NewBees vs. Old Timers

Taiwan Living in Taiwan
21

[quote=“the chief”][quote=“Bubba 2 Guns”]It must suck for a newbie to have to listen to someone like me. I grew up in a different Asian then today, and Taiwan was really different 17 years ago. Thailand, Phillipines, China, Vietnam all different.

I’m the “done everything, been there three times before it was spoiled” type of dude you hate to listen to.

NorthCoast Surfer mentioned he surfed Taiwan for 9 years-I’ve surfed here for 17.

I screwed more women, taken more drugs, been thrown in more jails, gotten in more accidents and bar fights and close calls and near-marriages then all you muthas. Boring.

And the newbies are usually as boring to me as I am to them.

Now put your shirt back on and get out of my bar stool.[/quote]

To be fair, you really should mention that this was all before your gender reassignment procedure…
Also, that you could spell when you first came here.

ETA: FWIW, it pretty much sucks for us to listen to someone like you too, not just the FNGs…[/quote]

I could spell when I was drunk ya mean…yeah guys like Chief and Lord Lucan were in Taiwan when I first arrived, they gave me helpful support during my troubling days of culture shock, “Suck it up pussy, and buy me another drink”

Something like that.

22

[quote=“Bubba 2 Guns”][quote=“the chief”][quote=“Bubba 2 Guns”]It must suck for a newbie to have to listen to someone like me. I grew up in a different Asian then today, and Taiwan was really different 17 years ago. Thailand, Phillipines, China, Vietnam all different.

I’m the “done everything, been there three times before it was spoiled” type of dude you hate to listen to.

NorthCoast Surfer mentioned he surfed Taiwan for 9 years-I’ve surfed here for 17.

I screwed more women, taken more drugs, been thrown in more jails, gotten in more accidents and bar fights and close calls and near-marriages then all you muthas. Boring.

And the newbies are usually as boring to me as I am to them.

Now put your shirt back on and get out of my bar stool.[/quote]

To be fair, you really should mention that this was all before your gender reassignment procedure…
Also, that you could spell when you first came here.

ETA: FWIW, it pretty much sucks for us to listen to someone like you too, not just the FNGs…[/quote]

I could spell when I was drunk ya mean…yeah guys like Chief and Lord Lucan were in Taiwan when I first arrived, they gave me helpful support during my troubling days of culture shock, “Suck it up pussy, and buy me another drink”

Something like that.[/quote]

And believe me, your contributions have never gone unappreciated…

23

Story is good, viz.:

[quote=“Elegua”]Before class we would all sit around drinking tea out of tall glass cups. What a collection we were.
There was me, an 18yr old student teaching on the side, riding around TPE on my highly modified Yamaha RZX. There was an oldster Kiwi who decided to stay after BP pulled out; took over the BP residence in Danshui until it burned down in the 80’s and moved to Yangmingshan in the forest. He said he served in WWII in a Kiwi regiment in N. Africa against Rommel. I’m pretty sure he was telling the truth since he described several battled in quite accurate detail (the one where the regiment had to retreat with Rommel on both sides). He was also always forgetting his glasses and complaining about how no one would sit next to him on the bus. I’m not sure I would have. He also told stories about how you really have to watch the Norwegians when they get drunk. He was profane and garrulous. He was also very funny. There was a Brit. preacher, Father Griswold or something…(a big tall skinny guy with bush eyebrows and apublic schoolish accent) who had been in Taiwan most of his life living in rural Taiwan, starting at about my age at the time. I remember wondering about how someone could commit to such a thing. He preached in the same town for 20+ years. I don’t remember why he had to leave. When he was leaving someone told him that they felt sick everytime they heard him speak Taiwanese. I remeber thinking that was quite a cruel thing to say. He didn’t really get along with the Kiwi. He told me that the Kiwi was the type that would live on his own in the jungle until he couldn’t take care of himself and then would just off himself. he said it like he knew from experience. I remember being quit shocked to hear that. Then there was an WSR nun who never spoke a single word, just smiled, and a Taiwanese father with a bum leg (who would eat all of the tea leaves floating around the cup) who played the contrarian know-it-all. We would sit around and talk about this or that sitting on these old style Chinese office chairs.[/quote]

24

Too many expats living up on Freak mountain… thank god I live in Alishan… which has such great wather here today… was driving up at 7am… fantastic suntrise clear sunny skies… damn I love getting back home after being in Taipei for a week

25

Freak mountain - ouch. :wink:

26

[quote=“Taiwan_Student”]I’m sure this topic game up in the “you’ve been here too long” or the “why aren’t foreigner friendly to other foreigners” topics. But it’s strange.

Back in my day (I’m in my 40’s) I would travel. Meet those odd looking grey haired foregners say in Paris or outside a McDonalds in Tainan. I’d get to meet them. Maybe not invite them into my home, but I’d have coffee, listen to their stories or whatnot. Like the Gratefuldead song, "look into every eye your find value… " I’d at least learn something or at least be entertained.

