Job Discussion Forums

[alexmac84]

Hi there,

I got a job offer in Shanghai. However, I'm a bit nervous about being somewhere with such bad pollution that also doesn't offer easy access to nature. It seems like the cost of living is cheaper in Taipei and that (although there's pollution) there more be recreational things for me to do there on my days off - visiting beaches, forests, etc.

However, I've heard that the recruiters who recruit from the states work for schools no one wants to work with and that it's better to go to Taiwan and then find a job. Money wise, this isn't a great option for me. So, are there any schools that'd help me get a visa you'd suggest working with? Or am I better off sticking to Shanghai?

[hdeth]

Money-wise China is better and more sustainable.

Pollution-wise not so nice. Taipei is very clean compared to a major Chinese city. It does have a bit of that tropical rotting feces smell going on but not that bad.

Check out rental prices. I'm too out-of-touch with rentals in Taiwan. Local food should be cheaper in Shanghai but foreign food might be a little more expensive. Sushi and maybe good quality seafood should be cheaper in Taiwan. You can get a cheap scooter in Taiwan for transportation but pretty sure they're banned in Shanghai.

Taiwan is a beautiful country, imho one of the most beautiful countries on earth, but the TEFL scene there seems to be on the decline, whereas China is growing in all sorts of different ways.