A day in the life

This afternoon I went to the dentist for my six-monthly check-up. It was a great day in Kaohsiung—sunny and 33 ºC but with low humidity—so I wasn’t in my usual rush to get home and shower. I decided to catch up on some life admin instead.Reflecting on the cost of my subsidized dental visit, I thought I’d note the expenses I incurred in this very ordinary afternoon. A micro-study in everyday living costs in Taiwan:DentistNT$150 (NZ$7.50) for X-rays, check-up, and cleaning. National Health Insurance subsidizes this preventive dental care twice a year. Image: Apple Maps.Mobile phone billNT$499 (NZ$25) per month for unlimited 4G data. I used to pay more for 5G (coverage is excellent), but I found the extra speed wasn’t worth the battery drain. Image: Apple Maps.Massage chair sessionNT$60 (NZ$3) for 21 minutes (usually), but free today using my LINE Points. I earn 1% back in LINE Points when buying stuff with Apple Pay. These chairs are on the 9th floor of Talee Department Store, next to…