Taiwan’s brush with covid – update
The news that Pizza Hut has launched a “cilantro century-egg pig’s blood cake topping” in Taiwan is not the only thing to celebrate.
You won how much for doing what now?
It took us a long time to work out why shop assistants always looked at us like we were crazy.
What does gourmet mean?
Why would any society make high quality, delicious food for some people, and low quality, not-delicious food for others?
Taiwan’s unexpected covid spike
For 17 months Taiwan enjoyed a remarkable Covid-19 pandemic with almost no local infections. Then it went a bit wrong.
Microsoft can learn from Taiwan
In Hong Kong and Singapore we found paying tax was pretty much pain free. Austria was a bit more complicated. Switzerland was the worst. Taiwan was best of all.
When you speak, I understand!
For a tone-deaf foreigner attempting to speak a language with four tones, this was high praise indeed. Speaking Chinese is difficult.
Moving to Taiwan aged us 11 years
It’s not just the date that can be confusing in Taiwan, and which makes everyone seem to be 11 years older. Numbers are different too. Is a 20 ping apartment for 4 wan good?
Something fishy about your name
People can change their names three times in Taiwan. You might get lots of free food, and even make some money, but it can also lead to problems. Is Dr Salmon available?
Repeat after me: Bu hao yi si
Words and actions are what makes the Taiwanese social machine run smoothly. The use of courtesy umbrellas when it rains is great too.
Cold out? You need a bowl of sugar
People need to be very careful about what they say and how they say it in Chinese. Be especially careful about borrowing someone’s pen.