I’m in Taiwan this week on business. I’ve been having full days of meeting so the only time I really get to experience Taipei is after work. I make it a point to go out for a good dinner and tonight I took a bit of a walk. If you want to see my updates on my day you can read it from my Dayre here.
In this limited time I’ve had to experience Taiwan there are some things I’ve really grown to like about it. here’s a list:
1) The people here are super friendly
In restaurants or shops the staff are always really friendly. In my business meetings so far I’ve met very friendly people who are always keen to share things about their industry and their business even though I may not be in a position to give them any personal or corporate gain. Still, they take time out of their really busy days to sit down with me and give me insights into the Taiwanese market.
I believe the most valuable thing you can give anybody is time. So for them to give a perfect stranger from Malaysia time to teach… that is something I don’t take for granted.
2) The Food is awesome!
I’ve had all sorts of food. Last night I had toast, today for lunch I had xiao long bao and tonight for dinner I had one of the best steamboats in a long time. You can see the pictures from my Dayre.
What’s just as fun is shopping at the 7-11 or Family Mart that is full of the widest selection of food, snacks, drinks and even really misc stuff. Today I broke my USB 2.0 charger cable and was able to buy another one from a nearby 7-11.
I don’t really like the “smelly tofu” though. Can’t get past the smell. Took a bite once to give it a shot but had to spit it out.
3) Taipei isn’t very congested for a really big city
I’m really surprised at how empty the roads in Taipei are. In my two days of being here I got caught in heavy traffic for the first time today and only during peak hours. The traffic in Taipei though is nothing compared to the traffic we see back in KL.
On a regular weekday afternoon the roads around Taipei have really light traffic. The pedestrian walkways also quite empty. I can’t help but wonder where all the people are or how is it that this city is so well planned such that it doesn’t feel at all congested.
4) Mobile Data is Cheap
I paid about RM60 for a week of unlimited mobile data and 300 minutes of talk time. That’s cheap to me especially considering it’s unlimited. From my understanding it’s properly unlimited. Not unlimited in the sense where I get throttled after 500MB.
The LTE network here is great too. In my hotel I’m working off my phone hotspot to check my emails and even to post this blog entry. It feels fast enough for me to not even need to subscribe for the hotel wifi.
5) Taxis are awesome
You know how in some cities you flag down a taxi but you don’t dare get in until the driver tells you he’s okay to take you where you want to go ?
Well in Taiwan the taxi drivers here take you basically anywhere. Or at least so far in my experience, I’ve never had a driver turn down a destination. They’re all really friendly too and helpful. Everywhere else like KL, Bangkok, Philippines and other countries we have had to deal with some difficult taxis. Heck even in Beijing I found taxis unpleasant or often picky about where they want to go.
No such problem in Taipei. Taxis here are awesome and affordable too.
6) Bicycle Lanes
I notice bicycle lanes all over the city and I hear from my cycling friends that cycling in Taiwan is awesome especially in the countryside. In the city, many other cities that have the bicycle lanes as part of the road, the bicycle lanes in Taipei seem to be on the pavement instead. Feels a lot safer.
Perhaps that’s why cycling seems pretty big here in Taiwan. I see a lot of bicycles parked everywhere. If I lived here I would probably try cycling to work.
All in all I can’t help but feel that Taiwan feels like a little Japan. It’s certainly just as clean, organized and the people here are just as polite. It’s no wonder my colleague who came with me for this business trip loves it so much she almost wants to stay here to work.
Timothy Tiah – Co-Founder of Colony, Kuala Lumpur Co-Working Space