Are foreigners here obsessed by Taiwan?

Taiwan Living in Taiwan
1

I was doing a bit of surfing before on some of the blogs by foreigners in Taiwan that exist out there in intarweb land.

Once thing I have noticed is these people seem to be OBSESSED with Taiwan.

It got me thinking about why that would be, I mean I have lived a few other places in the world besides here and in most cases people tend to go about their lives doing what they do without constantly analyzing their surroundings.

Sure, it’s interesting living here, and this website is full of positive and negative stories about life in Taiwan. But, what is it about foreigners that come here being SO obsessed with life here? What do they do when they go home - become obsessed with home there? or still spend hours on the web being obsessed with Taiwan.

I dunno.
:idunno:

2

[quote=“Truant”]I was doing a bit of surfing before on some of the blogs by foreigners in Taiwan that exist out there in intarweb land.

Once thing I have noticed is these people seem to be OBSESSED with Taiwan.

It got me thinking about why that would be, I mean I have lived a few other places in the world besides here and in most cases people tend to go about their lives doing what they do without constantly analyzing their surroundings.

Sure, it’s interesting living here, and this website is full of positive and negative stories about life in Taiwan. But, what is it about foreigners that come here being SO obsessed with life here? What do they do when they go home - become obsessed with home there? or still spend hours on the web being obsessed with Taiwan.

I dunno.
:idunno:[/quote]

Do you have some links to the blogs so that we can go and read them … and answer your question.

3

I’d have to say no; I came here because I’m obsessed with Estonia.

4

Here is one, but I am not talking about the blog per se, but there are tons of links to other blogs down the right side.

michaelturton.blogspot.com/

5

I’m obsessed with you Truant.

Now the stalking will begin. :smiling_imp:

6

Taiwan seems to hold a unique position. Its cultire is very foreign to the West, but it’s Westernized enough to make life not difficult to live in. It has a low crime rate. It’s not as expensive as Japan, you can make more money here than in Thailand or China. Its government is not repressive like Communist or Islamic regimes, it’s bigger than Singapore or Hong Kong…lots of reasons.

7

Here is one …[/quote]

Where?

8

Here is a better list I guess.

taiwanblogs.blogspot.com/

9

Here is one …[/quote]

Where?[/quote]
Oops edited. Must have been too obsessed with what i was doing.

OCD seems completely normal here…

10

That’s a nice shirt you’re wearing today.

*I’m also a rent-a-stalker on the side for lonely women who want to impress their friends.

11

[quote=“Bubba 2 Guns”]I’m obsessed with you Truant.

Now the stalking will begin. :smiling_imp:[/quote]
Oh, you can join the queue man. I’ve got a Stalker PR office.

12

Not enough castles, maibocks or karst topography to be obsession-worthy.

13

She’s lovely isn’t she. I thought she was better on the first album though.

14

She’s lovely isn’t she. I thought she was better on the first album though.[/quote]

i thought estonia was a band?

OP has a point i think…i myself have bored the paint off the wall droning on about taiwanese society in my 16 years here…waishenren vs benshenren an’ all that guff

still beats living in eketahuna what?

15

I think there is a certain degre of obsession, though. I never heard of a French major who felt guilty because s/he wasn’t living in France improving his or her French. But most of the “serious” students of Chinese I’ve met seem to feel like they should be in Taiwan. Maybe it is first-year-Chinese-teacher brainwashing?

16

Well, I came here because I felt it was the best way to really master Chinese. But I don’t equate that with an obsession about Taiwan.

17

Ironlady and Dragonbones,

pretty valid points there. Yes, I can see that learning the language naturally couples with a passion for the culture.

Well, for the time being maybe :wink:

18

Dragonbones wrote [quote]Not enough castles, maibocks or karst topography to be obsession-worthy.[/quote]

Please tell me, what are ‘maibocks’?

19

I’m not talking about something as noble as an obsession with the place because of the language. The phenomenon I’m referring to borders on brainwashing. “Should…be…in…Taiwan”. Don’t know why it starts, but I saw lots of it among my college classmates. None of the French, Spanish, German…etc. majors had a similar mindset as far as I could see.

20

Please tell me, what are ‘maibocks’?[/quote]

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/33/

http://www.beerhunter.com/styles/maibock.html

:beer:

Do you think it’s because Chinese is harder than those languages, so immersion becomes all the more important?