I have been told over the years that Canadians have some ‘secret’ sign that they make when they are on T.V. to show fellow Canadians in the audience of their nationality. (I have also heard that this is B.S. I expect Canadians to resond with “It’s true!”
Anyways, that and another incident have gotten me thinking. Yesterday in Carrefour a fellow big nose was in my vicinity, so I let out my usual, “Alright?” to which he kissed his teeth, drew in a sharp breath of air and walked off. B*stard.
So, I believe that Westerners need some kind of secret sign that displays their mood/personality, cos some big noses are approachable and others aren’t.
Here are some tentative categories which people should look out for:
F#CK OFF, I don’t stop for Westerners
Talk to me, I am approachable
Having a bad ‘Taiwan’ day, be nice
I have no friends, I haven’t spoken all day, help me!
I have been here for X years, and dont wish to speak to newbies
No Mandarin here
No English here
I think I am missing some important categories, and the signs are as yet unthought of. One day the Tom-Hill system of foreigner identification will be the most commonly used throughout Asia.
Good idea. Only problem is: not every foreigner in Taiwan is on forumosa to see your suggestion. If “we” came up with signs like this, it would double the possibilities because you’d have to distinguish whether or not the other person knows the signs.
If I see a confident-looking foreigner, I always give them a faint but friendly smile. If they smile back, great. If they think I’m a dork for smiling at them “just because they’re a foreigner too” I don’t lose face because I didn’t smile very much.
If I see a foreigner with a bag and a map, looking around etc. I usually ask if I can help them find something.
Usually when I see people of color, we nod our heads toward each other. Or do this motion of lifting our chins upward,kinda like ‘hey how ya doin’. If they really acknowledge, then I usually say "hey whats up’
[quote=“Dangermouse”]Most foreigners I have come across outside of Forumosa are complete and utter ignorant wankers.
Wasn’t there another thread about nasty foreigners?[/quote]
Its about 4 out of 5 so far that match the ‘wanker’ observation for me.
I usually smile and say “Hello” when I see a fellow round eye.
Only occassionaly is it returned in a civil, if not friendly manner.
Very strange.
I was shocked how nice all the people were in the bar - everyone smiling, talking to eachother, the kindest nicest people one can imagine.
But as soon as I went out of the bar and met (probably) the same people in the street 50 meters away from the Tavern, they almost bumped their heads against walls and streetlanterns desperately trying to avoid eyecontact.
It’s so different from 15 years ago. When a foreigner encountered a fellow foreigner on the street, there’d usually be smiles, nods and hellos, as if we’re saying “It’s nice to see another foreign face.”
I’m a reasonably friendly fellow, but very sensitive to slight and therefore self-defensively wary. I’ve come to expect most foreigners here to be the aloof, snubbing type, so I tend to draw into myself when I’m in close proximity to one I don’t know. Then, if he or she unexpectedly smiles at me, speaks to me, or otherwise acknowledges my existence, I’m often taken by surprise and can hardly manage to make the kind of response I’d really like to – and by the time I’ve relaxed my defences enough to shoot back a smile, nod or pleasantry, they’re as likely as not to have already moved away or directed their attention elsewhere.
Taiwan has become a real clearing house for foreigners of all sorts. It’s been that way to a degree for some time, but the numbers have increased dramatically in the last two years. As an “old timer” the situation amuses me.
Nevertheless, being an old skool type, who often went days without seeing a furriner in the early days of the Wild East, I’m accustomed to greeting foreign folks (regardless of their color or nationality) on the street with a nod or smile. Back in the day if I saw one in a cafe or restaurant I might even strike up a conversation, but I don’t do that too much anymore.
The majority of folks, be they tourists, backpackers (are there many of these still left, I wonder…) are friendly enough. Sure there are surly folks who have issues and don’t reciprocate for whatever reason, but I don’t pay them much heed since they’ll be gone soon anyway and out of my realm of existence.
