最近我的捷克學伴來台灣旅遊，他以英文寫下對台灣的觀察，以下是我把原文翻譯成中文的內容：
在上一篇文章〈捷克人的台灣觀察（上）：『自然景觀令人驚嘆，人民的友善讓我賓至如歸。』〉中，我分享作為第一次來亞洲的捷克人，台灣讓我驚豔的各個面向，這篇文章我將分享我對台灣的另一面印象。
當談到這些不同的面向時，我不會使用如「討厭」這般強烈的字眼，我也不是想抱怨、或試圖建議台灣人應該如何做得更好。我知道每個地方都有其優點和缺點。
相反地，作為一個不常旅行，且一生都在捷克度過的人，這些只是我對捷克與台灣之間文化與地理差異的觀察；作為一個外國人，有時我很難適應這些台捷之間的差異。底下我將從個人經驗，分享有哪些事情是我來台灣後覺得難以適應的。
我該把垃圾丟在哪
不得不說，來台灣後，處理垃圾對我來說變成一件棘手的事。每當我聽到貝多芬的《給愛麗絲》，我的腎上腺素開始飆升，因為接下來我要迅速抓起垃圾袋，從我住的 5 樓跑下樓梯，在垃圾車旁排隊丟垃圾。有次，我因為做錯垃圾分類，收垃圾的女士一臉生氣，拒絕我丟垃圾，我只好等其它天再處理，房間的垃圾於是慢慢堆積，甚至開始吸引蟑螂。
最令我感到困惑的一點是，垃圾車每次來的時間並不固定，有時是晚上 7:45，有時是 8:15，有時根本沒有音樂提醒。但神奇的是，台灣人似乎總能準確感應到垃圾車來的時間，而我這個局外人缺乏這種直覺。
據我了解，台灣過去有很嚴重的垃圾問題，於是改變收集垃圾的方式，引進神秘的「垃圾車」。但垃圾車為什麼對我來說如此陌生呢？首先，在捷克，幾乎每條街上都有顏色各異的大型垃圾桶，每種顏色代表不同類型的垃圾（塑膠、紙張、玻璃、金屬、混合垃圾⋯⋯）。當我需要扔垃圾時，只要走到公共大型垃圾桶，將垃圾進行分類即可丟棄。公共垃圾桶雖然有時會有難聞的氣味並吸引蚊蟲，絕非最完美的垃圾處理方式，但至少我能隨時丟垃圾。
在台灣，不只丟家庭垃圾需要等垃圾車，連一般垃圾都很難處理。有次我去台南旅遊，晚上買了一些滷味，在公園吃完後花了許久時間找能丟垃圾的地方，但不論是公園或街上都沒有垃圾桶，最後只好放棄，把垃圾帶回旅館。
我不會說台灣的街道很髒，但有時我會看到街上有許多罐頭、塑膠袋，推測可能是因為街上少有垃圾桶，造成人們隨意丟棄。我想台灣的垃圾處理方式應該有著某些我不知道的優點，但「丟垃圾」肯定是其中一件我無法習慣的事。
台灣的街道不適合步行
第二點，我發現「走路」在台捷之間可能是一個文化差異。許多捷克人喜歡走路，在城市中走個半小時不是問題。我也喜歡靠自己的雙腳抵達某個地方的感覺，且對於愛省錢的捷克人來說，步行還能省下一筆錢！
來台灣後，我發現平常在街上走路的台灣人不多；聽台灣朋友說，即便距離目的地只有 50 公尺，台灣人也寧願騎摩托車而不是走路。但我或許能理解背後原因。
在我看來，台灣的街道似乎有點混亂。大部分的街道相當狹窄，走在街上必須一直閃避車輛，整體行走經驗不是很舒服。雖然有人行道，但並不多見，且多被當作腳踏車和摩托車的停車場。即便走在騎樓也不太像是公共空間，我經常發現自己需要穿過熙來攘往的餐廳，或某戶人家前的車庫，有時為了繞過騎樓下停著的車子，不得不走上馬路時，我總覺得不太安全。
當我遠離市中心，來到比較偏遠的地區後，儘管路上不再車水馬龍，但往往也沒有設置人行道。綜合看下來，我認為台灣的街道設計，似乎並非以行人為中心，忽略行人「是否想走在這樣的街道上」的考量。
從未經歷過的自然現象
