Hello Reddit,

Since my last post (https://www.reddit.com/r/taiwan/comments/1tqrebp/relocate_to_taiwan_this_august_taichung_or/), my wife and I have moved to Kaohsiung!! We found a 2-bedroom apartment we liked in Gushan district, and went back to pick up our cat. The cat was the most stressful part for us because he was having a minor breathing issue, his health certificate was delayed, and we had to rebook our flights on short notice. Thankfully, he had an uneventful flight.

So far, our experience with Kaohsiung is very positive. I’ve compiled some pros and cons so far.

Pros:

1. We went to a handful of different night markets, some are super touristy and others are neighborhood small markets. Our favorite one so far is Houjing Night Market. 
2. We paid out of pocket for our health check ups and they are sooooo cheap compared to U.S. cost (and we technically had “good” insurance)
3. We had the best peanut butter shaved ice
4. I probably ate like 1000 soup dumplings by now
5. I tried a bunch of international cuisines: Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Hong Kong, Sichuan, etc. Yum!
6. Public transportation is really convenient
7. Bureaucracy is not too bad (though banking is slightly annoying)

Cons:

1. Service people are way too interested, polite, and accommodating. I'm so used to the U.S. service industry’s cool detachment, so I don't know what to do with this level of attention.
2. Surprise cockroaches on the street
3. Tomatoes are too sour and flavorless
4. It’s really hot and humid
5. Costco only takes cash or that 1 Fubon credit card, Whyyyyyy?
6. Many websites’ UIs are dogshit! Where the UI designers at?
7. I haven’t been able to find a good bubble tea place. We’ve tried like 6 or 7 places by now. I feel that we’ve been cursed somehow.
8. I probably gained some weight

Now on to the second part of the post. We are looking to make some friends with both locals and non-locals. We are a married same-sex couple in our 30s. We enjoy the outdoors and also board games. I speak conversational Mandarin, and my wife is in the process of learning. Politically, we are both progressives in the U.S. context.

I'm exploring Facebook groups and LINE OpenChat groups that match our interests, but if anyone on Reddit is interested in getting to know each other, feel free to drop a comment below and I’ll reach out!!

Obligatory cat pic.

Not sure if Octobers are always this hot, but from Taipei to Taichung to Kaohsiung, i literally am drenched every single day.

Doesn't matter if i go out at night to the markets or mid morning for breakfast. After about 15min of walking, my shirt is half wet like i got out of a swimming pool

Then i walk by locals who are in stylish long denim jeans, and black long sleeve tops. Like...? Do you guys have a secret to not sweating or something? I'm in shorts and a tee, and feel like I would still feel hot if i were in trunks or a bikini

Hi all youbike accident gurlie here to bring you an update HAHA
context: I got into a collision with a car while ridding a youbike.

1. Overall health
   - bruises are subsiding but it still hurts a bit but I am getting better

2. Talking to HR
   - I did! they make me fill up forms and stuff, company insurance might pay for the 800NTD that I use to pay for medical check up and CT scan. Which I am surpised about back when I used to work in my old company anything that happens outside work is outside work problem.
   —- This one I’m so happy about

3. Police Station
   —-okay so this is the one that scared me a bit. the police called me twice and I accidentally didnt pick up when they called me thursday morning. I didnt have it saved on my phone so I was a bit scared and anxious throughout the day. I called an uber ahead (reserve uber) to pick me up at work and get me to the police station. Driver all throughout was so fun to talk to HAHAHA. He was laughing at me and saying I have the worse luck ever especially since I only been staying in pingtung for a whole month.

also some random jab at me for being a half taiwanese but having bad chinese. I told im my chinese is bad and I’m worried about the police but he said that dont worry Taiwan police is nice unlike other countries. ( we discussed pH police being bad and extorting money lol).

When I got to the police station. It was a small office and the police was having tea, apparently the person in charge of my chase is out on a patrol and they asked me to wait. the person was nice he spoke to me slowly as he knows my mandarin is not great, let me use my phone to translate words I dont know the word for in mandarin. Showed him my strava so he can check the speed I was going for.

After a while I askd him if I need to pay anything and he says not necessarily but if the person I collided with wants to have some money discussions to call him. Apparently it will take up to 3 months to know if I violated anything and they will call me then.

I thought he gave me a police report but according to my room mate its just an information sheet with WHO WHAT WHERE.

