I can’t wait for a similar report tabled at the forthcoming U.N. Conference on Sentience.
I don’t get some of the nay saying in this thread. WTF is there to be unhappy about in Taiwan?
And someone mentioned people with money are happy, and those without aren’t. Not necessarily true, but generally true maybe. That said, there are poor people everywhere.
But seriously, if you’re unhappy here, chances are you’ll be unhappy most anywhere. Maybe you’re just a miserable c*nt (not directed at anyone, btw). 
wow!
Lots of things can lead to unhappiness
like the non existing family life aka “kids are out of the house from 7AM to 10PM” and the lack of warmth & real comunication between family members, the unbearable humid heat during summer, the humid cold during winter (up North), the always uber-loud state of everything (beeping, squeaking, screeching, PA system in elementary schools, honking, the general state of complete overtorquedness … etc pp and so forth) 24/7/11/365/eternity, the education system that denies kids sleep and almost everything they need to become critical thinking independent minds, the dangerous situation on this island’s streets due to “happy reckless driving” and the lack of common sense and general state of advanced ignorance and resulting self-absorbedness.
personally, my only problem is that I can’t find no bounty bars - that really makes me unhappy.
(oh and I forgot my problem with people speaking English to me, sorry for that)
btw. the report does not rank Taiwan as 3rd happiest nation in Asia, more like seventh or eighth…
here is the report:
http://www.earth.columbia.edu/sitefiles/file/Sachs%20Writing/2012/World%20Happiness%20Report.pdf
[quote=“bismarck”]I don’t get some of the nay saying in this thread. WTF is there to be unhappy about in Taiwan?
And someone mentioned people with money are happy, and those without aren’t. Not necessarily true, but generally true maybe. That said, there are poor people everywhere.
But seriously, if you’re unhappy here, chances are you’ll be unhappy most anywhere. Maybe you’re just a miserable c*nt (not directed at anyone, btw). [/quote]
It seems that lots of unhappy people out there think that moving to a new place would change things for them.
I truly feel sorry for the lot of you that thought that moving to Taiwan would make you happy.
If the problem is in your head, you aren’t going to solve it with your feet.
Why would you have a problem with people speaking English to you? Would you prefer they spoke German? 
I don’t know if you are looking for a high paying job or a good career you might not be happy in Taiwan. If you are looking for broad open plains or sidewalks you can walk on, ditto. If you are into Chinese street food and stir fry then yes I may say you will be a happy camper indeed. It’s not heaven or hell, just another postage stamp on the world map.
[quote=“bismarck”]
But seriously, if you’re unhappy here, chances are you’ll be unhappy most anywhere. [/quote]
Bismarck- there are many, many people who would disagree with you on this, and talking from their own experience and not hypothetically. I can view Taiwan in a much more balanced view now I am outside, and have peace and balance in my life, so I am certainly not going to slag it off unnecessarily.
Taiwan, like any place, has it’s plusses and minuses, it’s not the worst place in the world to live but is certainly NOT the easiest place to live, in many respects. Even within Asia there are countries (thinking of Singapore, Malaysia, HK) where one can lead a much more stress-free and normal existence. You just need to look at how long the average foreigner stays in Taiwan- couple of years max is it ? If you are the easy-going, relaxed and sociable type, who likes to be in an environment where there is effective communication with those around you then there is a good chance that you will not be comfortable in Taiwan. Not to mention if you have to raise a family in Taiwan- the education system which a lot of people on this board are rightly in despair of. And that is the biggest concern for me, because I have two children who are going to have to go through it …
A lot of posters here no longer live in Taiwan. I expect that a fair amount of them can state unequivocally that they have moved on to happier things now … They have some fond memories of Taiwan but would never want to return.
In any case, the way the handful of foreigners living in Taiwan feels is irrelevant to the survey mentioned in the original post. The other 99.999% of the people who live in Taiwan, the Taiwanese, are the ones that count. It’s their country, their culture, so if they are really happy then Taiwan is indeed a happy place !
[quote=“Got To Be Kidding”][quote=“bismarck”]I don’t get some of the nay saying in this thread. WTF is there to be unhappy about in Taiwan?
And someone mentioned people with money are happy, and those without aren’t. Not necessarily true, but generally true maybe. That said, there are poor people everywhere.
But seriously, if you’re unhappy here, chances are you’ll be unhappy most anywhere. Maybe you’re just a miserable c*nt (not directed at anyone, btw). [/quote]
It seems that lots of unhappy people out there think that moving to a new place would change things for them.
I truly feel sorry for the lot of you that thought that moving to Taiwan would make you happy.
If the problem is in your head, you aren’t going to solve it with your feet.[/quote]
Indeed.
