My apologies, if you were directed to this site it is an old link. Luckily in my first week of using blogger I have found that the way robots.txt is handled, and the way that blogger is indexed and maintained is not acceptable. While I am a big Google fan, it seems that I need to move away from blogger to wordpress.
http://truthintaiwan.wordpress.com
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Taiwan for Sale ---- Sold
The 11th largest economy in the world, and the 8th most competitive country according to the new little badge of names to call Taiwan, is now the international whipping boy. "Why?" you may ask, and the answer is simple. Taiwan has sold out to China.
International respect is not gained by loosing the definition that creates a separation between you and other nations. Words like "ease of tensions" say a lot to the international community, and they suggest things like complacency. That's a great thing for business, except when you have a country in Taiwan's situation. If there is an international land dispute and people declare there is an ease of tensions, that means someone has won or an agreement has been made. It does not mean everything is status quo in a standoff.
The results of accepting this 'closer tie' with China are now becoming obvious. Other countries are slowly starting to enforce things like calling you Chinese on your passports (Norway and the US for example), although these problems are being 'rectified' as they happen, it should be a large concern. Why now are these countries doing this? Well, because the tensions have been eased and China is still insisting on its one-china policy.
There is a very crude but apt saying "either shit or get off the pot". If 7.6 out of every 13.1 people in Taiwan want to elect a president who couldn't even handle being the mayor of a city, as a response to what they think the previous president did, then my suggestion is you shouldn't complain about ECFA or being called Chinese, or your exports no longer being allowed to be labeled Taiwan ROC, or direct flights between China and Taiwan.
I call China the Propaganda Dragon. If you are Taiwanese, as some point or another you have probably had the conversation with someone in China calling you brother and trying to convince you that Taiwan is a part of China. Well those conversations are not just limited to Taiwanese.
International respect is not gained by loosing the definition that creates a separation between you and other nations. Words like "ease of tensions" say a lot to the international community, and they suggest things like complacency. That's a great thing for business, except when you have a country in Taiwan's situation. If there is an international land dispute and people declare there is an ease of tensions, that means someone has won or an agreement has been made. It does not mean everything is status quo in a standoff.
The results of accepting this 'closer tie' with China are now becoming obvious. Other countries are slowly starting to enforce things like calling you Chinese on your passports (Norway and the US for example), although these problems are being 'rectified' as they happen, it should be a large concern. Why now are these countries doing this? Well, because the tensions have been eased and China is still insisting on its one-china policy.
There is a very crude but apt saying "either shit or get off the pot". If 7.6 out of every 13.1 people in Taiwan want to elect a president who couldn't even handle being the mayor of a city, as a response to what they think the previous president did, then my suggestion is you shouldn't complain about ECFA or being called Chinese, or your exports no longer being allowed to be labeled Taiwan ROC, or direct flights between China and Taiwan.
I call China the Propaganda Dragon. If you are Taiwanese, as some point or another you have probably had the conversation with someone in China calling you brother and trying to convince you that Taiwan is a part of China. Well those conversations are not just limited to Taiwanese.
China forbids clearance of ‘Taiwan’ exports
Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2010-05-23 10:24 AM
Chinese customs in Yantian and Shenzhen, Southern China district required no terms such as ‘Taiwan’, ‘Taiwan, R.O.C.’, ‘Taipei’, or ‘Taipei, Taiwan’ appears on any documents for Taiwan exports, the Liberty Times reported Sunday.
Instead, these goods can only enter into clearance procedure with place of origin recorded as ‘Taiwan Province of China’, ‘Taiwan, China’, ‘Chinese Taiwan’, ‘Taipei China’, ‘Chinese Taipei, China’, or ‘Chinese Taipei’.
Economic vice Minister Lin Sheng-Chung pointed out that Taiwan and its counterpart across the straits are both members of World Trade Organization (WTO) and Taiwan is an independent tariff area recognized by the unit.
Lin was quoted as saying that “China’s requirements fail to comply with the regulations of WTO and such measures will influence the rights of Taiwan exporters,” as some Taiwanese manufacturers have complained extended period for customs clearances, interfered procedures and missing trade opportunities.
Lin continued that Taiwan will not allow such circumstances and will seek negotiation with China under the arrangement of Mainland Affairs Council, the report said.
