South African? Why would you guess that? Because they would actually know what beauty is?
MOST inhabitants of the world’s 210 countries or territories (whatever) can distinguish beauty from ugliness. Taiwanese included.
I read about all this once - its called “reverse culture shock” - when the country that you are in becomes SO much better than the one you are from. Tsk, tsk, so sad.
Australian? I do love 'em but wrong again.
Lets leave it go - it has all been discussed before. NFI, Jolie are just trolling… who cares if we have different opinions. Peole are here for different reasons, lets just respect that and move on.
http://oriented.org/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=8&t=000048
http://oriented.org/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=8&t=000080
quote:
Originally posted by NFI: ... beaches as clean as a whistle. Yeah, sure. Nothing is as clean as a whistle in Taiwan, not even the whistles.It’s amazing what a hornet’s nest people seem to stir up when someone tries to point out the facts.
Suggestion:
- Turn around from computer/desk
- Walk to window
- Look outside (if view not completely obstructed by a)factory, b)other ugly building, or c)nuclear reactor
- Ask yourself “Is this a beautiful view?”
5A. If answer is “no”, then cool,
5B. If answer is “yes”, then jump from window - there is no hope for you.
Have you jumped out the window yet? If not, what are you waiting for?
quote:
Originally posted by Jolie: This is a [b]filthy place[/b], an aesthetic and creative black hole
You obviously haven’t lived in other parts of Southeast Asia.
You don’t have piles of excrement on the street
You don’t have millions of children wandering aimlessly in the streets, begging from people, if not running away with their bags
Bad taxi drivers (the ones that rip you off or insist on not turning on the meter, just because your not a foreigner), are more of the exception than the rule
There is no insurgency going on; you don’t hear about head hunting tribes coming down from the mountains to settle blood debts
Traffic is much much lighter than in other countries
Finding teaching jobs is relatively easy
quote:
(you can't even get any talented creatives to come here), it has no style, no history, no legacy. No beauty, nothing to do, no great food to speak of (how can you compare Taiwanese with Thai, Malay, Indian??). Its dangerous - earthquake, typhoon,flood.
They why don’t you leave? If its so pointless to be here (according to you at least, because I’m having the time of my life here); why stay – not talented or creative enough to go anywhere else?
I have indeed tried several beaches and driven along the coast of this god forsaken island, most places were covered in rubbish and had murky water. I’ve certainly been to more places in Taiwan than some other countries, but have yet to find one really nice place in Taiwan.
You know, it’s not that I haven’t tried. Its just that the place is a dump. Simple. Don’t even get me started on the diving here, what a waste of time lugging over all my gear.
There is a REASON why people travel from all around the world to go to Thailand, Malaysia, etc. There is also a REASON why virtually no one comes here, it is ugly and polluted. This is what happens when visionary thinkers decide to turn this gift of an island into a factory. Plastics factories, no problem. But Ecotourism destination for 2002? - even to the locals thought that must have been a sick joke.
quote:
Originally posted by Jolie: South African? Why would you guess that?
Because, arrogant as you are, you are not quite arrogant enough to be an Israeli.
quote:
Originally posted by Adroth:You obviously haven’t lived in other parts of Southeast Asia.
You don’t have piles of excrement on the street
You don’t have millions of children wandering aimlessly in the streets, begging from people, if not running away with their bags
Bad taxi drivers (the ones that rip you off or insist on not turning on the meter, just because your not a foreigner), are more of the exception than the rule
There is no insurgency going on; you don’t hear about head hunting tribes coming down from the mountains to settle blood debts
Traffic is much much lighter than in other countries
Finding teaching jobs is relatively easy
They why don’t you leave? If its so pointless to be here (according to you at least, because I’m having the time of my life here); why stay – not talented or creative enough to go anywhere else?
Its a scary thought that you are teaching the youth of today. If your only criteria for staying are those listed above, I can see why this place is paradise. Not lived in SE Asia?? Spent most of my life in Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore. Places with beauty, culture, great food AND nice people.
My qualities are marketable enough such that I will not have to resort to teaching wherever I go next. (I admire and greatly respect teachers - however, travellers who come here with no qualifications and “teach english” are not teachers. There are other words for them.)
She complains about Taipei being a filthy place, and yet she seems not to mind living on streets with piles of excrements in other Asian countries. I suppose I’m not surprised.
quote:
Originally posted by NFI:It’s amazing what a hornet’s nest people seem to stir up when someone tries to point out the facts.
It’s no secret that many expats here dislike it, but continuing in this thread vein might require renaming this BB to ‘why we hate Taiwan’.
Shouldn’t this site provide some entertainment and ‘escape’ value and be used more positively rather than for gripers and moaners to dominate.
Its because there’s a trade off in those other places. Yes, it may be dirty but there’s still culture etc.
What would you know? You sit at your little computer and speak of wanting to learn about people’s experiences. Get out and meet people. LA is a melting pot.
Sounds like Jolie’s stuck in Phase Three Culture Shock…
Welcome back, Jolie, what kept you away so long?
Canadian, right? Whoever said Canadians aren’t cynical…
Canadian!!! Not that there’s anything wrong with that but…no.
Abracadabra,
I thought that if there was a thread that one didn’t find interesting, or worthwhile contributing to, then one would simply refrain from responding. Obviously you feel compelled to participate in this online “debate”, yes?
You are correct in saying that many expats don’t like it here. I’d go so far as to suggest MOST. The remainder get all defensive if anything bad is said about their adopted home, like “it is not beautiful”. Counter arguments run along these lines:
Yeah, whatever…
quote:
Originally posted by Jolie: Its because there's a trade off in those other places. Yes, it may be dirty but there's still culture etc.What would you know? You sit at your little computer and speak of wanting to learn about people’s experiences. Get out and meet people. LA is a melting pot.
Thanks for the advice. I do.
I’m not sure what you mean by inferring that Taiwan has no culture. If you think they don’t have a culture, come to Los Angeles if you haven’t yet. That is a cultureless wasteland. At least compared to a real melting pot - NYC!!
quote:
Originally posted by Jolie: My qualities are marketable enough...
Qualities? Name one!
quote:
Originally posted by Jolie: What would you know? You sit at your little computer and speak of wanting to learn about people's experiences.
Oh yeah, I don’t have a “little computer”. I have a Dell Dimension tower 800mhz (maybe get a new motherboard 1-2 ghz) 256mb with cathode ray 19" monitor that takes up waaay too much space. And all made in Taiwan!!! Woohoo!!
Juba your qualities do not sound so marketable, do they? Remember Trade Winds?
Seven years in Taiwan… why? To answer your question Jolie:
Were the Portuguese sarcastic when they called Taiwan “Formosa”? Maybe… is your name “Jolie” a sarcatic joke as well?
You’re so unpleasant! Chill woman!
quote:
Originally posted by thyrdrail:Oh yeah, I don’t have a “little computer”. I have a Dell Dimension tower 800mhz (maybe get a new motherboard 1-2 ghz) 256mb with cathode ray 19" monitor that takes up waaay too much space. And all made in Taiwan!!! Woohoo!!
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Hmmmm, as I suspected, an IT geek. Yes, you’d be in good company here in Taipei, and the equally socially inept “English teachers”.
A bit rich you asking me if I’ve jumped out of a window, don’t you think? Staunch defender of Taiwan’s aesthetics, and you haven’t even been here. Sorry, but that just seems like plain ignorance to me.
