I don’t know my friends’ names

When I first arrived in Kaohsiung and started meeting new people (typically when they’d come up and ask if I was American), I’d sometimes feel mildly anxious about the possibility of being invited around for dinner.There are many things I don’t eat, and I didn’t want to be difficult or offensive—especially in the homes of acquaintances who might become friends. But as it turned out, this was a non-issue: I was never invited.1 Taiwanese apartments are small, and the smallest apartments don’t have kitchens. It’s cheap to eat out, so it’s easy and practical to meet friends off-site.This has been great for me. I’ve tried a huge variety of dishes at night markets and restaurants, with friends guiding me through menus I mightn’t have explored on my own.But back to meeting people… Strangers would often introduce themselves with their English name, or a shortened version of their Chinese name. If we later added each other on LINE—Taiwan’s ubiquitous and essential messaging app—I’d then see…