A Glimpse at Life in Taiwan Anonymous

It’s 10:30 pm, yet the streets are still filled with cars, with the bustling pedestrians. It doesn’t feel like nighttime. The glare of LED store signs, the glow of open dental clinics, and the glimmer of the myriad of food stalls in the night markets light up the Kaohsiung night sky. A great portion of the population has just gotten off work, yet some people are still working, the vendors at the night market, the employees at restaurants, dedicated doctors and nurses at both hospitals and private clinics. Taiwanese students study late into the night as well, what with school ending at 5:00pm and Bushiban (cram school) until 9:00pm.

Hardworking is one word that could describe the majority of the Taiwanese population, and I’m proud to witness this in my country. It is a driving force that runs the nation. It’s Chinese New Year eve. The highways are jammed. My grandparents are waiting for us, as are the grandparents of all those on the highway.

In Taiwan, we value family above all else. The elderly are especially respected and honored. Chinese New Year is a time in which children return to their mother’s home and eat lavish dinners with their extended families. Every year, at this time, we greet our grandparents, great aunts and...