Food & Clothing

Due to its great ethnic diversity, Taiwan has a wide variety of cuisines. These include Holo (also called “Minnanese,” or simply “Taiwanese”), Hakka, and vegetarian foods, as well as the various cooking styles of mainland China such as Hunan, Jiangzhe (from the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang), Hong Kong (Cantonese), and Sichuan. Virtually every city has its famous specialties; many Taiwanese tourists will go visit other cities on the island only to try the local foods. Your typical Taiwanese meal can be found right on the streets. Little mom ‘n pop stalls are everywhere selling all kinds of snacks and none of it is very expensive. Night markets are a great place to try a number of different foods. Night markets can be found in every town, and in major cities like Taipei there are literally dozens! Typically, one can spend as little as NT$200-300 (US$6.00-9.00) per day here and eat well.

In Taiwan, people dress in stylish clothes and follow European or American styles. When teaching, women should cover their shoulders (sleeveless shirts are acceptable, but very thin straps or tank tops are not). No low-cut necklines or very short skirts. Open-toed shoes are acceptable.

Male Teachers should wear long pants (not jeans), short- or long-sleeved shirt with a collar, and loafers or dress shoes. Long hair should be neatly tied into a ponytail.

Visible piercings, other than standard earrings, and visible tattoos are usually not acceptable. If you have either, please discuss them with us.