Happier Abroad Forum Community

As you know, travel websites, magazines and TV programs always emphasize the positives about other cultures and people, and often overhype them as well. But they never tell you the negative downsides of a particular country. Instead, they stick to political correctness and lighthearted non-controversial topics. Even sites that aren't funded by the tourism industry adhere to this too.

Thus, it's rare to see an honest balanced appraisal of the pros and cons of a particular culture. So I will give one regarding my native country of Taiwan, which the media and travel websites constantly spread overly positive hyped misinformation about. I guarantee that you won't find such an honest balanced appraisal of Taiwan anywhere else. Most people are not this candid or insightful in their observations.

The Pros and Cons of Taiwan: What other sites don't tell you

Article at:
http://blog.happierabroad.com/2012/11/t ... -cons.html

I recently let my cousin who is 25 read part of my Indian journal. I described India the way it was. Unbelievable historic and cultural sites, but also the dirt and filth, and corrupt business men. I also discussed picking up girls while traveling. My cousin totally blasted it as racist, insensitive, and said I was looking down on India as if I was better than them. He described my trying to pick up girls as "creepy", "rape", objectifying, etc.! Unfortunately now being politically correct seems to be more important than the truth! I hope all these beta males enjoy the sterile West they have created!

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eurobrat wrote:What if your a white guy in Taiwan?

Hard to say. I've heard mixed things from white guys. But since most white guys in Asia tend to BS or exaggerate, it's hard to know what to believe or who to believe.

I think there is a subset of Asian girls in Asia that like white guys, but they are usually not that attractive. Most Taiwanese prefer to date their own race and have picky standards.

Regarding black guys, my expat friend who's lived in Taiwan for 15 years, told me that every black guy he's met in Taiwan claimed they were not able to get any dates at all. Their social life was zero. However, one black guy emailed me long ago and told me that he got a lot of attention from girls in Taiwan. He said that he would get approached by girls in fast food joints too. So go figure.

Folks in TW are:

* Prone to superstitions (running temples and shrines is big business)
* Lacking in perfectionism (after decades, the industrial-manufacturing equipment from TW is still second rate to Japanese)
* Lacking confidence in domestic defense industry ("we can't build our own submarines! what if it sinks?")
* Blindly believe Western European made products are better (see: Maokung Gondola, installed with no air conditioning, fans, windows, or air holes. Works great in the Alps, sucks in Taipei weather)

I've revised and updated this paragraph in the Cons list:

- The social energy is very stagnant, similar to Seattle, Washington (aka "The Seattle Freeze"). It doesn't seem to "flow" naturally or openly. Instead it feels locked, stagnant and sterile. The social atmosphere is not open or relaxed. It is very cliquish, and lacks energy, fun, excitement, stimulation, etc. Most young foreigners I've met in Taiwan have concurred with this, remarking how much more fun, wild and full of action Thailand is in comparison. Taiwan is basically a very conservative, inhibited and repressed culture, which is reflected in everything in it, and explains why people have to act super innocent in order to fit in (in fact many of the white guys in Taiwan act a lot more Oriental than White). The foreigners who like Taiwan the most tend to be reserved quiet types. The only people that seem to talk to strangers freely are the elderly/middle age folks (similar to the US). What this means is that if you are seeking fun, excitement, wild times, adventure, thrills, energy, action, passionate people, etc. you will likely find Taiwan to be boring, sterile, too inhibited and devoid of "energy". As a result, you will feel like you aren't "truly alive" in an environment where you can't "come out of your shell and be your real self".

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eurobrat wrote:

Winston wrote:

eurobrat wrote:What if your a white guy in Taiwan?

Hard to say. I've heard mixed things from white guys. But since most white guys in Asia tend to BS or exaggerate, it's hard to know what to believe or who to believe.

I think there is a subset of Asian girls in Asia that like white guys, but they are usually not that attractive. Most Taiwanese prefer to date their own race and have picky standards.

Regarding black guys, my expat friend who's lived in Taiwan for 15 years, told me that every black guy he's met in Taiwan claimed they were not able to get any dates at all. Their social life was zero. However, one black guy emailed me long ago and told me that he got a lot of attention from girls in Taiwan. He said that he would get approached by girls in fast food joints too. So go figure.

You can't believe some people. Actually most people stretch the truth.

Exactly! Even good honest people often lie or exaggerate to look good. I've seen it. This also applies to the guys on this forum too.

This is why you should take everyone's claims here with a grain of salt, and not assume that if he says it, then it must be true.

You got to look at the evidence, probability, common sense too (such as the 10 logical reasons I posted) and seek out credible sources that you trust. But even if you have credible sources, everyone has different experiences so you got to add them all up. Plus, a lot of people, such as Rock, have clear BIASED FILTRATION SYSTEMS that operate on confirmation bias, seeking only the data that agrees with them and ignoring contrary data.

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eurobrat wrote:

Winston wrote:

eurobrat wrote:

Winston wrote:

eurobrat wrote:What if your a white guy in Taiwan?

Hard to say. I've heard mixed things from white guys. But since most white guys in Asia tend to BS or exaggerate, it's hard to know what to believe or who to believe.

I think there is a subset of Asian girls in Asia that like white guys, but they are usually not that attractive. Most Taiwanese prefer to date their own race and have picky standards.

Regarding black guys, my expat friend who's lived in Taiwan for 15 years, told me that every black guy he's met in Taiwan claimed they were not able to get any dates at all. Their social life was zero. However, one black guy emailed me long ago and told me that he got a lot of attention from girls in Taiwan. He said that he would get approached by girls in fast food joints too. So go figure.

