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Watching my HK colleagues become expats in Taiwan

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  1. #21

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    https://www.reddit.com/r/PublicFreak...eb2x&context=3

    This is a case of a foreigner having a hard time in TW. On a more serious note, I've found the folks in TW to be more receptive to foreigners than HKers are.

    How do your colleages handle any language issues given the folks in TW speak their own dialect of Mandarin?

  2. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by RMDNC:

    How do your colleages handle any language issues given the folks in TW speak their own dialect of Mandarin?
    I assume you mean dialect of Chinese? The two most commonly spoken dialects in Taiwan are Mandarin and Minnan hua (Taiwanese). You'll get by just fine with Mandarin in Taipei. You'd have to be pretty far out in the sticks to reach a dead end with only Mandarin skills.

  3. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by huja:
    Complaining is part of the expat experience for many. For others it's just how they communicate. They don't even realize it.
    Culture shock is about the realisation that the new place is DIFFERENT - it doesn't necessarily need to be worse to be a shock. You just can't get the same products/services (yep, even worse products and worse service); people "do things differently". I think serial expats get the hang of it. My first expat experience was very different than now.
    Sage likes this.

  4. #24

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    I am surprised to hear HKers complaining about food. Local HK food is over priced garbage especially when compared to the rest of Asia.

    RMDNC, Elegiaque, Skyhook and 1 others like this.

  5. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by Coolboy:
    Well, sooner or later, they will realized that the world don't revolve around them and when in Rome, do what the Romans do. And to be fair, this complaining is not unique to HKers, but most expats of any nationality. Just look at all the complaining about HK on this forum (which I admit I have done on quite a number of occasions). So we are all guilty of that to some extent.
    There's a difference between complaining that can lead to better outcomes and complaining just for complaining.

    I've never complained about the lack of certain foods/brands/tastes in HK, But would complain about pollution or unnecessary bureaucracy or the selfishness of locals on the street.

    I think people who come from more diverse cultures are significantly less likely to indulge in the lower form of complaining - with the express exception of the Japanese who grin and bear it like heroes.

  6. #26

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    Quote Originally Posted by Matt30:
    I am surprised to hear HKers complaining about food. Local HK food is over priced garbage especially when compared to the rest of Asia.
    If Brits can complain about food when they travel anyone can.

  7. #27

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    Quote Originally Posted by MABinPengChau:
    They are not worse than any other expat at complaining,

    I was careful not to complain about HK.
    So they ARE worse than any other expat - you.

  8. #28

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sage:
    There's a difference between complaining that can lead to better outcomes and complaining just for complaining.

    I've never complained about the lack of certain foods/brands/tastes in HK, But would complain about pollution or unnecessary bureaucracy or the selfishness of locals on the street.

    I think people who come from more diverse cultures are significantly less likely to indulge in the lower form of complaining - with the express exception of the Japanese who grin and bear it like heroes.
    Yesterday, I saw a very late model (therefore not likely to have mechanical issues) SUV parked in one lane of a two lane street. This was during rush hour. The guy had the rear hatch and passenger door open with hazard lights on as if there was some emergency. A few pedestrians stared at the car thinking the occupant may need help. The SUV backed up traffic for 15 minutes. Later the guy's wife carried a sack of rice to the SUV and they took off. That was EXTREMELY selfish especially with two parking garages on the street.
    Paxbritannia and HK_Katherine like this.

  9. #29
    Quote Originally Posted by MABinPengChau:
    Another great complaint- Taipei is hot AND more humid than HK...

    Well, I lived next to the sea on Peng Chau, really doubt ANYWHERE on planet earth except maybe the Amazon rainforest is more humid, feels OK to me...
    Taipei is hotter in the summertime, but not more humid than Hong Kong. But claiming that Peng Chau beats ANYWHERE on the planets is extremely far-fetched. Taiwan's East Coast gets a massive amount of rain with high humidity around Keelung and Yilan, while experiencing the same temperatures as Taipei. The Taiwanese mountains also experience some of the largest annual rainfalls on the entire planet. Thus you don't need to go far to experience hotter and more humid than Peng Chau.

  10. #30

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    Quote Originally Posted by RMDNC:
    Yesterday, I saw a very late model (therefore not likely to have mechanical issues) SUV parked in one lane of a two lane street. This was during rush hour. The guy had the rear hatch and passenger door open with hazard lights on as if there was some emergency. A few pedestrians stared at the car thinking the occupant may need help. The SUV backed up traffic for 15 minutes. Later the guy's wife carried a sack of rice to the SUV and they took off. That was EXTREMELY selfish especially with two parking garages on the street.
    Nothing surprises me about the depths HK'ers can sink to in this regard anymore. :-(