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esglumac
Joined: 16 Jan 2007
Posts: 21
Location: United States
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 Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 12:05 am Post subject: where to go-taiwan, japan, or south korea |
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So this might be a really ingorant question, but iam looking for jobs in all three places and VERY confused  i want a clean enviroment, that is economically resourceful and where the language and culture acquisition is not that difficult ( hence i know theyre all equally hard). also, i speak a good but of japanese, but wanted to be open to somewhere besides japan( it seems to be pretty diffucult to find a good position). so i need advice... mmmm... any experiences amd comparisions would be appreciated. thanks |
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BigWally
Joined: 07 Jun 2006
Posts: 765
Location: Ottawa, CAN (prev. Kaohsiung "the Dirty South")
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| Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 2:26 am Post subject: |
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| do some reading....there are a lot of posts on comparisons between these countries... |
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jwbhomer
Joined: 14 Dec 2003
Posts: 876
Location: CANADA
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| Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 3:02 pm Post subject: |
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[quote]So this might be a really ingorant question, but iam looking for jobs in all three places and VERY confused i want a clean enviroment, that is economically resourceful and where the language and culture acquisition is not that difficult ( hence i know theyre all equally hard). also, i speak a good but of japanese, but wanted to be open to somewhere besides japan( it seems to be pretty diffucult to find a good position). so i need advice... mmmm... any experiences amd comparisions would be appreciated. thanks[/quote]
Want some good advice? Learn to spell! "ingorant", "diffucult", "comparisions"... honestly... |
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esglumac
Joined: 16 Jan 2007
Posts: 21
Location: United States
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| Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2007 2:40 pm Post subject: |
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| um yeah.....spelling was the topic at hand, i could say more but better just to say nothing at all with people like yourself |
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tedkarma
Joined: 17 May 2004
Posts: 1598
Location: The World is my Oyster
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 1:43 am Post subject: |
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Just about every in Asia has some pollution problems . . .
I worked in both Korea and Taiwan - the money was a bit better in Korea- the quality of life a bit better in Taiwan. |
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Miyazaki
Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 635
Location: My Father's Yacht
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 2:38 am Post subject: |
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I agree.
The money is 2 times better in Korea and, if you're in Seoul, the quality of life and choices are a lot better also.
Taiwan doesn't come close to Korea in terms of earning potential. And if you're in Seoul, Taipei doesn't really measure up at all. |
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tedkarma
Joined: 17 May 2004
Posts: 1598
Location: The World is my Oyster
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:11 am Post subject: |
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| Miyazaki wrote: |
I agree.
The money is 2 times better in Korea and, if you're in Seoul, the quality of life and choices are a lot better also.
Taiwan doesn't come close to Korea in terms of earning potential. And if you're in Seoul, Taipei doesn't really measure up at all. |
I found the people in Taiwan to be much friendlier - but maybe that is just me.
My savings there were about 2/3rds of what I saved in Korea. Not a huge difference considering that I felt that my quality of life was much better.
Seoul is okay - but I find it quite sterile. |
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Big John Stud
Joined: 07 Oct 2004
Posts: 513
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:15 am Post subject: |
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[quote="Miyazaki"]I agree.
The money is 2 times better in Korea and, if you're in Seoul, the quality of life and choices are a lot better also.
Taiwan doesn't come close to Korea in terms of earning potential. And if you're in Seoul, Taipei doesn't really measure up at all.[/quote]
I completely disagree! My experience in Seoul, Korea was awful. Taipei was so much better of an experience. This is why I believe companies in Korea pay so much more than companies in Taiwan, because if they didn't no one would go to Korea. |
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Toe Save
Joined: 04 Oct 2004
Posts: 202
Location: 'tween the pipes.........
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:21 am Post subject: |
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| Miyazaki wrote: |
I agree.
The money is 2 times better in Korea and, if you're in Seoul, the quality of life and choices are a lot better also.
