I was at the store the other day looking for a water bottle. They had two kinds that were exactly the same thing, with the only difference being the color. One was clear and one was dark grey. One was 37 cents more than the other, can you guess which one?
Thinking logically, I would assume that the clear one is more expensive as it's actually better since you can easily see how much liquid you have left. The grey one is more expensive though, and I'm assuming it has a lot to do with modesty in Taiwan. That people will feel embarrassed if others to see what they are drinking, even if it's water.
Taiwanese culture and it's rules and it's need to keep up "face" can be so restraining. This is one reason why foreigners are so sought after. It seems like one way to skirt the rules is if you are with a foreigner. It's as though hanging out with a foreigner gives you the freedom to go places, do things, and even say things that you normally wouldn't do in your everyday life.
Ha, that sounds a bit dirty, but that's not how it's intended. It can be something as simple as going to a restaurant that you'd just never go with Taiwanese friends, or taking a look inside a church.
Actually the one thing that is dirty, is their mouths. Taiwanese hardly ever say a bad word in Chinese, and if they hear one they will cringe. But they all curse like sailors in English.
