Again, have this convo with some local friends and see what they say. What I’m saying is that in my experience, they admit that their understanding of “foreigner” is misguided/outdated, and are willing to own up to it and change.
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Call them on it.
Get bent.
I ain’t here to mentally colonise anyone.
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Alright, if you don’t complain about it then.
of course, they admit. They understand that is racism from the view point of westerners.
FIFY. 
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Betelnut. If I eat betelnut and wear blue slippers with suit trousers…how many points towards my burgeoning Taiwanesosity?
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Here in Canada my Taiwanese/Canadian friends call me, and other fellow white Canadians weigouren
LOL
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My point exactly.
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I live in New Taipei City and teach English. The pay is good considering cost of living, but it takes a few years to sorta get into the business and get the hours that you want. The real financial incentives, as an American, come from the low tax rate and low cost of healthcare.
Best things would be the safety, the transportation, and the convenience. Also the ability to drink a beer on the sidewalk, but also not as many issues with drunk assholes as in America.
The worst things would be the rigidity of the people and the culture. I saw a post on here last year about a foreigner whose Taiwanese girlfriend’s grandmother was dying of a treatable form of cancer, and the family refused to take her to a real doctor because they didn’t want to disrespect their traditional doctor. Basically grandma’s life was worth less than the fake doctor’s feelings. Similarly, lots of women I dated weren’t allowed out after 10pm even though they were in their late 20’s, because their parents still treat them like little girls. Then their parents wonder why they haven’t gotten married yet.
Lots of guys here really take virginity seriously, despite the culture being extremely sexual, like prostitution being everywhere, club girls, porn stars on Easy Cards, Bing lang girls, people pretending to want language exchange but really just wanting sex.
People lie and cheat here a lot, so much so that it’s practically a staple of the culture. Every rich old man has a xiao san, and lots of young women are dating married men. Married women have approached me. Everyone cheats. That’s not to say Americans don’t cheat, but it seems to be more of a one-off mistake rather than every husband setting up franchise families across Asia. Americans value trust in their relationships while Taiwanese value control. If you can’t stop your wife from going to the club and fucking other guys, then you didn’t make strict enough rules as a husband, instead of realizing that there is something wrong with that wife who thinks it’s normal to fuck other guys at the club (or with the society that enables it).
There are good people here, but the cultural barrier is a lot more than just liking stinky tofu or bleu cheese. Honesty is never trusted, and everyone thinks you have some hidden second meaning to everything you say. “I don’t ever want to be your boyfriend, I just want to sleep with you” gets understood as “I will be your boyfriend if you pretend to love me and try to buy me lots of pity gifts.”
The place is super clean though. Everyone is polite to strangers, and you don’t have the issues with littering like you do in America or mainland. The people are very well educated on everything not including superstitions and Chinese medicine. The views are beautiful and the proximity to other nations is a plus.
Overall I enjoy it, but there are some pretty serious issues with the society. Still, I have found my place and even found my love here. I probably won’t leave unless the job opportunities dry up.
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Pretty good analysis, overall.
I would revise one bit, though
Only the ones with dough.
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Just wait until your third day, mate. Then we get onto the issue of food.
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I need to edit that.
LOL
Wormholing back to the original topic, I did find it friggin hilarious how excited buddy got about the big water bottles.
Hold on to your hat, junior, wait 'til you see the friggin carrots!!
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waiguoren…
write it out 100 times by COB, tks.
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This is something that doesn’t bother me. Possibly because I don’t expect that holding a local senfenzheng is going to make me a local. I’m already me. That’s who I am. I couldn’t care less if some stranger thinks I’m Taiwanese or not.
GODDAMNNNNNIITTT
Fuzzy pinyin autocorrect has failed me once again.
1000 sorrys pnegyuo
Did you just call him Pinocchio???
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