Many years ago, I was a student at the U of Oslo, studying Norwegian and preparing to get into the British and American study program. Just before the spring break, I decided to pay a visit to my good friend, D, in France. I went to the French embassy to get the visa application form.
The lady heard I was applying for a tourist visa and simply handed me an application form and told me what I needed to prepare. Since I had lived in France for two years, I knew how one should do to make a French person “happy”. I used fluent French to communicate with the beautiful lady, not to impress her, but to show her I tried my best and had learned her language… Then she suddenly asked me where I was from. “Oh, Je viens de Taiwan,” replied I. Next came a silence and she looked at me and said: “Then, you must prepare extra documents.” She then pulled out another sheet of paper to circle what it seemed to me a daunting task to accomplish in a two-week’s time. I was surprised to learn that I needed to get a medical exam, a proof of medical insurance, an official invitation from my friend with authorization from the local police department, and an official letter from my school, let alone the other regular papers such as bank statement.
I then felt some sort of discrimination and asked the lady why I must prepare so many things. I told her I didn’t remember I was requested to do those things when I did the same application in Swiss. She coldly said rules had been changed. Whatever she said did not convince me at all. I knew it’s because I was from Taiwan… When I walked out the office, I angrily ditched the form into a garbage can. Later that night, I called my friend and told him I wasn’t going to France…
Well, I told this little story in order to let you know being Taiwanese doesn’t make me feel proud most of time when I was abroad. Westerners never understand Taiwan is de facto a country and we are denied with such an identity in the international community. Being rejected to join the UN and WHTO tells us we are second-class citizens in the world. People are amazed at Taiwan’s economy and high-tech advances, but the heck with that! All I want is an equal treatment in the global community. What kind of country is that when its president wants to stop over other countries yet being refused? How pathetic is it that we and other government officials keep deceiving ourselves? Establishing diplomatic ties with those destitute, small and island nations cannot really help us to gain recognition in the global community. Don’t you get it? Why do we keep throwing money in the gutters? If it is used to help out the poor, I have nothing against it; yet is it truly used in the right place? Look at what our country has become since the DDP has taken over? I was glad to see the party take over the regime but after six years, nothing has made us better! And now there is a sit-in protest to ask Mr. Chen to step down. If Taipei is paralyzed, maybe he will resign himself?
However, I doubt people will take up unison to form a powerful force making our president to relinquish his post. After all, we are a people that is infamous for its selfishness and lack of team spirit. “Everyone only sweeps the snow in front of his door.” is the best description for thousands of years. May I ask how many of us have got rid of this deeply rooted traditional thought which was passed on to us from our ancestors?
To be proud or not to be proud? I feel ashamed whenever I see people from China. Almost everyone I have met can tell you that he or she is from a grand country with a kind of incomparable indignity. Where is then our stand? Again, if we are to unify with China, are we willing to renounce democracy and embrace communism? And will there ever be democracy in China?
Deposition act is still under way and going on fervently. I also have an idea. Why doesn’t Mr. Shih tell citizens of Taiwan to write a letter to Mr. Chen? I bet with millions of letters going to the presidential palace, it would make our president do some real self-reflection. And if they dare not to receive the mail, let all the media stand by and do a firsthand coverage of the news and I reckon the international community will also pay some attention to this never-will-get-a-real-identity country and recognize we are also people that deserve some respect and we are on the way to real democracy. The balance of power in the world should include us too!
