I’ve been living in Taiwan for the past nine months, and although I am Taiwanese by birth, I have assimilated into the American culture. These past nine months have been interesting, to say the least. I’ve spent the short time getting acquainted with the everyday Taiwanese lifestyle while noticing the little quirks many Taiwanese possess. Of course these quirks are not to be denounced, but are to be celebrated. They are simply cultural differences that are unique to people in Taiwan. Not knowing the culture, I came to Taiwan as ignorant as a frog in a well. As a result, I’ve made a complete fool out of myself more times than I could count and more times than I can remember. Here is one instance:
Taiwanese people tend to be more comfortable with discussing their weight, and whether it’s with familiar people or with strangers, numbers are exchanged without hesitation. Here is one conversation I had with a complete stranger Random Girl Stranger- Hi! How are you? Me- Hi. I’m good- Random Girl Stranger- (Interrupting me) How much do you think I weigh? I was shocked. This is the question no guy ever wants to be asked. Why would she ask me a question like this? Did she really want me to answer? Was this a trick? I tried to think of a number that wouldn’t insult her. If I chose a number too high it meant I thought she was fat, and a number too low meant I thought she was too skinny. Either way I knew I was doomed. After about ten minutes, I realized I spent way too much time looking at her figure before deciding on an appropriate amount, 100 lbs (equivalent to 45 kgs). In my mind I wanted to say 100 pounds, however when I answered her, I used the wrong word. Me- Hmm…maybe about 100 kilograms! Random Girl Stranger- (runs away crying) That was the last time I saw her. I realized my mistake about two hours later. I could have felt worse about this situation, but she was probably really was closer to 100 kgs than 100 lbs. My only crime was telling her the truth. Instance number two: I don’t always pronounce Chinese words according to their correct tones. There is a certain intricacy in remembering which of the four tones match with which words. The sound “ma” can mean “mom,” “numb,” “horse,” or “yell.” For example, I was at a restaurant and the waiter came up to me to ask if there was anything I wanted. Because of my poor Chinese, he thought I said, “I want sleep,” “wo yao shui.” But what I meant to say was, “I want water,” also “wo yao shui”. Another example was once when I had won a game of basketball, I excitingly exclaimed in Chinese, “I win!” or “wo ying.” However I pronounced the “ying” in the fourth tone instead of the second. “Ying” in the fourth tone means you’re excited for a different reason. What made it even more awkward was that I was playing basketball with several other guys. Needless to say, I won the next few games because my opponents didn’t want to defend near me. Instance number three: I bought a calendar. I didn’t know they made free ones that they just give away. Taiwanese people love their free calendars. I gave a free clock to another person once as a gift. I didn’t know giving a clock meant I want the recipient dead. I haven’t heard back from him in a while, I hope he’s okay… I will be venturing my way back to the United States next school year, and hopefully by the time this rolls around, I will have a good understanding of the culture. Taiwanese people have a real sense of togetherness, joining to form a culture that is full of history. Being here has taught me to leave my guard down, as Taiwanese people are enormously friendly, helping me slowly to grow accustomed to the culture with complete patience. When I’m back, I will learn to carry an umbrella at all times, even when there isn’t a cloud in the sky. I’ll remember to keep my coins because coins in Taiwan are actually very valuable. And finally I will not give away free clocks unless it’s for my enemy. a
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The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
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