Why Taiwan SUCKS in all areas except food & safety

[Winston]

Rock,
LOL that's not a fair comparison. Ming Ming was nice and polite. She never tried to use you or take advantage of you. She never deceived you either. On the other hand, Luang Yu deceived me. She told me that she liked me, she flirted with me, gave me signs of interest, etc. It just goes to show that women can be deceptive. As always, actions speak louder than words.

But anyhow, you can't compare good girls with bad girls. :P

Anyway, I have a curious question for you:

You seem to have two contrary positions. Last time, you admitted that getting girls in Taiwan is "not easy". But your other position states that every guy you know (or almost) can get girls they like in Taiwan, except me. Aren't those two statements contradictory?

1. Getting girls in Taiwan is not easy.
2. Every guy can get Taiwanese girls that they like, except for you.

Isn't that like me saying to everyone:

1. Making money online is not easy.
2. Everyone is making money online except you.

If I told you that, wouldn't you be thinking, "WTF?!" LOL. How do you reconcile such a seeming contradiction?

[Rock]

Rock,

Anyway, I have a curious question for you:

You seem to have two contrary positions. Last time, you admitted that getting girls in Taiwan is "not easy". But your other position states that every guy you know (or almost) can get girls they like in Taiwan, except me. Aren't those two statements contradictory?

1. Getting girls in Taiwan is not easy.
2. Every guy can get Taiwanese girls that they like, except for you.

Isn't that like me saying to everyone:

1. Making money online is not easy.
2. Everyone is making money online except you.

If I told you that, wouldn't you be thinking, "WTF?!" LOL. How do you reconcile such a seeming contradiction?

I NEVER wrote or said No. 2. As for No. 1, I didn't write or say anything like that without qualifying it a lot more (for certain guys, etc.).

Getting girls in Taiwan is easy for some - younger guys with certain look or personality (eg. Dragonboy when he was young or my French Tenant).

Getting girls in Taiwan is not easy but certainly doable for others such as Monkro.

I've also emphasized many times that the 'certain guys' category I often refer to are guys who are generally below mid-30s plus a lot of other things. This is a very important point cus so many young Taiwan girls are truly hot by about any international benchmark you choose. Why should they settle for large age gaps? They sure as hell aren't desperate.

It's all about

[Winston]

Taiwanese personalities commonly come in two weird extremes: 1) grumpy, constipated look with stern, strict facial expression, and 2) fake innocent look with cheesy gay "hello kitty" facial expression (common among young adults and teens). Ewww! Both of these are abnormal, unnatural and inhuman. Ick! I dislike both and don't vibe with either of them. How do you get along with such abnormal personalities? I have no idea. Thus I often feel like I'm the only one that's "normal" in Taiwan.

To be honest, Taiwan is the most UNINTERESTING country I've ever been to. And its people are the WEIRDEST I've ever met - totally closed, cold, strict, repressed, almost inhuman. I don't understand why they are like that. How the hell am I supposed to "act" around such people? I'm confused and I don't get it. I'm nothing like them, thank goodness. This might sound bad, but in Taiwan, I feel like i'm the only one that's "normal". I know that sounds terrible, but I don't know how else to put it.

Taiwan is drab and dull in terms of architecture and natural scenery. The infrastructure and buildings consist of ghetto slabs of concrete with no aesthetic quality - which is crappy compared to the magnificence of European architecture. And the natural scenery is dull and bland, nothing spectacular. It cannot compare to the spectacular breathtaking national parks in America (such as the ones in Arizona, Utah, Colorado and Yosemite). Thus Taiwan is not really a "beautiful country" in terms of infrastructure or landscapes.

Here are some image examples. Here is a typical street in Taiwan (you've seen one, you've seen them all):



In contrast, look at the beautiful cultured architecture I photographed in Europe and Russia:

http://www.happierabroad.com/ebook/Page3.htm

This is a typical outdoors scene in Taiwan:



Typical mountain backdrop in Taiwan:



As you can see, it's very bland and nothing special. Nothing to rave about. Nothing you can't see anywhere else. In contrast, look how spectacular the scenery is from my photos of the American Southwest in Arizona, Utah and Colorado:

http://www.happierabroad.com/Southwest_Photos.htm

As you can see, the images speak for themselves.

