Money making industry
Another problem I have adjusting to the culture is the business aspect. I am not interested in money for the sake of money. The Taiwanese are, it seems. They want to make every penny they can by expanding and expanding their businesses, often, it seems without regard for possible risks. Then, in order to gain face, they bestow lavish gifts upon friends and family to show how much money they have to throw around. All thier "stuff" must be high-tech and expensive regardless of usefulness. A flashy car that is used only to drive to and from the 7-11 (a five minute walk) but that no one would consider taking on a "long" 2-hour drive, is held in very high regard.
Now, I like trinkets and things and usually surround myself with things that have some sort of memory attached. I'm not the most minimalist person. But, I do find it really difficult to get used to this consumer for the sake of consuming mentality. What it represents to me is the destruction of our beautiful earth - I don't respect it, I despise it... Here it is considered the height of civilization and necessary to prove how highly evolved they/we are.
When these very friendly lavish gifts are bestowed upon me, I am embarassed, overwhelmed, and resentful because despite the fact that I don't even want the very expensive plastic junk - I now owe the bestower something... that something is usually, time and attention.
This leads me to the main reason I have not made any really good Taiwanese friends. It's smothering. We're not expected to know how to do anything on our own... Nov. 1st
The chinese/taiwanese are a very cold and businesslike people. It's all about industry and making money. Also, when you do make a friend (in women's cases anyway) they insist on monopolising your free time, and won't let you do anything for yourself (example, you cannot ask "where can I buy cheese?" or they will insist on taking you to the supermarket... for the afternoon!) I can only surmise that this is born of the apparent idea that chinese women can't do anything for themselves. They are shocked to hear that I travel alone on the train 2 hours to work by myself. Industrial and smothering: You can imagine how this combination sits with me (prodigal hippy child). Maybe it's a good experience.
I can't fault anyone for these things... it's all meant in the best possible way. Remembering the golden rule, they are only doing unto others as they would have done unto them. Even after explaining that in my culture this is not done and uncomfotable to me, we're expected to want to be dragged around and shown off. We're taken to gatherings and meetings where people sit and talk about us while we sit there not understanding a word of it.
This was not nearly so bad, but now that the language is becoming more familiar to me, I can understand the gist of what is being said. And it's personal, degrading and in my cultural mindset, completely unbelievable. I've been sat down in a room and had my weight, freckles, hair, tan and apparel criticised... all with smiling slightly accusing and mildly condescending facial expressions. Once I was asked if I was part "indian" with a sour look. I politely said no but I wished I was. - knowing I'd get confused and slightly shocked looks.
Racism or more precisely I guess "Class-ism" is a familiar part of the culture I've observed here.
I feel condescended to and I am treated differentially because I am white. Admittedly, it is usually in the form of favortism, but it's not because we are respected. I get the feeling that I am just another expensive gadget that is to be shown off but not necessarily useful. In my personal and "professional" dealings.
My co-worker was pointed out the "FACT" that he/we are less evolved because of our ape-like hairiness. I've been told by both my students and adults that dark skin indicates "dirtyness" or stupidity. A Chinese teacher at my school told me that she shreiked and ran away when she saw "her first black person". I haven't heard the word "Retard" or "homo" used so much since I was in Jr. High School in the 80's. In an attempt to lessen the blow to our sensitivities of these terms, we've taken to useing them on a daily basis in jest. "that shirt makes you look like a HOMO!" or "I'd better get out of the sun, I'm looking stupider by the minute!" Trying to de-sensitise our little North American politically correct minds. I only fear I won't be able to shake the habit once I return home.
The television, pharmacies, and beauty salons are plastered with advertisements for skin bleaching, or whitening creams and breast enlarging creams and gels. "So Natural, So White!" says the advertisement for one such cream....
From my admittedly limited perspective..... It's madness! |
