by Annie Liu
Until a Slovakian friend mentioned it to me, I had never noticed before how the little green man at pedestrian crossings in Taiwan begins to flash and start to run as the time to cross the street begins to run out. He said he hadn’t seen anything like this before. Through his eyes, I recognized a different perspective of Taiwan. As the saying goes, “people are blind to themselves.” I always wondered how Taiwan appeared to people from other places, so I decided to interview some friends who study at NTU to see what Taiwan was like through foreign eyes. Why did you choose Taiwan over all other places in the world? “To learn Chinese” was the most common reply. But when I asked why not go to China instead, the answers began to differ. One French friend said that he chose Taiwan because he was interested in Asian culture, and also because of his first impression when he contacted people through a well-known couch surfing website, a network in which people offer their couches for travelers to sleep on for free. He was treated in such a friendly way that he decided to witness Taiwan for himself. A Russian friend’s response was more practical: “Because the tuition in Taiwan is three times cheaper than in China.” How does university life in Taiwan differ from other countries? My Russian friend said she had to get accustomed to the course selection system, since the timetable in Russia was entirely given by the school. A Belgian guy said that he was surprised to see his Taiwanese classmates fall asleep in class, because in Belgium students never dared to do so. A Danish friend felt that professors in Taiwan simply do whatever they want. For instance, an old professor once came up to him and asked him whether he liked Taiwanese girls, intending to give him some tips on how to pick them up. He had another experience in which a teacher simply talked about the stock market, which had nothing to do with the class. In his opinion, however, professors in Denmark were not as friendly, and the atmosphere in class is not as good. Also my friends seemed to feel that teachers’ attitude toward them was often based on stereotypes. My Russian friend said she had many experiences in which a professor accused her of missing classes just for fun. This may be true for some, but others might be absent because they have to work at part-time jobs in order to pay their tuition. How are Taiwanese students different from other countries? “Taiwanese students spend most of their time studying instead of going out to night clubs or bars,” said a friend from Ruanda. Clubbing seems to be a universal pastime for university students in Western countries, but in Taiwan it is more like an underground activity for “certain kinds” of people. This phenomenon was probably one of the reasons why a friend from Mongolia said he felt there was a deep gap between international students and local students. “Maybe it was because of the language barrier, but it is hard for us to join Taiwanese groups. I think 70% of the international students hang out with other international students.” However, my French friend had no problem meeting the locals. But I discovered that there was a distinction between my interviewees who were short-term exchange students and those who were here for a longer period. Exchange students seemed to want different experiences while the others looked for a sense of belonging. While some of the students asserted that Taiwanese are “the most friendly, helpful, and honest people in the world,” others had more negative reactions. Culture gaps certainly exist, but through effort from both sides it is possible to eliminate them. Culture is something we can learn from experience. My Danish friend made the best example. He told me that when he first came to Taiwan he was so moved by the warm welcome he received he exclaimed, “I like Chinese people!” But people reacted fiercely to his comment, reminding him that they were not Chinese but Taiwanese. My friend learned to be careful with sensitive political issues from that day on. Others have integrated completely. “Taiwan is like home now,” concluded my Vietnamese friend. I hope you have enjoyed our little peek into Taiwan through foreign eyes. 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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