On an aside, by the way some posters post, I wonder why they stay sometimes. I mean, if you’re so unhappy with the place, why not go somewhere where you’ll be happier? But then we’ve asked this question before to no avail and it’s always the same whingers with the same issues. 
I am waiting for a study on “Happiest Expats in Asia”. Cause so many expats around the globe are grumpy mother fuckers. Often racists, in an unintentional way, and always rather full of themselves, degrading the country they reside and its inhabitants. Its rather sad. Taiwan has many fucked up things, no one will deny and its not ever hidden, it is very obvious and worn on teh surface here, albeit not intentionally.
The funny thing is when people think of these people, Taiwanese, and often say something like “they live a miserable existence and don’t understand anything outside their their TV tube” is kind of ignint. There is some truth, but certainly not at all. If it was truly so bad, how much worse is their home country that they stay here?
The coolest thing about Taiwan, talking about more normal miserable circumstances not really bad stuff, the Taiwanese are FAR better than any western nation at forgiveness and getting the family back together. Families sure have some issues here, they are simply different than other places. The whole dont raise your kid thing and love the shit out of them but seemingly not caring about them is common. This is more education/ignorance than actually intending to get rid of kids. But there is a lot of, in a western opinion, bad ways of going about family life here. But this is about happiness, and Taiwanese can get together with old acquaintances they haven’t seen for years and talk for hours non stop smiling laughing and having a good time (aka being happy).
Jobs here suck, especially for the older crowd, lady crowd and foreign (non white) crowd. Thats changing fast, and has been for a while. now so many people just change jobs when unhappy. Fuck yeah, you live at home and have family support. the idea of living at home your whole life is probably torture to many westerners (me too) but they do it, and it has obvious financial benefits which can REALLY alleviate many money stresses that you see in the west.
In the end i think a lot of people just can’t comprehend or agree with how things are done. Some things are wrong, others simply different. But at least in Taiwan you can do your shit, and although there are more eyes watching you here, they are all of curiosity and they are FAR more relaxed in live and let live compared to where im from. I think angry whitey syndrome is simply a mix of jealousy and frustration.
PS i quit drinking, sorry if that sounds cranky 
[quote=“bismarck”]
On an aside, by the way some posters post, I wonder why they stay sometimes. I mean, if you’re so unhappy with the place, why not go somewhere where you’ll be happier? But then we’ve asked this question before to no avail and it’s always the same whingers with the same issues. [/quote]
I agree that if people are that unhappy in Taiwan, then they should go somewhere else, if that is possible. However for some it may not be so easy. Without knowing anything about Touduke, I imagine that he would be somewhere else if his personal and family situation allowed. Assuming this is the case, he’s perfectly entitled to “whinge”, and I understand where he is coming from with a lot of his remarks. There’s a difference between this “constructive whinging” if you will, and the kind of kind of inane complaints (which are, yes, pretty racist) which you will hear from the white expats who live in various places around the world.
By the way, did you not just contradict yourself by suggesting that “some posters’” would be happier outside Taiwan ? In your last post you said that if a person is not going to be happy in Taiwan, he or she is probably not going to be happy anywhere. What’s it to be then ?
pingdong - did you start drinking when in Taiwan? anyway good luck and I hope you and Bismarck will find ways to be happy here without having to insult others.
Bismarck I am sure our views about Taiwan are quite similar on a lot of issues. I read your stuff and you seem to have lots of problems here. Sorry, but your [quote]WTF is there to be unhappy about in Taiwan?[/quote] is very shallow and stands in contrast to other things you write.
To my last post. I remember writing that my big problem in Taiwan is that I don’t get bounty-bars - the other stuff I mentioned was just a summary of points, issues and complains you can encounter on this very board on a daily basis with maybe the one exception that is my view on “Taiwanese family life”. All the rest is everyday business here on Forumosa and amongst foreigners and Taiwanese alike.
Look, this happiness index, for starters, is a bit flacky. the ol’ country always rates very high, which makes me quite doubtful. How can people be deep in debt, living without safety for their lives, no services, corruption as a way of life, and yet say they are so happy? You can say ignorance is bliss but there is a point where self delusion is lethal.
The other thing, and this I agree with Bis, is that certain people carry their heaven/hell wherever they are. Taiwan has its ups and downs, and it is normal to love it one day, hate it the next, or be like Spring weather: all warm and sunny in the morning, bleak in the afternoon, chilly at night. That happens to us expats and also with the locals. You cannot bury your head in the sand and say tralalala all the time. But you can choose how to face it. You can be like a bottle: the bottle can be full and corked, and float above the waves, or it can be empty and open and sink in the water. Choose what you want it to be, as much as you can.
