Culture Shock

The Stages of Culture Shock
Source: http://howiscultureshock.blogspot.fr/

Even the most experienced of travelers experience culture shock, although the lengths of each stage vary per person. I experienced culture shock for the first time in Taiwan, probably because it was by far the longest time I've spent in another country. I was full of excitement and positivity when prepping for and arriving in Taiwan. After a couple of days I started feeling sick due to the drastic increase in temperature and humidity, lack of sleep during travel days, and change of diet. I also got homesick for the first time ever and began missing the comforts of home. After a few days, however, I got over my sickness, both physical and emotional, made new friends, became more familiar with campus, and fell into a weekly routine, I quickly began enjoying my time in Taiwan. At the end of the program, two months later, I was both sad and excited to return home to the United States.

A few culture shock points about Taiwan:

1. Mopeds everywhere... Almost every sidewalk has mopeds parked on it, some so densely it's hard to navigate even walking. Along with that, pedestrians generally do not have the right of way. It is up to you to use your best judgement and avoid passing traffic from mopeds, bicycles and cars. It also might surprise you to see two or three people and even dogs on a single moped!

2. Loose traffic laws... As I mentioned above, as either a pedestrian or a driver you need to pay attention to the road. Not only are there always mopeds and bikes darting and weaving through traffic, cars will also drive seemingly anywhere they can. Stop lights, compared to the United States, seem to be more general guidelines. It's not a big deal to drive through a red light and bicyclists can pretty much choose to act as either a vehicle or a pedestrian, whichever is more convenient!

Note: The first two points regarding traffic are opinions I made from my experience in Tainan. Other cities, such as Taipei, might be different.

3. Don't expect cold water... This one applies everywhere in Taiwan. In Chinese culture, cold water is viewed as being detrimental to one's health, especially females. People will give you many different reasons for why they believe this but the end point being cold water is bad for you. Ice water? Forget about it! You can, however, ask specifically for "bīng shuǐ" 冰水 at restaurants or shops. Another point about water, a lot of restaurants don't automatically bring you water. You have to ask for it or bring your own drinks. You're more likely to get complimentary tea than water.

Funny story: The Taiwanese masseuse at the gym I went to was absolutely appalled to find out that I (and most Americans) prefer to drink ice water. Her reason for drinking warm or hot water was because cold water makes people, mainly females, grow old faster. She literally stood there and watched me replace my ice water with lukewarm water and drink it!

4. Expect to sweat. A LOT... Don't worry, no one is going to judge you for having visible sweat stains because everyone sweats. Tainan is one of the hottest cities in because it is in the very south of Taiwan. If you go to Taipei in the north, the heat won't be as unbearable but you will still probably sweat. When packing, bring clothes that dry quickly and won't be uncomfortable. Personally, I avoided wearing jean shorts because of chaffing. I wore workout clothes almost daily specifically because they're comfortable and dry quickly.

5. Always have cash... This goes for any time you travel but especially in Taiwan and most Asian countries. Unless you're shopping at a big department store or an international company like Starbucks, you'll most likely need to use cash. Most of the food places and night market shops only took cash. Don't carry all of your cash with you at all times, however, in case you lose your wallet or get targeted by pickpockets.

6. Keep your receipts... In Taiwan, every receipt has a lottery number and the winners are announced every two months. Even 外国人(wáiguǒrén aka foreigners) can win!

7. Elevator "door close" buttons... This point may seem insignificant but it stood out to me enough to mention it. When you push the "door close" button in most Taiwanese elevators, they actually work! While in the United States you normally just wait a few seconds for the door to close automatically, in Taiwan you will be waiting for what seems like forever for the doors to close.