Schedium

One of the most amazing and at the same time challenging experiences in a foreign country is the surprise, the shock and distress you feel when encountering unexpected traits of the host culture. The way people act, their speech, their body language - to name only a few - are unfamiliar and may prompt in you reactions that range from curiosity to amusement, from disappointment to anger. First impressions, I think, are unlikely to stir strong emotions. But if you choose to go deeper into the culture and the life of a place, you start a long and often hard journey, a process of learning and - as  it is often called - "broadening your horizon". I met quite a few foreigners in Taiwan who have very different attitudes towards the country. Some are enthusiastic. Others feel interested in things they consider strange and unusual and try to know more about them. Others, on the contrary, are completely indifferent, or even contemptuous.  In the first part of this post I w

On my second day in Taiwan, a hot and humid Friday evening, my "friend" - let me call her Chloe - asked me to meet at a night market. For those who don't know what a night market is, I will explain it briefly. It's a street market that usually operates in the evening, where you can buy food, clothes and other things. Night markets are popular in the Chinese-speaking world and a vital part of the street and nightlife of major cities. However, I'm not going to write this post about the night market as such, because there are already hundreds, if not thousands of websites, including Wikipedia, where you can find all sorts of information about it. The subject of this post is rather a personal one. A couple of days ago I went again to that night market, and I passed by a Taiwanese ice cream parlour. When I looked at it, I suddenly realized that it was the same place where I and Chloe had been exactly one year ago. A lot of memories came back. And a little bit of sadn

Before going to Asia, a few friends of mine told me about their experience in China. A German guy said that in China he felt for the first time what it means to be a foreigner. He is blond and has blue eyes, so it was easy for him to be spotted among the crowds of Chinese. People looked, even stared at him, sometimes for minutes. Someone asked to take a picture with him, as though he were a tourist attraction, children pointed at him on the streets. He didn't seem to be very happy about receiving so much attention from passers-by. Neither would I have been. I am not blond, so at least I am not as conspicuous as he is. However, it's still easy for Asians to notice me, of course. And I was afraid of being stared at on the streets or in public places, which makes me feel quite nervous. When I arrived in Taiwan, I was positively surprised. I never saw anyone staring or pointing at me. Strangely enough, I felt here even more relaxed than in Germany. When I was in Berlin

Xiahai Chenghuang Temple (by Solomon203 via Wikimedia Commons ) In February of 2012 a friend of mine took me to a famous Daoist temple in Taipei, Xiahai Chenghuang Temple (霞海城隍廟). I had asked her to show it to me because I wanted to pray to the Chinese God of Love, Yuelao. I am not a spiritual person, but I thought it would be interesting to have a first-hand experience of local religious beliefs.  Though I am not a Christian I was raised in a Christian (Catholic) society, and I have been influenced by it, no matter whether I rationally believe in that religion or not. From the point of view of Christendom, a Chinese temple may remind of an ancient Roman or Greek temple. It is a colourful building with symbols and statues. The sort of images Christians used to reject as "eidola", i.e. depictions of demons made by humans. The Christian God has nothing human. He has no shape and is beyond human rational understanding. He therefore cannot be depicted in sacre

The history of a country is always the history of its people. Of their lives and thoughts, of their hardships and successes. If you want to understand the rise of Asia's economic power, is there a better way than knowing the personal stories of those business people who, born into poverty, struggled to become wealthy? I believe that such individual stories will allow future generations to understand much better this era of astonishing economic and social change in the Far East. If Japan is the "pioneer" of Asian capitalism, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore belong to the second generation of Asian "economic miracles". They shocked the Western world - which in its arrogance believed to be destined to exercise a monopoly over progress and economic development forever - by the unprecedented pace of their industrialization and their long-lasting economic success. Chang Yung-fa (Traditional Chinese:  張榮發 , pinyin: Zhāng Róngfā, born in 1927 in

When I meet new Taiwanese friends, the question they invariably ask me is: "Why did you choose Taiwan instead of Mainland China?" Sometimes I tell them the truth, sometimes I just say that I am interested in Taiwan. I thought for a few days whether I should publish this post on my blog and tell strangers about my private matters. At last, I decided to share my experiences with you guys. I've always been interested in East Asia. Not for rational reasons, such as future career prospects. My interest was born out of a feeling, which I cannot explain. I think every country has its own aesthetics. When you see the image of a city or a landscape, sometimes you feel fascination, you want to go there. The way people look like, behave and get dressed, the architecture, the nature - there are many reasons why a place might attract you.  As far as I can remember, my interest in East Asia dates back to my teenage years. At that time I had no internet at home, and my access t

Taipei Main Station It was the 4th of November when I arrived at Taoyuan International Airport. In Europe already time to wear jackets and prepare for the imminent snow. In Taiwan, instead, the weather was hot and humid. People wore short-sleeve shirts and short trousers. Taking off my jacket didn't help. I still felt really hot. No wonder, there were around 30 degree Celsius outside, and my warm jeans and water-proof shoes were not exactly ideal. There's no underground connecting the airport to the city centre, so I took a bus. There are many bus companies that take to different places of the city, like Xindian, Nangang, Zhongxiao Dunhua and so on. So be careful to go to the correct counter and ask. I bought a ticket for Taipei Main Station. When the bus arrived, the bus driver got off and began to shout in Chinese, announcing the destination of the bus. Then he asked passengers where they were going, just to make sure they didn't get on the wrong one. Fortunately