Recently some of my family came over to visit me here in Taipei and I could help wondering what Taiwan must look like through their eyes. My first impressions of the place were certainly not very favourable. I remember when I first arrived at my place of residence I took a quick shower, slung my camera over my neck and told the landlord that I was going for a walk. She looked at me as if I were mad. Her looked said,
Where is that damn “eating popcorn and watching ths thread” gif?
ahh…here it is…
damn…that one doesn’t work anymore…
It’s much easier to curse a candle than light a fart.
Wow, interesting thread. I first visited Taipei in April 1998 and loved it immediately. I nearly moved here in 2000 but had a better offer to go to Hong Kong. 5 years later I found myself posted here having visited many times and am very happy to be here.
My mother is coming in 2 weeks time and I am also concerned about what she will think of the place. Not with any sense of shame, as it is far more developed than my last posting in Saigon, but more because I want her to understand why I am happy here.
I love the fact that Taipei has a kind of half finished feel, there is a tonne of culture here, people are way friendlier than say HK and the food rocks compared to most places I have lived. Granted I haven’t done a 10 year stretch, but I haven’t done that in a single city in my life so why should Taipei be any different.
Can’t wait to see what others write.
It’s all about the way you see it. If this is how you see it, it isn’t going to change. You should try to find somewhere you don’t feel this way about.
Call me crazy or nuts…but that is why i like Taiwan.
My thoughts when I got off the bus at the MRT main station:
“Nice subway system wow, im impressed so clean and efficient!” (This was at night and I had jet lag and didnt really see much else… 20 minutes later… walking to my fiancee’s apartment in Muzha:
"OMG…you have got to be kidding 
"
But after exploring Taiwan for 2 months last year, i grew to like the grime and grit and roughness of Taiwan…for me it is an adventure, something different from every other place I have been to. There are some beautiful places on the island too. Don’t let the grit get to you. If it is impressions you are worried about…I think self satisfaction and happiness is more important. If your family and friends see that your station in life and attitude is happy and positive and that Taiwan “works” for you…then they will not have a biased negative view of the place…instead they will seek out the inner beauty of Taiwan that you show through your own attitude…“hey he really loves the place!” “Yeah its a bit dirty, but he really enjoys it here…I should find out why…” = see kind of like that only in a less corny way.
No worries friend. Chin up and keep thinking positive.
Just show them all the right spots, avoid the wrong spots, and emphasize the positive. Remember, your attitude may affect theirs.
Not meaning to dismiss your positve impressions about Taiwan, but you should be aware that you have had only limited, tourist-type exposure to the place. When you actually live here-- and have out-stayed the honeymoon stage-- your viewpoints may change somewhat. That’s not to say that you’ll become like OP. You may, however, come to like the “grime and grit and roughness” aspects a little less. I guess what I’m saying is you have to live here to really understand what OP is on about. Many will disagree with OP (myself to some extent as well), but we have the frame of reference required to do so.
Not meaning to dismiss your positve impressions about Taiwan, but you should be aware that you have had only limited, tourist-type exposure to the place. When you actually live here-- and have out-stayed the honeymoon stage-- your viewpoints may change somewhat. That’s not to say that you’ll become like OP. You may, however, come to like the “grime and grit and roughness” aspects a little less. I guess what I’m saying is you have to live here to really understand what OP is on about. Many will disagree with OP (myself to some extent as well), but we have the frame of reference required to do so.[/quote]
Tourist type exposure? Excuse me? Tourist type exposure??? 
Is this touristy:
Grocery shopping, teaching in a buxiban, living in an apartment and a house, fishing with the family on the fish farm, cleaning the days worth of fish with the grandmother, getting up at the crack of dawn to walk to the vegetable market in small town out of Kaohsiung to help the family sell vegetables, spend some time in the hospital, mingle with the locals through my fiancee’s freinds, toatlly clean her apartment for her to surprise her when she got home…man that took a ton of bleach to kill all the mold and grime, killed lord knows how many roaches and mosquitos, ate the local food every day…never once set foot in a McDonald’s or KFC…etc etc etc
Sure I did the tourist stuff, but I rolled up my sleeves and felt what it was like to be a local. No argument I wasnt tehre long, but it wasnt a one week vacation at the Grand Hotel either.
