Things that confuse and amuse me about Taiwan

I have been keeping a running list in my head of the things that both confuse and amuse me in Taipei, so far.  In no particular order, here are my random observations:

Dog culture - I come from Portland, Oregon where there is a very strong dog culture...that is to say that nearly everyone has a dog and you see dogs everywhere.  They are being walked, they are hanging out under the table on the sidewalk at restaurants, they are running free in dog parks, they are happily hanging their heads out of car windows...suffice to say that I am used to seeing dogs as part of the daily culture.

But the dog culture in Taipei is another thing entirely.  If you see someone pushing a stroller on the sidewalk, there is a 50/50 chance that a small dog (sporting a sweater and a rhinestone collar) is inside the stroller!  And there's an equally good chance that a dog could be in a Baby Bjorn, a purse, or carried under the arm.  They just don't walk!  I have seen very few big dogs here and they are definitely walking, but the little dogs are everywhere and I swear they only walk when they get down to do their business.  Which is a whole other story...People here are quite good about cleaning up after their dogs but I don't see people packing around plastic bags like everybody does in Portland.  I've seen people use newspapers, fliers, tissue (ew!), and my personal favorite, a big leaf.

In the park near our house, there is often a man who lets his small white fluffy dog off leash to do his business.  He watches closely and when the dog is about to poo, he runs over and sticks a leaf under the dog's butt and catches the poo!!!  We have seen this same show on a number of occassions, so I'm pretty sure it's the "normal" way he cleans up after the dog.  Since there are no trash cans at the park, it is a mystery to me what he does with the leaf full of poo...

Speaking of trash cans, the only public ones you can find are at bus stops.  And they are tall skinny metal trash cans with a very small opening near the top.  I'm surprised that with so few trash cans the streets of Taipei are relatively clean. I have been told by local friends that the reason there are not frequent or large trash cans is because they don't want people emptying their household garbage into the public bins.  Why would they do this, you ask?  Because trash pick-up requires a little work here in Taipei.  You don't just set your trash out by the curb on a designated day.  Instead, you take your trash (already pre-sorted into specific colored bags for food scraps, waste, and recycling) out to the garbage & recycling truck that comes to your neighborhood every evening.

How do you know when the garbage truck comes?  Because it plays Fur Elise through loudspeakers, of course!  The truck stops in each section of town and people bring their garbage & recycling to the truck.  If they don't like the look of your garbage (i.e. they see too much recycling in the waste bag), they reject it and you can't put it in the truck!  Recycling is a big deal here, it's awesome.
Every night at 7:15 we hear Fur Elise, and I imagine for the rest of our lives when we hear that song we will think, "garbage truck is here!"

You know what you never see in Taiwan?  Bald men.  Why don't Asian men lose their hair like caucasian men do?  The only bald men I ever see are monks, and I'm pretty sure they are bald by choice.

You know what you see ALL the time in Taiwan?  People taking selfies.  I have never seen so many people posing for their own phones/cameras in my life.  Everywhere you go someone is posing for a selfie.

Restaurant reservations are a mystery.  At every single restaurant you enter, they will ask you if you have a reservation.  Sometimes it makes sense because you look around and the restaurant is full.  But just as often the restaurant is empty and they ask you.  If you say you don't have a reservation, they look all around, look in their reservation book, talk to another employee and explain that you have no reservation, and then reluctantly ask if you can be done with your meal in 1.5 hours because they have other reservations.  Um, yeah, we can do that.  Should be pretty fast service since there is NO ONE else in the place!  But sometimes, they will tell you they cannot seat you because they have other reservations...even when the restaurant is empty!  There is no walking in to a restaurant here, just make a reservation and save yourself the hassle and the confused looks from the staff!

In the US, hairstylists stand up and talk to you while you get your hair cut.  Here, they sit down on a rolling chair and roll around you silently cutting your hair.  Even the ones who speak English.  It's a very odd experience.

Not everyone understands the concept of appropriate hiking shoes.  I've seen multiple women hiking trails in HEELS.  What on earth???

There is a joke that Taiwan has a convenience store in every block and it's true.  But it's also true that there are more dentists here than I've ever seen before.  There is literally a dentist office about every other block.  And many of the dental clinics are named after the American university they attended for their degree!  Although Joe (and two other friends) did learn the hard way that not all knowledge transferred from the American schools.  After any kind of dental work (i.e. root canal, crown, cavity) the strongest medication you're going to get is ibuprofen, tylenol and some little homeopathic pills that don't seem to do anything.  Not a narcotic in sight, and Joe even had to ask to be numbed before the dental procedure started!

And yes, the ubiquitous 7-11.  I think I've mentioned this before, so forgive the repeat but I'm still amazed that 7-11s are for junk food in the US and yet here they are the most useful store around!  Every time you walk into 7-11 someone calls out a greeting welcoming you to shop, it's actually nice.  However, you also get a very specific smell every time you walk in.  They all have a food station at the front with a variety of different things, but the vat of hot brown liquid with eggs cooking in it is still a mystery to me.  Never seen anyone buy or eat one of those things, and based on the smell I'm not going to be the first to try.  But other than the smell, it's actually a very convenient store!  You pay your bills at 7-11 (just hand the cashier your bill, they scan it, you pay, get a receipt, and off you go), you buy tickets for concerts and sporting events, you buy your Easy card (transportation card), you can get coffee or tea and a whole variety of snacks including noodles, nuts, chips, and candy.  They sell both liquor and ice cream!  And they always have umbrellas for the unexpected rain shower that catches you unaware.  The most useful store around.