I have not, as a general rule, daylogged much before. However, since I am in Tainan in the Republic of China, I consider what I have to say here both important information, and is a record I might want to refer back to later.
Having been in the country for only 36 hours now, I can barely make any sweeping statements about Chinese culture, the Republic or modernization. One of the most striking things about the cities of Taiwan, (besides the obvious motor scooter free-for-all and the fact everything is in Chinese) is that the difference between public and private space is wildly blurred.
I remember one of the seemingly silly aspects of Chinese culture that my professor explained to me in first year Chinese was the fact that there is a gate keeper at the front of every institution in China. This seemed rather paranoid to me at the time, even though I was assured that the guards were only there for show.
Paranoia, so far, does not seem to be anywhere near the rule in China that it is in America. And indeed, the guards are only there for show. But after a few long walks around the winding alleys of Tainan, I started to understand why there were guards at the gates of college campuses.
In America, it would be somewhat rude and perhaps dangerous to barge into an office building and go poking around. In Taiwan, the same rule seems to apply, besides it is very possible to be outdoors and still inside an instituion. I find it hard to tell sometimes, since there are very small, winding roads that seem to be public roads, as well as large boulevards that run through middle schools and other places that would seem to be not open to the public. Shops and markets seem to run out of buildings, but place their wares on the sidewalk, so that walking down the sidewalk may take you right behind someone's cash register.
This is, right now, merely an introductory notice on a phenonmenea. Hopefully I will be able to explain more about this as time goes on.