來台灣後，我對一些自然現象有點難以適應，對我來說甚至有點「極端」。比方說，在我 10 月抵台那天，正巧遇上「小犬颱風」登陸台灣，看到眼前這些被強風吹著的樹猶如「群魔亂舞」，是我在歐洲從未有過的經歷。還有某天早晨，我被地震驚醒，雖然只是輕微搖晃，但對從未遇過地震的我來說，仍感到有點害怕。
令我驚訝的是，11 月初，當我來到高雄與台南，這裡的溫度居然高達 33°C，相當於捷克最炎熱的夏天。不過，這竟然還不是台灣最熱的時候，有人說我很幸運能在秋天來到這裡，因為台灣的夏天更熱！
我向來不喜歡寒冷的冬天，但台灣的高溫開始讓我想念冬天。我想如果能待在家中開著冷氣，或是等太陽下山後再出門，也許我能慢慢適應台灣的天氣。
所幸，最近台灣溫度開始下降。有趣的是，當外頭溫度來到 20°C 時，台灣人會穿上毛衣和外套，看到我只穿 T 恤會面露擔憂地問我：「你不冷嗎？」但對我來說，這樣的天氣很舒適。
奇特的台灣食物
最後一點，我想聊聊台灣的食物，這可能是個敏感話題，因為據我所知，台灣人相當以美食自豪，抱怨台灣食物可能會讓我不受歡迎，我想先從正面的部分開始。
我在台灣嘗試了許多美食，像是我最喜歡的湯包、牛肉麵、嘉義雞肉飯、台南牛肉湯等等。儘管如此，我仍對台灣食物有「複雜」的情感，請容我解釋原因。
就我觀察，台灣人對吃的有很高的標準。當我的台灣朋友在捷克嘗試捷克料理時，看到所謂的「雞腿飯」，只有一隻淋上醬汁的雞腿和米飯，她面露失望地說道：「蔬菜在哪？滷蛋在哪裡？為什麼沒有其它配菜？」從台灣人的角度來看，捷克的食物可能相當平淡。
不過，從我的角度來說，每次看到主餐旁還擺著各個碟子，裡面有豆干、花椰菜、玉米等小菜，實在令人驚訝！我心裡想著：「我不喜歡豆乾，也不喜歡蔬菜，不能把這些換成一塊更大的豬肉嗎？」
除了上述這些不同，我在台灣也嘗試了一些這裡「獨特」的食物，例如臭豆腐、皮蛋，嚐起來還算不錯。但讓我比較難以接受的，是把豆子放在甜湯裡！
在我的想像中，甜點應該是像用草莓、藍莓等水果做成的食物，我絕對不會想到用「豆子」做甜點。在捷克，豆子通常被拿來做成鹹的料理，像是加培根拌炒，或是煮成鹹粥或鹹湯。因此，當我看到台灣人喝甜的綠豆湯、紅豆湯，或是把豆子加入豆花，甚至放進麻糬裡⋯⋯，我忖度著：「請不要再給我甜豆了。」
此外，台灣與捷克還有一個顯著的差異：一個是島嶼，一個是內陸國家，因此我不太習慣吃海鮮。就我目前的經驗，大部分海鮮味道不錯，但以蝦子為例，過去我吃到的蝦，多半是已經處理過的「蝦仁」；因此來台灣後，看到桌上有隻完好帶殼的蝦子，宛如海底大昆蟲出現在我面前，並且需要把它的頭、腳、殼擰下來，我總感覺不太舒服⋯⋯。
整體來說，我對多數台灣食物很滿意，但就像我的台灣朋友，吃一段時間的捷克菜後開始想念台灣菜一樣，我也開始懷念熟悉的捷克菜。
最後，對於我目前在台灣的生活，我想說正面的部分絕對多於負面。或許多多練習後，我也能自在應對台灣的生活，甚至是令我備感威脅的垃圾車！
原文（撰文：馬瑞克）
A Czech’s Perspective: Things I Can’t Get Used to in Taiwan
In my previous article, I’ve gone through some of the things that I appreciate about Taiwan as a European who is visiting for the first time (you can see my previous article here:).
