lol, fair enough then! i thought you were apposed to just chatting to strangers.
OK, so I’m sitting at Starbucks Gongguan today, and I see this whitey, and so… after considering all the profound thoughts put forward in this thread, I decide to nod and also throw in an ever so slight smile. Well, he says something to me in some foreign language, I don’t understand, so I said “what, huh, how are you?”, and his local gf, who speaks English, tells me he doesn’t speak English. Before we could go further, the order came and we all wandered off to find our seats. Shoik, that just blew what could of been possible two things in common with another whitey.
Well, we ended up sitting near to each other, so the girl and I chatted a bit in both English and Chinese. Their first “date” supposedly, so we exchanged contact info. A few whatsapp comments and pics later and looks like we are on for Wed night.
So in the future, I will always try to nod and smile at every whitey I come across, providing they are with a girl.
:roflmao:
And what was non-english-speaking bloke doing all the time you were getting cozy with his gf?
Anyway, serves him right for being a boring git and taking her to Starbucks for a first date 
Yup, i smile if the guy has a hot girl with him too. 
Hopefully she speaks her date’s language? Otherwise they are not going to get too far.
I’m in small town Taiwan and have noticed fewer foreigners that seem to be residents have time to give me any more than a nod. In the past, a short conversation often lead to long-term friendships.
I spent five years off the island and returned at the end of the last year so I’m older than a lot of the others I see about but then I was before anyway but now I have more long-term foreigner friends, who I only really see now and again. Weirdly I’m now more often acknowledged by fellow foreigners in the big city of Taichung
And what was non-english-speaking bloke doing all the time you were getting cozy with his gf?
Anyway, serves him right for being a boring git and taking her to Starbucks for a first date [/quote]
He was smiling and didn’t notice her passing her number in Chinese, which I added while perusing my phone. Speaking multiple languages is a great asset. I don’t think that relationship was heading anywhere as it seems maybe their first a d last meet up.
So, I glanced at this 57 page thread a few days ago: forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopi … =8&t=81289 , and thought to myself ‘surely it can’t be that bad?’…
Tonight the fiancé and me were sitting outside City Hall station at about 10pm (Exit 1) waiting for friends as we were going to eat, had a great night, anyway - One foreigner walked past and I smiled, got a nice smile back and a nod, then a second guy walked past, who I happened to catch eyes with, I smiled at him and he just glared at me as if he wanted to fight me or something, and swaggered past with this walk as if he was the king of Taipei… it was just so odd, and pretty embarrassing (for him) I don’t judge people by how they dress as it’s not on most of the time, but he was wearing this NY hat and vest, he looked like a total twat honestly - If he would have given the wrong person that same look in London, he would have had his head kicked in and/or stabbed.
I don’t mind if people don’t want to make eye contact, it doesn’t bother me at all, and I don’t expect people to be super friendly or even smile just because we share the same skin colour, but I don’t get how you could be an actual dickhead, for no reason. You’re not the only white person in Taiwan, get over yourself.
And that is why white folks stop smiling at other white folks in Taiwan after awhile.
- you get a mean stare back or total indifference
- its not really the done thing among taiwanese either
There is a popular trail with awesome views of the golden gate bridge here in san francisco. Many people walk that trail. A lot of tourists mainly and many locals as well.
When i walk it, i notice that white people crossing paths with each other will ALWAYS smile or nod or say hi. Because white people feel the urge to acknowledge each other’s presence when in close proximity to each other.
But all other races will just walk past each other without a word or a nod or anything (as would happen in taiwan in such a place - taiwanese wouldn’t bother saying hi to strangers just because they happen to get very close to them).
It was funny to watch my half brother (who is all white) walk in front of me about five to ten feet or so and all the white people he comes across will nod and/or say hi. But they ignore me totally (i am half white look 100pct asian to most white people).
And they do this probably because other asians they come across wouldn’t expect or possibly wouldn’t say hi back.
So its mainly a WHITE thing.
I see white people on that trail a lot and i have never gotten a smile or a nod or a hi there from anybody on that trail. I dont see other asians or any race other then white saying hi to each other as they cross paths either.
Was a fun thing to watch. A good people watching exercise.
Yeah, a few bad apples must have created this negative domino effect putting people off smiling at each other or something.
Really weird stuff, I don’t get how you could have such a bad attitude, maybe that guy was a total reject/loser in his home country and came to Taiwan to escape it all? And whenever he sees another white guy it brings it all back lol? :loco:
I dunno. I’m no psychologist, but it’s a pretty instinctual thing for me to smile back at someone who smiles at me. Meh, not gonna let it bother me. 
Oh. I’m kinda getting what are you white people talking about, exactly that: white people.
My example of me and other 2 foreigner guys that haven’t talk, can’t say to each other but to me, is because we are all three from a different ethnicity (is white an ethnicity?) Back in Texas, specifically in Dallas most places I worked there is really no distinction between skin colors, just big boobs. You really get color-blind, my bad.
Even tho people confuse me for American (my weight and my scruffiness I suppose), the wife always corrects them saying my actual nationality, but I just told her, just say Latin American. I really don’t feel comfortable telling people we just met too many details about me, I even flinch when she calls my child’s full name on the playground, where I come from is common sense, but I was taught by my peeps how to protect your self been polite.
