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Saturday, June 26, 2010

Why do many people lie about Taiwan being friendly?



I know I'm going to take flak from the politically correct crowd for this one, but it's one of those things like "The Emperor's New Clothes" where no one wants to admit something obvious for fear of condemnation and ostracization. So they say what they're supposed to.

Taiwan being friendly is one example. In reality though, Taiwanese may be friendly to those they know if they like them, but they are very closed, STONE FACED and cold to strangers. In Taiwan there is no eye contact or smiling to others in public. No one talks to you if they don't know you. To them, that's normal. But in the rest of the world it is not.

People are not just shy and introverted, they are EXTREMELY shy and introverted, to the point where if you are outgoing, you will feel awkward and out of place, like you should not be outgoing when everyone else is not. Thus that part of you will feel "suppressed".

The only types that talk to strangers in Taiwan are the elderly/senior citizens. Not young adults and especially not young adult females. No way. Hell no. That makes Taiwan an ice cold place. And it tells you that since the older generation is more friendly, it must have been friendlier in the past.

In fact, there is no social energy at all in Taiwan. Zilch. Nada. If you've never left Taiwan, you might not understand what that means. But if you live in high social energy places like Latin America, Russia, parts of Europe, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, etc. you will know exactly what I mean.

In Taiwan, people only work, work and work, 6 or 7 days a week. There is no passion, no excitement and no social energy. The events that go on have very weak social energy in them. The people are simply stifled, turned into robots, giving away 80 percent or more of their lives to slavery in order to make money and work. It's a sickening existence where you basically give up your humanity, life and mind in order to conform to their repressive system.

Mainstream Taiwanese do not deny any of the above. They admit to it and say that it is their culture, and that they are not like foreign countries. They even consider America, one of the loneliest and most isolating countries in the world, to be open and friendly. What does that tell you?!

The only people who deny the above are certain groups of expats who somehow claim to be unusually lucky in Taiwan's social and dating scene, hippies and backpackers who always say that people are friendly in every culture no matter what, politically correct folks, and of course Travel Channel hosts like Janet Hsieh, who are PAID to say how wonderful, exciting and friendly Taiwan is.

But those who are unbrainwashed and who sees things as they are will find the above to be obvious. Few people will admit and see things as they are. Many only see what they WANT to see.

This is a sick world of illusion, propaganda and lies. And I'm glad to be one of the few who are free and liberated of that.


PS - Check this out. A Taiwanese girl I emailed, who told me that Taiwan was friendly because it was the popular cool thing to say, was sent my observations above. Upon reading it, she admitted that I WAS RIGHT! See what she had to say below. It's quite revealing coming from a mainstream Taiwanese girl.

"hi,winston,
what a long letter! haha
actually, i admit i feel a little offended when i read ur mail first time...(sorry)
but then, i thought u r right. :D
if we compare taiwan with other countries, i know, our people r colder and more shy. it is truth. i think it is because of our culture and traditon. we r not so welcome to strangers, just most people want to protect themselves first.
i totally agree u that people affect each other. so when your surrounding is a close space(people just chat or talk with their friends),u will be a member of them, no doubt.

but i still notice sth different between our sentences,
i think why u feel so disappointed about taiwanese,maybe one reason is just cuz of u r a male. people r usually more freindly to female than to male. :)
another reason is maybe u go to wrong place, for example,if on the road,maybe most people don't want to talk to u because they r busy or they are teached don't talk to strangers. but if u go to social places, like pubs,concerts,night markets,restaueants,shopping streets, etc. u might find sth a little different.
and i said that people in chiayi r kind and friendly,
i mean people who live in southern part of taiwan r more friendly than northern part of taiwan. :D (every taiwanese knows this.)
ofcourse we can't compare with USA,europe and other western countries i know... but heyhey i am very sure that we r better than china! :D
so how is ur trip in taiwan? maybe u can try other couchsurfers!
enjoy!

Amber"


7 comments:

  1. Haha yes agree with you on that we are extremely introvered and shy...
    I do sometimes feel like talking to somebody I don't know on the bus or in a bookstore. But
    I dont know what that is which stopped me from doing it eventually. Maybe we just don't want to look different among a group of people, and we care too much about how people think of us. So the best way is to hide ourselves behind our masks. We just lack confidence.
    But I am amazed by how you SPENT SO MUCH TIME AND PRODUCE SUCH GOOD WORK RESEARCHING and ANALYSING the queer Taiwanese phenomenon... THANK YOU FOR LOVING TAIWAN!!