Taiwan doesn't come close to Korea in terms of earning potential. And if you're in Seoul, Taipei doesn't really measure up at all. |
What a ridiculous statement or three. Double the money huh? Right! I highly doubt you are making more than I am, and I only work 3.5 days a week.
I go out and see local bands near every weekend. I am a patron of the vibrant dance scene here in Taipei. I have seen some remarkable performances by Cloud Gate, a world-reknowned modern dance company based here as well as by some stellar visiting artists.
And when my evening comes to a close, I nip home in less than 20 minutes to my jungle house. That's right, I am 20 minutes from the city center and live surrounded by lush green foliage, fresh air and a mountain stream. I have a 40+ping home, all to myself and I pay 8000NT for it. And no neighbours. Okay, 1 neighbour. But she is at least 30 metres away, and with the sound of the stream cascading down the mountainside, I can't hear her karaoking away the night unless I am within 2m of her door, and she can't hear or see me when I take one of my bevy of beauties riverside for a little bit of nocturnal love-howling. I drive a cool motorcylce that costs peanuts to maintain and is sturdy enough to whip around the island with, should I so desire. The beaches are close and the scuba is extraordinary and untouched by German tourists.
I have a wide assortment of friends, both local and expat with whom I can converse with on a wide range of subjects.
My best pal is doing a short stint in RSK right now. He is terrified to even talk to a woman for fear of getting ganged up on by the local boys. And the local boys figure they are so damned superior to everyone else that there is no point in engaging them in any discussion that doesn't begin with "Koreans are the best at..........."
Never mind the cornucopeia of horror stories that come out of RSK about unscrupulous business practices.
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773
Joined: 29 May 2005
Posts: 213
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| Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 5:32 am Post subject: |
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Toe Save, with all due respect, I think your description is a wee bit of an exaggeration...I lived in Pingtung in the "countryside" south and nothing there came even close to what you just described, even near Kenting, or anywhere else on the island I visited in my 6 years there for that matter.
Also, to speak about a lack of pollution so close to Taipei...could it be that you have become somewhat blinded when it comes to your environmental reality? The only reason I say that is because I lived in Taiwan for 6 years and when I went back to visit friends this past summer in southern Taiwan, I was shocked at how I could have actually lived there for so long. I realized what our psyche can do, how it can 'switch off' so to speak, to help us deal with the reality of a situation. I listened to my friends who plan on staying in Taiwan for the rest of their lives and their reality in terms of natural beauty and cleanliness was starkly different from mine and from other expats who were there shorter term.
I am sorry if I sound cynical, but heck, I guess I am and I would hate to see folks getting the wrong image of a beautiful, clean Taiwan where one has clean air, flowing rivers outside their home and far-away neighbors...because that is simply unrealistic. |
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jotham
Joined: 05 Jul 2007
Posts: 77
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| Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 5:44 am Post subject: |
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| tedkarma wrote: |
I found the people in Taiwan to be much friendlier - but maybe that is just me. |
Army buddies who had been stationed in both Japan and Korea had an interesting observation: they said Japanese are friendly and easy to get to know at first � perhaps due to ceremonial niceties or social obligation � but they don't turn out to be long-term, quality friends. Koreans, on the other hand, are opposite: they're hard to get to know at first as they're very group exclusive, but when you manage to find a friend, you really have a solid friend. I've not had much experience in Japan, but I can vouch for Korean friends: they're the best. Taiwanese don't seem much different to Americans in this regard.
