I had quite a few visitors here with me these couple of months, and what a treat that was!! It was kind of nice to see Taiwan through their excited eyes. So I thought I would write a bit about Taiwan and what surprised me about being here. It was tough to transition here but there are also wonderful things about being here that I am starting to appreciate. It has been almost two years now and it is feeling more like home here. Even my daughter said that I seemed happier here.
1) Excellent healthcare system
When I lived in the U.S., unless I was dying from a accident or had cancer, I didn't go to the doctor because it takes so long to get an appointment and it's so expensive! And in many cases, unless I was really dying, I didn't get any medication because the doctor would tell me I can heal on my own. But here in Taiwan, people go to the doctor if they have a cold or something very small. While my daughter was here, she woke up with a sore throat and she wanted me to check if she had strep. I couldn't be sure because all I could see was redness and I wasn't sure if it were strep when the white spots would start appearing. Because her time was so limited here, I didn't want her to suffer unnecessarily if she needed antibiotics for strep throat. So I took her to the doctor that afternoon and she got seen and came home with some cold medicine because it wasn't strep thankfully. I didn't know but Taiwan's healthcare system is ranked number 1 in the world!! Not only there are so many hospitals and all are affordable, but there are also tons of small clinics that you can choose to go if you don't want to go to the big hospital. I've been blessed with good health so far, the only time I went was when one day my eyes were bloodshot for some reason, probably stress because I had to give a speech and I was super stressed over it. Anyway, it was fine, I could still see and there was no pain, but everyone who saw my eyes made a big deal over it, so I had to go visit the eye doctor just so I can shut them up. I still don't like going to the doctor, but it is nice to know it's there when I need it. There are some people who travel here just for medical reasons, and it's still cheaper than U.S. even with the flight and room and board. So it's an option for some.
2) Friendly people
Although there are bad people everywhere, most people in Taiwan are very friendly and kind people. Some travel magazine once stated that the most beautiful scenery in Taiwan is its people. My first exposure was Ted's childhood church which is an older Presbyterian church. I was among the youngest there and it was like gaining a whole bunch of parents all at once. For someone without parents, I love how they always tried to give me advice and tell me what to do. Then my CR church is a bilingual church that has much younger people. All my sponsees were young, so I gained a whole bunch of daughters here. They talked my ears off and thankfully improved my Chinese listening a great deal. Most strangers are very friendly too. I like the old folks that sell veggies at the market place. They barely made any money, probably even lose money, but they are there everyday selling their things. In fact, I am surprised how much people love selling stuff here. I live by the major MRT station and sometimes there is second hand marketplace there. People would rent a table and sit there selling their stuff all weekend, it's the garage sale except you have to pay rent. But again they sell their stuff for dirt cheap and they spend all that time selling..... I just don't understand. A couple of times when I first got here, I stood looking lost, and there were strangers who asked if I needed help and some of them walked me to where I needed to go. Sometimes as we finish a meal, the cleaning worker would come and we strike up a conversation and they talk like they already knew me.
3) Public transportation
I live in the big city without a car, and I have been able to get to many places. Within our city, there is Youbike, MRT (subway), Light Rail (above ground), buses and ferries (taxi is affordable as well.) In between cities in Taiwan, there is buses, regular train and of course the famous HSR bullet train. My visitors were all pretty amazed the places we can visit with all the available public transportation choices. Two years without a car and we are still ok. Actually there are advantages because I had to walk a lot more and carry stuff, so it's like a free workout. And I don't have to pay for a car, car insurance, parking spot, car wash, car maintenance..... it's kind of nice.
4) Simplicity of life
We live in a small apartment of an average size here. Most people live in small places. We have to live simply because there is no room for extras. My friend from the U.S. is surprised and bugged that I don't own a vacuum, microwave, many small kitchen appliances, dryer, fancy water filtering system.....etc. There are a lot of things that I had in the U.S that I don't own here. But it's ok, I don't have room and I am OK without those extras. The urge to purchase is always there, but I am learning to do without things and be content. This Christmas there is a church fundraiser, so I'm donating a bunch of stuff, things that I purchased these couple years that I have not used. It's nice to have just the essentials. I don't spend a lot of time cleaning, organizing, putting away, or trying to find things. I think I like this simplified life because what I gained is time and peace of mind. When there is less stuff, we don't need to manage them so we get more time to do what's important and the living space is clean and peaceful for the purpose of resting, think deep thoughts and being creative. Most people do not entertain at home, they meet at coffee shops and restaurants. There are so many nice coffee shops here that my daughters love so much. Restaurants are fairly inexpensive so there is no need to entertain guests at home. In the U.S., I had stuff that are reserved for entertaining when guests come. No need for that here because we don't entertain guests. But I do have to admit that I miss all the holiday decorations, especially Christmas. I am starting to watch Christmas movies and listen to Christmas music now. I will have to enjoy the Christmas decorations and the cold through the movies. The stores are decked out because people love taking photos and the Christmas attractions means good business. But homes are rarely decorated because there is no place to store them after the holidays. I only have a bag of Christmas stuff that I will use to decorate my apartment and then put away. It really only takes 15 min or less. There is such beauty in living the simple life!
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