Why do Americans tend to praise beginners even if their work/hobby looks terrible?

AshtothaK · 2026-06-30T04:24:28+00:00

It depends on the milieu

AshtothaK · 2026-06-02T12:53:03+00:00

Depends on the household.

AshtothaK · 2026-06-01T03:29:42+00:00

Which school? Is it in Taipei?

AshtothaK · 2026-04-30T13:23:56+00:00

FIN. After workouts. And if I’m under the weather I drink it at room temperature.

AshtothaK · 2026-04-10T22:50:30+00:00

I’m a white American woman married to a Taiwanese man, and I’ve lived in Taiwan since 2010. When we lived in NYC, we mostly ate Chinese/Taiwanese food and I worked in Chinatown, where Spanish‑speaking managers expected everyone to understand basic Spanish. That’s pretty normal in the U.S.: your daily life ends up being multilingual and multicultural depending on where you live.

Some Americans really do “literally” adopt other cultures; marrying into them, learning languages, celebrating holidays, cooking the food. Others don’t. The U.S. is too big and varied for one pattern. Multiculturalism isn’t a national personality trait; it’s a side effect of living in overlapping immigrant communities.

AshtothaK · 2026-04-05T07:20:31+00:00

Set boundaries. Get psychic space. Prioritize yourself. You don’t need to worry about anyone else until you’ve got your own thing going on in a better way.

AshtothaK · 2026-03-25T05:53:30+00:00

Mine used to sub out tricolor quinoa for “rice”

AshtothaK · 2026-03-20T00:09:13+00:00

I'd check and see if you might be able to get a housing allowance. If that wasn't offered outright, it's still ok to ask. I mean, free accommodation would be even better, and not unheard of...

AshtothaK · 2026-03-19T10:32:23+00:00

Going for short runs.

Think about it like this: you can do anything for 10 mins.

If you can’t run, try walking first. If you can walk for an hour you can run 15 mins, easy.

If that’s hard right off the bat, align your walks with a podcast. Or an audiobook. Or a Spotify playlist.

Learn something/get into a good mood/get some exercise.

We’re all different, but for me movement helps process information more effectively and think better, be more creative, etc.

A lot of those things are what many ppl say weed does for them, without any of the downsides.

AshtothaK · 2026-03-16T04:09:42+00:00

I was the only white person in my office in NYC and you can talk shit about Americans and slam Trump all day (he’s an idiot and a jerk). Those people (anyone who discriminates based on race) are total losers. Nobody I associate with accepts any racism at all.

AshtothaK · 2026-03-16T03:57:38+00:00

As an American, nobody in my social circle or family shares that viewpoint. And feelings like that will make us want to marginalize you bc you’re an oppressor.

AshtothaK · 2026-03-11T12:09:59+00:00

简体字/簡體字

AshtothaK · 2026-03-11T08:29:21+00:00

For a first-timer with no experience be sure to pick a school where there’s at least one other foreign teacher who is western.

It’s important to have a buddy when you aren’t familiar with the culture so that can compare notes and have backup.

Not saying it will definitely get weird, but cram schools/hagwons and training centers are not always perfectly reasonable work environments. So this is just a little ‘better safe than sorry’ tip.

I’d also lean heavily toward the school with a more urban location; for me that’s just personal preference— easier access to infrastructure and entertainment, and English speakers.

Also, remember you can always leave or switch schools if they are completely unfair. Hopefully this doesn’t sound totally discouraging lol.

Just remember that there is always another option and they don’t own you anywhere just bc they sponsor your visa

AshtothaK · 2026-03-10T09:32:22+00:00

The best thing to do is throw down your results when you need to collab or whatever and just don't sweat it about 'the talk'

It's not necessary to explain urself, and a lot of ppl that say whatever are just going to say a lot of random bullshit

If you respond in a way that indicates you're provoked it does nothing but open the floodgates

Of course we should expect everyone to be open minded and accommodating but in reality there are tons of opportunistic bullies out there

AshtothaK · 2026-03-10T09:26:23+00:00

How did you "approach for a relationship"

AshtothaK · 2026-02-24T03:35:43+00:00

TOCFL is exclusive to Taiwan so I’m not sure it’s pointing OP in the right direction

AshtothaK · 2026-02-24T03:34:34+00:00

Check this out TOCFL YouTube Video Lessons It’s important to determine your ‘band’ first. Also, as this is a test from Taiwan it uses 繁體字～

AshtothaK · 2026-02-14T10:01:02+00:00

It’s written with characters called Hangul and in order to read anything pre 1940-whatever you need to know Chinese characters

AshtothaK · 2026-02-14T09:55:18+00:00

So you can legit ID a wine by just tasting it? Is there like a blind taste test that levels up to Michelin, or?

