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theoriginalprankster
Joined: 19 Mar 2012 Posts: 895
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Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2015 1:19 pm Post subject: |
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I have taught and lived in both places and I'd say that without a doubt the Chinese are the nicer people. I say this because mainlanders have a greater security in themselves that comes from having a strong national identity. The Chinese are proud people and have much to be proud about in their long eventful history.(They have much to feel ashamed about too I might add.) The Taiwanese on the contrary are very insecure. This stems from a weak national identity that forces the Taiwanese to look outwards to other countries, particularly American, for evidence of who they actually are. China, on the contrary, knows exactly who it is and what it wants and is actually quite independent. Some people misinterpret the honesty of the Chinese for rudeness. However, I'd much rather know how someone feels rather than having to guess all the time as you have to do with Taiwanese people, who rarely say what they feel and hide behind a forced smile. |
Lived in both, and disagree. |
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Chroniclesoffreedom
Joined: 13 Jan 2015 Posts: 261
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Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2015 4:54 pm Post subject: |
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theoriginalprankster wrote: |
Quote: |
I have taught and lived in both places and I'd say that without a doubt the Chinese are the nicer people. I say this because mainlanders have a greater security in themselves that comes from having a strong national identity. The Chinese are proud people and have much to be proud about in their long eventful history.(They have much to feel ashamed about too I might add.) The Taiwanese on the contrary are very insecure. This stems from a weak national identity that forces the Taiwanese to look outwards to other countries, particularly American, for evidence of who they actually are. China, on the contrary, knows exactly who it is and what it wants and is actually quite independent. Some people misinterpret the honesty of the Chinese for rudeness. However, I'd much rather know how someone feels rather than having to guess all the time as you have to do with Taiwanese people, who rarely say what they feel and hide behind a forced smile. |
Lived in both, and disagree. |
Care to elaborate? |
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theoriginalprankster
Joined: 19 Mar 2012 Posts: 895
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Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2015 5:03 pm Post subject: |
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Care to elaborate? |
In brief, and broadly generalizing, Taiwanese are well educated, have traveled abroad, have better manners and better English skills.
They are friendly - I had plenty of Taiwanese friends (male and female) and plenty of girlfriends. |
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phdinfunk
Joined: 30 May 2008 Posts: 69
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Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2016 8:54 am Post subject: |
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One thing is for sure, most of the Westerners I've met on this island, I didn't like.
Taiwanese I seldom have trouble with. Since I arrived, I've found them to be some of the most friendly people I have ever known. On the other hand, I've only ever lived outside major cities, and everywhere I've been on Earth, most country people were easy enough to get along with. (Compare Privas to Paris, for example, LOL).
But Westerners here, particularly the well-educated slacker-lifestyle want-to-blame-their-problems-on-the-state-of-the-world-and-everyone-else type (and yes, it's a common type)...... and all the boring alcoholics (another common type, with a lot of overlap to those I just mentioned).
In the end, the WESTERNERS I've made friendships with of any sort were few and far between. |
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BruceLeeWannaBe
Joined: 12 Jun 2012 Posts: 210
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Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2016 7:13 pm Post subject: |
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When I was in China before, I found that people could be friendly. But then I found many of them were just fake friendly. They act like they wanna know you and such, exchange phone numbers with them, and they may visit you maybe once and then never again. Certainly you are welcome, but it seems they prefer to keep you at arms length and they don't exactly want you as a next door neighbor. Anyone else have that same experience? The whole being singled out thing just because you are foreign?
For that matter, do you all ink all asian countries are like that? |
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phdinfunk
Joined: 30 May 2008 Posts: 69
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Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2017 8:35 am Post subject: Re: Taiwanese more foreigner friendly than.... |
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torentosan wrote: |
Chinese main-landers? I heard Taiwanese were just as rude as main-landers and were very difficult to make friends with. I taught in Shanghai and am now considering Taiwan...but I am in no way eager to have a repeat experience... Is there anyone who cares to offer their opinions on how bad culture shock is in Taiwan? Anyone been to both places and can compare? |
I cannot compare to Chinese people (there is no "mainland" as they are separate countries, but anyways)....
I've never lived in Taipei, and I didn't have time to try and make friends in Taoyuan, so I can only speak about my experiences in the countrysides.
Taiwanese people have proven easy to get along with. Many of the wealthy ones or older ones are terminally bored and would love to hang out with you. Often their nieces and nephews and brothers and everyone would love to hang out. (And I can hear the bitter gallery of chronic complainers preparing retorts, so I'll preempt that with no, it's not 'just for free English lessons' -- Test this by speaking Mandarin with them if you want, and finding them MORE chatty, or speak DaiGi if you CAN )....
And the folks at the laundromat as well as the guy that runs the coffee shop and my real-estate developer friends and government friends all have contributed in their own ways to help when I had a car accident, either with getting legal situations dealt with or finding the right physical therapists, etc.... sometimes hooking me up with private lessons or even trying to go into business with me. I got invited to go hunting with an aboriginal buddy... Basically, by every measure one could come up with, there are a lot of decent people here who are easy to befriend and make genuine friends with. Unless you're looking for reasons to mistrust all of them as a whole, I think it's pretty obvious.
But I'm speaking of living out in the country. I feel nothing of this warmth when I go to Taipei, and less of it in Taichung. However, riding through central Taiwan a few times, or hanging out in other county areas, I always find good bonhomie. When I go camping, I just about have to hide or someone is going to find me and have me over to their house eating a freshly slaughtered bird or some mountain pig and getting me drunk as a bottle of water on a hot day.
I'm also pretty good at Asian politeness, having been trained in Kung Fu Cha by my teacher back in the USA, and knowing the proper handshakes and bows and how to join into KTV and always toast the host and clink my glass LOWER than his or her glass..... subtleties that some notice and others don't, but those that do tend to think I'm very polite and invite me back.
Keep those factors in mind. I grew up in the country in Georgia, and I know country people. I found the countryside of France to be welcoming and warm, without a drop of snobbishness (except peut-etre in Aix).... I get along fine in the villages of South India, finding country folk there quite hospitable. Basically, I think I can get along in the countryside anywhere save perhaps for FARC territory or some absurd violent situation.
Social skills? A good attitude? It helps. I've lived in the same place for 6 years, too, which also helps. But I would say that in my experience the Taiwanese are more friendly than nearly anyone.... maybe tied with the Irish in Ireland or the Italians I've known in different places? |
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