I have the impression that everyone here is sending me mixed messages, and there are surveillance cameras everywhere. Am I completely paranoid, or people here are really insidious when trying to let you know about something?
One example: If I stand in a public place (ex.: inside a metro station) for 10 min or more (for chatting on my phone, for example), there will always be a member of the cleaning staff that will suddenly comes from nowhere and will start to circle around me, pretending to clean that area where I am at. It’s like if it’s their way to tell me to get the hell out of here! Similarly, if I go to a store and takes too long to chose, a staff will almost always appear right next to me pretending to have something to do at that particular section too!
Just want a reality check here. I don’t feel that paranoid in America.
[quote=“spyfire27”]I have the impression that everyone here is sending me mixed messages, and there are surveillance cameras everywhere. Am I completely paranoid, or people here are really insidious when trying to let you know about something?
One example: If I stand in a public place (ex.: inside a metro station) for 10 min or more (for chatting on my phone, for example), there will always be a member of the cleaning staff that will suddenly comes from nowhere and will start to circle around me, pretending to clean that area where I am at. It’s like if it’s their way to tell me to get the hell out of here! Similarly, if I go to a store and takes too long to chose, a staff will almost always appear right next to me pretending to have something to do at that particular section too!
Just want a reality check here. I don’t feel that paranoid in America.[/quote]
Yes spyfire, your fears are correct, you are suffering from psychosis. Nobody is trying to let you know anything. If you dick about in a shop someone will probably sidle up in case you want to ask for help. The train stations are always full of women cleaning stuff. The rest is in your head. Ask yourself who would be watching YOU, and for what purpose?
Once we took our little boy to a well-known Italian restaurant in Taipei. He was a typical energetic two year old, running everywhere. As soon as we got there, the manager offered us a candy for him. Nice gesture of course, but I got the feeling it was because she wanted to shut him up and stop him running around and exploring the place. He carried on exploring, of course; the manager then asked his mother why she didn’t hit our son to stop him from being so naughty. While smiling obsequiously to me like I was royalty.
If you are taking drugs, you have a good reason to be paranoid, besides the drugs’ side-effects of course.
However, one of my private students, who works for the Taiwanese secret service told me that you were coming to town and that the government had to install all those cameras for you.
You’re totally paranoid. Its understandable, we do kinda stick out.
I took a piss in the park tonight, theres a police station less than a block away. So far I haven’t seen my face on the news or any cops knocking on my door.
[quote=“Hamletintaiwan”]If you are taking drugs, you have a good reason to be paranoid, besides the drugs’ side-effects of course.
However, one of my private students, who works for the Taiwanese secret service told me that you were coming to town and that the government had to install all those cameras for you. [/quote]
know your full of shit now. there is no such animal here bouts. Think they got secretarial service mixed up with secret service.
When I was at university my housemate used to stick a sock in his mouth at night because his bedroom was bugged and his lecturer repeated what he said in his sleep during lectures.
I’ve always been brought up to give people the benefit of the doubt, so, unlike superking, I believed the guy. Unfortunately, in this case I was wrong because he later got sectioned.
[quote=“tomthorne”]When I was at university my housemate used to stick a sock in his mouth at night because his bedroom was bugged and his lecturer repeated what he said in his sleep during lectures.
I’ve always been brought up to give people the benefit of the doubt, so, unlike superking, I believed the guy. Unfortunately, in this case I was wrong because he later got sectioned.[/quote]
At the Shane I worked at it was widely believed that the boss had hidden microphones in the staff room and that he used to listen to our conversations at night. At times the behaviour of the boss seemed to back this up. I instigated a period of talking utter rubbish in the staff room to prove that the boss was not listening to us. Of course, the boss was not listening to us. Fish out of water often struggle to make sense of their new environments. Applications of deductive logis in these cases prove the fallibility of deductive logic or people go loopy because they can’t rationalise reality.
You aren’t special enough to be watched. Get over it.
And in the toilets while you’re taking a piss. But I’ve gotten used to that. But, two weeks ago I had the old johnson whipped out and I was in full stream when a young mother came in and sidled in next to me with her 5 year old. I mean, couldn’t she take him to the ladies loo?
OP -
You’re right. Surveillance has been assigned to you.
Those ‘cleaners’ are all deep-cover Taiwan intel operatives.
I have noted that when I am in a public place, no matter where I stand, if I remain in one place for longer than 2 minutes someone will bump into me. Even if I am against a wall…or in the middle of a public common area.
I get the “bump.” And o, its not a rookie pick-pocket. I keep a surprise in my pocket for them…
That vid has gone viral on YouTube… :bravo: …A New Legend is born!
It’s not that they expect you of doing criminal behavior. It’s more that you are different and they are curious about you. I live in the country and it is magnified times ten. Or perhaps its more noticeable to me because I have to “hang out” browsing in stores waiting for my wife to finish some business or to pick up a kid who is finishing a lesson.
The fun part is when you are with your kid in the shop, you speak English to your kid and the hovering person starts echoing you. Then you switch to Chinese and the person continues to echo you until he finally realizes you are speaking Chinese. The “ohh” realization look is priceless.
The sales people that want to help me… I just politely tell them “Just looking” in Chinese and they just let me browse.
Yea the cleaning ladies. I don’t feel any modesty anymore. Notice that in rural areas, some of the urinals are locate on the outside of the restroom. I found out that they are part of a “Johnson Rating service”.
That vid has gone viral on YouTube… :bravo: …A New Legend is born![/quote]
It has always been thus:
[quote=“Taiwan_Student”]I live in the country and it is magnified times ten. Or perhaps its more noticeable to me because [color=#FF0000]I have to “hang out” browsing in stores waiting for my wife[/color] to finish some business [color=#FF0000]or to pick up a kid[/color] who is finishing a lesson.
The fun part is when you are with your kid in the shop, you speak English to your kid and the hovering person starts echoing you. Then you switch to Chinese and the person continues to echo you until he finally realizes you are speaking Chinese. The “ohh” realization look is priceless.
The sales people that want to help me… I just politely tell them “Just looking” in Chinese and they just let me browse.[/quote]
I hear ya, brother.
I mean, couldn’t she take him to the ladies loo?
