Popcorn

Fun Fact: The movie theaters here serve sweet and salty popcorn. They usually just give you the sweet popcorn by default when you ask for popcorn because that’s what the Taiwanese prefer.

In the beginning, I refused to get the sweet because I thought it was the sweet kettle corn which I’m not a fan of. Then, one time, they accidentally threw in a few sweet kernels, and I suddenly discovered a little piece of caramelized heaven.

Since then, I’ve been getting popcorn half and half because what’s watching a movie without salty and buttery popcorn which goes great with an ice cold fountain coke, right? (Although the popcorn here really isn’t that buttery. It’s an Asian thing, along with less cheese and less sauce on pizzas.) Salty on top, then when you get to the sweet on the bottom, it’s like dessert!

Now, I’ve been getting (probably hormonal-related) cravings for caramel popcorn and have been looking all over Taipei for some since I don’t think you can just buy concessions at the movies without tickets. First was the caramel popcorn imported from the States that I found at City Super, but that tasted funny. Then, the boyfriend suggested Herson’s Popcorn located in the food court of Shinkong Mitsukoshi (shopping malls) by Taipei 101. Now, that counter is seriously popcorn heaven. They have flavors from blueberry to bacon to cotton candy. We got a decent size bucket of caramel, green apple, and Oreo cookie for only $140NT ($4.38USD). Yum!

Late Night Theories

I try not to stay up past midnight anymore, but it’s a bit hard when there’s domestic abuse going on two feet away.

There’s something wrong with some of these Taiwanese women. Or with the men that’s making the women this way. It’s not like there’s a shortage of males to females, and I would know because I looked it up. (CIA Fact Book)

Today, on the very crowded MRT, a woman got on talking loudly on her cell phone and yelling at her boyfriend to return the money to her because she sold the house so it’s her money and even though she lent it to him, he still needs to RETURN IT. The entire MRT car, and probably the next one over, obtained all of this information throughout her conversation the entire time she was riding.

The lady across the hall yells and beats her boyfriend/escort/pimp (Who really knows what he is? Especially if he is so dumb or superficial to stick around after all the abuse? In my professional opinion: dude, grow a pair.) about once a week. She does it loudly, and it actually does border on insanity a bit, the kind where she really could use a padded room and straitjacket.

What I don’t understand is that if all of these women are so unsatisfied with what they got, then why don’t they go out and just get a new one? There are enough men for all of the women here on this island, and that’s NOT counting the foreigners. All they can do is bitch and moan about how these guys cheat on them or don’t do enough for them, OR they beat and scream at their “animals” with no mercy. (A while ago, during a fight, the lady across the hall kept calling her victim “你這個動物” (read: you’re such an animal) with an accompaniment of slapping sounds).

Come on, women, you can do better than that. If you don’t like the way he’s treating you, then MOVE ON. Live and be the “I am woman, hear me roar”! Trust me, you WILL find someone else, and he’ll be a hundred times better than the last one. Unless, you know, you enjoy going for the kind of guys who treat you like crap then you’re on your own.

I have even heard stories from American guys here about crazy Taiwanese ex-girlfriends who were jealous and possessive, and they would patrol facebook, email, MSN, etc. to ensure no other female contacts with their boyfriends.

Despite all of that, these women still insist on being high-maintenance. They would rather not cater to the guy, and if things aren’t perfect for them, then they really will lose their sh*t.

Come on, men, just because these women get all dressed up and pretty themselves up for you doesn’t mean that you have to put up with their crap. But also, don’t do anything stupid to deserve it in the first place.

So is it the men or the women? Is it years of unfaithful men and failed marriages that have bred the women to be like this? There are even many marriages here where the man is homosexual, but due to culture and tradition such as the need to carry on the family name, so there are infidelities and unhappy women all over the place. (I’m not making that up. I really do have a source.)

You know that phrase, “Crazy Asian Moms”? Well, I’m sure it started out as “Crazy Asian Girlfriends/Wives”. God forbid the lady across the hall to bear any children. Her children would definitely be abused to no end.

[Disclaimer: I'm not stereotyping that all Taiwanese or Asian women or men are like this. These are just examples from experience and observances.]

Saturday Adventures

I went to the gym today, and there was a girl there wearing a Texas Longhorn shirt. She was trying the machine next to the area where I was stretching, so I thought I’d be friendly and ask her if she was from Texas. She noticed my Vandy shirt, which probably helped a bit to lessen the awkwardness of some strange sweaty girl asking her random questions while she’s trying to work out, and talked to me for a bit. But she didn’t seem so keen to talk, so I finished stretching and left.

Then I went to Ryan’s to get lunch, this sandwich shop in Neihu with pretty good wraps, and I ordered a BBQ chicken in English (cause I didn’t know how to say it in Chinese). The girl at the register took my order, and then asked me if I was an ABC. She then went on to ask if I taught English and that I looked really young to be teaching. After our short polite chat, I was just waiting for my wrap when she then started the conversation with me again and asked me if I minded helping her with some English phrases. Sure, free English lessons are what I commonly do while waiting for food, no problem. So she whipped out this notebook with a few lines in Chinese and asked me to translate to English. The gist of it was some English-speaking guy/girl was mad at her and not speaking to her, and the girl wanted to make up but didn’t know to communicate her intentions.

This is what I do as an “ABC” here, although technically I’m a TBART (Taiwanses Born American Raised Taiwanese). I approach fellow ABC’s in awkward situations and give free English lessons to strangers all over Taipei.

Lost and Found

So remember my NYE’s story where I lost my purse and everything in it at the club?

Well, I got it all back today: cell phones, ID, lipstick, keys, etc. Apparently, the bag was found at the Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 2 Gate on Jan. 4th. Although, the airport lost-and-found just sent a notification letting me know that they have it. Here’s a map to give you an idea of how far my bag traveled in one piece.

The cash was all gone, of course. The person spent it at 7-11 and left me the point stickers to collect. How nice of him/her. I guess I’m thankful that everything was all still inside the bag, but I just don’t understand why. Why did this person carry my bag around all weekend intact?  And then, instead of tossing it in the closest trash can, he/she decide to leave the country and leave it at the airport to be found. Maybe guilty conscience? Who knows? Or maybe they read my threatening curse of karma coming round again and decided to repent.

Ah, anyway. I’m glad I got my stuff back.

Tipping

Fun Fact: You don’t ever have to tip here in Taiwan. Sometimes there’s a 10% service charge added to restaurant bills, but that’s only when you go to a nice, sit-down place to eat. The rest of the time, there’s no tipping necessary for anything: taxis, salon services, eating out, etc. I think hotel services and valet tipping is pretty much expected, but that’s about it. I mean, after a year and a half of living here, I still feel a bit awkward about not tipping. Sometimes I’ll tell the taxi driver or pizza delivery boy to keep the change just because I don’t want to deal with it, but the amount of it is usually so little that I feel more embarrassed than not tipping at all.

Ironically, even though there’s no culture of tipping here, the service here is still very excellent. I would say in about 90% of the places that I’ve ever been here in Taiwan from hair salons to fast food restaurants that required service of some sort, all the employees have always been very thorough and polite.