The Taiwan Addendum

Note: This article was originally supposed to be posted on Voyage to Asia as a "sequel" to my post about China hosted on that blog. Since the owner of that blog has not posted this article, I have decided to post it here.

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I think that I will be the first to write about Taiwan on this blog. It is an honor and a privilege.

When my generation thinks of East Asia, we tend to think of the Hallyu Wave of Korea, the anime and video games of Japan, and the ancient culture and economy of China. There is, however, one country that is often overlooked. This country is Taiwan, also known as the Republic of China, or “the other China that uses U.S.-manufactured weapons”. At any rate, my ten days in this island nation whetted my appetite for more exploration.

I arrived in Taiwan broken and battered. I did not want to leave Mainland, but my time was up, and my “Hail Mary” attempt at finding employment in Guangzhou did not succeed. However, thanks to a very close friend of mine, my adventure in East Asia would continue for a few more memorable days.

The instant that I touched down at the airport in Taipei, I realized that things seemed a lot less gritty than in Mainland. That is not said to put down Mainland China, as in all honesty, the grittiness has its appeal, but the environment in Taiwan made me feel a bit more at ease. To top things off, the food felt a lot better going down in comparison to some of the things that I had in China that tasted great, but made me suffer later.

One of the first things that I did in Taiwan was hit the gym. My friend was nice enough to treat me to the gym, and I hit chest and back. Malnutrition, lack of rest, and high humidity made it hard to put up the weight, but it was great to be back in a gym after nearly a month and a half of not lifting. I met quite a few friendly locals at the gym that really took lifting seriously, even more serious than the bros in Guangzhou did.

Adjacent to the gym was an Olympic-sized pool that we spent quite a bit of time in. It had been almost a decade since I had gotten into a pool, and I was never the best swimmer, but I still had a good time. In fact, this experience makes me want to swim more back in the States. I suppose that this is a minor example of how traveling is not just about seeing new places, but also about discovering new things yourself or adding new things to your repertoire.

Another thing that I learned in Taiwan was to appreciate simplicity. My friend lives up in the mountains of Miaoli County, removed from the hustle and bustle of Taipei (although close enough to Miaoli to have some convenience), so for the most part, things were quiet and serene. I learned to appreciate living without being wasteful, and even subsisted on a semi-vegan diet. These are lessons that will remain with me in America (hopefully I will be able to use them to save more money and expedite my return to Asia).

I might not need to save too much though, because the living expenses in Taiwan are relatively cheap. Food is very affordable, even moreso than in Mainland (on top of being more agreeable with my digestive system), and if you like bubble tea (some of you may know it as boba), then you owe it to yourself to take a trip to the place that it originated. In California, a boba would cost me about five dollars, but in Taiwan, it only cost me thirty, with thirty Taiwanese Dollars being the rough equivalent of one U.S. Dollar at the time of this writing.

I found Taiwanese people to be quite friendly and helpful in general, and despite all that I had heard, I did not get many stares (maybe they all stared at me when my head was turned). Speaking Japanese may also come in handy in Taiwan if your Mandarin is not up to par as well. Many times when a person that I was trying to speak to could not speak English, we found a happy medium in Japanese since my Mandarin is garbage.

Wanting to extend my time in Asia, I decided to go for another “Hail Mary”. I applied for jobs in Taiwan, and linked up with another friend of mine that was an exchange student at my high school. Her father assisted me in trying to find employment as an English teacher in the township of Yuanlin. Unfortunately, I did not get the job, and to be honest, there is a possibility that race played a factor in this. Given the numerous anecdotes that I have read and conversations with a colleague of mine that has taught there, I would not doubt it, but the positive experiences that I had in Taiwan more than make up for this defeat.

All in all, my time in the ROC was satisfying, and I would like to return as soon as I can in order to explore more of what the nation has to offer. At the very least, I am sure that I can indulge in affordable, quality electronics and barbecue brushes!