[pete98146]

Taiwan is drab and dull in terms of architecture and natural scenery. The infrastructure and buildings consist of ghetto slabs of concrete with no aesthetic quality - which is crappy compared to the magnificence of European architecture. And the natural scenery is dull and bland, nothing spectacular. It cannot compare to the spectacular breathtaking national parks in America (such as the ones in Arizona, Utah, Colorado and Yosemite). Thus Taiwan is not really a "beautiful country" in terms of infrastructure or landscapes.

Here are some image examples. Here is a typical street in Taiwan (you've seen one, you've seen them all):

You make a good point Winston. Pretty much all of Asia is exemplifed by the picture of that one street. Seemingly ALL of the streets in Asia resemble that same photo. But it's very difficult to get the entire enchilada when you are on a shoestring budget. Sure we'd all love to live in architecturally rich Europe but most of us don't have the retirement funds to pull it off.

So we expats or future expats have to find a way to sweep our "Ugly American" attitudes under the carpet. Let's face it, unless a guy is really wealthy, most expats live on a budget of under $2000 per month. I personally can handle the drab buildings as long as I have a hot young wife on my arms and a decent apartment to call home.

[Winston]

Eastern Europe has beautiful architecture and is not that expensive to live in. For example, you can live in Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania or Slovakia on a low or modest budget. Right?

[momopi]

TW photos:

http://www.backpackers.com.tw/forum/gal ... ex.php?c=9

http://www.backpackers.com.tw/forum/gal ... x.php?c=14

http://www.backpackers.com.tw/forum/gal ... x.php?c=11

http://www.backpackers.com.tw/forum/gal ... x.php?c=12

http://www.backpackers.com.tw/forum/gal ... x.php?c=15

The pages are in Chinese, but I think you guys can figure out how to navigate online photo albums. It's a large collection of photos contributed by TW's backpacker forum members.

International photo albums:

http://www.backpackers.com.tw/forum/gallery/index.php


The site has over 4.27 million posts and probably couple hundred thousand (?) trip reports around the globe.

[Rock]

Taiwan is drab and dull in terms of architecture and natural scenery. The infrastructure and buildings consist of ghetto slabs of concrete with no aesthetic quality - which is crappy compared to the magnificence of European architecture. And the natural scenery is dull and bland, nothing spectacular. It cannot compare to the spectacular breathtaking national parks in America (such as the ones in Arizona, Utah, Colorado and Yosemite). Thus Taiwan is not really a "beautiful country" in terms of infrastructure or landscapes.

Here are some image examples. Here is a typical street in Taiwan (you've seen one, you've seen them all):

You make a good point Winston. Pretty much all of Asia is exemplifed by the picture of that one street. Seemingly ALL of the streets in Asia resemble that same photo. But it's very difficult to get the entire enchilada when you are on a shoestring budget. Sure we'd all love to live in architecturally rich Europe but most of us don't have the retirement funds to pull it off.

So we expats or future expats have to find a way to sweep our "Ugly American" attitudes under the carpet. Let's face it, unless a guy is really wealthy, most expats live on a budget of under $2000 per month. I personally can handle the drab buildings as long as I have a hot young wife on my arms and a decent apartment to call home.

Great perspective Pete and yes Winston is pretty much on the mark here. From one angle, Asia is ugly, ugly, ugly! Most of the standard residential and commercial architecture seems to have been created and maintained with absolutely no consideration for how it looks. Asians seem so damn pragmatic and utilitarian. There are some signs emerging that this might be changing but it will be a long road before a material impact is achieved I believe.

