[quote=“BigJohn”][quote=“Rabidpie”]
I feel it hard to make friends and the girls would be impossible to date,[/quote]
Hello? Do you mean the Taichung in Taiwan? NEWSFLASH! The girls are not impossible to date! They are not! Go and date them now!! SCHNELL!!![/quote]
Not everyone has your winning charm, confidence, and panache though… 
Hey! How did you get my picture? Oh well, I look gut, ya?
TomHill, surely you meant this:
OMG–that photo!!
Rabidpie, what you’re feeling and doing is normal. Maoman’s right, too, you’ll likely never get this down time back. Even if you don’t play pool, I’d find a local pool hall and give it a shot. Lots of local color in those places and there’s bound to be plenty of them in Taichung. KTV is another good idea. After all, you’re learning language and culture, right? KTV is part of the local culture. I understand, I’m a girl so, ya know, but I understand that the KTV girls are fairly easy to date–if you’re into what’s easy.
[quote=“Brendon”]TomHill, surely you meant this:
[/quote]
Brendon, first you offer to help the guy out, then you post an image that has been in my dreams for years, the encroaching hassel-crotch. Join Almas John and I for a virtual beer. It mostly involves talking about Sandman being a tool, but it IS worth it.
Don’t forget your murse!!!
The technical term is “Hasselhoffian Recursion”.
I met Sandman for about three seconds in a bar one time and he scared the hell out of me.* Now I avoid saying anything about him at all.
*: Then my date ran off and spent the whole night talking to Stray Dog before demanding I give her a ride home, and never talked to me again. I’m not making this up.
The technical term is “Hasselhoffian Recursion”.
I met Sandman for about three seconds in a bar one time and he scared the hell out of me. Now I avoid saying anything about him at all.[/quote]
Did he show you his winkle? That takes about three seconds to zone in on. (Channeling Irishstu here.)
We can’t all be David Hasselhoff.
Smile pleasantly. It’s easy to forget to do but it helps A LOT. Get to know the local businesses in your area. The tea stand, the breakfast shop etc. Those people are likely to look out for you. Don’t force it or anything, just frequent their businesses and let them approach you when they feel comfortable. That probably goes for most Taiwanese in general. Definitely get yourself sorted with a phone. I eschewed the scooter but I lived in Taipei county. I think it’s a necessity or something in Taichung. Don’t even WORRY about dating. I know exactly how you feel; dating looks real inscrutable and impossible when you’re new on the island. But seriously, don’t worry, AT ALL. 
It shouldn’t be difficult at all to get online and fix yourself up with a very full schedule of language exchanges. There ought to be plenty enough of those in and around Taichung to ensure you don’t have a moment’s boredom or loneliness. A lot of them will be especially glad to befriend a fresh-off-the-plane arrival, and will delight in taking you under their wing and showing you around. The chances are very high that you’ll find at least one among them who is gorgeous and with whom you’ll quickly find yourself gloriously smitten.
You can even do language exchanges with blokes, who can become pals, show you around, and introduce you to a gang of friends, some of whom may be pretty girls and potential dating material.
Damn, I wish we’d had the Internet when I arrived in the mid-1980s! I still landed on my feet okay, but it would have been so much better if I could’ve set up LEs online. Like Cranky, I spent a lot of my early days here walking around, with my eyes bulging and my jaw hanging at the sight of all the local lovelies. I also spent a lot of time in McDonalds and like places, conspicuously practicing writing Chinese, which effectively attracted the interest of quite a few comely xiaojies and got me set up with my first dates.
I wish I could relive those happy days all over again!
[quote=“Feiren”]That’s very encouraging Maoman, but let’s keep in mind that he is wherever the hell Fengchia University is–a question that I have been wondering about for almost 15 years now.
Seriously, I think things will get better after you start classes. You will have more to do. In the meantime, can’t you find something you enjoy doing like playing basketball or playing World of Warcraft until 6 in the morning at the wangka? Where is the public library?
Where is Fengchia university (seriously)? Taichung?[/quote]
Fengchia is in Hsitun in Taichung, which is around half way from the city to Tung Hai University, and a quarter of the way to Taichung’s asshole, which would be Shalu. There’s a very good night market near the main gate and there used to be, at least, a plethora of outstanding tottie contsantly milling about there. The university is often referred to as Taiwan’s kindergarten because its the easiest uni to get into. The Chinese language program is devoted to overseas Chinese, particularly from Indonesia.
I think Omni and others have nailed what you should be doing here, rabid. I’d add that you are about to enter Chinese classes with a bunch of Indo huaqiaos that will have an extensive lead on you in character learning, and a distinct desire not to strain themselves, so they will be in classes well below their actual level. Thus a goodly selection of your day should be focussed on reeling back that margin. Now if you do this right, as Omni suggests, ie, practicing in a public area, you will soon also catch yourself a charming language exchange.
You should also check out as much of Taichung as you can. There is plenty to see and do in that delightful town. Of course I’d also suggest that the lasses of Taichung are amongst the best the world offers. Also check out Tung Hai university, the nearby Bie Shu and the wonderful Art Street - I;m sure it had another name previously, translated to something like paradise? (see the piece from wiki below).
HG
[quote]Art Street near Dong Hai University, in Long Jing Village, is also worth a visit.
