Very creepy feeling as I went to class today and an office person made the rounds to all the classes to make sure we were all are. Apparently, someone (a korean girl?) had jumped from the 8th floor of the main building. Does anyone else know about it? I heard there were many witnesses to it and she was successful in her attempt.
Horrible. Absolutely horrible.
Expat in Taipei
[quote]So I could easily write reams on the recent devastating earthquake in Sichuan, China or the appalling lack of rescue efforts by the military junta in response to the cyclone in Myanmar (echoes of Hurricane Katrina but on an even bigger scale), however, today I’d rather describe the suicide that occurred right on our very campus, Mandarin Training Center at National Taiwan Normal University or MTC at NTNU for short.
So I arrive in class today and find out that around 8 AM, a girl had climbed on to the rooftop of the MTC (11th floor) and had jumped off. The girl was a reticent Korean girl, known by few at the institution. She was described as having emotional difficulties since she arrived.
Conor Stuart said that he had a friend who had an 8 AM class and had seen the girl in free fall from his classroom window. Her impact on the hard concrete ground was described to be a very loud thud.
Our teacher stated that in the morning she witnessed many different reactions: some immediately broke down and started crying, others sat in quiet contemplation, and some even burst out laughing…
During class we had a discussion about the recent events at the MTC and the natural disasters in Asia, which my teacher callously described more or less as “mother nature’s population control measures.”
The Korean girl in our class said that suicide is a serious problem in Korean society and her Japanese boyfriend said that its gotten so bad that its nearly parallel to the notorious situation in Japan.
She attributes it to the fact that young students in Korean suffer from tremendous pressure from parents, family, friends, and society to succeed and that their success is only measured in entry into prestigious universities and material wealth. She states that girls in middle school even go to cram schools (補習班) at 1 AM. She also said that nobody in Korea understands how to let loose or to spend their leisure time. She also said this competition is made even more fierce as those who graduate with master’s degrees nearly find it impossible to find a job still. She claimed the unemployment rate in Korea was around 50%. Seems farfetched but I have heard from another girl in Seoul that the job market is pretty bleak.
I’m not sure how accurate her portrayal is of Korea since she always is scathingly critical of her homeland having suffered through the iron-fist discipline of traditional, stereotypical Asian parents.
I was saying how it’s interesting that suicides in Asia almost always seem to be young students jumping off roofs. The Korean girl said it’s because it’s less painful than slitting your wrists and if you swallow pills someone can take you to the hospital. I feel like it’s really dramatic way to go out and that it’s a cry for attention. I wonder if she wanted someone to talk her out of it, but the Korean girl said that truly depressed people are committed to suicide when they get to that point. The teacher said that the MTC has a counselor from America available free for those with emotional troubles, but that she’s not equipped for the most needy students (usually those hailing from Japan or Korea). The counselor knows Chinese but of course is most fluent in her native English.
The teacher also stated that the girl brought nothing with her–not a purse, money, backpack, nada. That her sole purpose of going to the MTC this morning was to jump off a roof…
Walking outside after lunch today, I couldn’t help but notice the gorgeous blue skies with fluffy white clouds. The gentle breeze cooling me off while the sunshine warming my skin. I can’t imagine a less appropriate day for a suicide.[/quote]
pretty sad story !
It seems that, for many young Asians, suicide becomes the one and only way that they can finally and ultimately exert control over their own sad lives. They want to be free of the pain and stress that society and family won’t let them walk away from even for a short while. So suicide becomes the only option that they have, as no one can take it away from them or punish them or make them feel guilty afterwards.
It’s incredibly sad. A few years ago, I saw the body of a young guy who had thrown himself off a 12-storey building on the corner of Fuxing and Nanking. He lay there, eyes open, skull flattened somewhat, for about an hour before anybody covered him up. It too was a beautiful day. And life just carried on around him.
Should life have stopped and reflected?
I believe so. Some of us did.
I just tried to edit out my previous post in this thread, which was most nasty.
praise on the mod that deleted my noxious bullshit.
Suicide is one way out.
Yet, such a selfish act is not an easy solution to the myriad of problems that many of us feel.
