Foreigners Who Don't Acknowledge Other Foreigners on the Street

Taiwan Living in Taiwan
543

[quote=“Tempo Gain”][quote=“bismarck”]

Yesterday, after work, I went to a Family Mart on the way to visit Scooter Sam. A Taike bloke had stopped at the same time as me and his gf/wife had gone into the FM. As I walked past him he was “eyeballing” me. My first thought was, “WTF are you looking at?” So, remembering this thread I smiled and nodded (the “hi” nod). He smiled and nodded back.
I think I’m going to do this more.[/quote]

That almost always works, but some looks I can’t smile at. It depends[/quote]
True enough. :thumbsup:

544

The black eye doesn’t help. :laughing:

545

Cheers to the foreigner I met last night who was talking to the guy selling ‘The Big Issue’ at Wanfang Hospital MRT Station. Thanks for the chat. :slight_smile:

1 Like
546

to OP, its an easy answer… we are brainwashed by mass media to assume the worst first when meeting someone new… a con-man, a criminal on the run, etc.
The defense comes up first… its just being streetsmart. You dont have to be butthurt about it.

The other way of looking at it is this… perhaps that person is here on holiday… in a foreign country…and the last thing he wants to hear is his own common language he would prefer getting lost in the white noise of a language he doesn’t understand. I for one walked out of a bar in paris because it was stuffed full of americans complaining about politics and religion…two subjects nobody is suppose to talk about in a bar… and by the third time hearing “So where are you from?” in a foreign bar… i thought what the hell am I doing… walked out… and got back into the white noise of real french local bar…and got laid.

In my mandarin class… this guy from Checq Republic I made the mistake of starting a conversation with him… it started off light “where you from?” he answered. Then when I asked what do you do here in Taipei… its as if he wanted to just drop to the floor and get out of this conversation… he litterally said “uhhhg, look I am just going to tell you sales, ok.” with a strong attitude about it. I said “buddy, I dont know you… you could tell me anything you want… you can be a secret agent man, president of a small island… I really dont care… just making conversation before class starts.” Then he says “well when I answer you…then you are going to ask me this, and this… and what do I sell…etc.” I said ’ No I wouldn’t have, like i said you could have told me anything." * insert sound of crickets^

1 Like
547

Some of us are just shy :blush: :blush:

1 Like
548

True that. On a quiet day I keep to myself, regardless of where I am.

That said, I have been better at acknowledging other foreigners recently - I just give a wide grin to them and that seems to get a nod/smile/paw/hello from them.

549

I think you guys are thinking about this a bit too much. If I saw a foreigner I would usually say hi, and that’s it. I didn’t expect a response, I figure he didn’t either. But it’s up to you guys to feel awkward about it. When I was in Taiwan I didn’t feel like I was part of a “foreign community”, just a guy living somewhere. I actually met a couple of good friends by talking to them while on the subway or whatever.

But I haven’t been in Taiwan for two years, so I guess i’ve been deloused.

1 Like
550

Western City folk,

Smile=I’m going to mug you then put 12" steel in your gut for fun.

No smile/avoidance=I’ve just worked a 12 hour shift, with 4 hours of overtime that my boss is going to try and not pay me for, and I have to be up early tomorrow morning for a big meeting. So pardon me if I don’t waste 30minutes of my time in a random conversation with you just because you’re from another country like I am, but I need some personal space and personal time.

Seriously, do you see all the Taiwanese people smiling at each other randomly? Do you see all the Taiwanese aboriginals smiling at each other?
Then why should all the foreigners do it?

If you really want to acknowledge all other foreigners with a smile, you’re gonna have to include all the Japanese, Philippians, Thai, Mainland Chinese, Korean, Malaysian, Indian, African, Arabic, etc, not just the ‘whities’.

1 Like
551

dragonash: The city I’m from is not that kind of place. There aren’t bullets flying by. I do think living in large cities does tend to make people more closed.

You don’t have to stop and have a drawn out conversation, just as when you go to a convenience store you don’t have to have a conversation, though there’s the possibility that you can if both parties are interested. The whole thing just adds a certain level of civility to society. Why do it with the other whites? Someone is better than no one and there is a fairly high possibility that the person will understand and perhaps a conversation will ensue. I don’t limit myself just to white people. I’ve had conversations with random Indian tourists/businessmen here, Southeast Asian guest workers and so on. There have also been times when I’ve tried and they haven’t spoken English, and this includes both here and abroad. If I could speak more than one language, maybe I’d start random conversations with people too. As it is, people usually start them with me, though I’ve always tried to help tourists whenever I could in whichever country I’ve found myself in, including my own.