Art Street in Taichung County is one of the most progressive areas for urban living in Taiwan. Art Street is situated at the summit of Da Du Mountain next to Dong Hai University overlooking Taichung City below. Art Street is a model of urban planning for people-friendly living spaces. The narrow, one-way street with raised cobbled intersections slows traffic enough to allow people to pleasantly walk along the street, encouraging a pedestrian friendly environment. This alone is very rare in Taiwan.
The focus of the area is a small square, which at ground level is mostly occupied by coffee and gift. The second story, with a surrounding outdoor walkway, features cheap rent studios that attract art studios, galleries and small artisan workshops that make, amongst other things, trinkets, custom-made spectacle frames, musical instruments and stereo systems. The square is designed with steps and a natural stage in the center, which is often used for events. On sunny days it is a popular meeting place for all the community, young and old. Children play in the square while adults sit on the steps and seats shaded by trees to chat.
The area has an active community of residents and shop owners who work together to put on festivals promoting the area as a local tourist destination. The popularity of the area has attracted fashion boutiques, restaurants and cafes. As one of the few areas in Taiwan with traffic calming and being in close proximity to both a large university and Taiwan’s third biggest city, it is a very popular area for accommodation of students from around the world, so it is also sometimes called ‘International Street.’
Art Street is 500 meters from Taichung Harbour Road, the biggest and busiest city thoroughfare, which links Taichung City with the harbour 20km away. City buses run up Harbour Road from the City every three minutes, and a bus stop is located at the junction of the Art Street area access road.
The area is residential. A one-way network has been used to prevent through traffic. Car parks are located all along the access road to the Art Street area. This junction is five minutes from Art Street.
Trees and flowerpots line the street. Special surfacing and lighting give the street an attractive and calming visual impression. The area attracts families and lovers during weekends, giving a safe and friendly feel.
The Street has special surfacing for traffic calming, and lighting with trees and flowers for about a 500-meter stretch. The whole street is popular during weekends, with many groups of all ages wandering along the road. Outdoor cafes and specialty stores line the whole street. The square is the main focus. All ages and income groups use the area as a recreational space.
The square and its cafes are popular meeting points. The area is popular with all age groups and has a friendly atmosphere. Local artists, musicians and dance groups often use the square for street performances. The local residents are proud of Art Street and encourage visitors from the city, particularly as they represent the main source of income for the shops and restaurants. [/quote]
haha good post omni. But ya the internet did me no good in TAiwan cuz i cant read a single word of chinese !! (well other then the big city names). So no chatting on mandarin forums where most of the birds are.
i did finally get one super sexy date with a gal on english yahoo. But thats only missing out on 99.999999999999999999999999999 pct of them
errr i mean date with a super sexy gal… cant even write english either 
P.p.s. HGC has got it down brother. !!! MAn I wish I Was 20 again and right there right now!!!
And the girls of TAichung are among the sweetest on the island. And many are very pretty , shy and demure (And will keep you up all night too)> I Know . I MArried one.
MET her first or second day in TAichung too.
(divorced now tho but thats not her fault)
I have to say I’m thoroughly impressed by the Forumosa community on this one. The OP is literally saying the following:
In the not too distant past, a post like that would’ve unleashed a torrent of snark. Even Sandman was (for him) relatively civil. OP must’ve caught you guys on a good day. :bravo:
That’s assuming a bit much. I for one would not take someone earnestly asking for help in a slightly clueless way down.
The vast majority of posters here have been where rabidpie is now. Thus the empathy.
What Mr. He said. We are in fact daozizui doufuxin (mouths like knives, hearts like tofu). Rabid’s suffering down there in Taichung with those Fengchia blues. Gotta help a brother out.
one word of caution , Taichung girls? …yummy
There’s all that Feiren and Meester He said, and then of course the fact our knife mouths are dripping with desire at what we could get up to now down in Taichung in such a situation. It would be an awful tragedy to see such promise hopelessly squandered.
My first year was spent at Fengchia. After a very good first week in Taiwan at a friend’s place in Taipei, I took the train down to Taichung and entered the foreign student dormitory. There were six of what I later called the kretek brothers in my shared room, and a million cig butts in a zillion half empty Indonesian instant noodle soup containers. The lads, bless them, were helpless without their mummies or their maids, and constantly dreaming and chatting about one day having actual sex with a lass. In the interim they readied themseleves with frequent exchanges of Penthouse as they tag teamed off to the bathroom to “choke the chicken.” I forget how to say that in Indo now.
The powers that be locked the front door with a chain and padlock at midnight every night, at which point the air grew heavy with the fog of cloved tobacco smoke (kreteks) and the constant daka daka daka of a thousand Indo youth fantasising about pussy and plotting the best way to cheat in their exams. I lasted a whole two days before I noticed you could climb in and out through the first floor bathroom window, careful not to surprise a chicken choker in action, or stumble on their deposits, of course, and a whole month before I found my own apartment. It was also around that time I met the dear aboriginal lass who claimed to be the “blowjob queen of Taichung.” Bless her.
I have very fond memories of my time at Fengchia.
HG
You should write a steamy novel bout it
Alas while I do have fond memories, there are also regrets, like the fact i was never intimate with said abo lass. I don’t mean this in the Bill Clinton we didn’t have sex sense, although that’s true too, I mean I really can’t back her claim as I never experienced her art in motion, as it were. I merely shook the woman’s hand as she introduced herself and her self given title.
HG