Thank Heaven for 7-11
There is a 7-11 on nearly every block in Taipei and The other cities I have visited in Taiwan. This chain of convenience stores may have originated in Dallas but the convenience part is really here. When I need a newspaper, or a can of soda, or a bag of chips, I can go to 7-11 just like in Dallas. But I can also go there to pay my utility bills, phone, cable, water, electricity and so on. There is no service charge and the counter clerk just takes the payment. It is so easy. There are ATMs in virtually every store so I can take care of my banking too. I have even been told that if you have a package you need to get across Taiwan, you can take it to the 7-11 and they will ship it to a store near the recipient. Probably more store clerks in the 7-11's here speak passable English than in the US.
The best part for me though is that every time I walk in to the store a clerk greets me and every other customer with a cheerful welcome that sounds suspiciously like "Good Morning". And they sell good coffee cheap!