We Got Scammed in Taiwan...

⚠️ Warning – Claw Machine Scam at Zhunan Train Station, Miaoli?

If you or your kids love playing claw machines in Taiwan, you’ll want to read this before dropping any coins at Zhunan Train Station.

My husband is somewhat of a claw machine enthusiast, and my son Adrian and I are massive Pokémon fans. It’s usually a win-win for our family - he gets the thrill of the game, and we get to expand our collection. We’ve actually played at this specific location near Zhunan Station several times before. In the past, if we walked away empty-handed, it just felt like bad luck. The claw actually had power.

But our experience last Friday (July 10th) was completely different.

What Happened?

It was a typhoon day, but since Miaoli had clear sunshine before noon, we decided to head out. We spotted a brand-new Pokémon plushie in one of the machines that we didn’t have yet. Naturally, we had to try.

We ended up spending NT$400 just to hit the "guaranteed catch" limit (保夾). But the moment the guarantee activated, we realized something was seriously wrong. The claw was still completely powerless! It didn’t even have the strength to lift the toy...

We spent over 30 minutes trying to make it work, moving from our target Pokémon to other toys in the machine just to see if anything was winnable. The result? Total failure. The claw had zero power, no matter what.

To make matters worse, we discovered a major flaw (or trick) in the machine's programming: if the empty claw accidentally swings or drops over the prize chute without grabbing anything, the machine resets. The "guaranteed catch" mode disappears, leaving you with absolutely nothing after spending all that money.

No Contact Info & A Call to the Police

When we looked around the machine for the owner's or operator's contact details to report the error, there was nothing visible. Frustrated by the lack of transparency, we actually reported the incident to the local police. Unfortunately, even the officers couldn't get ahold of the owner right away.

We eventually managed to get the owner’s phone number. After waiting for over a day with our calls and messages completely ignored, someone finally called my husband back (though he claimed he was just a worker, not the owner).

By this point, my husband was furious. He didn't want the toy anymore, he just wanted our NT$400 back because he refused to support what felt like an outright scam.

 The police had even informed us that we had grounds to sue for consumer fraud. How can a machine have a "guaranteed catch" function if it is physically impossible to grip the prize?

The person on the phone flatly refused to give a full refund but offered to give us the toy instead. My husband didn't want the toy anymore, he just wanted our NT$400 back because he refused to support what felt like an outright scam. The police had even informed us that we had grounds to sue for consumer fraud.

The moment my husband firmly told him that we were prepared to sue, his attitude changed. He finally agreed to refund the full NT$400 and even give us the Pokémon. To avoid meeting us in person, he told us he would leave the cash and the plushie at the Family Mart inside the station.

We picked everything up on Monday morning, so thankfully, we weren't cheated out of our money in the end.

We know how claw machines work. We know it requires skill and a bit of luck. But when a machine is set to zero power, even during a paid-for guaranteed catch, it crosses the line from a game into a trap!

"Just Don't Play Here Again"

The most shocking part of the whole conversation came right at the end. Instead of apologizing or offering to fix the machine so it complies with Taiwan's legal claw machine regulations, the person on the phone told my husband not to play at their machines ever again.

Well, obviously we won't! We have no desire to support a business that cheats its customers. But telling a customer not to come back doesn't solve the underlying problem. By saying that, they are openly admitting that the machine will stay exactly the way it is. They plan to keep taking people's money, hoping the next family who hits the "guaranteed catch" limit just walks away quietly without calling the police.

They aren't trying to run a fair game, they are just trying to avoid getting caught by the wrong people.

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2026 Tongxiao Sand Sculpture Festival – A Perfect Summer Day Trip in Miaoli

Looking for a fun summer activity in Taiwan? The 2026 Tongxiao Sand Sculpture Festival is back, bringing giant sand sculptures, live music, local food, and family-friendly activities to Tongxiao Beach in Miaoli County.

The festival runs from July 4 to September 6, 2026, giving visitors 65 days to enjoy this unique seaside event during the summer holidays. 

Even though the festival has just opened this weekend, you'll notice that a few of the sand sculptures are still works in progress. Hopefully, the upcoming typhoon won't cause too much damage or delay the artists as they finish their creations.

What Can You Expect?

The Tongxiao Sand Sculpture Festival has become one of Miaoli's most popular summer events since it first started in 2024. This year, the festival returns with even more impressive sand sculptures created by talented artists.

We've visited the festival every year since it first opened, and it's always fun to see the new creations. It's amazing how artists can transform nothing but sand into such detailed works of art.

Besides admiring the incredible sand sculptures, you can also enjoy oceanfront music performances, local specialty markets, interactive activities for both children and adults, and beautiful beach scenery.

