But isn't kaoshiung dirtier?

Taiwan Living in Taiwan
1

in response to a previous text about whether to choose taipei or kaoshiung-i’ve always shied away from kaoshiung cuz have heard horror stories about the pollution-that’s it’s much worse than taipei, that there are some days that there are govt warnings to not even bathe in the water. urban myth? i’ve only driven through the city on my way to kenting, so i dont know much about the place-- would appreciate an answer from any folx living, or who have lived, in kaoshiung.

it sounds a bit rowdier than taipei as well…

dodgier?

i’ll eventually go down there and check it out myself, but any immediate insight would be very welcomed…

2

Kaohsiung is DIRTY. The water’s undrinkable and often unbathable.
The air will give you coughing fits from time to time, especially if you’re riding around on your scooter (a MUST if you’re living anywhere outside of Taipei) sucking in gas fumes. And yes, it does have more of a Wild East feel to it than Taipei - maybe it’s the atmosphere of all those sailors pulling into port, but it’s got the feel of a real cowboy/gangster town whenever I’ve been there. But then again most of the time I was spending down at the likes of Wufu after dusk :slight_smile:, so my perception’s probably colored by that too much.

On the other hand, it’s a lot cheaper to live there, it’s more of the “real” Taiwan than Taipei, it’s closer to more natural beauty (Pingtung County right next door) which means you can more easily get away from the urban ugliness, the weather’s more agreeable (less rain), and it’s easier to find English teaching jobs (less foreigners). Taipei is much more modern, cosmopolitan, cleaner, developed, and richer than the rest of Taiwan. So it’s a toss up, overall - depends on your personal preferences.

3

Mod lang is right about the drinkablilty of the water, but I’ve taken at least one shower a day every day for almost the past eight years in Kaohsiung water and never had any problems. More over, my 4 1/2 year old daughter has bathed every day in it and has fine skin.

Kaohsiung certainly isn’t the cleanest place on the island, but at least from my perspective it has improved quite a bit.

As for it’s seemy underside, that’s not something I get into much anymore, and Wufu Road certainly does have some places you wouldn’t want to go into without backup, but there are also some very good pubs around town. If I remember correctly, there’s a place called Honky Tonk that’s NT$300 to get in, but it’s all you can drink. :shock:

4

Speaking of Kaohsiung and Wufu…does anybody know who this “English teacher” loser is?

[quote]
Kaohsiung Travel Report Dated Added: 2002-05-30 Submitted by: pete

  • Why pay for sex…when you can get it for free !!! This is my policy in life and I am usually successful. I am a 27 year old male(goodlooking !!) and I was in Kaohsiung recently. For anybody of you looking to make some easy money, teaching English at “bushibans” is a good alternative.

Don’t worry if you do not speak a word of Chinese, because once the night sets in, Kaohsiung, all aglow in neon, is yours. Remember I mentioned “free sex”. The numerous discotheques in the city are the best watering holes. For example try “Jurassic Park” in the heart of the city. On weekends the cover is NT$ 450(US$ 13) which includes a free drink. I guess Tuesday was ladies night, but the good part is that if you are a white male you stand a good chance of getting hooked up. Now I am not speaking about hookers, but very normal girls like the ones we see every day. Taiwanese girls are very shy when it comes to speaking English, but they want to, so desperately. They fantasize of having a “foreign” boyfriend.

I spotted a petite girl in a group(Taiwanese always dance in groups !!) who kept on glancing at me with an occasional smile. I discovered my chance and just joined in the dancing not very far from her. At some stage the “boys” of the group ( note. Taiwanese men go to the the WC in groups too !!!) had to answer the call of nature and left. I wasted no time and struck up a conversation, asking her her name and what she did. It worked !! We were dancing together for the rest of the evening, and she did not bother to go back to her “group” again. We did not have sex the very same night but the next two weeks (my entire stay in Kaohsiung) were spent in heaven with “Eden”. (That was her name…most Taiwanese have a double English name). She was 20 and wanted to study at a US University. Her dream was to become a fashion designer.

Other places to check out are Rock 22 in the Hai Lai Hotel, DNA, (supposed to have an Irish/ Australian/Canadian ??? management), Sexy at the Grand Formosa, and Pig and Whistle on Wufu Road. Apart from this there are numerous bars on Wufu 4th Street where the barwoman herself is “willing” to go with you !!!(Montana Bar off Wufu Road)

If you believe in paying money…then try walking into the numerous Barber shops at “every” corner of this sprawling city…and be at a risk of being refused because you are a foreigner(AIDS !!!) and/or the doorman does not speak English. Try taking a Chinese speaking companion with you. It is difficult to recommend any good one because most of these places have absolutely no English name but there is one on Santou Road very close to the Linden Hotel where I was staying which charges a flat fee of NT$ 1500(US$ 45)for an all inclusive service. The girls are rarely under 25 but a good value for the money. Barber shops can be identified by the revolving neon signs, a symbolic butterfly like a man who hops from “flower” to “flower”.

Patience is a virtue and if you have charm and are able to make both of these work for you, then you never ever have to pay a single dime for a “one-night-stand” Good luck !!! (Review # 5621)[/quote]

[quote]
Kaohsiung Other Dated Added: 2002-12-01 Submitted by: pete

  • This is an update on Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Beware of drinking and driving. The cops have become increasingly hard and even foreigners are not spared. Don’t try the old trick.“Sorry, I speak no Chinese” it does not work anymore.
    “Sexy” has closed down. Jurassic Park has become a haven for drug abuse and even DNA is filled with drunk Englsh teachers. But here is the good news; try JDLondon Pub. It is close to the one and only Citibank outlet in Kaohsiung and the bar girls are pretty cute. They dance on the bar counter for you !!! A very new addition is Honky Tonk just across the street from Mamamia and “Passion” on Linsen Road. No 165. The scene on Wufu 4th Street has undergone a change too. Try Alices Pub. Nice girls and a lively atmosphere. And yes, if you are ready to get ripped off,walk into “Oh la la”

Pig and Wistle on Suwei Road is a good bet. Sunday is foreigners night and the bar girls are pretty nice too. It is up to you to strike up a conversation.

