Job Discussion Forums

possum · Joined: 19 Apr 2004 Posts: 3

i will be landing in Taipei on the 8th of Sept. ready to look for work. i've checked out many of the sites linked from this forum and feel pretty confident i will be able to find work and a place to live. but will ghost month keep all my prospective employers away? what about "training"? i have experience teaching (not ESL) and am qualified yet that little voice in my head keeps asking- am i arriving too late? has the semester's teaching positions been filled? also what's the deal with bringing a laptop from home? good idea or no?

wood · Joined: 13 Apr 2004 Posts: 202

possum · Joined: 19 Apr 2004 Posts: 3

i have read that beginning in sept for a few weeks the spirits of deceased relatives come to earth and they have to placated....lots of blessings and special ceramonies, so not a lot of business is conducted by the taiwanese. am i grossly misinformed?

Taylor · Joined: 24 Oct 2003 Posts: 384 Location: Texas/Taiwan

Dear Possum,

Please bear in mind that many holidays in Taiwan are based on the Chinese (Lunar) calendar.

The so-called 'Ghost month' is the 7th month of the Chinese calendar, which roughly correlates to August on the Western Calendar. Only the most superstitious language school owners would allow these traditions to keep them from hiring a new foreign English teacher.

In answer to your question, the more desperate schools will be willing to hire you at any time. In many cases, they have promised parents that a native speaker will teach classes---so you might have more bargaining power, depending on your credentials.

Best wishes!

Taylor
Texas/Taiwan