My dearest hope & empathy to those that remain.I believe so. Some of us did.[/quote]
And…?
[quote=“Stray Dog”]It seems that, for many young Asians, suicide becomes the one and only way that they can finally and ultimately exert control over their own sad lives. They want to be free of the pain and stress that society and family won’t let them walk away from even for a short while. So suicide becomes the only option that they have, as no one can take it away from them or punish them or make them feel guilty afterwards.
It’s incredibly sad. A few years ago, I saw the body of a young guy who had thrown himself off a 12-storey building on the corner of Fuxing and Nanjing. He lay there, eyes open, skull flattened somewhat, for about an hour before anybody covered him up. It too was a beautiful day. And life just carried on around him.[/quote]
i agree with SD. these kids have so little control over their own lives. i heard this student in my class say she had two choices: do A or B. i said no, you can always choose to do neither A or B.that’s your C.
of course that means getting kicked out. but maybe that’s a good thing. learn to survive without mommy and daddy.
but that concept is alien to them. it’s downright scary. but ultimatley a beautiful thing. i’d have never seen the beautiful mountains in taiwan if i hadn’t decided to do neither A or B.
One thing to note from the blog post quoted above is that Shi-Da has an American counsellor who speaks English, but no counsellor who speaks Japanese or Korean. The majority of Shi-Da’s students are Japanese or Korean. I really don’t know if having a counselling service might have stopped this terrible tragedy, but it does indicate there is a gap in the services being provided to students.
excellent point. japanese students really don’t have a support system from their “friends” either. japanese society is backbiting and “negative encouragement” ie “oh you suck” means you need to “ganbatte” and do better. they never give positive encouragement. i imagine koreans are the same.
Liberty Times reports that it was a recently resigned Taiwanese elementary school teacher, not a Korean exchange student, who killed herself yesterday. The deceased didn’t have any ID on their person and it wasn’t until her roommate reported her missing that they were able to identify the person.
I believe so. Some of us did.[/quote]
And…?[/quote]
I decided that life was too precious to waste, and I worked more on the positives in my life and less on the negatives. As a result, I no longer say things like ‘Go fuck yourself, dickhead!’ when people ask me rude or stupid questions on grave matters.
Well then, consider yourself fortunate.
My nephew here is 12 and one of these cram-school music school and swimming lessons and dancing lessons and doing nothing but homework kids. When he recently announced he would want to commit suicide, I told him:
“Your dad has 7 companies.”
“You will take them over and be rich.”
“You can have a girlfriend in every city where you have a branch.”
He then had a big smile on his face.
I then warned him:
“But be aware, many girls only want your money.”
He got a very serious impression on his face and said “I know that.”
Was a good day being an uncle.
I believe so. Some of us did.[/quote]
And…?[/quote]
I decided that life was too precious to waste, and I worked more on the positives in my life and less on the negatives. As a result, I no longer say things like ‘Go fuck yourself, dickhead!’ when people ask me rude or stupid questions on grave matters.[/quote]
As one who has travelled on the vast trouble-filled 5 lane highway of life, with all it’s bumps and diversions, I must say that this is infinite wisdom.
It sounds corny and reeks of haberdashery.
Yet, there is not much greater wisdom than accentuating the postive, and eliminating the negative.
There it is.
Guppies & ignorant fools ignore it at their own peril.
Straight Up!
I’m one of the happiest guys I know. People who do not understand life do not value it as they could.
I’m one of the happiest guys I know. People who do not understand life do not value it as they could.[/quote]
Feckin’ A!
There It Is!
There is another thread (new) concerning passion in Taiwan. This seems to me to relate, because if there were something in these people’s lives besides pressure and what is forced upon them . Something say to look forward to or live for, life would be richer. I known my life is pretty good every time I turn on CNN or BBC.
thats an interesting angle dg…you mean your life is comparatively good when you see the misery of others…not really the same thing but i know what you’re saying…i’m finding it hard to keep the tv on cnn these days…burma and china are just too close to home (meaning taiwan) and the misery of those people basically incomprehensible to us…i just end up feeling numb.