One unnamed shipping affair supervisor who’s responsible for Taiwan exports clearances indicated that it was as early as 2005 that China Council for the Promotion of International Trade had formulated laws, stating all clearances paper for Taiwan exports on which should be noted as ‘Taiwan, China’ or ‘Chinese Taipei’. The regulation is now enforced rigorously, according to the report.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
A hole in every shoe
Well, there I was walking down the street and saw this. After thinking of the irony of it, and soon finding others I discovered it wasn't a random encounter but an intentional thing. Certainly deserving of the WTF category.
Golden Shower
One day while driving by this building, I read the English too quickly and almost caused an accident whipping my head around to verify I had really seen a golden shower... fourtunatly, i was mistaken. However I do now call this the golden shower building anytime I am in the computer alley part of town.
How to be polite to a foreigner (An FYI for Taiwanese)
Many western cultures have developed a taste for honesty in situations, and an aversion to honesty about another person. For example, "Tom did a good job on this project.", this is about a situation. Another example "Tom is a cripple", this is about Tom. Even though Tom is crippled, it is rude to talk about it. Another example "Tom has diarrhea.", this is about Tom. It is rude to talk about it. Lets try again."Tom is a hero", this is about Tom, it is rude to talk about it. One last time, "Tom is a bad contribution to the team.", this is a situation, and its okay (even though Tom may not want to hear it).
Lets make some simple examples you may hear everyday:
"You are very fat." This is wrong, do not say it to foreigners. Follow the rule: Do not comment on physical appearance. You may be surprised that what you consider fat is average stature in other countries. Even further in the Taiwanese thinking, this observation could be used to suggest change. It is also rude to tell foreigners what they should do. This is a very quick way to make enemies.
You are very strong. This is wrong, and another way of saying you are fat. I know you have good intent (most of the time) but remember the rule above.
You should eat this its good for you. This is wrong. Again, telling people what they should do is not polite.
You need to taste this, its a special Taiwanese food. This is wrong. I know you think its your responsibility to make sure foreigners eat your food. If you are really proud, or it is really good food, asking once is enough. Do not under any circumstance ask again. And don't feel bad if they say no. Many times when people decline, they have already tried your food and didn't like it. But because you are asking them, they do not want to be rude to you and say no.
How old are you? This is wrong. In western countries we have something called privacy. It means that we only tell information about ourselves to people we know well enough to trust. More importantly, females typically do not like to share this information with anyone.
How much money do you make? This is wrong. This is a deep level of privacy. Many people may know each other for many years and still never know this about another good friend in western cultures.
I remember you, ... This is wrong. Pretending to know someone unless you are very sure of who they are is very bad. Even worse is remembering the wrong person. If you have trouble telling foreigners apart, dont try.
America.... This is wrong. Yelling America with a thumbs up on the street is embarrassing, but more importantly not every white person is from America.
Foreigner!!! Say hello to the foreigner. This is wrong, even saying it in Chinese or English. Making your children say hello to the foreigner is not only rude, but the way it is done causes your children to think very differently about these people you treat differently.
Can I hold your baby? This is wrong. Most western people do not like a lot of people they do not know to pay attention to their children. Holding a baby is a kind of trust, and it places foreign mothers especially into a panic. Unless you know the family well, or for some time do not ask.
Ahh so cute! This is okay, but be careful. Most foreigners do not mind your comments about he/she is so cute, but don't touch them. As a parent we are concerned about disease (not from Taiwanese, but from anyone)
Lets make some simple examples you may hear everyday:
"You are very fat." This is wrong, do not say it to foreigners. Follow the rule: Do not comment on physical appearance. You may be surprised that what you consider fat is average stature in other countries. Even further in the Taiwanese thinking, this observation could be used to suggest change. It is also rude to tell foreigners what they should do. This is a very quick way to make enemies.
You are very strong. This is wrong, and another way of saying you are fat. I know you have good intent (most of the time) but remember the rule above.
You should eat this its good for you. This is wrong. Again, telling people what they should do is not polite.
You need to taste this, its a special Taiwanese food. This is wrong. I know you think its your responsibility to make sure foreigners eat your food. If you are really proud, or it is really good food, asking once is enough. Do not under any circumstance ask again. And don't feel bad if they say no. Many times when people decline, they have already tried your food and didn't like it. But because you are asking them, they do not want to be rude to you and say no.
How old are you? This is wrong. In western countries we have something called privacy. It means that we only tell information about ourselves to people we know well enough to trust. More importantly, females typically do not like to share this information with anyone.