Because some people don’t like it here but have family commitments and can’t leave. So they are very unhappy. Some people have to live in unsuitable environments or work in demeaning jobs that they need desperately. Hence, no matter what they do, they can’t be happy here. So you cannot just say: change it. Change the channel. It may not be a short term possibility for some. But then others just like to complain, vent their frustrations, because they know Taiwan has so much potential yet remains in a little filthy corner of its own choice, while having a whole world out there to conquer.
I think some people’s problems is that they feel Taiwan is not for them, but somehow they feel they need to convince others that Taiwan is not for them as well in order to self vindicate. This is a wrong path. Taiwan is right for some and , for others simply wrong. And the thing is , that really ought to be OK.
Its OK to feel its not the right place for you , in however fashion and not feel the need for others to concur.
I was just mulling over this very matter Icon, and in fact I do not believe that this love/hate relationship expressed by so many on this Forum is “normal” at all. It’s only “normal” for Taiwan. I have been lucky enough to have lived in quite a few countries, in Europe and Asia and, leaving Taiwan aside, have never had feelings so strong that I could describe them as hate. Although generally happy, I had days where I was pissed off/ disillusioned and wondering if my future really did lie in that place. But never hate. If I started to have any feelings so strongly negative about anyone, anything or anywhere I would know that it is time to get away.
Let me add as well that its OK to hate TAiwan. Go ahead let it out. Its fine. But then you should do yourself a favor and leave tho. IF you cant for some reason, then learn to deal with it and make yourself (and others) happy. If you are pushed against a wall, push back. Take charge and make a difference. Make some happiness.
Some situations you wont be able to change, but you can change how you feel about them and learn to deal with the evil and max on the good.
Dont major on the minors, major on the majors (as my boss always says) . And deal with whats at hand and hope for the best. Have a ray of hope when your world is dark. There IS going to be sunshine.
Like they say, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. So be tough, dont be a wuss on life.
A minor case (this is a person who didnt live in taiwan a long time nor intended to) with a friend of mine. Who just came back from Taiwan. I will let him fill in the details should he wish.
But this was my impression (it may be wrong so he , fellow forumosan, can fill in the blanks as need be).
He wanted to go over to the wan and check things out, having been to a few places in China. Not sure what deep motivations there might have been, perhaps there were none. Perhaps he just wanted out from his current life in CALIF and wanted to see what was out there.
8 months later of living not quite large, not getting enough hours to make life FUN. ONly enough to make it survivable . Chatting with tourists who are going all over the wan while he himself couldnt find the time or money to do so does suck.
Finally the druggery of Taiwans very ugly urban landscape and crush of humanity was all too much. Plus he didnt feel a connection to Taiwanese ladies and thus removed one huge reason to be there. Plus he really wasnt hip on the food there, thus removing the second largest reason to be there,far as im concerned.
Im afraid he only majored on the drabness of taipeis underbelly and wasnt able to find a reason to stay.
That plus his gorgeous ABC girl back home was enough to bring him back.
Not surprisingly he didnt feel TW girls were much like ABC girls (duh i say) .
Well bravo for him, he recognized something was not for him and made a move. Before getting involved with a local lassie and getting her pregnant or something and having to live out his days on the wan full of misery .
that’s just it, people can be happy for any number of reasons. things we may perceive as shitty situations, someone else may turn around with a smile and enjoy.
Thats why i like taiwanese, they are easier to become happy than many other people…generally. but then many also look really unhappy, especially older folks, even though they may not be.
to each their own, happiness doesn’t discriminate against environments.
The only reason I would hate the wan is because I didn’t ask to come here, it was forced on me.
At first the working got to me, I was skipping work to see a shrink because I couldn’t take it anymore.
Then it was the military life, and it really made me wish I was dead.
Finally the drabness of the cityscape, and the fact that I don’t relate well with other Taiwanese, and I really do not find local Taiwanese girls (excluding ABC’s) attractive, so that pretty much kills the biggest reason to be here.
I do love the food here though, and the convenience is also very good, because German food isn’t nearly as good as Taiwanese food, but German food is good in its own way (especially Doners Kabap). The downside about the food is that its mostly unhealthy, and while in Germany their food isn’t nearly as tasty as Taiwanese food, they did help me lose some weight.
I feel “forced” by circumstance to live in CAlif instead of the wan. But Im making it pretty good, best i can with what i got. And of course theres lots good bout Cali.
So ? There is at least one person who would trade his position for yours, if he can .
To get some context of a place that is rated highly in the media have a read of the ‘foreignersindenmark’ forum. It is not all sweetness and light there either. It must be really annoying listening to locals telling you their way is the best way all day everyday.
Then where PGdaddy lives has LEGAL discriminatory laws against Chinese and Indians and has a real and incompetent lazy Malay elite in government all hiding behind religious morality.