My Wallet's Status? Pretty Sure I Don't Need *Your* Definition For That.
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After 6 Years of Absence: My Complicated Feelings on Returning to Taiwan
We adore Taiwan, having visited it over ten times all in all! It's just that we love the flair of life here and that easygoing feeling.
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But this trip back, I really didn't have a great impression ...
- Just after landing, on the first day when buying a phone SIM card (for internet), the person selling the cards had an incredibly sour face like we owed them millions! Oh my, our spirits were instantly dampened.
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Then, on the second day, my husband was trying to buy me a wallet as next year's birthday gift.
- At a store called Coach (a brand with some reputation), as soon as my husband reached out for a wallet to take a look for less than three seconds, the salesperson swiftly retracted it without letting us touch – my husband was infuriated!
- And so I told my husband, you know, travel means sometimes going to places that locals might have already grown tired of.
- They may indeed become a bit "jaded," (feeling worn out by life, unexcited), a bit down-to-earth.
- In fact, they change, and we change too. We don't need to prove anything to anyone by the amount of money in our pockets.
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The Coach salesperson must think that working there somehow makes the store his own; thus, his arrogance emerges under those disdainful looks.
- I can understand such attitude (perhaps they've endured their own adversities at work?), but the very demeanor is intolerable.
- At its core, that disdain is actually for themselves; often how one treats others reflects their own perspective of life.
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Everyone, regardless of status, should be treated equally. The basic human decency lies in respecting others.
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This could be another meaning to traveling: it doesn’t always revolve around疯狂购物；碰到这些生活的片段，也是旅程中的特殊“礼物”。
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Haha, I think this story will entertain my friends for quite a while!
️ A Word of Caution for Friends Who Are Planning a Trip to Taiwan:- Service Quality Can Vary: Be mentally ready; not every service staff is all smiles. If you encounter an unfriendly attitude, don't dwell too much on it to prevent it from affecting your overall experience.
- What to Do: Take a deep breath, remind yourself that "you came here to unwind," and just move onto another store if it gets too grating.
- Shopper Mentality: Some salespeople might have biases based on your outfit or perceived wealth.
- What to Do: Don’t let their attitudes affect you. Whether you buy something or not, remember your freedom to choose, and your happiness is the most important thing of all. You're here to enjoy your spending, not to please anyone's facial expression.
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I strongly suspect that our friends from Malaysia and Singapore are being mistaken for mainland Chinese and discriminated against. It's easy to get them confused due to similarities in appearance and language, so you're probably just caught in the crossfire.
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Nah, I don't think so. There are good people in every country. I believe it's an issue with individuals, not the entire country/city. My experiences elsewhere have been perfectly fine.
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I'm currently traveling in Taiwan and have been here for 5 days. I feel very lucky, as everyone I've encountered has been really nice.
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Perhaps it's because we were dressed super casually. I was even carrying a reusable shopping bag!
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When I visited last year, I already noticed that Taipei had lost some of its warmth (especially among young people; the older 'aunties' and 'uncles' were still quite helpful). People in other counties and cities were still great, though. Maybe life's just too stressful there, causing them to suppress their kindness.
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That's right. Most people in the service industry nowadays are young. Back when we used to go out, this generation hadn't even entered the workforce yet. Now that they have, they're unwilling to fake smiles for meager pay. There's a lack of passion and hope in their lives.
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I don't think it's discrimination, because I experience the same thing when I go back to Taiwan. Perhaps it's more accurate to say they're just no longer inclined to treat all customers with kindness.
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Have they picked up that infamous Hong Kong grumpiness? Taiwan never used to be like this.
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If there's a dress code, we'd absolutely follow it. But if not, everyone deserves equal treatment, don't they? Even a cleaning lady deserves respect. We're all human beings. It's not like we were dressed inappropriately; we were just out for a stroll.
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Really? Wow, I haven't been back in 6 years.
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You should come and experience it for yourself. A lot has changed here. You don't automatically hear 'Welcome!' (欢迎光临) anymore. Of course, it's not a huge deal, but what was once considered a distinctive local touch is gone. It's not a major issue, just that sense of familiarity has vanished, that's all.
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If they dislike mainland Chinese, that's their prerogative. Just turn around and walk away.
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When you encounter unfriendly service staff, they treat locals the same way. It's particularly noticeable in Taipei. One time I went to Chanel ('Xiao Xiang') in the Xinyi District, and the sales associate was extremely impatient – the type who looked like she was about to roll her eyes.
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That's exactly the kind of thing I encountered. So frustrating!
️ Hahahaha. -
I used to visit Taiwan almost every year, so perhaps I got accustomed to the local culture and people. After not going back for several years, I find attitudes have shifted. It's not necessarily bad, just something I'm reflecting on with a bit of nostalgia. It's not just them who've changed; we've changed too. Of course, if someone has a bad attitude, that's just an individual issue. Over the past few days, the people in the countryside have been wonderful, though!
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Are Taiwan visas available for application now???
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You don't need a visa! It's visa-free.