Stories of Marshal law, stories of extra services being offered in MTV’s etc. I’ve been here since the end of the "slavery of foreigner spouse era to the almost free and easy market place of no work permits and fair laws (-thank Hartzel et al)

Newcomers just don’t seem to be interested in any incites, stories or anything that we have to offer. YOu watch as they go blindly through their jobs or being cheated by their bosses or even missing opportunities to get into the inner circle (drinking with the relatives, eathing stinky Tofu and chicken feet)

Maybe it’s my lazy eye, Einstien like hair (what’s left of it anyway) or non stylish clothing. But heck, I’ve got a house, car family and a source of income… at most people should be interested and say "how did this guy survive here for so long. [color=#FF0000]Incidentally the average life of a foreigner not from South Africa in my village working for a language school is six months.[/color] They run away…
There goes an other one… I’d say… Now pass me the betel nut…[/quote]

Yeah, us Saffas will work anywhere, except a village in SA. Big money difference between a village in the SA hinterland and a village in Taiwan. Surprisingly chabuduo for the cultural difference though (minus the scooters). Guess we feel oddly at home.

27

Newbies? Old Timers?
Both have their good eggs and bad fish.
The worst of the lot are the middle timing fuggers who know not whether they are coming or going.
I know well, for I am one.
:smiling_imp:

28

Country of origin or how long someone has lived here don’t factor in to whether I want to develop a friendship with someone. I neither specifically seek out nor avoid someone based on how long they have lived in Taiwan.

29

No offense to anyone “old” but I’ve always prefered the company of old people/timers. They don’t bullshit, they have great stories to tell and you can learn alot from them. When I was in TW I did want to hang around more old timers, but most are married and I wasn’t pursuing drama.

30

Very good point. Newbs are more likely to ‘need a fwend’. :laughing:

31

Neither do I, but for some reason I get on better with the Kiwis and the Aussies. And most of my friends are old timers, but that’s probably because they’re…well…older. I’ve always hung out with folks older than me for some reason.

32

You make it sound like that’s a bad thing :saywhat:

33

You make it sound like that’s a bad thing :saywhat:[/quote]

I dunno… On the one hand, I guess he’s doing it on his terms, so to speak. On the other hand it seemed a very lonely way to go. It was a bit scary that it was said with such authority and nonchalance.

34

Being more or less an unwilling longtimer here (not God but wife made me do it), I think I have just totally enjoyed my first weekend here on the rock.

Taking the car to the beach (as the beach has a road right behind it, it was important to buy a watch showing the tide, so I can go there when the tide is loooooow), once without wife and once with her, both times with the dogs, running after the dogs who run after xiaojies on the beach (I can understand that, though it surprised me), stopping them [the dogs, not the girls] from going through their bathing stuff and ice tea in a bag (they searched for food only) was pretty funny. German ladies back home would have cursed me, kicked me and called the Polizei, but the Taiwan girls only laughed…

Eating dumplings at home with wife, playing around with neighbour dogs, watching Mandarin singing contests and watching my own TV later was all very relaxing. At some point I thought… why you always want to leave?

Hmmmm… not so bad after all [almost changed my mind in the morning traffic though…]

35

[quote=“bob_honest”]Eating dumplings at home with wife, playing around with neighbour dogs, watching Mandarin singing contests and watching my own TV later was all very relaxing. At some point I thought… why you always want to leave?

Hmmmm… not so bad after all [almost changed my mind in the morning traffic though…][/quote]

That’s almost a daily/weekly cycle for me. Something happens and I curse this rock, "F___ it!!! I’m going home!!! I want to live somewhere by the sea on the tip of Africa!!! :fume: "

And then something else happens, or a string of things, usually, and I think, “Are you mad? :loco: Why would you ever want to leave?”

Perhaps oneday I can live in a perpetual summer, and alternate between SA and here, forever escaping the winter… :smiley:

36

Durban [i]used to be[/i] very nice. Lovely lovely harbor…Very nice indeed.

37

I’m a mid-timer: more than 3 years but less than 7.

I have a friend that’s been here less than 2 weeks. He came to Taiwan on my recommendation and I think he’s been finding his own way okay. He’s going to teach and his gf is going to study at Shi Da.

It’s sometimes hard for me to relate to someone that’s new to Taiwan, even if they’re a friend from the past, because I guess I’m pretty set in my Taipei ways. I don’t care that much about going to see the “attractions” around the city because for the most part they rarely live up to my expectations. But maybe I should try and remain open-minded about it.

One thing that I’ve found a bit odd is that I’ve invited my friend out a couple of times to meet my friends in Taiwan but he prefers to stay in. He’s looking for jobs as well and we all know that networking is the best way for someone to get a new teaching gig. But I guess he’s just taking his own path and adjusting to Taiwan in the way that suits him.

38

Is there some kind of actuarial table you’re referencing here??

39

Newcomers often have similar questions, problems expectations etc which could make them boring from some people’s point of view (not mine). But they do bring fresh, first-hand news and viewpoints from the outside world. I enjoy meeting Canadians who can bring me up to speed on my own “home on Native land”, as well as yanks, kiwis, safas, Frenchies etc with whom I can yak about modern developments in their own countries.

40

So the question is, shall I take medicine when I have my ups or my downs? Kinda confusing these mood swings.

Borderlining,

Bypolar Bob