Blind Touch

Taiwan has a pretty low unemployment rate. This is because nearly all tasks are assigned to random low-level, low-paid workers in order to give everyone something to do. This results in women wearing mint green Jackie O. style dresses, complete with gloves and hats running elevators in department stores and men in polyester uniforms standing next to the garbage cans in the food court waiting to clear tables (why throw away your own garbage when someone can do it for you?). A while back, when shopping with some Taiwanese folks, I was sternly reminded not to throw away my own garbage, lest I put someone out of a job. Interestingly enough, it's difficult to override 20-odd years of western food court ettiquette.

And there is of course my favorite job: the blind masseuse. Even jobs are found for the blind, with random massage booths set up over the city. Ranging in price anywhere from 300-800 NT a visit, you can cozy up in a semi-private booth/chair in the middle of a busy street, train station, or night market and have a blind man or woman rub your weary back/neck. This service is mainly limited to Taipei, but I'm sure there are plenty of blind folks in Taichung looking to capitalize on the blind massage craze. (I don't think it's actually a craze, but it feels like it should be...)