Top 10 concerns when living in a foreign land like TAIWAN

Hi everyone,
As a Taiwanese EFL teacher, I had always been interested in promoting intercultural understanding so as to help students better English. Currently studying in the States, our instructor brought up a very interesting issue; that is, what are the top 10 concerns people have when living in a foreign land? This is why I am seeking help from all of you to come up with your specific concerns concerning your life in TAIWAN.

To begin, I would like to give you some background knowledge about Culture as a big C and culture as a small c. (Many of you might have known this, though, so please see this as additional information.)

Big C” Culture- more formal
Requires knowledge of social, political, and economic institutions, great figures of history, literary and artistic works

“little c” culture-- aspects of daily living
housing, clothing, food, patterns of daily behavior

"Brooks (1968) argued for the importance of “culture with a small c,” which includes information about everyday life and the emphasis of teaching culture in foreign language instruction was changed rom “Culture with a big C” to “culture with a small c” (Lafayette, 1975c). " (Kitao, 1991, cited from ilc2.doshisha.ac.jp/users/kkitao … ulture.htm)

So, I would really appreciate if you could kindly write down 10 major concerns when living in TAIWAN. anything related to culture is fine, such as traffic, food, language, music, politics, etc. Please don’t worry about big C or small c. I will report back the top 10 items you guys, if any, have mentioned. Thank you again and I look forward to your reply!! :notworthy: :notworthy:

Speaker trucks
KMT protests
Scooters
Taxi drivers
Blue trucks
Laws so flexible they can put their legs behind their own heads
“HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO” run away with giggle
“Are you a teacher? No? Where do you study?”
Choudoufu
Insipid pop music

I think that one of the best ways to promote cross cultural understanding would be to quit talking about promoting cross cultural understanding.

Not necessarily in this order, but here are 10 off the top of my head:

  1. traffic (numbers, lack of knowledge of/ respect for laws)
  2. pollution
  3. political corruption
  4. Westerners expecting/ getting upset at others’ inability to communicate in English!
  5. being away from family and friends
  6. having rights in case of possible trouble/ legal difficulties
  7. being given special priveledges based on ethnicity/ skin colour/ etc.
  8. being discriminated against due to [see #7]
  9. cultural alienation/ reverse culture shock after living abroad
  10. my cultural differences being accepted as I (attempt to) adapt to the new dominant cultural environment
  1. Traffic laws that give the right of way to the biggest and most powerful
  2. Legal system that punishes the ‘rich’ non-Taiwanese regardless
  3. Legal system that only holds non-Taiwanese accountable to contracts
  4. Poor quality goods of limited variety sold at exorbitant prices
  5. Food and health regulations that ought to be but aren’t
  6. Food and health regulations that are, but not enforced
  7. English translations of Chinese documents that lag by several versions
  8. English translations of Chinese documents that are blatantly wrong
  9. Non-Taiwanese who expect to be treated ‘just like’ Taiwanese
  10. The emphasis on independence with no acceptance of responsibility, accountability, or culpability

OOC

How deep do you want to go?
Are you interested in why people are here?
Money, relationship, lost, adventure, accident, philanthropical???
What affects people new to living in Taiwan is probably related to

  1. Your level of maturity
  2. Your experience(s) of living in a foreign culture
  3. Strength and depth of relationships here
  4. Income (and length of contract)
  5. Cultural and social diversions you see as normal that are/aren’t available here
  6. Language acquisition skills
  7. Sense of humour - maybe this should be first

Having lived as a child and an adult in 3 very different cultures I feel that I’m pretty well equipped to cope with what I have to deal with here. As a first timer from non-urban Western nation you may find most of Taiwan overpowering.

Promoting cross-cultural awareness is hard work for people who have never had to actively acknowledge a different cultural paradigm, that means working within a system of stereotypes here that will get on your goat

  1. All foreigners are English teachers here
  2. SE Asians and persons of colour are exotic ie, possibly dangerous and more likely to commit crimes
  3. Because of # 3 foreigners are credit risks
  4. All white foreigners are from the USA
  5. All western women are easy
    6 Some foreigners can actually learn to speak a sort of functional Chinese after decades of study but I’ve never met one
  6. Westerners are '‘robust’ and don’t feel the cold
  7. Driving a car without a seatbelt and a child on you lap at high speed the wrong way down a one-way street is perfectly safe…

I’ve done some cross-cultural workshops with adults in Australia and I don’t know how effective it was for those who have NEVER EXPERIENCED A FOREIGN CULTURE…sort of explaining colour to a blind person. :frowning:

My personal efforts at promoting cross-cultural awareness have always led to both legal and political entanglements. However…

  1. Traffic rules of the road in Taiwan are non-existent. Mere suggestions. Drivers training is for the weak. Vehicle size is all that matters and blue trucks are the wild beasts of death. Whisbie bottles and binlang spittle pave the highways.

  2. NO…you cannot drink the water here. It will kill you.
    #1 Taiwan Enviromental Law - If its natural or non-polluted it must be destroyed.

