Now that all of the men have stopped reading (haha!) let me explain myself.
This weekend, a big group of us went to the zoo and Danshui (a port area with a night market). As I walked around both areas, I couldn't help but notice how cute the couples are in this country.
ooo look a panorama!
It seems (and this may be a stereotype, but it seems to be found true time and time again) that the men here are much kinder and more respectful to their girlfriends/fiancees/wives. Seriously.
They carry purses, hold hands, wear matching shoes (that one's a little weird haha) ...
And it's not just one guy I have seen doing this; it's all couples.
It's incredibly endearing.
Now, I'm not saying that all American men are jerks, I'm just saying that it seems that Taiwanese men overall are more romantic.
How could you not fall in love here?! It's so beautiful.
Perhaps it's a cultural thing. Maybe the boys are taught to treat their loved one kindly and with respect and don't get as corrupted by media that shows what love isn't.
I can honestly say that since I have been here, I don't recall seeing a single argument between a couple.
That's not to say that they don't have them, but, overall, the couples seem to have the right balance.
This is just an observation, I'm not going around and taking surveys, but love here looks different.
It's not an "all up on your bidniss" kind of love, and it's not a "let's fight every minute of every day" kind of love, it's just love.
I like it.
In Danshui, there's a bridge called Valentine's Bridge (or Lovers' Bridge or a bunch of other translations :D) and it's a famous area for dates.
the bridge.
We went there as a big group because it's a very beautiful area, and walked on the bridge. As we were walking back, I noticed a group of people standing in a circle with a boy holding (I kid you not) a five dozen rose bouquet and some sort of sign and a girl crying and talking into her cell phone. A proposal, right?
At least that's what us mei guo rens (Americans) were thinking.
NOPE.
The boy asked the girl to be his girlfriend.
That's.it.
I realize this was probably some special out-of-the-ordinary thing, but it just struck me as a perfect example of how the men in this country treat relationships.
I think in the US we throw around relationships like they are nothing.
I don't like that.
I mean, I understand that you don't have to think you're going to marry every single man you date, but I don't think that romance should be so artificial.
Love just seems more real here.
Who knows, maybe it's the heat.
Maybe it's the jungle.
Maybe it's all the cute Asian babies.
haha :)
Taiwan is just a romantic place.
I haven't just been observing love this weekend (although it seems like it from the novel I just wrote), I also tried a boatload of really random foods. Taiwan is known for its crazy foods, and I tried a bunch of them (I'm not going near that thousand year old egg though. Nasty.) at the night market in Danshui.
everything's a little different here... (that's squid)
stinky tofu? more like stinky NO-fu!
green bean noodle filled tofu...in Campbell's Tomato Soup (at least that's what we think!)
And you thought deep fried butter on a stick was weird...try pig's blood cake!
These were some tasty bits: green onion filled pork! yum.
Food here is SO FLIPPIN CHEAP. (I think I talked about this in an earlier post, but fo' real!)It makes it easy for a group to go out and buy a bunch of different things and share. Some were surprisingly tasty, and some were incredibly gross. It was quite the adventure!
quite the ice cream cone...bahaha!
This much iced tea for less than a dollar?! Fuh realz?!
Today, I returned to the church I went to last week, but this time I went alone. All alone. It was awesome. I felt so independent! Don't get me wrong, I REALLY enjoy the other uwrfers on the trip with me, but it was just nice to go alone. I even took a different way home and didn't get lost! So much fun :) Tomorrow's class is looking like it will be mystery themed! Got to play some Mafia!
Lauren.
ya gotta watch out for those hippos!
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