Renao   ('Noisy Warm')     

When asked why the cities are so congested in Taiwan, and when they go out to eat they seem to prefer the brightest, most crowded restaurants possible, most Taiwanese will tell you it is because Taiwan is so small and there are so many people living here, so of course, they must crowd together. But in truth, no matter how big Taiwan were, people would still live close to one another because they favor this 'noisy warm' feeling.

Not only are Taiwanese sometimes surprised/appalled by how much space some foreigners require (one person per room? Try 6...), but more importantly than thriftiness is the fact that they would consider it very lonely. During festivals and even on a regular daily basis you will hear firecrackers celebrating something, blaring loudspeakers touting some product, even the garbage trucks blare a very loud, annoying tune every morning. The term has other translations such as 'festive', 'lively', and 'happy.' While in the West these sorts of loud noises tend to turn people off, the Chinese seem to thrive on the excitement of it.

Some expats have remarked, if you do stay for a year or more in a major city and then return to, say, a quiet mountain town in Canada, where the only noise is that of crickets chirping, you may actually miss the excitement of a country which never seems to sleep...