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yero
Joined: 29 Nov 2007
Posts: 7
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 Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 9:31 pm Post subject: 411 on Taiwan |
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Hey, hows it goin'
So my gfriend and I are moving to Taiwan in Jan. after a few months in Mexico City.
I have a whole lot of questions that I cant seem to find solid answers to, so if anybody has those solid answers, I'd love em. Feel free to answer as many questions as you can, I sure do appreciate it.
Here goes--
We are thinking about living in Kaohsiung or Lu- Kang, how are those places, are they cool, chill etc.?
My gfriend has her BA, but I only have an Assoc. degree and a CELTA, now the ads on ESL Cafe disaggree on this one, but can I get an ARC with those qualifications, anybody out there in the same boat, Id love to hear from you.
My gfriend has an interview with global crossroads, has anybody dealt with them?
How is the process of getting a place to live? How does it go usuallly?
How much in NT or USD does one need to just get by in Taiwan? Im talking about no frills here, just a decent place, food in belly and transport, realistic estimates are sincerely appreciated.
Im having trouble nailing down exactly how to get a visa that will let us stay long enough to get jobs that will help with the ARC, what is the longer term visa called and what exactly do you need to get one?
I cant thank you guys enough for helpin a brother out, all answers will be paid back in Taiwan beer upon our arrival.
Be well,
yero.  |
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surrealia
Joined: 11 Jan 2003
Posts: 241
Location: Taiwan
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| Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 11:51 pm Post subject: |
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Yero:
Kaohsiung and Lugang are two very different places. Kaohsiung is a big polluted city, and Lugang is a small traditional town. I'm sure there is a lot more work in Kaohsiung.
I think you will have a hard time finding work without a B.A.
I haven't heard anything about Global Crossroads, maybe others on this forum know.
As far as housing goes, Forumosa (www.forumosa.com) and Tealit (www.tealit.com) have some ads on their sites, but you probably won't see many for Lugang or Kaohsiung. You can ask other foreigners when you arrive in Taiwan and ask your employer as well. You usually need to pay 2 months deposit, along with your first month's rent. Rent can be as cheap as $4000 N.T., but for a more comfortable place, you'll probably spend $8000-$9000 N.T.
This page can give you some idea about prices:
http://meintaiwancosts.blogspot.com/
It's a couple of years old, but the information is still valid.
This page has some info on visas:
http://www.englishintaiwan.com/foreigners/visafacts.php
For a lot more information on teaching in Taiwan, go to this page:
http://www.geocities.com/allhou/taiwan.htm
The articles on this page have a lot of helpful tips. There are also some job boards. |
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TaoyuanSteve
Joined: 05 Feb 2003
Posts: 1028
Location: Taoyuan
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| Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:51 am Post subject: |
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| I think you will have a hard time finding work without a B.A. |
Not necessarily. The OP possesses the minimum qualification for a work permit which is a bachelor's degree OR a two year diploma and a TESL/TEFL cert. He may have to explain to some employers that this combination will work, though, as many have only experience dealing with degree holders. |
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yero
Joined: 29 Nov 2007
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 4:00 am Post subject: |
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thanks so much for getting back so quickly, does anybody live in Kaohsiung, what is going on there? We were in Mexico City, which was too big, how big is Kaohsiung? is there a lot of activity there?
thanks again to everyone.
yero. |
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surrealia
Joined: 11 Jan 2003
Posts: 241
Location: Taiwan
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dangerousapple
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
Posts: 292
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Mr. White
Joined: 09 Oct 2007
Posts: 36
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| Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 8:14 am Post subject: Re: 411 on Taiwan |
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| yero wrote: |
My gfriend has an interview with global crossroads, has anybody dealt with them?
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Yeah, I interviewed with them a while back.
They knew less about Taiwan than I did. They deal with lots of countries and know little about each one. A waste of time.
From memory, I think they tried to give me a job at Hess. I didn't know who Hess were back then, but I'm very thankful I didn't accept. |
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demaratus
Joined: 30 Jan 2005
Posts: 38
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| Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 8:35 pm Post subject: |
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| yero wrote: |
thanks so much for getting back so quickly, does anybody live in Kaohsiung, what is going on there? We were in Mexico City, which was too big, how big is Kaohsiung? is there a lot of activity there?
thanks again to everyone.
yero. |
I lived in Kaohsiung for a year and a half. I liked it there a lot. There is about 1.5 million people in Kaohsiung, but nearly double that if you include the suburbs and surrounding areas. Geographically it is not huge by any means, like the rest of Taiwan population density is very high. Having been to Mexico city it is obviously much smaller in terms of population and sheer size, not even close. The housing situation there is very good, large modern appartments can be had at a third of the cost of Taipei (in fact foreigners can have mortgages there now so you can own property too!). There is a lot of expats there, mostly Candians and Americans but some Brits, Saffers and Aussi/Kiwis. I found the xpat scene there to be really good. The locals are friendly, there are places for expats and locals to mingle and engage in activities (sports clubs, drama/production clubs, and of course bars). There is also a growing number of decent restuarants there. Oh and you are a mere 2 hours bus ride from Kenting!
Certain things need to be clear about Kaohsiung though: 1. The pollution is really bad, coming from Mexico city, you will be used to it but it can be really bad in the winter (now). I have an iron immune system and I was sick there a lot, not much you can do about it and it s much better in the summer. 2. There is no decent public transportation at all. There are buses but the signable is all in mandarin, and theyare not very punctual ect... Driving a scooter is a must! And driving scooters in Taiwan can be very dangerous. 3. While it has a number of good places to eat and drink, Taipei is a lot better.
Check out Kaohsiung Living it is a great resource run by great people. I don't know anything about the school you mentioned but if you are serious about working there make sure you speak with teachers who are already there before you sign a contract. there are tonnes of good schools in Kaohsiung which need teachers often. I suspect this will be changing soon as itseems like a lot of teachers wantto come over from Korea because of the new visa regs.
If you have any specific questions shoot me a message,
Dem |
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Taylor
Joined: 24 Oct 2003
Posts: 384
Location: Texas/Taiwan
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| Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 5:55 pm Post subject: Interesting website about Taiwan |
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Dear Yero,
Here is a neat website that shows many facets of Taiwan.
This website is the work of Michael Turton. His photos are quite large (and somewhat overwhelming  , so you'll need a good connection to see them all.
Best wishes and let us know how your plans are proceeding. Feel free to e-mail me any other specific questions at taylorclint @ gmail.com
Taylor |
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