Job Discussion Forums

[vallillo1983]

Hey guys, Looking for some info on teaching/living in Tpe against tokyo! apart from Tokyo is more expensive whats better?! Oh My main purpose is not money, so the ammount i save is not an issue!

Cheers

[stillnosheep]

If we knew what yiour main purpose was then maybe somebody could help you out. Otherwise the question is a bit vague: What is best Tokyo or Taipei? Dogs or cats? Cream sponge or Cadbury's Dairy Milk?

[PAULH]

[vallillo1983]

Sorry guys! I am looking for a secure career with possible career advancemts, I don't want to be skint all the time and I want my salary to be able to provide me with a comfortable life! I do not want to return back to the UK, plus there needs to be a bit of gay life etc!

Cheers

[PAULH]

[womblingfree]

[D.O.S.]

To make a sound choice, look at the two societies which you will be joining.

Japan, relatively clean and stable. Bureaucratic, home of the salaryman and the wife who stays at home.

Taiwan, rather electric. Less stable, yet very vibrant and free. Home of the entrepreneur.

What is your personality? If you are more of a stay at home type looking for stability first and foremost, go to Japan where you can hide within the bureaucratic society and a wife guarding your salary and giving you a monthly allowance.

If you are energetic and vibrant, you will likely have a better time in Taiwan and find Japan suffocating!

[wintersweet]

There's a well-known gay bookstore not far from the main campus of Tai Da in Taipei. Look for the rainbow flag! Most of the customers are Taiwanese, I think. It's pretty male-oriented so I didn't go back, but it was a nice, mellow, well-lit, clean place.

Taipei is not especially cheap, for the record. Between Beijing and Tokyo prices, I'd say it's closer to Tokyo. Maybe food's cheaper, if you stick to Chinese food and skip Western food. I know some people disagree, but I would say that while Taipei is somewhat cheaper than Tokyo, it doesn't really qualify as cheap.

A lot of other things are the same, based on my brief experience in Tokyo and 3 months in Taipei. Nice, clean, efficient subway/trains? Check. Crowds and crowds of people? Check. Trendy teen shopping areas with goth shops, arcades, and geek toy stores? Check. Huge malls featuring Gucci and Prada, and multi-story Japanese-owned department stores? Check. Check. Traditional shrines sandwiched between concrete buildings? Check. Everyone living in tiny apartments? Check. Obsession with cute stuff and Korean soap operas? Check ... You get the idea. People often told me they thought Taiwan was Americanized, but compared to the PRC, it feels more Japanized than Americanized.

Traffic is equally clogged both places; I remember crossing a skybridge to a mall and seeing an ambulance stuck in rush hour traffic in Taipei. I crossed back after I did my shopping, 15 or 20 minutes later, and it had only crept forward a few blocks! I vowed to never need an ambulance ... Taipei traffic is clogged with scooters and some cars; Tokyo is mostly cars, but they're both clogged. Taipei drivers did seem a bit crazier and rules-flaunting, though. Some of the long-term foreign residents had bought scooters and joined the mess, but the rest of us thought they were nuts. However, in both places I felt safe wherever I traveled. When I was in Taipei, it was harder to travel across the island compared to Japan, but Taiwan is in the process of rolling out its own (Japanese-built) Shinkansen, so soon that situation will be more equivalent, too.

The big differences I can think of are that Taipei is surrounded by lush, green, semi-tropical hills and has terrific fresh fruit, while Tokyo is more high-tech and a little less, I don't know, shabby around the edges. I think there's somewhat less access to Western items (imported food, large clothes, etc.) in Taipei, though I was able to find some what of I wanted. There's an upscale Foreigners' Ghetto in Taipei where you can go to pay high prices for your favorite brand names and XL clothing, and when I injured myself, I went to a hospital where they spoke English and did a good job treating me for very little money. However, I get the impression that you have more choices when it comes to looking for this kind of thing in Tokyo, or for that matter Western concert tours and such.

I had a spot of trouble in Taipei because there's no real embassies there due to its awkward status re. the PRC; replacing my passport took much longer than it would have otherwise, I hear. But it wasn't a huge issue.

In terms of people, I found most folks in both places to be generally friendly and helpful. I had great conversations with strangers in both places, despite what some people say about Japanese xenophobia. The only difference was that Taiwanese taxi drivers talked my ears off, whereas most Japanese drivers were all business.

On the other hand, if you have little experience with either language, Japanese may (and I say MAY) be a bit easier at first for the solo foreigner because you can start puzzling out signs and menus as soon as you learn the syllabaries (hiragana, katakana). With Chinese, learning how to read is more difficult (in my opinion) due to everything being in kanji (well, hanzi). In either case, although you probably can survive only speaking English, you will be much happier if you start learning the local language.

Your mileage may vary, of course.

[Glenski]