My last comment got me to thinking, so please to indulge a side note (though it does have peripheral relevance). In the early days, the great majority of us were backpacker types who had done a good bit of traveling and then either came to Taiwan with some intent or “wound up” here and stayed for a duration. It’s hard to describe, but there’s a certain vibe amongst that type of person that I don’t often pick up anymore.
Most folks I meet these days flew directly to Taiwan from a Western country. They either contracted for a job before they came here, married a Taiwanese person and followed him/her here, flew here and went straight to job hunting, etc. Of course, most Forumosa posters are by definition gregarious, having joined a message board to meet people. That’s why most folks here are good natured, at least in person.
I suppose my question is, to what extent does this change of vibe have to do with the type of person who comes here and how they made it here?
I wish there were a kind of signal that we could give to those who are interested in contact, and one others can give if they don’t want to acknowledge you exist. We’re a strange minority community when you think about it. Some of us go out of our way to avoid the presence of other westerners. I admit I find it hard to understand. If we showed even a portion of the cohesion of immigrants and minorities in our home countries, we’d all be alot better off.
Good point, Jefferson. Most of my real-time friends are quite careerist and time-driven and would never take the time to hang out on a message board like this…I went to one informal Formosa event and loved it. Makes me wish I lived in Taiwan, again…
The foreigners here in Okinawa are very stand-offish. Then again…the locals treat them/us like doo doo because white faces are assumed to be from one of the American military bases. So we definitely got our defenses up.
Leaflets should be available at the airport, or in local magazines!
EASY TIGER!
I just want to know when to save myself the bother of being polite to another foreigner if they are going to be rude back. I want to say hi, but sometimes I get shafted by a blank stare or a look of disbelief that I would say hello. Im not ‘chatty Tom’ or anything like that, I guess I just want to say 'Alright?" and leave it at that. But that seems beyond some people…
Easy tiger for what? I was just pointing out what happens when I usually see people of color as an example. You did ask about what people did in terms of acknowledging each other, did you? The way I acknowledge persons of color is different. tends to just have a hip hop slant to it. But that’s not too say I wouldn’t use it with anyone else. I would,but some foreigners I’ve notice here are so caught up in themselves, that I usually do one or two things, I laugh out loud at their arrogance, or run up to them, give them a big ole bear hug and let them know how absolutely glad I am to see another foreign face
(that’s really tongue in cheek,that last one)
When I’m walking by myself I try to get lost in thought and block out everything else, but if I see another non-Asian I usually just look at their face and give them a smile.
Sometimes I’ll be walking along talking or singing to myself and then look up and see a foreigner and then I feel so foolish I just want to melt away. In that case they usually avoid eye contact anyway.
Once I was going into the MRT station and another big guy was going out. He looked at me and said, “At last, someone else that can wear regular sized clothes.” (or something to that effect, I forget the exact wording.) I just gave him a smile. I thought it was pretty funny.
I have a large plastic penis that’s attached by a bendy spring to a rubber suction cap. I usually affix this to my forehead when I go out so that everyone knows I’m a fun-loving and happy dude.
It works OK, except I often get mistaken for Loretta.
[quote=“sandman”]I have a large plastic penis that’s attached by a bendy spring to a rubber suction cap. I usually affix this to my forehead when I go out so that everyone knows I’m a fun-loving and happy dude.
It works OK, except I often get mistaken for Loretta.[/quote]
So that’s why everyone calls you dickhead.
[quote=“Richardm”][quote=“sandman”]I have a large plastic penis that’s attached by a bendy spring to a rubber suction cap. I usually affix this to my forehead when I go out so that everyone knows I’m a fun-loving and happy dude.
It works OK, except I often get mistaken for Loretta.[/quote]
So that’s why everyone calls you dickhead.[/quote]
Unfortunately no. There’s an entirely different set of reasons for that.
Liar!! You read your paper on the MRT and when a happy furriner walks towards the train exit to get off and says “Hello” you just look up blankly, then get back to your reading.
I even know you read the Taipei Times.