How much money do you make? This is wrong. This is a deep level of privacy. Many people may know each other for many years and still never know this about another good friend in western cultures.
I remember you, ... This is wrong. Pretending to know someone unless you are very sure of who they are is very bad. Even worse is remembering the wrong person. If you have trouble telling foreigners apart, dont try.
America.... This is wrong. Yelling America with a thumbs up on the street is embarrassing, but more importantly not every white person is from America.
Foreigner!!! Say hello to the foreigner. This is wrong, even saying it in Chinese or English. Making your children say hello to the foreigner is not only rude, but the way it is done causes your children to think very differently about these people you treat differently.
Can I hold your baby? This is wrong. Most western people do not like a lot of people they do not know to pay attention to their children. Holding a baby is a kind of trust, and it places foreign mothers especially into a panic. Unless you know the family well, or for some time do not ask.
Ahh so cute! This is okay, but be careful. Most foreigners do not mind your comments about he/she is so cute, but don't touch them. As a parent we are concerned about disease (not from Taiwanese, but from anyone)
Food Handling
Okay, Taiwan is full of undercooked meat, eggs and poultry. In fact asking to have food cooked properly typically gets a raised eyebrow or the kitchen help laughter as to why would this idiot want his food overcooked. Raw eggs on top of Italian noodles, to semi warm meat on your plate to sashimi. Poor safe handling (I.E. raw meat cut in the same place as vegetables to be served raw) in every form imaginable is practiced almost everywhere you go. Meat (cow and pork namely) is moved in large blue trucks with the meat swinging in the air picking up road dust in 30+degree heat, brought to stores, markets and left on plates exposed to flies and people walking by, casually placed on the same cutting board that hasn't been cleaned in days and frequently is made out of wood where even when cleaned still has bacterias. Another day or three pass by in the markets without air conditioning or cold storage as the meat is purchased, and the only safeguard between you and that meat is how well you cook it. Nobody complains, thinks it strange or out of place, and they wonder why botulism and salmonella are frequent. In fact one popular medicine for 'bad stomach's' in Taiwan comes from Japan. That medicine is actually used to fight dysentery when Japanese soldiers would go to war in undeveloped countries. But here its just another over the counter medicine like asprin (which is actually now regulated and has to be sold by a licensed dispenser of medicines). This is one of the few places where Taiwan does not excel over China in sanitation, and being compared to a country where little kids play in the open septic ditches when they are bored is not a good thing. Telling the waitress there is a hair in your food elicits a casual finger in your food to remove the offending object, and fighting the cockroaches from your plate is not unheard of. I have been served a cockroach before that was cooked in the food. I have also been served rice with weevils. In fact, it prepared me for spending time in India, as I did not get an upset stomach eating the local fruit, vegetables and vendor foods.
Here Taiwan have a link, its on me.
Safe Food Handling
Here Taiwan have a link, its on me.
Safe Food Handling
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Drunk Driving in Taiwan
Last night I was in Tien Mu driving around with a friend. Entering the Tien Mu area (next to the baseball stadium) the was a police checkpoint. The method for controlling drunk driving in Taiwan is simple... Place a police checkpoint in moderate traffic areas, and perform the visual inspection. On occasion the question "Have you been drinking" is asked, and sometimes a simple sniff of the interior of your car is performed. Well, after answering the rigorous question "Did you have any drinks?" we passed the checkpoint and headed down Tien Mu East Road. After deciding nothing was happening there (no big surprise) we turned around and started heading towards Tien Mu West road.
On the way we passed a guy in a red Saab convertible parked in the right lane talking to a taxi driver with a beer in his hand. With my video recorder in-hand, we pulled over and waited for the red Saab to pass us. After about 10 min, the Saab turned on his lights, and proceeded to honk is horn, randomly flash his blinkers and shift from lane to lane (not as much in a drunken stupor as in just plain idiocy). We followed him to the Ox on the Roof bar, where he proceeded to park in the rightmost lane and get out of the car to go talk with people in the bar. After another 10 min pause, he proceeded to continue his lane changing horn honking charade and make a u turn, narrowly avoiding hitting another oncoming car. As we approached we noticed that a police office is his car witnessed the whole scene (as he was waiting at the light) . But did nothing. Unfortunately i paused my recording at the Ox on the Roof, and did not capture this blatant near collision in front of the officer :(.
