Here is a promo video I made for this blog where you can see a clip showing one of Janet Hsieh’s fake and cheesy antics that will make your eyes roll…
http://www.happierabroad.com/JanetHsiehSucks.wmv
To see some more clips of Janet Hsieh, see these YouTube videos of her at the link below, where you can see how fake, cheesy, airheadish and contrived she acts.
Some new observations about how Taiwan has gotten worse socially, spiritually and culturally, and how it’s turning into an Asian version of America:
1. Relatives in Taiwan aren’t as close as they used to be. Back in the 1980’s, our relatives would visit us more often and would have longer more extensive conversations with us until late at night. Talking to them felt more natural and close. But nowadays they only pay brief visits or have dinner with us, for only an hour, and then part ways before 8pm so that everyone can return to their “privacy and space”. Same as when we visit them. Nowadays, the need for privacy in Taiwan seems to outweigh the need for social contact. Same as in America. It’s as if people in Taiwan are trying to MINIMIZE social contact and keep it to a minimal, becoming more isolated. It’s as if a “private wall” has been erected between people in Taiwan now so that people PREFER privacy over social contact. It’s very sad. In addition, the contact that we do have with our relatives is very SUPERFICIAL now, like a polite formality with no real connection or closeness.
I brought this up to my relatives, most of whom were around in the 1980’s, so they must know what I mean. However, they didn’t seem to care. They believe that one should change with the times, even if it means being less social with others. Even though they know I’m right, they don’t want to say that something is wrong with current times, or admit that it’s a change for the worse. In their minds, one must always adapt to modern trends in order to survive in this world (as in Darwinian Evolution) rather than go against them. In their view, fighting what society has become is futile, so it’s better not to condemn it. Current trends must be accepted, in their view. The majority and authority must be conformed to for one’s own good. This is the Taiwanese/Chinese view and mentality. (However, history never remembers those who simply conform and accept things the way they are. History only remembers those who changed things and went against the norm. I’ve explained this to them. But the average Taiwanese or Chinese isn’t interested in being remembered by history.)
2. Most friendships are very superficial in Taiwan. In big cities of Taiwan such as Taipei and Taichung, you can find friendly people so it is easy to make a few friends and acquaintances. However, 99 percent of these friendships will be SUPERFICIAL, more like acquaintances. But down south in older backward cities like Chiayi, people are so closed and unsocial that it’s hard to make even superficial friendships. There is a strong negative antisocial vibe in those areas, much like Seattle, WA and Bellingham, WA. People want to isolate themselves and minimize social contact and mind their own business. There’s no enthusiasm about meeting others or getting to know others. Another reason for this is below. Unfortunately, most people equate politeness with friendliness, hence the mainstream view that Taiwanese are “very friendly”.
3. Taiwan does not attract deep souls. Trying to find a deep soul in Taiwan is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. The people and social culture in Taiwan are very reserved, repressed and superficial. Even most foreigners in Taiwan are like that too, because that’s the type of people that Taiwan attracts. (In contrast, the foreigners you meet in Russia tend to be open-minded, freethinking and into alternative things, because the wild open social Russian culture attracts those type of visitors. And plus, Russia is considered an unconventional tourist destination, so those who go there tend to be unconventional.) Also, in Taiwan, people don’t laugh much. They have a serious face and it’s hard to make them to laugh. When I try to, I’m often met with silence, which is awkward. I have a much easier time making Filipinos and Russians laugh.
The bad news about this is that if you are a deep soul, you will feel ALIENATED and out of place in Taiwan, like you don’t belong. People will think you’re weird if they get to know you. If you aren’t repressed, reserved and superficial like Taiwanese are, they will dislike you and feel uncomfortable around you and avoid you. This is especially the case if you look Asian, because you are expected to be reserved and repressed too. A deep authentic soul in Taiwan who is open minded, freethinking and loves truth, will feel like a “germ” entering an organism’s body that is going to be attacked by the “white blood cells” of the organism’s immune system because he/she doesn’t belong.
4. Taiwan is not a pure Chinese culture and has been contaminated by bad aspects of American and Japanese culture. That’s one reason Taiwanese are so reserved and repressed to the extreme, much more so than mainland Chinese. Taiwan culture is a blend of Chinese, Japanese and American culture. Taiwanese have many Japanese traits, such as looking grim and solemn, not making eye contact with strangers, being indirect, not talking to strangers, being cliquish, only talking to new people who are properly introduced by mutual friends, etc. This is because Japan occupied Taiwan for 50 years and improved it, which left the Taiwanese with an admiration for Japanese culture and ways. The problem with Taiwanese adopting Japanese traits is that nothing in any extreme is good, including being too reserved and repressed. If Taiwanese would open up and be 20 percent more open, wild, easygoing and carefree, it would be a much more fun place. As of now it is way too uptight. You can see this on people and feel it in their vibe too.
The American influence on Taiwanese culture comes from the long-standing protection that the US government has given Taiwan from China to maintain a Western stronghold there. With US protection comes Western influence of course, since America takes every opportunity that it can to control and influence every country it can get its hands on for it’s own advantage, as we all know. This is why the young Taiwanese generation has now adopted bad traits from American culture, such as being narcissistic, disrespecting parents, not wanting to get married, and getting tattoos, which they now see as “cool” — these are traits that Taiwanese did not have before.
Mainland China, on the other hand, has kept out such negative degenerate aspects of American culture, and that’s why tattoos are still considered ugly and distasteful there, as they should be. China still has a normal sense of good and bad, whereas America has inverted them and is trying to get the rest of the world to do the same. Throughout history, moralistic virtuous societies, such as Victorian England, have deemed tattoos as a desecration of one’s body. But as we all know, concepts such as “morality and virtue” are outdated and have no value in modern liberal America.
5. Young adults in Taiwan are politically correct and do not like hearing anything negative, no matter how true. Everything must be positive, polite, superficial and lighthearted. Political correctness is more important than truth in Taiwan, as it is in America. In Taiwan, a positive lie is better than a negative truth, same as in America. Deep heavy truths are out of place. So Taiwan is a philosopher’s nightmare. Modern Taiwanese do not love truth. They are not philosophers. They are politically correct conformists who desire the superficial over the meaningful. This is primarily the case with Taiwanese in their 20’s and 30’s. But those past middle age tend to be more down to earth and open to hearing sincere deep truths like the above.
What this means is that the above truths will be met with awkwardness in Taiwan, because they make Taiwan look unnatural, shallow and repressed. You are only expected to say positive things about Taiwan, such as “People are so friendly! Taiwan is wonderful and good!” etc. Only older folks and elderly folks will tolerate the truths above and accept them as self-evident. Yet ironically, there is this stereotype that older people are more rigid, old fashioned and narrow minded, while young people are more open minded, liberal and progressive. But I find the truth to be the reverse, because mainstream young people are too obsessed with being “cool”, popular and accepted by their peers to care about the truth. To them, what’s popular is more important than what’s true. One of the most ironic things in life is that truth is often the OPPOSITE of what popular stereotypes propagate. Such is the Twilight Zone like nature of the modern world.
Janet Hsieh, the host of Fun Taiwan, acts all giddy about Taiwan over nothing. She paints a rosy picture of Taiwan and tells you some cultural info about it. But she doesn’t tell you the deeper or negative aspects of it, since her job is to promote Taiwan tourism, not that of a deep philosopher and observer seeking truth. Well since I am the latter, I will tell you some deep truths about Taiwan that no one else has the guts to, since it’s not popular to say negative truths, and plus most people are not deep either.
The truth is, Taiwan is not a good place if you are seeking a great social scene, free-flowing fun, personal happiness, love, romance or passion. Taiwan’s social culture and social conditioning are simply not conducive to these things. Below I will explain why and provide sensible reasons that are obvious and undeniable (though taboo). Let’s begin.
