Jonathan Biddle – Made in Taiwan

Tag: Culture

  • Jonny the Voodoo Doll

    I have never had migraine in my life before very recently, but in the last month and a half I have been having about one per week. I think this might be related to sleep and being anxious about one or two rather big things, but it is still unsettling when a machine (my head) suddenly starts developing a problem it never had before.

    My Chinese teacher, Austin, suggested that she take me to see an Acupuncture specialist, and after a dizzy day of taking drugs prescribed last week, I packed myself into a taxi and out through the crappy weather. What she did not tell me, until afterwards, is that she has never had Acupuncture, and now I know why!

    The guy was really friendly and listened to my problems. We both agreed that much is probably sleep related, so he took my pulse, poked me a bit and came up with a programme for me.

    Now, this is the first time I have had Acupuncture. I am not particularly scared of needles, but of course what they neglect to tell you is that in every case they are trying to find the nerve. It’s quite difficult to fully describe what the sensation is like, but I suppose it is a mixture of electric shock, and someone attempting to pull out your nervous system through a small hole.

    In my case, I had four needles inserted, and every few minutes he would come in to twang and twist them, punishing me for sins I have yet to commit. Lord know what my friend Nick must feel when he has has fourteen inserted to treat his gut problems. It was painful enough when I simply moved my hand, so I hate to think what it must feel like in the event of an earthquake, with all the needles hitting your pressure points in unison.

    I am now pretty sure that the logic behind Acupuncture is basically scare your body into not having the problem again, but I have to say that after the event, if not exactly refreshed, I feel relaxed. Quite literally, I wonder if it is like pressing the reset switch and ‘flashing’ the memory.


    Prick.


    These ones hurt less.


    Pin cushion.


    This one was exceptionally painful. Twisted nerve.


    This one was painful in ways I can hardly describe. My hole body reeling in agony… and I was just so close to kicking the doctor in the face! Next time.

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Windows on Taiwan

    Growing up in the West, there are many things that you assume to be universally acknowledged as a Good Thing, but this is not always the case. Windows are a nice example; in the West, they add greatly to a living environment and raise the value of property by allowing light in and a view to be presented to the lucky inhabitant.

    Here, they seem to be a necessary evil, added as an orifice for the air conditioning units. If the small size of the windows was not enough, very often a layer of dark plastic is applied over the top to stop too much natural light in, and bars are then drilled into the fabric of the building. People have explained these bars in various ways – for security, to stop babies falling out, and so on – but I am positive it is much more culturally ingrained than that. I am just sure that the link between the inside and outside world is much less obvious here.

    In general, people seem to place much less emphasis on the outward appearance of a dwelling, focusing instead on the interior decoration. This is not always the case, as there are too many stylized European villas and castles to explain it that way, but there is something different going on with the relationship.


    Enjoy the view

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Multiculturalism

    What is multiculturalism? I have been thinking about it recently.

    Taiwan is perhaps the most tolerant place towards people of different cultures and faiths I have ever been to. The foolish activities of foreigners are shrugged off and with a hearty laugh they will ask you where you are from, what you do and why are you here. A genuine inquisitiveness which is incredibly welcoming. But no matter how long I stay, how good my Chinese gets (unlikely) or how close a friendship I make, I will always be a ‘waiguo’ (ousider). Is acceptance without any chance of assimilation multiculturalism?

    Britain – especially London – is one of the most multicoloured, faceted and influenced places I have been to. A country that has opened its doors to the world, and I believe in most ways to be tolerant. If a person arrives from Italy, India or Innsbruck there is every possibility that they, or at least their children, would be regarded as ‘English’. But to become English, you need to leave your cultural luggage at the door and nobody will ever be interested in the slightest about where you come from, or be pleased that you took the time to visit this fine country. So, is assimilation without acceptance multiculturalism?

    Is America, the ultimate multicultural society? For as long as they are ‘One Nation Under God’ this is surely an impossibility. Or Canada, where all countries, faiths and origins are welcomed and this right is embedded in the basic rights of the citizens?

    Or maybe multicultralism is a myth. A word to describe a multitude of different situations and balances as society self-organises itself into equilibrium with the addition of new ideas and blood. One thing is for sure, it took a trip around the world for me to be able to ask this question.

