tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353489745782837825.post7642616029925413576..comments2024-02-25T00:38:34.874+08:00Comments on Patrick Cowsill: It's Taipei Signs, I ThinkPatrick Cowsillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12904899672214340947noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353489745782837825.post-9311406060122058382011-10-07T20:07:11.776+08:002011-10-07T20:07:11.776+08:00"Just a quick comment: The "think too mu..."Just a quick comment: The "think too much" comment there is just a bad translation from Chinese, often misunderstood. What it actually means is that you "read too much into" or "misconstrued" her comment about skin color."<br /><br />Yes, I know that. I was being (trying to be) ironic. I understand that her real meaning was to "just let it go." I didn't though, see the blog post. In other words, I get it. I just don't have time for "us and them-ism." Cheers.Patrick Cowsillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12904899672214340947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353489745782837825.post-66868153727663921392011-10-07T15:33:55.059+08:002011-10-07T15:33:55.059+08:00To my surprise, I was informed I think too much. H...To my surprise, I was informed I think too much. Huh? Think too much? It's not like I had written a paper on it. The line I wrote took me about 10 seconds. <br /><br />Just a quick comment: The "think too much" comment there is just a bad translation from Chinese, often misunderstood. What it actually means is that you "read too much into" or "misconstrued" her comment about skin color.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353489745782837825.post-75878729581392738202011-10-05T20:36:56.906+08:002011-10-05T20:36:56.906+08:00"There are definitely a not negligible body r..."There are definitely a not negligible body reeling out all kinds of apologist excuses or claiming foreigners just blow it out of proportion but I they're either walking around with their heads in the clouds or being dishonest."<br /><br />I was told that I needed to learn how to assimilate when I took issue with the first comment-maker by the individual that put up the post. It was OK for her to mildly disagree and then chide. The moment I upped the ante, she turned on me. This was more than simply someone walking around with her head in the clouds. Her criticism of me was tribalistic. It immediately became a case of us and them, even though I was probably right. <br /><br />Had I been Taiwanese, she would not have made the assimilate comments. Those comments were irrelevant to the discussion.Patrick Cowsillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12904899672214340947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353489745782837825.post-41405311491717840232011-10-05T17:29:55.189+08:002011-10-05T17:29:55.189+08:00' I think these attitudes about skin color are...' I think these attitudes about skin color are more widespread than most non-Taiwanese '<br /><br />I think most non-Taiwanese, who think about these things and have been here for any amount of time, know damn well how much racism there is here, particularly regarding people of colour.<br /><br />I think Patrick's being very generous and I agree with you guys that it's, unfortunately, a majority, though in many cases they are just hair-trigger/ignorant racists rather than full on hate-filled types.<br /><br />But, again, I certainly don't think that most foreigners are under any illusions that this is an issue. <br /><br />There are definitely a not negligible body reeling out all kinds of apologist excuses or claiming foreigners just blow it out of proportion but I they're either walking around with their heads in the clouds or being dishonest.<br /><br />On the contrary, it the locals themselves who are wilfully oblivious to the lumbering, gargantuan elephant in the room, as encapsulated by the horrendously aggravating "you think too much" line.Jameshttp://thewritingbaron.com/off-yer-bikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353489745782837825.post-5818055062372221132011-10-01T12:22:05.958+08:002011-10-01T12:22:05.958+08:00Andre, I get what you're saying (and partly ag...Andre, I get what you're saying (and partly agree). I also see people dumping stuff on the ground and not taking ten seconds to properly sort their trash into the correct bin. <br /><br />Spend a day in China though and things come into a different light -- you can see how far Taiwan has come in terms of how people behave regarding other citizens (or non-citizens).Patrick Cowsillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12904899672214340947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353489745782837825.post-52760220142343987582011-09-28T10:13:40.917+08:002011-09-28T10:13:40.917+08:00Patrick, i'm the afraid that not might exactly...Patrick, i'm the afraid that not might exactly be the case. we probably won't see significant changes for at least a few generations. there's still a huge lack of education. yes, things are improving and there is more awareness amongst the current and younger generation but the ignorance still runs high and widespread. just like with littering, there is more awareness but you still see tons of people just throw their garbage onto the streets in bright daylight in front of everyone. i see it all the time, people driving and throwing crap out the window like it's no big deal. same with recycling. lots of people just throwing their recyclables into regular garbage bins when there are recycling bins available.Andrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09262913117330754448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353489745782837825.post-52425278308936103922011-09-27T15:11:42.175+08:002011-09-27T15:11:42.175+08:00Like Andre, I think these attitudes about skin col...Like Andre, I think these attitudes about skin color are more widespread than most non-Taiwanese would think. I'm also more pessimistic than you about the younger generation. As long as pale white skin remains the standard of ideal beauty, these attitudes will persist. The flip side of idolizing white skin is to look down on its opposite.Kaminogehttp://kaminoge.livejournal.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353489745782837825.post-78777861050461391862011-09-27T03:31:25.609+08:002011-09-27T03:31:25.609+08:00"Another case could would be countries where ..."Another case could would be countries where there actually DOES exist considerable cultural/ethnic diversity, but this diversity is not reflected in official or popular culture. China, Japan and Taiwan are examples of places like that, where children are taught that they all belong to one great race."<br /><br />Fine. The stats are now showing, however, that one in five children born in Taiwan are coming from transnational marriages. Is not a change in thinking in order? Actually, it has already come.<br /><br />@Andre: thanks for your candor; you paint a bleak picture. At the same time, you say it could pass when the older generation passes.Patrick Cowsillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12904899672214340947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353489745782837825.post-50362907368418088962011-09-27T03:13:02.095+08:002011-09-27T03:13:02.095+08:00here comes my 2 cents...
