Taiwan 101

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Why Taiwan?
What Is Unique About Taiwan?
Deep Chinese Culture
Foreign Influence on Taiwan
Taiwan's Religious Atmosphere
Taiwan Is Compact but Varied
How Is Taiwan Different than Mainland China?
The Chinese Language in Taiwan
Studying Chinese in Taiwan
Taiwan Has a Different Vibe
Taiwan Is Easy for Travelers and Students
Highlights of Taiwan History
Endnotes
Chapter 2: Who Lives in Taiwan?
Taiwanese Aboriginals and Austronesian Languages
Outsiders
Hakka kèjia rén (???) and Their Language
Taiwanese táiwan rén (???) and Southern Min Language minnán huà (???)
Bensheng rén (???) vs. Wàisheng rén (???)
Chinese zhongguó rén (???) or Taiwanese táiwan rén (???)
Insiders vs. Outsiders
New Residents xinzhù mín (???) and Their Languages
Fitting in as A Foreigner in Taiwan
Culture Shock and Dealing with Change
The Honeymoon Stage
The Negotiation Stage
The Adjustment Stage
The Mastery Stage
Endnotes
Chapter 3: Getting around in Taiwan
Flying in and out of Taiwan
Other Transportation Options
Taiwan High Speed Rail/HSR (táiwan gaotie ????)
Taiwan Railway (táiwan tielù????)
Via Highways
Inter-city Bus (guódào kèyùn ????)
Driving in Taiwan
Fantastic Highway Rest Stations
Taiwan's Metro System (jiéyùn??)
Taipei Metro (Taipei Mass Rapid Transit or MRT, táibei jiéyùn????)
The EasyCard (youyóu ka ???)
Public Busses (gongche ??)
Bicycles
Bicycling Infrastructure in Taiwan
Scooters, Scooters, and More Scooters (mótuoche ???)
Taxis (jìchéng che ???)
Travel to Taiwan's Outlying Islands
Chapter 4: Taiwan's Food Scene
Taiwan Food as Regional Cuisine
Taiwan's Take on Chinese Food
Tainan, Taiwan's Traditional Sweet Tooth Capital
Taiwan's Fusion Cuisine: Japanese, Western, Southeast Asian
Taiwan's Street Food Phenomenon xiaochi (??)
Taiwan's Amazing Fruit
What Is for Breakfast?
Convenience Store Food and Fast Food
Taiwan's Fast Food Chains
The Taiwan Box Lunch, biàndang (??)
Eating Hot Pot, huoguo (??)
Vegetarian Cuisine in Taiwan
Taiwan's Tea Culture
How to Eat Well in Taiwan
Eating in a Chinese Restaurant
How to Make Sense of a Chinese Menu càidan (??)
How a Dish Is Prepared
How the Ingredients Are Cut
Endnotes
Chapter 5: Living in Taiwan
Housing Overview
On-Campus vs. Off
Hotels
Long-term Residence in Taiwan
Taking Care of Daily Needs
Post Offices
Convenience Stores
Coffee Shops
Banking and Money
Phones and Sim Cards
Trash and Recycling Collection
Public Toilets
The 7-ELEVEN Effect in Taiwan
Health and Safety
National Holidays
Useful Apps and Social Media
Endnotes
Chapter 6: Studying in Taiwan
The Value of Education in Taiwanese Society
Traditional Asian Paradigms about Education
Taiwan's University System
Why Study in Taiwan
Where to Study Chinese
Making the Most of Your Time in Taiwan
How to Make the Most of Your Chinese Language Studies
Endnotes
Chapter 7: Working and Interning in Taiwan
How to Land an Internship or Job?
Industry-Academic Collaboration
Job Searching Websites
Taiwan's LinkedIn
1111 ???? (1111 rénlì yínháng, 1111 human power bank)
104 ???? (104 rénlì yínháng, 104 human power bank)
Through Connections (guanxi ??)
Taiwanese Business Culture
Strategies to Make the Most of Your Work/Internship
Endnotes
Chapter 8: Taiwan's Diverse Geography
Taipei and Northern Taiwan
Taichung and Western Taiwan
Hualien and Eastern Taiwan
Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Southern Taiwan
Outlying Islands
Endnotes