Being a tourist
Sometimes when I travel, I get the sense that people are truly curious about tourists. They view encounters as an opportunity to learn where do we come from, how do we think, eat and dream.
In other places like in Rajasthan, I got the sense that they would rather shake the tourists at the airport, until no money is left in their pockets and really they would be happy to send the tourists back home. But if they must stay, they will do their best to to see if anything more can be extracted from them during their stay.
Not so in Taiwan. People will wave their hands at me from store fronts while my bus was driving by. some will squeeze next to me in markets, so we can start a conversation. Time and again random people will approach me and welcome me to their country.
Jules needed to use the bathroom in a busy market.
We've approached a restaurant overflowing with customers and asked the waiter where is the nearest loo. He pointed upstairs to his restaurant and boasted that they have the best bathroom in town. The upstairs attendant thanked Jules for using their bathroom and urged him to come again while the waiter stayed with me and asked me as many questions as he could and once again thanked me for visiting Taiwan.
In other places like in Rajasthan, I got the sense that they would rather shake the tourists at the airport, until no money is left in their pockets and really they would be happy to send the tourists back home. But if they must stay, they will do their best to to see if anything more can be extracted from them during their stay.
Not so in Taiwan. People will wave their hands at me from store fronts while my bus was driving by. some will squeeze next to me in markets, so we can start a conversation. Time and again random people will approach me and welcome me to their country.
Jules needed to use the bathroom in a busy market.
We've approached a restaurant overflowing with customers and asked the waiter where is the nearest loo. He pointed upstairs to his restaurant and boasted that they have the best bathroom in town. The upstairs attendant thanked Jules for using their bathroom and urged him to come again while the waiter stayed with me and asked me as many questions as he could and once again thanked me for visiting Taiwan.