Misery Does Indeed Love Company

One lesson that has been driven home by perusing manosphere blogs and forums is that misery does love company. It seems like there is always some loser that either doesn't put in the work, constantly focuses on negativity, or were given an unfortunate genetic curse to the point that it is hopeless for them to attract women. While it is understandably difficult to cheer on others (especially others that may be adversaries) when one is losing, these specimens go out of their way to drag others into misery along with them. They will attack OPs that speak of their success (which is typically ineffective), or target neophytes that are trying to improve their game or take notes from successful people.

Essentially, what these miserable incel trolls do is take advantage of easy prey. Looking at one such example, the now-defunct PUAHate.com, they were doing the exact same thing that they accused PUAs of doing: taking advantage of weak, vulnerable men that were unable to get any. The only difference was that while the PUAs may try to cash in by selling a bill of goods, the PUAHate brigade tried to completely destroy other men's chances in order to feel better about themselves while being virtually surrounded by others wallowing in misery.

There certainly is strength in numbers, so it is natural for people that face the same problems to join up and discuss their issues together. However, when these groups are only whining about the issues without trying to form an effective plan of action to deal with them, one must question the group. Such groups are not worth joining or dealing with and are best avoided. We see such parties in a variety of settings, be it aggrieved communities, social justice Tumblrs, and even on forums from those that are venerated as Alpha males. Yours truly is also guilty of doing this, and I am trying my best not to fall into this trap again.

When someone tries to crush your spirits or encourage you to join them in their tearful circle jerks, it is best to ignore them and continue upon your own path. This is not to say that grievances should be ignored, but it is to say that people that have no solution to deal with these grievances, and only want additional people to cry without taking any proper action towards solving the problem are best avoided.

Why You Should See Every Day As Christmas

Originally posted on Return of Kings on December 2, 2014. You can read the original post here: link.

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When I was but a wee lad, my father would often say that every day is Christmas when the holiday season rolled around. In my youth, I did not understand since there were no daily presents, no Christmas specials being aired year-round, no tree that stayed up beyond New Year's, and it was back to school once the two weeks of winter break were over. It was not until recently that I truly realize what my father meant, and how this principle applies to life.

Every Day is Special, and No Day is Special

Some people tell us to live each day as if it were our last. This conflicts with the sensible approach of planning for the future, but they do have a point. We never know when our time will come to leave this plain of existence, so while we are here, we should make the most of the time that we do have. Do not wait until the holidays or special days to show appreciation for your loved ones, but instead show appreciation through your daily actions.

This also applies to actions that we would take to show appreciation to ourselves. No, I am not trying to tell you to treat yourself to a decadent triple latte like some Sex in the City character or overweight feminist blogger, but I am encouraging you to build yourself daily. Why wait until New Year's Day to make your resolutions when you know that you need to change your habits immediately. Do not hesitate when it comes to taking actions that will improve your lot in life. Even if you do not perish, opportunities are not guaranteed to always be available, so they should be pounced upon whenever possible. Do not wait until a holiday to talk to that cute girl; talk to her now if you get the chance to. Do not get caught up in holiday sales that generally aren't really good deals and waste your time standing in line; get what you need to get when you need it and can afford it.

Utilize Each Day to the Fullest

Yes, Christmas and other holidays are days off from work, but the work that you must do towards your own personal development does not stop when you clock out. Too many of us use these days to be slothful or engage only in leisure activities. Of course, it is great to enjoy yourself and to enjoy your time off, but the world will keep moving on, leaving you behind. We should do something to improve ourselves each and every day that we are allotted. Holidays are some of the better days to develop ourselves, actually, since we do not have to worry about clocking in for our bosses. Instead, we can spend that extra hour at the gym (if it's closed, we can go for a run or do calisthenics), read a few chapters in those personal development books, catch up on articles on various websites, and so on.

This is something that the advertisers and retailers know. Advertisements do not stop for the holidays; in fact, they ramp up. If businesses can do it, then why can't we? The grind never stops. Even when you are sleeping, your body is recuperating and repairing to be able to take on the next day. Just because it is Christmas, Kwanzaa, Golden Week, the Dragon Boat Festival, Fat Shaming Week, or even Christian Love Day doesn't mean that the world comes to a standstill, so we shouldn't either.

