Hey all,
Back in the day when I was a Taiwan expat, we didn’t have these new-fangled message boards–glad to see it.
Do we have any Formosa II Hostel former residents here, esp. between 1993 and 1998? Know of someone living there at that time?
Thanks!
I was living here at that time.
Is Forumosa II the one the is further north or the one a couple streets south?
Further north, across from the Ambassador Hotel.
Richard–you were at Formosa II?
Present.
I was there in early '96.
Why do you ask?
[quote=“rightniao”]I was there in early '96.
Why do you ask?[/quote]
Ha. Cause I know you–bwa ha ha ha. Probably. Whoever you are.
That was right around the time I moved out. When you were there, I was probably staying in the double bunkbed room that was through the lefthand glass-window door, to the left of the bathroom and toward the back. I remember a few others there at the time including Old Ron, Jay, maybe Graham–and 12 itenerant others of course. Ring any bells?
I was there in 2000, but met a few people who’d lived there for years.
Including John, an middle-aged American guy with a deep voice. He was writing a novel.
Did you know him?
[quote=“rooftop”]I was there in 2000, but met a few people who’d lived there for years.
Including John, an middle-aged American guy with a deep voice. He was writing a novel.
Did you know him?[/quote]
I don’t know if it’s the same guy, but the last time I visited Formosa II in 2002, there was an older guy (gray hair) named John who had a mild stroke while he was living in the hostel.
Gave me chills to think about being in that condition, by myself in a foreign country.
John’s not there anymore, but his book is on the bookshelf - can’t remember the title.
I remember Ron, J.P., a Canadian couple, and 2 guys from Seattle who were into Chinese tea. I was half of a young American couple at the time.
I was there last year for a short time and the place is exactly the same - cockroaches and all.
The room where the guy lived for 5 years had to be revamped. It’s actually pretty nice now.
Sam, I take it you’re not in Taiwan anymore?
[quote=“rightniao”]John’s not there anymore, but his book is on the bookshelf - can’t remember the title.
I remember Ron, J.P., a Canadian couple, and 2 guys from Seattle who were into Chinese tea. I was half of a young American couple at the time.
I was there last year for a short time and the place is exactly the same - cockroaches and all.
The room where the guy lived for 5 years had to be revamped. It’s actually pretty nice now.
Sam, I take it you’re not in Taiwan anymore?[/quote]
I’m long gone, though I come back for an occasional visit.
JP used to drive Old Ron crazy by banging his girlfriend in the bunk right above his.
The two Seattle guys, I want to say their names were Tom and Brad, though I might be misremembering. They claimed they were “cousins”.
Later on I lived on the rooftop as well. How did you like that big shower with the plate glass window, where all of Taipei could see yer naked butt?
As for downstairs, though, I believe you’re thinking of Formosa I. I could never bear to stay there long either, but Formosa II was pretty fun back in the day. A lot of Japanese girls travelling through during semester break 
[quote=“Sam Vimes”]
JP used to drive Old Ron crazy by banging his girlfriend in the bunk right above his.
The two Seattle guys, I want to say their names were Tom and Brad, though I might be misremembering. They claimed they were “cousins”.[/quote]
Yes, exactly. I don’t remember you, though.
As one who has stayed for months in a hostel, here were my reasons:
I’ve noticed that at least some of the longtimers never made an effort to get accultured to Taiwan–in fact, some were out and out “sinophobes”, if not misanthropes in general. Also, they’re probably pretty lazy. Going out and getting a room or an apartment would mean (1) speaking with locals and (2) getting off one’s lazy ass.
And a third factor, possible slight mental illness, shouldn’t be discounted either.
I could easily picture some of these guys ending up in a homeless shelter back in the US, for the same three reasons mentioned above.
BTW, I stayed in Formosa II for maybe three years, but I was living the student lifestyle for the most part, and I did get my own apartment in Hsin Peitou afterwards. I’m talking about these late middle-aged guys who have been in a hostel for possibly a decade or more. :loco:
bumpity bump
Yep, I was at Formosa II in April 2000, too. We had 2 Johns - a short one from Britain and Big John, the beret-wearing older chap. What I remember most about him is the fact that he lived there for more than 4 years (???). It had been 2 when I arrived, and I saw hima couple of years later. And of course the tales of Thailand and cheap women that he regaled us with (without prompting).
There was also a Swedish guy with dreadlocks (forget his name) and JP, I believe.
I was fortunate enough to find roommates within 2 weeks closer to my work. I think I’d have gone nuts. It was the one place that Lonely Planet got COMPLETELY wrong. A filthy hovel at the time. The best part was cockroaches even in the fridge, and the musty smell in the kitchen area.
I spent 8 months there in 1998. Ron was at Formosa I at that time, but seemed to always be hanging out at II. John (big John) became a good buddy of mine. There were a few other long-term folks, too: a Korean guy studying Chinese; Steve from the States; two British girls (Sara and another); rock climbing, engineer Dave from Canada…can’t remember the others, but there were 18 or 19 staying there at one time. Quite the crowd it was!