will have difficult time getting used to the fact that some shops close at 5 p.m., or 6 p.m., and that there is definitely no place to buy any food after 8 p.m. And I'm not even getting started with the weekends.

With that said, a fresh story from the gym. I was doing my excercises there the other day. A Taiwanese dude came in, wearing leather shoes, tight-fit jeans and a T-shirt. He was also accompanied by a girl, probably girlfriend. The guy proceeded to take his T-shirt off, check himself out in the mirror and do some weight-lifting. The girl sat next to him, staring at him with admiration in her eyes. When he switched stations, she followed him. At times, she yelled: "Wow, it's so heavy!" and "You are so strong!!!" At times, to reassure her that it really is heavy and he really is so strong, he let her try to do the exercise he had just completed, watching her struggle with an indulgent smile on his face. Only in Taiwan..