  3. If its not Taiwanese it is strange. Mainlanders cannot be trusted. All white people are drunken sexual predators. Unless they marry into your family. Then they are good for fun at family gatherings.

  4. All white people are ESL teachers. They all secretly want to teach english to everyone they meet. Even if they say they are not ESL teachers, they really are.

  5. 2 adults, 3 children, a dog and a chicken can safely ride on a 50cc 'scooter and share 1 helmet.

  6. All Asians other than Taiwanese should be considered as less than human and treated accordingly.

  7. Responsibility for ones actions is never to be considered.

  8. All good politicians are corrupt. The more corrupt the higher the office they will be elected to.

  9. Its perfectly normal for every woman to sound like she is 14 yrs old.

  10. Children must never be disciplined.

  11. Public urination is encouraged.

  12. Business agreements are only promises. And promises are only wishes. And we all know wishes rarely come true.

  13. Food poisoning is a normal occurence.

  14. There is no such thing as “Good Taiwanese Food.”

  15. Stinky dofu is.

This may or may not be what you are looking for. But its the facts.
Naruwan and enjoy the island !

Food poisoning is common? I never once got food poisoning in Taiwan.

What does “Naruwan” mean anyway and what language is it?

[quote=“mianbo”]Food poisoning is common? I never once got food poisoning in Taiwan.[/quote] You are lucky. I’ve had it 2x’s in the last 6 months. Most recently from a sushi snack I get at 7/11 every morning. Mild food poisoning is a pretty common occurence. Its usually just manifested as an upset stomach or loose bowels. Sometimes its worse. Manu people get it and don’t make the connection to food poisoning.

[quote=“bob”]
What does “Naruwan” mean anyway and what language is it?[/quote]
Naruwan! Welcome to Taiwan

As part of its preparations for the 2004 Taiwan Tourism Year, the ROC Tourism Bureau in early October invited the public to take part in a contest finding the best slogan for welcoming visitors to Taiwan. During the two weeks of this contest, the Tourism Bureau received 150,000 suggestions on its official website.

In the end, the slogan “Naruwan! Welcome to Taiwan” was chosen since this traditional greeting by Taiwan’s aboriginal people is a synonym for the diversity of Taiwan’s culture. Like the Hawaiian “Aloha”, “Naruwan” will be used to say “Hello” to friends around the world. For more information about the 2004 Taiwan Tourism Year, visit the website of the Tourism Bureau at taiwan.net.tw or call (02) 8786-1040

[quote=“TainanCowboy”][quote=“mianbo”]Food poisoning is common? I never once got food poisoning in Taiwan.[/quote] You are lucky. I’ve had it 2x’s in the last 6 months. Most recently from a sushi snack I get at 7/11 every morning. Mild food poisoning is a pretty common occurence. Its usually just manifested as an upset stomach or loose bowels. Sometimes its worse. Manu people get it and don’t make the connection to food poisoning.
[/quote]

Well, I may have had mild cases as these are so often difficult to diagnose, easily confused with other digestive problems, food sensitivities and allergies, but I never got anything serious like the flu-like symptoms that often result from food poisoning (nothing recognisably so or so eaily identifiable as such). However there are many things I never ate as well (seafood, meat, uncooked vegetables, unwashed produce, food sitting out at ‘unsafe’ temperatures, etc.), which is likely in part how I avoided this.

Being vegetarian and working previously for many years in food service management likely prepared me well for avoiding it altogether. Or maybe I was just lucky!?!

[quote=“OutofChaos”]1. Traffic laws that give the right of way to the biggest and most powerful
2. Legal system that punishes the ‘rich’ non-Taiwanese regardless
3. Legal system that only holds non-Taiwanese accountable to contracts
4. Poor quality goods of limited variety sold at exorbitant prices
5. Food and health regulations that ought to be but aren’t
6. Food and health regulations that are, but not enforced
7. English translations of Chinese documents that lag by several versions
8. English translations of Chinese documents that are blatantly wrong
9. Non-Taiwanese who expect to be treated ‘just like’ Taiwanese
10. The emphasis on independence with no acceptance of responsibility, accountability, or culpability

OOC[/quote]

I’d love to know what no. 9 is supposed to mean.

The problem is, the word may not be Aboriginal because it doesn’t seem to derive from any of the indigenous languages. Also, Aboriginal people don’t greet people to their communities or anywhere else using this word

[quote=“Mianbao”]Not necessarily in this order, but here are 10 off the top of my head:

  1. Westerners expecting/ getting upset at others’ inability to communicate in English!
    [/quote]
    Guilty today, but in my defense, if it’s the fifth of the month, and the landlord has set up all of the rental agreements for the building so that rent is due on the fifth of the month, and if monthly rents are in the range NT$8000-NT$12000, and if the landlord specifically caters to foreigners (by including all utilities in the rental contract, including phone, so that foreigners don’t have to deal with all the guarantor bullshit), and if a foreigner wanders in and waves NT$10,000 at you while pointing at the landlord’s office, why in the hell would you fail to comprehend that the foreigner is trying to pay his rent for the month? Moreover, if you also HAPPEN TO SPEAK ENGLISH as does said foreigner, where exactly is the problem?

