You’re a woman or man ? I think (non caregivers) women get a lot better treatment here in general because they are (seen as) less intimidating. That bring said older people are a lot cooler than anybody under 60 here.
Under 60s can be super status obsessed and materialistic. Some don’t want anything to do with you if they think you aren’t loaded or you don’t wear the right clothes or ride the right bike. And they are generally uptight as fuck with strangers.
The word in Taiwanese is ginggg. So many stiff people with slow reactions. Maybe in Taiwanese they are much quicker and sharper I dunno.
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- Myth: “Taiwanese people are so friendly! ^^”
- Nailed it: Amazing and easily accessible nature.
- Pleasant surprise: For a highly conformist and rigid Confucian society, there are plenty of cool and interesting reprobates and societal dropouts to talk to.
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Depends on what you are used to. Compared to the UK at the minute, where civilisation feels like it has ended, in Taiwan at least people go outside and you might get eye contact or even a hello!
For example, I’ve been in touch with people to join a local sports club, and a separate place to do some regular volunteering, as well as a few interviews. These aren’t just emails or phone calls, met, looked in eye and shaken hands. You just get the “ok we’ll get in touch in a few days” and then never hear from them again.
Ok, the interview, I just didn’t get the job, fine, tell me that? But the community sports group and the volunteering, FREE LABOUR?! What the hell?!
You talk to people and their main concern seems to be Ukraine, and Trump saying things, and they are fearful of this, and therefore they don’t want to go out or make social plans. I’m at a loss what more I can do at this point and I’m looking at any and all any other potential opportunities.
Anyway yeah, for the UK
Myth: loads of opportunities and happy life
Nailed it: location in the world means that a lot of interesting places and diverse cultures are within a 3 hour flight
Pleasant surprise: there is the odd gem person, a light amongst the darkness, but they always feel like they are dimming
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Check the MRT open spaces.
I’d be tempted to place this in the “myth” category. I often feel that daoism and its famed flexibility is just as if not more impactful on social behavioral codes.
Guy
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Start a thread on this. Looks like you got some interesting tales.
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Taiwanese people are friendly is the biggest myth period. People here dont even know what friendly is. They think if they tell you directions to nearest MRT then thats called being friendly
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it’s actually just 阿伯.
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Huh. Kinda felt that way in the 90s.
Huh. Kinda felt that way in the 90s (overarching misery in kids chained to school desks, anyway).
Yep. Felt that way in the 90s.
(Note: I lived in Taiwan in the 90s)
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It’s a myth that they love white foreigners too. Ok handsome and pretty young white people…yeah you’ll get bonus points 
. But it’s not like they are rolling out red carpets it’s transactional.
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You have to admit, though, ugly but blonde and blue eyed and thin female from Northern Europe will go further than a fat and hairy and dark skinned South Asian male
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Taiwanese being friendly, in general it is one of the most spread myths.
I strongly disagree with what many tell me here
…“When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”
However, as I mentioned before, there are certain places which attract kind and friendly people, I think it is important to find one or few which suit you well and go there often, which recharges the faith in humanity and good mood.
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Yeah, I saw them in Banqiao station several times.
However, most of the time I saw them resting and taking selfies.
The active elderly were actually dancing, usually tai chi or something like that, if it counts as dance.
And there are definitely kind and friendly Taiwanese. A lot of variety here as anywhere else. I wouldn’t say the average here is low, and generally people tend to be polite and pleasant to my face.
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I find most people a bit shy and afraid of speaking to strangers , not unfriendly as such .
Myths: Food is great, everyone is friendly, healthcare is perfect (it’s dirt cheap, but sometimes shoddy and sloppy)
Nailed it: People here are still much nicer than their mainland counterparts (they actually respect lining up here!). Stinky tofu is indeed stinky. The weather is indeed unbearable in the summer.
Pleasant surprise: Coffee is great, surprising lack of racist nationalists compared to neighboring Korea, China, and Japan. Some, but not on the same level. Surprising lack of alcoholism, again compared to the huge drinking culture in every other East Asian country.
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Right, but not particularly friendly either
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Yes some british are friendly with foraigners
See my post above about the afterlives of White Terror. The more you learn about this, the more things make sense.
Guy