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Hi folks, I'll be making a trip to Taiwan soon in mid-Feb with my parents and sister. Can I get some advice? -They keep telling me it's going to be cold (I live in Singapore, which is a tropical country). How much should I bundle up? -Any interesting places in Taipei proper? I'm supposed to figure out stuff to do for the 3-4 days' we'll be in Taipei, but beyond generic shopping/eating I haven't really got much of a clue. My dad's a bit of a communist, so I don't think he'll be too interested in Chiang Kai Shek stuff. -My mum really likes pretty scenery, so if any goons can recommend nice places to see that would be great. We'll be spending a few weeks driving around the island proper. In fact, any general advice for tourists would be welcome. Thanks!
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Jan 21, 2014 16:57
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I believe there's gonna be a nice sunny week in mid-Feb, but it'll still be colder than Singapore. It doesn't get too too cold here, but today was 12C, which is pretty bitter for my pampered Californian bones. Sweater and a jacket. Wulai is a pretty nice area if you're into naturey poo poo and don't wanna stray too far from Taipei. I really like Keelung (port city with good seafood), which is an hour train ride north. Yingge is a cool little town with some good hiking and a really cool old street market-type place. National Palace Museum is worth a visit. There's not really a whole lot to do at CKS anyway, unless you go to the museums around it. If you're actually going to drive around the island, then I'm sure other goons have better advice for you, but Hualien/Taroko Gorge/the whole southeast coast is where all the pretty poo poo in Taiwan really is. I haven't ventured inland at all yet, but the pictures look pretty.
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Jan 21, 2014 17:26
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Any must eat or drink local places in Tainan or Kaohsiung? I'll eat or drink anything good. I have a brewer i can meet up with, but nothing for food.
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Jan 23, 2014 05:46
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sandorius posted:-They keep telling me it's going to be cold (I live in Singapore, which is a tropical country). How much should I bundle up? If dad's not a CKS man, he might still be a Sun Yat-Sen fan, so SYS Memorial Hall could be worth a visit. Plus it's a neat building in a nice park type thing. As for other stuff, what kind of things would y'all be down for? Also def. seconding Keelung, or at least the night market. The food's really good and it's kind of fun to just wander a bit. Outside Taipei, if you're going to be driving around, hit the east coast. The highway down there is beautiful and there are some cool little towns along the way. Dulan is one place I haven't been yet, but has a good rep for artsy type stuff considering its size, plus it sounds like a good place to get some Aboriginal culture and such. Oh, that's right, there's a restaurant up across the river from Danshui, in Bali, that's an Aboriginal one called Badasan with like "shows" and neat decor and a menu full of Aboriginal food (and some stock Chinese stuff). That could be a good afternoon/evening - take the MRT up to Danshui, check out the Old Street and the riverside, catch the ferry across the river, get some dinner, and maybe take a ferry back down from Danshui into Taipei proper. As for other scenery, there's always the stock answers of Taroko Gorge, Sun Moon Lake, etc. If any of you're into art galleries and such, the Taipei Fine Arts Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art can be really cool, depending on what exhibitions are on.
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Jan 23, 2014 06:44
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DontAskKant posted:Any must eat or drink local places in Tainan or Kaohsiung? I'll eat or drink anything good. I have a brewer i can meet up with, but nothing for food. This is what was recommended to me when I asked a friend in Kaohsiung.
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Jan 23, 2014 16:02
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poetrywhore posted:I'm in Pingtung, for what that's worth (not much). thegoat posted:I am a goon in kaohsiung. Check your PMs or we can organize something here. I also got every possible messaging app.
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Jan 24, 2014 05:30
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Why is the birthday cake in this country so bad? The actual cake is the softest, most crumbly cake ever and barely has any flavor. Then there's the layers of custard and jams stuck in there, plus all the obnoxious nut shavings and fruits piled on top. It's horrendous.
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Jan 24, 2014 09:01
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Because most cakes, and for that matter most baked goods, are utter poo poo here?
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Jan 24, 2014 09:35
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Man Taiwan needs a Cova ASAP. Their cakes are amazing. HK had a few for ages, and Shanghai recently opened a few. http://www.cova.com.cn/
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Jan 24, 2014 09:45
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Southern Taiwan goons I'm open for Saturday if anyone wants to do a day trip or something in their town. Also I saw a perfect spot for a brewery in Kaohsiung.
