Coming to Taiwan for the first time has been an incredible experience. Many things here are so different from what I’m used to at home or even from what I’ve seen in other countries. I’m happy to have the opportunity to be able to discuss some of what I’ve observed in this blog post. I hope that, if you get the chance to travel to Taiwan (and visit Hsinchu), you will enjoy seeing some of the same things that I did.
Navigating the Roads
The roads here are very different from what I’m used to. Where I live in the United States, some of the roads are wide enough that people can park on both sides and there would still be enough space to allow for two-way traffic. Cyclists are either on the side of the road or on a bike path, and pedestrians would mostly use the sidewalks. If there isn’t a sidewalk, it isn’t a problem because there is usually enough space between any pedestrians and the cars. When I lived in France, the roads were smaller, but then again, so were the cars. Similar to the US, pedestrians would usually stay on the sidewalk and cyclists would either use the road or a bike path. Please note that I’ve only lived in small cities or suburban areas, so outside of that, I can’t say what the situation is like.
In Hsinchu, the roads can range from extremely wide to very small. Either way, they are a shared space. In other words, unlike what I’ve experienced in the United States and France, not only are there cars, but there are also mopeds, pedestrians, and sometimes even street vendors. Many pedestrians will walk under the arcades to escape the punishing heat of the sun, but not everyone. Some will also walk on the road because there is a parked car in the way, or they might just feel more comfortable walking on the road. Either way, the streets are much busier here than what I’m used to.
I’ve also noticed that the traffic lights have a countdown, which I find to be very useful because that allows you to know precisely how long you have to wait or how much time you have to cross the road. That being said, you have to be careful crossing the road. The best thing to do (as is the case in many countries) is to do as the locals do. Not only are they more familiar with unspoken traffic rules, but more people crossing means that cars are less likely to hit you by accident. Moreover, you need to walk confidently (after looking both ways – I cannot emphasize enough the importance of looking both ways). Many times, it feels like the driver will see you and will adjust their speed and direction based on your trajectory. If you hesitate, the driver won’t know what you’re planning, and might make a mistake. Of course, it all depends on the situation. Trust your judgment. If a car is approaching too fast to stop, don’t just walk into its path.
Navigating the streets of Taiwan is just something you have to get used to, and then you’ll be able to get from point A to point B without any problems.
Food & Restaurants
One thing I heard from everyone I talked to about going to Taiwan was that the food is amazing, and it’s true. I feel like you can find such a wide variety of dishes here: Hokkien, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Italian, and the list goes on. Everything I’ve tried so far has been delicious and affordable. Of course, you absolutely must try some bubble tea (珍珠奶茶) as it was invented in Taiwan.
Something I had to learn is how to order at restaurants. The way it works (in many places) is that they’ll have a small clipboard with their menu available as well as something to write with. When you enter, you pick up the menu and either sit down at a table or stay standing if you’re planning to get takeout. If you’re going to eat in, you either put a mark next to “內用” or write down your table number (桌號). If you’re getting takeout, you put a mark next to “外帶”. After that, find the dish(es) you want and mark how many of each dish you want using their tallying system. Rather than writing a number, you write the character below in the order shown in the image below (from DigMandarin) to indicate how much of a dish you want.
Like many restaurants, the names they use for dishes don’t always describe what they are, but there are helpful clues. Often, the dishes will be grouped into categories such as drinks (飲料), noodle dishes (麵類), rice dishes (飯類), wontons (抄手/馄饨), soup (湯類), side dishes (小菜類), dessert (甜點), etc. and if you know names for certain meats, veggies, etc. you should be able to get a dish that you like. For breakfast, I like to look for egg pancake (蛋饼), baked cake (燒餅), or soy milk (豆漿). For lunch, I like getting chicken cutlet (雞排) with rice and vegetables (often 青江菜 or bok choy). For dinner, I’ve tried noodle dishes, rice dishes, wonton soup, etc. If you’re in Hsinchu, a nice place to go if you want a lot of options (although it can be overwhelming and a little more expensive) is the nearby department store, Big City (巨城).
When I came to Taiwan I had high expectations for the food, and I am happy to report that I was not disappointed. I usually like to cook for myself, but given how affordable and good the food is here (and the fact that there is no kitchen available), it just makes sense to eat out and take advantage of this opportunity to try new dishes.
I hope that this blog entry has piqued your interest and will help you if you ever come to Taiwan. It really is a wonderful place to visit with amazing food.
Fulbright-Hays Scholarship Recipient
AC Study Abroad Need-Based Scholarship Recipient (sponsored by the generous support of the Taiwan Ministry of Education)
Taiwan Intensive Summer Language Program (TISLP) Participant
National Tsing Hua University (NTHU)
Hsinchu, Taiwan, Summer 2023