Taiwan 101

When Walt was away, I made an executive decision. Rather than Vietnam next, and temperatures near 100, I’d travel to Hong Kong and Taiwan, hoping he’d appreciate the cooler weather on his return.

He did, saying as much on yesterday’s flight. In fact, given we had onboard Wi-Fi, he suggested we research the once Portuguese Formosa, now the Republic of China.

So, just before touching down at Taipei International,

we concluded our introduction into the little Giant that causes Xi Jinping and the People’s Republic so much angst.

Granted, our research was limited, given the two hour flight,

but we’re hoping it will suffice until we get our feet on the ground.

Taiwan is a long, thin island, less than 300 miles top to bottom.

Midway between the East and South China Seas,

it’s closer to the northern tip of the Philippines than the southern tip of Japan.

Most of the population is Taiwanese, with mainland Chinese a distance second.

Fortunately, some indigenous remain, mostly in the central highlands.

Buddhists and Taoists make up the majority of those reporting a “religious” affiliation,

which makes sense given the reputation Taiwan has for being a peaceful country.

The population is fairly evenly spread from birth through 74,

though more than 5% are 75 or older.

The flag is a simple one,

a reflection on the nature of the people.

And “good morning“ in Chinese

is fairly simple as well.

You get a lot of Taiwan dollars

for just a few US.

And if you want to call home,

you generally have to do it the day before.

The Taiwan Blue Magpie

is the national bird,

Beef Noodle Soup

the national dish,

and “Taiwan Beer”

favored by 87% of those who imbibe.

When researching favorite jokes, Pa learned that this one,

or one similar, is at the top of the list.

Arriving well after dark,

at the Taipei Triple Tiger Inn,

it was too late to explore, other than identify our first landmark

just down the street.

But we’re looking forward to our first day, intending to order our first bowl of Beef Noodle Soup.