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What I Miss from Home

Mike W. writes to ask what I miss from home. He wonders if I have a longing for NPR. Nope, Mike, I don’t. I love NPR for sure, but I don’t miss it here. Perhaps because it’s at my fingertips whenever I get a hankering for it.

There are a few things I find lacking in Taiwanese life, though. Here’re a few, in no particular order. (Note that I’ve omitted obvious choices like friends and family.)

–Speaking Spanish. I loved being able to communicate with people in Ecuador last year. My Chinese, on the other hand, is god-awful.

–Speaking English. With strangers. And not feeling, every day of my life, like Bill Murray’s Bob Harris in “Lost in Translation.”

–Good daily newspapers, like my two favorites, the New York Times and the Washington Post.

–ESPN’s Sportscenter. In English.

–Public transportation. Don’t get me wrong; I love scootering about. But DC’s Metro is truly excellent.

–Cooking. Our microscopic kitchen is equipped only with a hot plate. Not conducive to my culinary wizzardy.

–And speaking of which, a few food items that you can’t get here: Cheesesteaks. Big, fresh salads. Good fried chicken. Cole slaw. Pecan pie.

Sigh.

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