A few months have passed since I wrote “It’s Our Culture” – Taiwan’s Go-To Excuse, but a friend of mine the other night brought it up and made an interesting point: before “It’s our culture” is uttered, “This is Taiwan” is sure to escape their lips first. As I stated in my other piece, “It’s Our Culture” is often said […]
Every culture has it’s throwaway language. The English language, for example, explains away many things with the word “Whatever.” Taiwanese often use the Chinese phrases “There is no reason why” and “There is no solution” in similar ways. They all essentially mean “I’ve got nothing for you; I’m done talking about this.” But when it […]
Everyone that’s spent some time here knows all about those moments of culture shock in Taiwan. The truth is, most people who live in a place far from where they consider “home” will have significant moments of culture shock. It’s a universal part of the expat experience, shared online via a Destination Scanner Blog, or […]
A few years back, I commented to a friend of mine about how Taiwan has amazingly long lines and how willing Taiwanese seem to stand in them for long periods of time. For many who first come to Taiwan – and even those who live here for years – the “Line Culture” seen in Taiwan […]
Something that always fascinates me (and also often frustrates me) is something I like to refer to as “Taiwan’s Child Culture.” The most important thing to understand about any culture is the way they raise their children. Without question, the key to any culture is education. Education is indoctrination: it’s where we learn what society […]
I think people have been saying “this day and age” forever. Even Ancient Romans were disappointed in the way things were headed, even though we now know that their dismay at perceived degeneration was actually substantial progress, in the long run. It’s easy to become disillusioned with it all. For me…I write people off as […]
There’s nothing like watching a pair of fire trucks pass by, sirens wailing, and thinking, “Gee, I wonder if this has anything do to with the fact that everyone has been setting shit on fire in the streets for the entire day.” I’m a pretty accepting person, in terms of cultural differences. Not personal differences, though; […]
I was driving north on WenXin Lu, Monday, August 20, 2012, at 10:45am, on my scooter. Coming off the traffic light at Daye Lu, heading towards Dalong Lu, I attempted to merge right (from the right-hand lane into the scooter lane). I felt something hit the right rear of my scooter and turned my head […]
Taiwan has a pretty significant amount of earthquakes. Most of them are pretty mild, but usually I can feel one or two each month – just enough to notice I’m not dizzy and that the room is, in fact, vibrating. But every now and then, something a little bigger comes along, and you’re faced with the […]
It has always fascinated me that a culture so aware of public perception can also be so completely self-absorbed. In Taiwan, there is a great emphasis on “saving face,” and yet, it only applies to certain facets of life. I have yet to fully grasp the concept, but I have made some observations. Generally-speaking, Taiwanese people prefer […]
While the people of Taiwan are often the nicest and warmest in the world, their cultural indoctrination leads to a dependence on bureaucracy, often to the point where people are unable – or unwilling – to make any decision without it being written as law or being directly authorized by a superior. As a culture, […]
Asia’s a unique place, for a variety of reasons. It’s also a huge place with a variety of culture, both indigenous as well as adapted. This is to say that while you will find “Lady KTV” in Taiwan and China, you will not see “Gogo Bars” like you do in the Philippines and Thailand. To […]
Living abroad in a land where I don’t speak the language very well, questions abound and answers are not forthcoming. It’s my own fault, obviously; you should become literate in the language of the place you are in, not simply as good manners, but also as common sense. What happens when you need to find […]
The following was a back-and-forth between myself and my very good friend, Dave McKelvey, over the course of 24 hours, on Facebook. Joseph Fritz This is not from “mainstream media pundits” – this is one of many actual people out there, uncut and flat-out. I await any video of a 99%er who actually has something […]
In the United States of America, there is a rating system for motion pictures that is becoming increasingly out of date. The Motion Picture Association of America (M.P.A.A.) rates every movie that is in the United States with one of six ratings: “G,” “PG,” “PG-13,” “R,” “NC-17,” and “X.” To learn what these ratings mean, […]