ever since I knew about this site I can’t spend even one day without Forumosa.com.
Anyways, I am being curious about one thing. As I’ve heard from one of my friends who studies in Taiwan, it is almost impossible to get a bf or gf if you don’t know Chinese, is he right? Before that I always thought that most people in Taiwan speaks english fluently and I don’t need to speak flawless Mandarin chinese to be in a rel. with a taiwanese guy/girl. Who’s right? Me or my friend?
(sorry about my english)
If flawless Mandarin, or even passable Mandarin were a prerequisite of a relationship in Taiwan, then 99% of the foreigners on our fair isle would be chronic masturbaters.
^hahah
I can say from experience that language barriers are not going to prevent any two people who like each other from starting a relationship. In fact, it makes it fun. I dated a Japanese guy (who granted spoke very decent English as compared to his friends). Everytime he would mess up an English word I’d laugh like he pronounce “phenomenon” like “Feh-no-nen-mon”. Or he would use big english words like “ambush” and I’d just die laughing. And vice-versa, he would teach me “bad” Japanese words and would get a kick out of me walking around blurting them out. I mean really spices up the regular boring conversations.
However, be forewarned: It might fuck things up later on down the road, but that usually has more to do with cultural and personal differences than the language issue itself.
:roflmao: It’s spelt masturbator by the way … and that fact that I know this word like it’s my middle name is quite worrying !
That’s right. Its the reason why people like sandman can’t get laid.
Just kidding. Of course you don’t have to speak Mandarin, but if you do, it increases the pool of potential mates by about 90%, to say nothing of the increase in cultural understanding and decrease in frustration.
Having said that, sometimes when I get in big trouble with my wife, I wish we could only argue in English 
.
[quote=“IsheHbc”]ever since I knew about this site I can’t spend even one day without Forumosa.com.
Anyways, I am being curious about one thing. As I’ve heard from one of my friends who studies in Taiwan, it is almost impossible to get a bf or gf if you don’t know Chinese, is he right? Before that I always thought that most people in Taiwan speaks english fluently and I don’t need to speak flawless Mandarin chinese to be in a rel. with a taiwanese guy/girl. Who’s right? Me or my friend?
(sorry about my english)[/quote]
You are correct. Really the only words a guy has to know in Manadarin is “cooking” and “cleaning” and “servicing.” And yes, everyone speaks English fluently in Taiwan. Just look at me.
My Chinese sucks. My (TW) girlfriend has an intermediate level of English. Usually, there is no problem communicating with her in English. Occasionally, yes.
There are problems related to the relationship, though. Dealing with her friends or family can be boring or difficult. Usually conversations just happen around me. My girlfriend’s English is good enough that she surprises me by having trouble talking with my mother. Maybe my speech has slowed down from living here more than I realize.
I’m working on my Chinese and she’s working on her English to alleviate these problems. And, spending a lot of time with anyone using a new language will improve it. You might need to do some kind of active learning to get any real progress, though.
I find that Mandarin helps most when the girls are a bit tipsy and don’t want to think about their English. I just follow suit when they slip into it.
:roflmao: It’s spelt masturbator by the way … and that fact that I know this word like it’s my middle name is quite worrying ![/quote]
I was wondering about that. I should have just said “Master debaters”. 
My Chinese is not that good.
But as for my Taiwanese … I think she’s great. 
No.
No.
Neither. (sorry!)
I think speaking Chinese is a real disadvantage relationship-wise, the worse it is the more fluently you speak it.
The reason most Taiwanese want a foreign bf is so they can practise their English without paying buxiban fees -its not because white guys are tall, handsome, have a large whatsit or whatever other delusion they operate under.
If you dont believe me go sit in McDs with a Liao Zhai or whatever, act like you’re reading it without a dictionary, and no one will hit on you. Sit there with an Enid Blyton in English and you’ll make friends in no time…
[quote=“steev”]I think speaking Chinese is a real disadvantage relationship-wise, the worse it is the more fluently you speak it.
