The Public transportation is extremely convenient in Taipei. A tram system is like a huge spiders web, covers the entire city. However, the distances between stations and gaps between lines are still large. So, additionally, there is the bus system. Distances between stops are not too bad.  If you know which of the nearly 100 lines to take, you do not have to walk very far.  There is even an app you can download for your cell phone. Give it your starting and ending points.  It will suggest the bus lines, the schedules, and even arriving time of the next bus. You can also buy a “travel credit card.” You only have to scan it on and off any of the buses or trams and it will deduct your prepaid fees. Well, if you don’t know how to maneuver the seemingly complex system you would have to walk from the tram stations. 

台北的交通非常便利,我早就聽說節孕在那裡很方便.一直不懂那中間有什麼關係.現在才知道是我自己聽錯了.原来不是節孕而是捷運.和倫敦的 Tube,紐約的 Subway,或者北京的地下鐵是同樣一個意思.台北的捷運好像是一個巨大的蜘蛛網把整个台北完全蓋住. 可是線與線和站與站中間的距離還是相當遠. 雖然台北各地多能逹到,可是可能要多走幾步路. 台北又有公車,真的很方便. 要是你能夠明白那百來條路線,你就能省走許多路. 你又能在手機上下載一個小程序. 你只要給他起,止的地點,他就會告訴你要做什麼什麼車,甚至於大巴入站的時間.另外,你還可以買一張乘車卡,上,下車都刷一下就行了.

I have four gears in walking: neutral, stopped; first gear, a leisurely walk; 2nd, going somewhere; 3rd, fast, when the first flight is delayed and the connection is tight.  The people in Taipei have two speeds: stop and go.  The“go” speed is about 5 to 10 % faster than my third gear. Being in Taipei reminds me how out of shape I am.  A few days in Taipei will either run me down completely or get me into shape, no doubt. 

我走路有四個排檔:  1. 空檔,就是停着不動; 2. 頭檔,是散步;  3. 有目的的去那兒; 4. 要是頭一段飛機誤點,急急要去趕下一段. 台北人走路只有兩個排檔,就是停和走. 他們的走比我的快速還快10%左右. 住在台北就讓我意識到現在我真的不行了.住那麼幾天,不是要讓我完全復健, 就是要把我累死.

There are indeed a lot of people walking in Taipei, to and from work of course, and also shopping and food hunting. You will be surprised to see how many eateries there are, large and small, fancy and less so, food stands at street corners and alongside the sidewalks.  And all of them are busy all the times it seems.  You may get fried dow with meat, fruit, or bean paste fillings or even something like a sandwich only much tastier for a dollar or so,  You may stand at one street corner and see two MacDonalds one to the left, one to the right.  Yes, MacDonalds, complete with the double golden arches. On the higher end, there are also French or Italian restaurants where you you are served with cloth napkin, knifes and forks, with real French or Italian menu only much tastier than the real ones. On the Chinese side, in addition to simply food, I was treated once in a “tea house type” of restaurant, It was a light vegetarian treat served with choice tea in traditional cup.  There was even a flamed heater for hot water to keep our teas warm.

說到走,台北真是有不少行人.當然是有上下班的,有出去買東西的,還有走來走去找東西吃的.台北吃東西的地方真不少.有大飯店,中飯店,小飯店,還有不少街上賣吃的攤子.所有他們的生意可是整天都不断.這裡只要一兩塊錢你就能買到肉菜或豆沙炸糕.站在某些地方你甚至於可以看到一左一右兩個麥當勞.我不是開玩笑,真的有那個黃圈圈的麥當勞.往高價的方向說.這裡也有用布餐巾的法國式的,義大利式的,高级西餐館.高級中式餐館當然也很多,而且有各式各樣的.我就曾經被請去一家茶樓.在那兒吃了一頓清淡的素菜,而且有好茶相陪.

In addition to MacDonalds, KFCs, and Starbuck, what surprises me is the abundance of 7-11s (with the trademark red white and blue lines above the entrance we used to see in the US in the 70s and 80s), more dense than churches in Mississippi though not as dense as Buddhist temples in Kaoshung.  They are little convenience stores but more, much more: there you may buy or add value to travel cards I mentioned above; buy or add value to SIM cards (I got one for a phone number to use while I am in Taiwan); buy train and long distance bus tickets … This is a phenomena true all over Taiwan, not only in Taipei.

除了麥當勞,砍土鷄(嗐翻,通常作肯尼基),星巴克之外,最使我驚奇的,就是那無數的 7-11 (外觀與美國的七,八十年代的原裝一樣).其密度之大,竟可以超過我們杜蘭城的教堂.當然沒有高雄的佛教寺院的密度大.他們不只是日常用品的百貨店.你還可以在那裡買車票,買公車卡或者買電話卡或者給這些卡加值.不但台北如此全台灣也都一樣.

Of course, there are much more in Taipei: Palace Museum, Taipei 101, Sun Yet-son memorial …  You can find them on the internet as site of interest easily.  Here, I am only trying to tell some of my own impressions. 

當然嘍,台北不是只像上面我說的.台北還有很多很大的,很好的景點.就像是故宮博物院,台北101,國父紀念館 … 等等.那些大景點,你在網上都能找到.上面我說的,不過是我的印象而已.

Beautiful Taipei

Guanyin Mountain, seen from Danshui

2019.11.12