In Taiwan there is only one way to be happy. It's as if everybody in Taiwan got together in a big meeting and decided that if you want to be happy, you must live your life in only one specific way. Which is of course ludicrous because not everybody is built the same way.
Forgive me if I've used this analogy before, but I like to say it's as if everybody said that "if you want to be happy you must eat tomatoes everyday." It doesn't matter that some people love tomatoes, some people hate tomatoes, and some people are allergic to tomatoes. All your friends, family, and even the media will put pressure on you by saying "if you want to be happy you have to eat tomatoes, it doesn't matter if eating them will cause your face to swell up and you die."
Needless to say that this causes massive depression and even suicide from people who feel worthless because no matter what they try, they can't just fit into society's view of what the one way to live is. Good school, good job, advance in your job, family of one boy and one girl, etc. Especially when your family and friends, the people who are supposed to love you and support you, just accost you if you do not follow the above formula of living life.
But today I want to talk about the media. In Taiwan, their tv shows have a lot of power. There still aren't many tv shows and the ones they do have perpetuate this "tomato" lifestyle. It's very common for people to base life discussions around what was on a tv show. "Well on this tv drama, the lady did this, so that's how women should act." It's a bit scary.
This brings us to today's picture. There was this one TV drama that I actually supported what they did. It was about a woman whose husband cheated on her, so eventually she got a divorce (still very rare in Taiwan in this situation), then there was this very rich and handsome guy who was after her, but in the end the most amazing thing happened, she decided not to be with that guy either. She just wanted some time to be on her own.
This was incredible, as in Taiwan women are viewed as children who cannot take care of themselves and only live to be passed from their family to a husband, never on their own. As such, this drama was very inspirational to say what I preach everyday, that you can be strong and independent and be your own person.
However, all good things must come to an end, especially under the weight of society. A few years after the tv show ended, they came out with a movie which finished the story. And of course in the movie, she can't decide which to get together with, her ex-husband or that rich guy. Eventually she gets together with the rich guy. So yes women, in the end you must find somebody to take care of you. Society wins again!
The picture is from a cake store that the lady in the drama liked. She would often go here to get some fashionable cakes. Going to a cake store that was all about being pretty and not taste, was the beginning of the downfall of that movie. Especially now that I will have to reintroduce a lot of people to baked goods which actually taste good rather than look fancy. Sigh, in two hours, that movie really set Taiwan back.