1. It is very hard to meet people, as they are not open with strangers but very closed in nature.
Social interaction is usually restricted within closed exclusive cliques. You can’t just “go out and meet people”. People don’t generally talk to strangers or make eye contact with them. They act cold and distant toward strangers, treating them as if they don’t exist. (Unless they are trying to sell you something of course, but that goes without saying) Trying to start conversations with strangers feels awkward and unnatural, not smooth or relaxed like in most of Europe. By default, there is a “cold wall” between strangers (similar to New York City, Hong Kong, Tokyo, etc).
In fact, Taiwanese themselves will even admit that they are “less open” than foreigners, even Americans. You can ask them yourself. They will admit to it, for it is common knowledge. In Taiwan, only elderly and middle age people talk to strangers freely. Foreigners will too of course. (But what’s the point of coming to Taiwan if only foreigners will socialize with you?)
2. The only appropriate way to meet people is to be introduced through friends or groups, or have a connecting routine such as school, work or organized activity.
The problem with this is that it’s very LIMITING and RESTRICTIVE, for it means that you have to DEPEND on someone to introduce you to others. If no one introduces you, then you are out of luck and have run into a “cold wall” (pardon the pun). What this means is that you are dependent on others for your social life. You can’t just “make it happen” on your own.
You also have to depend on GROUPS. You see, in Taiwan, everything is done in groups. People go out in groups. They make friends in groups. They meet people in groups. They travel in groups. They even think in groups (like a hive mind). An individual is worthless and insignificant in Taiwan, and seen as a loser without a group. Hence, Taiwan is not for the individualist. Rather, it is for the empty conformist with no individual identity who seeks to follow and conform.
However, even if you do meet people through introductions or groups, it won’t be easy to connect with them (for all the reasons mentioned in this article). Taiwanese and Foreigners are on very different wavelengths and will likely not have much in common, even though they may be polite to each other’s face. Broad minded individualist foreigners and insular group-oriented Taiwanese do not vibe naturally.
Furthermore, even if you do break into a clique (a closed exclusive social circle) your social life is still going to be LIMITED to within that clique. The whole clique scene is very rigid an limiting, similar to how it is in the US. Again, you can’t just “go out and meet people.” Taiwan’s social scene is no doubt very closed and cliquish.
3. Young adults in Taiwan are painfully shy, insecure, nonassertive, and lack confidence and social skills (especially females).
It takes confidence, assertiveness and social skills to talk to strangers. Sadly, they’ve been subjected to extreme amounts of fear and abuse during their childhood growing up. Their behavior is conditioned through “negative reinforcement” in the form of fear, abuse, scolding, guilt trips, overly strict parenting, etc.
The result of this is that they become weak, insecure, subservient, and taught to live in fear by their parents, peers, culture and media. While this is true in America to an extent too, it’s taken to a bigger extreme in Taiwan. Only when they reach middle age do Taiwanese people become confident enough to talk to strangers. But before that, they are too insecure, nonassertive and shy to talk to strangers. This is yet another reason why it’s so hard to meet people in Taiwan.
So you see, there are multiple obstacles and factors that go against you when it comes to social life in Taiwan. I don’t have to tell you that when everything is going against you, then you are in the wrong scene.
(Note: While the above may not apply to Westernized Taiwanese, you will not see many of them in Taiwan because most of them will either be living overseas, or taking extensive trips abroad, where they fit in better. Also, not surprisingly, Taiwanese Americans and Asian Americans (whose personalities are Westernized) will usually not be comfortable living in Taiwan. Not only do they not fit in with the culture, but they will be constantly expected to be something they are not – a local Taiwanese. This will lead to an identity crisis and conflict, because they are accustomed to acting American or Westernized and asserting themselves as proud individuals. But Taiwan will not be conducive to that at all. Asians are not supposed to act like Westerners in Taiwan. If they do, it will look “freakish”. Thus, an Americanized Taiwanese will feel like they cannot “be themselves” in Taiwan, which is very awkward indeed. They can’t even speak English out loud without drawing shocking stares.)
4. Taiwanese are like empty shells with no soul, personality or passion.
Even if you make a lot of friends in Taiwan, you eventually realize that these friends are really just casual acquaintances, because there is no real connection with them. Taiwanese are like empty shells with no soul or emotions, like plastic mannequins (similar to America, but even worse). Their faces are passionless and robotic, as if their soul and humanity has been squashed, suppressed or drained out of them.
It’s very sad and scary, like an inhuman society from the Twilight Zone. I’ve seen some of the older generation Taiwanese show some semblance of having a soul or emotions, but the young adult generation definitely seem empty and hollow with plastic exteriors. Thus, the friendships you make in Taiwan will ultimately be unsatisfying.
It’s also kind of depressing when you see that people are empty shells here because it leaves you wondering “How can humans descend into such a state of being?” What’s scary is that you know deep down that you don’t want to become like them, thus being around them could have a toxic negative effect on you.
What’s worse, most young Taiwanese are duds with no personality and can’t even hold a normal conversation. There is nothing really there to connect with. They are the least engaging youngsters I’ve ever met – usually quiet with nothing to say and no expression (except for very superficial ones). When you talk to them, after a few minutes or few sentences, the conversation runs dry, like you’ve run into a brick wall with nothing more to say. Asking them open ended questions about themselves, like interviewers do, will not change any of this. (if it did, I wouldn’t have a problem engaging them) They are like empty shells.
5. Taiwanese are extremely cold and uptight in their body language and expression.
I don’t know about you, but I find it very hard to relax, be happy or even be myself around people who look so uptight and anal-retentive. It kind of “rubs me the wrong way” is how I would put it. I guess if you are cold and uptight yourself, you may not see anything wrong with it, since they are the same as you. But if you are not, then it can be very awkward to be around people who are, especially if you come from a culture where people are not like that at all. The point here is that being constantly surrounded by very cold uptight people is obviously not conducive to happiness, fun or relaxation at all.
6. If you like meeting girls, or are seeking a date or girlfriend, there are a multitude of major obstacles against you.
a) First, Taiwanese females simply do not like being introduced to male strangers (unless they are desperate, but if that’s the case, then they are likely older and/or unattractive). Instead, they prefer to meet guys through the clique of friends that they grew up with, or the clique at their school or work. So if you didn’t grow up in their “circle”, then you are pretty much “out”. And if you are “out”, the bad news, as you might have guessed, is that their “cliques” are NOT inclusive at all.
b) Second, Taiwanese people are reluctant to introduce females for some reason, probably because their females are not comfortable with it (or they are too picky). Although Taiwanese often like to joke about introducing a single female to a single male, they rarely follow through with it. In this regard, they are “all talk and no action”. However, even if you are introduced to a female, suffice to say, females who need to be “introduced” tend to not be attractive or even fun to hang out with.
c) Third, Taiwanese young females are not very open or approachable. They are generally uptight, stiff, closed, and have a cold wall around them. Even worse, most are also insecure, fearful, fragile and lack confidence and social skills. Thus they are not even comfortable with meeting guys. Such traits are huge obstacles to single heterosexual males no doubt, but unfortunately are the usual traits of Taiwanese females. There is even a social rule in Taiwan that “girls don’t talk to strangers, especially male strangers”.
d) Fourth, most Taiwanese girls have no personality and no social skills. They are duds who can’t hold a normal conversation and are not engaging at all. When they do talk, the things they say will be very superficial and meaningless. Thus, there is nothing really there to connect with. Asking them open ended questions about themselves, like interviewers do, will not change any of this. (if it did, I wouldn’t have a problem engaging them) When they talk amongst their friends, they squeak to each other like little mice, acting very fragile and insecure. Very weird. In contrast, girls in most other countries (Europe, Russia, Philippines, Mainland China, etc.) are far easier to engage in a natural normal conversation. So you gotta wonder, what’s the problem with Taiwan?
e) Fifth, to make matters worse, modern Taiwanese females have difficult personalities and many hang ups. They will drop a guy for the smallest things at the drop of a hat. They are very judgmental, cold, unromantic, and act like flaky divas. Materialism has corrupted and spoiled them, making them more and more like American girls now. Deep down, they are childish and have terrible communication skills. Older generation Taiwanese often complain that young girls mumble and speak too fast, and are hard to understand.
f) Sixth, to make things worse, in the few nightclubs and discos that exist in Taiwan, guys always outnumber girls. Every girl is with a closed group of friends, male date, or “Jimmy” which is a male friend in her clique that shields her from outside strangers. This of course, pits the numerical odds against you. As in the US, there are many guys competing for a few girls. But these girls are not even open to talking strangers, as already mentioned.