There are some exceptional areas and structures in most Asian countries. But in general, Asia is an ugly duckling, at least during the day. And Europe for its structures couldn't be more different. There are some amazing natural wonders in China and in other parts of Asia including exotic spots in SE Asia. But Taiwan with its very high population density does not have much to impress the eye nature wise other than some areas of east coast.

However, parts of Asia including Taiwan can look spectacular at night - bright lights, big city, non-stop action type scenes. Some people get blown away by this or some of the amazing city scapes created by some of the capitals.

So yes, Europe is beautiful. But if u hate the cold like me, its not practical to stay in most parts longer term.

If u have a long list of requirements for your HA paradise, there's probably no area or country which ticks all the boxes. Hard choices have to be made as Peter said. At the end of the day, u need to prioritize and make compromises.

[Billy]

anyway godzilla will crush first japan then probably taiwan so look for alternatives

[Winston]

TW photos:

http://www.backpackers.com.tw/forum/gal ... ex.php?c=9

http://www.backpackers.com.tw/forum/gal ... x.php?c=14

http://www.backpackers.com.tw/forum/gal ... x.php?c=11

http://www.backpackers.com.tw/forum/gal ... x.php?c=12

http://www.backpackers.com.tw/forum/gal ... x.php?c=15

The pages are in Chinese, but I think you guys can figure out how to navigate online photo albums. It's a large collection of photos contributed by TW's backpacker forum members.

International photo albums:

http://www.backpackers.com.tw/forum/gallery/index.php


The site has over 4.27 million posts and probably couple hundred thousand (?) trip reports around the globe.

First, those photos constitute a VERY SMALL percentage of the scenery in Taiwan. They are not the typical scenery you find there. Second, even the nicest mountain backdrops in Taiwan are nothing special. Nothing you can't find in any other country. That's the point. Nice try at playing devil's advocate though. Just accept that Taiwan is not appealing in terms of architecture or natural scenery.

Here is some real spectacular scenery that Germans come all the way from Germany to see:

http://www.happierabroad.com/Southwest_Photos.htm

Also go to Google images and type "Yosemite" and "Southwest Canyons". The images speak for themselves.

[Rayn]

Honestly from all the readings plus from Winston's own observations I find that people who are actually attracted to Taiwan are either:

1- Native, local Taiwanese who had never ventured outside and is too hard-plugged into the 'mainstream Matrix' to know any better

2- White foreigners who are leveraging the advantage provided by the Pinkerton Syndrome among the nation's population of young females

3- Rat-racing yuppies whose sole purpose of life is to work to make a living, so that they can keep on working to make a living (the cold, introverted, workaholic environment suits them a lot).

4- Shallow, superficial and cliquish people who believe in romance in terms of monetary transactions and RIDICULOUS standards of physical appearance (I wholeheartedly believe that physical attraction is important for a relationship to work but it not only has to be mutual, but also realistic - pearly-white skin, six-pack abs and toothpick thighs are out of the question) rather than genuine emotional connections with each other, or

5- People with a vested interest in Taiwan's own tourism/industry industry (of course, they will go on an Internet Vendetta against anyone who dares point out that Taiwan isn't exactly a paradise overflowing with culture and p***y the mainstream wants you to believe)

What Winston said about Taiwan is almost exactly the same as what I have observed the further I go inwards in this cosmopolitan city of Kuala Lumpur - as well as its neighboring cities in the whole Klang Valley nexus. It's even worse down south in Singapore - and I'm sure that even naoki will say the same thing about Japan. What a real jaw-dropping relevation when one travels to the less developed, rural areas of Malaysia and find that people tend to be much more friendlier, down-to-earth, less shallow and unmaterialistic in comparison...

[momopi]

First, those photos constitute a VERY SMALL percentage of the scenery in Taiwan. They are not the typical scenery you find there. Second, even the nicest mountain backdrops in Taiwan are nothing special. Nothing you can't find in any other country. That's the point. Nice try at playing devil's advocate though. Just accept that Taiwan is not appealing in terms of architecture or natural scenery.
Here is some real spectacular scenery that Germans come all the way from Germany to see:
http://www.happierabroad.com/Southwest_Photos.htm
Also go to Google images and type "Yosemite" and "Southwest Canyons". The images speak for themselves.

