June 20, 2007
I need a course in temporal mechanics to make sense of the time change. It is a bit shy of six in the morning 'today,' which translates to about nine at night for me here. My day is almost over, and it has just begun in California. It's just wierd.
My time in Taiwan so far has been tremendous... very educational. It is actually very strange. I will not be able to write this without sounding offensive, and I apologize if I offend anyone. My experience with the Americanized Asian culture has been less than satisfactory during my time in California. The people that are of Asian influence or descent that I have worked with have always been tremendous people, but the odd person that I meet in a store or with whom I do not have everyday contact have been perceived as rude and inconsiderate. There. I said it. My perception is apparently wrong. It is not a cultural 'thing.' It might be an adaptation given the response the Asian communities in America have received. I don't know. However, the Taiwanese are my kind of people. I am in awe of their dedication and response to other people here. I could live here, and that is something coming from me.
In my opinion, American business faces a real crisis. Service is king. If a company takes care of someone that contacts them, they have just gained a customer for life. We suck at it. The Taiwanese are masters. It really is the little things that we often think that don't matter and no one will remember. We are wrong. Granted, I am staying at a five star hotel (incidentally, a British person just walked by and snidely told me that he 'enjoyed' the ambiance that my computer screen was emitting), but the people have been tremendous (not the British ass). The Taiwanese are all about respect for others and being helpful. They hire people to stand on the road near parking exits to make sure no one gets hurt. When entering a restaurant there are multiple hosts/hostesses to ensure that no one approaches the restaurant without receiving immediate service. In the lab today, there were signs about appropriate conduct... things like 'no photographs' because virtually everything is proprietary. The English versions said what we would unfortunately expect: No Photographs. The Chinese version started with that all important word: Please.
Yesterday, I was working on the computer in my room. I knew that housekeeping would be around soon, and put out a sign that I thought would indicate that I didn't want to be disturbed. Actually, it was the wrong sign. So housekeeping rang the doorbell. Yes, there is a doorbell on the room. Nothing as sloppy as knocking on the door can be tolerated. I went to the door, and explained to the lady that I was working, and that I really didn't need anything. She asked twice more if she could do anything, gave me three bottles of water, tried to give me towels, and wanted to make sure that there was absolutely nothing that I needed. In America? Before I could have finished the sentence that I didn't need anything, housekeeping would have turned away and run down the hall in joy that there was one less room that needed to be taken care of.
The company that we are here supporting (without their asking) has treated us like royalty. I have traveled in support of Sun to Europe where I was at a loss for transportation and took a train that I wasn't sure went where I wanted, and a taxi that cost a fortune. This company has us picked up at the airport and had a car service take us from the hotel to the company and back. One of the engineers bought me lunch, a coffee afterwards, and went out of his way to allow me to experience a new drink in Taiwan (an interesting tea drink). He even sent one back to the hotel with me. The workers in the hotel refuse to enter or exit the elevator before me. The server in the bar repeatedly will not let me plug in my notebook in the lounge area. She does it for me. She has also refused repeatedly to accept a tip on the bill. By the way, she is incrediblly beautiful.
When approached on the street, people are very accepting and helpful. Granted, once Taiwanese get into a car, it is like a cage match. They apparently have a fundamental grasp of the theory of relativity. Even thought there doesn't seem room enough to get a car into a traffic hole, they make it work instantly. Traffic laws seem more like preferences or suggestions than law. No room to fit your car in the lane? Squeeze over on the shoulder, you'll fit. One lane to turn left? Move around the vehicle in front of you. You'll make it. Pedestrians do not have the right-of-way. Cross a street at your own risk.
Still, I have fallen in love with this small 'country.' And no, it is not becuase there are stunningly beautiful women everywhere. By the way, virtually no one is obese here. The primary staple is noodles, which seems counter intuitive to a good diet, but these people work, and work hard. I was standing downstairs this morning waiting for the car to arrive (I was fifteen minutes early), and I saw the cars parked out front for similar purpose. One of the drivers was outside with a bottle of water and a rag wiping down his car to pass the time. Anyone in the service industry would do well to spend some time here. Heck, any human being in America would do well to take a lesson from this...
