20 Bits Of Advice For Foreigners Moving To Taiwan

Heads up to foreigners planning on moving to Taiwan. There are some things you just can't be better prepared for...

Accept that you will never be Taiwanese.

Try to accept the fact that you will always be a foreigner no matter what you do: no matter how good your Chinese is, no matter how little you eat at McDonalds...

But still try...

If you’re the opposite of that and have no interest in Chinese language or culture, entertain becoming curious? For example, try not to always eat at Subway, or…learn Taiqi?

Always bring an umbrella.

It can rain at any moment. Getting stuck in the rain is not fun!

Never email a Taiwanese person.

If you need to get a hold of a potential employer, your landlord, or anyone else important - call. Read: Taiwanese people do not check or respond to emails.

Don't be surprised when strangers add you on Facebook. Their profile picture will probably look something like this:

In Taiwan, there is a phenomenon of "online friends," people who are not friends in real life, only on the internet.

When you see ridiculous things, just roll with it.

Panda's the new normal, right?

Be wary of your behavior in public.

People might take a "street shot" (街拍) and post it on the internet. If the gossip media picks up on it, you could become a bad kind of famous over night.

Likewise, if you feel moved to, feel free to take said "street shots" yourself.

...like this guy, whose cereal clearly deserves its own seat!

Get used to strangers staring at you in public.

Give up on trying to discern whether the person in front of you is a femme gay guy or just a butch lesbian...

Instead of complaining about the heat, just cook your breakfast on the pavement!

Find the obscure, one-of-a-kind restaurants, like the ice cream shop that serves ice cream in mini toilet bowls.

Or the world's one-and-only Barbie themed restaurant...

Don't be alarmed when you see an entire family on a moped.

Never try to meet up with someone at Taipei Main Station - unless you want to get lost for 10 hours.

Prepare to see more Taiwanese people holding wiener dogs than babies.

Taiwan has the lowest birth rate of any country in the world.

Feel free to fall asleep on the MRT!

No need to worry, either; theft is incredibly rare in Taiwan.

Don't worry, his teeth aren't bleeding; he's just been chewing on betel nut.

Never say "I like to eat tofu." （我喜歡吃豆腐）

It has another meaning: "I like to touch women's boobs."

Enjoy your time in Taiwan!