From: yu@chang.asd.sgi.com (Yu Chang)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.taiwan
Subject: Re: BSR and WSR
Date: 15 Sep 92 17:06:22 GMT
Reply-To: yu@chang.asd.sgi.com (Yu Chang)
Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc., Mountain View, CA, USA

In article <1992Sep15.064628.1697@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu>,
mhmann@nyx.cs.du.edu (Me Mann) writes:
|> In article <BuI6vr.MxM@acsu.buffalo.edu>
v999qx29@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu writes:
|> >
|> >When will the distinction between BSR and WSR be totally lifted?
|> >IMO, that will be when WSR are willing to speak not only Mandarine
|> >but also Holo(the biggest language goup in Taiwan) or Holo is
|> >completely destroied, which has become more and more unlikely.
|> >I am a BSR and my wife is a WSR. When I heard that some Taiwanese
|> >Legislators speaking Holo in the conference, I was so excited. But, I
|> 
|> You have every right to be excited as you probably have not
|> spoken or heard it spoken for a long time 8).
                             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I was in taiwan in May and August this year. Each time for three weeks.
It seems a lot of people have not gone back for a long time from their
understanding of speaking language situation at taiwan.

In this resturant, I felt akward in the beginning when I ordered in
mandarin and the waitress respond in taiwanese. Then I found it (taiwanese)
is the common language used in daily life alomost every corner.
When I left in 1982, it seems this is so only in middle/south taiwan.
In taipei, people was using mandarin more in 1982.

Another suprise was a half page ad seen on all major newspapers for
Video and audio cassette that teach taiwanese using Ju4 In1 Fu2 Hau4.
In the ad, it claims this is the one that used by prime minister
Hau Po-Tsun and other non-taiwanese speaking goverment officers.

I am not making comments, just reporting what I have experienced.

|> >could feel she was kind of frightened in her subconciousness that
|> >something has been changed against WSR's profit. Interesting, isn't it?
|> 
|> NOp eI tdon't think it is very interesting.  Being an outsider
(non-taiwanese)
|> It sounds very discriminating to be.  That's the problem with Chinese.
|> They are always fighting each other, like  the "cold war" between the 
|> mainland and Taiwan.  IMHO, the worst thing that could happen is your
|> strange classification of BSR and WSR.  What is all this ?  Can't you all
|> be Taiwanese? Why this arrogance?  Perhaps this is ingrained in your blood?
|> 
|> >Don't be afraid, WSR brothers and sisters. Speaking Holo is a right thing
|> >to do and it dosen't imply that BSR want to expel WSR. This story
|> 
|> Yes it is the right thing for you but do not try to impose it on others.
|> Let others speak what they are most comfortable doing but however
|> retain say Mandarin as a national and unifying language. 

Some time ago, there were postings about NO taiwanese TV shows.
Those people seems to be living in the 60's.
They really should go back and be punished to watch a whole week of TV
24 hours a day. 8-) There are lots of taiwanese and other dialect
programs. When I left in 1982, there were much more dialetc programs
on radio already.

I, like many others, support one official language and co-exist of other
dialects. But I could not but worry whether it could be going to far
and (I know I will probably get flammed by saying this)
this taiwanese speaking trend could be over-promoted sometime in the future?

I think we are blessed that we do have a common writing language.

yu
Xref: sparky soc.culture.taiwan:13314 soc.culture.china:25497