Have fun in Thailand, I mean, Taiwan, I mean.. uhh…..

After announcing our big move to Taiwan, I’m finding that there is one common theme to what people know of Taiwan. Are you ready for it? Are you sure? Okay, it’s really not exciting, but I’ve found that most people don’t know anything about Taiwan. I’ve been asked if I’m excited to try the Phad Thai (that’s Thailand, folks), if the Taiwanese are under Communist rule (that’s China), and of course, where the country is located. So, in honor of education, I decided to type up a quick little ditty on my layman’s knowledge of Taiwan.  

Taiwan is a small island located about 100 miles off the east coast of China. It sits between Japan and the Philippines, and is home to around 25 million people. In regards to language, most of the older generation speaks Taiwanese, but the schools instruct using Mandarin. I would imagine over the next 50 years, there will be more Mandarin speakers in Taiwan than Taiwanese speakers. The island of Taiwan has an indigenous population, and from what I can remember, they have similar statistics to the United States’ Native Americans. In regards to the history, I’m not exact on the dates, but I know that in the 1500-1600 time periods, Taiwan was settled by the Dutch. After that, from the 1600’s to the late 1800’s, it was ruled by both the Qing and the Ming Dynasties (China). Japan was able to gain control of the island at the turn of the century, and ruled until they were defeated in WW II. At that time, there was internal strife in China between Mao (the Communists) and Chiang Kai-shek (the KMT), with the eventual defeat of Kai-shek and the KMT. In their retreat of Mainland China, Chian Kai-shek found safety in Taiwan with about 2 million other Chinese, and established the ROC (Republic of China), which Taiwan is still considered today. The politics are a bit muddled, but I know Taiwan was run under martial law through the 1980’s, and it wasn’t until recently that Taiwan democratically elected their first president that was not from the KMT party.

The summer months of Taiwan are hot and humid, and the winters are very comfortable. When I was there during the summer, I sweated, a lot. From what I remember, there is a lot of fish consumed on this island (go figure), and the fare can be quite diverse. If you come and visit Jamie and I, you can satisfy any homesickness you might get with a Big Mac, Starbucks mocha, or my favorite, a Sprite and Snickers from 7 Eleven. However, we will encourage you to eat the local food with us (I’m excited to learn and EAT the local foods!). Taiwan is also known for its night markets, which have some of the best (and strangest) food on the planet. The night markets usually get going late in the evening, and offer anything from clothes, to squid, to pirated DVD’s, to shaved ice!

Mmm... Squid.

Typical Night Market Scene

Taiwan is a highly developed Asian country, where you will find air conditioning, clean water and “normal” toilets.  Although we aren’t 100% certain, it looks like Jamie and I will be living in the city of Taipei. This is the largest city in Taiwan, and has population of around 7 million people. There are many different districts of Taipei, all of which have their own unique features (mountains, rivers, night markets, etc.). Having spent some time in Taipei in 2005, I know that there isn’t a city on the west coast of the United States that matches the hustle and bustle of Taipei. Even though it sounds intimidating, I’m excited to get there and experience all that it has to offer! If you have questions about Taiwan, feel free to post them in the comments section. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll either find it, or wait until I’m over there and experience it firsthand and then share with you.

Taipei 101 and the surrounding city

Presidential Palace

Scooootttteeerrrrssss!