Hi all!
This is my first post on these forums and it's a pleasure to introduce myself. I'll be moving to Taipei within the next few weeks, and I've been an active part of similar forum communities in the past. If all goes well I am looking forward to being an active poster (I'm pretty sure I'll have tons of questions!) in the near future.
I visited Taiwan for a month last year and the hardest part of my month-long vacation was my intense allergy to shrimp and shellfish. My reaction to shrimp is so strong that even a good whiff of it can set it off. So for example, I cannot eat at a hibachi restaurant or anything where shrimp is cooked out in the open. Also, I cannot eat food that has been fried in the same oil that shrimp has been fried in. Yes, I am really THAT sensitive.
It is my understanding that allergies are practically unheard of in Asian cultures, so eating out was a real nail-biting experience. It was also difficult to turn down food from friends. My lady explained to me that in Taiwanese culture "no doesn't really mean no, it means ask again" ESPECIALLY when it comes to food. I had one experience where eating a small piece of fried tofu pushed on me by a friend caused a real problem for my evening.
I spent some time in Lu'Shan, which is much more rural then Taipei, and while I was there I basically lived off of vacuum-sealed dried fruit from 7-11 for several days.
I've accepted the fact that I am going to have to learn to cook, which won't be that bad. I was planning on it anyway as I am a vegetarian, but I have the feeling that eating in social situations is going to be very, very difficult.
I'm looking for input from anyone with shrimp/shellfish allergies who is living in Taiwan. Is it possible to live a comfortable lifestyle outside of cooking for yourself? I am worried that a language barrier will get me into some serious medical trouble... if that happens are the local hospitals outfitted to deal with allergic reactions?
Any info is appreciated, thank-you in advance for your informative replies.