From Taiwan

Taiwan has changed so much since the last time I've been. As the economy improved (the country took on more specialization in manufacturing and shed much of the production of cheap goods), and as the democratizing government started to adopt more progressive policies, the standard of living increased tremendously. Of course, this is an overly-simplistic rendering of what has happened (especially as China continues to threaten this way of life), but the most obvious bits and pieces were found in what people are now able to do in their everyday lives. My mom, who had lived in a rural town and then a suburban city for so long virtually glowed with the contentment of living in the city and being able to do nearly everything right outside her doorstep.


 
A neighborhood center in a pedestrian underground connecting two transit stations

Taipei's subway system is relatively new, and such a convenience. Taipei City government toured many of the world's best subways systems in planning for the transit system, and it shows. The subways are clean, have LED signs to tell you when trains are approaching, and maps are rendered in both Chinese characters and in English. It is no problem at all getting around the subway. Exits are clear and there is always a neighborhood map at each exit. I loved the services some stations provided, like neighborhood centers, above, or job training centers. The city also added bus lanes and is in the process of adding an extensive bikeway throughout the city (though most biking enthusiasts say that it falls short of other public transit initiatives).


 
A family at play at a rest area

Of course, one of the signs of progress for many recently industrialize countries is a national highway system. Taiwan is certainly proud of its own, especially of the newer Freeway 3 (which my father crossly stated is a tollroad, miffed that they didn't take his suggestion of renaming it "Expressway," but alas, that is how much the West is imitated). The rest areas for the highways are huge and offer so many diverse amenities that families often make the rest area the final destination on the weekends. In addition to the requisite restrooms and food vendors, there is often a playground, different green spaces, and some even have a culture center with live performances or a museum.


 

 
Flower boxes and a landscaped lawn at an aunt's house

Caring about the way a place looks and functions runs in my family, I guess. A great-aunt had flower boxes in her windows, although it only faces an alley and her front lawn was lushly landscaped. This is not the way the rest of her neighborhood looks at all, but she was determined to put on a good front for all the visitors who are just stepping off the ferry to her island in Kaohsiung harbor.

More to come...