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Ten Things You Hate about Taiwan
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rupert shellgame



Joined: 11 Apr 2007
Posts: 109
PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 6:07 am    Post subject: Ten Things You Hate about Taiwan Reply with quote
Again, I will hang on to mine. I am very interested in what other people will say.
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JZer



Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 2:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
1. Lack of pension fund.
2. Difficulty of getting a loan to buy a car.
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Rooster_2006



Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
PostPosted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 6:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Umm, don't worry, I'll also post 10 positive things on the other thread, but these are the biggies for me:

1. The limited amount of time to change jobs in-country (on the surface, it appears to be seven days, some people maintain you can stretch this out by filing a complaint with the CLA, but that is risky in itself)
2. The phrase "you are so lucky" constantly bandied about (yes, I'm lucky -- I have been fired once, then worked for the boss from hell, and am on my third buxiban in one year, having saved absolutely nothing)
3. Dishonest buxiban practices (deceiving parents, screwing around with teachers)
4. No airfare, free apartment, or even guaranteed stable salary
5. 18% tax no matter how little you're earning, and you can't get a portion of it back for almost two years (at which point you've probably either moved or declared bankruptcy)
6. Extremely competitive, hard-to-break-into EFL market (buxibans have tons of applicants, PS requires a home country teacher's license)
7. Summers are too hot
8. Fewer amenities than Korea or Japan (in nine months, I have not found a single coin laundry on my island, the Internet cafe closes at 12:00, and you can't drink the tap water)
9. Sixth and seventh grade girls lack any form of originality or confidence and need to be coaxed for five minutes to produce a whispered, one-word answer
10. Third and fourth grade boys are behavior problems, especially if the school has a crap support system (though I'm holding out hope for my new school)

However, this is not to say that I dislike Taiwan. You asked me to list ten things I hate about Taiwan, and those are the big ten.
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JZer



Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
PostPosted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 12:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
8. Fewer amenities than Korea or Japan (in nine months, I have not found a single coin laundry on my island, the Internet cafe closes at 12:00, and you can't drink the tap water)


You should not compare Kaoshiung living to living in Seoul. Internet cafes in Taipei are open 24 hours a day.
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JZer



Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
PostPosted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 12:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
10. Third and fourth grade boys are behavior problems, especially if the school has a crap support system (though I'm holding out hope for my new school)


I will add to this. The idea that many buxibans want an English only environment but the reality is that it is difficult to control students using only English. Students do not understand that you are scolding them when you speak to them in English.

Last edited by JZer on Sun Apr 04, 2010 1:36 am; edited 1 time in total
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Mr. Kalgukshi
Mod Team
Mod Team


Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Posts: 6613
Location: Need to know basis only.
PostPosted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 1:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
If you don't want to participate in this discussion, that's fine.

If you participate only to post off-topic or other inappropriate comments, that's not.

I just deleted such a posting and future ones will earn members posting them unpaid long, long vacations from this board.

If this message doesn't apply to you, not to worry.

If it does, worry about it.
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Rooster_2006



Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
PostPosted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 8:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
JZer wrote:
Quote:
10. Third and fourth grade boys are behavior problems, especially if the school has a crap support system (though I'm holding out hope for my new school)


I will add to this. The idea that many buxibans want an English only environment but the reality is that it is difficult to control students using only English. Students do not understand that you are scolding them when you speak to them in English.
That's true.

I've started using a points system with dollars that I designed myself and photocopy, and cool prizes (even an old handheld color TV and Game Boy Advance as teaser prizes) and I think my class is behaving better already. I know that they don't understand my English all the time, but at least this way, they can understand the international language: money! Skinner's token economies, folks!

However, in CE10, little Kevin thought that he could get the Game Boy Advance after just one class of hard work (in reality, it's $250, which would take a student about a year or two to earn, because it's the grand prize). Upon learning that he would not get the Game Boy Advance, he threw down his $3 reward, started crying, and stormed out of the room!

Man, it must be great to be a second grader and still have awesome delusions like that. Yeah, you know, because us teachers are rich and can afford to give out a GBA as a prize every class. Maybe I should tell Kevin that I manufacture them in my home! Laughing

This is the same kid who has hit by a ricocheted ball pit ball and threw himself out of his chair and started crying, and who starts crying whenever the other boy gets a point...
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steve_c



Joined: 25 Nov 2006
Posts: 96
Location: Luzhu (or Lujhu or Luchu or...sigh)
PostPosted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 12:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I don't really hate much at all, whether in Taiwan or elsewhere. However, I'll start a list:

1. The traffic/insane driving habits.
2. Megaphones that blast, on a continuous recorded loop, vendors hawking their wares. I NEVER stop foot into a store that has one of these loud, obnoxious things