As she couldn't speak Chinese, I tried as much as I could to explain my plans to her in the local language. She was delighted that I tried to communicate with her in her native tongue and offered me her train seat. I was embarrassed by that because I didn't know the words to turn down her kind offer so I graciously accepted her offer. The woman's face lit up when I sat down, and she kept on smiling until she got off the train five minutes later. A smile is such a magical thing; it is able to communicate so much and in all languages.

I was completely lost on arriving at Kaohsiung Station and I had no luck getting anyone to help me with directions. A boy approached me, but he was more interested in trying to sell me two pens at the very inflated price of 200 New Taiwan dollars. It was at that moment I realized why it was so difficult for me to get people to stop by and help me find my way – they obviously thought that I was trying to sell them something.

I decided to head into a nearby shop, one that was full of fashionable clothes at very reasonable prices. The beautiful shop assistant was extremely helpful and I was persuaded to buy a leather belt for 100 New Taiwan dollars. Women here have the gift of the gab and are particularly good at winning over customers. Perhaps that is why Taiwan has so many boutiques. I then made my way to Jianguo Lu, a shopping street renowned for its electronic products. All the top brand names can be found here – Sony, Canon, Asus and Lenovo. However, bargain hunters had better shop around and be prepared to haggle hard as prices fluctuate greatly from store to store. The price of a Sony battery, for example, ranged from 500 to 900 New Taiwan dollars.

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