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Jan 24, 2014 10:06
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Atlas Hugged posted:Why is the birthday cake in this country so bad? The actual cake is the softest, most crumbly cake ever and barely has any flavor. Then there's the layers of custard and jams stuck in there, plus all the obnoxious nut shavings and fruits piled on top. It's horrendous. Y'know, just because. Better yet? Taro. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. You can still get some pretty legit cake if you look around though, and that Black as Chocolate place makes some good ones too.
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Jan 24, 2014 10:22
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Taro can be good if cooked right. But western cooking in East Asia is just bad. I blame the Japanese, sweet bread, puffy texture with bland taste. 
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Jan 24, 2014 10:34
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Taro is a vegetable. You do not eat Tongan steroids for desert.
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Jan 24, 2014 15:04
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Southern Taiwan people: add "Ginna FunkWallace" on Facebook and "funkwallace" on Line. I realize I'm already speaking to a very specific subset of people: SA goons who live in Taiwan and speak English well, but on the off chance that within this small cross section there also happen to be some writers, I'm trying to create a community to meet up every month or two in Tainan or Kaohsiung or Pingtung or somewhere and swap poems and stories and songs. Started a group on FB.
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Jan 26, 2014 10:02
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Three Potentially Not Easy Questions Regarding Work: 1) Taxes! It's a new year now, and the first time I'll be filling taxes in Taiwan. I know it's the time in the states when we start thinking about filing; is it that time here, too? I have no official records with my boss, but every month I calculate my hours and subtract 18% and then he pays me the remainder. What will I need to request from him to file? Once I have that, can I just do it online like back home and wait for the check in the mail, or will it be more complicated? 2) Teaching Younguns! I've been under the impression that teaching kindergartners and/or five year old kids was illegal for me. My boss (are we picking up yet on the fact that he's a little shady?) tells me it's only illegal for me to teach *in a kindergarten* and that in a buxiban it's okay. He wants to try to recruit a new class and tells me he wants me to hand out fliers in front of a kindergarten in the morning, but if it is in fact illegal that feels like a great way to ask for trouble. So what's the truth of the situation, and if he's wrong, what law do I point him toward for evidence? 3) Second Jobs! My Crazy Boss is terrified of me having a second job. If they're under the table and he finds out, I'm fired. But I hear if they file taxes on you legally, and they make a single mistake, that's how many people have wound up deported. What's the best way to make sure your second job is being filed legally and legitimately? I like it here and want to stay. Thanks in advance for any potential help. I know this is a lot to dump at your feet but y'all have been my best and most reliable resource so far.
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Jan 26, 2014 10:46
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Since CNY is as good as upon us, I guess now is a good time to re-mention the CNY poker night. 9PM kick off, please arrive earlier for chow, introductions etc. Cash game, 1K buy in, repeat as necessary. Last hand will be 1:45~ am in the hope we can divvy up, settle the beer bill, and have a little time to shoot the breeze. We wont be asked to leave, but a 3am exit would be about par. So far, we have 3 confirmed playing and a dedicated dealer. A few more would be great. I'll do a post with the adress etc the day before, but, those details havent changed.
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Jan 26, 2014 10:51
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1) I don't know exactly when taxes are filed but not yet. To file them you go to your local tax office and give them your ID and they will do everything for you. 2) It is illegal to teach any subject other than Chinese to anyone under 6 years old. What law it is and where to look, I have no idea. Handing out fliers anywhere is fine. 3) You can get your second job added to your ARC and that is the only legal way to have a second job.
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Jan 26, 2014 10:55
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What day is it, url? I've been really bad about going to goon poker nights. There's always something that comes up last minute. I've only been to one, but I'd love to go to another. As long as it's not on Tuesday, I got a thing
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Jan 26, 2014 11:03
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The kindergarten law is also the least enforced one in the country and will depend largely on your school's relationship with local inspectors and other schools. I've heard in places like Neihu, schools would regularly call the authorities to report other schools because the competition was so intense.
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Jan 26, 2014 13:08
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Especially in Pingtung. In Kaohsiung the schools get a call before anyone shows up to inspect the school.