Unfortunately foreigners have a reputation in Taiwan for being drunk lecherous people. Based on very little fact, but well known to many locals. While the fact remains that Taiwan business circles relies heavily on KTV and bar-room negotiations, most foreigners must be willing to drink in order to get business done. In psychology there is a term called projection (Freudian Projection), which I think fairly accurately describes the mentality involved whenever there are unwanted associations with ones self or culture and placing them on another. There is a drinking problem in Taiwan, and there is a drinking and driving problem in Taiwan. I would even suggest (without proof) this is a bigger problem than in other countries, and exacerbated by the ineffective measures in place to deal with it. I will not say I have not met 'drunkards' who are foreigners, nor will I say I haven't been falling down drunk in Taiwan before. But it does not benefit Taiwanese to continue this myth when it only proves ignorance and does not deal with the issues at home.
(This is a placeholder for video as soon as i can resolve my conversion issue)
On the way we passed a guy in a red Saab convertible parked in the right lane talking to a taxi driver with a beer in his hand. With my video recorder in-hand, we pulled over and waited for the red Saab to pass us. After about 10 min, the Saab turned on his lights, and proceeded to honk is horn, randomly flash his blinkers and shift from lane to lane (not as much in a drunken stupor as in just plain idiocy). We followed him to the Ox on the Roof bar, where he proceeded to park in the rightmost lane and get out of the car to go talk with people in the bar. After another 10 min pause, he proceeded to continue his lane changing horn honking charade and make a u turn, narrowly avoiding hitting another oncoming car. As we approached we noticed that a police office is his car witnessed the whole scene (as he was waiting at the light) . But did nothing. Unfortunately i paused my recording at the Ox on the Roof, and did not capture this blatant near collision in front of the officer :(.
Unfortunately foreigners have a reputation in Taiwan for being drunk lecherous people. Based on very little fact, but well known to many locals. While the fact remains that Taiwan business circles relies heavily on KTV and bar-room negotiations, most foreigners must be willing to drink in order to get business done. In psychology there is a term called projection (Freudian Projection), which I think fairly accurately describes the mentality involved whenever there are unwanted associations with ones self or culture and placing them on another. There is a drinking problem in Taiwan, and there is a drinking and driving problem in Taiwan. I would even suggest (without proof) this is a bigger problem than in other countries, and exacerbated by the ineffective measures in place to deal with it. I will not say I have not met 'drunkards' who are foreigners, nor will I say I haven't been falling down drunk in Taiwan before. But it does not benefit Taiwanese to continue this myth when it only proves ignorance and does not deal with the issues at home.
(This is a placeholder for video as soon as i can resolve my conversion issue)
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - Healthcare in Taiwan
I spent some time a few years ago and detailed facts, figures and reports from the NHI about insurance in Taiwan on Wikipedia. It seems not even a remnant of my work is left, but rather a 3 paragraph stub of worthless information on the NHI. Since I do not not want to re-invest that time at the moment, I will stick with superficial information.
As brief overview, National Health Insurance (NHI) is the socialized health care system in Taiwan. It is compulsory for every Taiwanese.
The Good
In the frontier of civilized medicine moderated by large pharmaceutical companies and unethical costs, Taiwan has missed out on a lot. That is not to say their knowledge, equipment or practices are sub-par (quite the contrary actually), but the big money pharmaceutical companies have found little purchase in the heavily regulated and politically controlled industry. The bottom line is that health care in Taiwan is extra-ordinarily cost effective, filled with highly competent doctors, and can provide you the best treatment money can buy anywhere in the world.
The Bad
Because of the low-cost nature doctors are encouraged to use low cost drugs, and try to stick with a small selection of drugs. This means that on the whole, sometimes less effective treatments are provided to save money. This also means that the government stockpiles (not always renewing or maintain these as needed) drugs like Tamiflu and H1N1 vaccinations.
The Ugly
While there are many good aspects to health care, one of the great weaknesses is that there is little effort in time with the doctor and proper diagnoses of a condition. Most doctor visits I have been to are less than 4 minutes and the clinical diagnosis is based primarily on a very brief inspection. The problem is that I have had many very incorrect assessments. I know first-hand people who were treated for cancer that they never had, and children incorrectly diagnosed with life crippling diseases in these brief assessments.
