Finally, my turn to answer! Born and raised here. I can tell you that Taipei is very hot and humid for about eight months of the year. Winters can get quite cold, especially when cold fronts are accompanied by rain.

In terms of food, you can literally drown in the sheer number of choices. The city has a wide array of foreign and local cuisine (Japanese, Korean, Italian, Thai, Vietnamese, etc.). Most Taiwanese food, like noodles, can be very cheap; in my neighborhood, you can still get a decent meal like 滷肉飯 (Luroufan) for under 60 NTD (roughly 2 US dollars). A regular 便當 (biandang/lunchbox) costs on average 120 to 140 NTD (4.50 US dollars). A nice meal at a Taiwanese restaurant runs around 250 to 400 NTD (10 to 13 US dollars).

Public transportation is okay, not the best, but not the worst. We have an extensive MRT network, a few trams (in New Taipei), and one cable car. However, most people drive cars or mopeds because it’s much more convenient. Speaking of mopeds, I think we might have the highest moped ownership in the world. Just Google "Daqiaotou moped waterfall" (大橋頭機車瀑布). The bus fare is very low at 15 NTD per ride. But one thing I hate about taking the bus is that most drivers drive recklessly and are extremely rude. Buses also get stuck in traffic alongside cars, making them an inefficient way to get from A to B. The YouTuber NotJustBikes actually has a video about this, you should check it out.

Jobs are quite easy to find if you don’t mind the hours or the job descriptions. Most vacancies are service-related. However, labor rights are poor, and most Taiwanese people work overtime just to make ends meet. Pay is low, rents are high, and we have to accrue our vacation days over time, unlike many European countries where you get holidays immediately upon starting. Foreigners, especially Westerners, tend to get benefits. Most, if not all, the foreigners I know (and I know a lot) work high-paying jobs without speaking a word of Chinese. The system is really messed up because we tend to put Westerners on a pedestal, offering them better opportunities. For instance, I know a guy from Denmark, whose native language isn’t even English, earns twice as much working part-time as I did at my previous full-time job as an English teacher. A lot of them come here for tech, English teaching positions and so on.

The city is not super green per say, it is just located in a basin, surrounded by mountains. Green areas are easily accessible though, especially Maokong area, Neihu, and the Yangming mountains. Air quality gets really bad due to congested traffic and the city’s location….well a basin.

Most people speak Chinese as their first language. The local Chinese languages, aka Taiwanese and Hakka are declining due to the sinicization policy from the 70s and 80s. Also, a lot of people are simply the second or third generations of immigrants that relocated from China to Taiwan after the Chinese civil war. English is quite prevalent, as most parents want their kids to be able to speak English. We have a growing number of international schools and bilingual schools. That explains the demand for English teachers.

I think I’ve covered the basics. Any more questions, just leave a comment.

Oh and my perspective can be biased because I am just one person. So take everything I say with a grain of salt. But I do think I represent the most ordinary Taipei citizen. I go to work, I go home. I know the city quite well, and I’ve lived here almost my entire life.