The reason most Taiwanese want a foreign bf is so they can practise their English without paying buxiban fees -its not because white guys are tall, handsome, have a large whatsit or whatever other delusion they operate under.
If you dont believe me go sit in McDs with a Liao Zhai or whatever, act like you’re reading it without a dictionary, and no one will hit on you. Sit there with an Enid Blyton in English and you’ll make friends in no time…[/quote]
So, my wife married me to get free English lessons? Jeesh, I thought that she was just after my bank account.
Anyway, got to run. Need to work some more on her past participles.
So she’s not after your bank account? Sounds like a good news-good news kind of day.
[quote=“steev”]I think speaking Chinese is a real disadvantage relationship-wise, the worse it is the more fluently you speak it.
The reason most Taiwanese want a foreign bf is so they can practise their English without paying buxiban fees -its not because white guys are tall, handsome, have a large whatsit or whatever other delusion they operate under.
If you dont believe me go sit in McDs with a Liao Zhai or whatever, act like you’re reading it without a dictionary, and no one will hit on you. Sit there with an Enid Blyton in English and you’ll make friends in no time…[/quote]
Really? I thought speaking Chinese is a big plus, less communication barriar. No? 
[quote=“msleft”][quote=“steev”]I think speaking Chinese is a real disadvantage relationship-wise, the worse it is the more fluently you speak it.
The reason most Taiwanese want a foreign bf is so they can practise their English without paying buxiban fees -its not because white guys are tall, handsome, have a large whatsit or whatever other delusion they operate under.
If you dont believe me go sit in McDs with a Liao Zhai or whatever, act like you’re reading it without a dictionary, and no one will hit on you. Sit there with an Enid Blyton in English and you’ll make friends in no time…[/quote]
Really? I thought speaking Chinese is a big plus, less communication barriar. No? [/quote]
Thailand is worse. After a few minutes of meeting, the girl will innocently slip into the conversation a Q about “How long have you been here?” If you answer anything above a few months she will immediately lose interest - that means you will by now know most of the horror stories are true, you’ve begun to spot the whores pretending to be normal girls, etc etc.
If you speak fluent Thai they will know you either spent time in prison or have an ex-wife you’re not telling about…
[quote=“steev”][quote=“msleft”][quote=“steev”]I think speaking Chinese is a real disadvantage relationship-wise, the worse it is the more fluently you speak it.
The reason most Taiwanese want a foreign bf is so they can practise their English without paying buxiban fees -its not because white guys are tall, handsome, have a large whatsit or whatever other delusion they operate under.
If you dont believe me go sit in McDs with a Liao Zhai or whatever, act like you’re reading it without a dictionary, and no one will hit on you. Sit there with an Enid Blyton in English and you’ll make friends in no time…[/quote]
Really? I thought speaking Chinese is a big plus, less communication barriar. No? [/quote]
Thailand is worse. After a few minutes of meeting, the girl will innocently slip into the conversation a Q about “How long have you been here?” If you answer anything above a few months she will immediately lose interest - that means you will by now know most of the horror stories are true, you’ve begun to spot the whores pretending to be normal girls, etc etc.
If you speak fluent Thai they will know you either spent time in prison or have an ex-wife you’re not telling about…[/quote]
It’s a little bit weird. Don’t u think?
In Taiwan, a Chinese-spoken contry, it’s kindda abnormal to expect those expats prferring staying in Taiwan but not wanting to speak Chinese.
Just point at the bottles.
Speaking bad Chinese can always help you score some points with the girls because I remember they always tell me “Hen Ke ai” and bla bla while they think I cannot understand what they say! It kind of help you on that side. On the other hand if you speak it fluently, well for sure they will take you more seriously. About the thing that in Taiwan most of the people speaks a fluent English, I definitely disagree but I don’t blame them since where I come from is neither the case