I saw a foreigner playing a steelpan drum on the streets of Ximending in Taipei today. What cool instrument! What a unique sound!
No one stopped to listen. No one paid attention. No one tipped her.
The reason? I surmise it is because of her sign. She hand wrote it in neatly Chinese letters, in simplified. It was just one character too.
It is so important to know your audience.
I am curious - how should she have written it instead, for better connection to local culture?
She should have written it in Traditional Chinese which is the official written language of Taiwan.
Simplified Chinese was developed by Communist China in the 50s by removing strokes.
Ximending is visited by mainly young people who are pro-Taiwan and seeing simplified characters is a major turn off because it screama CCP.
The primary lesson I learned studying international business: understand the culture of the country.
I was listening to steel drum as I read this 🤣
https://open.spotify.com/track/0ODQkTQFkDSTMXrqTntIF9?si=ijlcJEaKQhm3_1EFjrx1tQ
