Living
What the typhoon alerts actually mean
A yellow, orange, or red from the Central Weather Administration is not a vibe. It is a set of decisions about work, schools, and whether you should still go to Costco.
5 min read · Sep 4
How to be here
Living
The unglamorous half of an expat paper — and the half people actually forward. Civic homework, in English.
Typhoon days
Read the city, not the national headline. Bring the balcony furniture in. Do not go to look at the waves.
Trash night
Approved bags, the song, the corner. Miss it and you live with the bag until the next truck.
NHI
Once you are on the system, clinics become ordinary. Get the card as soon as your status allows.
The 3pm storm
It is a pause, not a canceled afternoon. Stand under the arcade. Carry an umbrella you can lose.
Living
The Friday trash ritual
Taipei does not have a chute. It has a truck, a song, and a set of bags you can only buy at certain counters. Get this wrong once and you will not forget it.
4 min read · Sep 3
Living
English-friendly clinics, without flying to Hong Kong
Taipei has a real medical system. You do not need a medical tourist corridor. You need an NHI card, a number ticket, and a short list.
4 min read · Aug 31
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