Taiwan 2.0: The Man Is Back

In the pool near Taipei 101.
Miriam (Germany)
Photo: Nathalie (Scotland)

Hip-hop yacht party near Guandu.
Alice (France/Australia), Tiffany (Taiwan), and Kim (Taiwan)
Photo: Kim (Taiwan)

Reporting to the dance floor at Luxy.
Juli (USA), Jill (Holland), Jamie (USA)
Photo: Jill (Holland)

Was there ever any doubt I'd return to Taiwan? When I left, I was sure it was forever. My job contract was over, my visa had expired, and I had moved out of my apartment.

In Kuala Lumpur, I met a cool Taiwanese girl. When I talked about all the good times I had in Taipei, she declared, "You must go back to Taiwan!" I laughed it off at the time. All my links were severed, that chapter had ended.

Then when I got to Indonesia, after I saw the upteenth temple, I had a change of heart. I couldn't take another famous site. All I wanted was to be in a place I knew.

Taiwan time.

When I first moved to Taiwan in 2006, I stayed at World Scholar House hostel. Ended up living there for 5 months, because I met so many awesome people and had so much fun. Would I get that lucky again? Kerstin, a German girl, had warned me: "You can't go back! The second time is never as good as the first time around."

I trudged ahead anyway. I settled on Chocolate Box Backpackers, because it was close to Shida, the main university for foreigners to study Chinese. The area was full of bars, clubs and restaurants. Promising conditions.

Miriam, me, and Kai at a BBQ.
Photo: Nathalie (Scotland)

I had more fun than I ever imagined! Loads of great people passed through the hostel. As the resident Taipei expert, I gave my new friends instant entrée into the hottest spots in the city: the bar with the secret entrance, the clubs with all-you-can-drink deals, etc.

My arrival coincided with 3 very cool guys staying at Chocolate Box: Sean (Ireland), Kai (Germany) and Aaron (Canada). We became good friends and a regular nightlife crew. I called us the "Fab Four."

Sean (Ireland) and Kai (Germany) at Chocolate Box.

Me and Aaron (Canada) at Chocolate Box.

Then of course, there were the girls. Throughout the Chinese world (mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong), Taiwanese girls are known for being hot. Throw into the mix all the European, British, Canadian, and American girls here to travel and study Chinese. A perfect recipe for fun times.

Claire (England) and Edwina (England) at a night market in Taichung City.

Jasmine (USA), Juli (USA), Manuela (Switzerland), Jennifer (Swtizerland), and Mary (Switzerland). At Chocolate Box Backpackers.

The magic formula: Budget travel = cool young people. I made so many friends and saved a bunch of money by staying in a hostel. No way could I have afforded to stay in a hotel for a whole summer, like I did at Chocolate Box.

Me and Kai doing the "Marcus dance" at Club W (formerly Club Wax).

Photo: Catherine (Canada)

It was almost too much of a good thing. By having so much fun, I fell back in love with Taiwan again. I wanted to stay. That meant trying to find another job. Even if I did land a job in time, there was still the visa problem. The last time I applied for a Taiwan work permit, I got sucked into a nightmarish battle against 4 governments (see blog post). I didn't know if I could go through that hell again.

I'd apply for jobs by day and go partying at night. So while I enjoyed myself, there was a hum of urgency in the back of my mind. If I didn't get a job and a visa, it was game over. I felt like I was just one missed opportunity from leaving Taiwan forever.

I hit rock-bottom when this British-Malaysian Chinese guy laughed at me and said, "Hey, you're that guy from Hawaii who's looking for a job and can't find one! Ha ha, you fail!" Later, I found out he was in his 6th year of trying to get a bachelor's degree and he'd changed universities 4 times.

Instead of worrying, I tried to be positive and make my impending departure a good reason to really live every moment. Go to that party, have that long conversation with that interesting person, dance with that girl I was attracted to.

(There was this one girl . . . saying goodbye to her was one of the hardest things I've had to do. She was just the right combination of good girl and bad girl. She did promise to take me out if I visited her. I guess my next trip will have to be to _____.)