Holidays are Losing Their Luster

Okay, this probably isn't what my father meant, but it is something that I have been noticing. Maybe I have just become a humbug after becoming an adult, maybe it is a shift in cultural trends, or maybe it is a combination of these factors or other factors, but based on what I have been seeing, Western holidays seem to have lost their meanings. For most people that I know, holidays are just days where they don't have to go to work, or have to run around from store-to-store spending hours of their time and dipping into their savings to purchase decorations and gifts. This really hit home when I spent Christmas in Japan a few years back and noticed all of the Christmas decorations in a country where less than one percent of the population claims to adhere to the religion of Christianity. It's just another aspect of Western culture that the Japanese people find “cool” to follow, I suppose, and another way for international companies to make more money. (As a side note, it is also a great day to pick up in Japan).

No matter where we are or what set of holidays are celebrated in our countries of residence, we should seek to develop ourselves constantly, show appreciation to the people in our lives that deserve it everyday, not overindulge in consumerism or sloth, and not wait until designated special days to complete tasks or make necessary changes in our lives. Happy Holidays to you and yours, and remember to stay on the grind.

Racial Divide: The Need for a Black Manosphere

Anyone with any senses knows that Black men and White men (as well as other non-Black men) face very different issues when it comes to dealing with women. For the average White man, all that they have to do is fall off of a plane somewhere in Asia to go from zero to hero overnight. In the case of Black men, yes, we can have some success, but that success is not guaranteed. Perhaps there is Brazil, the Caribbean, or Africa, but even then, there are other issues that Black men must face that other races can skate around.

It is no secret that a great deal of the manosphere is geared towards White men or other races that can pass for White or can say "at least I'm not Black". With that being said, Black men are often met with hostility, or stories of White men conquering places and women that a Black man could not even dream of. If a Black man were to even think of succeeding, he is discouraged. If a Black man finds even a scant amount of success, he is demonized from his so-called redpill "brothers" just as he would be from an SJW. What we must realize is that this is competition, and from the White man's perspective, the Black man is their adversary, or at best, pawns.

Remember that time that I told you to only fight battles that benefit you? This is the time to put that advice to good use. What does it matter if a White guy gets banned from Australia for feeling up Japanese girls? I am a Black man that likes Japanese girls, and he is only out for White men to enjoy them. Of course, the SJWs would not want heterosexual Black men to get full enjoyment out of our trips to Asia either, so why not just sit back and let them fight each other while building our own resources, media, and other solutions so that we may stroll to our prizes? Why should we do battle for White men to be able to have orgies in China like in Marco Polo (while calling us nigger) when we cannot even get a drop of tang, and will not be rewarded with a single concubine for our efforts? Why should we even offer them support or give them props when we are torn down by these very same people for even being seen in China?

Brothers, and I'm talking to my Black Brothers that have any sense, it is time for us to really go our own way. Realistically speaking, we won't be setting up colonies or nations overnight, and sadly, we'll probably still have to go to their grocery stores for water, but at the very least, can we have our own forums? Can we have our own videos on YouTube for Black men addressing our issues? Can we at least ask a Black man that has been to Chengdu if we can get women there instead of asking the White guy that brags about how he can get chicks on the merit of being White?

The divide is here, people, and it is time for us to accept it. Time for us to stop trying to integrate (or be recruited) by movements, left or right of the political spectrum, that benefit us in no way. Time for us to form our own league, go for our own goals, and protect ourselves and our interests from our adversaries, just as they have done time and again. Let us strive for our own magnificence instead of praising that of others, or worse yet, attempting to contribute to it.

New Years Resolutions

So 2014 is coming to a close and we are about to enter 2015. Some people will be making resolutions for the new year, but personally, I will pass on this. I have already set my goals and I have already started moving towards them. I urge you, dear readers, to do the same. There is nothing "special" about making New Year's resolutions that will make them come any truer than if you were to start today, and the sooner you begin, the sooner you can reach your goals and set new ones.

On a personal note, my goals going into 2015 are to study more, gain at least five pounds of muscle mass, eat healthier, and get laid more often without lowering my standards. I have started getting to work on all of these goals now (except for the latter one since there are few women that I am attracted to in my locale, but the other goals will help towards this goal once I have returned to Asia).

