PeachMonster

Taiwan and the United States each has its own culture and life style.
I deeply appreciate having lived in two different countries.
I was born and raised in Kaohsiung, Taiwan,
and now I attend school in Moses Lake, Washington in America.
When people asked me “Where do you come from ?”
I answer that, “I came from Taiwan.”
Some people would give me a questioning look because they don’t know where Taiwan is
and even think that Taiwan is a part of China.
They are all wrong. Taiwan is Taiwan.
Although we use the Chinese language in Taiwan,
it is a solitary island on the western edge of the Pacific Ocean.
To the north lies Japan, to the south, the Philippines.
On the other hand, almost everyone in the world knows where America is.
America has fifty states, and any one of those states is bigger than Taiwan.

Taiwan is an island of small size.
Everything in Taiwan is tiny: the roads, the houses and the cars.
Because Taiwan is so small, the traffic is very heavy.
Cars, motorcycles, bicycles and buses go everywhere.
Sometimes the motorcycles will occupy car lanes, so it is very dangerous.
That is why I was afraid to drive in Taiwan.
I always took the buses or Metro Rapid Transit (MRT) to places that I needed to go.
On the other hand, America is a big land.
The roads are broad, and the houses and cars are big also.
It seems like everything in America is big.
The traffic is not as heavy in Moses Lake,
and everyone pays attention to and obeys the traffic signs.
Because I think driving in Moses Lake is safer and easier than in Taiwan,
I can drive from home across town to school by myself everyday.

Taiwan and the United States have big celebrations, and they are surprisingly similar.
In Taiwan, our big holiday is the Chinese New Year.
We celebrate this holiday for about five days,
because it is a very important holiday for us in Taiwan.
Everyone who has moved away or who studies out of town
will come back home before the Chinese New Year.
We have a luxuriant dinner on New Year’s Eve.
After the dinner, the elders will give children Red Envelopes with money in them,
and the children have to say words of blessing to the elders.
In addition, we paste Spring Festival Couplets on both sides of the door,
go to the temple to bless Buddha,
and pay relatives and friends a courtesy call on our Chinese New Year’s Day.
On the other hand, the biggest holiday in America is Christmas.
American people will come back home to their family at that time.
Before Christmas comes,
every family decorates their houses and makes them stunning with sudden flashing lights.
The other important thing for Christmas is the newly decorated Christmas tree
with many presents placed under it.
Americans also have a big dinner on Christmas’ Eve and go to church for religious services. After eating the delicious dinner,
people enjoy their family time, watch TV or movies together,
and then open their presents from each other.

Food is different in Taiwan and America.
Taiwanese food is cheaper and there are a variety of choices.
We can eat everything that we want to eat in Taiwan.
The restaurants serve all kinds of Chinese food as well as foreign foods from all over the world. The island is also now filled with eateries serving American hamburgers,
Italian pizza, Japanese sashimi, and just about everything else.
All of this makes Taiwan a veritable paradise for gourmets.
On the other hand, the American food is expensive and there are not as many choices.
Eating in America costs me more money including tips.
The same food in Taiwan and America has different prices.
For example: if I want to order chicken fried rice in Taiwan, I will pay 2 U.S dollars.
If I want to eat chicken fried rice in America, it may cost 8 U.S dollars.

There are also some advantages to living in Taiwan.
We can enjoy the variety of Taiwanese food and the convenient lifestyle.
We don’t have to worry if we want to eat some food at midnight
because there are always some food stores open twenty-four hours a day.
In America it’s hard to find a restaurant open at midnight.
There are also some disadvantages to living in Taiwan.
There are always a lot of people everywhere and the road is crowded with cars and motorcycles. It tenses me up.
On the other hand, living in America I feel relaxed.
I think it is because it is not as crowded with people and cars,
so we can really enjoy the environment in Moses Lake.
Although there are so many differences between Taiwan and America,
I like both places. They give me different feelings with the different environments.
I have gained many experiences by living in different countries.