1. A couple of weeks ago I got a call from Ethan saying I "HAD" to come see what was going on at the gym. I played along because it was a nice weekend day, and headed over with my camera. What unfolded when I got there was nothing short of cultural shock.
I later learned that what I had stumbled on was called "Cosplay", a convention dedicated to Manga and Anime cartoon lovers who will dress up as their favorite characters. It appeared that it was an event to go to with close friends and even as sisters, and it looked like people had spent all morning preparing. I joined in on the large-scale photo shoot that was going on, and spent the afternoon with hundreds of models at my disposal. The most incredible part is that it was a collective photo shoot where every model was willing to pose for you, and other photographers were willing to share equipment. Photographers would just walk up to the participants and start politely giving them directions, and they would follow. In the end, I took hundreds of pictures, got to use some nifty lighting 
equipment, and got a chance to talk with both participants and photographers. All things considered, a superlatively more exciting hobby than several American ones (see: stamp collecting).There are more pictures on my Picasa album, which is mostly updated!
2. I almost never see movies in the U.S., so seeing two here is a big step for me. I went a couple of weeks ago to see the newest Harry Potter, and it was a fantastic experience. One of the large malls here has an IMAX theater, and I went with three other Yalies - Ethan, Sei, and Katie. The first part of the movie was in 3D, and the screen was 8 stories high. I went again last week to see "Up", a Disney/Pixar movie completely in 3D.
Going to see a movie here is an experience, and I enjoyed both of these more than I've enjoyed any in the U.S. The feeling of the theater is like that of a nice opera theater: the theater had ushers, assigned, nice seats, and no movie previews. People arrived early and hung out around
the theater until the show, and I noticed not one person arrive late. On top of this, food from outside was allowed in the theater, so people were bringing lots of snacks and drinks in for the show.This was a relatively expensive theather, but it's still suprising to see that the Taiwanese are willing to pay more money for a quality movie-going experience. In the U.S., the number one concern to most movie-goers is ticket price, and everything else is of marginal value. I can't figure out why there is not a demand for these types of higher-quality, albiet slightly more expensive, theaters. Perhaps it's because Americans go to movies more often, or because we just don't value these "extras", but I wonder if theaters like this could make a comeback when the economy takes an upswing again.
3. 刨冰, shaved ice, is now my favorite Taiwanese treat. I hadn't had it until just last week, but it's genius. It is ice, which carries attributes such as being cold and being cheap, fruit, which is delicious, and then sometimes covered in milk (or the shavings are milk), all of which makes for the happiest combination known to Taiwan. I'm now on a quest to consume as much of it as possible before I leave.
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