This is a very old post, but...
We are in Taipei, Taiwan now. The apartment we rent would sell for about $1.5 million, yet our monthly rent is only about $1300. That is a deal I will make any time
There are strong cultural interests in owning property, so much so that it seems nobody knows how to do math. This isn't speculation or for income generation, it is just to "own your own home." I've had this conversation with many locals, and it borders on trying to convince people to convert religions or change sexual orientation. Some of my wife's former coworkers, a married couple both with full time jobs, spend nearly every penny they make just paying their mortgage, and will often tell other people that they too need to buy a house. Misery loves company
We are in Taiwan to have a baby, and came here to do IVF treatments as it is about 80% off US prices
There are signs all over the hospital that say "A boy or a girl, they are both just as good!" Yet we overheard a woman crying and begging her doctor to make sure she has a boy. Her husband's parents were applying a ridiculous amount of pressure, as if she has a choice in the matter
Legally, the Doctors and Nurses are not allowed to share the sex of the baby until the 3rd trimester, for worry that expecting parents will take matters into their own hands if it is a girl
Conversations with random people around the city usually involve them asking if we are expecting a boy or a girl. Their faces light up noticeably when we say it's a boy, particularly amongst the older generation