Hi, I’m going to be in Taiwan for around a month and want to find some dates. I’m not sure how to find one though. I am 22 female, American born Taiwanese, so I look 100% Taiwanese on the outside. My Chinese is only semi-fluent verbally. I cannot read Chinese at all. I have read some posts on how male/female foreigners can attract dates, however, looking like everyone else, I do not naturally attract attention from other people.
Does anyone have any advice?
I just think it would be cool to talk to young people around my age and hangout or something.
I am currently located in Sanxia, but will be traveling to the Taipei area for a while. I will also be living in the Taoyuan area as well.
I’m in the same boat as you, except I’m a guy. I’ve read up on some stuff here and it seems like shyness is very common so I guess you could, I dunno, purposely bump into people and drop your stuff so they’ll have to talk to you haha. Kidding, sort of. Honestly I don’t really know since I’ve only been here a few days so far. I just found this thread interesting so I thought I’d pop in and see what it’s about since I’ve been wondering about the same thing.
[quote=“starlightwaters”]Hi, I’m going to be in Taiwan for around a month and want to find some dates. I’m not sure how to find one though. I am 22 female, American born Taiwanese, so I look 100% Taiwanese on the outside. My Chinese is only semi-fluent verbally. I cannot read Chinese at all. I have read some posts on how male/female foreigners can attract dates, however, looking like everyone else, I do not naturally attract attention from other people.
Does anyone have any advice?
I just think it would be cool to talk to young people around my age and hangout or something.
I am currently located in Sanxia, but will be traveling to the Taipei area for a while. I will also be living in the Taoyuan area as well.[/quote]
It comes down to putting yourself in situations where you’ll actually “meet” people! This means jumping in feet first to get out of the house and in the mix. There are a ton of public groups/events on Facebook that could help with this. Consider joining a hiking or outdoor/nature club. If you’re 22, maybe there are some events at a local university that might be of interest? If you have other hobbies like sports, cars, art, etc, maybe ask a friend or family member that can help you search for relevant info in Mandarin. It takes a little courage to put yourself out there, but once you get over the initial shyness (something that we all have) the opportunities to connect increase greatly.
[quote=“JcJiayou”]I’m in the same boat as you, except I’m a guy. I’ve read up on some stuff here and it seems like shyness is very common so I guess you could, I dunno, purposely bump into people and drop your stuff so they’ll have to talk to you haha. Kidding, sort of. Honestly I don’t really know since I’ve only been here a few days so far. I just found this thread interesting so I thought I’d pop in and see what it’s about since I’ve been wondering about the same thing.
And do you mean date dates or friend dates?[/quote]
Date dates, friend dates, doesn’t really matter. I’m kind of skeptical about date dates due to the fact that I won’t be here for a very long time, so friend dates are more likely. It would be awesome not to have to hang around family 24/7 and just get to know someone new. Today will be the 4th day I’m here.
Date dates, friend dates, doesn’t really matter. I’m kind of skeptical about date dates due to the fact that I won’t be here for a very long time, so friend dates are more likely. It would be awesome not to have to hang around family 24/7 and just get to know someone new. Today will be the 4th day I’m here.[/quote]
Ah I see, I feel the same way. I’ve been here for 5 days and haven’t really met anyone. I’m actually here to take some classes to improve my Chinese but my program(excuse to meet new people) doesn’t start until 7/1. But hey, if you’re in Taipei and want to meet someone new… I … might possibly be willing to go hangout with you if you don’t feel like this whole scenario is dangerous and creepy. Ohmygod that was so uncomfortable to type, but whatever, I need to meet people too.
Not creepy at all - it’s perfect! You’re both in a similar situation and very likely have some things in common. Relax.
When I first arrived here I hung out with friends from work. Now, 90 per cent of my friends and ‘date dates’ have come through online stuff like Meetup or dating websites. It’s very common here. I have a new job and imagine that will change, but still, it’s been a great way to make some good friends and hang out with pretty ladies!
Not creepy at all - it’s perfect! You’re both in a similar situation and very likely have some things in common. Relax.
When I first arrived here I hung out with friends from work. Now, 90 per cent of my friends and ‘date dates’ have come through online stuff like Meetup or dating websites. It’s very common here. I have a new job and imagine that will change, but still, it’s been a great way to make some good friends and hang out with pretty ladies!
Hang out and have fun![/quote]
If you’ve dated online before, then you know that sometimes a one-on-one meetup with a stranger can be a bit awkward. I’ve done it before and there’s a lot of pressure to keep the conversation going from a cold start. That said, if you’ve spent weeks getting to know each other first and know their preferred hobbies, music, movies, etc., then that tends to help. For a first meetup fresh off the internets, it might be worth doing something in more of a group setting so things are more relaxed.
You do have a point. I always mention before that I’m cool with a bit of silence. Plus if it’s a friend date then there’s less stress. I’d meet up on a friend date relatively quick but a date date takes longer, mainly for the reasons you stated raccoon.
I think meetup is great. I’ve made a lot of friends through such group meetings.
Get out there and do stuff. When you see a guy you’re interested in, ask him out. It’s really that easy. Only immature men care about the whole dating game where girls have to play that shy hang around type and not be too forward, wait for the guy to make a move etc… It’s crap. Woman can ask men out just as easy as men can ask woman out. Find someone you think you might like to spend some time with, ask them out, and enjoy your dates.
