Taiwan: where atkins would be aghast

I haven't come back to Taiwan to see my mother's side of the family in 7 or 8 years I think. When I was young, my mother and I would spend our summers here before school started becoming "serious." I think this meant 2nd grade. Other than the getting mosquito bites everywhere all the time, I have fond memories of Taiwan, especially of food and my mother (that particular combination). If it weren't for the better education I would receive in the states, we would be living in Taiwan she would tell me. Because they have good pineapple cakes? And stinky tofu? And really good beef noodle soup with chewy ligaments and tendons. And the best shaved ice with all your favorite toppings like taro balls, tapioca balls, multi-colored mochi balls, and red beans of every size. Upon my return to Taiwan a little bit older, wiser (hopefully) and with diabetes, I am starting to appreciate why she loved it here. Beef noodle soup at a family run roadside stand is "average" here but phenomenally good to me. Maybe it's because my palate isn't used to MSG, but it's really good. They have the world famous soup dumplings of Ding Tai Fung here. The best soup dumplings I've ever had. They even have this thing called "Mister Donut" which is kind of like krispy kreme meets funnel cake or churros. It's very chewy, which is slightly weird for a doughnut, but very yummy. There are so many food options, it's overwhelming. And they almost all involve lots and lots of carbs. While it's certainly possible to expend a great deal of effort to find some diabetic friendly food, how could I with all these temptations? I'm just glad that I don't live here. It would be hard for me to live in a land where most dishes come on top of a big bowl of noodles or rice. Cooks cook things to go on top of carbs, so it's usually salty, oily or wrapped in a carb (like a bun or dumpling). Last night I was trying to explain to my grandmother what I could eat without giving myself shots. She thought it may have been just no sweets, but I think she was a little bit surprised that I needed to take insulin for brown rice. I don't expect them to understand. I didn't even understand before this happened to me. I'm a little nervous about things being super emotional around my diabetes. My mom, their oldest daughter, passed away from brain cancer. And now I have diabetes... How did this happen to you? I don't know. It's genetic. That's impossible. Your parents don't have it. Well, my dad's younger brother did. No, it must have been because you really liked the hot chocolate at starbucks when you were young. This was a snippet from my phone call last night with my grandma. I don't know how I am going to approach this visit. Do I let them feel sorry about what's happened or try to convey that it's really ok? Do I just eat whatever she thinks is diabetic friendly food and not tell her that potatoes are also carbs? I guess I just want to avoid making this a big deal, but we'll see how it goes. I went through something like this with my dad when he came to visit me after I had just gotten diabetes. I of all people must understand that this is a natural reaction. Justin and I went through this too in the hospital. It's only fair to give everyone a chance to understand.