(Mini) Dog Blog

If you've been following me, you've heard me say that the Taiwanese love dogs, which in turn, makes me love the Taiwanese even more, because I love dogs. There are dogs everywhere. They are in the buildings, on the streets, in the open stall stores, they just kind of wander around, and everyone digs it. The dog has his day here every day. 

A pretty paver--everything has some kind of decoration on it here, even the sidewalks!

I asked Christine, and she says that there is a dog catcher, but that is only employed when someone sees a really dangerous-looking dog. 100% of the dogs I have seen in Taiwan have all been friendly, or at least complacent. 85% of them have had collars. There is no bite law, as far as I understand, like in the States; the dogs are so chill here, I don't even think I could imagine one of them biting someone.

Unlike in the US, where your dog must be kept track of, or on a leash at all times, Taiwanese just kind of let their dogs wander. It seems to me that many people just adopt a street dog by putting a collar on it and feeding it, but they don't expect it to stick around the house all the time. It's adorable, and it keeps all of the dogs friendly and mellow around people, I think. 

The small dogs are another issue, though. There is an OBSESSION with little brown toy poodles here. Tons of people have them, and they carry them in purses, push them in strollers, and DRESS THEM from ears to tail! Check out this little guy:

He's in his "exercising" outfit.

Call him Dora the Explorer, because that is one fierce back pack.

Takin' a break with their owners; all that territory-marling is a lot of work!

We also met this little (owner-less?) mop of sunshine who was bouncing around the area, sniffing everything out.

They are all so sweet, and funny. We laugh whenever we see street dogs wearing clothes, because it makes them look like they belong in a dog gang, or something! 

This photo shoot took place outside of De Hua fabric market, as Jim, Emily, and I spent 8 HOURS shopping for supplies today. Errands that would normally take 4 hours in the states, and 3 stops (Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Jo-Ann), take twice that, 30 minutes on the MRT, a cab ride, and several confusing conversations. Despite how long it took to get everything (and we still didn't get everything), it is ALWAYS awesome to get out and see Taipei, and the labyrinthian wonder that is the fabric market here. Here is a picture of just the entrance:

It's an old shopping mall, and now it's jam-packed with stalls, each owned by a different person, and each filled with all kinds of wonders! 

We stooped by "Jeffie"s store, a former TNUA student. He makes beautiful showgirl costumes! His store is FULL of SPARKLES!

I also found THIS!! Another suitcase for taking home all of my souvenirs. It's hard-sided, expands, has separating interior compartments, 4 wheels, a TSA approved lock, is lightweight, and cost only US$63! It's the fanciest suitcase I've ever owned, and it cost the same amount as my running shoes. Bam! I love Taiwan shopping!

Sorry if today's post was a little scattered, today was a very long day, and I haven't fully recovered from Hualien, in terms of sleeping, so I've been a little fogged-out lately. I think Emily expresses my energy level best:

Good night!