But now is the time for the things on the opposite side of the spectrum. I wouldn’t use strong words like “hate” when referring to these aspects of Taiwan, and I don’t mean to complain or try to advise the Taiwanese people how they should do things better. I am fully aware every place has its advantages and disadvantages.
Instead, they are simply things that I have trouble getting used to as someone who doesn’t travel often and who has spent his entire life in his home country.
What are some things that I find difficult to adapt to after coming to Taiwan? The following is my personal experience.
Where am I supposed to put all the garbage?
I have to say, whenever I hear Beethoven's "Für Elise" in Taiwan, my adrenaline starts to rise, because the next thing I have to do is quickly grab the garbage bag, run down the stairs from the fifth floor of my apartment, and line up next to the garbage truck to throw away the garbage.
Once, because I sorted it wrong, the woman who collects the garbage angrily refused to take it, so I had to wait for another day. As a result, the garbage began to accumulate in my room and even attracted cockroaches.
From what I’ve read, Taiwan had a serious trash problem in the past, which led to reforms in garbage collection and the introduction of the enigmatic garbage truck. But why does this seem so foreign to me?
First, let me introduce how things work in my country. In almost every street, there are large garbage containers of several colors, each meant for a different type of trash (plastic, paper, glass, metal, mixed waste…). Whenever I need to throw something away, I simply walk to these nearby containers and dispose of everything as I see fit. It’s far from perfect, as the containers often have an unpleasant smell and can attract vermin, but at least I have the freedom to throw away my trash anytime and anywhere I want.
But since I came to Taiwan, dealing with garbage has become a tricky thing. There are virtually no garbage bins or containers anywhere on the streets, all I can do is just wait for a distant melody at a certain time… sometimes it is at 7:45pm, another time at 8:15, sometimes not at all. But somehow, the Taiwanese seem to always know the time precisely. They must have developed some kind of special sense for this that I, an outsider, lack.
It’s not just household rubbish that’s troublesome, but general rubbish too. For me, one of the most frustrating things in Taiwan looks something like this: I once traveled to Tainan, bought some food at night, ate it in the park, and then spent a long time looking for a place where to throw the garbage. But there are simply no trash cans on the streets, neither in the park nor on a sidewalk. Finally, I had to give up and take the trash back to the hotel.
I wouldn’t say Taiwanese streets are dirty, but sometimes I see cans or plastic bags lying around, likely left there because of the lack of garbage bins… I understand the Taiwanese style of garbage disposal has its advantages, but it’s certainly one of the things I can’t get used to.
Taiwanese streets weren’t made for walking
I like walking. It might not be the fastest, most comfortable, or most convenient means of transport, but somehow it feels good to get somewhere using only your own legs. It’s almost a kind of accomplishment. Plus, if you walk instead of taking the bus for just a few stops, you can even save some money!
Maybe the attitude towards walking is a cultural difference between Taiwan and the Czech Republic. Many Czechs like to walk, and walking in the city for fifteen minutes or half an hour is not a problem for them. Czechs enjoy hiking in their free time and there are countless well marked hiking trails all over the country.
After coming to Taiwan, I observed that there are not many Taiwanese people walking on the streets. I heard from Taiwanese friends that even if the destination is only 50 meters away, they would rather ride a motorcycle than walk. But maybe I can understand why.
For me, Taiwanese streets seem a bit chaotic. Sidewalks are somewhat rare, and even when present, they serve mainly as a parking lot for scooters and motorbikes. And some arcades that are used as sidewalks don’t look like public spaces at all. When I go there, I find myself walking through a busy restaurant or someone's front garage.
