Taipei is not friendly

Ooh, don’t tell me! It ended in divorce and crushing alimony payments?

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…I agree with you in that sense, they do care about you, but that is as far as it goes, what I mean is that they tend to stick in their own clan, you’re an outsider and stay an outsider if you see what i mean. I have made effort many-a-time to get friendly but they seem to faze it out, fizzle it out. They usually don’t contact you after first knowing you, like you were used for that first meeting day, then not needed anymore, perhaps they too are lonely and had no one to talk too, you got used sort of. Taiwanese have little interest in anything besides their smart phone. They mainly just sleep, eat and play on their smart phone all day, that’s all they want to do. I see young people on a Friday or Saturday evening just going to the noodle stand in a market place, eat the 100nd’s noodle then go home, no crazy night out to a disco etc.

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I agree that a lot of people are engulfed in their smart phones, but the generalization that all of them only have that interest is a rash generalization. There’s roughly 22,199,000 other people on this island aside from you. Just because the majority that YOU see are doing this, doesn’t mean that everyone is doing the same thing.

Have you gone to the bars and clubs in Xinyi district in Taipei to verify your statement or are those lines I see outside of Neo19 and Vieshow on a Saturday evening just an illusion?

Next time you go, skip the fake line and just walk straight into the club.

This statement can be applied to almost any country in the world that isn’t your home country. To be quite fair, there’s probably a bunch of groups we don’t fit into back at home for obvious reasons. Say you like downhill mountain biking, but you want to fit in with the baseball players. What do you guys talk about?

You made an effort to be friendly, but have you ever thought that you just don’t have anything in common? You grew up there, they grew up here. Different cultures different places. You’re interested in what’s it like to grow up in Taiwan, but they might not be interested in your culture. Or maybe there’s a language barrier?

What I’m trying to say is, this isn’t a “Taiwanese aren’t friendly and only love their smart phones” kind of thing. You see these people for a split second on your commute everyday and generalize that the entire population are cell phone zombies. If you’re commuting alone and have your smart phone to kill time, don’t tell me you wouldn’t look at it to pass the time.

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Mic drop.
Boom.

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How does all this compare with, say, Kaohsiung?

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Beyond genius level insight here folks. I’m impressed. Are you?

Correct it’s not just that locals have become slightly zombified and quiet . Everybody (almost ) has become zombified and quiet.

I mean quiet as in not talking to strangers and generally being a nuisance. Except for on scooters . People really let their aggression out on those things.

I still remember back in the day walking into 45s and it was absolutely heaving, sweaty, noisy, people were having a blast. That was just a regular night those days. Same went for Roxy which even had multiple locations. The office ladies and guys would go out and party hard on Christmas Eve.

Then a couple of years later was the dance music scene and underground clubs. That was pretty nuts too.

I just don’t think people party much anymore.
I could be wrong (and no surprise since I don’t go out much these days) but I suspect I am not. Its all cafes and hipsters and shit.

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I miss the days (ten years ago roughly?) of the tall good looking lady with shorter butchier lady…where did they all go? Says a lot for the theory that homosexuality is more nurture than nature doesn’t it…but I digress.

Am I off topic?

12 posts were split to a new topic: From TP not friendly

Past couple times I have been there, it’s been just about how you described it. Nonetheless, my past couple times was roughly 4 years ago.

It could come down to the fact that there’s lots of legit (and safe) places to hang out and have a drink now, so everyone is spread out. The boom in craft beer bars went from Beer N Cheese being (one of) the only places in the city to offer it to one in every other corner.

The whiskey bar I frequent, the owner used to be an engineer for a big tech company and quit to open up shop with his friends. He’s not the only store that has an owner that quit their desk job to own a restaurant/bar.

I don’t normally find myself in Xinyi late on Friday or Saturday evening, but when I’m there or passing by, there’s always always lines outside of Neo19, Vieshow for Babe18 and now ATT4FUN.

This is kind of my point. Its a changing demographic. In terms of night time action it used to be students and Engrish teachers in the Roxy area of town. Now its rich kids (ahem) in the Xinyi area.

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It wasn’t only students and English teachers though, some regular office and shop workers went out as well. The later generations stopped partying and going to bars as much. Again though , I don’t go out very often but when I do the western type places seem to be pretty dead compared to the old days, including the new craft bars that I have frequented. Is revolver still popular ?

I also think some of those craft bars especially the ones with just a bar and one or two tables are up their own arse ! Too fucking serious not enough service with a smile. Good beer though.

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Man, I sampled sour beer at Beer Geek over CNY. Was really impressed. Not a fan of IPAs but sour beers I could really get into.

…Sorry, wrong person I sent reply too, it’s for ‘ranlee.’

After getting home from New Year’s dinner at First Sister’s house on Monday, I had a prolonged spell of heinous Sour Flatulence…you mean like that?

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Soq0x7oZBF4

That is one truism I have not seen on here in awhile. Those Roxy days…

Yea, I think it is a bit like that, more so for foreigners. I guess if you just take it for what it is then its fine. I personally dont have any expectations so everything is a bonus.

my interaction of the week involved me giving change to an old man in the laundromat. Then he tried to buy a cigarette off me. I gave him a cig and after one smoke he had a coughing fit. Told me he has the flu and doesnt actually want to smoke. Im like you n me both. Guy stood up n gave me a military salute as i left. Im good with that.

Where is friendly these days unless you’re filthy rich and live in the Maldives?

I find that being filthy rich doesn’t necessarily get you “friendly”

It’s more of, whether you go in with glass half empty or half full.

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