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blateson
Joined: 12 Mar 2006
Posts: 144
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 Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 11:04 am Post subject: Taoyuan / Chung Li area hostel, accomodation? |
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| Anyone know of a decent youth hostel or temporary inexpensive lodging anywhere around the Chung Li train station or not so far from it? Also other information appreciated, are rents there cheaper than Taipei or on about the same level? Taking a look at that area but don't know anything yet. |
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TaoyuanSteve
Joined: 05 Feb 2003
Posts: 1028
Location: Taoyuan
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| Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 12:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Can't offer you much help on the hostel question. However, generally speaking, apartment rents are considerably cheaper there than in Taipei. You should be able to get a very decent place for well under 10,000 nt per month. |
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blateson
Joined: 12 Mar 2006
Posts: 144
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| Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 5:01 pm Post subject: |
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| alright. i have a job interview around that area this week so taking a look at it. thanks. |
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yamahuh
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Karaoke Hell
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| Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 5:04 am Post subject: |
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I work in Jong Li and can tell you that there are a number of hotels right around the train station. I haven't had any reason to check them out but the posted prices seem reasonable.
Shouldn't be hard to find a reasonable place for a night or two.
Who are you interviewing with? |
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TaoyuanSteve
Joined: 05 Feb 2003
Posts: 1028
Location: Taoyuan
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| Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 5:18 am Post subject: |
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| yamahuh wrote: |
I work in Jong Li and can tell you that there are a number of hotels right around the train station. I haven't had any reason to check them out but the posted prices seem reasonable.
Shouldn't be hard to find a reasonable place for a night or two.
Who are you interviewing with? |
Yeah, there are loads of seedy cheaper hotels around. But OP should know that these options will still cost more than a hostel (which I haven't seen in Taoyuan county) or renting an apartment. OP should also know that hotels such as the ones yamahuh mentions, especially in a place like Zhongli, are used by locals mainly for prostitution and extramarital tristes. They are seedy places, indeed. Best to keep well clear.
I'd say interview for the position and, if you take it, see if your employer or another foreign teacher can help you with your imediate housing needs. |
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yamahuh
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Karaoke Hell
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| Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 6:59 am Post subject: |
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| TaoyuanSteve wrote: |
Yeah, there are loads of seedy cheaper hotels around. ... OP should also know that hotels such as the ones yamahuh mentions, especially in a place like Zhongli, are used by locals mainly for prostitution and extramarital tristes.
I'd say interview for the position and, if you take it, see if your employer or another foreign teacher can help you with your imediate housing needs. |
So what's wrong with JongLi besides the pollution, almost complete lack of trees or parks, dirt, crappy weather, paucity of culture, lack of nightlife and wealth of crappy buffet restaurants?
Yeah those hotels are seedy for sure but probably cheap for a night or two and you never know he might find a 'friend' 
The reason I'm asking about the company he's interviewing with is that one MAJOR employer in this area provides dorm accomodations for it's employees free of charge for up to 15 months.
I think you're familiar with them too T.Steve.
So, if he's looking for something for a night or two that's one thing but if he's looking for somewhere to live if he gets the job then (depending on the company) that could be very, very easily sorted. |
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TaoyuanSteve
Joined: 05 Feb 2003
Posts: 1028
Location: Taoyuan
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| Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 7:29 am Post subject: |
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| yamahuh wrote: |
So what's wrong with JongLi besides the pollution, almost complete lack of trees or parks, dirt, crappy weather, paucity of culture, lack of nightlife and wealth of crappy buffet restaurants?
Yeah those hotels are seedy for sure but probably cheap for a night or two and you never know he might find a 'friend'
The reason I'm asking about the company he's interviewing with is that one MAJOR employer in this area provides dorm accomodations for it's employees free of charge for up to 15 months.
I think you're familiar with them too T.Steve.
So, if he's looking for something for a night or two that's one thing but if he's looking for somewhere to live if he gets the job then (depending on the company) that could be very, very easily sorted. |
I'm suggesting that Zhongli is not a very gentle place and there are people and places best avoided if possible. Anything involving gangsters and prostitution are not places an expat should go.
Yes, I am familiar with the company you are alluding to and worked for them for several years and on two separate occasions. They provide immediate, free dorm accomodations for teachers they've hired for up to 15 months (I've heard of longer if one really wanted to live in them longer, but most don't). It's a check in the positive box for them, IMHO.
Regardless of the company with whom the OP is interviewing, I'd say first interview, secure the job and then talk to the employer and/ or other staff about housing arrangements. A teacher will find most schools will have someone who can help them out and in fairly short order.
Trust me, I've lived here long enough, speak the language well enough and know what's going on here well enough to know there are people with whom an expat should not associate and places an expat should not go. Zhongli has more than its fair share of rough spots and rough people.
Ironically, I stayed in hotels such as those in my earliest days here. However, knowing what I know about them now, what really goes on in them and the people who frequent them, I'd never stay in such a place again, nor recommend it to anyone else. |
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yamahuh
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Karaoke Hell
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| Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 3:51 pm Post subject: |
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JongLi is rough?
I never would have guessed actually, well...besides the fact that one of the teachers I work with was attacked with a machete outside a pub one night by a gang member (an argument involving a girl that escalated apparently) and had his wrist slashed to the point where he now may not recover full use of his fingers...
But besides that it's a lovely place except for the lack of trees etc... |
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TaoyuanSteve
Joined: 05 Feb 2003
Posts: 1028
Location: Taoyuan
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| Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 12:27 am Post subject: |
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| yamahuh wrote: |
JongLi is rough?
I never would have guessed actually, well...besides the fact that one of the teachers I work with was attacked with a machete outside a pub one night by a gang member (an argument involving a girl that escalated apparently) and had his wrist slashed to the point where he now may not recover full use of his fingers...
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I heard about that. It was started when a local thug hit a foreign girl's scooter. She said something like, "hey! you hit my scooter." And the guy responded by hittting her with a bottle. One of the foreigner guys promptly kicked the crap out of the local thug who had so bravely hit a woman. The local guy came back with machete wielding thugs who went after anyone looking foreign (of course, the people involved in the original incident had already left.) More here: http://www.onionsack.org/forum/index.php?topic=2345.0
Most of us who have been here a while have more stories like this. Zhongli is kind of a "special" place.
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| But besides that it's a lovely place except for the lack of trees etc.. |
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yamahuh
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Karaoke Hell
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| Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 3:50 am Post subject: |
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| Now you've really got my curiosity piqued |
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TaoyuanSteve
Joined: 05 Feb 2003
Posts: 1028
Location: Taoyuan
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| Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:09 am Post subject: |
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| yamahuh wrote: |
| Now you've really got my curiosity piqued |
I don't want to blow the risks out of proportion. Overall, I wouldn't say Zhongli is any more dangerous than where we came from--perhaps it is even less so. However, there are people and places around that need to be avoided. We'd know who and what to avoid in our home societies where we know the rules. Not necessarily so here.
Some basic guidelines: Stay safe on the roads. Don't confront aggressive drivers or try to retaliate. Watch who you talk to in pubs and avoid conflict at all cost. Leave if you feel uncomfortable. Stay well clear of gangsters; don't think it's cool to befriend them. Avoid seedy looking hotels, bars, KTVs and massage parlours. |
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yamahuh
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Karaoke Hell
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| Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:16 am Post subject: |
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My God what the hell am I gonna do with my time?
Just messing with you Steve, that's good solid advice for anyone. |
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