Interesting comment on a blog about Taiwan being super friendly, that agrees with me. Wow.
https://www.neverendingfootsteps.com/ta ... ple-world/
John Roe
September 4, 2016
A new survey I read is absolutely wrong by labeling Taiwan the friendliest nation.
There’s a major misconception here.
Yes, they are very nice if you need help, but most are closed in terms making friends and openness.
If you’re a tourist you’ll get the false impression of them being friendly, but if you live and work here you’ll realize how shy / rude many can be, especially generation X’ers and Millennials.
I’ve had strangers give me a ride on their scooters when I was lost or give me an umbrella when it was suddenly raining, but the kindness stops there. Most taiwanese coworkers can be closed and make you feel like an outcast, speaking Chinese to each other and ignoring you, even when they are able to speak English,. No interest in making social conversation about your family, hobbies, experiences, etc. This seems to MO especially with women.
At first, I thought I did something wrong culturally to make the people I met so distant, but I found my story repeated and heard from many other expats. You can see this more evidently when riding the train. No one speaks to each other casually; they’re just on their mobiles or pretending to be asleep.
This antisocial behavior that’s been developing the past 10 to 15 years, according to expats who’ve lived here that long. Other expats don’t see this or don’t agree because they’ve been influenced culturally and become “taiwanized.”
Some say it’s because Taiwan has become more developed and it follows the social detachment pattern of other developed nations. But that’s not entirely the case for Hong Kong and Singapore have friendlier populations, where even flirting and romancing is far more acceptable publicly. Taiwan unfriendly vibe mimics developed Japan’s similar apathetic society. 50 years of hard Japanese influence, like it is also in (North ? and) South Korea.
I found many to be even vindictive if you make them lose face with criticism or complaints.
China, where I lived two years before coming here and which ranks badly in the survey, has far friendlier and open people, including women.
I met women easily I’m still friends with today in Guangzhou, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Zhengzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, etc. And I’m talking most are just genuine friendships, platonic relationships.
Chinese start conversations in trains or subways and offer you a snack to share, even a beer sometimes.
Losing face in China doesn’t mean a precursor to a vendetta, but a chance to mend and improve on the mistake or the trespass.
Even dealing with journalists, I found them more approachable in China. Reporters there were more eager to exchange ideas and experiences with foreign colleagues despite censorship. Here the few I met act like they’re not interested in knowing what you have to say, unless, of course, you represent a major news outlet like BBC or New York Times.
A university professor in Taipei told me that holier-than-thou attitude is one of the reasons the country is in decline after its 101 boom.
Sorry for the rant, but I’m sort of tired of hearing or reading that Taiwan is such a friendly place. The heart of Asia, Ha!
My replies that I submitted: (not sure if they will be approved though)
I agree John Roe. I'm surprised others have the guts to tell the truth about Taiwan besides myself. The people are the most CLOSED in the world. Talking to them feels awkward, even if you speak Chinese. In China people are far more friendly and social. The women in TW are the most CLOSED in Asia too. This is obvious. You can even see it at the airport in Taiwan. I don't get why more people don't tell the truth about it? It's weird and inexplicable. I heard that if the egregore of a place doesn't like you, you tend to have negative experiences, like everything is against you and you are always against the flow. That's the only way to explain this metaphysically.
I disagree Lauren. You must be on a different frequency. Traveling in Taiwan is not fun. The scenery is mediocre, not spectacular like in other countries. There is very little open land, and it's hard to enjoy the outdoors because insects keep biting you and ants keep crawling all over you. I can't even sit outside and read a book in Taiwan in nature areas. I don't understand the appeal with Taiwan. You must be on a different frequency. I've been to 14 countries and Taiwan is definitely the most boring, repressed place. It feels like a monastery. Everyone looks super cold, closed, repressed, unsocial, square, uptight, etc. I swear. How do you find anything positive in that? It's very NEGATIVE and soulless. Only NPCs and superficial people seem to like Taiwan. No one deep or soulful or authentic likes it, in my experience. Sorry if the truth is offensive, but I'm just being completely honest. There is no benefit in expatting to Taiwan other than lower cost of living. Other than that, everything feels very negative and awkward. The people are impossible to connect with. Trying to do so feels awkward and against the grain and against the flow. No one is interested in making friends in TW no matter how outgoing or friendly you are. How is that "friendly" Lauren? How can Taiwan be friendly if no one wants to be your friend? Can you explain? Maybe because you are a good looking white girl, TW people treat you better?
Eva, what is wrong with being sexually frustrated? Sex is a natural need for men. Only sterile NPC women like yourself deny that or suppress that. You cannot even flirt or be yourself in Taiwan. In Taiwan everything is taboo. You are not free to have fun or be yourself or meet people or flirt, etc. How is that freedom, just because Taiwan caters to Western democracy? Pray tell please. Men are attracted to women. It's natural. Why can't you accept that? Why do you expect the world to be sterile and sexless? Humans are not meant to be hermits. Humans are tribal and need connection with others. Only NPCs and soulless people deny that, such as yourself. No offense.
