Why the nods are gone
This is in response to the two letters published recently concerning the antipathy of foreigners toward each other in Taiwan (Letters, June 8 and June 13, page 8). Both writers seem to have overanalyzed the subject.
I have lived in Taiwan for the past 24 years. When I first arrived here there were very few foreign residents — at most, a smattering of engineers on one or two-year contracts with large state-owned corporations or the military, a few missionaries and probably even fewer English teachers.
During the 1980s foreigners greeted each other with delight when they met by chance on the street, at a store, a restaurant or a bar. We would invariably stop and chat, even walk over and introduce ourselves. This happy state of affairs persisted into the middle 1990s, but as more and more foreigners arrived and English teaching became more popular, this type of pleasant interaction decreased.
Back in the 1980s and early 1990s, if I walked into a bar or a restaurant frequented by foreigners I knew everyone in there by name. Nowadays if I walk into a popular eatery or watering hole I know less than 10 percent of the customers.
Back home we do not walk down the street nodding our heads, saying “hi” and smiling at strangers. The so-called antipathy expatriates seem to have toward each other has less to do with today’s attitudes in Taiwan then with the frequency of our encounters with foreigners. The more we see them, the less we feel the need to greet them.
I do know what the writers are talking about, as I still tend to attempt to make eye contact and smile or say “hi” to foreigners I meet here, but alas I am usually ignored. I believe, however, that I would be ignored back home as well — in fact, people would probably think I am a little “gaga” for doing so.
With thousands of foreigners now roaming the streets of Taipei and Kaohsiung, polite greetings have unfortunately become redundant, or even passe.
If every foreigner were suddenly kicked out of Taiwan, leaving only a few hundred foreign souls spread around the country, we would quickly be greeting each other with enthusiasm, just as in the past.
Andrew Gray
Kaohsiung
Peacefest did well
This is in response to your review of the “Hoping for Hoping” peace festival (“Peacefest gets muddy,” June 16, page 8). Many of us who attended the event — especially those of us who know the author — were surprised by the degree of negativity in this review.
Yes, it was muddy. Yes, the “techno-trauma” of Friday night could have been avoided. But overall, the shared hardships served mainly to bring out our better spirits and bring us together as a group.
Honestly, I don’t remember seeing a single unhappy face among us. This was my third time attending the peacefest and without a doubt, it was the most enjoyable one yet.
I notice that the review was rather short, which makes me wonder if perhaps a hurried editor might have cut some text out to make room for a second photo and ended up removing the more favorable parts.
In any case, most of us in attendance would agree that the Taipei Times’ review of the event did not adequately express how much we enjoyed it. It was a wonderful and unforgettable experience.
John Diedrichs
Taipei
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