Taipei, Taiwan - September 13, 2003
Saturday night. Well, let's see. Its the big night of the week so I went out to all of the bars and clubs again to see what they were like. I also met up with another American guy whose been living and working in Taiwan since 1996 (about the same withe me in South Korea). He's also been going back and forth and everything else as well. He's been offered a job in Seoul and seriously considering it, so he wanted to talk about it to figure out what it was like. Strangely, we came up that Taiwan and South Korea are remarkably similar and a little bit different as well.
The similarities: Apparently they both have an expat population that goes both ways with their feelings. Meaning either they like the place or they seriously hate it. Also, we get the same kinds of responses from locals. Mainly being that locals always compliment on being able to use chopsticks, what you think of their country, and kind of assume you live in some kind of foreigners bubble completely ignorant of all the many things you see on a day-to-day basis.
The differences: Apparently, he said that most Chinese say to him "try some Chinese food, you like Chinese food, right?" to which of course he would because he lives there. But anyhow, in Korea, they usually ask "Have you tried Korean food? Isn't it too hot for you?" Again, you live in Korea, of course you've tried every Korean food 1000 times, and no its not too hot, because we have hot foods in the West as well. Anyhow, slight difference. The other difference is that apparently when you are dating a Taiwanese girl at one point and very suddenly, she will bring you home to meet her parents!! In Korea this never happens. In Korea, you won't meet her parents until you are just about to be married, and even then its a very tense and apprehension time. There just isn't much of a thing as 'hey mom look what I found' when it comes to dating foreigners in Korea. Apparently in Taiwan, there isn't a negative stigma to it.
The other thing we talked about is that in both countries they seem to pretty much be very either "Korean" or "Taiwanese" in thought. Meaning, that everything is a 'this is how we do things here' on almost every issue. Its hard in the West, as in the West, almost every single person you meet has a totally different ways of doing things. In both of these countries, there is only one way to do things an no other way. For example, in Korea, there is this custom to pour things with two hands. Incidently, Koreans are always amazed that you know this every single time, even though you've been here years. Anyhow, on rare occassions, particularly with other foreigners, I just pour with one hand because thats just how I feel like doing it that time. But generally some 'helpful' Korean will come out of nowhere to explain to me in detail and patiently explain its Korean custom to use both hands. Its something thats so basic, but they just can't imagine there might be a different way to pour or something. Anyhow, its always like that in some way or another. Apparently, Taiwan has its own things like that.
I also went to a bar later on at night, on my own. There were various people in the bar, mainly Taiwanese and Filipinos in this particular one. I witnessed another strange thing in here. Well, before I tell the story, most Filipinos speak fluent English, and I can say anything and they always understand it everytime. They also know alot of English phrases and just about everything you can imagine. Anyhow, a Taiwanese guy was giving a Filipino a hard time saying that his English was so bad that he couldn't understand it. The reality however is that the Taiwanese guy's English is bad and if it was better, he would understand the Filipino. Anyhow, the way the Taiwanese was saying that in such a way reminded me alot of Koreans. Koreans have a habit of saying that as well.
I have to say one thing about teaching English in Asia. Everyone wants to really learn how Americans speak. If you aren't American, they try to tell you to please speak like an American, because otherwise they don't understand you. Every non-American gets pissed off because its the same language. Then for me, being an American, the thing that annoys me is that I'm not speaking American either. I'm speaking some dummied-down short-form of English thats just never ever spoken anywhere outside of these few Asian countries. No one understands anything here, so all day long teaching you have to say things like a tiny little baby would say them. The Koreans are so dependent on it that they just shut down completely if you don't speak like a little baby with very simple English. Anyhow, its just annoying. If I speak like a 'real' American, people think maybe I'm from some backwoods of America.. when in fact its that I'm just not speaking baby-English in simple simple words anymore. By the way, real English means speaking English 100% properly and naturally, without having to drop down to 1/4 speed and drastically reduce your vocabulary to the ustmost simple words that have the highest chances of being understood.
Okay, one other thing, as I noticed this phrase here, which is the same one I hear in Korea all the time as well. I had one Taiwanese guy come up to me and say 'are you okay?' which is exactly what a Korean might say. The thing that annoys me about this is that I see this in many Korean-based English books taught to Koreans. The problem with this phrase is that it implies there is some kind of a problem. What they really intend to say is 'how's it going?' or 'whats up?'.. and instead they say 'are you okay?' and it has the opposite effect of whats intended. My natural response is usually along the lines of 'of course I am, why, whats up? Why shouldn't I be okay?' then I start thinking that maybe I look depressed or unsettled or something thats not quite normal or something.
Next Journal Entry in Taiwan:
September 14, 2003
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Wintermoon2@yahoo.com