If you are one of those people who think that all Asians look alike, I'm here to tell you that you don't have to feel bad about it. To most Taiwanese all white people and black people look alike, almost shockingly so. You take any two western movie stars, and I guarantee you that I can find a person who can't tell them apart. For example, I've heard that Nicholas Cage and Tom Hanks look alike.
What might make you feel even better is that even in Taiwan, sometimes Taiwanese get confused. With everybody usually having the same body shape, clothing, hair style, etc, it's easy for people to get confused. Usually you can't go a day out without seeing somebody go up to another person they think they know, but then realizing it's not who they thought it was and trying their best to play it off. Better yet I love teasing my friends who feel they are so unique, but then somebody comes up to say "hey! long time no, oh sorry, i thought you were somebody else."
Of course this can also make very weird situations where perhaps two people are on the subway and think they know each other, but each one is too scared to be the first one to say something in case they are wrong. This usually ends with both people leaving and getting a message yesterday saying "hey were you on the subway earlier today?"
On the other hand this kind of anonymity seems great for having a peaceful and private life. As a foreigner who easily stands out, it seems like every few days I will get a message from a friend saying that somebody saw me around town earlier that day. This really hinders my career as an assassin.