Winston, "special" means atypical. Yosemite is not typical scenery in the US, otherwise people will not drive all the way there to see it. Paris has great architecture but the areas just outside the city is a slum. The oldest California redwood is 2,200 years old and you must go to a park to see it. Same applies in Taiwan, the oldest living formosan cypress tree is 2,300 years old and you must go to a park to see it.

Taiwan is an island of roughly same length as the Grand Canyon. It's a little big place with nice scenic spots to visit, places to go, lots of girls, and lots of date destinations. Some of my best experiences were weekend trips with my ex GFs, where they take me around the island to many great places. But let's be honest, there are many great hot springs in Taiwan, but you can probably find more and better hot springs in Japan. What makes the hot spring trip special is the pretty GF in the pool, and the passionate night that follows at the resort.

If you're not enjoying your stay there, you should move on to your next destination soon, rather than staying in TW and write about how much it sucks there for you. How many of your task items must be done while you are physically in TW? If you feel that the environment is "draining" and preventing you from completing tasks, then that's even better reason to book your flight today.

[momopi]

4- Shallow, superficial and cliquish people who believe in romance in terms of monetary transactions and RIDICULOUS standards of physical appearance (I wholeheartedly believe that physical attraction is important for a relationship to work but it not only has to be mutual, but also realistic - pearly-white skin, six-pack abs and toothpick thighs are out of the question) rather than genuine emotional connections with each other, or

Allow me to introduce the concept of "aegyo" (winsome) and how being superficial will net expensive handbags.




...it's a skill that American girls are lacking:

[pete98146]

Taiwan is drab and dull in terms of architecture and natural scenery. The infrastructure and buildings consist of ghetto slabs of concrete with no aesthetic quality - which is crappy compared to the magnificence of European architecture. And the natural scenery is dull and bland, nothing spectacular. It cannot compare to the spectacular breathtaking national parks in America (such as the ones in Arizona, Utah, Colorado and Yosemite). Thus Taiwan is not really a "beautiful country" in terms of infrastructure or landscapes.

Here are some image examples. Here is a typical street in Taiwan (you've seen one, you've seen them all):

You make a good point Winston. Pretty much all of Asia is exemplifed by the picture of that one street. Seemingly ALL of the streets in Asia resemble that same photo. But it's very difficult to get the entire enchilada when you are on a shoestring budget. Sure we'd all love to live in architecturally rich Europe but most of us don't have the retirement funds to pull it off.

So we expats or future expats have to find a way to sweep our "Ugly American" attitudes under the carpet. Let's face it, unless a guy is really wealthy, most expats live on a budget of under $2000 per month. I personally can handle the drab buildings as long as I have a hot young wife on my arms and a decent apartment to call home.

Great perspective Pete and yes Winston is pretty much on the mark here. From one angle, Asia is ugly, ugly, ugly! Most of the standard residential and commercial architecture seems to have been created and maintained with absolutely no consideration for how it looks. Asians seem so damn pragmatic and utilitarian. There are some signs emerging that this might be changing but it will be a long road before a material impact is achieved I believe.

There are some exceptional areas and structures in most Asian countries. But in general, Asia is an ugly duckling, at least during the day. And Europe for its structures couldn't be more different. There are some amazing natural wonders in China and in other parts of Asia including exotic spots in SE Asia. But Taiwan with its very high population density does not have much to impress the eye nature wise other than some areas of east coast.

However, parts of Asia including Taiwan can look spectacular at night - bright lights, big city, non-stop action type scenes. Some people get blown away by this or some of the amazing city scapes created by some of the capitals.

So yes, Europe is beautiful. But if u hate the cold like me, its not practical to stay in most parts longer term.

If u have a long list of requirements for your HA paradise, there's probably no area or country which ticks all the boxes. Hard choices have to be made as Peter said. At the end of the day, u need to prioritize and make compromises.

