What, where, who is Taiwan

Dear folks,

if you go home to your own country or if you are oversea Taiwanese how do explain what,where,who Taiwan it is?

Most European people I know ask me:

“How was Thailand?” If I say Taiwan no one understands me.

My Taiwanese ex girl-friend always answered:

“I’m Chinese , I’m from Taiwan. It is near the China.Do u know?”

:loco: I think that’s a 100 point answer for most confusing replies:p

But how do you explain family and friends what Taiwan it is?

When I was moving here and people were saying things like, “oh, Thailand! wink-wink!” I would retort, “No, TAIWAN, as in Semiconductors, not Thailand, as in sex tourism.” That usually got them to comprehend.

It’s an Island that is stamped on the bottom of most finely made American products…

I will explain what Taiwan is like (lifestyle, environment), who lives there (the various ethnic groups) and possibly where it is (for those who could find it on the map if they bothered to look). But no one I know is ignorant enough to not have even heard of it or have some idea of its importance in manufacturing and its dilemma in relations with Mainland China.

Confusing Taiwan with Thailand is acceptable as long as the person knows that one is Chinese and the other, SE Asian, Buddhist, has great beaches, prostitution, ect.

Not knowing that a country called Taiwan exists is inexcusable.

Tell your friends that it is a province of China

Flame bait/troll. :raspberry:

Although it’s true when people back home call me up they say “How’s China?” :fume: I must have told them a million times that this is TAIWAN and not CHINA. It gets repetitive and a bit irritating to have to keep correcting them. :loco:

I know what you’re talking about. Even my husband keeps telling everybody his wife lives in China, and he’s well-informed and politically aware and has been here as well as in China several times :s

:bravo: Which China? ROC or PRC? Or China Town?

It’s certainly worth a try.

I cured my mother of confusing Taiwan and Thailand by having her come here to Taiwan and then look at travel guides for Thailand. I bet she doesn’t make the same mistake anymore!

[quote=“ImaniOU”]It’s certainly worth a try.

I cured my mother of confusing Taiwan and Thailand by having her come here to Taiwan and then look at travel guides for Thailand. I bet she doesn’t make the same mistake anymore![/quote]

My mother was forced to join in a KMT school for oversea Chinese. She told me at classes she may not speak any Hakka or consider herself as Indonesian. If she broke the rules her teacher hit her bloody. If she hears just the word Taiwan she thinks on old KMT generalissim age.

Which has what to do with ImaniOU’s post?

Flame bait/troll. :raspberry:

Although it’s true when people back home call me up they say “How’s China?” :fume: I must have told them a million times that this is TAIWAN and not China. It gets repetitive and a bit irritating to have to keep correcting them. :loco:[/quote]

I have the same experience. So many people say things like “How was China?” or “When are you going back to China?”

Grrr…

I just let them think I live in Thailand.