[x08]

Taiwan is very much the same.... As a foreigner, I get stared at all the time - but you get used to this after a while and it doesn't bother you. Younger, high school kids often get a kick out of saying "Hello" or "Hey, man!" and walking off giggling like little schoolgirls (even the boys). The one that gets to me is being called American all the time (No offense to the Americans here, but well... I'm not American)... Once at an acupuncturist's, a kid asked his father "Is he American?", pointing at me. His father replied that he thought so, but after a few moments, the kid replied again "Nah, he can't be... he doesn't have blonde hair."

Racism exists, and I have a few good examples of it, but I would say that it's mostly much like Japan. Curiousity and lack of information.

Communities are tight-knit here too, so I know everyone in my wife's 'community' though I don't even really know our nextdoor neighbours. Especially round my area, since we live in an older area of the city and there aren't many foreigners around here. 'GuanXi' is very important and can often play a big role when getting a job or haggling over prices at the market.

Getting used to cultures is different for everyone. I adapted fast and quite like living in Taiwan - but my mother stayed for a month and hated it. Different strokes for different folks.