I would like to say congratulations to Dr. Wu for his dedication to his work. I would also like to think that the reason for his clientele is due to repeat visitors. Just because an 84 second diagnoses was made does not mean it was the wrong one. But the trouble lies in the fact that Taiwanese people will not complain if they are incorrectly diagnosed, so we will probably never know if Dr. Wu is a dedicated hard working professional or a dedicated hard working person who had little care for the end result of his work.
As brief overview, National Health Insurance (NHI) is the socialized health care system in Taiwan. It is compulsory for every Taiwanese.
The Good
In the frontier of civilized medicine moderated by large pharmaceutical companies and unethical costs, Taiwan has missed out on a lot. That is not to say their knowledge, equipment or practices are sub-par (quite the contrary actually), but the big money pharmaceutical companies have found little purchase in the heavily regulated and politically controlled industry. The bottom line is that health care in Taiwan is extra-ordinarily cost effective, filled with highly competent doctors, and can provide you the best treatment money can buy anywhere in the world.
The Bad
Because of the low-cost nature doctors are encouraged to use low cost drugs, and try to stick with a small selection of drugs. This means that on the whole, sometimes less effective treatments are provided to save money. This also means that the government stockpiles (not always renewing or maintain these as needed) drugs like Tamiflu and H1N1 vaccinations.
The Ugly
While there are many good aspects to health care, one of the great weaknesses is that there is little effort in time with the doctor and proper diagnoses of a condition. Most doctor visits I have been to are less than 4 minutes and the clinical diagnosis is based primarily on a very brief inspection. The problem is that I have had many very incorrect assessments. I know first-hand people who were treated for cancer that they never had, and children incorrectly diagnosed with life crippling diseases in these brief assessments.
Taken from telegraph.co.uk
Taiwanese doctor rebuked for 84-second diagnoses
A doctor has been rebuked by the Taiwanese government after an investigation revealed that he took just 84 seconds, on average, to diagnose each patient.
Published: 1:12PM BST 20 May 2010
The orthopedist diagnosed 61,366 patients last year, according to an investigation by the Control Yuan.
He diagnosed up to 339 outpatients a day, taking an average of 84 seconds, the investigation showed, triggering a request to the health ministry that he spend more time on his patients in the future.
Local media identified him as Wu Ming-feng of the private Minsheng hospital in south Taiwan's Kaohsiung city, with TV stations showing footage of him defending his work style.
"If the government wants to restrict the daily number of patients, it's OK with me. I don't even want to have so many patients. I just thought it would be unfair not to see them," Mr Wu said on the CTI television channel.
I would like to say congratulations to Dr. Wu for his dedication to his work. I would also like to think that the reason for his clientele is due to repeat visitors. Just because an 84 second diagnoses was made does not mean it was the wrong one. But the trouble lies in the fact that Taiwanese people will not complain if they are incorrectly diagnosed, so we will probably never know if Dr. Wu is a dedicated hard working professional or a dedicated hard working person who had little care for the end result of his work.
A lie in the mouth, fills in the gaps in marketing
Yesterday, I made a pass through XinYi by New York New York and found a cluster of people carefully avoiding stepping around a display for a luxury SUV. Armed in my very casual shorts and camera in altruistic 'I'm a poor tourist leave me alone' style, I approached this "Luxgen" luxury vehicle. Yes, the closer I approach the more obvious that Luxgen is the actual brand name. In true car sales fashion, before I get within 1 meter of this vehicle a bit of fairy dust sprinkles through the air and a salesman is at my shoulder whispering subliminal messages.
For some reason with me, dressing the tourist either incites salesperson lusts at some 'multimillionaire appearing as a pauper' fantasy, or incites the 'escapee from the leper colony' fantasy. I have been approached by some of the largest financial institutions for gold investment, cd's and a multitude of other large scale investments, while in this same guise I am unable to get some low end store salespersons to talk with me. Its a fickle thing, and rarely works the way I want it.
So, rather than fight the current I ask the salesperson about the car. According to him this is "entirely a Taiwanese achievement" and the design for the motor, chassis and everything else for that matter is Taiwanese engineering. After a slight pause, the brief addition that the transmission was Japanese was dropped in there. Take note that in Taiwan people assume that if its Japanese, it may as well be gold plated and come with a recommendation from God (or Buhda, or Allah). In fact some companies in Taiwan love to print their packaging in Japanese so it appears their product is Japanese. So back to reality, I find it either a huge challenge for Taiwan engineering or an outright lie. Considering that there have been other Taiwan companies to produce automobiles I quietly give the benefit of the doubt and ask to look under the hood. I was astonished to find, below the attempt to hide the motor in plastic, a fair sized motor mounted in traditional front wheel drive manner. I was handed the DM (marketing brochure) and realized a correlation immediately between market styles, the "L" logo, and marketing position that this was a Lexus knock-off (or attempt at side by side competition). I did not notice any obviously unique IP on the vehicle (not surprising), and was disappointed to see they used printed Chinese characters rather than international symbols for functions in the vehicle. A side view rear facing camera did address the gap in traditional side view mirrors. Unfortunately short of being rude and climbing under the vehicle, and the fact I wasn't here for this at all, I decided to move on.
