Living in Taiwan 2 - Motorcycle! It's up to you to decide whether to curse or not.

Wen丨Hongyu

Series of Life in Taiwan (Table of Contents)

- 1 -

Motorcycles are motorcycles in Taiwan The legal name of "." After living in Taiwan for a while, I realized that this word can also be used to curse people. Words that evolved from swear words, due to their popularity, have gradually become words used by friends to joke with each other. At least the curse is not that strong, and it mainly means being wordy, having many questions, and being unreasonable.

"You are a motorcycle!" This line once appeared in the movie "The Girls We Chased Together in Those Years". After the movie was broadcast, the word "motorcycle" became popular among young people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. As we all know, this line once became the mantra of young men and women in Taiwan. Although this movie did not coin this ridiculous term, it at least contributed to it.

It is said that this word was first spread among students in the 1980s. It is generally said that it evolved from Taiwanese swear words related to reproductive organs, that is, the more elegant "motorcycle" was used to replace the closely pronounced "motorcycle". Two Taiwanese words. But there is also another saying that motorcycles represent more people and more troubles, and the fact that motorcycles cannot go on the highway means that they are not on the road.

The popularity of a common saying must be related to the cultural background. Let’s not delve into its origin first. Let’s talk about the situation under which it can be used so that it will not cause other people’s misunderstanding and how to use it in this way. A slang term to bring each other closer? The same sentence, spoken with different tones and expressions, will cause different feelings to the listeners.

"You are so cool!" This classic line in the movie makes everyone who speaks and listens feel helpless and regretful, and maybe even a little bit of complaining. In real life, in the correspondence between friends, this sentence makes people feel that the joke is greater than the complaint, and sometimes it is also a manifestation of the close relationship.

"That person is a motorcycle!" This sentence has the meaning of disgust and is definitely not a friendly statement. "Motorcycle!" or "You're such a motorcycle!" This kind of short and direct usage usually comes from a bad person. If the person speaking has a disdainful look on his face, it means that the other person really thinks you are annoying.

Have you noticed? Whether or not there are auxiliary words seems to be the key. The tone of the sentence with the auxiliary words is much more euphemistic, and even has a friendly and naughty flavor. The next time someone says this to you, don't get angry. Similarly, if you want to show intimacy or act coquettishly, you might as well use it.

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According to statistics, there are more than 14 million motorcycles in Taiwan. On average, every 1.58 Taiwanese own one, ranking first in the world in terms of number and density. one. Therefore, Taiwan is known as the "treasure island on the back of motorcycles" and has developed a unique "motorcycle culture." From advertisements to TV movies, any film that does not feature motorcycle scenes seems not to be truly Taiwanese.

In the movie "I Heard", Peng Yuyan rides a motorcycle with Chen Yihan, and handsome men and beauties shuttle through the city. The scene is romantic and beautiful. In "Monga", Ethan Ruan, Zhao Youting and other brothers ride motorcycles together in the streets and alleys, and they have the lofty ambitions of children in the world.

These movie scenes will give everyone the illusion that "motorcycles belong to young people." It was not until the appearance of a promotional video that this established impression was broken and we truly felt that motorcycles are Taiwanese fans have no age limit.

In 2011, a bank filmed a promotional video called "Dream Knight", which was based on the true story of the "Eternal Knight" tour around Taiwan organized by a welfare foundation in 2007. As soon as the promotional video was aired, it aroused a great response. Young people are not allowed to be exclusive. It turns out that motorcycles and elderly people can also be matched together.

If you carefully observe the motorcycles on the streets of Taiwan, you will find that they are not as rough and heroic as European and American motorcycles, nor are they as exquisite and gorgeous as Japanese motorcycles. They are more plain and simple motorcycles, which for the vast majority of Taiwanese people Generally speaking, motorcycles are the best means of transportation, not for the pursuit of extreme speed, but for convenience and relatively low transportation costs.

Compared with other regions, more motorcycle users in Taiwan are women. I think this is because most women choose jobs close to their homes. For commuting to and from get off work, going shopping, picking up children, etc., Taiwanese people will choose motorcycles for any short-distance journey. This also explains why most motorcycle users in Taiwan are women.

Generally speaking, motorcycles are mostly found in towns and villages where public transportation is not well developed. However, in Taiwan, this does not seem to be the case at all. Even in cities with convenient transportation such as Taipei, Motorcycles still travel through the streets and can be seen everywhere. It is no wonder that Taiwanese people love motorcycles so much that they have turned "motorcycles" into a mantra.

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If you have traveled to Taiwan, you must have experienced the power of the motorcycle army. During rush hours, at busy road intersections, the riders are ready to go. Pay close attention to the traffic signal. As soon as the green light turns on, the motorcycle fleet, like an army of ants, files out and disappears in the streets and alleys in the blink of an eye.

The moment I first saw this scene, I couldn't describe it in words. I just knew that my future life would be inseparable from it. Sure enough, after living in Taiwan for less than half a year, I couldn't help but buy a YAMAHA small 50cc lightweight motorcycle for transportation.

At that time, I lived in a township about half an hour's drive from Hsinchu. It was really inconvenient not to have a motorcycle. There were only trains and long-distance buses in that place, and there were no buses at all. I heard that there used to be buses but no one took them. Had to stop. Therefore, I have always believed that the extensive use of motorcycles is the main reason for the insufficient development of public transportation in Taiwan.

Frankly speaking, even though I have lived in Taiwan for 20 years and learned to ride a motorcycle, I have always resisted. Let’s not talk about the horror of “meat wrapped in iron”. Another very real problem , it is motorcycles that make women less elegant. Especially living in Hsinchu, known as the Windy City, a motorcycle trip is simply a disaster.

I especially remember that not long after I learned to ride a motorcycle, I happened to find a job in the town next door. Apart from riding a motorcycle, I couldn't think of a better mode of transportation. One time when I was getting off work, it started to rain heavily and it was dark. During the half-hour drive, I felt like I was ready to die. It was only when I got home that I felt terrible. Fortunately, there were not many cars in the countryside, otherwise it would be really dangerous. The newbie is like a complete road killer.

Later, I moved to Hsinchu, where the transportation was much more convenient. In addition to high-speed rail trains, there were at least buses and shuttles, so I rarely rode a motorcycle. Maybe it was because I rarely rode, but something happened like this.

When I was riding my motorcycle down to the underground garage, I don’t know whether it was due to tire wear or slippage or some other reason. The motorcycle lost control and flew out when going downhill. Fortunately, the speed was not very fast at the time, and I reacted quickly and jumped off the car in time. , only abrasions on the flesh, but the motorcycle was broken, so I took the opportunity to scrap it and bid farewell to the motorcycle rider.