Here, everyone speaks Mandarin Chinese, though I'm sure there are people I pass by that speak the Taiwanese dialect. I often get by with my two years of language study, but the prominence of the English language also helps. Most signs, locations, and transport hubs have English names, and many shops have English-language advertising and services. My classes outside of Chinese instruction are taught in English, as the Taiwanese government has been putting resources into its Bilingual 2030 initiative. This is a program meant to help young Taiwanese achieve better fluency of English by setting up more classes in higher education to be taught with the language. This way, Taiwan can better integrate itself into the global economy with a workforce that is able to cater internationally.
Cash is my go-to form of payment. Whenever I buy food, I slide a few coins across the counter like a medieval merchant, or even a bill if the product is expensive enough. In the subway, on buses and on public bicycles, my NTU student ID acts as a stored value card. This means that I add money balance to it regularly, like a debit card, and I swipe it for quick transactions. Consequently, I frequently have to go to the ATM with my American debit card to withdraw Taiwanese cash. It automatically processes the conversion from USD to New Taiwan Dollars.