A few minutes on the computer later easily revealed that the claim to all-Taiwanese engineering was in fact a lie. However, the company itself sparked my interest, as I do know them under another name. I have made a few phone calls and will compile a quasi-news article after I complete some interviews on this issue.
The bottom line is something that I frequently find in Taiwan. A person, in an attempt to sell you something, has no compunctions about lying outright. Marketing materials in Taiwan don't frequently contain outright lies but typically avoid glaring weaknesses and make bold and nearly impossible to substantiate claims like 'we are the best at xxx'. Taiwanese rarely try to address issues but prefer to eel around them completely, and when confronted with facts or evidence contrary to their lies typically use reflection as their first response (i.e. trying to discredit you, or claiming that you are lying and do not know what you are talking about). I will save topics about face and sales for another time, but showing a Taiwanese the truth will never succeed if you confront them with lying. Ultimately there is little to no legal remedy to lies from the mouth. In many western countries, we find these kinds of lies also. The problem here is that people have little incentive to tell you the facts, as there is no repercussion to their actions. This is not a case of 'buyer beware' as much as 'buyer bring your earplugs'.
For some reason with me, dressing the tourist either incites salesperson lusts at some 'multimillionaire appearing as a pauper' fantasy, or incites the 'escapee from the leper colony' fantasy. I have been approached by some of the largest financial institutions for gold investment, cd's and a multitude of other large scale investments, while in this same guise I am unable to get some low end store salespersons to talk with me. Its a fickle thing, and rarely works the way I want it.
So, rather than fight the current I ask the salesperson about the car. According to him this is "entirely a Taiwanese achievement" and the design for the motor, chassis and everything else for that matter is Taiwanese engineering. After a slight pause, the brief addition that the transmission was Japanese was dropped in there. Take note that in Taiwan people assume that if its Japanese, it may as well be gold plated and come with a recommendation from God (or Buhda, or Allah). In fact some companies in Taiwan love to print their packaging in Japanese so it appears their product is Japanese. So back to reality, I find it either a huge challenge for Taiwan engineering or an outright lie. Considering that there have been other Taiwan companies to produce automobiles I quietly give the benefit of the doubt and ask to look under the hood. I was astonished to find, below the attempt to hide the motor in plastic, a fair sized motor mounted in traditional front wheel drive manner. I was handed the DM (marketing brochure) and realized a correlation immediately between market styles, the "L" logo, and marketing position that this was a Lexus knock-off (or attempt at side by side competition). I did not notice any obviously unique IP on the vehicle (not surprising), and was disappointed to see they used printed Chinese characters rather than international symbols for functions in the vehicle. A side view rear facing camera did address the gap in traditional side view mirrors. Unfortunately short of being rude and climbing under the vehicle, and the fact I wasn't here for this at all, I decided to move on.
A few minutes on the computer later easily revealed that the claim to all-Taiwanese engineering was in fact a lie. However, the company itself sparked my interest, as I do know them under another name. I have made a few phone calls and will compile a quasi-news article after I complete some interviews on this issue.
The bottom line is something that I frequently find in Taiwan. A person, in an attempt to sell you something, has no compunctions about lying outright. Marketing materials in Taiwan don't frequently contain outright lies but typically avoid glaring weaknesses and make bold and nearly impossible to substantiate claims like 'we are the best at xxx'. Taiwanese rarely try to address issues but prefer to eel around them completely, and when confronted with facts or evidence contrary to their lies typically use reflection as their first response (i.e. trying to discredit you, or claiming that you are lying and do not know what you are talking about). I will save topics about face and sales for another time, but showing a Taiwanese the truth will never succeed if you confront them with lying. Ultimately there is little to no legal remedy to lies from the mouth. In many western countries, we find these kinds of lies also. The problem here is that people have little incentive to tell you the facts, as there is no repercussion to their actions. This is not a case of 'buyer beware' as much as 'buyer bring your earplugs'.