Back in the West, I’ve said hi to (local) people or ended up having a random conversation with people. As I’ve already mentioned, I almost always greet a store owner or worker when I enter the store.

Anyway, it’s not even that people here are kind of in their own little world or don’t want to get into a chat. Many Westerners here have massive chips on their shoulders and give you the thousand yard stare simply because they’re being arrogant dicks, as if you’re somehow intruding upon their little exotic adventure. I have absolutely no desire to convert to Mormonism or whatever the various evangelicals here are on about (in fact, I’m a pretty hardcore atheist), but I’ve actually said hi to them at traffic lights simply because it’s kind of nice, and I’m sure they appreciated it also. Why do so many people have such an issue with saying, “Hi. How’s it going? Having a good day?” and then going on their own way five seconds later when the light turns green?

552

Arrogance, or perceived arrogance is often a mask for insecurity. The dude that gave me a nasty look in Danshui looked like an Usher wannabe - maybe he really thought he was ‘all that’.

There are thousands, tens of thousands of foreigners coming into China these days, and plenty into Xiamen and it’s funny to see the FOBSs arrive all nervous like, then develop their swagger as they develop their little world and clique and pair up with a local bird.

I try my best to give a smile or nod or hello, but if I see the swagger I just ride/walk on by. I’m working on improving my own attitude towards others and often it’s just a ‘hello’ that breaks the ice and means you can acknowledge each other from then on after.

553

In all my time in Taiwan I have never ever seen another foreigner.

1 Like
554

There are times when your humour is so unbelievably cryptic I actually have no idea what you’re talking about. Wait, I’ve got it. Good one. :smiley:

555

I was trying to build up to this earlier but then I had to fly out and lost the thread as part of a counter argument to what Satellite TV was saying.

I started smiling at one of the Filipino housemaids last year (or she started smiling at me, whatever) and we’ve become minor friends. I’ve also met her little “community” of home helps and they are really sweet. From what I can gather when speaking to them, they get treated like shit by their hosts. They said it is nice to get to know other foreigners here as they feel some kind of connection.
Then there’s the whitey English teacher down the road who drives his scooter like a prick and gives you a glare if you even dare look at him.
The thing is, it seems that SE Asian groups have the ability to mingle and form a bond, even though they are from a multitude of different countries . They have a thing in common, which is that they are perceived to be at the bottom of the ladder in Taiwanese society, and are very unlikely to start climbing it. Whities have the attitude that they are at the top of the ladder and are arrogant with it. The way certain individuals carry their self importance really rubs me up the wrong way. What do you call it? A pet peeve or something.

1 Like
556

Boo hoo hoo. Some people don’t like to or want to interact with complete strangers, despite the stranger being from (maybe) the same ethnic/racial background. Cry me a river.

Count me in as the asshole who doesn’t run up to every Japanese/Korean/Filipino/Indonesian/random dark haired, yellow-skinned person I see in the US or Europe and demand that we become instant friends.

If it’s weird to single someone out by race or how they look in a city back where ever you came from, why would anyone expect and desire people to do it to you here???

If you see some guy with a big nose are you going to be like “Hey, what’s up. Are you Jewish? How’s your day been?” Or greet a fat guy on the street because you think he’s American?

Is it that hard to comprehend that some people don’t like it when others single them out for their appearance? It’s bad enough with all the kids and old people pointing and gawking, but now their white brethren are demanding respect too. Great.

557

I black out whenever I see a foreigner*. I don’t remember a thing. But people who have observed these episodes have recounted to me that my face twitches rapidly and that I produce a not-unfriendly barking sound. I’ve also been told that sometimes during these barking and twitching sessions, my arms involuntarily flap up and down while I leap into the air as if propelled by some unknown force, giving the impression that I’m attempting to fly and almost succeeding at it.

Does that count as acknowledgment?

*When I say foreigner, I include Japanese, Philippians, Galatians, Colossians, Ephesians, Corinthians, Hebrews, Romans, and those other groups that were mentioned.

1 Like
558

[quote=“Charlie Jack”]I black out whenever I see a foreigner*. I don’t remember a thing. But people who have observed these episodes have recounted to me that my face twitches rapidly and that I produce a not-unfriendly barking sound. I’ve also been told that sometimes during these barking and twitching sessions, my arms involuntarily flap up and down while I leap into the air as if propelled by some unknown force, giving the impression that I’m attempting to fly and almost succeeding at it.

Does that count as acknowledgment?
[/quote]
Sounds like an Acid flashback…

2 Likes
559

[quote=“lupillus”]Boo hoo hoo. Some people don’t like to or want to interact with complete strangers, despite the stranger being from (maybe) the same ethnic/racial background. Cry me a river.