1. Youbike
   I paid the 700 NTD fee using my EasyCard, and I have been able to rent bikes again. I’m thinking of going to the youbike office here, but also I dont know if I have the energy to do so.

anyhow I just really want to thank everyone who helped me and wrote really good advice on my previous post~ you are all were ery helpful~

Looks like a new law was approved that would waive insurance premiums for over-65 under the 20% tax bracket, but with potential increases for the under-65 population (3000 NTD/year, estimated. Purely hypothetical at the moment).

From one point of view it sounds reasonable. From the other Taiwan is aging quickly, and over 65 are already ~20% of the population and accounting for ~45% of the medical expenses.
Could end up very sketchy when both numbers will increase significantly.

I was out earlier at a bar and met some foreigners. They were white and didn't speak Mandarin so I asked if they were English teachers. They got really upset and said "yes but you shouldn't assume that" and one of the guys got really offended. It was weird because he was Canadian and I've lived in Canada too so we were getting along before that, but once I asked him this question, the whole vibe completely changed. I'm not sure what was wrong but my someone told me it can be kind of racist?

Hi guys,

Long story short; I am an english teacher at a school and the class was given a song to learn. The song contains a racial slur against black people, which I didn't know until I got the lyrics.

I advised my Taiwanese co teacher its best not to use the song got 1; I am black. 2; it's anti black and insensitive

3; legal trouble if this gets out and 4; its the n word with the hard r from a song from 1840's. So it was indeed racist and a minstrel song that holds racism throughout everything.

I was told: "its just a song" and the "kids won't know what it means"

I sat in the corner of the classroom and basically disassociated until the handouts and song singing was over. Once it was done, I proceeded to get my next class ready only to hear the boys in the class saying the n-word with a hard R over and over again and laughing. I was at a lost for words and just froze. I took a few more minutes to gather myself then started the class, finished and promptly left.

Usually I joke around with the kids but I just left.

Now I am uncomfortable and I feel sick even entering the classroom. Im not sure what to do, last time someone used the word against me, I sued them and I even told my coteacher that.

Any advice how to move along with this? It's my first time experiencing this and I know this can get messy legally as I've already experienced it.

Any advice would be helpful.

Hi everyone!

I'm an Indian student currently studying in Class XII under the CBSE curriculum at Sterling School, Maharashtra, India. I'm planning to apply to National Taiwan University's Global Undergraduate Program in Semiconductors (GUPS) for September 2027 entry.

I'd appreciate honest feedback from NTU students, current GUPS students, alumni, and anyone familiar with international undergraduate admissions in Taiwan. I'm especially interested in understanding whether my academic profile and semiconductor-related project make me a competitive applicant, and what weaknesses I should be concerned about.

1. Academic profile

• Curriculum: CBSE (India)
• Class X: 94% (best-five score)
• Class XI: 90% (my Class XI performance was weaker than my Class X result)
• Class XII: Currently studying; I am expecting approximately 94% or higher, but my final board results are not available yet.
• Class XII English: I expect approximately 90+/100, although this is only a prediction.
• School: Sterling School, Maharashtra, India
• Expected graduation: May 2027

My main concern is how NTU will evaluate my Class XI marks alongside my Class X performance and predicted Class XII results. I'm unsure how much weight is placed on each year's results for GUPS admissions.

2. Intended program and interests

My target is NTU's Global Undergraduate Program in Semiconductors. I'm interested in semiconductor devices, electronics, silicon-based devices, and the physics and mathematics behind semiconductor technology.

I want to pursue this field because I would like to understand how semiconductor devices work at a fundamental level, rather than studying electronics only from a circuit-design perspective.

3. Semiconductor-related project

I have worked on an educational Python project called Mini-TCAD, focused on simplified semiconductor-device simulation.

The project includes:

• Analytical and finite-difference modelling of a one-dimensional silicon p–n junction.
• A simplified MOS capacitor model.
• Poisson-equation solving and calculations involving electric potential, electric field, charge, and capacitance.
• Plots and comparisons with textbook-level expectations.
• Basic numerical checks to examine whether the model behaves as expected.

This is an educational simulation project, not a commercial-grade or full TCAD tool. I would like to know whether a project of this kind can meaningfully strengthen an undergraduate application to a semiconductor-focused program, especially if I can explain the physics, mathematics, implementation, and limitations clearly.

