Taiwan Trivia Episode 1
「How Yellow is Your Urine?」
Hello. When do you usually get off work?
Do you find yourself feeling constantly overwhelmed at the office?
If so, do you know of a small island country in the shape of a sweet potato called Taiwan?
What we’re about to see next is the daily workflow for an average Taiwanese worker.
It’s only 8 AM, and the Taiwanese are in the lead,
already hunched over and working at his desk.
Behind them are the Japanese and American.
Wait a minute, is that a hangover spotted in the land of stars and stripes?
Oh just strolling into the office at a leisurely pace,
…And we have lost track of the Frenchman. Where is he?!
Oh! He’s still at the starting line!!
Now we’ll take a short break.
(French)
Hmm…yes, the way of the…tea…
Mmm…
Do...nu...ts...
And now let’s see what the Taiwanese bring out…
At 7pm, it’s time to clock off,
but the Taiwanese are still busy at work
while the Japanese have headed off to the bar for a drink.
Meanwhile, the American has just arrived home…
and the Frenchman is already lying in bed waiting for him.
The clock strikes 10 PM,
and the Taiwanese has headed back to his desk while chugging yet another Red Bull.
Now, it’s midnight,
the Taiwanese has finally packed up their things and ready to head out
But oh no! The boss has sent another work-related
text that requires immediate action.
The average work hours of a Taiwan employee
surpass those in Japan, France, and America,
yet they are paid a miniscule salary in comparison.
Although labor rights are pretty much non-existent in Taiwan,
its people do not fight for their rights as often as those in Western societies.
Most European countries not only offer better working conditions,
but also show greater activism in the protection of labor rights.
For example, an average of 2% of the French workforce participates in a strike, annually.
As for Taiwan? 100% of its workers just grit their teeth and power through every year.
The Taiwanese are truly a “good” bunch of workers, aren’t they?
One of Taiwan’s wealthiest entrepreneurs often asks his employees:
“How yellow is your urine?”
He thinks that
if an employee is truly hard at work,
they would not have time to drink water,
leaving more time to focus on work.
As a result,
their urine would simmer inside their bladders
to a beautiful amber reduction.
Indeed, he believes that workers with potential bladder problems make good employees.
If you finish work too early, then the boss will accuse you for not working hard enough.
Now
let’s do a urine test for the employees of each country mentioned in this episode.
Findings from this test
reveal a honey-like color to the urine of Taiwanese workers;
a rather ominous shade of yellow for urinary health.
So, why is that the Taiwanese people seem to work like robots without ever complaining?
That is because Confucius said:
‘Solidarity’ is a virtue.”
Taiwanese people do not want to break this spirit of collaboration
and risk being considered “non-virtuous.”
So, when the time for clocking off comes around,
the whole office enters an awkward headlock in which
no one dares to be the first to leave.
The strong hierarchical culture of the workplace
makes it difficult for workers to leave before their employers.
Also,
for some unknown reason,
when a fellow colleague has a lighter workload,
rather than aspiring to join them in heaven;
we want to drag them down into work-laden hell with us.
Naturally, the industrious nature of the Taiwanese people
has led to the development of a convenient lifestyle tailored for people that are always on the go.
Other than 24-hour conveniences stores, there are also restaurants, karaoke bars
and even book stores that operate around the clock.
So, next time you visit Taiwan,
come and enjoy our professional and courteous customer service,
competitive prices and great food.
After all, these are all products of the hard working industrious Taiwanese people!
And, just so you know,
the animation that you are currently viewing
is also the product of hard work and overtime efforts by the ‘Taiwan Trivia’ team.
Disclaimer: We thank the nations that took part in this clip: America, France and Japan.
Any resemblance to actual events and scenarios is entirely coincidental. Terms and conditions apply.
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Otherwise, our production team would have had developed bladder problems for nothing.