Friday, May 21, 2010
A foreign womans perspective to dating in Taiwan
I was a little bit shocked to see an article that recapped many things I think about dating in Taiwan, but blogged by a female. You can see and respond to the original post here http://www.therealtaiwan.com. The original artical has been defiled by my musings, but I was nice enough to do a color seperation.
Anyway, I really appreciated this article because it indicates to me that its not only a guys problem, but a expat problem in general. Some interesting facts, the average Taiwanese couple have sex about one time a month. Taiwan's population is decreasing steadily and the gay and lesbian communities are thriving. Prostitution in Taiwan is among the most expensive countries in the world and they are talking about making it legal again. All of these things paint a poor long term portrait for the sustainability of Taiwan. Sometimes I wonder, if procreation continues at this rate, is it really necessary for people like me to spend so much time working on the foreigner image?Dating in Taiwan: A Foreign Woman’s Perspective
Somewhere in the fictional version of New York City, Samantha Jones and Carrie Bradshaw are shedding tears for me. After 9 months of living in Taipei, I’ve just about given up on men in Asia. I have years and years of sadness piled up before you... but I'm sure Carry and Samantha do not endear as warmly to the male endeavor.
I’m not converting to lesbianism by any means, but I suppose I’ve abandoned the idea that I will meet anyone worthwhile during my stint in Asia.
In case you haven’t already figured it out, foreign women get the short end of the dating stick over here. We are hands down, the least sexually satisfied demographic in Asia.
I did an unscientific poll and asked female foreigners living in Taipei, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul what their dating and sex life is like and almost all of them gave me the same answer- it’s non-existent. They all agree that celibacy and singledom is a begrudgingly accepted part of life.
I won’t bother getting into how easy it is for any male ex-pat to find a girlfriend and/or f&ck buddy. We’re all aware of this fact and have certainly seen mismatched couples consisting of bombshell local chicks with ‘bottom of the barrel-esque’ foreign guys. Now speaking as the local troll, I have seen the mismatched expat with the bombshell and wondered.... Whats a guy gotta do? Guys may be a little more flexible on accepting that fu ck buddy, but I will tell you the non-drinking strictly ballroom dance kind of guy does not seem to have a chance here? I refuse to play the 'my benz is bigger than yours' game, and that don't leave a person with much here.
If I sound bitter, I’m not. I am :)
I’ve had more than my fair share of mock-relationships with both locals and foreigners. Hell, I even had a short-term fling with a Taiwanese celebrity. Trust me, I’ve seen the broad spectrum of men Taipei has to offer.
But, if you want to know why female ex-pat’s have a tough time finding a boyfriend or decent fling the answer is simple: we are the unwanted demographic.
Unwanted.
I don’t have a bloated sense of entitlement nor do I have unrealistic expectations when it comes to men. If I could find a Don Draper + Daniel Henney + Johnny Depp mix of a man I’d probably spontaneously combust from the endorphins alone but, I know that’s never going to happen. And in Taipei? Hell. F&cking. No.
The simple fact remains that both locals and foreign guys have no interest in dating us. Now this is the interesting part, I know many locals that want to date you, but its more the 'I want to have sex with a westerner' experimentation than really wanting a relationship.
Let’s start with locals:
‘Unwanted-ness’ is a two-way street especially with this group. Here’s my justification for that statement:
1) Physical attraction to locals for me- dwindles at a very, very low percentage. Puffy hair, shiny marshmallow jackets, skinny jeans and flip flops in the winter don’t exactly get my panties soaking. Maybe local men are an acquired taste, like betelnut? I find both revolting but, that’s just me… And thats what keeps me straight.
2) The language barrier is a huge strike, because in case you didn’t already know- women love talking. Decent communication can be shirked initially, however the minimal scope of topics can get old, real quick. Interestingly enough, speaking excellent Chinese does not resolve this problem for men, and Taiwanese girls are frequently the "I wanna do what you wanna do" nightmare right out the movie "Coming to America".
3) Local guys are very shy compared to foreigners. You can’t come on too strong nor can you wait around for them to make the first move. Rock and a hard place, anyone? Being shy was cute in high school. It isn’t anymore. I think you should read my in depth experiments on attempting to get eye contact, let alone a conversation with a local.
