Summer does relent in late September and into October, with evenings especially cooling down. Fall is difficult to gauge. Foliage doesn’t turn color in a jungle and you won’t wake with the rooster to find frost on the pumpkin. Things definitely cool down however, with the arrival of shorter days. In fact, Taiwan has its own Autumn Festival, a lunar holiday that loosely echoes the harvest rites of many Western countries.

Perhaps a final indication of Taiwan’s weather is indicated by the popularity of air-conditioning and or total absence of centralized heating. While most modern offices are generous with the so-called, "climate control," even small apartments are usually furnished with a portable air conditioner. To the contrary, large heaters or radiators are non-existent. "Climate control" is accordingly couched in quotation marks since "control" only engenders cooling, not re-heating. Older apartments, for their part, are constructed to be cool, not retain warmth. As a result, the same drafts that blessed you in August are inviting hypothermia in December. Small space heaters are therefore available and very popular, despite the fact that they spend eight months a year in storage.

It’s a jungle over here! So be sure to mix in some shorts and T-shirts with the flannel pajamas and cashmere underwear. In the winter you will need warm clothes and good boots (especially if you want to ride a bike), but jackets and sweaters etc. are all readily available here if you have trouble forcing a down-parka into your carry-on bag.