I moved a little while ago and don’t know the neighbours. I knocked once and there was no answer.
To be honest I don’t know what the etiquette is these days. Is it still like the 1950s where you cook a homemade cake or lasagne and hand it over, or do people just not bother these days?
They’ve probably already come to conclusions based on the random expletives, explosive fappage and screaming from night terrors during the night coming from my place, but perhaps I should knock again and make an effort to be friendly?
Or maybe the onus is on them, in which case, where’s my fucking lasagne?
This month I’m completing my third year in my current apartment. I’ve never met the neighbors that live on either side of me. I never hear them, and I try to keep it down so they don’t hear noise from my place. That’s good enough for me.
Are you in Taiwan? Do you live in an apartment building? If both are true, don’t bother. Gifting new neighbors or knocking on their doors to introduce themselves is unusual here. Just say hello and make small talks next time you see them.
dont bother, no one expects you to introduce yourself, and no one wants to be friends with you. neighbors expect you to be quiet and invisible, saying hello is already more than enough.
Imagine you went and knocked nextdoor in Taipei and asked for some sugar or something. They would think you are completely mad.
We invited ours over for coffee when we first came here. Such newbies lol. Now they struggle to even nod their heads at us when passing by in the stairwell or street.
There was a story in the paper here about a year ago about someone who gifted a neighbour a carp. The neighbour attempted to cook it but the stench of this worthless fish’s flesh was too overpowering. I thought it summarised Taiwan neighbour relations quite aptly.
Neighbours suck in Taiwan. I wish I could say they ignored us but they complained about us constantly , especially just after moving in in an effort to establish ground rules I guess.
Can you write a note in Chinese? That is what I suggest.
If you just happen to bump into them that would be best …but sometimes schedules do not match up and can go years without seeing each other.
I’ve lived in my current building around fifteen years. I’ve tried to usually smile and/or nod at neighbours in the elevator and around the building, for example when taking out trash. I’m now at the stage where more than half - maybe more than half - smile or nod back, rather than stare into the middle distance and/or look bewildered.
My impression is that timeline is typical.
Some of them are quite friendly (which is great!), but unfortunately we then hit the wall of my atrocious Chinese and the bizarre non sequiturs I probably give in response to their idle chatting. (“Terrible rain lately, eh?” / “Yes, I am busy at work!”)