Sucks doesn’t it ? Em…
[quote=“Chris”]Taiwan then:
Passengers often had to board the bus while it was still rolling.
Taiwan now:
No rolling stops.
Taiwan then: Construction of the MRT caused horrendous traffic in Taipei.
Taiwan now: MRT works! Traffic situation improved slightly!
[/quote]
Anyone remember when most busses were non-air conditioned, and when the occasional air conditioned bus came along, the fare was more? Circa 1985-1988.
Get ready for the construction of the new MRT lines to disrupt traffic again. They’re building 3-4 new lines at the moment, and work has been in progress for a few months now.
strange thing is the area in front of the taipei railway station is still a fucking mess…i dont get that…they started construction of the danshui line in '88…16 years later what the fuck are they still constructing?
[quote=“the bear”]strange thing is the area in front of the Taipei railway station is still a fucking mess…I don’t get that…they started construction of the Danshui line in '88…16 years later what the fuck are they still constructing?[/quote]After they finished the MRT they cleaned it up all and spent ages making a park with grass and trees and paths and everthing, then a few months later they dug it up again and it is how you see now 
I remember the non-a/c buses and I didn’t get here 'til '92. I also remember paying NT$8 as a student to get on them. That’s not much.
Actually Omni’s post made me think. Not about luscious young xiaojies but, believe it or not, police women. Back in the mid 80s you often saw them directing traffic in the summer wearing a uniform that involved light brown mini skirts and knee-length white boots. A fetishists paradise.
Man, many things have changed, but info like they had back then did a lot of good for me when settling here in 2000.
1991: Only 3 TV channels and never anything worth watching.
2004: 110 TV channels, but still never anything worth watching.
Oh, yes! What a sad loss it was when those visions of delight were pulled off the streets.
On a similar note, eateries and walls wherever one looked used to be plastered with posters advertising this culture’s own unique version of striptease shows (“beef shows”), performed thrice daily at numerous well-loved theatres in Taipei and all over Taiwan. They gave a warm welcome to foreigners, urged us to take their VIP cards, and generally led us to the best seats in the front row. A lot of the performers were absolutely gorgeous and were famed islandwide. They combined their stripping with singing (miming for the less talented ones), dancing and other artistic displays. And they always stripped to the buff, unless there was a police presence at the back of the theatre reminding the management to be forthcoming with those red envelopes. Alas, those places have long since disappeared completely, as far as I’ve been able to see. 
Omni wrote: [quote]this culture’s own unique version of striptease shows (“beef shows”), performed thrice daily at numerous well-loved theatres in Taipei and all over Taiwan.[/quote]
Gives new meaning to the expression, “Where’s the beef?” 
Omni, I thought you were a vegetarian?
1997: I kick out students who use a cell phone in class. (Cell phones are for yuppie bastards.)
2004: I have a cell phone in class. 
That’s so in regard to what I put into my mouth, chew up and swallow, but I love to devour comely flesh with my eyes.
Remember when dancing was a social evil?
Yes, I was raised Baptist, as well.
Life in Tainan in 1965 was so romantic and satisfying. I would get home from work ( i lived in a 20 foot by 40 foot hotel room then. Not a suite, just big) and go next door to see my girlfriend at her apartment. We would decide what to do, go, eat. We always took a pedicab (even though I owned a motorcycle) because it was slow, quiet, and you could observe the street life as it slowly passed by. We liked to eat Taiwanese Sukoyaki a lot at an outdoor sidewalk restruant (I think you guys call this “hot pot” nowdays). Or We might go over to the Magumbo for some American food (you guys in Tainan can try to figure out what and where this was. Hint: it was on the south side of town in a quiet neighborhood). If we decided to go to a movie, No problem. Since waiting in line was nonexsistant, we would buy our tickets from a shill ( all the good seats were bought out by speculators) and I would just muscle our way through the crowd to the entrance. Or we might go shopping at one of the night markets ( I never bought anything myself. All male clothes were too small. I had all my clothing custom tailored, even my shirts. A tailored 2 piece sharkskin English cloth suit cost about $20.00). Or we could go race slot cars at the Long Beach Hotel (does it still exist?). It was great at Tainan then. All the Taiwanese considered Tainan as the real capital of Taiwan (Taipei was a “Japanese” town). Or we would catch a local bus to go outside of Tainan to her home village to visit her family ( The bus was just as fast as a Taxi). Life was slow and peaceful, prices were dirt cheap, and a poor American could live like a king! Sorry: Brits, Aussies, Kiwis, Canucks, Europeans, or anyone else were virtually nonexsistant. The were Four “foreign” bars in town: Charlie’s Bar, Vienna, Black Cat, and a fourth which I can’t remember the name of ( does anyone there know the name?). No, I repeat no foreign eateries with the exception of the Magumbo! Also no 7-11 etc. If you wanted stuff like that, you had to buy it on the black market. A good life. I married my girlfriend in 1966 ( it took 9 months and a lawyer to get thru the red tape!!!) and we are still happily married today. I hope youall are as lucky. 
How I run on 
shingua, do you still visit the island?
I have not been back since 1980. My wife and I both had careers: her vacation time was in the winter and mine was in the summer :fume:
We could not get vacations at the same time. She would go back every year or two to visit family, but I wouldn’t go by myself. 
Now that I am retired she has a medical condition that prevents traveling so I still don’t get to go back. Instead, some of her family comes to visit us in Florida. In fact, her sister and grandneice will arrive next week for a visit! I don’t know if I want to go back for a visit. It sounds as if everything in Taiwan has vastly changed and it is no longer the eastern paradise I remember. Sadly enough, Taiwan now seems to be just another polluted industralized westernized nation along will the social problems that implies. I can’t believe some of the bitching that goes on among the forumosa posters because the people in Taiwan do not have the same social and political structure as thair home country. Or that the Supermarket doesn’t carry their brand of whatever! Its not the place I knew anymore. Oh well, such is progress though I consider a lot of the progress a retrogression of the environment and culture.
Enough!
There are still many beautiful spots in Taiwan, and if you make it over here you will find many things changed, but lots of things the same.
The mountains are still stunning, the people are still friendly, but yes, even Yangmei sports a KFC.
Almost 40 years. You guys really went the distance, eh? Congratulations to you both. 
Yes, but this is true of much of the world today. Maybe try Bhutan.
Yes, but this is true of much of the world today. Maybe try Bhutan.[/quote]
Do they have any trees left in Bhutan? I heard that deforestation there was pretty much complete because there’s so little electricity in Shangrila.