The Three Most Common Phrases I Hear from Taiwanese Friends

First Place: "Taiwan Welcomes You"

Over three years ago, when I first arrived in Taiwan, I met my now good friend, Ken, on the very first day. Hearing this phrase from him (and the following two phrases) made me feel incredibly warm inside. Since then, nearly every Taiwanese friend I’ve met has said to me, "Taiwan welcomes you."

A highly inclusive society that embraces different cultures is a symbol of human civilization. Here, I see true harmony and diversity. Thank you all.

Second Place: "As Long as You Understand"

When we first arrived in Taiwan, our Mandarin was terrible. My wife was slightly better since she had some contact with Taiwanese clients in Hong Kong and could barely communicate with Taiwanese friends. I couldn’t even speak a complete sentence in Mandarin properly. It was during the 15 days in the quarantine hotel that I started learning Zhuyin (ㄅㄆㄇㄈ).

Fortunately, in Hong Kong, I had watched the show "Genius Go Go Go" for over ten years (now my favorite is "56 Hunger Games"), haha. Some segments of the show involve games related to Zhuyin, which I couldn’t understand before, but now I can participate. Back then, the phrase I heard most often was, "As long as you understand." Thank you all for not giving up on communicating with us despite our language barrier.

Third Place: "There Are Bad People in Taiwan Too"

When interacting with Taiwanese friends, I often sincerely thank them and tell them how kind and heartwarming they are. I tell them that in Taichung, even the stray cats and dogs are chubby, and the charity boxes and donation invoices are always full. The kindness rate here is so high that we feel very safe living here.

They always respond with, "There are bad people in Taiwan too, so be careful." Thank you for the reminders. Also, thank you, heavens, for letting us continuously meet good people.

However, I think that some so-called "bad people" are often the result of unfortunate circumstances. Everyone is born an innocent and cute little angel. I guess if resources were sufficient, not many people would want to be bad.

That’s all for today. Thank you to the kindred spirits who read this. I wish you all peace, health, and constant joy.

July 2024