So you see, when it comes to meeting females and getting dates in Taiwan, there is a LOT going against you, a whole multitude of obstacles in fact. It’s like everything is against you. If that doesn’t totally suck, then I don’t know what does. None of this, of course, is conducive to dating or romance.
Moreover, even if you do find a partner in Taiwan, still, your options are limited in that you are essentially “taking what you can get” (aka “settling”) rather than having a wide array of choices. Unless of course, you have low standards.
Now, this might sound bad, but it’s true: Taiwanese females don’t become open and friendly with strangers until they reach middle age – at which time they are no longer desirable and are most likely taken as well. This is a classic case of Murphy’s Law: When they are young and desirable, they are not open or friendly with strangers and not easy to meet at all. But when they are no longer young or desirable (and either taken or desperate if not) then they start to become friendly and more sociable with strangers. I know that might sound bad, but it’s true. (If that offends anyone, then I apologize. No offense was intended. But please remember, I didn’t make things the way they are. So please don’t blame the messenger.)
7. The Taiwanese psyche is completely dominated by fear and guilt.
As a result of abusive psychological conditioning, Taiwanese emotions are suppressed and internalized. They are taught not to express themselves, but to be humble, submissive and obedient.
Deep down, they live in perpetual fear and worry about every little thing. While caution is a good thing, they overdo it and take it to the extreme, imagining the worst in every scenario even when it’s unwarranted. As a result, they never truly live. You can feel the “fear vibe” of the Taiwanese masses when you are in their proximity. They also harbor constant guilt about not measuring up or not being “good enough”. None of this is conducive to a “friendly and open” social atmosphere of course.
What you should know is that if you are in Taiwan long term, eventually the “fear energy” of the people will rub off on you and affect you negatively as well. Even if you are a person who does not believe in living in fear, like a hippie or New Ager, it will still eventually affect you, especially since you are eating their food, which is produced from “fear consciousness”. (Remember that the thoughts, emotions and energy of the person preparing your food goes into the food as well.)
This is a downside of Taiwan that is rarely mentioned, if ever, because people are in denial about it and are not conditioned to look deeper. Instead, they are conditioned to only care about working and raising a family, and other practical matters on the surface.
8. Taiwan is a strict business-oriented and workaholic society which teaches that the only things that matter are making money and food.
Personal happiness and feelings are seen as irrelevant and worthless. All that matters is work, productivity and conformity. People are conditioned to be stiff, repressed, and act like cold zombies without soul, heart or emotion. It’s very sad and makes them almost inhuman and robotic-like. There is no free expression or creativity or thinking for yourself. It’s all about conformity. The individual is nothing. The only “passion” one is allowed to have is passion for work and productivity (no surprise there).
That’s why it goes without saying that Taiwan is not a very fun place, since none of this is conducive to “fun” at all. Though the concept of “fun” is relative, the kind of fun I’m talking about is the highly festive free-spirited free-flowing heartfelt type of fun that exists in much of Europe, Mexico, Latin America, Russia, Philippines and Thailand. (If you’ve been there, you’ll know what I mean) The fact is, Taiwanese are extremely uptight. They do not radiate warmth or emotion. Even when they are trying to have fun, you will never see them truly “let loose”.
Also, Taiwan is not a place for one who values personal happiness either, since that doesn’t even matter in Taiwanese culture. Besides, how can you be happy around people who are extremely cold and uptight and dominated by fear? I find it hard to relax or be myself around such people. Eventually, their vibes will affect you as well.
Further, such a repressed workaholic culture will also not provide venues for you to pursue your “happiness”, unless of course your happiness is derived from living a monotonous workaholic lifestyle with little interest in much else.
In Taiwan, practically everyone is a conformist. Thus, they will conform to the workaholic culture with very little else to live for. How can that possibly be conducive to happiness? It can’t. Trying to find an nonconformist in Taiwan is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Even if they exist, they will be silent and alienated, or they will leave the country. Finding an “outspoken nonconformist and freethinker” is a near impossibility. (Not to brag, but I seem to be the only one)
9. Taiwan is a very prudish and conservative culture in the extreme.
No public display of affection is allowed, such as kissing between couples. And TV soap operas and dramas that are produced in Taiwan almost never show people kissing or showing any physical affection.
Flirting is a big taboo in Taiwan. It is considered dirty creepy behavior. Taiwanese females do not flirt back with males. They do not allow gentlemen to kiss their hand, like women in Europe do. And they do not greet people with kisses on both cheeks, like European females do. On the flip side, a Taiwanese American girl in Taipei wrote me once and told me that when she tries to flirt with Taiwanese guys, they do not reciprocate but instead get weirded out.
Obviously, none of this is conducive to romance, love or passion. I don’t even need to tell you that. In fact, if you observe Taiwanese couples, you will notice that they even act cold and uptight around each other. They do not appear “in love” or romantic, and they often eat together in silence with very little to say to each other. What this means is that even if you are in a relationship with a Taiwanese, it is likely to be dull and cold, devoid of warmth, romance or passion.
In truth, Taiwan is best suited for the conservative prim and proper type, not for those who are wild, open and passionate. To fit into the social environment, you have to act innocent and goody-two-shoes to the point of cheesiness. If that’s not you, then you will constantly have to act like something you are not, just to fit in. I don’t have to tell you that suppression of your true self is not good for you mentally or emotionally in the long run.
I find that the type of people that seem to fit best in Taiwan are those who are conservative, goody-two-shoes, passive, reserved, simple, group-oriented, conformist, narrow, and not very intellectual or deep. (But of course, I am the opposite of those things) The two traits I find most common in foreigners living in Taiwan long term are “reserved and passive”.
10. The reckless, dangerous and rude driving on Taiwan’s streets and roads is stressful and annoying to deal with.
Taiwanese cities, even the small ones, are way too cramped and packed with too many scooters and vehicles. Driving is not an enjoyable experience in Taiwan, but a stressful one that can cause tempers to flare. It is also hard to park if you are driving a car. And if you are driving a scooter, then you are taking chances with your life because scooter accidents can be fatal. None of this is conducive to happiness, peace or relaxation.
On top of all this, there is not much beautiful scenery or nature in Taiwan, and the architecture and buildings are ugly and drab. The climate is often unpleasant and the air is humid and not very clean or crisp. (by American standards that is) It’s also hard to find open fields, prairies or pastures.
Also, the culture is boring and flat, and does not even feel inclusive. There is nothing to grow your soul. Time just passes by and is wasted with no meaning or special memories. Eventually, you regret the time you waste in Taiwan, which could be better spent elsewhere.
Simple test to verify my claims
If you doubt what I say above, or have never been to Taiwan, then here is a simple way to test what I mean. Try getting as many Taiwanese as possible to shake your hand, especially women, because women tend to conform to the culture (which in this case is a prudish culture) more strictly than men do. More so than men, women are more prone to caring about trends, what others think of them, their social standing, and about following traditions. And as any guy can attest to, women are also more easily influenced/swayed by media advertising (which is why advertisers overwhelmingly tend to target women rather than men of course).
