I've been living in Taiwan for just over a year now. I'm currently living in Xizhi, which is in Taipei County, just outside of Taipei itself. I have a fantastic apartment by Taiwanese standards. It is on the 20th floor of a massive apartment complex and has a view across the Keelung River. The clincher for me though, was the chandalier in the living room.
I found the bear skin rug in an Op Shop in Keelung. I thought it was a cattle hide, and it took the shop owner three attempts to convince me that 'bear' was not a Chinese word for 'sucker'.
I am really happy with how the place has scrubbed up. Especially considering how little I've spent on it. It's such a shame it's not in the city. I'll definitely miss it when I move into Taipei in August.
