In my opinion, the moment upon arriving at the foreign airport is scary. You have no idea where to go, what to do and whom to ask help from. Hopefully my tips as a local Taiwanese would save you a lot of panic. The task is once arriving at the airport, how should we be prepared to meet a Taiwanese colleague?
- Greeting: Asians generally are shy. We do not hug or kiss on cheeks especially on business occasions. Please shake hands when you meet your Taiwanese colleagues.
- business card: exchanging business cards is important to introduce yourself to a Taiwanese colleague. In Taiwan, the manner matters.
As a receiver, you should receive your colleague’s business card with both hands, and read the title plus the family name. For example, if the colleague is a manager and the family name is Yang, please address him/her “Manager Yang” immediately. Note: we do not like to be called “assistant managers,” which means lower than real managers. Instead, please address an assistant manager by “manager” to save face.
As a giver, also use your both hands to give your business card to your colleagues. It shows your respect.
- gifts: a small gift which presents your country is much appreciated. The price of a gift does not need to be high. We Taiwanese say “ the heart matters.” A gift can be an excellent ice-breaker and build up a relationship with your Taiwanese colleagues. I would say some Finnish hand-made crafts are ideal choices.
-timing: for formal meetings, it is important to be punctual. On the other hand, if it is a big party event with your friends in Taiwan, being a bit late is acceptable.
- travel to hotel: in fact, the international airport is not located in Taipei (the capital of Taiwan) but in Taoyuan, 40-minute driving distance to Taipei. If you have no one to pick you up from the airport, just follow the sign to lead you to the local buses or taxis. I would suggest you take a bus to the cities and then take a taxi to find your hotel, which is cheaper. There are plenty of bus companies for different destinations, so it would not be long for you to wait.
- visiting an office: please make an appointment before you visit an office. Once you get there, just be professional and polite. Generally Taiwanese are hospitable and talkative; therefore, be ready and try not to feel overwhelmed!
- dress code: for business, for men, it is appropriate to wear a decent shirt with a tie; for women, wearing a suit with a skirt/ a pair of long pants is consider formal and professional. For social event, please wear something comfortable but not sloppy.
- visiting at private home: like I mentioned above, Taiwanese are famous for our hospitality. Once you are invited to someone’s home, you are considered as his/her friend. Most likely, you would be invited for an authentic Taiwanese dinner. I would suggest you not to go visiting with empty hands. In other words, please bring some drinks or some dessert to share with.
- food and beverages: this section can be connected with the previous one. Taiwanese like to share our food and drinks with visitors. Our food basically is not that different from Chinese food. If you like Chinese food in Chinese restaurants, then that is great for you; if not, at least try everything that your host serve you. Since we like to share so much, once we see your bowl (we do not eat in plates but bowls with chopsticks) is empty, we would keep serving you over and over again until you “explode!” Hence, a tip for you here is to make yourself clear that you are full and completely satisfied. In Chinese, you can say, “Bú yòng ,wǒ chī bǎo le ！不用,我吃飽了！（No more, I am full!）” Furthermore, if you know you cannot force yourself to eat something too “authentic” (I know some Taiwanese food would bring some culture shock to foreign friends like chicken feet as the picture shown)
, and you do not how to politely reject, you could say you are allergic to it. “guò mǐn 過敏 （allergic）.” People would understand it and would not be offended.
For beverages, for business, Chinese/Taiwanese tea would be served. Please smell the tea and take a sip. It is always appreciated if you admire our tea. For social events, tea or beer would be shared. In Taiwan, we would like to drink our own brand of beer- Taiwan beer. It is a good way to bond with your Taiwanese colleagues or friends. Try it and enjoy it!
In the end, I would like to just say please be open-mined to embrace the culture difference. Once you build up a relationship with a Taiwanese, it is a long-term relationship that you would cherish very much.
