What did you do Xmas eve? +another 'wanker in Taichung' rant

MM -
Thanks, I think you are right. I got the 2 mixed up.

Soundgarden’s the place to go - if it’s not too hot or too cold. Mr Wang (the owner) is a relaxed guy, and he usually keeps the atmosphere that way.

There was an incident there last year where a cheeky foreigner got drop-kicked out the door, after he’d been throwing obscenities at anyone within his radious…

There are some oddballs and ego-freaks in Taichung though. I regret not having taking the chance to meet more Forumosans in real life…

I still wonder what draws these type of foreigners to Taichung. Maybe they tried Taipei and got shot down when they realised that there are many many foreigners there who would not put up with their BS…

Or maybe they like being the B grade celebrity due to their skin colour and relish being in a place where there are less whities…?

I dunno… But thanks to this thread I have a lot more options next time I go out in Taichung - thanks everyone :slight_smile:

If I dont find a job soon, I may move to Taipei anyhow… Its starting to sound like the better option every day…

[quote=“pubba”]If I dont find a job soon, I may move to Taipei anyhow… Its starting to sound like the better option every day…[/quote]Well, obviously public transport and things are better up there, and there’s also a bit more going on culturally.

On the other hand, money goes further down here and the weather’s better. Maybe it doesn’t have to be a choice between living out in the sticks or in the biggest city. There are other options in between!

I haven’t really noticed there being more “oddballs” and “freaks” here than anywhere else and I’m not really sure what that would mean (though maybe I am one of the oddball freaks and that’s why it seems normal to me!) People are people, and if they’re nice and friendly that’s great, and if they’re not so friendly I don’t think much more about it.

There may be an obvious explanation for that. :uhhuh: :whistle:

There may be an obvious explanation for that. :uhhuh: :whistle:[/quote] :laughing: But if you read on, you’ll see I cunningly pre-empted such comments![quote=“joesax”]I haven’t really noticed there being more “oddballs” and “freaks” here than anywhere else and I’m not really sure what that would mean (though maybe I am one of the oddball freaks and that’s why it seems normal to me!)[/quote]

Not to be mean but…

Maybe they just don’t feel like talkin to a stranger.

Maybe you can try making friends with some Taiwanese people. I’m sure lots will actually want to be your friend.

Just because someone else is also a foreigner in Taiwan doesn’t mean they’re obliged to be friendly to you or dress and act in a way you find appropriate.

Just as you find their appearance annoying, perhaps they think the same about you. There are just different types of people.

Some people are nice, some people aren’t. This is not really a surprise, is it?

I’m sure you’ll have a good number of friends soon enough.

Just remember, people are drawn to happiness, and no one really gives a shit.

I have. At least compared to Taipei, which had just as many assholes but fewer loonies.

I’m guessing it’s because it’s easier to find illegal work in Taichung.

There was also the thing about three years ago when the mob showed up there and just beat the hell out of every whitey in sight with bats and clubs. I hear that actually started across the road at the 'Pen, though …

Yep, that was the gangsters practising their golf swings. Happy I wasn’t there that night - they delivered some serious damage.

Started out with a foreigner slapping the doorman at the Pen, then darting across to the Garden. Tsk, tsk, naughty boy.

You are not being mean… They all arrived seperately and ended up groping the same girls and toasting each other at the end of the night. Birds of a feather…

This is good advice. Actually the guy that takes me to the pig pen started out as a LE and we have become good friends in the last month or so. We share common interests and his family are also wonderful people.

Im hoping to make more local friends over time, I have to admit that Taiwanese people are great and seem to like my friendly, laid back nature (despite this whiney thread, I am usually pretty mellow!)

[quote=“lupillus”]Just because someone else is also a foreigner in Taiwan doesn’t mean they’re obliged to be friendly to you or dress and act in a way you find appropriate.

Just as you find their appearance annoying, perhaps they think the same about you. There are just different types of people.

Some people are nice, some people aren’t. This is not really a surprise, is it?[/quote]

Fair enough too… But this is a rant thread about my negative experience, and I wanted to offload. Of course I dont expect everyone to love me unconditionally straight away but I think its just a matter of basic etiquette to at least say hello back to someone who has made the effort to extend a friendly greeting. Consider me old fashioned or crazy, but this is just a sore point for me here in Taiwan… Even a nod, or smile is fine. The people that sneer or roll their eyes are just being pricks, plain and simple…

And I think you can tell a lot about a person by the way they dress and act. It was a skill that I developed working in the security and crowd control industry, I can just ‘feel’ when somebody could be a potential trouble maker.

The guys at Pig Pen the other night were definitely in that category… I was actually expecting a fight to break out many times. Just goes to show how non-confrontational and accepting the average Taiwanese male is…

I have no doubt that if there were mafia thugs or tough guys in the club, there would have been trouble… Luckily the crowd seemed pretty geeky and shy. Majority of them were groups of girls with a token older ‘concierge’ with them…

[quote=“lupillus”]I’m sure you’ll have a good number of friends soon enough.

Just remember, people are drawn to happiness, and no one really gives a shit.[/quote]

I agree, after thinking this through over the last day, I realise now that I have been looking for quality friends and meaningful interactions in the last place in Taiwan that would provide it :slight_smile: Just need to get out more, get a job and some transport and be myself…

Just a matter of time I guess… I think the xmas depression made me more sensitive than usual…

BTW - If I move to Taipei - would love to get stuck into some D&D :wink:

Booze is cheap here. Throw yours over them. Problem solved.

Sandman, promise me that you wont run me down and Ill consider moving to Taipei :wink:

Come on down to Kaohsiung pubba :slight_smile: However I think anywhere you go there will be plenty of wankas so just dont take it too seriously. For xmas eve I did shit all, something Ive perfected over many years now and do on a daily basis :wink:

Have you checked out Grooveyard? The guys who run that are really lovely. It’s kinda behind the big Sogo, above another place that I can’t remember the name of, sorry, but I’m sure a taichung person can post the address? Anyway they have lots of live music and one of the guys who runs it is an aussie,Roger …if someone posts an address (sorry I’m a bitcrap about that) you could pop in there and have a couple- I’m sure that they can help you out with advice on whats going on where…so you don’t have to go to the pigpen…Have fun…

Woah, deja vu.

Heh deja vu… I had a pretty strong case of that earlier today… Strange feeling isnt it? I always think of the Matrix movies when it happens for some reason…

I will definitely check out the grooveyard - thanks for the info KitKat

Kaohsiung is on my list of places to check out. Have a lovely friend down there that I met online, and she came to visit me a few days ago. Would like to visit her soon and check out the city :slight_smile:

Booze is cheap here. Throw yours over them. Problem solved.[/quote] :no-no: :no-no: :no-no:

Dont even waste cheap beer on people you are not fond of. Use it for beer batter and make some battered savs