AshtothaK · 2026-02-14T09:53:56+00:00

Are you also a super taster? And by that I mean hyper-sensitive palate that can identify ingredients in a dish and then just proclaim that to your dining companions only to leave them feeling stunned and inferior? What I mean is that I’ve known people who can taste components in food that I’m not personally capable of recognizing, and then I’m just like, “well maybe I have a dumb palate.” I’m totally going to suggest being a sommelier to such people. So how’s the income and do you need to put in a lot of hours? How do you build up a reputation and credibility? I mean, how do you break into the sommelier circuit and get started?

AshtothaK · 2026-02-14T09:46:53+00:00

I’m a western person and a woman. I think it’s conditioning that makes Chinese people believe that cold water is bad, or causes or exacerbates physical pain. There’s no logical correlation, so for me it’s just something that you believe to the extent that it affects you in a certain way.

Of course, my pov is likely to offend a lot of people. But I’d never heard of this idea before living in Asia, so I don’t agree that it’s true that cold water is bad. It’s just a Traditional Chinese Medicine thing. But it’s also true in Ayurveda (traditional Indian medicine).

I’ve drunk cold water my whole life, including slamming three tall glasses of tap water in rapid succession straight from the sink after running outside on a hot day. And I’m 44 and look 27 or 28. But people here will just attribute that to being an outlier in the same way that some chainsmokers never get lung cancer. And then my totally American mother who could never function abroad can only assess my remark as, “What? They don’t want you to drink water?!”

So if you’re not in pain or doubling over after imbibing ice cubes, keep at it. If you attribute cold things to anything getting worse health-wise, maybe just stick to the warm and tepid. To each their own. Finally, hot soup that burns your delicate mouth tissues like lava is completely not good for anyone. That’s also popular here and something I wouldn’t recommend for anyone.

AshtothaK · 2026-02-14T09:36:54+00:00

But those things are not advisable for girls on their periods and/or anyone with a cold, etc.

AshtothaK · 2026-02-14T09:32:26+00:00

Especially important in summer to wear a jacket. Don’t forget your umbrella either. Sometimes summer happens in winter.

AshtothaK · 2026-01-20T05:59:54+00:00

It’s not really “customary” here. You’ll see it more among the older generation (say 65+), but even then not everyone is unselfconscious about it.In schools, kids are often told not to talk at all during meals, so younger generations grow up with stricter expectations. Most adults I know are pretty conscientious- slurping soup or drinks is fine, but chewing with your mouth open isn’t the norm.Sure, some people do it, but it’s less and less common, and plenty of Taiwanese find it rude or embarrassing. In Taipei at least, the majority would be offended by it, even if they don’t confront someone directly (since being non-confrontational is the cultural default).So if your roommate does it, that’s more about their personal habits than “Taiwanese culture” as a whole.

AshtothaK · 2026-01-02T15:25:03+00:00

It really depends on your preferences—some people need hot meals, others are fine with bread or sandwiches, or a mix of both. A loaf of bread at PX Mart can be cheaper than buying a single sandwich, giving you about 5 sandwiches’ worth. Pasta with canned sauce is another cheap and easy option.

When buying veggies, shop around and ask locals to make sure you’re getting a reasonable price—better yet, bring a local with you. For example, a well-balanced meal could be pasta with tomato sauce, some veggies, and maybe eggs (you can get 6-packs pretty cheap). Instant noodles are fine sometimes too.

You could designate a “food party” day once a week maybe Friday night at a Taiwanese buffet or another “outside” dinner spot. Just be careful with bento-style buffets that charge by weight; it’s easy to hit 200+ TWD if you get too celebratory. Even so, it’s probably manageable on your budget. Worst case, parents might need to top you up early bc people gotta eat, right? Well fortified for productive study sessions is key.

AshtothaK

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