Apart from this if you are really looking for a “hot” encounter you will need a Chinese speaking friend to go with you. Believe me…some of the KTVs in the city have an amazing array of girls as young as maybe 16. They sing with you and sit on your lap and the list goes on and on. This can get pretty expensive. A night at such a KTV can run way over Us$ 400…but worth a “once in a lifetime” experience.

Enjoy life, guys !!! (Review # 6561)[/quote]

worldsexguide.com/guide/Asia/Taiwan/

5

Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? White male, 27, “good looking” (probably only in his imagination) who can’t score at home so he has to prowl grotty Kaohsiung talking bars and is more than likely a walking genital warts open sore? Is sad because he can’t drive drunk anymore? I guess nobody can ID this guy? I thought it might be fun to “out” him and show his “sex report” to all the bargirls on Wufu :smiling_imp:

6

Mod Lang,

That guy has gotta be a loser…look at the pubs he goes to. Pig and Whistle? DNA? Those places are for lowlifes. He must be a FNG!

7

That guy has gotta be a loser…look at the pubs he goes to. Pig and Whistle? DNA? Those places are for lowlifes. He must be a FNG [quote]

What’s wrong with those places? DNA is probably Kaohsiung’s equivalent to Roxy 99. It’s rocking late on the weekends and it’s not just FNGs who are going there! Not all of the long termers here hang out at Norman’s on a regular basis.[/quote]

8

“That guy has gotta be a loser…look at the pubs he goes to. Pig and Whistle? DNA? Those places are for lowlifes. He must be a FNG”

What’s wrong with those places? DNA is probably Kaohsiung’s equivalent to Roxy 99. It’s rocking late on the weekends and it’s not just FNGs who are going there! Not all of the long termers here hang out at Norman’s on a regular

9

What’s an FNG?

10

Kaohsiung’s overall quality of life has definitely improved. In the summer time the air quality is about the same as anywhere else. I check the EPA’s pollution index every day in the winter time, and at that time Kaohsiung is never exponentially worse than any other part of Taiwan. In fact, many people think that Taipei’s air quality is worse than Kaohsiung’s because it’s located in a valley. I don’t know if this is so because I don’t live there. epa.gov.tw/psi/psiarea_e.html

In terms of water, four years ago I used to wash my shirts and the white ones, always came out with brown spots. This doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. Granted I wouldn’t drink the water, but it is an improvement.

For everybody’s information, Wufu 4th Road, where all the lowlifes are, is dead. Business there is way down. Also from what I’ve heard from the locals Pig N’Whistle is now the city’s hottest gay spot. If you’re looking for a place for pint and conversation, and maybe some live music one place I do know is called the Dick and Cowboy. Unfortunately for y’all that is the breadth of my Kaohsiung bar experience. Well at least the experiences I’m willing to post.

In short Kaohsiung is not the cleanest place on earth, but it’s not the worst place in Taiwan. Once you get used to it here it can become a comfortable place to live, if any place in Taiwan can be called that.

11

Norman’s is a great place for good food and drinks. Tuesday and Wednesday nights seem to be the busiest…

The Western Cowboy is also a good place for drinks.

If sleaze is what you are after then DNA, the Pig, and Wufu 4th RD is where you want to go. We have a great time going to Arnott’s Pub on Wufu 4th and pretending to be off-duty missionaries! :shock:

Then there is always 7-11 beer and the park…

12

Don’t know about you guys but for the past few days the weather has been great and I don’t think I’ve seen Kaohsiung this beautiful in a long time. ! Let’s hope it continue’s this way for a while. Mind you, I’ve knocked a few ales back over the past few days so maybe my senses and overall preception are a bit off…

13

Today would be a great day to head out to the Grand Hotel for swimming and drinks…sigh…

Beautiful weather!

14

[quote=“Durins Bane”]Today would be a great day to head out to the Grand Hotel for swimming and drinks…sigh…

Beautiful weather![/quote]

How right you are. Unfortunately, my day will be spent in the office testing students, so if you go, please hoist a couple of beers for me. Thanks!

15

Back in the day (about 1-2 years ago) the best pub in town was Cheeky Charlies’, down off one of the sidestreets near Wufu 4th. The owner moved backed to Australia and the last time I was down that way the pub was an abandoned dump. So where’s the big hangout district for drunken big-noses now that Wufu’s gone to the dogs?

16

The place I liked best when I visited Kaohsiung last summer was the strip club called Yes. Slipped in at 8 pm and didn’t get out until around 3 am, and never had so much innocent fun in my life. The girls do lap dances, some clothed, some topless, the beer flows, the music shouts, there are floor shows every hour, even an African guy who eats fire, and the most beautiful babes i ever done seen, through beer bedazzled eyes. Anyone else ever go there? I heard it got busted a few weeks ago, after a NEXT maggazine expose showed what really goes on there, after dark?

We got sleaze like that here in Mont Real, but nothing like the sleaze of Koahsiung that long summer night, too long ago. Omni?

17

Where’s Norman’s?

18

Norman’s is near the Cultural Center on Linde RD. Tonite is a good night to go as is tomorrow night.