Therefore, women will generally reflect their culture more strongly than men, which means that they will be an accurate barometer of their culture. To most women, truth is relative – it’s whatever their culture tells them, whatever is popular, and whatever their friends say, not something you derive at through logic, reason, evidence and critical thinking. (Again, no offense intended. That’s just how women generally are.)
Anyway, I ask you to do this experiment because a person’s handshake reveals their inner level of confidence and comfort level. And a handshake, unlike a hug or a kiss, is a noncontroversial social gesture that can be done with people you don’t know well. After shaking many Taiwanese hands, you will notice the following:
a) Most handshakes will be polite, but weak and soft, like cold fish. This will especially be the case with female hands. What this means is that the person is insecure, fearful, shy and not confident or assertive.
b) The only firm grips you might get will be from older Taiwanese (mostly male) who are accustomed to shaking hands with clients in business or sales occupations.
c) Even if you get a firm handshake, you will not feel any true warmth, nor any intensity or passion at all. You will notice that their skin and vibe feel more cold, robotic and reptilian-like. This is reflective of their emotions and state of being, which is repressed and prudish to a high degree. It’s almost like shaking hands with a robot or android.
Go ahead and try this experiment. Eventually, you will see what I mean.
The taboo and hypocrisy of talking about all this
In spite of all this, wherever you are in the world, including Taiwan, there is like this unspoken social rule that you always have to say “People are very friendly here” even if it’s not true. All major travel websites and travel TV programs abide by this rule, and will say “people are so friendly” everywhere they go. To say otherwise in any particular place, even if it’s true, is a big no no. Isn’t it stupid that you have to say something that you know isn’t true (lie) to avoid offending others?
It is simply not considered polite or cool to say that people around you are unfriendly or closed and stuck up. Instead, one is only allowed to say, “I am shy and not outgoing, so I don’t meet people often” or “I work a lot and am very busy so I don’t have time to get out and meet people.”
But if you say, “I am outgoing and open, but people around me are very closed, stuck up, don’t talk to strangers, and have a cold wall around them” it will draw shocks and disturbed looks from people, no matter how true, because no one would dare to say that openly. It is simply uncool and politically incorrect to say such a thing. Doesn’t it SUCK when you can’t say the truth?
The problem with the acceptable statements above is that they falsely presuppose that general people around you are very friendly, outgoing and easy to meet, and that all you have to do is be outgoing yourself and you will meet people and make friends. But this is NOT TRUE if you are in a culture or place where people are not open or friendly. In my experience, as long as you are friendly and sociable, then it mostly depends on location.
Also, have you noticed that it is ok for people to BE unfriendly, but if you SAY that “people here are unfriendly” then it’s a taboo and social violation? In other words, you can be unfriendly, but you can’t say that people are unfriendly. Is that weird and hypocritical or what?
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“One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious. The latter procedure, however, is disagreeable and therefore not popular.”
– Carl Gustav Jung in his essay “The Philosophical Tree”, paragraph 335, (1945)
The problem with Janet Hsieh and the crowd like her that praises perpertual positivity and fakeness is that they place political correctness over truth.
You see, the unspoken law of political correctness says that everywhere you go, you have to be positive and non-controversial. And when asked about any particular country, you are expected to say, “the place is great and the people are friendly”, even when it’s not true. To do otherwise is a taboo that few dare to do.
Most people, especially young people, are conformists who are trying to fit in and be socially accepted. They do not think freely nor do they speak freely. Having no mind of their own, they will conform without even being told to. Therefore, they will conform to political correctness as well.
The problem with political correctness is that it places positivity and politeness over truth, honesty and free speech. This means you are not allowed to talk about the negatives about a country or culture, especially when it involves people. What this means if that if I go to Taiwan (Janet Hsieh’s holy shrine) or Japan, or a similar type of culture, and I find the people to not be friendly (outside of elderly people and customer service people), I’m NOT allowed to speak honestly about it.
In reality, Taiwanese are very insular, cold, closed and uptight. They are not open or natural at all, but very repressed and high strung. This is especially the case with young women (which makes Taiwan suck), who are very closed, stuck up, cold, uptight, devoid of personality and have no social skills. They are extremely cliquish, not open or natural at all. Their body language is 100 percent uptight and are not relaxed at all. They have no social skills and only know how to talk to people in their small circle consisting of other similar insular people with no social skills.
Further, the vibe in Taiwan makes me feel very uncomfortable. I can’t breathe or relax. It’s way too uptight and repressed, and what’s more, I’m NOT allowed to talk about it due to politically correct censorship. It’s almost like if you aren’t closed and uptight, then you don’t fit in Taiwan, which is weird. So basically, if you are honest, sane and aware, then you are abnormal in Taiwan. It’s kind of upside down, like the Twilight Zone. Either way, Taiwan is definitely NOT for people who are freethinkers or nonconformists.
Now the thing is, if I tell the above truths to local Taiwanese people, NONE of them deny it. They all know that their own Taiwanese are not open, and consider Westerners to be far more open. Taiwanese will admit that their women are closed and not open to strangers or easy to talk to or meet at all. It’s so obvious that not even native local Taiwanese will deny it. Thus, when I bring this up, none of them argue with me, but admit that I’m right.
However, when I say the above to Westernized politically correct types of people (whether White or Asian), they will start denying it and getting defensive because I’ve violated the guidelines of political correctness. They are programmed to get offended and argue against any observations that are not politically correct. I mean, sure everyone will have different experiences in Taiwan. But many people will lie about their experiences just to sound positive so as not to look like a loser too. I’ve seen this. And some will fabricate examples as well. Most young people only want to hear that “everything is great and everything is cool” rather than the honest truth. It’s weird.
But again, the important thing is that the most honest and objective people will concur that what I say about Taiwan is mostly true, and virtually 100 percent of local native Taiwanese will admit that I’m right as well. This speaks volumes.
In fact, if you walk around Taiwan, you will see that most foreigners only hang out with other foreigners. They certainly don’t hang out with groups of local Taiwanese. Sometimes, in groups of foreigners, there will be a few Westernized Taiwanese or Asians as well. But these Westernized Taiwanese types that hang in foreigner groups do not reflect the mainstream closed insular Taiwanese. They are pro-Western Taiwanese who vibe with foreigners better and feel more free and relaxed around them (as opposed to uptight repressed Taiwanese).
Anyway, the point is that since most foreigners in Taiwan are seen mostly with other foreigners, this speaks volumes to support my case. It means that Taiwan is obviously NOT an inclusive culture at all. In contrast, in more inclusive countries such as those in Europe, Russia, or South America, you will see foreigners with groups of locals all the time.
So you see, there are volumes of data that support my claims about Taiwan. Besides my own experience, I have many testimonials from others as well attesting to the same. I am also a credible source in that I have a reputation for accuracy, honesty and not being afraid to stand up for the truth. So I know I am telling the truth.
The only problem with the truth about Taiwan I’ve told above is that political correctness, which rules the speech of most of the young generation, says that it is NOT allowed to be spoken. Instead, I am expected to lie and say that “Taiwan is great! People are very friendly!” Well I don’t know about you, but I hate lying, especially about a country that I find very unfriendly and get bad vibes from.
Now keep in mind that people have different definitions of what “friendliness” means. So in that sense, the word is a little subjective. By “friendliness” I am not talking about polite people or helpful customer service people, like most people are. No. To me, “friendliness” means:
– Being approachable and engaging
– Easy to chat up and socialize with, feels natural and fluid
– Having a relaxed open body language toward strangers rather than an uptight cold wall.
