Day 2-4: Danshui, Ximending

I'm gonna start by describing some differences that I found between the US and Taiwan.  The cultures are drastically different.  I learned a lot by simply watching the traffic.  The roads are shared by cars and scooters.  There are about 100 scooters per block and much fewer cars.  Scooters go wherever they want.  In fact, they trickle through traffic and fill any gaps to be found.  I imagine it as sand finding its way into every crack.  People honk a lot, but not because their upset but because they warn others that they are there as to not cause accidents.  There isn't any road rage, people go about their business.

I've seen dog's riding on the scooters with their owner, kids standing on scooters without helmets and people carrying a trunk full of stuff between their legs.  Every man, women and child rides a scooter.  It's just the way it works because their are simply too many people for everyone to have cars.  

Life doesn't stop here when the sun goes away.  In fact, it picks up in many places and is more lively than the day.  Night markets, street vendors and stores all thriving at night.  We walk down streets where scooters drive right by us, using the same road.  They miss us by inches.  Because this place is sooo dense, I sensed that taking pride in ownership is not as prominent here as it is in America.  In fact, America feels rather cold, where people want space when their walking or driving and will get extremely upset if you get close.  I'm more hesitant to talk to people in America because everyone is much more defensive.  Here in Taiwan, everything is shared.  From the roads to the stores, the lack of space forces people to be close to each other.  Everyone goes about their business but are happy to help each other.  They all know how hectic life is here and understand when people need help.  People don't appear to hold grudges here. 

So what have I been doing lately?  I went to Danshui, a beautiful area on the water, for Valentine's Day.  I went to Ximending which is where my mother grew up.  I also had dinner with my Auntie and Grandma in Taipei.  I visited Taipei 101 (2nd tallest building in the world, formerly 1st).  101 is a huge, towering building with no building remotely its size in the vicinity.  I saw The Dark Knight at the IMAX (again).  When the lights went off, it felt like I was in the US.  Lights turned on, definitely not in the US.  I also went on a big ferris wheel (I was actually kinda scared).  I visited more street markets and ate stinky tofu (yum!).  I had a traditional Taiwanese dinner with family members, which included seafood and pig intestines (also yum).  Thats it in a nutshell.  Later!