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Grafitti in Taipei

    For me, Grafitti is not simply defacement of public property, but an intrisic part of urban culture – a reflection of the city, and a barometer for its political climate, sense of humour, tolerance and a thousand other things that people feel the need to express when paint hits wall.

    One of the things that I miss in Taipei is having this barometer. The kids simply do not seem to want to express themselves in the ways I am used to. However, it seems the times they are a-changing, and quality artwork is appearing on the streets. Moreover, it seems to have a style not completely borrowed from New York, London, Berlin or Melbourne – and is developing in a subtly Asian way.

    The highest quality work has been, without a doubt, the stencil work. Though not up to the standards of Banksy, it is pleasant, and infinitely preferable to visual pollution in the form of adverts, neon and the further commercial hijacking of our environment.


    Tree frogs appearing to brighten up the concrete


    Rather nice flowers – definitely asian style.

    Also, one of the things I really love, is the municipal stencil work – I just spent a few minutes looking for some photos – but these will have to wait for next time.

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Ups & Downs

    Certainly, one of the disadvantages of living an ‘international lifestyle’ is that the very freedoms that you arrived to seek are the ones that bite you in the ass. I have been here for getting on for two and half years – which is scary, just to write – and have made some incredible friends from all over the world. This is quite an achievement, I think, and something I am quite proud of.

    However, the aloofness we grant ourselves does mean that at regular intervals, friends do leave. Sadly for me, a series of good friends have left in quick succession, leaving me sitting here in PS rather at a loss on this Saturday night. It’s a pooey feeling.

    The flip side, of course, can be found in my blog posts from Australia, Hong Kong and Japan, where I find myself eating and drinking with people that I can really count as friends (or sisters!) in these amazing locations. And I can’t be too sad – here I am sitting drinking a beer, I recognise all the staff and know them by name, and one of the girls just put on a CD she likes – a compilation of songs I burnt for the Cafe.

    And hell. Next week I am in the Philippines. Blah!

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Campo

    Taipei is fast discovering a hot grass roots design scene, and it is great to be involved in it. One of the things that I have been looking for of late is ‘Campo’ – a fashion and accessories market run by the young things, with live music and a party atmosphere. I went today – and discovered some rather nice gems.

    Link to Campo


    Hot Dog!


    The area – before the rain arrived


    I found some shoe repair people here – each ‘booth’ is seperated by a wall of laces, which is rather nice I think.

    Later on, I helped Rich n Nick at Keep move their store from the Breeze II centre back to their place. They are both in NZ at the moment, and really I should be there with them!


    The aftermath


    Keep Moving

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Harajuku Girls

    We got in late last night. Roppongi. Mark as dangerous. The area I was told not to go was of course the first destination for the CSR crew boys here. A late night and a lack of sleep did not help getting up this morning, despite Tokyo being on our door step. Indeed, it took shaved ice with pure glucose sauce to kick me out of my stinker of a hangover. Roppongi.


    Ele, Kauru, Junko and I live it up


    Never have I seen so many energy drinks in one place – ‘functional’ drinks are huge in Japan, including Yakult and many other nutrition-packed liquids


    Kauru ties the fortune knot to the bar in Asakusa (not to be confused with Akasaka – our hotel)


    A local takes some time out to breathe on his Mild Seven


    Kimonos were a surprisingly common sight – wonderful

    After my shaved ice salvation and cruising around the Senso-Ji temple in Asakusa (confusing, since our hotel is in Asakasa) and emerging out of the metro to be faced with Philip Starke’s Asahi Museum work, we headed off to * to check out some of the shopping and then to Harujuku to meet Junko and Ian. Harajuku, for those not in the know, is the place in Tokyo to see the bleeding edge, drop-dead fashions -the goths, the rockers, the girls wearing makeup to enhance ugliness, the school girls, the Elvises and the zombies. I bought some sunglasses.


    Zombie woolly hats in Harajuku


    Utterly insane Pachinko – I played twice in games lasting all of 20 seconds and I have come to the conclusion you need a hole in your skull to play, and another to keep slotting money in.

