You guessed it! While Taiwan is great, there are still some drawbacks. I think of these drawbacks as Taiwan's Gang of Four (you should look up this pun is you're not familiar with it): smelly, sordid, sick, sweaty.
1. I thought squat toilets would have been eradicated with the 21st century. I was very, very wrong. While the school itself has stellar facilities, the bathrooms are sick. They actually fit all of the descriptions of the Gang of Four. On the first day of school, I had to pee --a natural human function. What I was not expecting was a dirty, stinky squat toilet full of pee. Let's just say that it's been a week since I've worked at the school, and I've only had to use the bathroom one other time. I try not to drink so much water during the day so it's easier for me to stay clear from the Danger Zone, the Yellow Zone.
2. Running so I don't get run over by the motorcycles charging down the street = sweaty.
3. The weather is so hot and humid that I am always sweating. I also can't buy snacks if I don't eat them right away. For example, I bought some crackers and left them on my desk. Two hours later, they were soggy! I also can't keep Orbit gum in my purse because it soaks up the water in the air and becomes wet. Everything about Taiwan is sweaty.
4. The garbage trucks sound like ice cream trucks. I swear, they play the exact same music. Except, one is filled with bundles of frozen joy and the other is filled with smelly trash. The garbage truck also drives around the town picking up trash for two hours, so that jingle constantly plays in your head which is super annoying.
5. Eating food when you're not sure what it is or can't read the description = sick. Just don't do it. Trust me.
6. I have to sing a Chinese song to a class. One of the other teachers mandates this. Uh, I think I might be sick!
7. You can't drink water from the tap because it's not safe. I did not know this, so the first day I liberally drank water from the tap. When Angela came home and figured out what I had been drinking, she freaked out. But, I'm fin so far and it's been a week and counting.
8. 槟榔西施
This list will probably continue to grow, but this is it for now!
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