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Going to Taiwan

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Pokebis
2,047 posts
Joined April 2008
Topic Starter
Pokebis
I'll be going to Taiwan and living with a host family from June 1st-14th.
I'll have some things to do, but I want to know if anyone who lives there/has been there has recommendations on fun things to do.

I haven't been to a beach since I was a few months old and I haven't been on a train since forever as well so those experiences should be rather fresh for me. I'm really interested in good Arcade locations if anyone has those as well.

I'm American and have lived in the USA my entire life, so please tell me any huge cultural differences I may need to watch out for. I'm a little bit worried about restroom etiquette after a meeting with my teacher.

Thanks.
ddrXero64
96 posts
Joined May 2011
ddrXero64
That sounds crazy! Hope you make the most of this experience.

One thing I suggest, though I've never been to Taiwan, is to take full advantage of the environment. Beach, local popular spots, etc. You don't get that stuff everyday in the US, so go out as much as you can. I would also suggest doing something that is common in the culture, such as a local hotspot downtown. Kind of like the opposite of where tourists would go. I always enjoy getting the everyday vibe rather than the flashy things people set up for tourists just for money.

Enjoy local foods as much as you can. Other than that, I have no other suggestions. Hope it goes well, take pictures. Lots of them.
Firo Prochainezo
2,140 posts
Joined June 2010
Firo Prochainezo
Seafood. I heard it's delicious.
-----
257 posts
Joined June 2008
-----
14 days... that's really long...
I'd like to know which part of Taiwan will you mostly stay during your trip...

My random thought about Taiwan...

Taiwanese cable TV channel sucks.

Talking about restroom... Taiwanese don't usually throw the used toilet paper directly into toilet bowl and flush it down, but into the rubbish bin next to that instead.
(Because in the early days, you will likely stuck the pipe if you do this(we used paper towels back then), and it became a custom even after the invention of tissue papers)

And there are lots of restroom directing sign in Taiwan with only the letter "WC", I heard that's the British word for restroom.
(Apparently "restroom" is too long lol)

There are lots of beverage stands (bubble tea stands: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubble_tea) in Taiwan, And one of the wonders in Taiwan is being amazed by how bizarre a custom drinkable beverage can be.
A basic idea...
Base drink:
Green tea, Black tea, Milk tea, Milk green tea, Oolong tea, various kinds of juices.....

Edible Ingredients:(you can choose more than one for your drink)
Pudding, Grass jelly (Mesona jelly), Aiyu jelly, Konjac jelly, Aloe meat, Passion fruit, Tapioca pearls, Creams, Ice creams, Sliced lemon, Oreo cookies(influenced by one of the flavors from McDonald's McFlurry)......

Other options:
iced, cold(iced without ice cubes), hot, warm, sugarless, half-sugar, 80% sugar (they use syrup to control the sweetness)

Good arcade location?
I know there's one in Ximen(西門),Taipei City. But I've never been to that one before...

Convenient stores are everywhere in Taiwan. There are times where you can see 2 7-11 stores located across the road...(mostly happens in big cities), and it only does everything.(Mailing package, Receiving package, ATM machine, hot food stand, paper copying(usb drive or sd card), all kinds of fee/tax paying, ticket booking (Taiwan HSR, music concerts, exhibitions), coupons, wi-fi connecting...)
And the best part of it? they open 24 hours a day.
Last edited by ----- , edited 5 times in total.
Cuddlebun
965 posts
Joined August 2008
Cuddlebun
WC stands for water closet, I'm assuming, which is what limeys call their toilets


could be wrong
RhaiizoN
RhaiizoN
:)
Last edited by RhaiizoN , edited 1 time in total.
Ikillforpies
379 posts
Joined November 2010
Ikillforpies
Have fun
intermu
415 posts
Joined November 2009
intermu
Hi, Indonesian staying in Taiwan for maybe another three years (fuck you university)

I'm in Taipei, so being that I don't really know where you're staying, I can't really say for sure..

But make note: 7-11 in Taiwan kicks ass; the ones in the US literally sucks compared to the ones here.

