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Adapting to Taiwanese Society
Living in Taiwan can be exciting and
stimulating, but it can also be confusing, frustrating, even
overwhelming. Culture shock is a condition that affects even
the experienced overseas resident. It's a form of
psychological stress experienced when familiar cues or
patterns are no longer present. These cues include the many
ways in which we orient ourselves to the requirements of
daily life. The lack of familiar cues may cause discomfort,
often accompanied by irritability, resentment, homesickness
and depression. Culture shock may be mild or severe. It may
be fleeting or last several months. Most foreigners
experience culture shock to some degree at some stage of
living overseas.
It is important to be familiar with
the symptoms of culture shock. When the strain of adjusting
to change is marked, a number of physical and emotional
reactions are common. These include sleepiness, apathy,
depression, compulsive eating and drinking, homesickness,
exaggerated yearning for all things and friends back at
home, negative stereotyping of Taiwanese people, a decline
in efficiency, recurrent minor illnesses, and obsession with
cleanliness or health.
Symptoms may be aggravated by a lack
of proper exercise, rest and/or poor diet. The symptoms tend
to surface within the first three to six months after
arrival, when the novelty of a new place begins to fade and
settling in becomes imperative. They usually taper off as
soon as this process gets under way and generally disappear
by the fourth to sixth month.
Consider the following as a means to ease the adjustment
process:
Admit frankly that these stresses exist. It's not
a sign of weakness to admit that you feel uncomfortable,
tense or confused.
Recognize that adjusting is hard work. View
change as a challenge instead of a threat. Don't expect
everything to fall into place immediately.
Establish a routine as soon as possible. A
routine for eating, sleeping and personal time provides an
anchor, a stable base, at a time when everything else is in
flux.
Make your home a place that is comfortable and plan special
times for yourself in Taiwan. It's not enough just to look
forward to vacations.
Learn the rules of living in
Taiwan. Try to understand how and why the Taiwanese do
things the way they do. Taiwanese behavior and customs are
different from your own but they are neither better nor
worse than what you are used to. Don't try to change
everybody else; it's easier to adjust yourself.
Learn some Mandarin.
Learning even a little Mandarin makes your life in Taiwan a
lot easier, and is always appreciated by Taiwanese. The best
time to start is at the beginning of your stay, as many
foreigners lose momentum and end up living in Taiwan for
years without speaking a word of Mandarin.
Get involved and meet people.
Becoming involved in activities you are interested in is a
good way to meet people with similar interests. Reach out
and befriend both Taiwanese and foreigners. Start exploring
the part of town where you live and the scenic attractions
of Taiwan. Keep in touch with friends from home.
Taiwan
Taiwan is located in the
Pacific Ocean only 160 kilometers (120 miles) from Mainland
China. The island straddles the Tropic of Cancer. Taiwan is
394 kilometers (236 miles) long and 144 kilometers (86
miles) at its greatest width. The total area is about 36,000
square kilometers (13,808 square miles). The area is a
little larger than the combined states of Massachusetts and
Connecticut or about the size of Holland or Vancouver
Island.
A central mountain range runs the
length of the main island of Taiwan dividing it east and
west and dominating two-thirds of the land surface. While
the mountains descend steeply into the Pacific Ocean on the
east coast, the highland levels off gradually on the western
side. The terraced tablelands and alluvial coastal plains,
formed on the west coast, are home to about 80 percent of
Taiwan's nearly 23 million people.
Overlying the tropical and
subtropical zones, Taiwan sports a tropical climate in the
southern and western flatland and a temperate climate in the
northland and the mountainous regions. Taiwan's location is
also subject to annual typhoons, which pass through between
the months of July and October. These typhoons consist of
strong winds and heavy rain.
The hottest temperatures are in July and
August averaging 92 degrees Fahrenheit (36 degrees Celsius).
January is the coolest month with temperatures averaging
around 55 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). The
island remains excessively humid throughout the year and
receives abundant rainfall, with the east (upland) receiving
more than the west (lowlands). Except in the northern region
where rainfall is more even, the mean annual rainfall in
other parts of the island ranges from 102 to 200 inches.
Some snow does fall on the summits of the central mountain
range, but lowland Taiwan remains frost-free.
Taiwan offers a unique variety of
landscapes and culture. The highway on the east coast winds
around a natural beauty of lush green mountains and the deep
blue Pacific Ocean. The expressway on the west coast passes
through the major cities providing a blend of agriculture,
industry, history and trade. For more information on
Taiwan’s tourism and resorts, visit our links page.
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