Why are you so nice to me?
What does it say about the world when I am constantly and pleasantly surprised when people are nice? The people of Taiwan never cease to amaze me. Every customer-service type interaction I have had has been fabulous. People have been friendly and helpful. They have smiled. They have shown a pride in their jobs. They have been patient if I have had a language problem, or didn't understand a rule or custom.
Compared to my recent travels to Russia, Sudan, and Egypt (and true it's not really fair to compare those countries to a young, modern, and democratic country like Taiwan) Taiwan is paradise. I think so far I've had one unpleasant experience with a taxi ride here, but that wasn't because the woman wasn't nice or trying hard, she was simply incompetent.
People I have been interviewing have gone out of their way to accommodate me, and some have even given me gifts or bought me meals--despite my genuine protests. I was at the annual Lunar New Year Party for the Taiwanese business community that has operations in China. I met a man there who was a PhD. candidate and was trying to network and find a sponsor of some sort for his dissertation. We talked for a while and he agreed to met me interview him.
A couple of days later, he asked if we could meet, so we connected at the Starbucks down the street from my hotel (no, not that one, the other one, no, I mean the other one). Anyhow, he arrived with a bag containing two tins of limited production cookies. And then, he refused to let me pay for my tea. Granted, there is a ritual in Chinese culture around paying for meals, and it is a normal custom to fight over paying the bill, but people here have universally said "you are my guest," and refused to let me pay.
I have to say that my friends in Serbia and Russia did the same thing, and I am willing to respect people's cultures, but it does feel a little awkward sometimes when people are so genuinely giving--and not expecting anything special in return. There is no agenda.
Anyhow, I tip my hat to the people here who have been so eager to share their time, opinions, and culture with me. Given how difficult international business/journalism travel can be (especially when you are constantly parachuting alone into unfamiliar territories), it makes life a lot easier when people are so open and helpful.