Sometimes I have to leave the sidewalk to avoid parked cars and enter the road, which feels a bit unsafe. And when I leave the city center, although the streets are no longer busy, there are often no sidewalks at all. Based on the above, I think Taiwan's street design does not seem to take pedestrians into consideration. Why would anyone want to walk on such a street?
33°C isn’t exactly how I would imagine late autumn…
Another thing I can’t get used to is simply a natural occurrence: the weather is a bit extreme for my tastes. When I arrived, there was a typhoon, which I have never experienced in Europe before. The wind was blowing so strongly that it looked like the trees were dancing. And one day, I was awakened by an earthquake. It was mild, but still scary, because I had never experienced this in Europe either.
To my surprise, when I came to Kaohsiung and Tainan in November, the temperature here was as high as 33°C, equivalent to the hottest summer days in the Czech Republic. And I was told that I’m lucky to be here in autumn because Taiwanese summer is a lot hotter than this!
I've never really liked the cold in winter, but the high temperatures in Taiwan made me appreciate it. Still, maybe I can survive Taiwanese weather. All I have to do is just stay home with the air conditioning turned on and walk outside only after the sunset.
Fortunately, the temperatures started dropping recently. What I find a little bit funny is how the Taiwanese will wear sweaters and jackets when it’s 20°C outside and show signs of concern when seeing I just wear a t-shirt, but for me, it’s finally a comfortable weather.
Special Taiwanese food
Now this might be a sensitive topic, because from what I’ve seen, the Taiwanese are very fond of their cuisine and complaining about it probably wouldn’t make me very popular. So, let me start on a positive note: many of the foods I tried here were delicious; some of my favorites include soup dumplings, beef noodle, chicken rice from Chiayi, beef soup from Tainan……That said, I would still describe my relationship with Taiwanese food as complicated. Let me explain why.
One of the things I noticed is that the Taiwanese have very high standards when it comes to food and are not easily satisfied. When my buddy was trying some Czech food, she looked disappointed when she saw the so-called "chicken rice", which was just a chicken leg with sauce and rice. Where are the vegetables? Where are the braised eggs? Why are there no other side dishes? I guess from Taiwanese perspective, Czech food can be quite bland and boring.
However, from my perspective,I was surprised that meals in Taiwan often offer a variety of plates with a variety of side dishes.Example: I go to a Taiwanese restaurant and order pork with rice. But then I get a somewhat small bowl of meat with an even smaller bowl of rice, while also receiving several more bowls of things I didn’t order. I don’t like tofu. I’m not a huge fan of vegetables or seaweed either. Couldn’t you just give me a bigger piece of pork instead?
Sometimes, I can handle the Taiwanese "unique" foods. For example, I think stinky tofu or thousand-year-old eggs are perfectly fine. But then I found out that in Taiwan, beans are put inside sweet food instead of salty.
When I imagine a sweet dessert, I think of something that maybe includes fruit like strawberries or blueberries, but I certainly wouldn’t imagine beans. In the Czech Republic, beans are usually made salty, for example stir-fried with bacon, or cooked into salty porridge or soup.
Therefore, when I see Taiwanese people drinking sweet green bean soup, red bean soup, or adding beans to tofu pudding, or even putting them in mochi... I think to myself: "no more sweet beans for me, please."
In addition, there’s another significant difference between Taiwan and the Czech Republic: one is an island, while the other is completely landlocked. Because of this, I’m not particularly used to seafood. From what I’ve experienced so far, most of it actually tastes really good. But the shrimps I have eaten in the past were all processed.
Therefore, after coming to Taiwan, when I saw intact shrimps with shells on the table, it looked to me like a large sea insect, and when I was told that I had to twist off its head, legs and shell, I got a little bit uncomfortable…
Overall, I’m usually satisfied with the local food, and I can definitely survive eating it for a little bit longer. But just like my friend started to miss Taiwanese food after being subject to Czech food for some time, I’m also starting to miss the tastes that I’m used to.
In the end, I would say my living in Taiwan has definitely had more positives than negatives so far. Maybe with more practice, I can learn how to survive even the most difficult aspects of living abroad, including the menacing garbage truck."
執行編輯：林鈺芩
核稿編輯：趙思涵
