A couple of weeks ago Canadian Lindsey Craig published an article in a Canadian paper detailing the complete flop that was her teaching experience in Taiwan, as well as confessing to a few personality foibles. Her article (linked below) also had a few good pointers about how you might prepare for teaching overseas. I thought it was quite brave of her to publish that, and also useful: teaching here is not for everyone.As it turns out, some weird Canadian Taiwanese are trying to organize a protest because gasp it said something bad about Taiwan. Stop the presses! A clear case of media bias! Taiwan Introspective has the call (and thanks for all the links, man!).
Lynch mobs, I mean... protest groups have now taken up the cause against Lindsay Craig's article on her cultural shock during her time in Taiwan. A "“226 protest of media bias Gazette in Montreal” has been set up on Facebook "calling on foreign nationals living in Taiwan teaching foreign languages to contact the group to lodge a protest against the newspaper." I wonder what kind of response they will get. Apparently this has become a big news item in Taiwan (as anything slightly anti-Taiwanese does.) Here's the story in the Taipei Times.The Facebook protest group is here. Taiwan Introspective also discusses the letter that TECRO sent on Ms. Craig's article. Even TECRO got involved. The horror! Taiwan Introspective remarked:
I also laughed at the comparisons to the Taiwanese community in Montreal. People have no idea of the differences in visa requirements, access to language (different education systems) and culture (monocultural vs. multicultural). Whatever happens to you is your fault and if you don't like it, go home. It's funny that were the situation reversed, (saying that about someone who immigrated to Canada) it would be out and out racism. And it stands in stark irony to what Canadians tend to do for others who come here in terms of language support, acculturation and general volunteer services.That paragraph raises an important issue. The two cultures handle foreigners in wildly different ways. Canada is a Low Context culture in which information is fluid across social boundaries and things are clearly explained for newcomers. In High Context cultures like Taiwan, you're expected to know. This can drive newcomers crazy. Hence the uninformed way that many Taiwanese view the US and Canada: it's so easy for us to move there, how come you're having a problem here? (you must be stupid!).
UPDATE: Good words in the comments.
Craig responds. Shame on the jerks who contacted her schools.
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Daily Links
- Project 2049's Links to Under the Radar Stories. Including Russia's deployment of missiles in the Kuriles
- Ted Galen Carpenter from CATO on China's Soft Imperialism
- Ben runs down two articles on the DPP's current situation
- Drew on his awesome new titanium Seven
- China's self destructive coal policies
[Taiwan] Don't miss the comments below! And check out my blog and its sidebars for events, links to previous posts and picture posts, and scores of links to other Taiwan blogs and forums! Delenda est, baby.
