Thanks for the responses. I feel some of you are doing too much guess work; I am quite new to Taiwan but have spent 20 years in the Middle East and live in Thailand. I know about cultural sensitivity.
Also, there were no language issues here and the guy im the station DID look at my ticket. I was just someone stopped from getting on a train and prevented from walking inside a museum. On the second occasion, I had a long conversation in English with someone who spoke the language very well and was then sent off in the wrong direction—only to be waved in on my return.
Everyone has an opinion. Mine is that the situation of foreigners is rather sensitive in most countries during the virus. Some security guards in particular currently have a default attitude of stall, delay, refuse and reject when dealing with foreigners–until further instructions or information is received.
I think with that museum there is also a temple and a statue and like you said a monastery nearby, all with the same name.
I sometimes find that people do a quirky overthink, like ask you if you want B and then immediately say there is no B. So he possibly presumed you couldn’t possibly be looking for Fo Guang Shan Museum, and definetly must be looking for the Fo Guang Shan Temple
Stick to speaking English in Taiwan other wise buying something or asking directions can go on for ever,
On asking directions also make sure they have no comrades close by or they will refer to them, they will all disagree while you stand there doing nothing.
A couple of observations:
It is called the Fo Guang Shan Museum in English but the Chinese name translates as the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial Hall. This part was only built in the last 10 years so many people probably consider Fo Guang Shan to be the original temples, relic hall and monastery. To add to the confusion the original temple and monastery also has an art museum and, if I remember correctly, other small exhibits.
[quote=“fumarole, post:25, topic:194866”] It is called the Fo Guang Shan Museum in English but the Chinese name translates as the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial Hall. This part was only built in the last 10 years so many people probably consider Fo Guang Shan to be the original temples, relic hall and monastery. To add to the confusion the original temple and monastery also has an art museum and, if I remember correctly, other small exhib [/quote]
As I say, it was nothing to do with language. I had just come from the monastery/temple and we were stood outside the Buddha Memorial Center speaking. The monastery/temple was 10 minutes down the road on the right side–but I was sent off climbing up the left side where there is nothing. On my retirn he simply gestured inside without me needing to say a word.
Yes, I was wearing a mask.
Thanks for your responses. I think this is pretty much exhausted now–at least for me.
In the south, less people can speak and understand English. Most speak Taiwanese dialect and decline to speak Mandarin. Even as a Taiwanese local unless you speak the dialect, you’ll have a communication gap in the south.
Not true. Only mostly elders speak Taiwanese first (on my street they speak to me in Japanese). Middle age or younger folks almost always speak mandarin first here in Kaoshiung and speak Taiwanese only if either person is an elder or knows the other person speaks Taiwanese. (or in my office they use Taiwanese to say something I can not understand like my birthday gift since I not know Taiwanese). It’s only the very old that can not/will not speak Mandarin (if any other person say under 60’s does not want speak mandarin they just do not want to speak to you.) About the Temple or other places near, many non Chinese speakers can not speak names well (mainly problem with the tones) that sometimes I have problems understanding even though when I first arrived I spoke like that (you learn , just like the OP people do not really understand). Best to write it out, or use your phone to show them (maps, ect). We still have business visitors (not this year though) try to tell taxi’s verbally or with non Chinese text our offices both in Kaoshiung and Taipei and end up in the wrong place or we have tell the taxi our address (then the driver is “oh, I misunderstood”)
Yeah, that was probably true during your parents’ time, but it hasn’t been that way for quite a few years. In central and southern Taiwan, many of the younger generation understand Taiwanese but can barely speak it.
