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Showing you interesting things from Taiwan!

05/09/2024

Do you like thrifting or shopping at flea markets?

It's pretty fun, because you can find old stuff!

You may also find newer things at a big discount.

Maybe you'll find some lovely antiques, too.

This is Kaixuan Flea Market in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

I've only included ten photos, but there was so much more to see.

In addition to all these things, you can find; tea leaves, cheap toys, tools, new clothes and more.

Do you like thrifting or flea markets?

28/08/2024

There's a certain type of person in Taiwan that litters a lot more than others (most people don't litter, actually).

They not only throw little pieces of litter onto the ground and into storm drains several times a day,

but they also throw these boxes onto the streets.

Littering is very disgusting behavior 😤

Do you litter?

22/08/2024

The clouds seen from Cijin Island in Kaohsiung!

Nothing's better than an evening at the beach,

Looking up at the sky like this,

With the wide open ocean by your side.

16/08/2024

It's "Ghost Month" now and the "ghost door" opened on August 4.

That means you'll see lots of individuals and businesses making food offerings to the "good brothers".

They'll burn paper money (known as joss paper), as well, in these "joss paper burners ".

It's also inauspicious to do certain things until the ghost door closes on September 2.

You shouldn't:

swim,

go near houses older than 30 years,

go to the hospital at night, go near temples at night,

shout "ghost",

hang your clothes to dry at night,

yell at night,

touch the shoulders of someone in front of you,

whistle,

take photos on mountains or open areas,

type 7 or 0 thirteen times in a row...
.. and more!

Anyway, this joss paper burner seems to be going strong, despite being in two halves!

Is this representative of the tenacity of the Taiwanese people?

09/08/2024

Taiwan has a homelessness problem.

It's not as big as it is in other countries,

but it does exist and you'll see it occasionally.

I really don't know what's available for those struggling.

I've seen one food bank in Kaohsiung...
.. and I know there are charities for the needy.

But, what else?

03/08/2024

Have you ever seen a hardware store on wheels?

Well, there's at least one in Kaohsiung, Taiwan!

I've only ever seen it drive by and only once.

I wonder where it stops to do business.

Do you know?

02/08/2024

Have you seen slaps around Taiwanese towns?

Slaps are simply graffiti on stickers that artists slap onto public property.

They're supposed to have a political message or some other meaning.

I like this one because it's actually an original piece of art...
.. as opposed to those mass-produced stickers of other graffiti artists.

What slaps have you seen around your Taiwanese city?

27/07/2024

The sky the day before Typhoon Gaemi hit Taiwan.

23/07/2024

Are these crackers and cookies really worth the price?

They look just like traditional Taiwanese crackers and cookies...
.. but they're way more expensive!

Are they worth the price?

18/07/2024

Do you enjoy the heat?

Well, the world is experiencing record-setting heatwaves this summer.

Taiwan is no exception, but I'd say it's not as bad as in other countries.

Taiwan will be experiencing a rare "red extreme heat warning" for the coming three days.

Stay inside or come inside often.

Drink a lot of water.

Stay under the shade of trees.

Limit your outdoor activities to early mornings and late evenings!

14/07/2024

Do temples in Taiwan brighten your day?

If not your day, they certainly brighten your evening!

Did you know that pretty much all but the smallest temples have washrooms that the public can use?

So, the next time you're in need of a restroom break in Taiwan, find your nearest temple.

04/07/2024

Did I get you?! 😆

This scooter just rides around Taiwan Rickrolling everyone! 🤣

01/07/2024

Did you know that Kaohsiung's Library system has books in many languages?

Of course they have a ton of books in English,

but they also have books in Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese and more!

I'm sure Taipei's Library system has a lot of books in different languages, too.

Wherever you're from, don't let your kids forget the language of their ancestors!

30/06/2024

An ad disguised as a "no smoking" sign!

Very clever.

I'll call them if I need any plumbing or electrical work.

What is B.B.C., though?

28/06/2024

This is why Taiwan's streets are considered "unattractive".

Corrugated sheet metal and iron bars!

Corrugated sheet metal is widely used in Taiwan to claim public space that isn't privately owned.

Iron bars over windows also do the same, as well as protect against entrance and egress.

You can see that the first floor apartments have claimed the most extra space,

with the second floor claiming a lot of extra space, too,

and the upper floors only getting a little more.

22/06/2024

This is the cream wafer selection from Taiwan's most conscientious food company.

They all look so good 🤤

Too bad I'm trying to cut down on sugar.

So naturally, I check how much sugar foods contain.

I always read ingredients on every food item I buy.

I just wanted to share with everyone that with IMEI, I've never found a questionable ingredient, ever!

