Job Discussion Forums

[TaoyuanSteve]

I thought I'd start a thread about the good things about Taiwan. We all know there's been a lot of negativity flowing through this forum lately. How about a change of tone? So tell me.... Whadaya like about our home? For me there are quite a number, but I'll list just a few. I like: cheap things, easy work, the kids I work with, the food, the amount of free time I have, the opportunity to study the language and, believe it or not, the climate (I come from rainy Vancouver).

[Wonder]

Great idea Steve.

I really like my scooter. It goes like smoke! And I like getting up into the mountain/farming area near Chiayi for some cruising.

I like the people in general. I love the women.

I like most of the food and love the prices.

Most of the time I like the weather.

I like using new Chinese words and they actually get me somewhere.

I like being close to the Phillipines.

I like being far from Canada.

I like helping my Chinese girlfriend with her English thesis

Mmmmm.....more later.

[Richard]

I like the variety of age groups and levels I teach.

On good days, I like being reminded of my own childhood watching and listening to my kids. Lightsabers are as popular now as they ever were.

I like discovering new things about the English language that you can only discover when you're forced to examine it as an outsider does.

And the obvious: cheap rent, cheap food, good pay.

Some not so obvious: great employers, good friends and decent clubs.

All I need are SIDEWALKS. Then life would be perfect. (I live in Taipei.)

[khmerhit]

Are there really no sidewalks in Taipei? Is that because everyone uses motorbikes and scooters? Sounds like Cambodia. Nobody walks. No lerbs, no sidewalks, just dust.

Ugh.

But I bet the mountains are pretty nice, eh?

[Richard]

There are some "sidewalks", but most of them are under the overhang of the buildings - they're more like narrow enclosed tunnels than sidewalks. You can walk for several blocks sometimes, "outside", and never see the sky. Pedestrians are a minority and secondary in this city, no doubt about that.

On rainy days it's extremely Bladerunnerish.

But that's really only the busy centralized areas. There's some better sections. And yes, the mountains are great. I'm fortunate enough to live up on the side of one where the air is a lot better and there's easy access to a bunch of hiking trails. The sound of accelerating scooters is replaced by...birds chirping!! Quite a novelty in these parts.

[TaoyuanSteve]

I know what you mean about the sidewalks. Taoyuan is really bad for that. One more thing I like: the yams. Delicious.

[Aristotle]

I like the challenge. There are few places in the world with so much untapped potential.

[Wonder]

What...nobody else likes ANYTHING in Taiwan?

Let's not change the subject and fill this post with the good stuff people!

To add to my post above...I really like the strawberry milk tea. I really don't think I could live without it!

[WorkingVaca]

A wide variety of Asian food choices,

produce markets and night markets and illegal sidewalk vendors,

polite and friendly people,

learning Chinese,

being able to live comfortably without working too hard (native English speakers are very fortunate in this regard!!),

lots of free time to study, hang out with friends, go touring or whatever,

being able to take vacations to other places in Asia with cheaper airfare and a shorter plane trip,

in TAIPEI, good public transportation,

when you get your hair cut a head massage is practically a given,

affordable medical care (being American, this is a novelty to me) and national health coverage that includes chiropractic and Chinese medicine,

low income taxes,

paying utility bills at the convenience store,

and did I already mention the food?

[Richard]

[marcusaur]

I'm glad that the positives are being outlined... I was beginning to think people only go to Taiwan for the money. I have heard that the students are not very interested in learning English... I'm hoping the positive angle on this point is, as a teacher you make it as interesting as you want.

I'm thinking of going over to Taiwan next fall, and I'm just getting as many opinions as I can. Thanks.

marcusaur
in Vancouver, BC

[Polina]

To the above poster, if you think it's the teacher's fault that the students have boring lives doing nothing but being crammed full of facts (many of which are probably not even true) and are burnt out at the age of 8 and therefore have no imagination and nothing to talk about, then you're in for a BIG shock!!! Unless you're that way yourself, I guess ...

[marcusaur]

I can't really comment on a kid's life in Taiwan being boring or not... as I've never been there. I guess I'm wondering if all the jaded comments about the actually "teaching" aspects of being in Taiwan are accurate... and if they are accurate, I guess people do just go for the money.

[Wonder]

Hey Polina....

Try to remember this is a thread for the things we like in Taiwan. Cheers!

To add to my two above posts:

I really like the air conditioning in my apartment!

[TaoyuanSteve]

It's funny someone mentioned burned out kids and student motivation as drawbacks. I find I love the kids here most of all. As for kids not being motivated, I think it's going to depend on the individual. Some will love English class; others will only be there because their parents force them. I do feel sorry for the children here, though, especially the older ones. Their lives are one perpetual classroom. With all the cram schools they attend for all their subject areas, they have very little free time. The life is sucked right out of them and this is why they tend seem a bit, well, lifeless. I guess this is also why I prefer my classes with the younger kids. The full pressures haven't hit them yet. The kids have more energy, more enthusiasm, and are more talkative. Classes with younger kids are, in my opinion, often more interesting than those with older ones.