In Singapore, we wait for the train behind the yellow lines. Those who are anxious to get into the train will stand right in front of the train doors. Taiwanese queue up in neat lines at the side of the train doors (within the boundaries of the white lines in the picture below) while waiting for the train to arrive.
An embarrassing incident happened at the train station during our trip. After we got off the train, we walked towards the escalator and joined the group of people who were waiting at the side (a common sight in Singapore) .We received a few stares from the people around us. Wondering what was wrong, we turned our heads and looked around. To our surprise, we discovered that the Taiwanese join the queue from the back instead of “cutting” queue from the sides!
The bus system is also more complicated when you compare to Singapore’s. Some buses only accept cash, while some offer the option of cash or Easycard, which is similar to Singapore’s ez-link. Then, some of the bus fares are paid when one boards the bus while some are paid when one alights.
Sign stating that payment is to be made before one alights from the bus.
In conclusion, I feel that we should try to read up on the cultural differences before travelling to a foreign country. For cultural conflicts that occur unexpectedly, we should make an effort to observe and imitate what people around us are doing. In this way, we will not offend the locals. Last but not the least, here is a picture of my friends and I at the destination after the travelling. :D
Hi Jiamin,
ReplyDeleteYour descriptive post makes it very easy for one to picture the intercultural conflicts. It must have been pretty embarrassing to be "cutting the queue".
I agree with you that reading up on cultural differences is important. There are many travel blogs written by Singaporeans which highlights the differences in culture and what to take note when traveling in specific foreign countries. It could be something as simple as "bringing toilet paper when traveling in Malaysia" - something which we take for granted in Singapore. =)
Ji Wei
Hi Jiamin,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the interesting post. I think your concluding paragraph brought up a very important point and that is to find out about the cultural differences in the country we will be travelling to in order to avoid conflict and embarassment.
I also noted the importance of finding out the cultural differences of the different countries when I watched the movie, "Inglorious Basterds" last weekend. In the movie, one of the American spy actually accidentally exposed his identity when he gestured the number three using the wrong fingers which set him apart from the Germans (the Germans usually shoot up the thumb and next two fingers and not the three middle fingers.
Hence, finding out the cultural differences of the different countries will not ensure our safety (in the case of the movie) but also allow us to integrate into the country should we need to relocate ourselves to another country.
In all, thank you for your post!
Hi Jiamin,
ReplyDeleteI observe the phenomenon you mentioned, on how Singaporeans stood right in front of the train doors, almost everyday when I head home from school. This reminds me of an incident which happened to me a few days ago. When I was about to alight, the crowd at the other side of the train door was so overwhelming that I was pushed back into the cabin and had to alight at the next station.
Another incident took place when I was waiting for the train with my Thai friend. The Thais are generally very considerate and courteous people. However, to my horror, she behaved like one of those inconsiderate people who stood by the door. When the train arrived at the station, she weaved through those who were alighting and even told me to hurry up so that we could grab a seat. I felt really embarrassed.
In view of the situation above, SMRT is making an effort to inculcate the value of courtesy through the use of advertisements and media.
You post is really informative. I have the intention to travel to Taiwan at the end of the year and I have benefited much from your post! :)
Regards,
Kesleen
Hi Jiamin,
ReplyDeleteThis has been an embarassing incident and I'm glad you've learnt from it! =). It's always good to observe the locals' behaviour when you are overseas. In this way, you can avoid experiencing such a situation again.
One thing I really loved about Taiwan would be their night markets. In singapore, we had similar night markets we commonly name them 'pasar malam'. These 'pasar malam' only occupies a small plot of land and stays for about 2 weeks before moving off to another location. However in Taiwan, their night markets stretches to a huge plot of area and the stalls are mostly permenent. These spots are also considered tourist attractions since much shopping can be done there. Local Taiwan snacks can also be bought there too.
Hence reading up on the different cultures overseas will help when you are travelling overseas. Some Singaporeans may assume their night markets to be similar to 'pasar malam' and not worth paying a visit since they assumed it to be a small plot of land. However, By reading up, you can find out that their night markets are one of the main attractions in Taiwan.
Thank you for sharing!
Cheers,
Hazel
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ReplyDeleteThank you, Jia Min, for highlighting different norms for public transport behavior in this description. Your passage is clear and concise. I do wonder, however, how those differences made you feel. Did you have a sense that "in Singapore we do it better," or were you happy to experience something new and different?
ReplyDeleteBrad: I feel that I experience both of the points you mentioned. At the beginning when we reached Taiwan, everything was very new to us and we were very excited and happy to experience a culture that is different from Singapore’s. As we got more accustomed to it, we realized that they are both pros and cons present in both the different cultures. There are areas whereby Singapore do better and other areas where Taiwan do better. In terms of courtesy level, Taiwanese is certainly of a much higher standard than Singaporeans.
ReplyDeleteKesleen: Thanks for reading! Taiwan is a very fun place to visit!
Jiwei, Xiuling, Hazel: Thanks for sharing! :)