When you type “living in Taiwan” into the search bar, you are going to get a lot of info on why you should live here. The list usually includes the cost of living, the scenery, how nice the people are, how easy it is to find jobs (for Westerners that is), the weather is great, the girls are great, the food is an interesting, and you get to experience Taiwanese culture.
People are right, the cost of living is quite nice here. Even in Taipei, you can afford an apartment, metro fees, and eating out at street vendors every meal with money left over for travel, clothing, or fun. It’s also true in rural Taiwan, because there is no place to have fun. There are no coffee shops to sit and drink coffee and there aren’t any bars to enjoy a beer after work. There are very little movie theatres and nice restaurants. But you find you spend all of your money on getting somewhere that has more things to do. Also “normal” items, like coffee (even ground coffee), decent cookies, beer (even local), wine, 100% juice (instead of 90% syrup), and tampons are quite a chunk of your salary comparatively.
The scenery is nice, if you live near the mountains or travel to the mountains often. Taiwanese value their green, jungle-like national parks, but really only national parks. You will not find a valued city park in rural areas. Instead you’ll find a bit of green over grown area and a pagoda that is occupied by homeless people, construction workers trying to take a break from the heat, or older couples trying to find a quiet space to get a quickie in (Matt found that one out the hard way-iiicccckkkk). Many small towns haven’t found the value of trees. Nor can I say that any of the towns or cities are pretty, they all look the same—they hired one city architect
People are the same as anywhere else in terms of kindness. I’ve met some very kind, helpful people and I have met some terribly rude people too. If I hadn’t met co-teachers and a select few other people, I would have assumed that most of the residents of central Taiwan were animal-abusing, led-foot, creepy people.
Jobs are easily found in the ESL sector. Some schools will even hire if you have no experience or TEFL certificate, though parents will be concerned and pull out their children, meaning you’ll get fired for loosing clients. Stated from previous blogs, you’ll notice that the hours (unless you get a public school job) are not so great, especially living in a rural area. You’ll eat 7-Eleven a lot, which is expensive.
I cannot comment on the girls, but Matt finds the giant contacts and fake eye-lashes a bit creepy. Says he is reminded of the X Files with the murdering doll. It reminds me of the creepy dolls on Dr. Who. I’m just saying, that the girls will be a lot prettier showing their natural beauty, but not so much that I can see butt cheeks, please.
I’ve commented on the food before, I am sure. MSG, soybean oil, boiled lettuce, no fresh veg because of dangerous and heavy pesticides (which I’m glad because I don’t want to find maggots in my food). I am tired of the taste of soybean oil though! Not to mention, the smell of sticky tofu (think rotting garbage). I mean, even Zimmerman can only stomach some recipes of it.
What sites don’t tell you about experiencing Taiwan culture, is that you cannot escape it. I know, I know, that is why you go somewhere, right? But when you go to some places, it is little Westlandia in your apartment, usually the only signs of living in a foreign country are the TV channels and the strange writing in your fridge. However, no matter how western your apartment may be, it will always be Taiwanese.
Sure, you can handle the Taiwanese layout of the shower being right at the bathroom door, or the washer being in the bathroom or on the balcony. Perhaps you can get used to the fact that you don’t have a kitchen and your fridge is full of used take out containers instead of produce because food attracts cockroaches and flies and you are only home once a week in time to throw the garbage onto the passing truck. However, I cannot get used to the sewage and exhaust smell that wafts through the apartment, or mold that grows because dehumidifiers are too expensive and heavy, or the greasy dirt that seems to find its way in.
Nor can I get over the sleepless nights and mornings because Taiwanese culture is so wonderfully traditional, that they have fireworks and ceremonies for every little thing at every hour. So if you want the complete immersion experience, Taiwan is the place for you.
People are right, the cost of living is quite nice here. Even in Taipei, you can afford an apartment, metro fees, and eating out at street vendors every meal with money left over for travel, clothing, or fun. It’s also true in rural Taiwan, because there is no place to have fun. There are no coffee shops to sit and drink coffee and there aren’t any bars to enjoy a beer after work. There are very little movie theatres and nice restaurants. But you find you spend all of your money on getting somewhere that has more things to do. Also “normal” items, like coffee (even ground coffee), decent cookies, beer (even local), wine, 100% juice (instead of 90% syrup), and tampons are quite a chunk of your salary comparatively.
The scenery is nice, if you live near the mountains or travel to the mountains often. Taiwanese value their green, jungle-like national parks, but really only national parks. You will not find a valued city park in rural areas. Instead you’ll find a bit of green over grown area and a pagoda that is occupied by homeless people, construction workers trying to take a break from the heat, or older couples trying to find a quiet space to get a quickie in (Matt found that one out the hard way-iiicccckkkk). Many small towns haven’t found the value of trees. Nor can I say that any of the towns or cities are pretty, they all look the same—they hired one city architect
People are the same as anywhere else in terms of kindness. I’ve met some very kind, helpful people and I have met some terribly rude people too. If I hadn’t met co-teachers and a select few other people, I would have assumed that most of the residents of central Taiwan were animal-abusing, led-foot, creepy people.
Jobs are easily found in the ESL sector. Some schools will even hire if you have no experience or TEFL certificate, though parents will be concerned and pull out their children, meaning you’ll get fired for loosing clients. Stated from previous blogs, you’ll notice that the hours (unless you get a public school job) are not so great, especially living in a rural area. You’ll eat 7-Eleven a lot, which is expensive.
I cannot comment on the girls, but Matt finds the giant contacts and fake eye-lashes a bit creepy. Says he is reminded of the X Files with the murdering doll. It reminds me of the creepy dolls on Dr. Who. I’m just saying, that the girls will be a lot prettier showing their natural beauty, but not so much that I can see butt cheeks, please.
I’ve commented on the food before, I am sure. MSG, soybean oil, boiled lettuce, no fresh veg because of dangerous and heavy pesticides (which I’m glad because I don’t want to find maggots in my food). I am tired of the taste of soybean oil though! Not to mention, the smell of sticky tofu (think rotting garbage). I mean, even Zimmerman can only stomach some recipes of it.
What sites don’t tell you about experiencing Taiwan culture, is that you cannot escape it. I know, I know, that is why you go somewhere, right? But when you go to some places, it is little Westlandia in your apartment, usually the only signs of living in a foreign country are the TV channels and the strange writing in your fridge. However, no matter how western your apartment may be, it will always be Taiwanese.
Sure, you can handle the Taiwanese layout of the shower being right at the bathroom door, or the washer being in the bathroom or on the balcony. Perhaps you can get used to the fact that you don’t have a kitchen and your fridge is full of used take out containers instead of produce because food attracts cockroaches and flies and you are only home once a week in time to throw the garbage onto the passing truck. However, I cannot get used to the sewage and exhaust smell that wafts through the apartment, or mold that grows because dehumidifiers are too expensive and heavy, or the greasy dirt that seems to find its way in.
Nor can I get over the sleepless nights and mornings because Taiwanese culture is so wonderfully traditional, that they have fireworks and ceremonies for every little thing at every hour. So if you want the complete immersion experience, Taiwan is the place for you.
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