JSLALALAND

CITY & ITS PEOPLE

Moving from Taiwan

In two parts: the stuff that's hardest to get used to after moving from Taiwan to the US.

Translated from Jasmine’s original Chinese. The illustrated slides are on the interactive reader.

Key points

Full text

  1. A two-parter

    When you move from Taiwan to the US, what throws you usually isn't the big stuff. It's the little things you run into every day.

  2. Part 1: the price isn't the price

    Sticker prices don't include tax, and restaurants add a tip on top. See $100, and start the math at $110.

  3. Part 1: no corner convenience store

    In Taiwan there's a 24-hour convenience store a five-minute walk away; in LA you drive to CVS, and most of them close at night.

  4. Part 1: you drive everywhere

    You drive for coffee, you drive to the gym. A license isn't a bonus, it's survival.

  5. Part 1: the units

    Temperature in Fahrenheit, distance in miles, drinks in ounces, and dates go month/day/year. Your brain never stops converting.

  6. Part 2: ice water

    Sit down at a restaurant and a giant glass of ice water appears, summer or winter. Want it warm? You have to ask.

  7. Part 2: seeing a doctor

    In Taiwan you sign in and see someone that day; in the US you book, you wait, then you see the bill. For small stuff, start with urgent care.

  8. Part 2: "How are you?"

    Everyone asks "how are you," but nobody actually wants the full answer. "Good, you?" is all you need.

  9. Last thing

    All of this becomes normal eventually. Except one thing that never goes away: you still miss Taiwan's convenience stores.

In this series

Read it with the slides →

An original JSLALALAND field guide by Jasmine Chang (@jslalaland).