This definition would apply to people in Russia, Eastern Europe, Philippines and South America – according to my experiences and that of many that I know. But this definition would definitely NOT apply to Taiwanese, especially young Taiwanese women. No way jose.
Another telling sign is that Taiwanese consider Americans to be more open and friendly than themselves are. This is odd though, because any honest aware person in America knows that people are VERY socially isolated there. In the real USA, people don’t know their neighbors, the social atmosphere is NOT inclusive, there is no sense of human connection or camaraderie, people don’t talk to strangers, and communication is usually business related. This is because America is a business culture where communication is generally for business and sales purposes only, and everything is VERY compartmentalized, including social interaction.
Yet in spite of this, Taiwanese think Americans are a lot more open and friendly than they are. This speaks volumes. I mean, to see an isolated disconnected culture like America as being more friendly and open than your own, means you must come from a really SUPER closed, cold and insular culture! LOL. In other words, if one thinks a cold place is warm, then one must come from an even colder place! LOL. Joking aside, I know that the image of America being very open and expressive probably comes from Hollywood films, but still, you get the idea. (The same goes for the Japanese view of Americans too)
The point is, I don’t think it’s right for people like Janet Hsieh and the politically correct people who act like her (as though nothing negative exists in the universe) to suppress or censor out the truth about Taiwan, just because it’s a taboo. Since when did politeness and positivity take a higher position than truth, honesty and free speech? It’s crazy. I don’t agree with it, and I think it’s wrong as well.
Truth should not be suppressed in the name of political correctness. If one can’t be honest, then one cannot be true. Suppressing one’s feelings is not healthy either. But political correctness does just that. It denies the truth and censors it. It puts pressure on people to conform in order to be accepted. Most young people have a need to fit in and be accepted. Some want to be popular too. So they conform to politically correct censorship over being honest and truthful. I don’t like that and don’t agree with that. This is my beef with them.
Yes I know that Janet Hsieh is a paid actor who hosts a travel show which is probably scripted, so that she may not be saying what she truly thinks about everything. But it’s a good bet that most of her personality does fit the role, so that she is being herself most of the time, otherwise she would not do well in her role. After all, actors have to identify with their role in some way to play their part successfully.
But most young people in real life do follow the law of political correctness and will say that “this culture is great, people are very friendly” everywhere they go, whether it is true or not, because that’s what they are EXPECTED to say. So what I say here about political correctness does apply to most young people, if not Janet Hsieh.
I don’t know about you, but I think it’s a sad society when people can’t be honest and speak the truth over fear of what others will think. What’s the point of the First Amendment guaranteeing freedom of speech if one is not allowed to be honest? See what I mean? I hope you see my point.
If you would like to help counterbalance Janet Hsieh’s LIES and FALSEHOODS about Taiwan being so wonderful, beautiful and friendly, then share these links below with others to help spread the truth, however taboo it may be. She presents Taiwan as a wonderland, which any normal sane person can see is NOT true at all, but in fact is the opposite of the truth.
In reality, Taiwan is a very repressed society with a bland boring culture comprised of cold robotic people with no passion or soul. People are very uptight, stuck up, and hard to connect with. They seem like plastic mannequins, not truly alive or human. There is nothing to grow your soul in Taiwan. Time just passes with no meaning or special memories, and life there is just wasted. The nature, climate, landscape and architecture in Taiwan are mostly drab and ugly, so it is not even a truly beautiful country (at least not most of it). Thus, Janet Hsieh is WRONG on all counts regarding Taiwan, and is merely a paid propagandist telling lies to promote tourism.
She may dominate the TV, but we can dominate the web easily by disseminating accurate information in a strategic manner from high ranking webpages on Blogger (which ranks very high in Google since it is owned by them).
Links to share to spread the truth about Taiwan:
The Four Biggest Problems With Taiwan
Taiwanese people are empty shells with no soul or emotions
10 Reasons Why Taiwan is not good for social life, fun, happiness or romance
Taboo Observations and Truths About Taiwan
Critical Observations about East Asian Mentality and Culture
Have you noticed this about Taiwan? It’s a new observation I just realized:
Even if you make a lot of friends in Taiwan, you eventually realize that these friends are really just casual acquaintances, because there is no real connection with them. Taiwanese are like empty shells with no soul or emotions, like plastic mannequins (similar to America, but even worse). Their faces are passionless and robotic, as if their soul and humanity has been squashed, suppressed or drained out of them.
It’s very sad and scary, like an inhuman society from the Twilight Zone. I’ve seen some of the older generation Taiwanese show some semblance of having a soul or emotions, but the young adult generation definitely seem empty and hollow with plastic exteriors. Thus, the friendships you make in Taiwan will ultimately be unsatisfying.
It’s also kind of depressing when you see that people are empty shells here because it leaves you wondering “How can humans descend into such a state of being?” What’s scary is that you know deep down that you don’t want to become like them, thus being around them could have a toxic negative effect on you.
What’s worse, most young Taiwanese are duds with no personality and can’t even hold a normal conversation. There is nothing really there to connect with. They are the least engaging youngsters I’ve ever met – usually quiet with nothing to say and no expression (except for very superficial ones). When you talk to them, after a few minutes or few sentences, the conversation runs dry, like you’ve run into a brick wall with nothing more to say. Asking them open ended questions about themselves, like interviewers do, will not change any of this. (if it did, I wouldn’t have a problem engaging them) They are like empty shells.
The Siberian girl I went out with in Taiwan, told me this after she returned to Siberia:
“Hello Winston! How are you doing? I dont miss taiwan. I really do not miss it, maybe just tea ))))
i am happy here. everything is real here, people, emotions, etc.
that girl she is a friend of mine on Facebook. I can ask her. when are you leaving taiwan? I wish I could travel around.
what do you think about dec 21?
take care, hope you answer me soon xxx “
As you can see, she is saying that people in Siberia are “real people with real emotions” where people in Taiwan are NOT “real people with real emotions”. lol
A Taiwanese American girl told me something interesting:
“2) One point you should mention is many White men who come or live here
think every Yellow woman is some kind of easy lay or submissive geisha
should be in for a rude awakening, as you have stressed in your 7 points.
I think you should try to think of the criticisms for the men. I went to
university here and the white men who come as foreign exchange students–I
always see most of them alone or hanging out with other foreign exchange
students. Taiwanese society is just too hard to fit in and ever fully
adjust to. “
That’s very true and concurs with my observation as well. Most foreigners I see in Taiwan only hang out with other foreigners, or with Westernized Asians/Taiwanese sometimes. But not with local mainstream typical Taiwanese. No way. So you gotta wonder, what’s the point of coming to a foreign country if you can only befriend or connect with other foreigners?
Further, I don’t understand why any foreigner comes to Taiwan. If I were a foreigner who wanted to study Chinese culture, I’d go to China. I don’t see why I would want to go to Taiwan. It doesn’t make sense.
See also:
The Four Biggest Problems With Taiwan
10 Reasons Why Taiwan is not good for social life, fun, happiness or romance
The Pros and Cons of Taiwan: A Taboo List
Taboo Observations and Truths About Taiwan
Critical Observations about East Asian Mentality and Culture
Although Taiwanese girls are comparable with the most beautiful females in the world, they are also among the most difficult and come with a barrage of major negative traits, personality problems and difficult obstacles. Here are 7 big problems with them that will give you an idea about why I find Taiwan to be the most BORING place on the planet, as well as the WORST place for dating girls in the world. Each one of these is bad enough, but combined, they make Taiwanese girls not even worth the effort.
1. Taiwanese girls are extremely COLD and CLOSED. They are extremely stuck up and project an extreme cold wall around them that is very unnatural and inhuman. This is an inherent Taiwanese trait that makes them unapproachable, uptight and unwelcoming. They are not open or relaxed with strangers, like females in most countries are. Compared to Taiwanese women, even reptiles are warm-blooded.