4) How many local guys do you know who would be open-minded about dating a foreigner? I wouldn’t imagine very many and if they exist, they must be hiding under a bridge somewhere.
Suffice to say, a foreign woman dating a local man probably won’t end up working out. Unfortunately I have to agree, the chances are rare... If you looking for a buddy, you do have a few Taiwanese trolls under the bridge i promise... but its a conquest fu.k and nothing else.
So now, let’s move onto the foreign men:
We aren’t considered desirable because for most guys it’s a ‘been there, done that’ type of attitude. Actually if you want to know the truth, for myself there is the over domineering self entitled girls from home that lost their appeal to me. I don't like to drink and club and that's the bottom line. Not to say I am not attracted, but whenever I get to the nod hello point with a western girl i normally get the... i want the skinny gay jap pop guy with fake glasses behind you look.
1) Male ex-pats come to Asia to experience the culture and more importantly to become acquainted with the local chicks. For many of them this is their first taste of Asian women. Why would they bother with a native speaker? They can go back home in a year or two and find plenty of girls like us over there. Hmmm, what some of us wouldn't give to have an in depth conversation fully of corny humor and sexual innuendo and all of the things that make conversation good an wholesome. Some of us aren't going back home in a year or two.
2) The language barrier works in their favor. Most foreigners know they don’t have to ‘really’ be serious about this girl because it can’t go anywhere. It’s a fling and breaking up with a girl because of communication issues is one of the best and most legitimate excuses a guy can have in Asia. Really? Really Really? Us guys up here have a saying. Be careful of the toothbrush. Once a Taiwanese girl gets her toothbrush in your house, its all over. There is no getting rid of her because the next day the hair dryer will be there. And Taiwanese woman typically don't go postal and yell and incite a fight, there is no way to get rid of them, even if you think its not working out. A foreign guy will want us is if he’s been in Asia for a while and MISSES having a decent, witty and smart conversation. Lool you hit the nail on the head.
3) Local women will let foreign guys treat them like crap without consequence and stick around. Many foreign guys I’ve spoken to admit that they know they can get away with murder when it comes to locals. As much as the guys crave the ‘Asian’ experience in Taiwan, these women crave the ‘Western’ experience and will put up with Johnny American being a jerkoff, just because his blonde hair and blue eyes are just so darn cute. Foreign women have a lower tolerance when it comes to bullshit and guys are well aware of this. Sticking to the local demographic bodes well for the Western player. Can you introduce me to some of these 'guys' cause homeslice needs some lessons. I so completely disagree with this, I am not saying it doesn't happen. But the couples that I do know, the foreign guy is normally 10times as patient its very rare I see the Johnny American, unless they are on the goober "i cant get any other job in the US but teaching in Taiwan so lets park the trailer go fck the Asian" package. (Unfortunately I have met a few of those and they really need beat because they help propagate anti-foreigner sentiment).
4) A lot of male expats come to Asia because they can’t score with chicks back home. Physically inferior and socially inept in the West can equate to Brad Pitt-likeness in the eyes of a local. If we didn’t want you back home, we won’t want you over here. Nuh uhh you did not just go there girl?!? If your looking for the greek god, go back to Cali and do a 1 in 5 tummy tuck guy with the almond tan and great ass and get a divorce in a year when he finds the next tootsie roll girl, I mean go on... live that American dream.
As you can see, the odds are simply not in our favor. We have more things working against us than for us. Yes, I knew coming to Asia would mean a significant downturn in my dating life. I’m simply making generalizations related to the difficulties most foreign women face while living here.
If all I wanted were just a bang, it wouldn’t be very hard. But, it’s not about sex or a lack thereof. I just want someone whose company I can enjoy during my time here.
If it goes somewhere, great.
If it doesn’t, that’s fine too.
You might not agree with the points I made, but unless you’re a female in my situation then you really wouldn’t understand. I’m always hoping that I’ll meet a guy who will break the stereotypes I listed above. I refuse to remain jaded and cynical. I want to enjoy my time here in Taipei and share it with someone.
Maybe I just need to morph into a local. Do I slap on some fake lashes, rock a pair of shiny tights and carry a purse with sequins in order for a decent guy to want to take me out on a date?
Say it ain’t so cause, I really hate neon clothing. I know you think its just a girl thing. If I want to go to lava and dance to Taiwanese gangsta rappers, or get drunk at the KTVs sure it will happen. But don't let yourself go down there its just as bad as the California scenario above.
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