Expats are mostly sweet folks, but there's always one or two. Here's how to avoid being that guy.
Resist the urge to compare everything to U.S. pop culture.
崔健 is not China's Bruce Springsteen. Rain is not the Justin Timberlake of Korea. 張懸 is no Taiwanese Feist. Don't think of the local music as "a decade behind America." Let that go. The point of living abroad is to ditch the pop cultural references you've built your identity around. Embrace that freedom.
Via: geekworldradio.com
Relax. Not everything has to do with Confucianism, Shintoism, Taoism, or anything of the big -isms.
Travel blogs will have you believe that Asia runs on the C-man's teachings, but I've never heard anyone namedrop Confucianism in my 17 years in Taiwan. Imagine if someone ran around Portland yelling "totes Judeo-Christian, brah!" That's not only stilted, but probably pretty unhelpful to understanding Portland.
Via: thetaiwanadventure.blogspot.com
Go beyond expat enclaves.
In high school, I remember walking back home and seeing my classmate – a skinny exchange student from Florida – playing an er hu with old motorcycle mechanics in full goth makeup. Now that's a boss.
Via: kevintstang.com
You're not the edgiest person in town, I promise.
No, your Frank Zappa cover band will not 'finally bring rock n' roll to Asia.' Owning a copy of House of Leaves does not make you more special than the locals. If you assume everyone's an uninteresting salaryman or schoolgirl naif, you've watched too many Bladerunner re-runs. If you're not meeting the wildest wits of the city, they're probably busy hanging out with other fluent locals who can keep up with them. Talk to anyone at a Hongdae bar, or Taipei's Shida cafes, or kids at a punk show in Koenji. There's someone who's into what you're into, I promise.
Via: http://Lost%20in%20Translation
No comments:
Post a Comment