I am also announcing a hiatus from blogging until February, since my schedule is going to be packed and I won't be able to do much writing. I still have a couple of articles uploaded that will be released later this week and the first week of January. I'll see you in February, and I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors, of course, provided that they do not run contrary to my own.

Happy New Year.

Good Things Come to Those Who Persist, Not Those Who Wait

Adages such as “Good things come to those who wait” and “Patience is a virtue” are often told to children to instill patience in them (or just to get them to stop whining about a long car trip or the wait for the Holiday season). While patience can indeed be a good quality to have, it is a rare case to see someone actually get somewhere by sitting around and waiting all of their lives. Too many people apply a saying that was used to get us to wait for toys or pipe down on a long road trip to finding success in life.

The proper saying that we should apply to our lives is “Good things come to those who persist.” What this means is that we might not get to where we are going the first time that we try. We may fail miserably as we learn our crafts, but continuous practice will help us to develop our skills. Continuous work, and getting on our grinds will be our paths to reaching our goals. There is no time to sit on our laurels; we must dust ourselves off, lean from our failures rather than constantly lament them, and continue on our endeavors.

There are many reasons why one may believe otherwise. For me, my counselors in high school as well as my Christian upbringing convinced me that if I jumped through all of the hoops that I was supposed to and waited, that society or GodJesus would rewards me. Get your bachelor's degree, go to church, don't fornicate, and say your prayers brother, and life will be alright, and if it isn't you will go to Heaven when you die and it will be pretty sweet to sit around worshiping GodJesus and the Bear forever and ever. Boy were they wrong. My life did not start getting better for me until I decided to get up, consistently strive to better myself (mind and body), see the world, and see the world for what it really is. Oh, and fornicating has made my life better too.

Do not let others tell you to keep waiting when you know that it takes action to get where you want to go. Yes, rash decisions and actions can lead to disaster, but indecision and inaction will lead to certain stagnation. Make sure that you plan your approaches, but always move towards your goals every day that you are breathing.

There Is No Escape from Work

In today's society, everyone wants quick, easy results. We see this all of the time in advertising, whether it is Six-Pack Shortcuts, quick and easy ways to make money (such as multi-level marketing or advertising partnerships), or even packaged pick-up lines to impress the ladies. Millions of people fall for systems that promise quick, easy success, only to be separated from their money and time, winding up in the same place that they were when they started these programs, or in an even worse predicament since they have thrown away their resources.

I am here to tell you that there is no alternative to working towards your goals (unless maybe you were born with great genetics or a silver spoon, and even in those cases, you would probably have to work to maintain what you have). Even if you enroll in an MLM (which I am not against, per se), you are going to have to do the ground work to build your network and reap the profits. If you subscribe to a workout plan, you are going to have to stick with it, and you might even have to learn how to modify it to get the fitness results that you truly desire. There is no guaranteed quick and easy route to success, as evidenced by those that have invested in these products and services, but have nothing to show for it since they did not get up to do the work.

We must also factor the reality of unfairness in the equation of success. There will be people out to stifle up-and-comers in order to secure their positions of power. There will also be those hawking their shortcuts, constantly looking for fools to separate from their money and their time. All of the complaining in the world (unless you are deemed “likable” or “useful” by those in power), like it or not, will not stop these things from happening or prevent these people from operating at the expense of others. With this, as well as the law of nature in mind, one must also factor in defense as a part of the work necessary to succeed. If someone has their foot on your neck, it is up to you to take that foot off and make sure that they can never do it again. If people are out to trick you, you must be wary of their traps, and ready to turn the tables in your favor when the opportunity presents itself.

Put in the work that you need to in order to strive towards your goals, and do it as soon and as often as possible. Remember that the world is cruel, and that there are entities that want to see you fail, so you must form your defenses, be they mental, physical, or otherwise, to stave off their attacks. Protecting yourself at all times goes beyond the boxing ring. Assuming that you are not my adversary, I wish you the best of luck, but your work will be the primary vehicle that will get you where you need to go.