Throughout my 10 days in Thailand, one of the most unforgettable things is that I had been mistaken as a Thai. Thai people spoke Thai to me and I replied in Thai in the first two or three sentences then in English. Do I really look Thai? Well, I think I look more Thai than Thai people themselves. The reason why I would say that is because I have become so much tanner and I would rather take their remark as a compliment than an insult because Thai people are so beautiful, as far as I am concerned. 

Thailand is the second foreign country I have visited and this was the first time my nationality was being questioned or doubted. Growing up in Taiwan and having surrounded by people from different nationalities and ethnicities, I had listened to their frustration and struggle which they have to go through, not by choice. I never had to deal with their dilemma and having come back to Taiwan, I still don't have to. I live under the privilege entitled to citizens only as well as the convenience of communicating in my own mother tongue; moreover, I did not have to adapt myself to a foreign food, culture and environment. However, having spent 10 days in Thailand which is the longest period I have spent by far in a foreign country, I have experienced, if slightly, the challenge all my foreign friends are going through every single day.

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I spent my CNY in the south and east of Taiwan. I was in Taitung (East) and couldnt help but noticed the long line queuing up outside of this Stinky Tofu place, my friend from Taitung also told me its a must eat! However, let me highlight a characteristic of this Taiwanese snacks, Stinky Tofu/chou4 dou4 fu3/臭豆腐: As you can tell from its name, it stinks! I grew up eating stinky tofu; I dont find it so stinky though. :P Yet the smell bothers many foreigners I know here in Taiwan as they drive or scoot by a night market. This video not only introduces Taiwanese delicacies but also recommends you to try it on for size if you ever visit the east coast of Taiwan, Taitung(台東). Zhu4 Da4jia1 Xin1 Nian2 Kuai4 Le4!!! ;)

Fun Taiwan, a program on Living and Travel, one of Discovery family channels,aiming at exploring culture, food and people of Taiwan, is now searching for a co-host. Many introduction videos have been uploaded on Fun Taiwan Group page on YouTube,it’s been a tight competition. In fact, the word “tight” doesn’t even start to describe it. Since viewers are allowed to vote for competitors continuously, a competing phenomena has appeared between contestants, is that some contestants’ supporters or even a contestant him or herself are obviously voting a particular video up with nonstop clicks while voting down other contestants’ videos, certainly without a honest evaluation being made. This has continued for weeks and it looks like it’s the way it goes. I don’t even think the numbers of vote on your video is the judging criteria of whether you are one of the first round candidates or not. It keeps at it anyways.

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