I may not not acknowledge every single alien I see on my way but instinctively smirk to whoever look at me in the eyes and if is a child I give them some fast eyebrow action.
Some of you white people are scaring me and kind of making me embarrassed to be of the same skin color.
haha, why’s that?
[quote=“TexMex”]Oh. I’m kinda getting what are you white people talking about, exactly that: white people.
My example of me and other 2 foreigner guys that haven’t talk, can’t say to each other but to me, is because we are all three from a different ethnicity (is white an ethnicity?) Back in Texas, specifically in Dallas most places I worked there is really no distinction between skin colors, just big boobs. You really get color-blind, my bad.
Even tho people confuse me for American (my weight and my scruffiness I suppose), the wife always corrects them saying my actual nationality, but I just told her, just say Latin American. I really don’t feel comfortable telling people we just met too many details about me, I even flinch when she calls my child’s full name on the playground, where I come from is common sense, but I was taught by my peeps how to protect your self been polite.
I may not not acknowledge every single alien I see on my way but instinctively smirk to whoever look at me in the eyes and if is a child I give them some fast eyebrow action.[/quote]
Yeah white is Caucasian haha
Whenever I say my nationality they tell me “ohh i thought they were darker! you’re likes us!”
And that’s in your (our) blood, we can make friends with almost anyone but we are careful, we don’t talk much about our details.
I have a lot of colleagues and friends that are from my home country, are of Asian decent, and are not whitey, like me. Kind of stupid when white people nod or smile at me but not at the guy next to me who is the same as me, except for skin color.
Would be nice if the world could focus on other things in common than skin color.
lol seriously? It’s not the skin colour that we have in common, it’s the fact we’re foreigners in the country, if it was a black guy, Mexican, Greek, whatever. Skin colour doesn’t come in to it really.
If people were to smile and nod at every single human being that passed them in the street nobody would ever get anything done, would just be rows of people nodding and smiling in unison freakishly. If I happen to catch eyes with anyone, no matter the skin colour, I will most likely smile. If I’m in a bad mood, I won’t be looking people in the eye.
Like I said I don’t expect a nod and a smile, nor do I personally care if people don’t acknowledge me. It’s when someone purposefully makes an effort to glare or be stuck up wankers. I’ve only experienced it once so far, and hope it’s the last time. I’ve had an awesome night with a follow foreigner, and obviously not all are like the guy I mentioned on the last page. But there is a 57 page thread about it, so it’s obviously something that others have found weird too.
I think it’s because Taiwan is an in-between place.
There’s not enough foreigners to make seeing another foreigner a commonplace occurrence in lots of places here.
But there are enough people living here long-term or in certain places that it is not hugely remarkable either.
Although if I met a westerner in my wife’s hometown I’d probably fry a circuit. I would definitely stop and chat if I got the chance.
[quote=“Pein_11”][quote=“TexMex”]Oh. I’m kinda getting what are you white people talking about, exactly that: white people.
My example of me and other 2 foreigner guys that haven’t talk, can’t say to each other but to me, is because we are all three from a different ethnicity (is white an ethnicity?) Back in Texas, specifically in Dallas most places I worked there is really no distinction between skin colors, just big boobs. You really get color-blind, my bad.
Even tho people confuse me for American (my weight and my scruffiness I suppose), the wife always corrects them saying my actual nationality, but I just told her, just say Latin American. I really don’t feel comfortable telling people we just met too many details about me, I even flinch when she calls my child’s full name on the playground, where I come from is common sense, but I was taught by my peeps how to protect your self been polite.
I may not not acknowledge every single alien I see on my way but instinctively smirk to whoever look at me in the eyes and if is a child I give them some fast eyebrow action.[/quote]
Yeah white is Caucasian haha
Whenever I say my nationality they tell me “ohh i thought they were darker! you’re likes us!”
And that’s in your (our) blood, we can make friends with almost anyone but we are careful, we don’t talk much about our details.[/quote]
Oh, I get that a lot. “You cannot be central American. Central American people’s skin is dark!” And though it is summer, Icon is stuill snowy white… literally… not Caucasian, but as in some sunshine would do me good.
Luv seeing the pink furriners in the MRT. You know, the guys that show up on Monday after biking/hiking/going out on the weekend. 
I knwo how TexMex feels about names and people knowing way too much about you. It is a no-no. But here it is different. Yet, it still gives me a stomachace, knee jerk reaction.
For people here, we all are MeiGuo Ren. Just as for people back home anyone remotely Asian is Chinese. Meipanfa.
A lot of newbies wonder about this. Just takes a few snubs by arrogant assholes that you walk past to cure you of the habit for good because it makes you feel like a bit of an idiot. I think a lot of the veterans think they are too cool to have to greet the newbs. Also, they might just be POWT (Pissed Off With Taiwan) so the last thing they want is to nod and smile to someone seeking recognition.
How do you recognize a newbie while walking down the street? Do they carry a sign or something? 
How do you recognize a newbie while walking down the street? Do they carry a sign or something? [/quote]
The long termers all look like this → :eh: