"The mayor has aimed to promote Taichung as a cultural centre, and I think he's doing a damn good job."

How English-friendly is Taichung?
The Foreigner's Perspective

--By Lindsay Alderton Translated by Picker Chen

Despite being Taiwan's third-largest city after Taipei and Kaohsiung, Taichung has long had one of the nation's largest international communities. What attracts people is not only the cheaper housing and stable climate, but also the fact that Taichung's relatively compact size makes it a less overwhelming choice for new arrivals. "After all, you can't really get too lost in Taichung, can you?" says Kristine Schultz, 28, from Denmark. "And even if you do, that's half the fun!" An experienced traveller, Kristine has coped with complex communication barriers in a number of different countries, and relishes the challenges which arise.

However, this is not the case for everybody. For countless others who step off the bus into a confusing bedlam of speed-hungry scooters, and incomprehensible neon, it can be more than a little daunting. Steve, 24, from England, still keeps a piece of paper in his wallet with his address written in Chinese, just in case he gets so lost that he might have to abandon his scooter and hail a cab.

"It can be scary at night when everything looks the same, especially when the spelling on your map differs from that of the road sign. Or even worse, when the street signs on the same road are spelt differently!" he notes.

"I think there's a phenomenal amount of things to do here now, and the information is much more easily accessible than before."

Nick, a keen athlete who competes regularly in sporting events around the country, feels the same. "Most of my friends are Taiwanese professionals so they speak a high level of English," he says. "But even at the local swimming pool, there are still people with a basic grasp [of English] who are eager to communicate."

Certainly, with the growth of English as the dominant global language, many people in Taiwan are working hard to improve their language skills. Andrea, 33, an Italian businessman who's lived in Taichung for the last three years, has witnessed significant improvements at work. "In the business market, there cannot be gaps in communication, as this could cause mistakes, which could cost a lot of money. As a result, more and more companies are putting money into educating their staff in English," he says.

With regards to making Taichung a more foreigner-friendly city, there is of course one point on which the vast majority of foreigners seem to agree. "The government needs to make a decision, once and for all, about Pinyin [romanisation], and then uniform the street signs accordingly," says Jonathan. "This would improve the average visitor's perception dramatically."

"I'm here visiting my daughter," says Shelby Wall, 54, from Canada. "For the first few days, yes, it was very confusing trying to get around. However, once I finally located it, the people at the Taichung Visitor Centre were extremely helpful and gave me this great little book."

Available at both the visitor centre and Eslite bookstores, the "Taichung Cuisine Guide" is a new and densely packed manual, published by the city government, which is filled with a wealth of information for both tourists and residents. Included are clearly-marked transport maps and detailed tourist itineraries, as well as information on hotels, home-stays, nature and leisure trails, historic sites, teahouses and department stores. Most importantly, the information is accurately presented and translated.

Also available in the "Taichung Cuisine Guide" is a section listing over 200 restaurants, including descriptions of food, contact details, opening hours and even a price range. This is especially useful as in recent years there has been an explosion in the number of authentic Western food restaurants and coffee shops opening in Taichung, and finding an English menu is no longer as complicated as it used to be.

"Good English is something that, as restaurant owners, we insist upon in our staff," say the proprietors of Uzo restaurant, Ken Mann and Ramin Fouladpour. "It is vital that our staff can provide not just a friendly service, but also practical, well-informed suggestions, too." With regards to eating at local Taiwanese restaurants which may not provide English menus or English-speaking staff, there is of course a higher element of risk involved. However, this in itself can be fun.

"I love Chinese food," says Sandra Tuchlenski, a young German mother who came to Taichung with her husband, who works here as an engineer. "If the restaurant doesn't have an English menu, then we just walk around the other tables and see what people are eating. Sometimes we're even been allowed into the kitchen!"

If Taichung is to become a truly international city and, on a larger scale, if Taiwan is to stand a chance against other tourist destinations in Asia, then the government must continue to follow through on its initiatives. For sure there is still a great deal of room for improvement, but what is important is that steps are being taken, slowly but surely. In return, foreigners must adapt and not lose track of where it is that they are.

As Cathy notes, "As soon as you stop comparing everything with how it is back home, it not only becomes a lot easier, but it's also a lot more fun."

"...Stop comparing everything with how it is back home, it not only becomes a lot easier, but it's also a lot more fun."