Job Discussion Forums

[naturegirl321]

[Hsinchuguy]

Dear Taylor;

In answer to your questions, the old lady in question was trying to cross at a crosswalk, to no avail. No, I didn't try to help her because of my aforementioned experience in the hospital, I wasn't up for another visit. I speak enough Chinese to communicate with the staff in the hospital. What I was referring to was the general lack of concern, the " may guanxi" attitude towards everything which is fine if a waitress screws up your order in a restaurant, but is something else entirely when your health is at stake.
Answer this, would you want to be old here? Did you ever see old people trying to navigate their way down a busy street because there are NO sidewalks?
I'm not American, I'm Canadian so I appreciate the sad situation that a lot of people, old and poor don't have health care in your country, but I've visited the States enough (including Texas) to know that it's a much more civilized place than here.

[lagerlout2006]

[jason_seeburn]

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[jason_seeburn]

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[killian]

"volunteer" teaching? no. many american schools have spanish in kindy. to "ice my cake" or "make ends meet" when i return home it is indeed a small comfort to know i can teach chinese in america and get pretty much the same rate as i do to teach english in taiwan. my specialty over here was teaching kindergarden english. we should all be aware of the status of foreigners in taiwan kindergardens.

no, i have no intention of teaching full-time in US schools. simply half-hour happy times that infuse the kids with a little enthusiam and some language skills. more of a hobby than a vocation. adult males are pretty much taboo in american kiddy schools.

so what will i do? a handful of manufacturing concerns that i have "ins" want an american guy who can go over to china for them. they don't want a chinese guy. they see themselves as "american" companies (quite odd in this age of "offshoring") and want a "real" american who can represent them in china. seems my BA in chinese may not be the waste all my mates laughed it to be.

similarly, my father...in his retirement has started up a small manufacturing concern that has turned out to be quite a surprise to all. they have copyrighted the pertinent information and opportunities seem abundant. yes, i am all for owning the means of production.

(oh yes, my parents are pretty damn cool.)

teaching in taiwan has been rewarding, just as being a laborer and a soldier before that. no doubt, returning home to live after a long time abroad can be difficult.

i am fully aware of the shortcomings of american society, thank you very much.

like another poster from my same hometown, the wise and kind okami once advised: stop being mopey, get up and kick some @ss if you don't like the way things are.

[Okami]

[wood]

I often wonder what it would be like to return home. After ten years away, is it possible to really return?

Some people here have never really had a job in their home country and the idea of returning becomes more and more distant with every passing year(people like me). What is it like? There must be some people here with stories. At the very least, there must be some here who've returned and are still reading this forum. Perhaps they'd like to post their experiences. This is an interesting topic and it seems to have been given rather short shrift.

Any stories? Interesting experiences?

[brian]

Prior to coming to Taiwan I was running my own business. I have kept this business as an ongoing entity for two reasons:

1. The tax benefits
2. The fact that it gives me something to go back to should I ever decide to return home.

It seems pretty clear to me that most of the work I do here wouldn't be recognized on my return. My best guess is that many would consider my time in Taiwan as some kind of working holiday. I would advise that anyone returning home consider starting their own business. You may be able to use your experiences here in Taiwan or you may find something totally different to involve yourself in.