Is it always "racis...here comes my 2 cents...<br /><br />Is it always "racist" to point out what makes people different (skin color, hair type, etc.)? Should we scold a kid who asks, "Dad, why is she so black/white/brown/fat/tall/short, etc.?" My hairy chest and arms often becomes a topic of conversation in Taiwan. Kids want to know!<br /><br />Secondly, it is my experience that people in countries or regions with relatively little experience with racial, ethnic or cultural diversity (like Taiwan) often are not even aware that the way they talk or write might be considered predjudiced. Their education, experience, and even their parents have not taught them how to deal sensitively with diversity. <br /><br />As an example-- you meet people from Finland (or Taiwan, just as an example) who tell you that there is no racism there. My question would be: Oh? How do you know that?? There is not yet enough diversity there for them to know yet how their society will deal with large-scale integration of diverse cultures. Immigration (in the case of Taiwan) is such a recent phenomena, that issues of employer discrimination, etc. have only very recently begun to be seen as a potential problem there.<br /><br />Another case could would be countries where there actually DOES exist considerable cultural/ethnic diversity, but this diversity is not reflected in official or popular culture. China, Japan and Taiwan are examples of places like that, where children are taught that they all belong to one great race. Which is another reason why people in some countries have difficultly distinguishing between nationality and race (but that's a different topic).John Snoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353489745782837825.post-43323215151274007292011-09-27T02:16:37.004+08:002011-09-27T02:16:37.004+08:00actually, i'd like to think that is them, a bi...actually, i'd like to think that is them, a big majority. most people in taiwan (and asia for that matter), especially older folks, are very racist. they are blatant and open about it too. it's simply a lack of education, so for the most part they just don't know any better.Andrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09262913117330754448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353489745782837825.post-66570394877342627542011-09-26T21:52:57.763+08:002011-09-26T21:52:57.763+08:00LOL. Patrick, I can't believe you didn't g...LOL. Patrick, I can't believe you didn't get that I was being humorous in that tweet; admittedly, I do find adverts annoying, but I didn't find you photograph/the fact you tweeted it annoying I was just taking an extremely satirical tone! I love the fact you used it to launch you post. Haha, whatever gets the creative juices flowing, as I always say.<br />It's not uncommon - I'm referring to Taiwanese people's attitudes about skin colour. The weird thing is that this reaction seems to come with the cultural baggage. It's not a matter of thinking too much. It's the conformist streak in Taiwanese thinking. Taiwanese think to little about these things. As a matter of fact, it is not that your or are are culturalists or racist in assuming that most Taiwanese think like this, it's that Taiwanse are culturalist about this, and this kind of culturalism makes them racists - unless of course they act outside of the character of their culture and criticise the mainstream in their culture. It really is sad that so few people do. Usually people like you and I have to shut up about such things, otherwise we are seen as people who complain, who talk to much, to act like obnoxious foreigners, etc.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15907060405795620941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5353489745782837825.post-35166041835154420502011-09-26T17:54:59.477+08:002011-09-26T17:54:59.477+08:00What a thoroughly obnoxious and ignorant twit.
I&...What a thoroughly obnoxious and ignorant twit.<br /><br />I'm not sure what's worse: the comment or the fact she can't se anything wrong with it.Jameshttp://thewritingbaron.com/from-russia-with-love-gamesnoreply@blogger.com