Well, in a most bizarre turn of events, it's been a dental kind of week.

On Monday I started getting real pain from a tooth I should have had sorted before I arrived in Taiwan. Todd kindly introduced me to his dentist friend (don't know his name), a middle aged guy with atrocious teeth, worse hair, a big grin and a pretty fair command of English (very good in fact).

I'd been told that, what with my medical insurance card, each visit or treatment costs around 100 NT dollars (about two British pounds), so I wasn't as worried about the cost as normal.

My first treatment was yesterday. Because I was very obviously terrified and a friend of Todd's, the dentist insited I didn't pay him anything, instead he gave me a rather strange crystal buddha ornament thing as a Christmas gift. So, he drilled a hole to let some air pressure out or something (surprisingly there was no excrutiating pain) and said come back tomorrow.

Later that evening, having been paid by my private student, I called Todd and suggested he show me the hot-pot place he'd been telling me about... and who should be there but Mr. Dentist... who plied us with under-the-counter Scotch, extra squid and fairy cakes (inspiring dentist huh?) and then insisted on paying for the whole meal.

Went back earlier today for some root cleaning (no pain, again, I'm still in shock), then more of the same due Sunday plus refilling, and hopefully he'll let me pay him something then! British dentists take note... your customer service skills could be better!