I guess the usual touristy stuff in Taipei:
Shilin night market (personally wouldn't recommend because it's a tourist trap)
Chiang Kai Shek memorial hall (personally wouldn't recommend because it's... that. Just google pic)
Ximen (young people hang out here, expect fashion and lots of Japanese stuff)

Not so touristy:
NTU (massive campus, but a pretty good walk)
Shida night market (ready to get fat? here you are)
and some other things that elude my mind for some reason now.

Lots and lots of night markets if you like those here.

For weaboo stuff I can probably take you over to some places (including some maid cafes and generally great fig/magazine/manga shops), but if you're not into those then yeah..

There are quite a lot of foreigners here too so don't sweat it. If you have no idea where to go or whatever ask a person a question (the guys in the MRT stations and mini-markets like 7-11 preferably perhaps) and they're friendly enough to answer.

As for arcades I've only been one around the NTU area, it has jubeat knit, reflect beat and technika IIRC. Some other guys can probably explain it better than me since I'm not that much into arcades, but I'm trying to get to Ximen one of these days to try out Project Diva Arcade.
mekadon_old
mekadon_old
Shilin night market
Nah. Not really, unless you're just plain dumb buying stuff from one merchant.

And yes, go hunt Rucker and Uan.

Also Taiwanese like taking away food rather than dining in, not really sure though since I only lived in Taiwan for a month.

Taipei 101 is a quite nice place to go too, but I don't recommend eating there unless you have a passion for fine dining. The view is awesome though.

Wait why the fuck is Shida on the not-so-touristy list? The mee sua and the oyster omelette are so fucking delicious. With bubble ta as well
intermu
415 posts
Joined November 2009
intermu
Because generally people don't go out of their way to go to Shida imo anyway. At least not people I know. I personally enjoy Raohe night market much more but that's generally not known as well.

Indeed, people here go out to eat rather than cook, so don't be afraid if you have no food in your place. (plus 7-11 is open 24 hours)

Ah, I forgot about Taipei 101. The shopping mall complex there are pretty much for shopping; I think there are like 5 malls in there. The Taipei 101 itself isn't bad if you like going up skyscrapers to see the views (I do), so give it a go if you want.

Also go ahead to Danshui to catch the sunset. Beautiful sunset over there, and although a tourist place not as bad as Shilin is.

There is also a lot of nightlife around Zhongxiao Fuxing if you're interested. I personally don't go to clubs and everything so I haven't been there. Pretty expensive area (like Taipei 101).
-----
257 posts
Joined June 2008
-----
Well, if we're talking about Taipei city, I can come up with many more tourist distircts...
Personally I think Taiwan would be a pretty boring country if night markets and the awesome food there didn't exist...
http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/life/asias-most-sinful-cities-174006

I talked to Uan yesterday, but he said his house is not for tour...

intermu wrote:

Shilin night market (personally wouldn't recommend because it's a tourist trap)
Overrated. There are better night markets out there.
For those who knows Chinese, some recent news report:
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/110517/2/2ro23.html
http://www.nownews.com/2011/05/18/91-2713346.htm

Chiang Kai Shek memorial hall (personally wouldn't recommend because it's... that. Just google pic)
Go there if you can find any interest in groups of old people doing Taichi.

Ximen (young people hang out here, expect fashion and lots of Japanese stuff)
A shopping distinct with full of weird accessories/clothes/footwears. Lots of places for entertainment as well.

NTU (massive campus, but a pretty good walk)
You mean the night market around the campus, right? They have some nice food, too. Beside that, I love the second-hand bookstores there.
If you're talking about the campus, NTU Sport Center held some of the biggest doujin ACG conversations in Taiwan annually.

Shida night market (ready to get fat? here you are)
One of the best night market in Taipei. Reeeeeeeeally crowded, and there are all kinds of restaurants and foods.

mekadon wrote:

Taipei 101
People don't really go there... Not that fun actually. They will rather go to the nearest malls or Eslite bookstore(an awesome department store) instead.

intermu wrote:

Raohe night market
Another really crowded place, not really fond of it. Recently there's some construction going around there...

