The end of the voting brings peace and quiet - I hope.

So Taiwan has been enveloped in elections, campaigning and voting, and more campaigning and more voting. We do not watch Taiwanese television. We do not read Taiwanese newspapers. We hardly even converse with Taiwanese locals. So how did we know there was an election going on?
We heard it.
Every night. Every morning. The wannabe mayors and representatives came out in droves and blasted their promises to the streets. They stood on soap boxes on the corners of busy intersections, with their support groups in tow, waving flags, giving away pencils and tissues emblazoned with their faces.
Little trucks meandered through the streets, airing the delegates promises out of large speakers.
Fireworks lit up the sky, scaring the stray dogs I am sure, continuously.
But now, the votes have been cast. Hopefully, the campaigning will cease. And we can watch a movie without having to close the windows as the sound of the trucks and fireworks takes over our living room. And we can walk calmly around our streets without having to listen to crackling speakers and staring at cheshire-cat grinning campaigners.
All we will have to listen to is the soothing sound of the ice-cream come garbage truck, singing its happy melody at 7pm every night. The closest to a noiseless Kaohsiung that we will ever get.

I DID try it on, and then I spent, spent, spent!

No silly 'can't-try-it-on-here' store was going to squelch my need for some retail therapy!
I took myself and my purse full of cash off to Hanshin Department store, a mere 2 minute walk from our apartment building, for some indulgence.

I found shoes that fit. I found jeans I could try on. I found a cute sweater dress on sale that I tried on! I even found a helpful assistant in the Levi's store that was eager to speak to me in English.

So I tried on, and bought.

Admittedly, I spent way more than I would have than if I had bought items from the cute street stores, but then, I couldn't be sure that they would have fit my oddly shaped body.

Looks like it will be quality, expensive clothes over cute, cheap ones here. And it is not my fault.

But WHY can't I try it on?

This is what I keep asking myself. Out loud. In a cute Taiwanese fashion store. I am asking myself because my Chinese is non-existent. Non-existent like the shop assistant's English.

I have walked past the cutesy clothes stores many times, admiring the girlie articles- the tops trimmed with ribbons/chains/flowers/beads; the tweed shorts adorned with bows and the lace trimmed jackets. I filled my purse with wads of NT1000 notes and went shopping. I found a cute embellished t-shirt and went to try it on. The fitting room was free - but - the assistant would not have it.

No.
No?
(pointing at sign on fitting room door that read) No fittings for sale items.
I once more made the universal gesture for trying on clothes.
Shakes head.
Confused, I put the top on the counter and walked away.

Unusual. Or so I thought. Apparently, that is the norm. Not only with sale items either. I went into 3 more stores and the same thing occurred. I even purposefully chose items that were NOT on sale. No. The assistant took the items off me - to put in the fitting room I thought. No. To fold and put into a shopping bag for me to buy. So I walked out. Confused. Again. And again.

As a foreigner in Taiwan, I am finding more and more things different here. I have a feeling this is just the tip of the iceberg.

You got Towed!

Yes we did. We are slowly, very slowly, becoming Taiwanese. We are becoming initiated, one little initiation at a time.

After enjoying a delicious and meal in Kaohsiung city, we walked the short distance back to our car. But instead of our car, we stared at an empty spot. After a little confusion, we came to the conclusion that we had been towed. We walked back to the restaurant where a helpful server called the towing company for us to make sure our car was there, and not stolen. We took a cab a short drive away even further into the city center to the holding ground.

Just a few of the many impounded scooters in the lot

Motorists paying their fines 

There were  many people there, paying their dues to free their cars and scooters. While waiting for about 5 minutes in line, we witnessed 2 tow trucks bringing in unlawfully parked cars. Both were silver. Since there are many, many cars parked unlawfully in Kaohsiung, my theory is; the tow truck drivers play a game. They pick a color, for example, silver, and tow only silver cars on that particular evening. It is only a theory... But you never know.

Evidence #1 of Color Theory

Evidence #2 of Color Theory

 We stood in line, waited our turn, received a piece of paper, and then drove our poor car home. The fee was not huge - $2000NT or about $66US. It was certainly a lesson learned on the art of parking in the city; Park in the white lines, or, get towed.

Evidence #3 of Color Theory

Boo! 

Men sporting Fur

We were prepared for some similarities and differences between Morocco and Taiwan. Driving is similar in Morocco and Taiwan - crazy with roads littered with bad motorists; scooters vying with cars, buses and trucks. Although, Taiwan does not have the problem of sheep, donkeys and horses vying for road space too.

Anyway, there is something that the men encounter that women don't. Fur. Not animal fur. No. Human fur. In Taiwan, body hair is basically non-existent, just like, I am sure, most Asian societies. The children at our school come from privileged backgrounds (I am told our school is one of the most expensive in Taiwan), with access to internet and television.

However, nothing prepares them for an encounter with male body hair, even if it is only arm hair, oh, I mean fur. Six year olds and sixteen years old alike, like to pet and pull at the fur on males' arms. They are amazed. They are also alarmed that the men with the fur don't shave their arms. They shave their face, no? Then why not their arms?

One male teacher with shiny blonde hair told me a story. A boy in grade 7, about 13 years old, petted the teachers fur. "You are just like a golden monkey!" the boy exclaimed. "Oh, no, wait. You are more like a golden dog!" he corrected his mistake.