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Jan 26, 2014 15:24
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quadrophrenic posted:What day is it, url? CNY Game is Monday 3rd Feb. The usual guff: Zhongshan N Rd. Section 2, Alley 115 No. 15 中山北路二段115巷15號 Name of the place is 川娃子 If you Google Maps the address it will show the proper place, more or less. There's a big red and white sign with 川娃子 on it out front. If you're going north on Zhongshan Rd, take a right at the tiny alley in front of Mr. Onion and it's just a bit down that alley. Prepare to buy-in for at least 1000NT. Beer and food are available for non-exorbitant prices. My number is 0970229902 if yo get lost/need me to LINE you a location.
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Jan 27, 2014 11:20
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So... No writers then?
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Jan 31, 2014 10:27
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I write for a living. But no interest in listening to people read their bland work passionately. I've been to one reading before. It was awful. To contribute: there is already something like what you mentioned in your previous post in Taichung. The group is more general than just a place for writers to meet and share; more like they have a night every now and again for writers. https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheRefugeCommunity/
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Jan 31, 2014 14:31
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I don't have any interest in listening to people read bland work passionately either. I have interest in creating a thriving group that supports one another and gets better all the time. I'm a boss host and a boss facilitator with fourteen years of national level competition and networking under my belt, but you've already judged something I haven't even created yet on "one reading" you went to god knows where facilitated by god knows whom. Edit: sorry, fifteen years
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Feb 1, 2014 00:35
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I have judged it because I know the caliber of writers on this island. Nothing to do with you and your special organizing skills; everything to do with the dearth of any sort of talent. For other examples of talent-less hacks running around Taiwan, see: DJs and photographers.
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Feb 1, 2014 08:30
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Aren't you the dude who made long angry posts lamenting about how Taiwanese were unfairly lumping all foreigners together as sex-crazed rapists after some sensationalist news stories? Then you go and make ridiculous generalization like that. I guess whenever this thread gets kind of dead you come out of the woodwork to liven things up. poetrywhore, I think you're going to limit how many responses you get since your group will meet up in the south. How many goons here even live in the south? It's a handful at most.
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Feb 1, 2014 09:05
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Oh good, Pandemonium is back to tell us how poo poo everyone is.
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Feb 1, 2014 09:22
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poetrywhore posted:I don't have any interest in listening to people read bland work passionately either. I have interest in creating a thriving group that supports one another and gets better all the time. I'm a boss host and a boss facilitator with fourteen years of national level competition and networking under my belt, but you've already judged something I haven't even created yet on "one reading" you went to god knows where facilitated by god knows whom.
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Feb 1, 2014 09:43
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http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/155485/poetry-slam
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Feb 1, 2014 10:06
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POCKET CHOMP posted:Aren't you the dude who made long angry posts lamenting about how Taiwanese were unfairly lumping all foreigners together as sex-crazed rapists after some sensationalist news stories? Then you go and make ridiculous generalization like that. I guess whenever this thread gets kind of dead you come out of the woodwork to liven things up. Every foreigner here has some self-loathing in them, Pandemonium just has a little more than most.
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Feb 1, 2014 11:50
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Speaking of writing, one nice thing about working for a newspaper with very low standards is that I can write up 700 words on pretty much whatever I want and say "hey boss, run this poo poo" and they totally will. I've written three editorials and two movie reviews in the last three months.
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Feb 1, 2014 14:20
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Moon Slayer posted:Speaking of writing, one nice thing about working for a newspaper with very low standards is that I can write up 700 words on pretty much whatever I want and say "hey boss, run this poo poo" and they totally will. I've written three editorials and two movie reviews in the last three months. You've just done my work for me. Thanks!  So just to be clear, it is not okay for myself or others to remark on the obvious shittiness of stuff in this country, your newspaper being one example (one you brought up no less)? Only you are allowed to poo poo on it... is that a perk of the job or something? Honestly, though, maybe you have experience as a movie critic. Your post doesn't speak to that. In fact, it makes it seems like you know nothing about movies and just typed up 700 words and it got published. Also, what were your editorials on? I'm genuinely curious. I seem to remember you have a negligible grasp of Chinese and haven't been in Taiwan all that long. Were you commentating on domestic or international issues? If it's the former, well, again, I have to go back to the doing my work for me bit.And no self-loathing here. I am pretty content with my effort: output ratio: there were a couple books published in 2013 in which I was the sole English editor and partial writer for, and there is a group of forthcoming national GEPT-clone tests in which I am the sole author. Money sucks compared to teaching, but at least I can sleep at night. (  off.) So no self-loathing, sorry. There is plenty of loathing radiating out, though. I've listened to enough foreign "DJs", seen enough work from foreign "photographers" (90% of whom are "working" clubs and events and are clearly in the business of taking pictures of girls without being considered a pervert), and worked with enough foreign "writers" to appreciate that they are, in fact, suitable for no other job than babysitting. Not sure why GoutPatrol thinks the loathing is directed inward. I'm just a 20-something misanthrope.Ninja edit: Of course I am generalizing.  Edit: I dunno why, but I totally forgot to mention the artists in this country. I have met exactly two that were competent (they were actually quite good). I have never been myself, but I hear there is an annual event in Taipei where foreigners try to sell their poo poo paintings for like $30,000. I wish I could remember the name of the event... that kind of delusional thinking deserves mocking. Pandemonium fucked around with this message at 15:14 on Feb 1, 2014 |
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Feb 1, 2014 14:50
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I've been truly owned, guys.