Danshui
Catch sunset? O_o I always go there for fish crackers and iron eggs...
It's a tourist place, but not as bad as it sounds. One of the better tourist distircts in Taipei.

Zhongxiao E. Road Section 4 (MRT stations: "Zhongxiao Fuxing", "Zhongxiao Dunhua", "Sun Yet-sun Memorial Hall" )
A pretty big area with over 9000 restaurants and some pubs. If you're into Yakiniku, there's a whole section of a street with nothing but Yakiniku restaurants on both sides.
Taipei Main Station Area
Lots of cram schools around there. One of the places in Taipei where shops doesn't close until midnight. (might have relation between the 2..)
There are several long underground passes with lots of shops (unlike those on ground, they closed normally) as well as usual department stores, and some really professional hardware stores, chemistry stores, stores that sell lots of decorating stuff located on the back side of the station(you won't see any of them at other places in Taipei)

Guanghua Market
All of your computer stuff goes there. Beware though, the salespeople there are more than willing to drag you into the shops....
And you won't go anywhere else for a printer ink cartridge refill stand on sidewalk.
ddrXero64
96 posts
Joined May 2011
ddrXero64
It seems like you got a lot of help so far, you probably everything you need at this point. Let everyone know how it goes (maybe updates while you're there) and take pics. LOTS OF THEM. Have fun dude.
Pokebis
2,047 posts
Joined April 2008
Topic Starter
Pokebis
I'm thinking of making a blog when I go over there and maybe making a post every day. Not sure how much extra time I'll have to post anything, though.
Also, my flight may be delayed because of the recent Earthquakes in Japan and the dates may change to June 3/4-June 16th now.
I'm a little bit disappointed because my birthday is on June 15th and I wanted to spend that in the US, but that's okay I suppose.
Nothing has been 100% confirmed yet, though, I'd really like to leave on the 1st.

Also, thanks for the feedback so far. It's really appreciated.
Ephemeral
Inland Empire
3,945 posts
Joined April 2009
Ephemeral
get the asian salmonella vaccine

it is the best forty dollars you will ever spend, i guarantee it.

seriously. i'm not kidding. it's bad enough to kill some people and you are almost guaranteed to get it coming from a place like the USA
-SiN-
osu! Alumni
1,722 posts
Joined May 2008
-SiN-
my uncle said to date some taiwanese girls, pretty girls are common :lol:

and his wife is taiwanese
ddrXero64
96 posts
Joined May 2011
ddrXero64

-SiN- wrote:

my uncle said to date some taiwanese girls, pretty girls are common :lol:

and his wife is taiwanese
I wasn't even thinking that way haha, your uncle must be pretty cool. If you're old enough to go to a club/rave, do it. Clubs in other countries (other than USA) tend to be a little more open minded in music, and I hate to admit some of the ignorant people in the field of music in the US (at least mainstream). Definitely meet people, there's nothing like making a friend overseas and keeping in touch. Talking from experience.

But if you do somehow get lucky over there in two weeks, you are DA MAN. Jus sayin :P
akrolsmir
606 posts
Joined November 2010
akrolsmir
It'll probably be hot, sweaty, and miserable. Pack mosquito repellent.

Yeah, and make sure to go to a 7-11 at least once.
Jarby
2,963 posts
Joined August 2008
Jarby

akrolsmir wrote:

It'll probably be hot, sweaty, and miserable.
Incidentally, that is exactly how I prefer my Pokebis.
Pokebis
2,047 posts
Joined April 2008
Topic Starter
Pokebis
Confirmed I'm leaving on June 1st. I'll be landing in Taipei instead of Kaohsiung as originally planned and being bussed down there the following day.
Pokebis
2,047 posts
Joined April 2008
Topic Starter
Pokebis
Going shopping tomorrow. Probably buying a better camera and some new shoes. Suggestions on what I should get in preparation?
ddrXero64
96 posts
Joined May 2011
ddrXero64
Grab food you like, in case you end up eating something you're not comfortable. I've talked to people and they've all said that there have been times where they were stuck not eating something because they didn't like it, but couldn't get anything else. This way you can politely say you don't like something and still get something to eat without being disrespectful.