Meetup, Facebook groups (e.g. hiking, river tracing), and OKC all work well enough. If your Chinese isn’t great you may find it a bit awkward to randomly try conversing with people in public, though you never know. Forumosa might also work out well for you if you start posting about some niche interest and someone notices. I’ve made a friend or two through this forum after posting about going into abandoned buildings and such.
There’s also nightclubs to consider if you’re into that sort of thing. Here in Taiwan “go to a nightclub” is synonymous with “go fuck a stranger” but it doesn’t have to be like that. Plus if you go anyplace foreigners go in Taipei you probably won’t have to worry too much about your Chinese language ability regardless of gender. Some places to look up: The Wall/Korner, Revolver, Barcode, and Villa Herbs. There are also many mainstream clubs like Luxy, Box, Spark, Room18, and so on, but those places aren’t quite as conducive to actually meeting people I find… unless you’re just looking for a hook-up.
Language exchange groups are also an option. There’s a bunch around town. One meets at Royal Art Cafe quite regularly. You just have to learn to sort out who’s there to pick up or be picked up and you might end up meeting some cool people.
So I actually just came back from my day of going to random places and decided to walk around Taipei 101 and found the ATT building. I saw a sign I couldn’t read by the escalator on the 5th floor and was like, screw it, I’ll just go and see what’s up there. Apparently, it was the entrance to Spark and there were a ton of what looked like managers and girls just standing there as if they were waiting for someone important. So I said “wo haoxiang zou cuo le” in my mediocre Chinese and ran out of there mentally facepalming all the way back to the MRT. Can’t wait till I make some friends so they’ll stop me from doing stupid things, or do it with me. Haha
Ha ha, yeah it’s always good to have a friend there to share embarrassing moments. Check out some of the events here: meetup.com/ (IP-targeted website so Taipei events pop up automatically.) It might take some searching, but finding an event that you find interesting will likely give you better results than just wandering around.
Besides other things mentioned. Go hunting. Which is to say go out there, wander around. Go to that big 24/7 bookstore. Take the MRT all over the place. See a target, talk to him/her. No electricity? Go to another and another and another. See someone nice on the MRT? TAlk to him/her, ask dumb questions. SEe if it it leads to a telephone number/email exchange. Hang out in nice cafes with tons of people in them.
Newbie? Oldbie? Works the same. Loneliness is curable, but you have to work at it.
Its actually a lot easier in Taiwan. In Taiwan, if you strike up a conversation with someone, it can easily lead to getting digits and a “date” for a meet up.
In the USA, even if you talk up a stranger in a cafe, it often just ends there. They were just bein friendly, not wanting to go further !!
[quote=“tommy525”]Besides other things mentioned. Go hunting. Which is to say go out there, wander around. Go to that big 24/7 bookstore. Take the MRT all over the place. See a target, talk to him/her. No electricity? Go to another and another and another. See someone nice on the MRT? TAlk to him/her, ask dumb questions. SEe if it it leads to a telephone number/email exchange. Hang out in nice cafes with tons of people in them.
Newbie? Oldbie? Works the same. Loneliness is curable, but you have to work at it.
Its actually a lot easier in Taiwan. In Taiwan, if you strike up a conversation with someone, it can easily lead to getting digits and a “date” for a meet up.
In the USA, even if you talk up a stranger in a cafe, it often just ends there. They were just bein friendly, not wanting to go further !![/quote]
I guess I understand the “hunting” strategy, but when you put it like that…it sure sounds a little creepy/desperate to me. Quantity vs. quality? If it’s a numbers game then plain ol’ luck becomes an important factor as well.
Call it a quest, a mission, a sortie , an errand, an excursion, a foray. Whatever the heck you want to call it. You are out to get you a DATE with a real live human yeah?
So deal with it. Get it done.
LUck? Absolutely ! Luck , like Fate is a 4 letter word though.
I’ve never actually “couchsurfed” myself but I attended a Couchsurfing meetup in Istanbul and it was great. While I find it a bit weird to crash at a stranger’s place, I did enjoy meeting up and having drinks to learn more about the city from locals and travelers alike. I’m sure people at at Couchsurfing meetup in Taipei would be friendly and helpful as well.
I’ve never actually “couchsurfed” myself but I attended a Couchsurfing meetup in Istanbul and it was great. While I find it a bit weird to crash at a stranger’s place, I did enjoy meeting up and having drinks to learn more about the city from locals and travelers alike. I’m sure people at at Couchsurfing meetup in Taipei would be friendly and helpful as well.[/quote]
My friend met their partner through Couchsurfing!
The racoon is right about the ‘group setting’ thing. Be very careful with your profile: my profile just got a load of cock pics and hook-up offers. Take advice from experienced couchsurfers to avoid the dangerous / annoying stuff, such as being incredibly clear and assertive about your expectations and requirements. You hear some stories …
[quote=“tommy525”]Call it a quest, a mission, a sortie , an errand, an excursion, a foray. Whatever the heck you want to call it. You are out to get you a DATE with a real live human yeah?
So deal with it. Get it done.
LUck? Absolutely ! Luck , like Fate is a 4 letter word though.[/quote]
