Why China is not about to invade Taiwan
The risk of China invading Taiwan has been widely reported. It is not as it seems.
Taiwanese culture
Geek world heaven
If like us you are a bit geeky sometimes, Taiwan is a great place to be. You can buy all the latest electronic toys as well as bigger gadgets, many of which are not sold elsewhere.
Swirling, soaking, shuddering and smoking
We feel an earthquake every week or so. Then there’s the typhoons, the volcanoes and the rain.
The sounds of Taiwan
After the church bells of Switzerland, the first sound we noticed in Taiwan was the pleasing and lyrical chime that announces the arrival of the garbage truck each evening.
Banishing a troublesome spirit
To mark the start of The Hungry Ghost Month, a tale about a visit to a temple to banish a troublesome ghost.
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.
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?
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.