New camera. Good idea. I think you should also bring some American made things. As much as you're the tourist, people like to see things from other countries just like you do. Going to Taiwan with stylish clothes you wouldn't see there makes you just as much as an attraction, and can get you some friendly conversation. Talking from experience. Even small american based products to give as small gifts would be good.
Xyrenus
52 posts
Joined October 2010
Xyrenus
well have fun there! ;D
intermu
415 posts
Joined November 2009
intermu

Pokebis wrote:

Going shopping tomorrow. Probably buying a better camera and some new shoes. Suggestions on what I should get in preparation?
Eh I might be too late.

Go to Guanghua market (Zhongxiao Xinsheng MRT Station), they have generally some of the cheapest prices for electronics.

Also although it's supposedly summer, bring a hoodie or a raincoat (we had a typhoon near Taiwan the other day, rained like crap)

And yeah since it's summer make sure you have enough water when you go around. However it won't be too hard if you don't though, lots of minimarkets every few blocks (which is why I love this place!)

And when you go around to see night markets, don't eat too much in one place; instead think of it as a cuisine trip.
Pokebis
2,047 posts
Joined April 2008
Topic Starter
Pokebis
Again, thanks for the tips everyone!

I've created a blog for this trip. The first post explains a lot of what I want to do there, but it's kind of long.

Anyways, I'll leave updates there and feel free to leave comments ( I left it open for anonymous comments as well) with tips on what I can or should do!
Pokebis
2,047 posts
Joined April 2008
Topic Starter
Pokebis
I've been here for 3 days now. Just saying.
Pokebis
2,047 posts
Joined April 2008
Topic Starter
Pokebis
I finally figured out the answer to the lifelong question "Why do you hate America."
This is the best time I've ever had in my entire life.
those
3,136 posts
Joined November 2010
those

Pokebis wrote:

I finally figured out the answer to the lifelong question "Why do you hate America."
This is the best time I've ever had in my entire life.
Was the answer not obvious before?
Gabi
2,554 posts
Joined December 2008
Gabi
did you find any pretty girls yet? did you get lucky with any of them yet?

Also pictures, more pictures, also pictures of the girls
awp
osu! Alumni
11,869 posts
Here since the beginning
awp

Gabi wrote:

did you find any pretty girls yet? did you get lucky with any of them yet?
while he is like 15 or 16 or whatever, I have him pinned as more intelligent than that

Curious about the contrast going on there though

personally I hate America because of the imperial system
Pokebis
2,047 posts
Joined April 2008
Topic Starter
Pokebis

Gabi wrote:

did you find any pretty girls yet? did you get lucky with any of them yet?

Also pictures, more pictures, also pictures of the girls
Well, I got a girlfriend now. I don't plan on "getting lucky," however. I'm not sure if this is a good decision or not yet. I'd love to elaborate more, but it's far to personal.

Also, I'm like a celebrity and every girl there tries to take pictures with me, but most of them aren't on my camera.
Gabi
2,554 posts
Joined December 2008
Gabi
I'm just messing with ya :P but good for you finding yourself a girlfriend (unless i misunderstood and you already had a gf from home)

Anyways, it'd be nice if you could upload some pictures of the enviroment/places you've visited so far.
Shellghost
543 posts
Joined March 2009
Shellghost
It must be the Fluttershy figurine.
KRZY
Former osu! Champion: OWC#3
4,848 posts
Joined May 2009
KRZY

----- wrote:

I talked to Uan yesterday, but he said his house is not for tour...



aww :<
lukewarmholiday
2,148 posts
Joined June 2008
lukewarmholiday
Ponies are still shit.
lukewarmholiday
2,148 posts
Joined June 2008
lukewarmholiday
Did you meet gamerbee yet?
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