Thanks to the presentations, I was introduced to the Hakka language. Hakka is spoken by a cultural group in Taiwan of the same name. While I don't know how to speak it at all, it is widely spoken throughout several regions here. The group that introduced it to me was from the county of Changhua.
The New Taiwan Dollar (NTD) is still the standard both in Tainan and Taipei.
Taipei is the capital of the island and home to much of the country's tourism. Naturally, this makes things a little more expensive than in other cities such as Tainan. While a bottle of water could cost $25-$30NTD (about $1 in the United States) in most places, certain areas of Taipei might raise that price by ten or twenty dollars if you wander into somewhere glamorous.
I've had mochi for dessert every single day in Taipei. It's a chewy cake made from ground rice paste and is originally from Japan. Mochi can be filled with all kinds of good stuff. During this trip, I've eaten versions that were stuffed with peanut butter, sesame and even cheesecake!