Although Asian neighborhoods all have the same uninspired esthetic, I pose this question to everybody!!! Let's say you live down at the end of that dreary street. How do you make that same street beautiful? Think of it this way. How about making an effort to get to know as many vendors, shop owners and neighbors as possible? Yes this might sound corny but you are a member of that neighborhood so reach out and get to know people!!!! As a foreigner it's easy to walk with our heads down and be emmersed in our own thoughts and privacy but this is a recipe for boredom and loneliness. But I guarantee you the more people you get to know the more fun ANY street can be. But this takes an effort on your part!!!!!! I firmly believe that building friendships with PEOPLE is the way to find hapiness.

You can put me dead smack in the center of any beautiful European city but unless I'm emotionally attached to the people in my community, any lovely architecture soon becomes a shallow veneer. Simply put you need need to find a way to make your own hapiness.

[royalism]

Wait, then why did you date in Russia and the Philippines? Russians and native Filipinas are racially even more different. You were even open-minded enough to have a mixed baby.

Dude, that was BEFORE. This is NOW! I was crazy about blondes before because they were the most unattainable group to me in the US. I also like dark exotic women, but very few of them in the PH were attractive, but I still had my fair share of hot girls in the PH.

Tastes and preferences change over time as one discovers themselves.

Or your curiosity was satisfied. time to move on. LOL

[Winston]

Honestly from all the readings plus from Winston's own observations I find that people who are actually attracted to Taiwan are either:

1- Native, local Taiwanese who had never ventured outside and is too hard-plugged into the 'mainstream Matrix' to know any better

2- White foreigners who are leveraging the advantage provided by the Pinkerton Syndrome among the nation's population of young females

3- Rat-racing yuppies whose sole purpose of life is to work to make a living, so that they can keep on working to make a living (the cold, introverted, workaholic environment suits them a lot).

4- Shallow, superficial and cliquish people who believe in romance in terms of monetary transactions and RIDICULOUS standards of physical appearance (I wholeheartedly believe that physical attraction is important for a relationship to work but it not only has to be mutual, but also realistic - pearly-white skin, six-pack abs and toothpick thighs are out of the question) rather than genuine emotional connections with each other, or

5- People with a vested interest in Taiwan's own tourism/industry industry (of course, they will go on an Internet Vendetta against anyone who dares point out that Taiwan isn't exactly a paradise overflowing with culture and p***y the mainstream wants you to believe)

What Winston said about Taiwan is almost exactly the same as what I have observed the further I go inwards in this cosmopolitan city of Kuala Lumpur - as well as its neighboring cities in the whole Klang Valley nexus. It's even worse down south in Singapore - and I'm sure that even naoki will say the same thing about Japan. What a real jaw-dropping relevation when one travels to the less developed, rural areas of Malaysia and find that people tend to be much more friendlier, down-to-earth, less shallow and unmaterialistic in comparison...

Very true Rayn. Just look at Taiwan's number 1 international promoter, Janet Hsieh, and your points above will be validated. She is the epitome of fakeness and superficiality. But don't take my word for it. Just look at her own words on her own blog and facebook page:

http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/janet-funtaiwan

http://www.facebook.com/janethsiehonline

As you can see, the stuff she writes is totally inane shit, even more boring than CNN. Only the dumbest airheads would react to it. In spite of that, our Taiwan advisor here, Rock, claims that she is very special and unique! LOL! WTF?! Look at Janet's words at her own sites above and then you'll look at Rock and wonder "What is he smoking?!"

The worst thing about Taiwan, besides the shallow superficial culture where being deep/intellectual makes you an oddball, is the extremely COLD AND CLOSED WALL projected by females. It's very INHUMAN. Everyone is either 1) fake and innocent with a gay cheesy smile, or 2) grumpy and constipated with stern/strict face. Ick! WTF? Both those extremes suck and are unnatural and stupid! How the f**k do you vibe with that?! I have no fricking clue! It's insane, sick and unnatural!!!