No, this is not a paid endorsement!

This company just honestly always uses good ingredients.

None of their products has artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, or other questionable additives.

19/06/2024

Kaohsiung City is cleaning up the sidewalks!

I think Taipei did this starting a long time ago...
.. but, finally in Kaohsiung they're moving scooter parking off the sidewalks and onto the street.

They took away car parking to accommodate the new scooter parking.

It's a good trade-off, though, because several scooters can fit into one car spot.

15/06/2024

Do you know which Taiwanese mountains these are?

12/06/2024

There have been a lot of thunderstorms in Taiwan recently.

These big, beautiful clouds only seem to appear around the same time as a lot of precipitation.

No matter how you feel, looking at fantastic clouds like this will make forget about everything.

08/06/2024

This is how a scooter looks after a crash!

It probably can be repaired, but I hope the riders were wearing proper gear.

The one thing I notice in Taiwan is that people don't strap their helmets on properly.

04/06/2024

You know it's hot outside when...

Have you ever been this hot?!

Kaohsiung, Taipei... all of Taiwan and all of Southeast and East Asia is extremely hot right now.

I've never sweat so much in my life 🥵

30/05/2024

Ahhh... to be young again!

The strength and freedom of being young is something which we don't understand...
.. until it's too late!

Just looking at these young fellows riding with their skateboards make me jealous.

26/05/2024

What are your feelings about Taiwanese residential architecture?

Well, you might not like the residential architecture of decades past...
.. but, I think you'll have to agree that what's in the photo is amazing.

It's a row of townhouses in Kaohsiung and the walls are not touching each other!

And there's a lot of private outdoor space for each house.

How about you? Would you rather have more indoor space or more outdoor space?

22/05/2024

Do you eat a lot of processed food in Taiwan?
你會不會吃很多加工食品？

If so, please read labels carefully!
如果是，一定要看成分！

A lot of food manufacturers in Taiwan add "sucralose" to their snacks and drinks.
許多加工食品廠會加「蔗糖素」在零食及飲料。

Sucralose is a zero-calorie sweetener, but it's really bad for your gut microbiome.
蔗糖素是個零卡路里甜味劑，會減少腸道益菌。

Yahoo!新聞報導：國外研究:不想吃太甜？當心化學人造甜味劑害你生病！

https://tw.news.yahoo.com/%E5%9C%8B%E5%A4%96%E7%A0%94%E7%A9%B6-%E4%B8%8D%E6%83%B3%E5%90%83%E5%A4%AA%E7%94%9C-%E7%95%B6%E5%BF%83%E5%8C%96%E5%AD%B8%E4%BA%BA%E9%80%A0%E7%94%9C%E5%91%B3%E5%8A%91%E5%AE%B3%E4%BD%A0%E7%97%85-005732505.html

18/05/2024

Do you know what this red ribbon is for?

It's seen on many scooters and cars in Taiwan.

I think it's supposed to protect the rider/driver from crashes.

However, I feel like the ribbons make the vehicle faster?!

16/05/2024

The streets of Taiwan.

You've seen one, you've seen 'em all 😂

(The traditional streets, anyway!)

Do you think the "traditional" streets of Taiwan are beautiful?

11/05/2024

Have you guys ever tried this street vendor's fries and chicken nuggets?

She's located in Kaohsiung, in the Shinkuchan Shopping District.

They're so good!

They're so fresh!!

The flavors are fantastic!!!

One interesting thing is that there's an old sign saying she sells flavored chestnuts (a type of chestnut in Taiwan that grows in water and looks like it has horns).

I'm pretty sure the chestnuts weren't that popular, so she pivoted to fries and chicken.

Good choice!

08/05/2024

Do you think it's a good idea to carry around pepper spray?

Well, for only NT$199 (about $8.45 CAD), you can buy yourself this at POYA.

It has a keychain and it's small, which makes it easy to carry with you.

It's funny that "self spray" is written on it, though; you definitely shouldn't spray yourself!

I don't know if this is really needed in Taiwan, but it doesn't hurt to carry it.

04/05/2024

Do you like trees and plants?

If you do, Taiwan is heaven!

Not only do most of Canada's orchids come directly from Taiwan...
.. but Taiwan has some of the most amazing trees.

Trees grow fast in Taiwan and the roots of these massive trees are always so beautiful.

In the Japanese art of Bonsai, these exposed tree roots are called "Nebari".

30/04/2024

Do you like soviet architecture?

Well, you won't find much of it in Taiwan...
.. but, I've found probably the best representation of it!

This huge bloc of buildings in Zuoying District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan is only 35 years old...
.. but, it feels like it was built in Eastern Europe during the cold war.

