How often do people lose power of speech when you as a foreigner suddenly appear in front of them? They become dumb as in they lose their voice and start silently mouthing words in some unknown language. It’s not English or Chinese otherwise they would speak at a normal volume. I have tried a few times to lip read their words to no avail.
Never occurred to me, if you have that effect on stranger you should start to worry!
Yes, I am worried. That’s why I asked. So it’s just me. Oh my God!
My guess is you are very ‘white’ looking, look like a stereotypical foreigner/American. I noticed if I wear a baseball cap and certain clothes people treat me a little differently. Are you a big guy, cos I think people here might feel a bit intimidated sometimes.
Maybe they switched to Taiwanese to talk about you, in case you understand mandarin.
I’ve had two ladies do that in a Taiwan elevator once. Not knowing of course that my first language IS Taiwanese. Jokes on them !
[quote=“tommy525”]Maybe they switched to Taiwanese to talk about you, in case you understand Mandarin.
I’ve had two ladies do that in a Taiwan elevator once. Not knowing of course that my first language IS Taiwanese. Jokes on them ![/quote]
Where they talking about sausages? Time to cash in!
They were talking about Weeners and cocktail sausages? Or frankfurters? :roflmao:
Thought we were going to talk about the disappearance of the Hong Kong booksellers who dared to sell non approved books…
I choose the title of my posts carefully to draw you in.
Italian salami. Large, spicy ones.
Yes, I heard about it somewhere… What’s it all about?
Yes, I heard about it somewhere… What’s it all about?[/quote]
[url=Meanwhile in Hong Kong - #23 by rowland is mentioned in the Hong Kong thread[/url]. Basically, the 50 years without any changes are over… because China says so. Best part is the PRC’s stoolie saying they got a letter from the disappeared bookseller, saying he is fine.
I guess this is a good heads-up to Taiwan. 
I guess this is a good heads-up to Taiwan. [/quote]
Back on topic quys, if I’m disappeared then I guess you were right to change the subject.
It’s like this… you walk over to the McDonald’s counter. Never mind you have good enough command of the Chinese language to order a Chicken Sandwich without sauce and a cup of American style coffee. They pick up the creamers or even the ketchup for the fries and point and grunt.
I usually say in poor but readable Chinese… What’s wrong. They’re creamers. You don’t know? They get embarrassed.
On the other side, I have my local veggie place who no longer says numbers to me in Chinese. He’ll now use Taiwanese. If I don’t say, I can’t pay.
Am I the only one who thinks it odd that a Taiwanese person assumes that you who are living in a Chinese speaking country can not speak any chinese?
Isn’t it the most natural thing that if you are living in a country you are bound to pick up some of the language by being exposed to it all the time or by necessity or effort?
So why do many people expresses surprise that you are able to understand even a little?
Isn’t it possible that you went to school to learn it before coming here or you are living with a chinese speaking person or family or going to school here to learn it or teaching yourself? Why the surprise?
What is so amazing to able to speak some of the language of the country you are living in? And some of these people see me for months on end and know I am not a tourist.
When I meet a Taiwanese person I make no assumption about their ability in English or any other language or anything else for that matter. So why in this modern world with so much technology and contact with and awareness of other countries and cultures some Taiwanese act as if it’s such a big deal for someone to even know some basic words?
I am baffled.
Because there’s a ton of foreigners who have lived here for a long time and can just barely say:“Ni hao”. It’s not that Taiwanese consider all foreigners to be retards (even though some probably do), it’s just that they’re used to meet plenty of foreigners who can’t speak any Chinese at all, especially from Europe/America.
i think believing in stereotypes is a big thing too. i had a chinese person from yunnan question that i was eating rice the other day. because’ westerners don’t eat rice! westerners eat bread and cakes and butter!’ i can see how their brain doesn’t compute(for some anyway) when westerners speak chinese.
[quote=“Taiwan_Student”]Back on topic quys, if I’m disappeared then I guess you were right to change the subject.
It’s like this… you walk over to the McDonald’s counter. Never mind you have good enough command of the Chinese language to order a Chicken Sandwich without sauce and a cup of American style coffee. They pick up the creamers or even the ketchup for the fries and point and grunt.
I usually say in poor but readable Chinese… What’s wrong. They’re creamers. You don’t know? They get embarrassed.
On the other side, I have my local veggie place who no longer says numbers to me in Chinese. He’ll now use Taiwanese. If I don’t say, I can’t pay.[/quote]
You get that at McDonald’s for a reason. McDonald’s is a company that went global with a two-pronged marketing plan: get locals with global aspirations to eat American food; and provide a place for Americans to be able to avoid the local food. Employees are trained to accept minimal pay for experience in international relations working for a multinational corporation: they want to speak English at every opportunity in order to advance their careers, but often can’t do either.
It’s a burger, not a sandwich. Don’t let McDonald’s eat away at the English language.
[quote=“ryanx”]Am I the only one who thinks it odd that a Taiwanese person assumes that you who are living in a Chinese speaking country can not speak any chinese?
Isn’t it the most natural thing that if you are living in a country you are bound to pick up some of the language by being exposed to it all the time or by necessity or effort?
So why do many people expresses surprise that you are able to understand even a little?
Isn’t it possible that you went to school to learn it before coming here or you are living with a chinese speaking person or family or going to school here to learn it or teaching yourself? Why the surprise?
What is so amazing to able to speak some of the language of the country you are living in? And some of these people see me for months on end and know I am not a tourist.
When I meet a Taiwanese person I make no assumption about their ability in English or any other language or anything else for that matter. So why in this modern world with so much technology and contact with and awareness of other countries and cultures some Taiwanese act as if it’s such a big deal for someone to even know some basic words?
I am baffled.[/quote]
White foreign tourists rarely speak Chinese and there are plenty of foreigners who have lived here donkeys years and yet only know a few words (not casting aspersions but it’s a fact). So often the assumption that a white person doesn’t speak Chinese is correct. What I find more amazing is foreigners who expect Taiwanese to know they speak Chinese before they’ve uttered a word.