4. English proficiency

For the purpose of evaluating my chances, please assume that I obtain an overall TOEFL iBT score of 4.0/6 under the scoring scale introduced in 2026.

I understand that meeting the minimum English-language requirement, if this score is accepted, does not automatically make an applicant competitive for admission. I would also appreciate hearing from applicants who applied using the new TOEFL scoring scale, if anyone has relevant experience.

5. Recommendations and application materials

I am preparing recommendation letters from my Mathematics and Physics teachers, along with the other materials required for the application. I plan to present my interest in semiconductors through my academic background and Mini-TCAD project.

I would appreciate advice on how much recommendation letters, a study plan, and a well-documented technical project can contribute when an applicant has uneven school marks.

6. Financial considerations

I am also considering affordability carefully. My family can contribute approximately ₹12 lakh in total, and I would be comfortable with a maximum education loan of around ₹10 lakh. I would therefore need to understand the realistic overall cost, available scholarships, and living expenses if admitted.

I am aware that financial feasibility and admission chances are separate questions, but advice from current international students about actual expenses and scholarships would be very helpful.

7. My main concerns

1. Is a CBSE profile with 94% in Class X, 90% in Class XI, and an expected 94%+ in Class XII competitive for NTU GUPS?
2. How concerning is the Class XI result, and can strong Class XII board results help offset it?
3. Does the Mini-TCAD project add meaningful value, or would admissions mainly prioritize grades and standardized requirements?
4. Assuming a TOEFL iBT overall score of 4.0/6, would my English proficiency be sufficient if it meets NTU's official requirements for the 2027 intake?
5. How competitive is GUPS for international applicants from India? Are there any reliable admission statistics or experiences from previous applicants?
6. What would you consider my realistic position: ambitious/reach, possible but competitive, or relatively likely? I understand nobody can predict an individual decision with certainty.
7. Given my financial limits, are scholarships realistic, and what costs should I investigate most carefully?

I'd be grateful for honest, realistic feedback rather than reassurance. If you have experience with NTU GUPS admissions, international admissions from India, CBSE applications, or semiconductor-related undergraduate programs, I would especially value your perspective.

Thank you for reading!

Hey everyone! I’m thinking of joining this Mahjong tournament at SOFA Taipei this Sunday and wondering if anyone would like to come along!

It looks like a fun way to learn a classic Chinese board game, meet new people, and have some friendly competition.

Cost: Around NT$150–200, including one soft drink from the venue.
Time and Location: 6pm at SOFA Taipei

🔗 Event details: https://luma.com/sa2cinnt?tk=lmvnOI

Anyone interested in joining? Feel free to comment or DM me! It would be fun to go together 😊

Original post here: https://www.reddit.com/r/taiwan/comments/1x6jnpa/got_hit_by_a_scooter/

(Sorry if this gets a bit long!)

Small update: went to the police station to give a statement. Saw the video (from like 4 different angles!) And wow, he *really* did mow me down. I was absolutely skittled by that scooter.

He ran the red light by a (relatively) significant margin. Like, his was the only moving vehicle in the frame. I was halfway across the first lane when he ploughed into me, and he was going a decent speed. Doesnt look like he tried to brake or avoid me at all. Just... wham. Officer expressed surprise i was not more badly hurt.

In bad news: friend has been speaking to old man and, his daughter. (They have not been to station yet). Daughter was described by friend using words that rhyme with 'itch' 'biko' 'florrible' and 'shmundering shmunt'.

So basically exactly what many of you warned about. They wanted to meet and give a hong bao before I went to station. We declined. We asked if they wanted to accompany us to the station. They declined.

Things went downhill from there. Several calls over the day. Daughter talking a mile a minute, literally lying 'its the injured parties duty to file with drivers insurance, not ours' (it is not- we CAN file, they SHOULD file.) 'you only have 2 weeks to file/claim' (its 2 years) 'we are only responsible to pay x and y' (friend called their insurance to check)

Talking loudly over friend, speak8nf very fast, mentioning laws etc, trying to domineer, control the narrative,l. Stuff like 'we dont know what happened'(we saw the video!!) And 'my poor father is a billion years old' etc etc.

My friend asked to please let her speak and she claimed my friend was getting angry and raising her voice at her (she was not), she won't be spoken to like that, she won't deal with her anymore and friend would have to speak to daughters lawyer.

