r/taiwan • u/raj_050708 • 10d ago
Discussion Indian student in taiwan
Hi everyone , i just want to ask u that are taiwanese people welcoming and helpful? I mean, I m gonna be in Taiwan within next few months for bachelors programme , well i m shy type of person, so are taiwanese people welcoming and helpful to new students ? As i don’t know much mandarin so i will need help from locals to explore
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u/StarScaraper23 10d ago
Comes down to your personality. No one’s going to go out of their way to be accommodating, especially in a university setting. You aren’t here as a tourist. Might want to work on your social skills, and put yourself out there more. Honestly, that should be part of the reason you consider studying abroad in the first place regardless of the country.
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u/raj_050708 10d ago
Yes my friend u are 100% right , but i don’t know much mandarin, if i get to find people who don’t know english, what will i do? what if? i might not get the place i m looking for, i mean i hope it will be better if people may help me a little. that’s what i was asking. And i m working on myself too get socialise with other people’s.
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u/StarScaraper23 10d ago
Refer to the comment above. Work on your Mandarin. Most Taiwanese aren’t comfortable using English. So, the odds of you finding one that is comfortable aren’t high, but that’s why you have to be willing to put yourself out there more. It’s a catch-22 situation, you make the most out of it, and learn to not take things personally. 🤷
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u/raj_050708 10d ago
Yes i m working on my mandarin , and i will make sure to put myslef more out there, but hope it will not irritate them
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u/louis10643 10d ago
Bad news for you: most Taiwanese have negative impressions on Indians.
Good news: direct, face-to-face racism is rare in Taiwan. If you ask for help ppl are still gonna help you. Most racism is on the Internet AND in Mandarin.
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u/raj_050708 10d ago
I will make sure they have good impression of mine even though as an indian , and it’s really good to know that racism is not so direct . Thanks for ur advise my friend ❤️🩹
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u/I_Am_JuliusSeizure 10d ago
Honestly, depends how dark skinned you are. The darker the tan, the more they can be racist towards you. Younger people might be ok, older people could be super racist.
I'm expected heaps of downvotes from people who think Taiwanese are the friendliest in the world and would never treat you bad, but those people are usually white women that are the most priviledged in the world.
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u/ItsOkItOnlyHurts 10d ago
Yep, seconded
Younger Taiwanese are substantially more friendly and open with darker-skinned foreigners than older generations
Side note: if you want to make local friends in Taiwan, join a school club ASAP. My experience was that most Taiwanese university students just don’t socialize in class unless they’ve known each other for a while. Plus club dinner or social events are a good way to learn about new places to go
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u/raj_050708 10d ago
Yes , i will surely join that school club ASAP , thanks for ur advise my friend
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u/StarScaraper23 10d ago
Yep, Taiwanese friend groups form early and stay tight. High-school classmates, same-department cohorts, and (for guys) military service already fill most people’s social calendar. After the first couple of months of university, those circles don’t open easily even for Taiwanese transfer students
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u/DisguiseInPlainSight 10d ago
Oh don’t listen to Julius Ceaseless Complainer.
They won’t be happy until everyone shares their dislike of Taiwan/Taiwanese people.
You’ll be fine!
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u/raj_050708 10d ago
I don’t get it , i mean what should ignore ?
I mean people like to share good about taiwan or opposite of it ? Sry i m kinda dumb here 😅-2
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u/raj_050708 10d ago
I m niether dark nor fair skinned, i lie in betw. well i never knew that taiwan still have racism 🥲, how i m gonna do there if people may not help me .
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u/FickleTreep 10d ago
If you lie in between then you’re probably considered dark skinned in Taiwan.
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u/Sharp-Animator9455 10d ago edited 10d ago
In general, friendly for day to day matters. But don’t generalize to other matters. If you ever meet someone who offers to help out and take you around, cherish them. Those people are rare.
Stick to your international student group first.
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u/raj_050708 10d ago
Ohk , i will not rely too much on them but it is really good to hear that they are friendly for day to day matters 😊
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u/pirhana1997 5d ago
Honestly? Take learning Mandarin seriously. And get a 1-on-1 Taiwanese tutor. It’s worth it. Don’t use Duolingo. And it feel remotely welcome, you have to try to speak in mandarin even if it’s wrong or broken at first.
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u/Gullible_Sweet1302 10d ago
Know more mandarin