Whether you're planning a family outing, a weekend road trip, or simply looking for somewhere different to explore, this festival offers something for everyone.

One thing to keep in mind - it gets really crowded on weekends! The beach and the water are packed with people, so if you're hoping for a quiet day by the sea, a weekday visit is definitely the better option.

As the festival attracts many visitors, especially on weekends, local authorities have prepared traffic control measures around the venue. If possible, consider using public transportation or arrive early to avoid the busiest times. 

Last year, we had trouble finding parking in the area. Riding a scooter there from Toufen is possible, but it's quite a long journey and not the most pleasant experience in Taiwan's scorching summer heat. Yes, I got sunburned just from the ride there! 

2026 Tongxiao Sand Sculpture Festival

This year's theme is "Blessings from the White Sand" (來自白沙的祝福), inspired by Tongxiao's beautiful white sandy beach. 

The 2026 festival is also the biggest one yet, featuring 29 sand sculptures created by artists from Taiwan and around the world. It includes 16 themed sculptures, 10 international competition sculptures and 3 live sand sculpting demonstration pieces. 

For the first time, Tongxiao is hosting an International Sand Sculpture Competition. 

Another nice improvement is the addition of a wooden boardwalk, making the exhibition much more accessible for wheelchair users, families with strollers, and anyone who finds walking on soft sand difficult.

Special Events on: 

- July 4: Sunset Breeze Concert

- August 8: Father's Day kite-flying event

- August 16: Romantic couples' event

Sum Up

If you're spending the summer in Taiwan and are looking for a fun day trip, the Tongxiao Sand Sculpture Festival is definitely worth adding to your list. Walking along the beach while admiring enormous works of art made entirely from sand is a wonderful way to spend a summer day. Another big plus is that admission is completely free. It's also not too far from Tongxiao Train Station, making it easily accessible by public transportation.

We've enjoyed coming back every year, and it was interesting to see what new sand sculptures are on display this time. If you haven't visited yet, this summer might be the perfect opportunity!

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Two Worlds of School: Poland vs Taiwan (From a Parent’s Perspective)

I would want to say “Happy Summer Holidays”… but “holidays” and Taiwan in one sentence don’t really seem to exist 😅

Why? Let me tell you…

My son has just finished second grade in Taiwan, and every year I find myself comparing his school life with what I remember from growing up in Poland. The differences still surprise me, sometimes even shock me.

My own elementary school schedule was usually 8:00–12:25, and even in high school it was typically 8:00–14:10. On some days we even finished at 12:30. There was still time left in the day to simply be a kid outside of school.

We also had two proper meal breaks. Around 9:30–9:45 there was what we called a “second breakfast,” and later a lunch break from 13:10–13:30. It created a clear rhythm to the day, and school never felt like it consumed everything.

Here in Taiwan, the rhythm feels completely different...

Even in elementary school, the schedule is already long. Right now my son’s school day usually runs from 7:30 to around 12:30, with one day finishing at 15:30. But starting from Grade 3, it will be 15:30 most days of the week, with only one day finishing at 12:30 and one at 13:50.

And on top of that, he stays in after-class care to finish homework. That alone extends his day even further, sometimes until around 17:10. 

So in reality, he spends most of his day at school.

And unlike in Poland, there is usually only one meal break, and children aren’t allowed to bring food from home! That makes the day feel even longer, especially for young kids.

What surprises me most is that even though school officially starts at 7:30, I often see children leaving home at 6:30 already fully ready for the day. And many don't back home until 20:00-21:00 when they finish cram school.

Then comes the part that made me laugh (and cry a little).

Summer homework arrived.

More than 60 pages 😭

So… summer holiday? Are we sure?

At the same time, on Tuesday and Wednesday Adrian was still writing end-of-year exams! I never had that lol

So even in the final days before the holiday officially starts, there are still exams happening and summer homework is already waiting.

In Poland, the end of the school year feels completely different. Many children barely attend the last 2 weeks because teachers have already finished giving final grades. The year slowly winds down instead of stretching into more exams and assignments.

Even Adrian’s exam level surprised us. My husband looked at the Chinese sections and said it felt more like Grade 4 material than Grade 2! So it’s not only me feeling that the expectations can be intense. 

For me, the comparison is clear: this feels more like the workload I remember from junior high school than elementary school, except maybe for the final exam in Grade 6 (now Grade 8 after elementary and junior high were combined).

We didn’t have constant exams and endless homework. Even in high school there was no summer homework. Seriously - none!

On top of that, family life also shapes how all of this feels.

