Placeholder Image

Subtitles section Play video

  • 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.

  • (Speaking in French)

  • Hmmyes, 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 has 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, and the Taiwanese has finally packed up their things, ready to head out.

  • But oh no! The boss has sent another work-related text that requires immediate action.

  • The average work hours of Taiwan employees surpass those in Japan, France, and America, yet they are paid a minuscule 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 employees are 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 of 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.

  • If you enjoyed this clip, please click on the subscribe button on the bottom right corner.

  • Otherwise, our production team would have had bladder problems for nothing.

Taiwan Trivia Episode 1

Subtitles and vocabulary

Click the word to look it up Click the word to find further inforamtion about it