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Feb 1, 2014 14:56
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POCKET CHOMP posted:Aren't you the dude who made long angry posts lamenting about how Taiwanese were unfairly lumping all foreigners together as sex-crazed rapists after some sensationalist news stories? Then you go and make ridiculous generalization like that. I guess whenever this thread gets kind of dead you come out of the woodwork to liven things up. I'm just here to break up the circlejerking. It's my calling. I do it on some ex-pat Chinese boards through the use of the beautiful 繁體字. I do it here by calling poo poo poo poo. I don't like echo chambers, y'know? Edit: And I am not just trolling. I gave poetrywhore a perfectly good fb link to a group that does exactly what she is talking about doing, only in Taichung instead of a southern city. And I tried to open a little message board dialogue there with Moonslayer, but he isn't having any of it. Moonslayer, can you ask your boss if he will run one of my as-yet-unwritten editorials? I have been in this country for five years, so I am sure that qualifies me just as much / even more than you. I already have some potential ideas and/or titles. "The Taiwan Trap" is one. "How to be a Better Babysitter" is another. Pandemonium fucked around with this message at 15:24 on Feb 1, 2014 |
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Feb 1, 2014 15:19
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Moon Slayer posted:I've been truly owned, guys. Why are you dodging the question as to whether or not you're a movie critic? loving lol.
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Feb 1, 2014 15:23
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Pandemonium posted:that kind of delusional thinking deserves mocking 
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Feb 1, 2014 15:27
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Pandemonium posted:Edit: And I am not just trolling. I gave poetrywhore a perfectly good fb link to a group that does exactly what she is talking about doing, only in Taichung instead of a southern city. And I tried to open a little message board dialogue there with Moonslayer, but he isn't having any of it. Moonslayer, can you ask your boss if he will run one of my as-yet-unwritten editorials? I have been in this country for five years, so I am sure that qualifies me just as much / even more than you. I already have some potential ideas and/or titles. "The Taiwan Trap" is one. "How to be a Better Babysitter" is another. I'm going to regret this, but here. Read the sidebar and follow the instructions. There's also the more traditional "letter to the editor" path, which we will pretty much always run unless it's complete poo poo. POCKET CHOMP posted:Why are you dodging the question as to whether or not you're a movie critic? loving lol. Since I believe the only qualification for being a movie critic is "has written a review of a movie" then yes, I am a fully official Movie Critic (tm). I'm getting business cards and everything.
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Feb 1, 2014 15:34
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If anyone needs me I'll be packing to move to a country of Pandemonium's choosing where artists are allowed to be good or whatever. Alternatively, staying here, being awesome, and giving no fucks about a completely ignorant hater.
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Feb 1, 2014 15:59
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poetrywhore posted:If anyone needs me I'll be packing to move to a country of Pandemonium's choosing where artists are allowed to be good or whatever. Alternatively, staying here, being awesome, and giving no fucks about a completely ignorant hater. Pandemonium, your writing is terrible and you need to focus your thoughts; I think you should know this before you send out your latest very-qualified editorial about what people should be doing instead of what they are currently doing.  Hurry up and break up this circlejerking before it's too late; it's your calling
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Feb 1, 2014 16:26
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Well, he did say that his job is writing and that no foreigners here have any writing talent, so...
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Feb 1, 2014 16:54
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