My Quarter-Life Crisis

So as it turns out, I picked up a nasty bug during my September trip to Scotland. Symptoms have included restlessness, inability to focus (on office work), uncontrollable daydreaming (about new and exotic places), and occasional drooling into my keyboard (after googling such places). I have contracted the travel bug.

This, combined with my upcoming 25th birthday, can only mean one thing –a quarter-life crisis. AKA, leaving my Portland job to see the world.

So, I hopped a plane to Taiwan last week with this lovely lady:

She likes to travel in style.

After a Tokyo layover and roughly 24 hours of traveling, we finally arrived!

First stop?

Food, of course!

This little joint at Shida Night Market cooks up a variety of meats and veggies with fresh garlic and delicious spices.

So good.

Molly and I are lucky enough to have a friend to stay with in Taipei–Jin Jin and her wonderful parents. They are AMAZING. They were kind enough to pick us up from the airport, are allowing us to sleep in their house, have helped us find our way around, and have fed us these delicious meals:

Peanut Noodles and homemade Miso

Chinese Omelette with hot Soymilk

Green Bean Soup and Whiskey

Yep, we’re a little spoiled…

Rest assured, we haven’t spent the whole week sitting around inside gorging ourselves.

Taipei’s bustling streets have me compelled to explore all the city has to offer. Although I loved the castles of Edinburgh, the contrast of Asian culture with the western world gives Taipei an intriguing edge.

Alas, the “dumb American tourist” status is more apparent than ever for me and my tall, blonde, florescent yellow companion…

Fortunately for us, all public signs and most businesses are written in English in addition to Mandarin Chinese. The Taiwanese people have also been extremely friendly and helpful. They always assist with directions, even when there’s a language barrier. Some have even gone out of their way to translate food menus for us.

We love them!

The past week has shed light on a number of Taiwanese cultural norms:

1. Face masks are extremely common in Taiwan. Unlike Americans, who are perfectly fine with coughing germs everywhere, anyone here with a cold or other sickness will strap on one of these babies without a second thought.

Far from dorky, the Taiwanese even use it as a fashion statement.

2. Scooters are HUGE here!

Every stoplight looks like this…careful when crossing the street!

3. DON’T DRINK THE WATER! I haven’t made this mistake, but the lack of water access has been very difficult to adjust to. Water must be boiled to drink, and bottled water isn’t usually available at the food joints around Taipei.

4. When riding up and down escalators, be sure to stick to the right side. The left side is for those walking up or down (and trying to get by you).

5. Unlike Portland 7-Elevens, which reek of bums and hipsters buying lighters, slurpies, and cheap hotdogs, Taipei’s 7-Elevens are basically upscale minimarts.

6. Ladies, do not be afraid of these:

Just...squat.

Sights to see!

National Museum of History

The Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial, which commemorates the President…you guessed it…

Chiang Kai-Shek!

And his neighbor, the National Theater.

And his other neighbor, the giant arch.

And some nearby gardens...

Annnd…a fish food dispenser!

Cool huh?

Speaking of food, back to the good stuff…

After warming up with some fried pork and noodle soup, we moved on to the real deal:

The Shilin Night Market!

When the sun goes down, the shoppers come out. Taipei boasts a number of night markets, where vendors sell clothes, shoes, accessories, toys, etc.

Remember those stuffed animal “claw games” that usually live in the entrance of Walmart…?

Ever thought you’d see a whole room of them?

However, the food is the real star of the market.

Oyster Omelette

Fish Ball Soup

Taiwanese Sausage in a “rice bun”

And my new nemesis….

Stinky Tofu!

A popular Taiwanese snack, this dish certainly lives up to its name. The smell wafts up and down the market streets of Taipei, and transforms me into an instant complainer the moment it hits my nostrils.

It’s bad.

Luckily, there are an overwhelming amount of other tasty treats in Taipei!

Is your mouth watering yet?

Well, back to grind!

(the unemployed, exploring traveler kind…)