It was actually a government-sponsored build, in which the homes were raffled off to middle-class families and sold for a lower-than-market price.

Nowadays, you can pick up a 3-bedroom, 2-living, 2-bathroom apartment for around NT$5,500,000 ($231,000 CAD)!

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Do you like visiting the beach? It's wonderful to visit the beach! It's pretty clean at Taiwanese beaches, but there's still a little garbage and litter to be found. Some of it washes in from the ocean, but most of it is from beachgoers just leaving their trash behind. This is the first time I've ever done this, but I think I'll clean up at least a little every time I visit the beach in the future. If we all do it, Taiwan's beaches will be sparkling! #來自台灣的東西 #來自台灣 #thingsfromtaiwan #taiwan #台湾生活 #台湾観光 #台湾 #台灣 #taiwantravel #台湾旅行 #대만여행 #대만 #淨灘 #旗津 #海灘 #垃圾 #beach #beachcleanup #beachcleanups #cleanup #ビーチをきれいに #bersihkanpantai #Làmsạchbãibiển #해변을청소하세요 #nettoyerlaplage

Do you hate your job? Do you hate working? Well, you're not alone! Working for someone else sucks, but working for yourself may not be any better. Taiwan has a very entrepreneurial population. There are so many self-employed Taiwanese. Many of them sell food, manage stores, sell things online and more. Working for yourself is often even more tiring than working for someone else. Do you ever just wish to win the lottery? #來自台灣的東西 #來自台灣 #thingsfromtaiwan #taiwan #台湾生活 #台湾観光 #台湾 #台灣 #taiwantravel #台湾旅行 #대만여행 #대만 #工作 #做生意 #生意人 #生意 #做生意跟你想的不一樣 #entrepreneurship #entrepreneur #working #jobs #selfemployed #仕事 #직업 #pekerjaan #côngviệc

Did you know that Taiwan and Japan are like sisters? It's no surprise that Japanese love Taiwan and Taiwanese love Japan 🇹🇼♥️🇯🇵 Today, we met a lovely jewellery artist from Japan! She's at Hanshin Kaohsiung Arena selling her handmade jewellery in August. She's @big_land_11 She's selling alongside other artisans from Japan, with a group that hosts pop-up stores in Taiwan for Japanese artisans, @toki.tokyo.accessories Visit them until the end of August at: Hanshin Kaohsiung Arena Department Store on the 3rd Floor! #來自台灣的東西 #來自台灣 #thingsfromtaiwan #taiwan #台湾生活 #台湾観光 #台湾 #台灣 #taiwantravel #台湾旅行 #대만여행 #대만 #jewelry #jewellery #jewelrydesigner #jewellerydesigner #jewelryartisan #jewelleryartisan #飾品 #日本飾品 #手作飾品 #bijoux

Have you ever worked in an office in Taiwan? Did you put on a light blue shirt and navy blue pants every morning? Why is this the uniform for male office workers in Taiwan?! I'm sure they dream of escape every day, though. Do you dream of escape from your job? The song is in Japanese, but the English version is called, "Daydream Believer". #來自台灣的東西 #來自台灣 #thingsfromtaiwan #taiwan #台湾生活 #台湾観光 #台湾 #台灣 #taiwantravel #台湾旅行 #대만여행 #대만 #上班族 #上班 #salaryman #workers #officeworkers #サラリーマン

Have you ever wanted solid wood but couldn't find it? Well, if you're in Southern Taiwan, you're in luck! This weekend flower market in Fengshan District, Kaohsiung City has what you need. This booth is a family-run furniture maker that is selling the off-cuts from their furniture production. There are so many varieties and cuts of wood, all priced very fairly. Particularly, they have a lot of wood prepared for hanging staghorn ferns! #來自台灣的東西 #來自台灣 #thingsfromtaiwan #taiwan #台湾生活 #台湾観光 #台湾 #台灣 #taiwantravel #台湾旅行 #대만여행 #대만 #wood #woodworking #solidwood #flowermarket #台糖花市 #木頭 #實木 #鳳山區 #高雄市 #高雄 #鳳山

Have you ever parked your scooter but can't find it later? It happens a lot in Taiwan! In the past, you would just have to start walking around. But now, newer gas scooters and all Gogoro electric scooters come with a handy finding feature. Never lose your scooter again! #來自台灣的東西 #來自台灣 #thingsfromtaiwan #taiwan #台湾生活 #台湾観光 #台湾 #台灣 #taiwantravel #台湾旅行 #대만여행 #대만 #機車 #摩托車 #scooter #scooters #mopeds #xetayga #skuter #스쿠터 #スクーター #gogoro #狗狗肉