“What we have here is a failure to communicate.” And it’s not a matter of the language barrier, either.

  1. People who are so utterly terrified of dealing with foreigners that their brain freezes, thaws, and oozes out of their ears and onto the floor.
  2. Drivers who think that because their car can crush a hapless pedestrian, that the pedestrian is obligated to get out of the way whenever the driver is in their vicinity.
  3. Pinheads who think that because a road goes past their residence or business, that they have the right to block that road with whatever vehicle or garbage that they want to dump there. (This isn’t just a parking issue; some asshole on my way in to work parks his car to deliberately block off an alleyway for all traffic, and puts sawhorses around as well just to be sure that not even pedestrians can get past without hassle. His door handles are now decorated with saliva.)
  4. Food servers who refuse to follow even the slightest basic rule of food handling, plate handling, or “restaurant” cleanliness. I don’t want your thumb INSIDE the paper cup you’re handing me, especially since you were just picking at that sore on your arm with that thumbnail. I don’t want you to use a set of tongs to handle raw, slime-dripping chicken, and then to use the same tongs to put just-cooked food onto a plate for me.
  5. What is it with these businesses who think that using slick bathroom/kitchen wall tile on the walkway in front of their shops is a good idea? Do they LIKE having people slip and fall and break their hips every time it rains?

The problem is, the word may not be Aboriginal because it doesn’t seem to derive from any of the indigenous languages. Also, Aboriginal people don’t greet people to their communities or anywhere else using this word

[quote=“MaPoSquid”][quote=“Mianbao”]Not necessarily in this order, but here are 10 off the top of my head:

  1. Westerners expecting/ getting upset at others’ inability to communicate in English!
    [/quote]
    Guilty today, but in my defense, if it’s the fifth of the month, and the landlord has set up all of the rental agreements for the building so that rent is due on the fifth of the month, and if monthly rents are in the range NT$8000-NT$12000, and if the landlord specifically caters to foreigners (by including all utilities in the rental contract, including phone, so that foreigners don’t have to deal with all the guarantor bullshit), and if a foreigner wanders in and waves NT$10,000 at you while pointing at the landlord’s office, why in the hell would you fail to comprehend that the foreigner is trying to pay his rent for the month? Moreover, if you also HAPPEN TO SPEAK English as does said foreigner, where exactly is the problem?

“What we have here is a failure to communicate.” And it’s not a matter of the language barrier, either.[/quote]

Your problem seems to be with a particular individual, and isn’t really at all what I was referring to. What I was mentioning is my frustration with (ignorant/arrogant) foreigners who expect people to speak English. I once heard a woman complaining to others that she couldn’t get around, get things done on time, and it was due to Taiwanese people not speaking English. In response I thought, “For $%!#@'s sake, you’re in a country where English is not the language. Why is it their responsibility for your inability/lack of desire to learn to speak Chinese?”

Not in any particular order, but I have problems with:

  1. the traffic - are all drivers here insane? The traffic makes Taiwan look like a Third World country. (And yes, I’ve lived in real Third World countries.)
  2. prejudice/discrimination - in the countries most of us come from, it is now considered unacceptable to point out people’s differences. Therefore it’s a little unnerving to be constantly pointed at, stared at and discussed. I consider the behavior of many Taiwanese when confronted by a foreigner to be part of this problem. For example, too often, people working in restaurants stare at me in shock, and seem to have lost their wits when I try to order something. For christssakes, there are pictures on the menu at McDonald’s; it shouldn’t be that difficult to figure out what a monolingual foreigner is ordering, never mind one (like me) who can speak Chinese.
  3. the pollution
  4. the attitude that what they do doesn’t matter - for example, thinking it’s OK to litter.
  5. issues of “face” when it comes to English - I meet lots of Taiwanese who just can’t believe that their English isn’t perfect. I often hear Taiwanese people say that their English is much better than a native speaker’s. One of the reasons for the terrible English we see in Taiwan comes from the fact that the boss of whatever company couldn’t accept correction, or refused to hire a native speaker in the first place.
  6. poor hygiene
  7. the weather
  8. work issues - of course adapting to a different working environment is sometimes difficult
  9. corruption
  10. the lack of knowledge of other cultures

I must add that I like living here - these are just a few areas it is or was difficult to adjust to.

The Taiwanese I asked didn’t know what Naruwan meant either. Great concept on the part of the tourism bureau. Teach tourists a word for “welcome” that nobody knows. I wonder how much they paid the genius who came up with that one.

You ought to be concerned with staying legal in your guest country.

Your problem seems to be with a particular individual, and isn’t really at all what I was referring to. What I was mentioning is my frustration with (ignorant/arrogant) foreigners who expect people to speak English.[/quote]
Ah, oops. My bad. I’m more frustrated with my own inability to speak Mandarin.