Foreigners avoiding each other

[Andrew]

@jimipresley

Of course I’m generalizing and stereotyping, but 90% of waiguoren blokes I see have beards, for some odd reason, and 90% of woman look at me like I’m a rapist, which is odd, because I’m little and puny, and couldn’t even rape a McDonalds burger.

It’s not the mackintosh and hiding in shadowy bushes, is it? Just brainstorming.

[jimipresley]

@DrewC

There are less foreigners in Kaohsiung than Taipei though (we still have a fair number), so maybe people are more blasé about it up north.

Herein lies the difference. Virtually every day I’m commuting from Ximen, which is probably the most cosmopolitan area in Taiwan. I see loads of foreigners. If I were to nod at each of them, I’d need physiotherapy.

[DrewC]

Yeah, I get that. I used to work in Seoul and there you didn’t really bat an eye at other foreigners. And when I’ve been to Taipei there’s definitely a lot more. We have a medium amount in Ktown. I live in one of the more modern areas (Zuoying, if you’re familiar) and I’d say if I’m out and about I still only see 2-3 white faces a day (… unless there’s some meet-up and they’re roving around like a pack of frisbee-football crazed animals. Sometimes they congregate in the park).

[Taiwan_Luthiers]

There isn’t even that many foreign women, and the few that are here came with their husband or boyfriend, and the few single ones will date another foreigner in their church organization (almost as though those things are freaking arranged).

And every one of them act like you’re a creep too.

[jimipresley]

@Andrew

It’s not the mackintosh and hiding in shadowy bushes, is it? Just brainstorming.

There are no bushes in Ximen, mate. Just concrete and no-smoking zones.

[jimipresley]

@Taiwan_Luthiers

There isn’t even that many foreign women, and the few that are here came with their husband or boyfriend

I’ve noticed that, too. I’ve had five of those couples at my school, and within a year they all separated.

[Andrew]

@jimipresley

There are no bushes in Ximen, mate. Just concrete and no-smoking zones.

I beg to differ. There are multiple bushes in the Ximen area for the committed young miscreant to lurk in. If you’re not into that, it’s completely fine, but I don’t think it’s fair to blame a lack of greenery.

[jimipresley]

I beg to differ. Some of those are trees. The others are tiny shrubs that wouldn’t even hide my minute frame in a flashing Macintosh.

[tempogain]

That’s not really Ximending.

[dan2006]

I lived in Daliao. I saw one foreigner in a year max. He was as surprised to see me as I was to see him

[tempogain]

Did you say hello?

[Dr_Milker]

I’ve hidden in bushes in Ximending on numerous occasions. Wait…what kind of bushes are we talking about again?

[dan2006]

The guy was the other side of a busy road with a market otherwise I would.
I used to acknowledge everyone with a hi or a nod but I generally don’t now because more than half pretend they don’t see me … I now acknowledge if they do first… but no skin off my big nose

[Marco]

@Andrew

@jimipresley

There are no bushes in Ximen, mate. Just concrete and no-smoking zones.

I beg to differ. There are multiple bushes in the Ximen area for the committed young miscreant to lurk in. If you’re not into that, it’s completely fine, but I don’t think it’s fair to blame a lack of greenery.

This guy bushes.

[LondonSpice]

@jimipresley

course I’m generalizing and stereotyping, but 90% of waiguoren blokes I see have beards, for some odd reason, and 90% of woman look at me like I’m a rapist,

Hey I have exactly same assumptions, beards what’s it all about?
I first assumed compulsory for a English teacher? So that explains 90%

[LondonSpice]

@tempogain

Did you say hello?

Laugh: would that be a invitation to ignore me?

[tempogain]

I don’t know about these guys but I’m keeping a lookout.

[strung.in]

I remember being guilty of this when living in Japan. Like wtf are all these foreigners dirty 外人 doing here? But now that I live in Taiwan and speak remarkably less mandarin than Japanese I feel myself on the other end. Mostly embarrassed cause a) I carry a US passport and b) my mandarin and general knowledge of Taiwan is sh*t in comparison.

[volv1992]

@LondonSpice

I have read topic on westerners avoiding other ones in public places.

I’d absolutely do this, 100%.

[crusher]

@jimipresley

@MikeN1

“What if I acknowledge the other person and don’t get recognition back?”, but there’s also a sense of “only noobs nod to other foreigners; I’m too cool and into Chinese culture for that”.

All of that. Also, I don’t nod to foreign dudes with backpacks, beards and sometimes flip-flops. I’m terrified they may want to strike up a conversation with me.
The laowai women are even worse. They glare at you like you’re a serial rapist.
Of course I’m generalizing and stereotyping, but 90% of waiguoren blokes I see have beards, for some odd reason, and 90% of woman look at me like I’m a rapist, which is odd, because I’m little and puny, and couldn’t even rape a McDonalds burger.

I had a beard over Chinese New Year as I was too lazy to shave, it is gone now as it looks too Trumpish. And I look like I could rape multiple big map super size meals with multiple milk shakes.