Turkish Wu Feng loves Taiwan / Taiwanese girlfriend loves taking selfies — it’s almost tear-jerking to wait for her

Text and photos by Wu Feng | Excerpted from “Country Bumpkin Loves Taiwan: 28 Life Surprises of Wu Feng”

About Wu Feng:
His Chinese name is Wu Chengfeng, a “tǔbāo” (a foreigner, in this case, a Turk), though not so old. He speaks fluent Turkish, German, English, and Chinese, and can also write them. Originally a tour guide in Turkey, one day he had an epiphany (huh?), feeling that this way of life wasn’t sustainable. So, having always had an inexplicable fascination with Taiwan, after graduating from university, he worked hard to get into Ankara University, where he studied Chinese and Sinology intensively for four years. He then received a Taiwan Scholarship and came to Taiwan as planned to study at National Normal University.

After arriving in Taiwan, everything here opened the eyes of this “country bumpkin.” The various customs, completely different from Turkey and jaw-dropping, along with the warm and hospitable nature of the Taiwanese people, left a deep impression on Wu Feng.

These cultural shocks didn’t scare Wu Feng away — instead, they made him fall even more deeply in love with everything about Taiwan. Now, he has lived in Taiwan for six years and has become a true blue “local Taiwanese” who feels like the end of the world if he doesn’t have tofu pudding even for one day.

Taiwanese people often take photos non-stop, not to capture scenery or historical sites, but to take pictures of themselves. Especially the adorable girls who absolutely love taking selfies — they might take up to a thousand photos a day, my goodness!! Although I don’t quite get why, whenever I go to lively spots like nightclubs, Ximending, and the East District, I see so many people constantly taking pictures, and I secretly observe their moves.

I already knew many Japanese people loved taking photos, but after coming to Taiwan, I found that Taiwanese people really give them a run for their money. Guys are okay — most are like me and not that into taking photos — but the girls are truly amazing. These selfie-loving girls are practically professionals!! There are also many TV shows in Taiwan that invite girls to talk about selfie culture. They use different angles to make themselves look prettier — even if their face is big, it turns into a heart-shaped face in the photo; they make all kinds of cute faces and wink; everyone’s skin looks super bright and their eyes huge; there are even women in their forties whose photos make them look like they’re in their twenties... I bet even their families wouldn’t recognize them in the photos — the difference is huge!! Every time I compare the girl to her photo, I’m shocked.

Besides taking photos of themselves, Taiwanese girls also love taking pictures of other things — it seems like they can take photos of anything: themselves, food, butterflies, pets... But for a foreigner — this is too much!!

I used to have a girlfriend who would say every time we went to eat, “Wu Feng, don’t eat yet!” I was startled and asked, “What? Why can’t I eat?”
She would then take out her camera and say solemnly, “Because I need to take photos.”

No joke, she would never stop taking photos for less than ten minutes each time. By the time she was done, the soup we were going to drink would be cold — I really wanted to cry!! She took photos when eating burgers, beef noodles... The only time she didn’t take any was because she forgot to bring her camera that day. That day, I was so happy I almost cheered — finally, I could eat comfortably!!

Abroad, neither guys nor girls have this habit of loving to take photos, but after dating such an exaggerated girlfriend, I was somewhat influenced by her.

Once I went back to Turkey, and during a meal, I took out my camera and said to my sister, “Don’t eat yet, let me take a photo.” My sister looked at me with a strange gaze and said, “Brother, you’re really getting weirder.”



Everyone must have met people who love taking photos. Maybe you love taking photos too. I’ve noticed that many Taiwanese people will definitely make the “yeah” gesture when taking photos — it’s practically the signature move of Taiwanese people, even eighty-year-old grandmas do the “yeah.”

I hadn’t seen this abroad before, so the first time I saw Taiwanese people saying “yeah” together and then taking a photo, I thought it was weird. Later, when I went back to Turkey and took a photo with friends, I also did the “yeah” gesture, and all my friends thought I’d gone crazy. They even teased me: “A thirty-year-old man acting cute!”

For Taiwanese people who love taking photos, any time, any place — whether walking, shopping, or in class — is the best time and place to take photos. Once, I took the MRT from Taipei Main Station to Tamsui, and some girls on the train took selfies the whole way from Taipei Main Station to Tamsui. Their skills were so advanced, it left me dumbfounded. I guess they took at least a hundred photos!! Not long after, I learned how to take selfies too, so now my phone has a lot of selfies. I often take selfies in the MRT and forget to get off the train!!

When I go to the zoo, I also often see people mimicking animal poses when taking photos. Everyone shouts “tiger,” and immediately strikes a tiger pose; shout “snake,” and they strike a snake pose. Everyone enjoys taking photos like little kids. Even politicians have their set poses, though during elections, candidates’ photo poses are all pretty similar — I think they could learn a thing or two from Taiwanese girls. Haha!!

I often think I should learn from these amazing Taiwanese people and pick up some photography skills — maybe one day, my selfies will look as handsome as Brad Pitt’s!! Haha!!