Tainan Lifestyle Vol. 2_English

What do you like most about Taiwan?

Since deciding to live and work in Taiwan, I have been asked by many people: "What do you like most about Taiwan?" As always, I don't hesitate to say it is: "Taiwanese kindness". Honestly, until now, after living here for more than 4 years, I still sometimes say "Oh my god, why are Taiwanese people so kind and friendly."

During these years in Taiwan, I have received kind treatment many times. Today I would like to share it a little.

There was almost empty at the school dorm and no places to get food at the campus during the summer vacation, so I decided to buy a used bike for commuting and told this idea to my Taiwanese colleague met at a part-time job.

Just a few days later, she brought a very pretty, white bicycle to the workplace and said, “I haven’t used this for a long time since I started to work. You can just take it.” So, I got my first bicycle in Taiwan for free! This is the first kindness I received.

Since there were nearly 40 kilometers away from the school, I need to get back by train. But when I got to the train station, I found out that the train does not allow bicycles to go directly to the station near my school. With a worried face, I used my little Chinese to request help from the staff of the railway station. He checked and told me that I could only take my bike with you by the Zongzhou Station, which is one stop before the one near my university. It takes about 15 minutes of bike-riding to reach my place. Okay, I got the solution and also headed for it. However, since it was almost 10 pm at night, I felt so insecure at such a late time, especially with so poor Chinese of mine, no internet to check google Maps by phone, and only a little money in my pocket. I really doubted if I could be safe to be back in the school dorm.

I told my worries and the staff. Without any doubt, he called his colleague at my destination station to support me. Once I arrived, the person at Zhongzhou Station was waiting by the train door to greet me!

Much more than that! He also informed another person working at the CJCU Station, the one near my university. When I got to the exit of Zhongzhou Station, the staff of CJCU Station had already been there waiting to guide me home. I was really surprised and so touched by the considerations given by these people, for their kindness and warmth coming from their hearts. In fact, they could just choose to ignore my worried face. Those behaviors did not really beneficial to them personally, but they still did that much for me. On the contrary, it would be much more bothering to do all these special arrangements for me!  

In the days after I graduated and started to work, I kept receiving “Taiwanese kindness” from people, even at the workplace where it is supposed to be a competitive and interest-orientated place for me.

Even so, sometimes I cannot help wonder, "Are they really willing to do from the hearts?” "How does it feel to be polite and being polite at all times?" I was so curious and asked these questions to several Taiwanese people, but their answers, in fact, were different from what I thought!

Some people think that being good to foreigners is because of "responsibility”, or more like “an image must be maintained in the eyes of the public”, and some of them may even feel “troublesome” or “being used.” Moreover, some people even think that the Taiwanese only treat foreigners friendly, but not to their own people the same.

For me, from a perspective of a foreigner, though I am so touched when I received such kind treatments every time; however, I hope the Taiwanese people are able to treat others freely in their own ways.

Everyone should cherish the “Taiwanese kindness” that we have already had or encountered in this land. No matter where you are from, appreciation and respect for different cultures always and to appreciate the diversity between cultures always helps! 

How about you? What do you like most about Taiwan?

You may have a different opinion of “Taiwanese kindness”.

Or, what is the most attractive feature for you about Taiwan?