Last edited by jotham on Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:55 am; edited 3 times in total |
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bonanzabucks
Joined: 29 May 2007
Posts: 27
Location: NYC
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| Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 7:37 am Post subject: |
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| jotham wrote: |
| tedkarma wrote: |
I found the people in Taiwan to be much friendlier - but maybe that is just me. |
Army buddies who had been stationed in both Japan and Korea had an interesting observation: they said Japanese are friendly or easy to get to know at first, perhaps due to social or ceremonial obligation, but they don't turn out to be long-term, quality friends. Koreans, on the other hand, are hard to get to know at first as they're very group exclusive, but when you manage to find a friend, you really have a solid friend. I've not had much experience in Japan, but I can vouch for Korean friends: they're the best. Taiwanese don't seem much different to Americans in this regard. |
I agree with your assessment. Having traveled in Asia and working for a Korean company in the US and dealing with the Asian community on a daily basis here, you're totally right. Japanese are very easy to meet and more open, but good luck finding one that you can totally depend on.
Koreans, while I'm not impressed by a lot of their xenophobic nationalism and they are very difficult to get to know better, they're very loyal and make true friends. Aside from my boss (and he's from Jeolla Province, which has a bad reputation), I never had a Korean guy break his word and I could always depend on them and felt they had my back.
I can't comment on Taiwanese because I've never been there or had much to do with the Taiwanese community. If they're anything like Mainlanders, I'd think they're some of the most miserable people on the planet! They seem kinda superficial and hard to get to know, especially the guys. |
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jotham
Joined: 05 Jul 2007
Posts: 77
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| Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 4:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| I can't comment on Taiwanese because I've never been there or had much to do with the Taiwanese community. If they're anything like Mainlanders, I'd think they're some of the most miserable people on the planet! They seem kinda superficial and hard to get to know, especially the guys. |
Bingo! I've not known Mainlanders and wondered how similar they might be; but you seem to sufficiently describe Taiwanese. Koreans have a passion for life and they easily get hot under the collar to boot. Taiwanese, on the other hand, seem like robots in a way; and I've rarely seen displays of Taiwanese anger as I've seen in Koreans. There's little in the way of drive, impetus, animation, dreams, or even emotions � good or bad. And when there be emotions, they're crassly conveyed. In the West, though our desires and emotions may differ person to person, they are definite and unmistaken. One woman may be overwhelmed at the beauty of a flower and ponder over it for a time: a strong, distinguishable, sincere emotion. Another woman may not care for such trifles, but rather is highly interested in analyzing things and gets curious about the details of her job and engrossed in it. Though different from the first, a palpable emotion nevertheless that helps us appreciate who she is, that defines her personality. With many Taiwanese, I'm often scrambling to find evidence of strong-enough drive whereby I can assess their disposition; I can't very easily figure out their personality. As you said, they're hard to get to know � though they be approachable and easily make friends or engage in conversation. I've often wondered if that explains their obsessive interest in star signs � to help them identify each other, or identify with something. And ironically, while they're looking to all sorts of animals for personality clues, I swear I could discover the character of any dog quicker.
Upon leaving shops and restaurants, patrons often greet them with this jinx: man-man-zou, roughly translated "slowly, lazily, dawdle" � and that's exactly what they do. I used to think, how precious; they're smelling the roses. But I'm not so sure about that now � rather, I think there's just not an anticipation; not something to particularly look forward to at the next destination. Not depressed or sad really. Just...dawdling. Koreans seem to move along at a good clip; especially during business hours.
Last edited by jotham on Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:54 am; edited 6 times in total |
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773
Joined: 29 May 2005
Posts: 213
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| Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 8:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Taiwan has a collectivist culture, hence the lack of individualism. There is a sense of, "If I know something, all Taiwanese know it" and a strong group mentality. Kind of like The Borg from Star Trek. |
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MomCat
Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 297
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| Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 3:15 am Post subject: |
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| 773 wrote: |
| Taiwan has a collectivist culture, hence the lack of individualism. There is a sense of, "If I know something, all Taiwanese know it" and a strong group mentality. Kind of like The Borg from Star Trek. |
My experience has been just the opposite (although I agree it's true for Mainlanders). Taiwanese have very different backgrounds, cultural experiences, mores and opinions depending on several factors including their age, where their grandfather was born, when their family migrated to the island and even where on the island they live. |
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