Do you enjoy the convenience of car parking in Taiwan? If you drive a car or ride a scooter, you know how easy it is to park your vehicle in Taiwan. However, if you want to follow the rules, parking is a lot harder! #來自台灣的東西 #來自台灣 #thingsfromtaiwan #taiwan #台湾生活 #台湾観光 #台湾 #台灣 #taiwantravel #台湾旅行 #대만여행 #대만 #parking #youcantparkthere #cars #streets #交通 #停車 #馬路上

Have you seen signs pointing to air defense shelters in Taiwan? The air defense shelter signs are pretty much everywhere. But, where do they lead? How does an air defense shelter look? Are they comfortable inside? Have you visited one? #來自台灣的東西 #來自台灣 #thingsfromtaiwan #taiwan #台湾生活 #台湾観光 #台湾 #台灣 #taiwantravel #台湾旅行 #대만여행 #대만 #airdefenseshelter #airraid #airraidshelter #military #defense #formosa #放空 #防空避難 #放空避難所 #放空避難處

Would the Fuhwa Kids beat the Berkhamsted Boys in a rap battle? The Berkhamsted Boys would rap in Mandarin Chinese, while the Fuhwa Kids would rap in American English. Chinese rap battle? English rap battle? Junior high school rap battle! #來自台灣的東西 #來自台灣 #thingsfromtaiwan #taiwan #台湾生活 #台湾観光 #台湾 #台灣 #taiwantravel #台湾旅行 #대만여행 #대만 #復華 #復華中學 #fuhwa #rapbattle #esl #eslrapbattle #berkhamsted #learnmandarin #learnenglish #languagelearning #highschool

Do you like Taiwanese chips? Your choice of Taiwanese chip says a lot about your personality! Choose your chip and read your results below: 1) Pea Crackers - You love beer and late nights at KTV. 2) Vegetable Cracker - You want to eat healthy, so you choose "vegetable crackers". 3) Patata - You're easygoing and your attitude is always positive. 4) Real Delicious Squid - You're very down to Earth and are a good friend. 5) Karamucho - You don't take no for an answer, but you aren't afraid to say no to others. 6) Oyster Omelette Chips - You live life one day at a time, enjoying each moment as it comes. 7) Prince Noodles - You always do your homework and study really hard for tests. 8) Kuai Kuai - You are obsessed with technology, yet you are superstitious. 9) Lonely God - You believe everyone is good and you have lots of friends. #來自台灣的東西 #來自台灣 #thingsfromtaiwan #taiwan #台湾生活 #台湾観光 #台湾 #台灣 #taiwantravel #台湾旅行 #대만여행 #대만 #chips #snacks #fortune #fortunetelling #算命 #零食 #餅乾 #洋芋片 #crisps #칩 #ポテトチップス #keripik #rangup #khoaitâychiêngiòn #patatasfritas #mgacrisps

Did you know that street parking is free for electric scooters? Well, at least in Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung! I guess it might be free in New Taipei City, too. It's only NT$15 per day, but hey, free is free. One more reason to get a Gogoro or other electric scooter! #來自台灣的東西 #來自台灣 #thingsfromtaiwan #taiwan #台湾生活 #台湾観光 #台湾 #台灣 #taiwantravel #台湾旅行 #대만여행 #대만 #機車 #摩托車 #scooter #scooters #mopeds #xetayga #skuter #스쿠터 #スクーター #parking #freeparking #停車 #免費停車

Sound on! Do you know all of these Taiwanese cuss words? Have you heard them all? If not, you need to get acquainted with local customs... ... especially if you live in Taiwan. What's your favorite Taiwanese cuss word? (includes both Mandarin and Taiwanese) #來自台灣的東西 #來自台灣 #thingsfromtaiwan #taiwan #台湾生活 #台湾観光 #台湾 #台灣 #taiwantravel #台湾旅行 #대만여행 #대만 #cuss #cussing #swearing #swearwords #髒話 #罵髒話 #趕羚羊 #pagmumura #bersumpah #mengumpat #chuithề #悪態をつく #서약 #

Did you go to school in Taiwan? If not, here's a glimpse into the lives of junior high school students in Taiwan! Many of them eat dinner at school and only go home to shower and sleep. They still manage to have a good time, however! Some of them, anyway. #來自台灣的東西 #來自台灣 #thingsfromtaiwan #taiwan #台湾生活 #台湾観光 #台湾 #台灣 #taiwantravel #台湾旅行 #대만여행 #대만 #國中 #復華 #復華中學 #學校 #跳舞 #kpop #magnetic #illit #illitmagnetic #dance #juniorhigh #juniorhighschool

