In regards to my earlier post, I don’t mean to illustrate my own global ignorance more than necessary, but, seriously, everyone in Taiwan is Asian.

And I love that.
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In going around Taipei this last week, save for the 10-foot radius around the Grand Hyatt hotel, I saw:

.: 4 people of apparent Indian descent. They were a family, obviously on vacation, and they seemed shocked to see me.
.: One “Westerner”, as I am called out here. He was married to an Asian woman, though, and I got the impression she was from Taipei, or the surrounding area.
.: that’s it

I didn’t find this disturbing or astounding, but I did find it interesting. You will notice that there were no Hispanic or African descents listed above. None. As in: not even one. There were, admittedly, most likely a multitude of different Asian cultures swirling around my ignorance; but, I was unable to differentiate between them.

Tonight, I went to dinner with one of my Taiwanese co-workers, his wife, and one of his children. The boy, about two or three maybe, was at first afraid to even look at me (let alone try his English “hello”) and then fairly fascinated by me. In talking to his dad, I was really the first Westerner he’d seen up close. TV and movies, sure; but, living, breathing, and right next to him! What a shock.

So yeah, Taiwan rocks.