(Rebuttle Rant over)
Not meaning to dismiss your positve impressions about Taiwan, but you should be aware that you have had only limited, tourist-type exposure to the place. When you actually live here-- and have out-stayed the honeymoon stage-- your viewpoints may change somewhat. That’s not to say that you’ll become like OP. You may, however, come to like the “grime and grit and roughness” aspects a little less. I guess what I’m saying is you have to live here to really understand what OP is on about. Many will disagree with OP (myself to some extent as well), but we have the frame of reference required to do so.[/quote]
Tourist type exposure? Excuse me? Tourist type exposure???
Is this touristy:
Grocery shopping, teaching in a buxiban, living in an apartment and a house, fishing with the family on the fish farm, cleaning the days worth of fish with the grandmother, getting up at the crack of dawn to walk to the vegetable market in small town out of Kaohsiung to help the family sell vegetables, spend some time in the hospital, mingle with the locals through my fiancee’s freinds, toatlly clean her apartment for her to surprise her when she got home…man that took a ton of bleach to kill all the mold and grime, killed lord knows how many roaches and mosquitos, ate the local food every day…never once set foot in a McDonald’s or KFC…etc etc etc
Sure I did the tourist stuff, but I rolled up my sleeves and felt what it was like to be a local. No argument I wasn’t tehre long, but it wasn’t a one week vacation at the Grand Hotel either.
(Rebuttle Rant over)[/quote]
The length of stay in Taiwan that many here on these forums have is measured in years, not days or months. Taiwan is where they live, not a place they visited. It’s a very different viewpoint from that of one who visited Taiwan for a couple months a while ago. So, yes, compared to someone who actually lives here now-- and has lived here a while-- your viewpoint more closely represents that of a visiting tourist. I’m not putting down your Taiwan experience, just pointing out that you may not have the frame of reference necessary to fully understand the issues long term residents (not visitors) raise here. Perhaps you’ll understand what I’m talking about better when you get here and have lived here a while.
You dont have to live in Taiwan years and years to realize or see that it is dirty. Anyone who can see can afirm that.
Truce? (extending a handshake)
[quote=“derek1978”]You dont have to live in Taiwan years and years to realize or see that it is dirty. Anyone who can see can afirm that.
Truce? (extending a handshake)[/quote]
Taiwan is not dirty. It’s rustic and reflects the latter end of the last great Chinese empire.
Ok, not that there was ever any war. Your enthusiasm in anticipation of your future life here is great, BTW.
It
[quote]I don
Grime and grit and roughness???
What Taiwan do you live in? Or what paradise did you come from?
I thought things were kind of nice here in Taiwan. Sure, sometimes you can see the air, but I grew used to that living in Detroit in the 70’s.
Roughness? At least I can walk down the streets at night here with no worries.
[quote=“JMcNeill”]Grime and grit and roughness???
What Taiwan do you live in? Or what paradise did you come from?
I thought things were kind of nice here in Taiwan. Sure, sometimes you can see the air, but I grew used to that living in Detroit in the 70’s.
Roughness? At least I can walk down the streets at night here with no worries.[/quote]
Stop comparing.
This is a rant. 
[quote=“sandman”][quote]I don
Taiwan is a wonderful place for surly curmudgeons. 
[quote=“jdsmith”][quote=“JMcNeill”]Grime and grit and roughness???
What Taiwan do you live in? Or what paradise did you come from?
I thought things were kind of nice here in Taiwan. Sure, sometimes you can see the air, but I grew used to that living in Detroit in the 70’s.
Roughness? At least I can walk down the streets at night here with no worries.[/quote]
Stop comparing.
This is a rant. [/quote]
Oops! Sorry 
As you were.