Quirky bits of Taipei

Here's a list of things I've noticed since being here that are kind of quirky a.k.a. different from what we usually see in Singapore

1. My weather forecast predicts "sprinkles" on some of the coming days. Sprinkles being light rain and when I say light, I mean REAL light... If you say rain in Singapore, we think thunderstorm or cloudburst or shower with visible rain drops. Today, I walked around in sprinkle rain weather. It's pretty much a fine spray like the kind you get when spraying from a spray flask (or when you spray perfume... it's like a fine mist of TINY droplets)
2. The streets are pretty clean DESPITE there not being many dustbins around. I imagine Singapore is so clean BECAUSE we have sooo many dustbins everywhere.
3. Most eating stalls, whether restaurants or road-side stalls, provide free tissue paper for their customers. The "put a tissue packet to book a seat" act from Singapore will fail miserably here
4. People are encouraged to not throw their used toilet papers into the toilet bowls. There are dustbins provided within each cubicle for this purpose. Apparently some parts of the sewage system still isn't powerful enough to deal with toilet paper.
5. People here will rather stand than sit on the priority seats in the bus and trains.
   
6. Plastic bags cost money here. It's not that expensive but reinforces the whole "use sparingly" mindset. Singapore really needs to learn from Taiwan about this.
7. The garbage trucks here make rounds and play music to signal their arrival. People wait at designated spots at designated times to dispose of their rubbish (that they have sorted beforehand)
8. When taking the bus, you have to check a sign above the driver's seat that will tell you whether you pay for your bus fares when you get onto the bus, or when you get off the bus. Their easycard system only requires them to tap once, unlike the EZ link in Singapore where you tap twice.
9. People give way to cars here. At certain intersections where cars are allowed to turn from the smaller street into the road, they will not wait for the pedestrians to finish crossing. Unlike in Singapore where you will see vehicles waiting for all pedestrians to be gone before turning.
10. Coffee here is mainly found in convenience stalls or in Cafes/restaurants. I have yet to find the equivalent of a Singapore coffee shop where one can buy kopi at equivalent of SGD 80 cents.
    

Ok that's all I have noticed for now... more soon as I go along I am sure.

Group photos on Yang Ming Shan

As promised in the previous post, here are the group photos!