Observations upon leaving Taiwan for two days
I spent 43 hours in Singapore (see photo) this month to attend a Dell media event. Here’s what hit me once removed from Taiwan:
1. No facemasks. Just no one wears facemasks.
2. It's quiet. No scooters.
3. People talk. You get a pack of journalists, PR people and corporate types in a room, most of them strangers to one another, and within an hour we’re all laughing, asking questions, telling stories and even letting the odd s-word fly. In Taiwan we all sit stiffly and wait for whoever’s leading the event to take us wherever’s next.
4. Language happens. Anyone is entitled to speak anything. It’s not funny when a white guy speaks Chinese or an ethnic Chinese guy prefers English.
5. Space. Singapore may be just 39 kilometers across, but it feels roomier than Taiwan because you see space between buildings (likewise between pedestrians), landscaped road medians and sidewalks along every street.