Five

At NCKU of the things we talked about as a group was cultural differences that are not plainly obvious. One difference I have picked up on is facial cues and gestures are not interpreted the same way here. This has stood out to me particularly when walking in crowded areas. When someone is trying to walk past me on a narrow sidewalk, I try to point with my eyes or by moving my head to indicate which way I want to go, so we can pass by one another without bumping shoulders. It seems like we make I contact and I think I have made myself clear, but they always seem do the opposite of what I expected. I think somehow the meaning of these gestures is flipped a complete 180 degrees. I encountered the same issue as a pedestrian trying to signal that I will yield to a car. I waved and nodded my head for the car to pass by, but they misunderstood and stopped for me instead. It makes me wonder where the cultural boundaries of these gestures are. I mean how far from Taiwan would I need to travel for the gestures to flip back in meaning. 

This makes me realize that the way in which culture is defined is very confusing for me. Our projects have us looking for Taiwanese inspiration, but even though I have been here for two weeks, it is still hard for me to pin down what is distinctly Taiwanes. Taiwan has been influenced by so many other cultures and markets that I feel like I can't tell what truly makes something Taiwanese. I think I would have to do years of research into the Dutch and Japanese and Chinese before I could finally distill out an understanding of Taiwan. It is like if an extraterrestrial came to Earth and you gave him a five fruit smoothie, and then asked him to report back on the flavor of bananas.

I think this is even trickier for me as a white American man because I have to be very careful about the plethora of negative stereotypes surrounding my demographic. I think because our public education system is so poor, Americans have a global reputation of being uneducated about global matters. Americans are famous for only being able to speak one language. A white man describing cultural observations is seen as problematic, or as though I am speaking on behalf of the marginalized people of color. Apart from race and ethnicity, I have to be careful not to come across as mansplaining. 

In the end, I know that my understanding of Taiwan and its cultural intricacies will continue to evolve as I spend more time here and engage more deeply. I’m committed to observing with respect and sensitivity, remaining aware of my own biases and limitations. Rather than seeking to define or categorize what is 'Taiwanese,' perhaps the best approach is to appreciate the unique blend of influences that shape this place, while staying open to learning from every interaction.