You can't believe some people. Actually most people stretch the truth.

Exactly! Even good honest people often lie or exaggerate to look good. I've seen it. This also applies to the guys on this forum too.

This is why you should take everyone's claims here with a grain of salt, and not assume that if he says it, then it must be true.

You got to look at the evidence, probability, common sense too (such as the 10 logical reasons I posted) and seek out credible sources that you trust. But even if you have credible sources, everyone has different experiences so you got to add them all up. Plus, a lot of people, such as Rock, have clear BIASED FILTRATION SYSTEMS that operate on confirmation bias, seeking only the data that agrees with them and ignoring contrary data.

Yea but you just bought into his claim maybe. Everyone has a different experience. Some guys in the USA have a different experience than You or I did. I don't think he was intentionally lying about anything to you.

Or maybe some peoples perception is different than others lol.

Either way you sound miserable, go take a trip to China or somewhere you can get laid, your all whacked out these days.

I don't know if Rock is intentionally lying or not. Other possibilities are that he is delusional, likes to exaggerate, or just has an extreme confirmation bias and cognitive dissonance.

One thing I know for sure though:

His claim that EVERYONE or MOST guys can pick up chicks easily in Taiwan is FALSE AND NOT TRUE! That's been proven. If he continues to whine against that, then he's a sore loser.

Do you understand that? I'm arguing with his claim that anyone can pick up chicks in Taiwan, not whether he personally does better in Taiwan than me or not. I've explained this SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANY TIMES already. Why do you guys keep repeating the same claim after I've clarified it?

Eurobrat, you saw the photos I posted in that thread about the nightclub right? Even Steve Neese said he could tell that those girls are closed and unapproachable. It was very obvious. Only a deluded denialist would deny that.

I could post hundreds of photos like that, easily. And videos too, if I expended the effort.

Why deny common sense and the obvious?

Eurobrat, tell you what. Come here to Taiwan, and I'll take you out and you'll see what I mean. Afterward, you will see that Rock is obviously wrong. Guaranteed. I promise you.

If those five slim young white guys were afraid to approach Taiwan girls, I'm very sure that you would too and you would understand why after a while. It's a no brainer.

Btw, since a lot of you keep missing my main point OVER AND OVER again, let me repeat it many times below to try to hammer it into your heads...

I'm arguing with his claim that anyone can pick up chicks in Taiwan, not whether he personally does better in Taiwan than me or not. I've explained this SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANY TIMES already. Why do you guys keep repeating the same claim after I've clarified it?

I'm arguing with his claim that anyone can pick up chicks in Taiwan, not whether he personally does better in Taiwan than me or not. I've explained this SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANY TIMES already. Why do you guys keep repeating the same claim after I've clarified it?

I'm arguing with his claim that anyone can pick up chicks in Taiwan, not whether he personally does better in Taiwan than me or not. I've explained this SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANY TIMES already. Why do you guys keep repeating the same claim after I've clarified it?

I'm arguing with his claim that anyone can pick up chicks in Taiwan, not whether he personally does better in Taiwan than me or not. I've explained this SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANY TIMES already. Why do you guys keep repeating the same claim after I've clarified it?

I'm arguing with his claim that anyone can pick up chicks in Taiwan, not whether he personally does better in Taiwan than me or not. I've explained this SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANY TIMES already. Why do you guys keep repeating the same claim after I've clarified it?

I'm arguing with his claim that anyone can pick up chicks in Taiwan, not whether he personally does better in Taiwan than me or not. I've explained this SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANY TIMES already. Why do you guys keep repeating the same claim after I've clarified it?

I'm arguing with his claim that anyone can pick up chicks in Taiwan, not whether he personally does better in Taiwan than me or not. I've explained this SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANY TIMES already. Why do you guys keep repeating the same claim after I've clarified it?

I'm arguing with his claim that anyone can pick up chicks in Taiwan, not whether he personally does better in Taiwan than me or not. I've explained this SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANY TIMES already. Why do you guys keep repeating the same claim after I've clarified it?

I'm arguing with his claim that anyone can pick up chicks in Taiwan, not whether he personally does better in Taiwan than me or not. I've explained this SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANY TIMES already. Why do you guys keep repeating the same claim after I've clarified it?

I'm arguing with his claim that anyone can pick up chicks in Taiwan, not whether he personally does better in Taiwan than me or not. I've explained this SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANY TIMES already. Why do you guys keep repeating the same claim after I've clarified it?

There, I repeated it ten times. Do I need to repeat it ten more times? Can you all PLEASE STOP saying "Winston, just because Rock does better than you in Taiwan doesn't mean he's lying."? OK??? OR SHOULD I REPEAT THIS CLARIFICATION TEN MORE TIMES???

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I'd say at least 80% of the western guys I've known in Taipei over the years (and I've known several dozen) who came there single and stayed for more than 2-3 months either hooked-up with a local gf they really liked, eventually married a local girl, or serial dated local girls romantically. Monkro still technically falls in the 20% minority category since he's been platonic so far, lol.

Contrast that to HK where almost all the white guys I knew hooked-up with, dated, and/or married other foreigners.

eurobrat wrote:I believe you, that's why I generally don't see that many Taiwanese girls on Asian dating sites.

Ask him to quote me verbatim on my claim(s) cus in his usual fashion, he's grossly exaggeraed effectively putting words in my mouth.

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