Taiwan-- do you find you miss international events and feel like you dropped off into a big hole?
I find the longer I stay here the more I miss simple things like stadium rock concerts and famous people randomly appearing on the street. Famous artists or famous writers talking about their work. People talking about coming back from holidays to international destinations. People talking stuff that isn’t related to work, China or family. People’s random talk about politics or sport. Shanghai or Beijing must feel a lot more international. Nobody ever visits Taiwan, no wonder Air Supply can be one of the most popular bands here! Someday somebody really famous will visit or some important events will start here and I’ll be gone
Any famous people appearing on the street where I was raised would have been nutted and had their pockets rifled. Stadium rock is gross. My friend just got back from the French alps.
At home when people chat, they discuss their lives and the world around them. The same applies here in Taiwan, but the environment and circumstances are different; it only makes sense for conversations to differ as well. As for missing all of the hubbub (is that a real word?), not a chance. True, we sometimes crave more variety, especially when the choices are watching water condense on a drinking straw and KTV, (I’ll take the former, thank you very much) but we ARE in a situation that many of our friends find enviable, and most of us have carved out a niche here, at least those of us who have looked beyond our first year.
Thoughts? Comments?
btw, for the record (don’t remember where I saw this, but there was an argument about “loose” versus “lose”…):
Lose is a verb. It means to misplace something or to have something leave one’s possession.
example: If you’re not careful, you’ll lose your keys.
Loose
is an adjective. It means allowing room for movement or flexibility (literally or figuratively).
example: This jacket is loose, but I like it that way.
Loosen is also a verb. It means to make something loose.
example: You can loosen your collar by leaving one button undone.
Sure, but if “un-” is a prefix that makes the meaning of the word opposite to what it was before the prefix was added, then why do “loosen” and “unloosen” have the same meaning??
I went to a seminar in Taipei on September 13th and there was a Justice from the US Supreme Court there. I talked to him for several minutes, and gave him a copy of my most recent column from the China Post. If I was in the USA I would never have such an opportunity.
I think that Taiwan is a wonderful place to meet internationally notable personalities.
I ran into Sima Zhongyuan in a restaurant a couple months ago. He invited me to sit with him at his table and we talked for over an hour. A nice man.
Gao Xingjian is in Taiwan now; I’ve heard him speak about his work. Plenty of other famous folk – yes, Westerners, too – visit the island. And, as Hartzell noted, access to them is much easier here than in most other places. But Taiwan’s not exactly a tourist mecca, which is a problem.
Someone told me several years ago that Taiwan’s work regulations were preventing many musicians from including the island on their tours. I don’t know if that’s true.
This is going to sound corny, but so be it. An important event is happening all around you. It’s called democratization. It’s messy and often absurd, but it’s important – and I, at least, find it fascinating. I’ll take the “random talk about politics” here in a society with freedom of speech over such talk in Shanghai or Beijing any day.
It is true – the work regulations here are a deterrent to many musicians, etc., coming here. Back in the good old days before they enforced work permit rules, clubs like Kiss used to have so many concerts. (Not it was that great, unless you are a big fan of Johnny Hates Jazz, Expose, Technotronic and Samantha Fox). At least the work permit rules got rid of that annoying pianist from the Hyatt.
you hit the nail on the head. living here is history itself happening before our very eyes. famous people and rock music? that’s important to you?
crank wrote:
“This is going to sound corny, but so be it. An important event is happening all around you. It’s called democratization. It’s messy and often absurd, but it’s important – and I, at least, find it fascinating. I’ll take the “random talk about politics” here in a society with freedom of speech over such talk in Shanghai or Beijing any day.”
I have always found living in Taiwan to be very stimulating. Politically, whether we like it or not, it is entirely individual and very interesting. Socially, it is a total madhouse. Economically, i’ve had more opportunities here than at any other time in my life. It’s not nice but it’s not boring. And if this means that we’re struck off as a venue for the latest Stones tour then so be it.
“And if this means that we’re struck off as a venue for the latest Stones tour then so be it.”
exactly! the stones? who gives a flying eff? the entire western world is effed, totally decadent and dead culture, and relgions that dont mean athing anymore, look at Uk USA etc. dead countries. who wants to know famous people? you read too many magazines.
you are here for a reason. ask buddha why. go with the flows. don’t look back. yes, taiwan is an effing cesspool of crazy nonsensical bs culurally backward nowhereville, but this is exactly where you are supposed to be now. Where it is happening is right here, and in your little burg of a city wherever that is, and hopefully you have found love in your life. that all that matters. otherwise you coiuld go to paradise and still complain. right? read sarte and go back to the starting line. anywway, you are wrong if you think you are living in Taiwan. this is not Taiwan. this is the world and we are the world and we are here. stop chasing rainbows, it’s all illusion. give me a night at 45 or spin anytime than studio 54… be here now. whatever that meant…
Sure there will always be a million 32-year old single women who still wear hello kitty sweaters and bobbysox, and will buy overpriced tickets to see lame acts like Air Supply. But there have been some at least acceptable acts visit us in the last few years. With the shelf life of most artists these days, they’d be lucky if anyone still remembered them by the time the work permits and visas were all processed. The promoters stick with what they know will sell, it’s just business.
As cranky said, there is so much going on here that would you would never see back home, so focus on the here and now, and enjoy your CDs when the need hits.
Oh, and in a small pond, it ain’t very hard to be a big fish. Instead of waiting around for someone famous to bump into, become famous for something yourself…
exactly damn right. stop complaing and be famous for soemthign yrself. more people should follow your advice. you are on to something importnat. loved yr post!
…
he she wrote:
|Oh, and in a small pond, it ain’t very hard to be a big fish. Instead of waiting around for someone famous to bump into, become famous for something yourself…\ YES YES!
Cranky Laowai wrote:
“I’ll take the “random talk about politics” here …”
did you mean here, as in the forums? or here, as in taiwan?
the forum has occasionally provided some astute observations, but there seems to be no interest (among the population at large) in discussing history as it’s happening.
Why, for God’s sake???
is it some kind of taiwanese coping mechanism for the lousy situation the ‘country’ is in?
the few times i made the mistake of asking my friends/coworkers about their perceptions of chinese brinkmanship (or whatever), all i got was some nervous laughter before they asked me what I thought…
it’s kinda depressing…
But then again, Pat is also pretty light and fluffy. When I saw him in California he was like Doug Henning barefoot in pajamas surrounded by candles. Groovy. Obviously he’s far better than Air Supply. But it was still pretty light, albeit talented, entertainment. Same goes for Diana Krall. I’ve got several of her CDs and enjoyed her show last month. But both of them were pretty sedate affairs. On the other hand, even with terrible accoustics in my university gym, the best show I’ve ever seen was Stevie Ray Vaughn. That’s the kind of act they need in Taipei – enough of the fluff.
