what is that smell? what the fuck? it’s fucking hot here or what? what the fuck are those buildings? people don’t live in those concrete shells, do they??? aaagggggghhhhhhhhh
Arriving in Keelung at about 8 in the morning on Saturday December 7th, 1985, off the overnight ferry from Ishigaki on a beautifully sunny day, my first impression was:
“Omigod – glittering eyes, succulent lips, silky skin, pert breasts, slender legs, cute butts, and total gorgeousness of lovely xiaojies wherever I look! I’m in heaven!”
[quote=“Omniloquacious”]Arriving in Keelung (Jilong) at about 8 in the morning on Saturday December 7th, 1985, off the overnight ferry from Ishigaki on a beautifully sunny day, my first impression was:
“Omigod – glittering eyes, succulent lips, silky skin, pert breasts, slender legs, cute butts, and total gorgeousness of lovely xiaojies wherever I look! I’m in heaven!”[/quote]
That’s what I meant to say ! (Can I change my post? 
)
After a year of daily harrasement in mainland I was sitting in the airport bus to Taipei city, looking out of the window my first thought was: “Damn, it just looks like fucking dalu!” :shock:
I was soooo glad to soon find out, that it only looks like mainland. uffffff…
That was my second day’s impression (but with the words “hot babes” instead of “lovely xiaojies”. 
)
First one was, “Aaaaagh! Am I gonna survive this taxi ride? It’s steaming hot! Holy ****, look at the size of that spider!”
Late evening, February 1991. Rain and neon. Hitched a ride with another passenger, who introduced me to Roxy. The first step of a thousand-mile journey.
Who let the dogs out?
Y2K. Arrived at CKS airport. Drive to Tucheng. Home! It feels like home. Plus it has more trees.
ax
More trees?! :shock: eGads, Ax, where are you from again?
[quote=“Omniloquacious”]Arriving in Keelung (Jilong) at about 8 in the morning on Saturday December 7th, 1985, off the overnight ferry from Ishigaki on a beautifully sunny day, my first impression was:
“Omigod – glittering eyes, succulent lips, silky skin, pert breasts, slender legs, cute butts, and total gorgeousness of lovely xiaojies wherever I look! I’m in heaven!”[/quote]
Omni, I am so glad you have stayed true to form 
it’s hot, it’s humid, it’s dirty, it’s filthy and polluted. and i’m sweating all the time.
but once i went outside of taipei, wow, this is nice, breezy, green, cleaner.
lots of roaches, but they don’t compare to the super palm-sized roaches I’ve met in HK (up close and personal like on my pillow and awakening to 2 of them). and they fly. used tons of poison, the “little” guys died. king and queen roach kept on trucking.
the food is so-so. asian food in asia just isn’t as good as in the west coast.
Ditto! Plus big strong men with clutch bags under their arms :shock:
off the ferry in kaohsiung, august 1990…not a penny in my pocket so had to walk downtown to find a bank, again 7/11 was the first recognised sight…1st impression was that coming from china i was back in the west, oh and the very dodgy chinese spoken eveywhere (ie 44 = si si si)
Everytime I step out of the terminal at CKS:
gasp… HUMID… can’t… breathe… gasp!!!
Sep. 2002 Late night
Damn this 14 hour flight! Why are all these kids up so damn late riding scooters? Where the hell am I, everything looks the same.
After a year in Japan, I found the filth and chaos of taipei to be somewhat refreshing…even exciting.
airport bus to taoyuan city, lost of neon flashing lights in front of large picture windows with girls inside, oernight at taoyuan hotel, clerk asks me if I want a girl to come to my room, i said, excuse me?
People are so nice, modest, hardworking, honest, family-oriented and generous.
…I was so naive. 
You didn’t say
“YES!!!”
Started sweating before the plane landed, June’99. Late at night and I thought, “looks kinda like Japan.” Woke up the next day and looked out the window, thought, “looks nothing like Japan, more like Korea.” Friend picked me up for lunch and made a U turn into oncomming traffic. After heart attack, was told that was totally legal unless a police man was looking. And I thought prostitution was legal too, because of the bian lan girls.