Taiwanese post-rock, irresistibly reminiscent of British, is heard in a hyper-modern cafeteria in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. It is decorated in a spacey futuristic style, yet it gives the impression of minimalism. Every part is in its place. Although there are people in it, there is no noise at all - people's lips are moving, but no one's conversation is discernible.
The waiter is meticulous and prepares each individual coffee in 20 minutes. He takes a scoop for each ingredient and checks the temperature of the water. When he finally brings the coffee, you can see that it is very important to him that everything is perfect and he is delighted that we like it. However, he answers our further questions quite curtly. He tells us that the band that is being heard is called "Super water", but when he notes that one of the songs is similar to Radiohead, he just nods his head and goes back to the bar. When asked again - is the band from Taiwan, he again just nods in the affirmative and turns away.
He was not uncultured, on the contrary, he was very polite and polite, he answered every question. He just didn't talk.
"Taiwan is very specific in that respect," Lim, a Taiwanese I met through a friend, explained to me later. "When we see a foreigner from the West, we look at him with some admiration and even respect. We want to adopt everything that comes from the West, so we are extremely civilized when we talk to foreigners. But we always keep them at a distance." He also adds that Taiwanese people, no matter how nice they are to their work colleagues in international companies, some have only locals in their circle of friends.
A STRANGE TWIST
And those who think they know Taiwan's position in principle, including the author of this test, would benefit from additional clarification. It was amazing to me that people in Serbia ask me "when did you travel to Thailand", confusing these two countries in Šapić's way, but it turned out that I didn't know a lot myself.
The Taiwanese are ethnic Chinese, who came to the island across from mainland China about 300 years ago and thus became separated. From 1895 until the end of the Second World War, they were under the administration of Japan, and then they were taken over by China. When the Chinese dynasty was overthrown in mainland China in 1949, they also fled to Taiwan and created their own second state there, which China never recognized, and neither did its friends, including Serbia. And they often rattle their weapons and threaten to attack.
That's why older people feel Chinese, but say they are geographically from Taiwan. The younger ones know that they are Chinese, but somehow they don't like to say it and turn the conversation to other topics.
Milan, who came to Taiwan from Serbia 20 years ago, convinced me of the same.
"Here there is this admiration for the West and for foreigners. Maybe because Taiwan is an island and because they are a very homogeneous society, every foreigner jumps off. Sometimes that distance is reflected in the fact that they love you too much, sometimes they switch to English when I show up even though I speak Chinese fluently. No matter how you turn it, they don't consider you their own. Some families don't accept a foreigner's son-in-law or daughter-in-law, while others are more relaxed."
Taiwan is a strange twist of the West with just a dash of China, which even the hyper-observant barista in the cafeteria couldn't avoid. But that drop completely changes the taste of this country. It's not easy to get a visa for Taiwan, they don't let everyone in, and Serbs are especially scrutinized - because we didn't even recognize them.
photo: marija l. janković…part of Taipei
YOUR PENSION IS YOUR CHILDREN
"It is a special honor for every Taiwanese to give money to their mother, father or grandparents for the New Year," explains Milan. "Those who work give to the older and the younger, but not to those who are at their level. If your cousin is still studying, you will give him money, but if he got a job - there is no envelope for him. They like to say - your pension is your children."
Tradition is extremely important to them. By all accounts, Taiwan is ultra-liberal. And you can really see it everywhere. Next to our rented apartment is a gay club, in a completely explicit place and without any need for security. Later I hear that Taiwan is the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.
For them, democracy is sacred, the rights of individuals are never disputed, and the elections are so transparent that anyone can ask a question about any part of the process at any time and will receive an answer from the state.
Everyday life is just a click away and every taxi driver knows how to use every app. Food is often ordered via a robot, and there are really no unorganized crowds in cafes or anywhere else - you sign up on the app, get a time when it's your turn and come when you need to. As a fusion of Japan and America, the capital city of Taipei is a bit reminiscent of New York turned upside down and on the other side of the world. Only without garbage and noise. They also like electric cars very much.