Do you have cockroaches in your house? If you do, Taiwan has these "roach bombs" that you can set off in your house. Just add a little water to the cup and put in the canister and it'll start smoking. Leave it for three hours (with all windows closed) and it should rid your place of any pests! #來自台灣的東西 #來自台灣 #thingsfromtaiwan #taiwan #台湾生活 #台湾観光 #台湾 #台灣 #taiwantravel #台湾旅行 #대만여행 #대만 #蟑螂 #小強 #水煙 #cockroach #cockroaches #bugbomb

Have you tried Taiwan McDonald's black burger? It's made black using cuttlefish ink and this isn't the first time it's available. Now, however, they are promoting three cheeses. However, I think they're also trying to steal business from Dan Dan Hamburger. McDonald's Taiwan never offered a pork burger before (at least, not as far as I can remember)! #來自台灣的東西 #來自台灣 #thingsfromtaiwan #taiwan #台湾生活 #台湾観光 #台湾 #台灣 #taiwantravel #台湾旅行 #대만여행 #대만 #麥當勞 #墨魚漢堡 #墨魚 #cuttlefishink #cuttlefishinkbread #blackbread #blackburger #mcdonalds #マクドナルド #マクドナルド🍔🍟 #맥도날드 #bánhmìkẹpthịt #burgernya #バーガー #버거

Have you ever seen a narrower street in Taiwan? The spaces between buildings don't count! This is an actual street with painted red lines. I've been through alleys in Taiwan that were narrower than this, but they couldn't really be called a street. #來自台灣的東西 #來自台灣 #thingsfromtaiwan #taiwan #台湾生活 #台湾観光 #台湾 #台灣 #taiwantravel #台湾旅行 #대만여행 #대만 #streets #roads #narrowstreets #narrowstreet #narrowroad #narrowroads #街道 #小街

Which is your favorite store? There are several stores in Taiwan that everyone knows. Everyone shops at them and there's no such thing as buying only one item! These three stores are packed to the brim with everything and anything. You'll find things you need, things you don't need and things you didn't know existed! At Dream Mall in Kaohsiung, these three kings of retail are found right beside each other. #來自台灣的東西 #來自台灣 #thingsfromtaiwan #taiwan #台湾生活 #台湾観光 #台湾 #台灣 #taiwantravel #台湾旅行 #대만여행 #대만 #poya #daiso #9x9 #寶雅 #大創 #9乘9 #夢時代 #dreammall #shopping #kaohsiung #高雄 #쇼핑 #買い物 #belanja #membelibelah #muasắm

Do you see those flashing red lights on the back of the kids' heads?! They're wireless and waterproof headsets for the kids to receive commands from their coach. I've never seen this before - is Taiwan the only place with this technology? Or maybe it's commonplace amongst the swimming community nowadays? But at the end, you'll see that even with high technology... ... the swimming coach is still giving one of the kids an earful 😭 #來自台灣的東西 #來自台灣 #thingsfromtaiwan #taiwan #台湾生活 #台湾観光 #台湾 #台灣 #taiwantravel #台湾旅行 #대만여행 #대만 #swimming #游泳 #水泳 #bơilội #수영 #nadar #natation #berenang #renang #2050 #1950

Do you know about this hidden FamilyMart? It's on the 11th floor of this municipal government building in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. There's plenty of seating and a little food court on the same floor, too. I guess the food court is only really open for lunch, but the FamilyMart is open all day. There's also a FamilyMart vending machine, a post office and a bank on the first floor. You can pop in at any time to use the washrooms or fill your water bottles! #來自台灣的東西 #來自台灣 #thingsfromtaiwan #taiwan #台湾生活 #台湾観光 #台湾 #台灣 #taiwantravel #台湾旅行 #대만여행 #대만 #familymart #全家便利商店 #全家 #ファミリーマート #kaohsiung #高雄 #高雄市政府 #四維行政中心 #高雄市政府四維行政中心

Did you know that there are stop signs in Taiwan? Octagonal stop signs in Taiwan are rare, but the stop sign on the ground "停" is pretty common. Most people in Taiwan don't stop, however! I've almost been hit many times by vehicles not stopping... #來自台灣的東西 #來自台灣 #thingsfromtaiwan #taiwan #台湾生活 #台湾観光 #台湾 #台灣 #taiwantravel #台湾旅行 #대만여행 #대만 #stop #stopsigns #停車 #停 #停牌 #停標誌 #交通 #停看聽 #停看聽讓 #transportation #交通機関 #운송 #vậntải #angkutan #pengangkutan #transport