Y’all have golden age syndrome. Things were just different “back then,” change brought good and bad alike. When in Taipei I hang out in subcultures full of amazing people that weren’t there ten years ago, so I’m really not seeing the boring Taiwan you’re talking about.
What a few years of living in Japan taught me is, I could live in East Asia alright, but I’d need a fix of Western air every now and then. That’s why you see so many people BSing on the country while they’re here, then whining they miss it once they’re gone. Once you’ve discovered both East and West, it’s hard not to miss one or the other when you’re steady for too long.
I agree with your points. For me, spending time in Taipei in the 1980s was literally breathtaking. To see all the changes year after year (mostly for the better). Those days are long gone but its not all bad. Many things we have now didn’t exist back then. Local craft beer, MRT, bicycle paths, etc.
Yeah in so many ways life is easier and the city of Taipei at least is much better. I’m just talking about the general feeling and buzz. By the way I only got here at the millennium.
I find the more modern a country gets the more boring it becomes.
Everything is so convenient people get lazy. Before smartphones young people clubbed to meet others, now everyone is just at home or walking around glued to the phone. Global trends make people more boring today.
What did you do this weekend
Stayed at home, watch TV , played LOL, read FB…
Countries that are still developing like Thailand and Vietnam have more of that old style charm
When I was in China 12 years ago it felt like the most exciting place on earth. Foreigners and Chinese making loads of money and everyone thought China was going to liberalize and fully open up to the world.
Yeah look what happened to it.
It could have been a great positive to the world, instead they were taught butthurt as the national religion and to keep their mouths SHUT.
Then every time they meet a foreigner they go schizo cos they are so conflicted…I should hate you…but foreign countries are so much nicer…I should hate you…But foreigners really have more freedom and are more carefree…I love China but I would love to move to Australia…The communist party are our saviours…But it’s full of pigs …arghhhh.!
why does everyone go on about craft beer? scroll up - as if that should be a pull to a city. Is it because they think it’s amazing or they think that they should say its amazing?
It is amazing when you were drinking decades worth of Taiwan beer blue cans with added aluminum flavour and you were already uber excited with Taiwan Gold medal and Taiwan 18 Days!
Just the crushing weight of a shit economy , aging population , 500 pound gorilla next door intent on squeezing Taiwan at any opportunity , smartphones and anti foreigner (guys) sentiment.
Main thing is the general (local) economy and wages have been stagnating for a long time, almost twenty years ! You need an abundance cash to get the party going !
Yes there’s a lot of rich folks but there’s little in the way of new money, new investments, new industries …I guess.
Since I left my homeland there’s been massive investments in newer industries such as IT and biopharmaceutical. The lack of an intl software or fintech industry here in Taiwan means we are missing a lot of the high paying jobs and those are the kinds of industries that employ a lot of international professionals…
Then it’s not cheap enough to attract backpackers hordes or not trendy enough to attract the hippy and mindfulness hordes .