One of the most insightful posts I’ve read on this forum.
I never realized it before but your observation is bang on.
2 Likes
Honestly, the “Taiwanese people are so friendly!” line is one of the biggest lies I’ve found about Taiwan. I say this who loves Taiwan. It’s not that Taiwanese people are rude or nasty as a whole, but I really don’t find them any friendlier than the people in most other countries.
I believe this lie came about as a misunderstanding of how Taiwanese people treat Westerners. As some others here have said, Taiwanese people are generally very curious and hospitable to Westerners, but everything changes once you have to properly integrate into the society (i.e. work, marriage, etc.).
I also think the timidness and pressure to not lose face makes many Taiwanese people appear to be “friendly” when they’re not. England isn’t stereotyped as a particularly “friendly” country like Taiwan is, but when people are being friendly and helpful here, I feel like it’s sincere and genuine. In Taiwan, it’s almost like a performance, similar to the overt politeness in Japan.
But I might have different ideas about what constitutes “friendliness” than some others here. To me, it’s friendly when the clerk at the shop asks me about my day or when somebody in the line cracks a joke with me or sees that I’m feeling a bit under the weather and asks me if I’m okay. These things don’t happen in Taiwan (Taipei at least). I’m sure this is exacerbated by the fact that I’m a white man who doesn’t speak good Chinese, but I get the impression that it’s like that for anyone.
To be honest, when people go on about how “friendly” Taiwanese people are, I don’t really know what they’re talking about. Are they just talking about that relative minority who go to Meetup.com events and are super enthusiastic about meeting foreigners?
I say none of this to criticise Taiwanese people. As I said earlier, I don’t think it’s any more or less friendly than most countries. But most countries don’t have the “friendly” label attached to them as strongly as Taiwan does.
6 Likes
I admire your self-restraint. I would have made a massive scene.
7 Likes
In America people often hold doors open for you. Never happens in Taiwan.
But yea once you become someone they care about, they start saying negative things about you in front of you. Like work or a Taiwanese and they make you think you should be grateful you weren’t fired. Taiwanese thinks being critical is showing that they care, because they think when they say bad things to you, it makes you improve. But it causes a lot of stress and there are better ways to motivate someone.
You must move in some crappy circles, mate. In my 20 years of living here, I’ve hardly ever encountered what you describe. In my building, nearly everyone holds the elevator or door open for me. It’s only the miserable, geriatric tai ke who don’t. And in my work environment(s), I’ve always been treated with fondness and respect.
Maybe I’m just thick-skinned or stupid.
4 Likes
Well it’s labelled by international tourists, not by locals. It’s not like there’s a lot of Taiwanese self-promotion on the international stage. If you google “Taiwan friendly” there would be a shit ton of results - in different languages. It’s the number 1 stereotype for Taiwan amongst East Asians (Japanese, HKers, Mainland Chinese etc.).
I think the better way to word the question would be “is the ratio of friendliness-rudeness favourable in Taiwan”, not “are Taiwanese friendly”. The latter sounds really clickbait.
I think Americans also have the reputation of being hospitable and friendly.
4 Likes
Turkish people are very friendly. Except for taxi drivers. Every single one tried to cheat me.
2 Likes
How do you know they weren’t simply uncomfortable being stuck in an elevator with a foreigner who likely doesn’t speak Chinese or for any of a myriad of non-covid reasons may have felt uncomfortable?
Did they say something like “I’ll take the next elevator you diseased freak?”
Probably didn’t have to do with being a foreigner. I also don’t get into the same elevator with other people in the UK.
In your apartment where everyone knows you is a bit different than out in the street.
Outside people don’t hold the open very much? like half the time or less?
I think they feel it’s more awkward to acknowledge a stranger and hold the door rather than to hold it open. it’s usually young guys that are the ones who zip through and say nothing as if it was my job to hold it open for them…
1 Like
I transited in Shanghai and never saw so many scammers all in one place at the airport. And with the local airport cops just watching on. I had to get aggressive with a few for them to get out of my way as they were physically blocking me. Just the airport turned me off China travel.
Just reminded me of one scam.
There is a bus to go to Shanghai city from pudong airport and it’s cheap. About $5usd for a one hour ride. I told the scammers to get out of my way as I was going to use the ATM. They all replied that the ATM’s were out of service. I soon came to realize why…
The taxi cartel which included illegal taxi vendors would empty the ATM’s of cash so that people would be forced to use their credit cards for an overpriced taxi as the public bus was cash only.
I went to the ATM to do a withdrawl and a woman with a sack jumped ahead of me and did 20 min of massive cash withdrawals until the machine was empty. She walked away with a sack of cash and when it was my turn it said out of service. I then saw her walk over to the taxi booth with the cash and go behind the counter.
I lucked out in that there was one machine they forgot to empty at the far end of the terminal.
3 Likes
HAha! you have to be on your toes when in china. The maglev is the best way to get out of the airport, but even that’s a bit cha bu duo as it doesn’t go right into the city, it arrives a fair bit out in pudong so you need to transfer to the metro line with all the commoners. It’s a bit of a hassle.
I had a really good short trip in Beijing some years back; met a nice girl, saw the sights, went to the duck place a few times. Granted, being Canadian I might have low standards (for food as well as friendliness!)
1 Like
Taiwan is definitely one of the few countries in the world I wouldn’t be worried about loosing my phone and wallet and still get home safe.
1 Like
When I first got here, I left my wallet on the bus. I was freaking out because it had my new ARC, as well as my credit cards, drivers license, social security card, a couple thousand NTD, etc. After tracking down the bus depot, I found it on the now parked bus still sitting on the seat it fell out of my pocket about 6 hours later with everything still inside.
7 Likes
I was with my family and In laws they already think I am too fond of a scene.
1 Like
In my experience -
With casual interactions at 7-11s, coffee shops, mom and pop restaurants etc - mostly very friendly. These friendly interactions actually helped get me through many dark days, especially when I had just moved here.
With interactions in the workplace - mostly unfriendly. And if “friendly” - often uncomfortably so, like obviously based on obligation or desire for some benefit.
Of course there is still a range in between.
Great replies folks keep em coming.
I’m not going to give my opinion yet for free of creating bias.
All I can say is I think Taiwan twenty years ago and now was vastly different in terms of social interaction.
But I’m very interested in what people relatively new to Taiwan think and everybody in between. Including Taiwanese people !
I always found Shanghai to be substantially worse than Beijing!
Third Sichuan, especially outside of the major cities.
Taiwanese are friendly enough, I found people in China easier to be friends with though. But Taiwanese are pleasant enough, just closed off and really boring. Dicks to work with most of the time
5 Likes