So glad I made this trip...
My time in Taiwan so far has been tremendous... very educational. It is actually very strange. I will not be able to write this without sounding offensive, and I apologize if I offend anyone. My experience with the Americanized Asian culture has been less than satisfactory during my time in California. The people that are of Asian influence or descent that I have worked with have always been tremendous people, but the odd person that I meet in a store or with whom I do not have everyday contact have been perceived as rude and inconsiderate. There. I said it. My perception is apparently wrong. It is not a cultural 'thing.' It might be an adaptation given the response the Asian communities in America have received. I don't know. However, the Taiwanese are my kind of people. I am in awe of their dedication and response to other people here. I could live here, and that is something coming from me.
In my opinion, American business faces a real crisis. Service is king. If a company takes care of someone that contacts them, they have just gained a customer for life. We suck at it. The Taiwanese are masters. It really is the little things that we often think that don't matter and no one will remember. We are wrong. Granted, I am staying at a five star hotel (incidentally, a British person just walked by and snidely told me that he 'enjoyed' the ambiance that my computer screen was emitting), but the people have been tremendous (not the British ass). The Taiwanese are all about respect for others and being helpful. They hire people to stand on the road near parking exits to make sure no one gets hurt. When entering a restaurant there are multiple hosts/hostesses to ensure that no one approaches the restaurant without receiving immediate service. In the lab today, there were signs about appropriate conduct... things like 'no photographs' because virtually everything is proprietary. The English versions said what we would unfortunately expect: No Photographs. The Chinese version started with that all important word: Please.
Yesterday, I was working on the computer in my room. I knew that housekeeping would be around soon, and put out a sign that I thought would indicate that I didn't want to be disturbed. Actually, it was the wrong sign. So housekeeping rang the doorbell. Yes, there is a doorbell on the room. Nothing as sloppy as knocking on the door can be tolerated. I went to the door, and explained to the lady that I was working, and that I really didn't need anything. She asked twice more if she could do anything, gave me three bottles of water, tried to give me towels, and wanted to make sure that there was absolutely nothing that I needed. In America? Before I could have finished the sentence that I didn't need anything, housekeeping would have turned away and run down the hall in joy that there was one less room that needed to be taken care of.
The company that we are here supporting (without their asking) has treated us like royalty. I have traveled in support of Sun to Europe where I was at a loss for transportation and took a train that I wasn't sure went where I wanted, and a taxi that cost a fortune. This company has us picked up at the airport and had a car service take us from the hotel to the company and back. One of the engineers bought me lunch, a coffee afterwards, and went out of his way to allow me to experience a new drink in Taiwan (an interesting tea drink). He even sent one back to the hotel with me. The workers in the hotel refuse to enter or exit the elevator before me. The server in the bar repeatedly will not let me plug in my notebook in the lounge area. She does it for me. She has also refused repeatedly to accept a tip on the bill. By the way, she is incrediblly beautiful.
When approached on the street, people are very accepting and helpful. Granted, once Taiwanese get into a car, it is like a cage match. They apparently have a fundamental grasp of the theory of relativity. Even thought there doesn't seem room enough to get a car into a traffic hole, they make it work instantly. Traffic laws seem more like preferences or suggestions than law. No room to fit your car in the lane? Squeeze over on the shoulder, you'll fit. One lane to turn left? Move around the vehicle in front of you. You'll make it. Pedestrians do not have the right-of-way. Cross a street at your own risk.
Still, I have fallen in love with this small 'country.' And no, it is not becuase there are stunningly beautiful women everywhere. By the way, virtually no one is obese here. The primary staple is noodles, which seems counter intuitive to a good diet, but these people work, and work hard. I was standing downstairs this morning waiting for the car to arrive (I was fifteen minutes early), and I saw the cars parked out front for similar purpose. One of the drivers was outside with a bottle of water and a rag wiping down his car to pass the time. Anyone in the service industry would do well to spend some time here. Heck, any human being in America would do well to take a lesson from this...
So glad I made this trip...