2. The mentality of Taiwanese girls is very narrow, simple and primitive. Thus it’s hard to connect or vibe with them. They are on a different wavelength, one that is far more insular than ours. They are the least capable of having intelligent deep conversations. The weird thing is, they expect me to be the same, but I’m not, so they don’t know how to process that. This makes everything doubly difficult when combined with #1.
3. Taiwanese girls are very picky, shallow, superficial and judgmental. They have narrow standards and are very particular. It’s hard to get them to respond on dating sites. They don’t like guys who think for themselves or who are nonconformist in any way. In their mind, nonconformists are losers and intellectualism is weird and uncool. In my experience, as soon as I say something intelligent or deep, or show off that I am nonconformist in any way, many Taiwanese girls drop me and treat me as though I no longer exist to them. So much for being appreciated for being yourself. Add this to the above 2 problems, and the problems and obstacles to dating triple!
4. Taiwanese girls are extremely prudish and view flirtation as taboo and bad. Coming from a very prudish sterile culture, Taiwan girls are themselves very prudish. They won’t let guys kiss their hand (like European girls would) and view flirting as a taboo, bad and negative. Taiwan is so prudish in fact, that movies made in Taiwan usually never show any kissing, whereas they do if they are made in mainland China. Thus it can be said that Taiwan is the most prudish country in Asia, and its women are indicative of that especially since women tend to conform to the culture. A culture where you can’t even flirt simply SUCKS.
5. Taiwanese girls are very flaky and act like divas. Taiwanese females under 35 are anything but down to earth, and can flake out at any time for any reason, or even no reason. It’s hard enough getting them to respond on dating sites. But even when they do, they can flake out suddenly. When they do, they disappear, forget you and ignore your emails/calls for trivial reasons or sometimes no reason.
6. Taiwanese girls tend to have this fake innocence and cheesy corny gay ass “hello kitty” expression. It’s hard to explain what I mean. You have to be around them to see what I’m talking about. It’s very unnatural, strange and inhuman. I have no idea how to jive with it. And I definitely wouldn’t want to try to emulate it. Ewww! Ick! Weird!
7. In social groups and nightclubs in Taiwan, guys tend to outnumber girls, which creates scarcity. The guys who are in the group that the girls are in, are usually either dating the girls, or if not, then they are shielding the girls from being approached by other guys. Total cockblock. Again, this totally sucks, and when combined with the above, make the dating scene terrible beyond words and not even worth the effort.
So you see, all the above compounds to make Taiwan the WORST dating scene I’ve ever experienced, as well as the most BORING uneventful place. It’s like everything is against you. Geez! All the above combined are horrible beyond words, and make it not even worth the effort. All Taiwan offers you is food and work. But for dating, love, romance and sex, it totally SUCKS, is overly difficult, uptight, stuck up and very depriving. In fact, no negative words in English that I can think of can describe how terrible it is and how badly it sucks. Thus all I can say is that it is “terrible beyond words”.
What’s worse, you aren’t allowed to say anything negative in Taiwan. The social culture is very politically correct and you are only allowed to say nice positive things about Taiwan. So you can’t even tell the truth or express how you really feel without violating this social rule! Geez. At least let a guy be honest for crying out loud. It sucks having to pretend that you like something you don’t.
See also:
The Four Biggest Problems With Taiwan
Taiwanese people are empty shells with no soul or emotions
10 Reasons Why Taiwan is not good for social life, fun, happiness or romance
The following is an intellectual take on a non-intellectual culture.
Taiwan has a very politically correct social culture that is superficial, practical, conformist, insular, cliquish, repressed and non-intellectual. There is an unspoken but obvious social rule that around others, you are always expected to act positive and cheerful, and only talk about superficial things. Anything to the contrary will weird people out, especially young adults, and may ostracize you from social groups. So you can’t be negative (no matter how justified) or talk about deep things in Taiwan without looking like a misfit.
What this means is that if you are unhappy or don’t like something in Taiwan (and there is a lot to dislike in Taiwan, that’s for sure) then no one wants to hear about it, unless you have a close and understanding friend. For example, even though it’s obvious that Taiwanese are generally closed, repressed and narrow, you are not allowed to SAY that they are. It’s like the Emperor’s New Clothes syndrome. In that sense, you are not allowed to tell the truth in Taiwan.
This means that you often can’t be yourself in Taiwan. You see, in truth, no one can be positive all the time, human nature doesn’t work that way since everything is made up of a union of opposites, as the Chinese Ying Yang symbol signifies. What this means is that at least half the time, you will not be able to be yourself in Taiwan around other people – who expect you to only say positive and superficial things. What this also means is that if you are an honest truthful intellectual in Taiwan, you may find a few friends, but you will not fit into social groups or cliques, because they are strict about these social rules and political correctness.
However, I do not agree with this social rule mandating political correctness in Taiwan. You see, I don’t believe that just because something is negative, that it should be denied simply because it is politically incorrect. You must understand that political correctness is about control, NOT truth. And control = loss of freedom to say and think what you want. So, since I’m a “freedom junkie” I do not believe in such control and censorship, especially when it conflicts with reality. But sadly, most people are the opposite. They prefer political correctness, control and censorship over the truth.
Even blogs and website about Taiwan follow this social rule. They only say superficial positive things about Taiwan, and give some tourist information, but nothing deeper. I would venture to guess that it’s because either the authors of these blogs/sites are on a superficial wavelength themselves, or they’ve been to Taiwan and know the social rule there, and follow it even online for some reason. Or, of course, they genuinely like Taiwan and want to say only positive things about it. (But I honestly can’t see why, since I see more negatives than positives about Taiwan)
Now you may be asking, “But isn’t it like that everywhere?” The answer is a resounding NO! And if you are asking this, then you’ve probably never spent much time outside of Taiwan, Japan or North America. The world outside of these areas is very different. In most of Europe, young adults are intellectual, open minded and passionate, and so is the culture (in comparison to Taiwan and America at least). In Russia for example, young adults commonly speak 3 or 4 languages (German and English are usually among them) and enjoy history as a hobby, not just as a school subject. (I know because I’ve spent a lot of time there)
And in Italy, Greece and Spain, art and history are part of the culture and passion of the people. It is not something that they “have to study in school”, rather it is something they love naturally. Love of philosophy and intellectual subjects is common even in young adults (in total contrast to Taiwan), so it is not something that only “misfits and weirdos” like (as it is in Taiwan). People are also more open and relaxed, even toward strangers, as opposed to the repressed, uptight, insular nature of the Taiwanese and its extremely shy youth.
In contrast, in Taiwan the culture and people revolve around basic practicality – such as food, making money and raising a family – and conversation revolves around light superficial topics. People are also more repressed, uptight and insular. And young adults and teens are overly shy to the extreme. Obviously, what this means is that if you are an intellectual and/or passionate type, then European countries are a much better fit for you than Taiwan. (Keep in mind though, that being a misfit somewhere will gradually decrease your level of happiness and well-being if you stay there long term)
If you are on a deep wavelength, like writers and intellectuals are, you won’t find many people in Taiwan who you can talk to on your level, since everyone acts like they are on a superficial wavelength. (Even if they aren’t, they will still act like it in order to fit in) Some people may be open minded enough to listen to you, but they will not be able to contribute anything back. Taiwan is not a place to find deep intellectual conversation, that’s for sure. Not to brag, but as far as I know, I seem to be the only Taiwanese freethinker. I honestly don’t know any others. I guess that makes me really unique, but uniqueness comes with loneliness too.
