Yesterday was one of the longest days I had ever experienced, starting from 8 and ending around 8. It also involved the most exercise I had undertaken in over two months and was in conflict with my sedentary lifestyle. In the free time we had, we all explored the stores around our dorm, took the MRT to explore Taipei101 among other locations and then ended our night by going to Shaolin Night Market.

A few aspects of Taiwan struck me more different than what I was used to in the United States, yet at the same time, reminded me of some as well. Most notably the infrastructure system in general, conduct of the Taiwanese, and the sheer volume at the night market astounded me. The infrastructure system, the MRT or equivalent of the Metro in the D.C. area, is so pristine, for lack of a better word. The D.C metro system in general sets a standard in the United States and holds a reputation for being one of the cleanest and more efficient public transportation systems in the nation. However, in the few times we used the MRT last night, the D.C. one cannot even remotely compare. Its MRT card, the equivalent of a Smartrip card in D.C., is more universally used, making ease of going in and out of the station. The prices are also so much lower than what is in D.C. Fares in D.C. run anywhere from $2 to $5, and prices depend on not only distance but whether your trip is during peak or nonpeak hours. Here, fares run as low as 20 to 30 yen, which is the equivalent of around a dollar for one trip. It is so much cleaner, organized, and efficient despite the huge crowds. Another interesting observation was the use of line marks on the floor which meant people had to stand in line to board the metro. It resulted in no real chaotic scramble to cram into the subway. I was completely taken aback that people actually followed this line rule because if such a thing had been instated in D.C. no one would pay attention to it.

Then at the night market, the volume of people crammed into streets and alleys was astounding. However that’s not caught my attention, but the fact that the streets were relatively clean and free of trash. For a night market, dominated by mostly food stands that serve food in disposable containers surprised me. There were no trash cans so whatever trash we had accumulated through our food trek we had to keep until we got to the metro to throw away. The very fact that the Taiwanese manage to adhere to this trash practice to keep their streets clean was something that kind of highlighted their collectivist nature, and contrasts greatly with the more individualistic culture of the U.S.

In the next few days I’m looking forward to visiting more cultural landmarks of Taiwan and in particular the skills we are being taught in our cultural classes. Without knowing a single word of Chinese, I am afraid for regular Chinese class. The sheer amount that I do not know is terrifying. With the languages I do know, it is easy to apply some context and nonverbal cues in order to understand what is being spoken to me. For instance, I know French, but when people speak Spanish, the languages are somewhat similar enough for me to catch the gist of what is being said, but Chinese is kind of unchartered territory for me. Hopefully I can master a few phrases in the next couple of weeks.