Friday 14 September 2012

Salt will make me 死掉了!

SALT will be the death of me! If I don't return it will be because of the excessive consumption of salt going on! It won't be from driving the car, or riding the scooter. No no, salt! 

It seems that salt is added to pretty much everything! My housemate put salt on chopped up pears! SACRILEGE! And in case you were wondering...no it doesn't taste good. How are the Taiwanese, on the whole, so tiny and healthy with the amount of salt they have in everything? I mean, I don't even put salt in the water when I cook pasta! I've always heard the old wives tale of if you have problems with slugs eating your plants or what not, then you must put salt out and they will explode. Well, I think I am a slug. Because I feel like I'm going to explode at any given moment! 

It's pretty weird being a foreigner in Taiwan. You are always very aware of it. You will always get stared at when you walk down the street, when you walk into a restaurant, everywhere! I guess in European countries and the States, and most Western countries really, you can almost blend into the background and the only thing that will give away that you're a Brit is by your actions. But here, you definitly stand out. It made me wonder whether I do the same back home. Do I stare out a foreigner? I hope I don't! Because now experiencing it, it feels like someone is always watching you, or giving you a double take and judging your Western ways. But I think it's just in human nature to try and suss out something that is different from yourself. But all that being said, the Taiwanese are really generous and hospitable. I've been given all manor of teas, drinks, weird foods, fruit and various other things. Today I went for a little stroll around Shalu and we had this kinda ice dessert in this place. The owner just sits down with us and chats away (of course I don't understand much, but the Taiwanese seem to appreciate when you try to speak to them in Chinese.) Then he gives us this freshly made tea on the house, and tells me next time I come he will give me some free desert. It's moments like that, that make being in a strange land pleasant and exciting. It makes me want to be more hospitable back home. I think our reserved British ways sometimes hold us back. That along with the stupid amounts of crime that make you afraid of trusting a stranger. Here, I've seen police once. Everything seems to be pretty lax and chilled out. Though I am living in Taiwan's version of the countryside...perhaps the big cities are different. I don't know. 

2 comments:

  1. Have you tried the pocari sweat drink? It's like salty carroty cabbage water. While the salty pears wasn't something I got a taste for, I shouldn't worry too much about all the salt, unlike in the cold UK they are consciously taking in more salt to make up for all that is lost sweating in the heat of the Taiwanese summer! That was the best excuse I heard there for extra salt on my chips anyway... :-)

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  2. no I haven't tried the pocari drink....it sounds intriguingly horrific! haha. That's not a bad excuse for salt! I'm still not convinced though hehe. See extra salt on chips sounds ok, but it's the extra salt on food that's not meant to have salt in the first place that gets me! Hehe. Hope all is good with you guys back home.

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