My husband works in another city most of the time and often stays in hotels. After 8 years in Taiwan, I feel like we’ve only actually spent around 4 of those years living together normally. He’s always somewhere else for work, always moving between cities.

So when I look at my son’s daily routine - long school hours, after-class study time, homework, exams, and early mornings, it all adds up quickly.

Winter somehow feels even sadder. By the time Adrian finishes after-class study, it’s already getting dark. Although Taiwan doesn’t have huge seasonal daylight changes like Poland, seeing kids come home when the day is already ending still makes school feel endless.

In the end, it’s just two very different systems and two very different ideas of what childhood, school, and free time should look like.

So instead of saying: Happy summer holidays ☀️

Maybe here it’s more like: Good luck with your summer assignments 😆

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Whoever Designed This Crosswalk Has Clearly Never Been a Pedestrian...

There’s a saying that good design should work for the people using it.

After today, I’m convinced whoever designed this pedestrian crossing has never actually been a pedestrian.

I went to pick up a lychee order and ended up being unwillingly enrolled in a live-action escape room titled: “Cross the Road Without Dying or Losing Your Will to Live.” What should have been a quick errand turned into an obstacle course disguised as urban planning. I don’t usually go through this part of town - and after today, I’m not exactly eager to return.

Why?

This isn’t a normal crosswalk. Of course not. That would be too simple!

Instead, it’s two parallel roads with a pedestrian crossing split into three separate stages, because apparently one crossing was far too mainstream.

Already confusing? It gets better.

The first section doesn’t even have a pedestrian light. So your options are to guess when it’s safe to cross

or try to interpret signals from a completely different road like some kind of traffic-based psychic experiment.

Either way, it feels less like a crosswalk and more like gambling - with your safety as the prize.

The second crossing gives you 13 whole seconds. Thirteen!!!

A number so generous it almost feels like a prank.

Sounds reasonable on paper, until you realize that’s barely enough time for most people to reach the island in the middle, not even finish the full crossing... Oh, and the cars don’t really stop. Because apparently pedestrians are optional participants in this system. Even running feels like a challenge. The 13 seconds disappear faster than any sense of safety.

And if you don’t make it? Don’t worry - you’ll just be stranded there like a decorative traffic obstacle while cars continue their personal mission of “not caring.” 

If you do end up stuck in the middle, things get even better. You can’t even see the pedestrian light anymore... So you’re just standing there in the middle of traffic infrastructure thinking: Am I safe? Am I in the wrong? Am I now part of the road system?

Nobody knows. Not even the road.

The funniest part I noticed on the way back is the final section.

Pedestrian light: red

Car light: also red

Result: everyone just stands there… confused.

But here’s the twist - you can actually walk to the island safely, because traffic only comes from one direction and they’re all already waiting their turn to move anyway.

So technically it’s perfectly safe. And yet the pedestrian light is still glowing bright red like it’s guarding the gates of a highly classified facility...

So you end up in this weird situation where it’s safe to walk, everyone knows it’s safe to walk but nobody is moving and the system is still yelling “NO“.

It’s not traffic control. It’s traffic meditation. A shared moment of collective uncertainty where absolutely nothing happens, yet somehow everyone is still stressed.

And yes... this whole masterpiece is right next to a school!

So you’ve got children, parents, and commuters all trying to decode a three-stage puzzle just to cross a street safely. Nothing says “child safety” like a logic puzzle disguised as infrastructure.

You can almost imagine the planning meeting:

“How can we make this more complicated?”

“What if we split it into three regrets?”

“Perfect. Approved.”

Whoever approved this design should be required to use it every day for a month. No shortcuts. No exceptions. No standing safely on the side watching. Just them, a 13-second timer, and the slow realization that pedestrians are apparently optional characters in this system.

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Exploring the Pumpkin Tunnel at Miaoxiang Ranch - Miaoli Travel

Travel Date: 2026/05/16

One of the things I absolutely love about living in Taiwan is how easy it is to discover seasonal surprises just a short trip from home. Usually, spring means chasing cherry blossoms or tung blossoms, but this weekend my husband and I decided to do something a little bit different. We went to Zaoqiao Township in Miaoli County to catch the annual Zaoqiao Pumpkin Festival (造橋南瓜季).

I had seen photos of this place online on Facebook, but experiencing it in person was something completely different. It was colorful, beautiful, and honestly a little bit mind-blowing to see how many types of pumpkins actually exist!

About the Zaoqiao Pumpkin Festival

The festival is an annual tradition held here in Miaoli, running from early May through early June when the pumpkin harvest is at its absolute peak. Zaoqiao’s hilly terrain and well-drained soil make it the perfect place for growing incredibly sweet edible pumpkins, but the festival has turned into a major seasonal attraction because of one special spot: Miaoxiang Ranch (苗翔牧場).

