Anybody remember the intercity buses? They were almost KTVs or cinemas on wheels!
These days they even have noise ordinance laws that are occasionally enforced.
Note I’m not saying the streets are quiet. They can still be incredibly noisy at times.
My meaning of introspective is random people don’t get in your face like they used to…and people rarely talk to strangers(not that they did a lot before I guess but even less now for instance almost nobody asks each other directions anymore or for a light for their cigarette or for a stranger to take a picture for them) and even the taxi drivers have gotten noticeably quieter.
My wife says it’s the internet and significantly increased economic stress. Heads buried in mobile devices and minds lost in cyberspace have led to a decline in human interaction and social skills. Formerly isolated attitudes have coalesced on the internet and reinforced themselves into social phenomena. Taiwanese men in particular, she says, have crystallized their animosity towards western men “stealing their women” into a collective hostility in an age in which their own social skills and opportunities for interaction with women have declined.
Economic stress has only exacerbated these antisocial tendencies.
Politics? According to her 99% of Taiwanese young people could care less – but not by much – about what’s happening internationally. The educated, well-traveled 1% may be less inclined to be friendly with westerners but are reluctant to show it because of Taiwan’s reliance on the U.S. military umbrella.
So to us expats it all comes across as a decline in friendliness compared to what we experienced back in the day when fresh off the boat.
My experience is the majority of citizens in Taipei are friendly, but they lack an awareness of their surrounding and common sense. They act and do whatever is convenient for themselves, which sometimes drives expats and foreigners crazy.
Is OP complaining in spoken word poetry? People ignore you on a train. I’m not sure what the problem is here. In fact, the real problem is if people DON’T ignore me in public. I don’t need some stranger chatting me up on the MRT, thanks.
I’ve actually been a magnet for old folks asking directions or the time. But part of me thinks it’s because I look like a local even though I’m not.
When riding the subway, with all the weirdos that sometimes pop out of nowhere, I would rather have a quiet ride than have someone attempt to strike a conversation with me. And when I’m on a three-seater, I actually prefer that nobody sits beside me so I don’t feel squished.
The only time I’d like someone to be friendly to me is in the office, when I’m settling my taxes, in the hospital, or when meeting people in a resto/bar. Everywhere else, I’d prefer them to leave me alone unless they need help asap.
Lols people ignoring you and NOT staring at you that much is a complaint? This is pretty ridiculous. Foreigners in china complain about always being stared at which I can see is a problem but this is another level of troll.
As I was talking to someone from Kaohsiung today about how friendly Kaohsiung seems to me, she told me they refer to people from Taipei as 天國人 (tianguoren) because Taipei people are not friendly. The term comes from a Japanese manga story. Don’t know how that came into Taiwan lore.
The terms, as generally used, are 天龍人 and 天龍國 . They come from the Japanese manga One Piece (海賊王), and refer to an elite class of people who are descendants of the creators of a world government.
It means heavenly kingdom and refers to the way Taipei has the most resources, highest paid jobs etc etc.
It’s not really got anything to do with being cold I guess.
Some people just have a “look”. I was ordering food at the local Indian restaurant in Concord. And my wife went and sat at a table. This restaurant has longish tables where about six people could sit (3 each side). Was a small place and you had to share tables.
Two rough looking dudes were eyeing my young wife as she sat down (no harm there). They were finished with their meal but seemed to loiter for no reason. But when I walked over, i kind of glanced over in their direction and they both got up and exited rather quickly. Must have been the “look” I gave them? Subconsciously, as I had not recalled feeling uneasy about the two dudes.