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  2. Taiwan may have it's flaws, but you have no right to criticize, and act like you're not; "Oh don't get me wrong, I don't hate _____, I'm just criticizing it and acting like I know everything."
    So before you put something down, why don't you take a look at yourself and see how unreasonable you are.
    "Intellectual Expat"? seriously.

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  3. stop using google translator. That thing makes you sound stupid.


    I believe your main reason for not liking Taiwan is because you tried flirting with hot Taiwanese girls, bit it was unseccesful. Am i right?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ok, I went from Australia to Taiwan and I thought to my self that all Australians were a bunch of di*kheads. It's not a lie that Taiwan is the friendliest country you could go to. If you ask anyone to switch off their cellphones and talk to you, they would gladly do so. I don't know where you get your negative retohric from.

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  5. I agree 100% with the author of the artice.Yet, getting laid by taiwanese girls was extremly easy as they all themselve came to me, so it has nothing to do about being frustracted.I lived in Taiwan for over 3years and I feel surrounded by the most unfriendly people I have ever met. They are all extremly childish and playing on their phone without according any attention to other. They also love to judge foreignerd dating with taiwanese girls certainly because they have a huge lack of confidence and feel inferior to foreigners (a taiwanese friend himself said it to me).This is a very sad country with sad people full of hate towards foreigners that they consider being more handsome and easy to get "their girls".
    I wish Taiwanese people oneday grow up and try to change their behavior instead of pretending being a friendly country and different from Chinese People (which they are not).
    台灣加油!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I agree 100% with the author of the artice.Yet, getting laid by taiwanese girls was extremly easy as they all themselve came to me, so it has nothing to do about being frustracted.I lived in Taiwan for over 3years and I feel surrounded by the most unfriendly people I have ever met. They are all extremly childish and playing on their phone without according any attention to other. They also love to judge foreignerd dating with taiwanese girls certainly because they have a huge lack of confidence and feel inferior to foreigners (a taiwanese friend himself said it to me).This is a very sad country with sad people full of hate towards foreigners that they consider being more handsome and easy to get "their girls".
    I wish Taiwanese people oneday grow up and try to change their behavior instead of pretending being a friendly country and different from Chinese People (which they are not).
    台灣加油!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I gave Taiwan this nickname : Shyland
    Agree that south is friendlier.
    I asked many Taiwanese "how many foreign friends do you have?" They usually say zero. Even when their English is excellent still they don't hang out.

    They have comfort zone which you're not fit or welcome.

    You may wave, smile and approach Taiwanese, they will be scared and walk back. Sometimes not. But they can give you a look as if you're a vicious wolf because you said Hello. (Not always)

    I asked foreigners how many tw pal u have, they say no friends.

    Let's say they are friendly but not friends. They will tell you where is the metro station but they won't get to any causual conversation (unless they're southern)

    I dont agree they're friendlier that China. I was in China too. Chinese are super friendly and very interested in foreigners. Most Chinese have no siblings, so their parents tell them go find friends. In Taiwan I guess they tell them don't talk to strangers.

    I think if you ask a Chinese how many waiguo pengyou you have, they won't say zero, unless they don't understand your questuon in English. But Taiwanese would say "my English is not good, I have no chance to practice it, sorry please meet your friends in clubs or a bar, try to join some social activities"

    And I be like "wow, your English is really not good for any conversation, or is it because I'm not blond?"

    In China, they treat you like a celebrity, in Taiwan you're a dog in a corner of restaurant, you're not welcome to dine over the same table with TW who see you as a stranger.

    I was in China just 2 years ago, so I'm not much uglier today. Have been to Taiwan more than 1 year. Typing this in a cafe in Taipei. Most my friends here are from mainland china.

    In China, I go to restaurant, sit near a total stranger. They pick up some food from their dish and share it with me. In Taiwan they would stare at you wondering why you came to sit beside them. They mustly frown and leave. (Sometime are friendly too)

    I have never remember approching a Chinese and see them running away from me or being scared. Even if they have no english, they smile and appologize. But Taiwanese would really show you that you disturbed them (not all of them)

    Taiwanese are not friendly, they even say they don't have many Taiwanese friends either. Yes, I agree with robot. Mainland is much much friendly and has better food.

    I can say there's no problem in Shyland except that they're very cold and keep themselves seperated.

    ReplyDelete

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