Friend is confident she is bluffing- any lawyer will tell her they are fucked if it goes to court. Says she is trying hard to avoid their responsibilities,and pushing us to file quickly so they dont incur further fees (?)

I basically only wanted my medical bills covered and basically expenses incurred and time lost. A lil something on top would have been nice. I just wanted this over it, but if she is going to make this hard and/or drag it to court, it will be a different story.

Friend is not sure she has the 'guanshi' to handle her. So we may have to upgrade to other friends husband- sells quite high-end used cars (so you KNOW he is slick) and has been described as 'very good at dealing with difficult people'.

Questions:

Is it legal to record phone convos here? (Ideally without telling other party)

how likely do you think this REALLY is to go to court? (I REALLY DO NOT WANT TO)

If it did, how long might it all take?

Is it possible to have them cover my lawyer fees when they lose?

Do any lawyers here operate on a no-win, no fee basis?

Would it be worth getting a letter or something written up by a lawyer and sent to them? (If they really want to play the intimidation game)

Again any advice, input or personal experience is welcome. Thanks once again.

EDIT: thank you all again, ive recievwd a lot of good in formation and lots of advice- some seems very sensible, some quite aggressive and some quite contradictory

I have a lot to process and think about. Im gonna get off the internet for a bit, because I dont want to get too swayed by internet opinions, you know? I have some excellent and knowledgeable friends helping me, and my Boss, who is awesome has gotten involved too.

I'll give a final update once this all plays out!

About me: I'm 18m and would prefer someone around my age. I speak English and mandarin but my mandarin is not as good as my english and I barely read or write. I like to hike, play games, and go on late night drives.

For the love of Matsu I cannot decide which one I like more and where to "settle".

City life is so convenient and there's always something to do, but seeing the mountains and ocean every day also has its charm.

But at least Taiwan has it all...
(except skiing!)

I'm working on an app and want to include a Taiwanese Mandarin voice. Anyone know the best way to go about finding someone and paying them from the US?

This take got a lot of upvotes last week in response to the question of how Taiwanese view ABTs.

Worth every single mile. See you again next year! 🥹

I'm coming to Taiwan for Rock in Taichung 2026 (搖滾台中2026) and I'm not familiar with a lot of the artists, so I made Spotify playlists for each day of the festival to get myself acquainted with the lineup.

Saturday, October 31 - Spotify Playlist

Sunday, November 1 - Spotify Playlist

I tried to include a good selection from every artist performing each day, with an emphasis on their most popular songs, recent releases, and tracks they're currently promoting.

I'm still discovering these bands myself, so if you're familiar with the Taiwanese indie/rock scene and notice that I missed an important song, picked the wrong tracks, or there's something I absolutely need to hear before the festival, please let me know!

I'm only able to attend Saturday, but I figured I'd make both playlists while I was digging through the lineup anyway.

Really excited for my first 搖滾台中!

https://www.npr.org/2026/10/14/nx-s1-5550974/skincare-scheme-mazal-group-investigation

https://youtu.be/Vaua8O8PtTY?is=7Edncx4asePy9Orv

I remember reading about a similar scam a year ago in this subreddit. This was the thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/taiwan/s/yfIZNNdrVW

This is the exact group that has been committing visa fraud and scamming customers around the US.

I know there is a store like this near YongKang Street and Xinyi Road. One of the salespeople is a foreigner. They are Israelis on tourist visas doing work, at least that's the visa fraud going on in the US.

I bet the same thing is happening in Taiwan. Some news and/or government should investigate them.

Museum of Taiwan History

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Hi everyone!

I'm an international student from Spain and I'll be attending NSYSU for the spring semester. I'll only be staying in Kaohsiung for a few months, and since I've never been to Taiwan before and don't speak Chinese, I'm finding it a bit difficult to figure out the best way to find accommodation.

Initially, I was planning to apply for a room in the international dorms, as they seemed like the cheapest and most convenient option. However, after reading about some previous students' experiences, I'm having second thoughts.

Now I'm considering either Airbnb or renting an apartment, but I'm not sure where to start. Renting seems to be cheaper, but I'm worried about the language barrier when communicating with landlords and the difficulties of finding a place that allows short-term stays.

Where would you recommend looking for accommodation in my situation? Are there any Facebook groups, rental websites, or other platforms you've used and would recommend?

I'd also love to hear about your experiences renting in Kaohsiung as an international student!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!