Early this morning, I realized that for practical purposes, I am selectively illiterate in Taiwan. When I go to the grocery, I look at the pictures and scan for familiar name brands, but I cannot read the labels. Today I got two bills in the mail. I am sure they are my utility bills but I don't know what I have been billed for. I know how much they are and I know where to pay them. I suppose there is a due date but I cannot read that either.

So much for life's necessities. As for life's pleasures, I might as well be back in the United States. Over the weekend, Mark and I explored the older neighborhood that is near our apartment. Within two blocks of our building, we found a McDonalds, a Pizza Hut, and a Blockbuster Video Store. There being able to read English, not Mandarin, is not a disadvantage. Both the elementary school and the junior high school have signs in English, as does the park and nature preserve near our building.