Both old and new friends were supportive of my job-search efforts. Although in a way that put more pressure on me. People would say, "I love Taiwan! I'm coming back, and you'd better be here!" Colin, one of my closest friends, even confessed, "Don't talk about leaving! You're a big part of my Taiwan experience. Most of the great times I've had in Taiwan have been with you, Marcus!"

Me and Colin at Kiwi Gourmet Burger (KGB).
Photo: Colin (Canada)

And I'd be like, "Uh, I don't know if I'll get a job in time." My first job search in Taiwan was a race against the clock (see blog post). Before I returned to Taipei this time, I got a 60-day Taiwan visa in Hong Kong.

Against all odds, I got offered a job in Taipei on Day 57, one day before I went to Hong Kong on a visa run. History had repeated itself. Sean said it best: "You've got me on the edge of my seat! I can't imagine what you must be going through!" Being unemployed in America sucks. But not being able to find a job when you're abroad means getting kicked out of the country.

Even more luckily, my new company was much more efficient at getting a work permit. It was a smooth process to getting my Taiwan Alien Resident Certificate (ARC).

Being on the other side of the immigration process is humbling for an American like me. My parents are immigrants to the United States, so I'd gotten an earful of stories growing up. But I hadn't had the direct experience of sweating over my visa status yet. Now that I've been through the visa process in China and Taiwan, I have more respect and sympathy for those folks.

That one small piece of ID, whether it's a passport, a visa, or whatever, can make all the difference in your life. My ARC isn't just a embossed plastic card; it's the right to have another great year in Taiwan.

Being in Asia is like a second adolescence for me. I was studious and into books throughout high school and university, so I didn't do as much partying as I could have. Although I'm sure my friends will remember copious counter-examples. Please e-mail them to me. (Does anyone remember when I performed at the New Student Talent Show in my first week of college? Just call me MC Spider-Man!)

Once I got my university degree and arrived in Asia, I became a different person. I stopped being so serious about myself and got serious about having fun!

Me, Kris (USA), Sean, and Kai outside Roxy Jr.

Where to party

Taipei has great nightlife. Lots of international students studying Chinese and English teachers from the West create a real party atmosphere. Young Taiwanese love to party up as well.

The big drawback is that nearly every club plays the same Top 40 hip-hop songs. Good house and electro clubs are harder to find.

Student-style funky hangouts, like Roxy 99 and Jr. Cafe, can be found near Shida (National Taiwan Normal University, where most foreign students study Chinese). The more stylish lounge bars and trendy clubs are around Warner Village (Neo19 building) and MRT Zhongxiao Dunhua station.

Luxy is a good showpiece club that I like to take visitors to. It's at MRT Zhongxiao Dunhua Exit 2. Look for the Starbucks, and walk into the building, Ton-lin Plaza. The best night to go is Wednesday for Ladies' Night.

Entry to Luxy is FREE before 11:00 P.M. on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday (even for guys!). Luxy has professional dancers, bartenders who put on a fire show, and showgirls offering free shots. You won't find a better deal anywhere in Asia.

The other hot clubs of the moment are Spark, in the basement of Taipei 101 and Primo, which is close to MRT Yongchun Exit 1, in the ATT Building.

Taipei also has All-You-Can-Drink clubs, which I've never seen anywhere else. You pay NT$500-600 for a voucher, get a cup with your first drink, and use that cup the whole night to get free drinks. It's not just a special promotion, this is for every night.

Two are close to Shida: 9% Night Person is on Jinshan Road off of Shida Road. Club W (formerly known as Club Wax) is near MRT Guting Exit 4, next to Starbucks.

There's also a live-music scene. Legacy is the biggest venue. The Wall has been a long-time veteran for fans. Riverside Music Cafe and Underworld also host local rock bands. VU Live House tries valiantly to organize parties with all kinds of non-mainstream music.

For English-language info on gigs and music events, check out Gig Guide TW. Clubbing info and parties can be found on Waakao.com.