Difficulty of finding friends

my wife and I are currently in New Zealand and considering the move to Taiwan...my wife especially is very anxious about the difficult in making friends without being able to speak Mandarin...

I think she will be ok.  In my experience, a different language or accent encourages friendships, while if you speak the language fluently in the local dialect you tend to be disregarded as just another local idiot - nothing special, as it were.  Any effort to learn mandarin, with english to offer, will likely be warmly received.

thanks for that - i certainly hope she will! I think once we have checked out the scene in Taipei and she realises that there are many English speaking people working in Taipei she might find it easier!

Enjoy your time in taipei.  One more tip, if the koreans start fighting, or any other regional ally of China, take the first flight home, contract regardless.  Better to be safe than sorry.  Good luck.  I worked with some great Kiwis in Australia in 89, all good people.  Remember that china drafted a resolution in 05 to take Taiwan by force if necessary.  As far as I know, it still stands.

You are absolutely right! I've only been here for 1.5 months and staying in the suburb outside Montreal. It's all clusters of people who've known each other since pre-k and aside from that and family they don't seem open to new acquaintances.
This has been my first observation, I will update as time passes,

good luck heidi. suburban areas appear the worst, you would have better luck moving right into the city center, i like outdoor life and always end up stuck in these small acreage subdivisions, and they are even worse than the adjacent lot ones.  hope you find a friend.  where did you come from?

Funny you ask since the previous post was about Taiwan.
I'm actually half Taiwanese, just arrived from Shanghai where I spent the past 2 years teaching English. To place25, Taiwan is harmless. Everyone speaks fairly good English, far from what mainland China is all about. If you live in Taipei or any of the other cities, there are loads of expats and you'll never feel out of place.
Yup, I have no choice but to stick it out in the burbs for a while. I do spend some days in the city but been a total homebody since arriving.