This might be personal and subjective, but Taiwan seems to have some kind of negative energy vortex. I sense a vibe of misery and repression everywhere I go in Taiwan, which is draining and undermines my self-confidence and self-esteem. I do not like it at all. It’s feels horrible and draining, like some kind of toxic radiation. It’s like there are hungry ghosts sucking your soul or something (in addition to the sterile environment). I feel like something is trying to choke me in Taiwan. Perhaps it’s because I don’t fit in or share the narrow repressiveness of the Taiwan vibe, so it has this effect on me? I guess if you are narrow and repressed yourself, then you won’t notice anything it, but if you aren’t, you will?
Taiwanese personalities commonly come in two weird extremes: 1) grumpy, constipated, stern, strict facial expression (common among older generation), and 2) fake innocent cheesy corny “hello kitty” facial expression (common among young adults and teens). Ewww! Both of these suck and are abnormal and unnatural. How do you vibe with such unnatural personalities? I have no idea. Why can’t Taiwanese just be normal and natural? I often feel like I’m the only one that’s “normal” in Taiwan. It’s like a Twilight Zone environment where normal is abnormal, and abnormal is normal. Really weird.
To be honest, Taiwan is the most UNINTERESTING country I’ve ever been to. And its people are the WEIRDEST I’ve ever met – totally closed, cold, strict, repressed, almost inhuman. I don’t understand why they are like that. How the hell am I supposed to “act” around such people? I’m confused and I don’t get it. I’m nothing like them, thank goodness. This might sound bad, but in Taiwan, I feel like i’m the only one that’s “normal”. I know that sounds terrible, but I don’t know how else to put it.
Publicly, everyone says that “Taiwanese are very friendly”. But they NEVER differentiate or specify what they mean, not even in blogs or websites. The term “friendly” is loosely used, even by people who don’t mean it, just to appear nice. But in reality, the fact is, people do not generally smile or make eye contact with strangers in Taiwan. The only people that do are elderly or older folks, and customer service people (who are paid to be friendly and helpful). But definitely not young adults, especially females (since females are more guarded toward strangers than males are of course), who are more closed and excessively shy. If they don’t know you, they will not acknowledge your existence or talk to you, unless you are introduced to them by a mutual friend.
This pattern is virtually 100 percent consistent throughout Taiwan. It’s an obvious and consistent pattern that anyone can see, but no one talks about – probably because by bringing it up, you will appear to be saying that “Taiwanese are cold and unfriendly” which is negative and taboo/forbidden. This is true of multi-cultural social groups consisting of foreigners in Taiwan as well.
Yet I seem to be the only one who verbally differentiates and specifies such patterns and differences. No one else does, at least not publicly. So it’s like telling the truth in Taiwan makes me a misfit. Weird. I guess most people are programmed to never say anything taboo or politically correct. They desperately want to fit in and be accepted by others, which is more important to them than telling the truth or being honest and aware. But as an intellectual and introvert, I am more apt to remain true to my “inner self/inner life” and tell the truth honestly and accurately, rather than be fake to follow the norm, which I see as inauthentic.
I guess that makes me different from others. But then again, if being honest and authentic makes me different from the crowd, and if telling the truth makes me a misfit, then that speaks volumes about what a dysfunctional society and social culture this is. And I am not afraid to say that. Where I come from, being brave, confident and courageous enough to follow your heart and tell the truth is encouraged and valued, and if that makes me a misfit in a repressed insular culture like Taiwan, then so be it.
Many of the greatest writers, intellectuals and freethinkers throughout world history agree with me on this. To understand what I mean, see their quotes here: http://www.happierabroad.com/Quotes_Insanity.htm
Thanks for reading these taboo but truthful observations.
More Taboo Articles about Taiwan:
The Four Biggest Problems With Taiwan
Taiwanese people are empty shells with no soul or emotions
10 Reasons Why Taiwan is not good for social life, fun, happiness or romance
Dear Shaun Bettinson,
I read a few articles about your bizarre campaign to get everyone in Taiwan to say “I love Taiwan” and photograph themselves doing so, for no reason other than the sake of it. So I was wondering what you suggest about my no win situation in Taiwan. See here:
http://www.happierabroad.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15807
Also, check out my article of the pros and cons of Taiwan, which lists things that other sites don’t list, that are taboo, yet obvious, but other people don’t have the guts to talk about. Let me know what you think.
http://www.happierabroad.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14561
Anyhow, I have a question for you: Why should I raise up my hands and say “I love Taiwan” given the following:
What’s the point of living in Taiwan if you don’t get any attention from cute girls? I get attention from girls in most other foreign countries – e.g. Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Mexico, Philippines (see here for hard proof: http://www.happierabroad.com/ebook/Collage.htm) – but not in Taiwan. So how can Taiwan be so wonderful like you and everyone says?
Girls treat me like shit here, which undermines my ego and self-esteem. They are super cliquish and uptight about not talking to strangers (especially males) unless introduced by a mutual friend. Why should I love or enjoy that, just because it’s taboo to say anything negative about Taiwan’s social scene?
The biggest reason why Taiwan sucks is that to meet girls or try to get dates, I have to try to walk UPSTREAM against a raging river. If I go downstream and “go with the flow” I get nothing – no love, romance or sex. Everything in Taiwan goes against my love/sexual satisfaction. In Taiwan, I’m in a constant state of DEPRIVATION. It feels like everything is against me. I’m not allowed to flirt, talk to female strangers I like, approach girls without feeling like a creep/criminal, and they don’t give me attention and won’t offer to meet me if I chat with them on the internet, etc. That just plain SUCKS for sure.
So why should I raise my hands and say “I love Taiwan” in spite of that, just because Shaun Bettinson says so? Get real. How can Taiwan be so wonderful, if I can’t even get girls I like to meet up with me, and none of the experts I know in Taiwan can help me? On dating sites and on Facebook, about 1 in 100 Taiwan girls I like respond to me, and among those that do, none of them ever want to meet up! WTF?! All they do is make excuses excuses excuses about being busy all the time… blah blah blah. So how can Taiwan be so wonderful?! WTF?
In contrast, in other foreign countries (besides USA, Canada and Taiwan), girls are happy to meet me and they will OFFER to when I am in their area. So why not Taiwan? What is the problem with Taiwan? Why are Taiwan girls so damn difficult and uptight about meeting up? It’s crazy! And it totally sucks!
Having hot girls everywhere who ignore you and expect you to mind your own business while they mind theirs is a depressing society. What kind of guy likes that? What kind of life is it to be constantly deprived and unsatisfied in the areas of love, sex and romance? That SUCKS.
It’s no different than living in the US. So what’s the point of living in Taiwan? There’s no advantage other than lower cost of living. Socially, it’s no different to me than the US. At least in America, the air is fresher, cleaner and more healthy, drivers are more polite, and there is always a place to park your car.
Thus I have every right to say that Taiwan sucks, even though it contracts the popular cliche on every Taiwan website/blog that says “Taiwan is so wonderful and friendly!” Why should I conform to that? Is conforming more important than telling the truth? Should I conform or be honest?
Also, everything feels so repressed, stiff and miserable in Taiwan. It’s like there is a wall or barrier around everything that blocks me from being who I am and doing what I want to do. That sucks. I can’t be myself in Taiwan and I’m not allowed to tell the truth either. What could be more invalidating than that?
In fact, Taiwan is actually one of the less interesting countries in the world. Workaholic cultures tend to be less interesting, because they lack passion and soul. The environment is very sterile. There’s no romance, passion, love, special moments, special memories, camaraderie with others, or intellectualism. Instead, there’s extreme repression and misery. Interactions are cold, fake and financially based. Women are very cold, difficult and picky. And young people are not interesting to talk to, but are eggheads and not very bright. All people care about is work and food. In addition, the architecture is ugly and consists of ugly slabs of concrete, and the natural scenery is bland and nothing spectacular. How is that any better than America?