    Dinner was Shibuya. A human hub, its road crossing is apparently the busiest in the world. It was here where I learnt that Ximending in Taipei gets its inspiration from. I swear, even down to the street lighting it was copied from this place. This was my vision for Tokyo and it happily matched it. Shabu Shabu was booked for dinner, which is a communal cooking pot with meat an vegetables comprehensively blew the doors off my local favourite Taipei version; I did not know it could be better. And I also did not know how much Japanese girls can eat in one sitting.


    Shibuya – waiting to charge!


    Ele, Ian and Kauru enjoy THE BEST SHABU SHABU I have ever had – and that is saying something. I am fairly sure my stomach became a solid ball of meat.

    Back to Akasaka, and after meeting up with Ele’s boss Gordon we headed straight for Karaoke to round off a great day in Tokyo – albeit a day with a rough, rocky and stormy start. Ending with Whiskies in the rooftop bar was perfect, and i have this feeling that I will be back in Japan sooner rather than later.


    Singing our hearts out guaranteed sexy voices the next day

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Design Speed Dating

    I just returned from a great evening meeting many creative types at a series of speeches as part of a “Pecha Kucha” – Japanese for Chit Chat. You get 20 seconds per slide, and 20 slides and it is really strict. We had speakers from fields as diverse as architecture (Shanghai is full of ‘em) design, photography and fashion and it made for a really stimulating evening. At long last, it felt like a gallery opening in London surrounded by people faintly cooler than you. But still, everyone maintains there is no scene here, and the nearest beach is three hours away. By aeroplane.

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Taiwanese Ex-Pats

    I already wrote a little about the different behaviour of the Taiwanese in the office, but I was lucky enough last night to be invited out for dinner once again by some of the China operation’s directors last night for a meal. The restaurant was in the west of the city where there are extensive communities of HongKongese, Japanese, Korean and Japanese. The whole thing was shiny and neon’d, interspersed with Japanese titty bars, Karaoke and stores full of overpriced food. And all the time, there were ramshackle houses built next to the fountains, full of tiny rooms. Who for? The maids? Workers?

    Once into conversation, It felt like I was looking at myself amongst my foreigner friends in Taiwan bitching about the taxis, social protocol, level of professionality, work environment, food and a million other things. This is what we do too, semingly as some sort of natural reaction to a new environment. I hate doing it – it feels like I am talking behind my friends’ backs – but somehow this is the release valve that we need to vent steam.

    So there I was last night, listening to the Taiwanese Ex-Pats talk about life in China – their body language once again more confident as they watched the girls bring in food and leaned back on their chairs. Half of me felt horribly superior, as I imagined all the locations that the British have settlements. The other felt some kind of minor pride for Taiwan – this is their little empire right inside China. Of course, there are other major Taiwanese communities, and I guess most of them are in the USA. I wonder if they talk about the US in the same way. Probably.
    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Taiwan & China

    Taiwan and China, along with their neighbours Japan and Korea, have a turbulent history. I did not know what to expect when I arrived here, working for a Taiwanese design house, for a Taiwanese company, with Taiwanese bosses, but work colleagues here from China.

    Certainly, the first day was a little strained, and by day two I was getting the impression that they resented their Taiwanese bosses to some degree. Talk to locals here and more often than not if they work for a large technology company their seniors are from the rogue province. As a result, the feeling on the street is that Taiwanese are arseholes. Even meeting foreigners on Saturday they had heard the same thing.

    I am clearly not Taiwanese, but with the project being imposed by HQ in Taipei I was surely seen as ‘one of them’. I have to say that, over the course of these days my views have changed as I get to know the team here better. Like I believe I said before (I can’t check this post because of the restrictions) the initial impression was a little cold, but now they are offering the odd bad cup of coffee or biscuit. Rather like working in old Newmarket!

    I am used to dealing with Taiwanese now, so the two occasions that I met with Taiwanese directors here were doubly interesting. Their interaction with their Chinese ‘underlings’ was akin to seeing an American barge into an English pub and order a Philly Steak. Suddenly they become assertive and decisive. It left me chuckling after the head of ID warned me that the Chinese do not speak their minds ‘like the Taiwanese’. Hilarious.
    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…