Count me in as the asshole who doesn’t run up to every Japanese/Korean/Filipino/Indonesian/random dark haired, yellow-skinned person I see in the US or Europe and demand that we become instant friends.

If it’s weird to single someone out by race or how they look in a city back where ever you came from, why would anyone expect and desire people to do it to you here???

If you see some guy with a big nose are you going to be like “Hey, what’s up. Are you Jewish? How’s your day been?” Or greet a fat guy on the street because you think he’s American?

Is it that hard to comprehend that some people don’t like it when others single them out for their appearance? It’s bad enough with all the kids and old people pointing and gawking, but now their white brethren are demanding respect too. Great.[/quote]

I’m curious. What are you so scared of?

What do you have to lose by simply saying hello in response to another human being, and god forbid maybe even smiling back? What’s the big risk?

I really don’t care who someone is, or what race, nationality, size, shape of color they are. I say hello and smile to darn near everyone. I’ve never lost a damn thing from it. In fact, I may have helped brighten a few people’s days who were lost in their own gloom and clearly appreciated a warm hello and smile. It’s a perfect gift, you never lose it no matter how many people you give it you! In fact, I am convinced that being open and friendly makes you a generally happier person.

It’s a little sad here because, most Taiwanese and foreigners I see, (except fillipinos) will only respond with a nasty look, but once again, I don’t lose a darn thing. I personally think that these people need friendliness and love more than the nice ones.

Why spread ill will and rudeness in the world? I honestly don’t think we lose a darn thing if we simply say ni howdy to a few people. If they won’t leave you alone (very rare), or you don’t want to talk to them, just tell them you have to go.

1 Like
560

[quote=“lupillus”]Boo hoo hoo. Some people don’t like to or want to interact with complete strangers, despite the stranger being from (maybe) the same ethnic/racial background. Cry me a river.
[/quote]
:thumbsup:

561

Homey: Right on. If some random Taiwanese person comes up to me and starts talking to me, or some dude driving a truck shouts out some random English at me, I just run with it and say hi, smile, give them a thumbs up or whatever. We both have a chuckle and go on our way. No harm done. I’m way past the point of it pissing me off unless it’s done in an inconsiderate way. I’ll even occasionally razz a white guy by pointing at him and saying “waiguoren” or when a Taiwanese person points at me and says “meiguoren” I’ll point back and say “Taiwanren” which baffles them, but occasionally, I get a laugh in either case. Unfortunately, Taiwanese are generally pretty shy, so as you pointed out, if you say hello to them (even in Chinese), they freak out a bit.

Super Hans: The Southeast Asians I’ve met here have been pretty cool. Every single one of them. Many have helped me or even just talked about how hard their lives are because I was the only person they encountered who could possibly understand. They understand that they are very much not a part of this society, and probably never will be. At best, their kids (if their fathers are Taiwanese) might be. Thus, they understand what it is to be an outsider and are willing to help another outsider, albeit a different kind of outsider. I used to go to Thai Disco in Taoyuan quite often and those guys were very accommodating, despite the fact that it was “their” space and some white guys used to go there to try to pick up “their” women, though some guys I knew got to know some of the Southeast Asians and then the Southeast Asian guys would help them pick up women. Anyway, my wife loved it there too, and we would always try to drag our friends along. At first, her friends really didn’t like it (and one of my friend’s fiancees never liked it, but mostly because she’s a pain in the arse at the best of times), but then they realised it was actually a lot of fun. You go into Thai Disco and everyone is unashamedly having fun and making friends. You go to a Taiwanese nightclub or bar, and if it’s not specifically a meat market, and half the time, everyone is walled off in their little fortress/cubicle and doesn’t talk to anyone they don’t know, or they’re all standing around trying to be too cool for school. Can’t stand those places. They’re boring as hell. Whilst they might be somewhat accommodating of white foreigners, I can’t imagine they’d be as accommodating of some Thais or Philippinos going to their bars as the Southeast Asians are of them.

lupillus: I don’t run up to every Asian looking person in Australia because I don’t even know how long that person’s family has been in Australia. Never the less, as I pointed out, I try to help people who need a little help. I can certainly understand why Asian students congregate in groups in Australia. Maybe they need people they can feel they understand and who understand them, because they probably feel like they’re very much outsiders compared to the locals.

1 Like
562

Speaking only for myself here, but other than Mainlanders and Koreans (I don’t particularly like them), I do smile and nod the head at other obvious foreigners. I’ve helped out Japanese engineers to buy stuff when I’ve been in a shop and they couldn’t speak Chinese and had a problem. Of all the groups I see from time to time in Tainan, the Filipinos, Malaysians, Indonesians and Indians are by far the most friendly. :2cents:

1 Like