The magical differences of the human family

Footpaths are not common in Taiwan. You do not see many people walking.

Every road has a bike and scooter lane instead. Walking is not a thing. Although road cycling is. 

We haven’t figured out the cadence of shops opening. Coffee shops usually open from 11:30 AM. Closed a few days in the week, quite randomly. This is, of course, in rural Taiwan; it might be very different in Taipei.

If it can be sweetened, there will be sugar in it. To me, everything tastes sweet. We have learned to use the Translate app with NO SUGAR, please. 

I am appalled at the common diet. It is sweet and fried. So much fried food. And like the Japanese, everything comes wrapped in plastic. As Tony said, it is a cultural thing. The desire for safety exceeds the desire for sense or a healthy future.

100% of every part of an animal killed is on the menu. At the night market in Taitung yesterday, there were stalls with every single part of the duck available for sale. Heads, feet, guts. It was a little hard for my vegetarian animal-loving sensitivities. But the stinky tofu won the day. The smell quite overwhelming. I was not game to try it.

Given that Taiwan is mostly Chinese now, I wonder if this is the prevailing diet in China. If so, their economic hegemony is running side by side with health suicide. 

Finding food with lots of veggies is hard work, although they are grown here in abundance.  

Yet, despite this, it is why I love to travel. I want to make sense of the world, even with my bias, against a backdrop of geopolitical game-playing.

As the leaders of the ‘free’ world hustle for supremacy, create faux issues and deliberately incite wars and fear, the people get on with their lives.

Underneath our differences, we have so much in common. We want similar things. Safety, dignity, a home, education and possibility. To not be oppressed. To do work that matters. To be healthy and have access to health care. 

Our daily routines are different, how we live is different, what we eat is different. 

Yet we are the human family, and it is our differences that make us so magical.

Photo Taken October 25th 2025, Article published October 25th, 2025