"Hey Mark how are you doing? And how are things going for you over there in China?"
"Hey Mark, what's it like living in Thailand? I have always wanted to go there!!"
This bugs me a lot, as I don't know how many times I have tried to tell them I am not currently in China or Thailand and I am in Taiwan. Taiwan is a country, yes it is small but it does not belong to any other country.
Most people around the world clearly know that they are all different. Just because China likes to claim Taiwan is theirs but it really is not. Also I know Taiwan and Thailand have the same sound at the start of the countries name, but they are very clearly two different countries, with very different histories and traditions.
It is really disappointing for me that so many people back home seem like they don't really know a lot. Either that or they are very ignorant about things in the world. Surely someone involved in education back home should be trying to fix this situation.
So for every one back home. Please note this bloody information about where I am.
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| This is Taiwan! |
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| This is where it is in the world. Look in the little red circle! |
As you can all see, this is neither China, or Thailand. I wish people would stop asking me the same questions. Again, and again, and again...
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| This is China. It is quite a bit bigger than Taiwan |
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| This is Thailand. A country in South East Asia, it is not even East Asia. |
If it bugs you a lot, you can imagine how much more it has bugged me, as me being a Taiwanese. Fortunately, it seemed to have improved a lot in recent years for most Americans. (Well, you're from England...).
ReplyDeleteAnyway, thanks for writing this.
Most English people don't know anything about Taiwan. It has a lot to do with the fact the UK does not recognise Taiwan.
ReplyDelete