During the festival period, the entire ranch opens its doors to the public completely free of charge. In Taiwan, where so many seasonal flower and farm attractions charge an entry fee, that feels especially generous!

When you arrive at the ranch, the first thing that catches your eye is a huge, bright orange pumpkin display right at the entrance. It's the ultimate photo spot and everyone was queueing up to take pictures with it.

But the real highlight of the festival is walking through the spectacular Pumpkin Tunnel.

It’s a massive arched trellis stretching for over 100 meters, completely covered in lush green vines. Hanging right above your head are hundreds of pumpkins in every shape, size, and color imaginable.

I definitely did not expect to see so much variety!

Aside from the classic bright orange pumpkins, there were white ones, cream-colored ones, green striped ones, and even miniature pumpkins that looked like spinning tops or little pears. Some of the giant pumpkins hanging there looked so heavy that I kept wondering how the vines could support them, but everything is perfectly maintained and totally safe to walk under.

Walking through the shade of the tunnel with the green leaves filtering the bright May sunshine felt so peaceful.  

Since the festival takes place on a real, functioning dairy ranch, there is plenty to do even after you finish walking through the tunnel.

Normally, Miaoxiang Ranch is a popular spot for families because it has a really nice, down-to-earth farm atmosphere. It’s not over-commercialized at all. They have cows, chickens, horse. 

Inside the indoor exhibition area, local farmers set up stalls selling fresh agricultural products, and they even sell freshly harvested pumpkins that you can buy to take home for cooking.

Weekends can get incredibly busy with families and tour groups. If you want to take photos in the tunnel without too many people in the background, I highly recommend arriving early in the morning.

If you are looking for a fun spring weekend escape in Miaoli, this is definitely a place worth visiting!

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Why the World's Biggest Microchip Maker Has Its Own Brand of Chips

What you are looking at is an iconic piece of Taiwanese tech culture.

This is a special edition bag of Kuai Kuai (乖乖), a popular Taiwanese corn snack. While it's technically food (this one is the classic coconut flavor), in Taiwan, it doubles as a good luck charm for technology.

Here is the story behind the phenomenon.

The "Kuai Kuai Culture" (乖乖文化)

The Name: In Chinese, "Kuai Kuai" literally means "be good" or "behave yourself."

Engineers, IT professionals, and technicians across Taiwan place these bags on top of servers, computers, medical equipment, and assembly lines. The belief is that putting a bag of Kuai Kuai on a machine will make the machine "behave" and run smoothly without crashing.

The Rules:

- It must be green: Green represents a "green light" (smooth operation / system normal). Yellow or red bags (other flavors) signify warnings or errors and are strictly forbidden near tech.

- Never eat them: Once a bag is dedicated to a machine, it cannot be eaten, and it must be replaced before its expiration date, or the "magic" wears off.

What Makes This Specific Bag Special?

If you look closely at the picture, this isn't just a standard grocery store bag. This is a highly coveted, limited-edition collaboration with TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) - the world's largest and most advanced microchip manufacturer.

Several unique details stand out on this packaging:

- TSMC Branding: The cartoon mascot on the right side is wearing a blue hat that explicitly features the tsmc logo.

- Circuit Board Design: The background features printed circuit board (PCB) traces and a microchip icon rather than the traditional abstract patterns.

- The Slogan: The large text reads 「乖乖守護 綠色順行」, which translates to "Kuai Kuai protects, green light smoothly runs." Above it, near the circuit traces, it says 「順順利利」 ("Smoothly and successfully").

These specific TSMC co-branded bags are usually not sold to the general public. They are typically distributed internally to TSMC employees or engineers at their fabs (fabrication plants) to ensure the multimillion-dollar chip-making machines keep running flawlessly. Because of this, they are often treated as collector's items!

Our Forbidden Snack Time (Oops!)

I used to think the whole "Kuai Kuai on the machines" thing was just an urban legend expats hear about when they first move to Taiwan. That was until my husband brought home the exact bag.

As it turns out, the rumors are true, but human hunger wins eventually! Because TSMC engineers are constantly working intense overtime, they occasionally share these exclusive snacks with the hungry vendors working on-site. That’s how this rare bag made its way out of the high-tech cleanrooms and right onto our kitchen table.

Not realizing just how rare it was, I actually opened it up and ate it! Now that the magic spell is broken and since my husband is currently working somewhere else rather than TSMC... I won't be restocking our digital guardian angels anytime soon! I just hope my laptop doesn't start crashing in retaliation...

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