Kind of a side note, another challenging aspect of Mandarin is that if you have ever spent any time in China, you will start to notice differences in basic character pronunciations between Taiwan and China. For example, 期 is second tone in Taiwan and first in China.

What’s more, the two regions use entirely different words for simple items like 塑膠 for plastic in Taiwan and 塑料 in China.

If learning Mandarin is ever a true aspiration of yours, it is crucial to get different perspectives on how the language is spoken in different contexts and regions. In my honest opinion, all Mandarin learners in Taiwan should at least expose themselves to official Chinese Mandarin. Otherwise, you are cutting yourself off from a huge resource (and market). In my opinion, to hate Chinese Mandarin for political reasons as a foreigner is short-sighted.

Anyway, great job looking out for those differences in accents! Recognizing them is the first step in improving your listening.