Job Discussion Forums

[canadian-girl]

Ok, I did my first run through for what i should bring to Taiwan (clothing, personal belongings, etc).....ya..I'm a dork....but I have fun! I'm from Edmonton, Alberta Canada and used to cold, but dry winters. Any good advice of what I should pack for not as cold but way higher humidy? Anyone have a list? or a site that might give me good advice? Oh! and what about personal belongings? soaps?shampoo? female stuff (sorry guys, gotta ask it though)?

I have a laptop and dvds i'll be bringing, books, journal, camera, blah blah blah.....teaching supplies/books. Oh! I also have a small emergency sewing kit and medical kit.

What else?

Thank you!!!

[kait]

I wish I had packed a good filter pitcher. I have seen filter pitchers here, but none claim to actually filter out the really bad stuff. Comfortable shoes cannot be overemphasized. Ill fitting shoes plus humidity equals blisters. Pack a few sweatshirts. As far as shampoos and such, you can get most of that stuff here. If you have a favorite facial soap or something that would take a lot of trial and error to find an equivalent of, then buy a few and pack them. Most make up, hair dyes and such are for a different complexion and hair coloring than you might have. As far as feminine hygiene is concerned, you can buy fairly decent products here. If you're like me, however, you might have a long term, commited relationship with a particular brand or product. So, I packed some along and don't know about this as much as some of the others on the board might.

[jason_seeburn]

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[Fortigurn]

[Big John Stud]

We might be working for the same school! I just found out a new teacher is coming from Canada! That would be great if it is you, because I feel we already know each other!!!!!!!!!!

[canadian-girl]

What city/town do you teach in Big John Stud? I'll be heading to Yang Mei.

[Hap Thorton]

C-Girl,

You might want to check out a travel guide onTaiwan. Lonely Planet has a pretty useful one. Use it to look up your city. If you're living in a small city, some things (cheese, deodorant) might be harder to locate, but if you're in or near a cities like Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung, Tainan (any city on the west coast, really), you'll have no problem. Most of the western products (feminine and masculine) that you don't see in a supermarket can be found at drug stores like Watsons. I had to go there for shaving cream, deodorant, and razors. Talk to the westerners you work with to see where they get their stuff. Good luck! You're gonna love it!

[markholmes]

You definitely need sweaters in Taipei in the winter and a coat, but nothing as thick as you need in Alberta. The wind is freezing when you are on a motorbike though.

You can buy it all in Taiwan cheaper than in Canada.

[daily chai]

Hey Canadagirl, I think I answered your first post too. Much of the same advice

Yup, you can buy it all for less here. I mean WAAAAAAY less, like I bought a shirt tagged for US$25 for NT$100 (which is just over US$3). Stores in Tien Mu specialize in Western goods that are factory runovers. I never find any flaws. Good stuff. But if you have a fave coat or sweater drape it over your arm and carry it on the plane. Those take up a lot of room in suitcases. It's November and 25 here in Taipei. I'm in a cami and shorts, my DH is in shorts.

Deo/antiperspirant is available here--Rexona and Ban usually. Vitamins are more expensive here but still available. Save your space.

The Wellcome super near me (they're the most common, at least in Taipei) stocks Brie, shredded Mozz, light shredded Mozz, Camembert. There is a big import grocer Jason's (in Taipei 101 & in Tien Mu) that has a big selection of imported goodies. The department stores are good for cheeses too. Jason's sells maple syrup.

You can find any number of sanitary napkins, but I've only found o.b. tampons w/o the applicator. The same in Korea, but it's been years since I was there.

I have a gf here who has a hard time finding stuff in her size, since she's 181cm tall and wears a big shoe size. She can't find pants long enough either. That can be pesky. I'm very fair-skinned but have no problem finding make-up in colors that are definetly too light for the locals here, but some people wear lighter make up to make them look lighter. I have some very overweight friends who can find clothes here, especially in Tien Mu. I have broad shoulders and some jackets are too narrow in the back. A thin or "fluffy" Westerner would have no trouble outfitting oneself, but you might be amused by the local fashion taste.

Bring shower shoes. They have them here, but you won't want to go out shopping after a long haul flight (and the stores might be closed anyway). Bring a towel & padlock if you're going to a hostel. Bring sandals. Bring a small quantity of sun protection to keep you covered while you get your bearings, it's available everywhere here. If there is something you absolutely love, bring it. I brought my favorite pyjamas and hair clips. If you wear ponytails, I haven't seen non-metal ponytail holders here yet.

I advise you to buy a giant wheeled duffel bag (I mean GIANT!) b/c it will weigh less than 1kg but fit at much as a big checked bag. You can take a lot more. Weigh your bag at home and bring a loved one to the airport with an empty shopping bag. S/he can mail anything over weight, or can just hold it while you check in and hand it to you later to carry on. I took a bag full of school books out of a wheeled take-on bag, then got them back after check-in. I kept the bag on the ground so my conscience wouldn't nag me about it breaking the overhead compartment. I got away with this at an airport in the EU, but I don't know if Canadian airports are uber-secure.