Taiwan? Isn't that where stuff is made?

In response to my decision to come to Taiwan, a few folks commented that all they knew about Taiwan was that "stuff is made there." In a class with older students a few days ago, I asked, "Can companies get away with selling bad products?" and later, "Have you ever bought a bad product?" One of my students jokingly said, "Yes. Made in China." The other students started to laugh because all the cheap toys are made in China.

I smiled to myself and paused to think about how weird it was that a Taiwanese student would mock the production of cheap toys, given that all most Americans know about Taiwan is that cheap toys are made here. But it's also an interesting comment on the shifting culture of Taiwan. Standards of living are on the rise, and the economy is moving from production to service, with labor moving to China where it's cheaper. Interesting...