Based on everything I've seen around the world, the closest to Taiwan would be Hong Kong, another Chinese "freak" and a city that shows how the Chinese would live if they embraced a different political path: if they combined overcrowding, hyperproduction and a high level of technological development with liberalism. A truly invaluable experience, especially for fans of foreign policy shenanigans.
It's a very good time here, especially on weekends, so the bars are packed. It is nice and plentiful and eaten, although the portions are small, so you often order more of them. Taiwanese like to eat together, order food for everyone and share. They are fans of vegetables, but, unlike the Japanese or Chinese, they like to grease them and do not skimp on oil. And yet, by Western standards, they are small people. Milan is a Serbian of average weight and height, but in Taiwan he buys in stores for fuller. Often their XXL is small for him.
They also like to drink, but alcohol costs them a lot. Regular beer is ten euros, and craft beer up to 16-17. Often, in a bar, they ask you with amazement to repeat whether you really want a large beer, and that is the half liter one.
FEAR OF CHINA AND OPINION OF TRUMP
A few days before my flight to Taiwan, Donald Trump came up with the terrible idea to invade Venezuela, and of course the world immediately began to wonder if China would also move to Taiwan. I was afraid because no one likes to go to places where the smell of war is in the air. Especially since Trump, in an interview after the attack on Venezuela, showed surprising relaxation and said that "Xi Jinping", that is, the president of China, should decide what to do with Taiwan.
In a family restaurant, immediately after these events, several generations of Taiwanese are having dinner. They laugh and talk casually, of course, more quietly than we ever do. The topics are mostly light, Milan translates for me.
"The fear of China is constant for them. That's why, when they meet, they never talk about politics and the relationship with China, about Trump or threats from the outside. I have the feeling that we foreigners are more afraid of China, because it's strange to us that a huge country next door to Taiwan constantly threatens and has armed exercises. It's kind of routine for them," he adds.
A year ago, they adopted the Manual for behavior in the event of war, which includes exercises in case of fire or other disasters. They are aware of the danger - but they don't like to talk about it much.
At the same time that Trump said that he was not so interested in what would happen to Taiwan, this country was under the world's scrutiny and because of the uncertainty of a lifetime.
The capital city of Taipei has until recently the tallest skyscraper, Taipei 101, named after the city and the number of floors. It was he who was chosen by the American alpinist Alex Honnold for his venture of free climbing, without a rope or any protection, except for a bag of magnesium. Everything was broadcast by Netflix (see "Vreme" No. 1831), and the show was number one in Serbia as well.
Steve Lin, a Taiwanese, tells me that he is particularly proud that his country has been given the opportunity for the world to see it from a perspective other than just the conflict. He thinks it's a wonderful promotion, while Milan says that on the day of the climb at the foot of the building "it was a frenzy, people who wanted to follow the climb and be under the building had to get special permission to attend. People called me from all over the world, Taiwan was the center of popular culture," he says.
I was in Taipei ten days before this venture, and I also climbed a skyscraper, and at that time it was not yet announced - it seems that they are not a nation that likes to brag.
I expected more from walking down their biggest boulevard that leads to this building, and since I'm not a fan of tall glass buildings, I didn't expect much from Taipei 101 either. But, this is no ordinary skyscraper. It is made in a postmodern, futuristic style that merges with traditional Chinese, imitating a bamboo stem. Compared to the Burj Khalifa or the many skyscrapers I've seen in New York, it looks artistic.
An additional 20 euros to go up to the top floor, I confess, I didn't pay because my budget was backpacker, like the whole trip. But I understood why Taiwanese like to talk about this building - because it is the best indicator of that twisted, strange mix thanks to whom Taiwan became democratic China. Because few people in Serbia know that the old name for Taiwan is precisely the Republic of China.