There also seems to be this dark negative energy vortex in Taiwan. Everywhere I go the vibe feels so negative and miserable 24/7. Why is that? I don’t think it’s all in my imagination since Taiwan does have a high suicide rate, and people do look extremely repressed and miserable on their faces, which is consistent with the vibe I feel. It’s like there are hungry ghosts sucking the life out of you in Taiwan.
In any case, why should I rave about Taiwan being “so wonderful and friendly” just because everyone else does? Why should I put up my hands and say “I love Taiwan” just because Shaun Bettinson says so? Why can’t I be honest, rather than appease you and your campaign?
Am I obligated to lie and conform? Or is it better to tell the truth?
Thanks for reading, if you got this far that is.
Sincerely,
Winston
Update:
Shaun Bettinson responded to me by email. You can read his response and mine here:
http://www.happierabroad.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15832
See also:
The Four Biggest Problems With Taiwan
Taiwanese people are empty shells with no soul or emotions
10 Reasons Why Taiwan is not good for social life, fun, happiness or romance
Check out this comment which alleges that Janet Hsieh is probably a lesbian in the closet. What do you think? Could it be true?
“It’s not really a secret, dude. Ever hear of lesbians. She’s gay. No shame there, just like Ellen DeGeneres in USA and Martina Navritiloa and Yani Tseng. But notice in all her years there in Taiwan, i am in Uk by the way, she never had a boyfriend? gay. all her friends know. Just like Anderson Cooper. And for running away, well, you think her parents will stand for their daughter being gay? No way. So she fled. And she’s happy in Asia, as many gay expats are. Nobody bothers them and tawianese peopple could care less which way she bats. That’s the secret of Taiwan, people accept you gay or straight. Janet’s a lez. Period. and no big deal. she will come out sooner or later. why not. but not yet, it would hurt her product endorsement and marketability for now. later when she is 45 she will confess all. they all do.”
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Janet Hsieh Sucks - Exposing Taiwan's Fakest Celebrity 謝怡芬 
Janet Hsieh and the Failure of the Taiwanese Media: Spot On Insights
29 JulCheck out these insightful comments posted in my Janet Hsieh blogs recently. They are spot on about the fakeness of Janet Hsieh and her act, as well as the failure and desperation of the Taiwanese media to try to garnish attention in the international scene with tasteless over the top fakeness.
http://janet-hsieh-sucks.blogspot.tw/2011/06/janet-hsieh-publicizes-my-critique-on.html?showComment=1343200968503#c2707328398255884948
“I had nothing else to do and I decided to look up the “unique woman” Janet Hsieh after hearing her ad where she is selling the latest “health supplement” and I found this blog (and your other one as well).
I should start out by saying I am an American expat who is married to a local Taiwanese woman. 10 years of marriage going strong, and we have 2 boys.
I too find Janet a little too-phoney for my tastes. She seems like a model (which she is, apparently) who was offered a job in front of a camera, and she took this job to further her career (possibly back to the USA???).
The series always shows everything about Taiwan in a wonderful light and how fabulous places are here in Taiwan. Yes, there are some nice places, but I have been to a few of the places she has been to and they ain’t that good looking. The look good on the camera due to how they film things, yet if you get beyond the range of the camera you will see most are not that great, and some are downright bad.
As for Janet, she will do and probably say anything due to either what her boss tells her what to say or what will help further her career.
If Janet has any courage, she should just report things as they are and not try to embelish them. Granted, a lot of travel shows are like this, such as the former “Lonely Planet”/now “Global Trekker” shows. If you ever read the books about behind-the-scenes-of-“Lonely Planet,” you will be amazed at what the support staff go through and what is not shown on the televsion shows.
By the way, did you see te You Tube video where Janet is recruiting people to join her on their show? Only approximately 1900 people veiwed the video(including me). Boy, that went over REAL WELL.
As far as Janet goes, I do not know her so I am only basing on my observations of her “show” and of the various articles I have read of her. And I must say I am none too impressed with her. I feel she is just a somewhat model (only able to get a lot work here in Taiwan and just a tiny amount int he USA as she would be a dime a dozen” model in the USA). My wife flat-out cannot stand her as she knows A LOT of places Janet has been to and calls “B.S.” on a lot of what she promotes on her show.
As for the comments on Janet’s Facebok profile, I think they reflect the same type of dribble that Hollywood stars get from their fans. The fans only see what is shown on the TV and/or what the “star” (or the star’s PR person) want people to see. So let’s see what people write after Janet gets caught in a “compromising position.” Then we shall see the real Janet Hsieh come out. ”
https://janethsiehsucks.wordpress.com/2011/06/08/response-to-lucie-lukes-open-letter-to-me/#comment-120
“Coming from America and now living in Taiwan there are very few good shows on TLC here vs back home. All honesty any show Janet hosts rivals Jeremy Lin for the worst and only things to watch on Taiwanese TV.The problem is the Taiwanese have no concept of “overkill” .So if you were a couch potato before you are now REPEATEDLY force fed so much of the same awful television you have to pick up a book and/or new hobby.
Taiwan’s lack of confidence as a nation is obvious when they desperately cling on to anything/anyone that gives them international recognition. Even if they are native Americans who would not be successful and have developed the proper credentials if born in Taiwan.Yes,that is you fellow Americans whose parents made the correct decision Janet and Jeremy.
When I see Janet instantly I change the channel.As a person I don’t deny she is probably nice but as a host she is simply painful and phony.The fact there will be a second season to the Fun Taiwan is so sad. The first season from what I could stomach was a very low budget Amazing Race.It was a painfully boring hosted,lame contestant ridden and had carnival style challenges.
Thanks for the outlet”
http://janet-hsieh-sucks.blogspot.tw/2012/07/we-are-now-1-in-google-for-janet-hsieh.html?showComment=1342452605379#c2178172012095397669
“I watched her show a few times and followed her on Facebook.
I was drawn to her in the same way people rubberneck at a car crash.
I find her unfunny and stupid acting with the cross eyes and goofy faces. It seems her Facebook pages just glorifies her life style and attracts attention to herself.
Asking her fans to vote for her as sexiest woman on FHM website, Please! I really don’t care about her broken thumb.”
http://janet-hsieh-sucks.blogspot.tw/2011/06/janet-hsieh-publicizes-my-critique-on.html?showComment=1330581228434#c8180421987206039747
“I have to say I stumbled upon your website while google-ing Janet Hsieh and I find it very refreshing, truthful and eye-opening. Nice critique out there for the unfortunate masses of cut-paste plastic-fantastic, bobble-headed, too tanned Chinese girls who happen to make it big cos’ most people are simple airheads who cannot discern fact from fiction or fakery
”
http://janet-hsieh-sucks.blogspot.tw/2011/06/critical-comments-about-janet-hsieh.html?showComment=1320161072851#c6491509019645837416
“Yah I think she’s fake. She’s been paid by Taiwan Tourism Department. Taiwan’s really got nothing to offer now in Tourism World, the competition is getting stiffer. Nice try Janet, but we don’t buy it!”
http://www.happierabroad.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=92466#92466
“you’re right. the woman goes to boring places and pretends to make them interesting. but her really fake acting doesnt cut it…
and the woman is literally selling everything in Taiwan and is on every billboard. she is like a 7-11, there isnt anything she wont sell… it doesnt even make sense….i often wonder if she doesnt understand the concept of “over-exposure”?”
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Thanks to all the above contributors.
More prior interesting comments can be seen here:
http://janet-hsieh-sucks.blogspot.tw/2011/06/critical-comments-about-janet-hsieh.html
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Tags: china vs. taiwan, comments, critical reviews, criticism, 謝怡芬, failture, fakery, janet hsieh, taiwan media, taiwan TV, taiwanese media