Taiwan is an odd place. Just now, I rode taxi to a dental checkup, only to realize the taxi bill was nearly double of the dental co-pay. What was odder was being complimented for good oral maintenance for the first time in my life, an extraordinary feat considering my toothbrush is supposed to last only a flight from Singapore Airlines’ in-flight amenities kit. I can only attribute my oral success to the Japanese toothpastes I’ve been using.
I suppose part of it is also the fear of going to dentist. Not that dentists are particularly scary, but rather they are just prohibitively expensive to visit in AMURICA. I actually speculate the extraordinary convenience and affordability of Taiwanese healthcare might encourage less healthy lifestyle, as cheap doctor visits are always right down the street.
Another common cognitive dissonance in Taiwan is food. Normally, people prefer nicely decorated fancy restaurants, but in Taiwan, the preference is the complete opposite.
Here is what a rough checklist looks like: Shady street corner, check. No menu, check. Drunk uncle drinking mysterious liquor, check. No roof, check. Amazing food, check. The list goes on, but follow this list and you are sure to find one of many hidden culinary wonders of Taiwan.
Or you can go with easy-mode: hop onto a taxi, ask the driver to take you somewhere good to eat, and prepared to be surprised.