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rupert shellgame
Joined: 11 Apr 2007
Posts: 109
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 Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 10:17 pm Post subject: Life in Taiwan...last minute jitters. |
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I am about to buy my ticket to Taipei, and start looking for a job. But I am gong through last minute jitters, mainly about what life is like there when it all settles down.
I had this same concern when I went to Russia the first time; I was worred that it would be lonely and boring, and let's just say nothing could be further from the truth. The Russians are very warm, intelligent people, and yes, they know how to party.
But, Russian is my second language. I don't have any Mandarin, yet. I learn very quickly. I am just worried about being completley alone, unconnected, and absolutely bored. I'm doing this for the excitement--is it exciting?
Most of this is just last minute worry-wart irrational stuff. But I've seen some posts on here about how drab and boring Taiwan is. If that's the case, I'll just go back to Russia. |
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Dr_Zoidberg
Joined: 29 Sep 2004
Posts: 406
Location: Not posting on Forumosa.
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| Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 11:08 pm Post subject: |
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Life here is pretty much like life anywhere else.
Like anything new, Taiwan can be exciting at first; but once you get settled, the daily routine sets in, and you find your life here not so different from before.
Last edited by Dr_Zoidberg on Sat Apr 21, 2007 4:40 am; edited 1 time in total |
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ghost
Joined: 30 Jan 2003
Posts: 1693
Location: Saudi Arabia
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| Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 12:21 am Post subject: response |
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| Quote: |
| Most of this is just last minute worry-wart irrational stuff. But I've seen some posts on here about how drab and boring Taiwan is. If that's the case, I'll just go back to Russia |
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Your concerns are legitimate.
I worked in Taiwan in 2005-2006, and while found Taiwan a decent country to work in, it was not a place I was sad to leave. Taiwan was a good place to make some money, and learn Mandarin, and both can be accomplished at the same time, not always easy in other countries.
In the end, I got frustrated in Taiwan - the pollution really got to me (not much fun to have to wear a mask while jogging - kind of defeats the purpose, right...), the crazy commute to University for my Mandarin classes (from Ching Shueh to Providence University, Shalu) on a bicycle, with several near escapes from death (no kidding!), and just the general feeling that I would never really be a part of Taiwanese life, or get into the hearts of the Taiwanese.
In Russia, the salaries are generally much less than Taiwan, but I find it much easier to communicate with Russians, and you get the feeling that they (Russians) have a genuine interest in you, which is usually not the case in Taiwan - where you are essentially a 'waiguoren' and will remain so for the remainder of your stay. In Taiwan you will never be invited into a Taiwanese home. In Russia, you will have so many invitations into peoples' homes that you have to create a shopping list of people to visit.....Russians are extraordinarily warm to foreigners (in general) - Taiwanese feel no connection to most of us (in general), and have little interest...
In Taiwan I kind of lost my feelings and emotions, from dealing with the Taiwanese. In Taiwan I forgot what it was like to love and be loved in return. I felt invisible most of the time - and most foreigners will be politely ignored. It gets to you in the end.
Ghost in Korea |
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m o n k
Joined: 15 Nov 2004
Posts: 28
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| Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 12:58 am Post subject: Re: response |
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| ghost wrote: |
In Taiwan you will never be invited into a Taiwanese home. |
This is 100% the opposite of what I experienced in Taiwan. During my two years in Taiwan I was constantly invited to the houses of Taiwanese co-workers, students, and friends. Constantly. All the time. Dinner with the family, Mah-Jhong, drinking, you name it. Constantly.
I understand the point about never really being let in to their hearts, but I think Taiwan is a place where it is very easy to make friends. I even managed to make several very close friends.
I was always told that Taiwan and Japan differ in that the Taiwanese will be very quick to make friends with you and invite you to their house, etc. while the Japanese will tend to want to become close friends before inviting you to their house, etc.
| ghost wrote: |
In Taiwan I kind of lost my feelings and emotions, from dealing with the Taiwanese. In Taiwan I forgot what it was like to love and be loved in return. |
I did miss hugs. After my first year I returned for xmas and it felt so good to be greeted by female friends with hugs and kisses. I didn't even realize I missed it till it happened. Then, when I returned to Taiwan, I constantly realized it was absent. 
| ghost wrote: |
I felt invisible most of the time - and most foreigners will be politely ignored. It gets to you in the end. |
It would have been nice to be ignored some of the time. Where I was in the south, being stared at and pointed at was pretty common. A few months after my arrival it seemed to lessen, but that was probably just the result of my tuning it out. |
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rupert shellgame
Joined: 11 Apr 2007
Posts: 109
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| Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 2:24 am Post subject: |
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Ok, thanks for that input. It sounds, as I expected, that there it varies from person to person and situation to situation.
As long as there is some community, somewhere, I'll be fine. I don't care if it's Taiwanese or not. I would be pleased enough to make friends with Brits, Canadians, Australians, Saffies, or even other Americans.
Ghost, so you have been in Russia then? What's your background? |
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comenius
Joined: 27 Jan 2003
Posts: 124
Location: San Francisco, California, USA
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| Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 11:58 pm Post subject: |
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| I want to echo Ghost's feedback from living in Taiwan, which closely mirrors my own. To his point, Taiwan was a great place to save money, but it wasn't a country where I felt like I ever "clicked" like I did in other spots where I lived like Prague or Istanbul. |
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Jamer
Joined: 12 Jan 2006
Posts: 39
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| Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2007 1:12 am Post subject: Re: response |
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| ghost wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Most of this is just last minute worry-wart irrational stuff. But I've seen some posts on here about how drab and boring Taiwan is. If that's the case, I'll just go back to Russia |
.
Your concerns are legitimate.
I worked in Taiwan in 2005-2006, and while found Taiwan a decent country to work in, it was not a place I was sad to leave. Taiwan was a good place to make some money, and learn Mandarin, and both can be accomplished at the same time, not always easy in other countries.
In the end, I got frustrated in Taiwan - the pollution really got to me (not much fun to have to wear a mask while jogging - kind of defeats the purpose, right...), the crazy commute to University for my Mandarin classes (from Ching Shueh to Providence University, Shalu) on a bicycle, with several near escapes from death (no kidding!), and just the general feeling that I would never really be a part of Taiwanese life, or get into the hearts of the Taiwanese.
In Russia, the salaries are generally much less than Taiwan, but I find it much easier to communicate with Russians, and you get the feeling that they (Russians) have a genuine interest in you, which is usually not the case in Taiwan - where you are essentially a 'waiguoren' and will remain so for the remainder of your stay. In Taiwan you will never be invited into a Taiwanese home. In Russia, you will have so many invitations into peoples' homes that you have to create a shopping list of people to visit.....Russians are extraordinarily warm to foreigners (in general) - Taiwanese feel no connection to most of us (in general), and have little interest...
In Taiwan I kind of lost my feelings and emotions, from dealing with the Taiwanese. In Taiwan I forgot what it was like to love and be loved in return. I felt invisible most of the time - and most foreigners will be politely ignored. It gets to you in the end.
Ghost in Korea |
Hmmm I find this post interesting...
Generally, I don't think you have a full understanding of Taiwan and to understand Taiwan IMO takes a lot of critical thinking in cultural differences. Yes, the Taiwanese/Chinese are apathetic to others, but does that equate not having love for others-no. It's just a behavior that is taught to them-in fact a TW friend told me when he went to the US he felt he had spend a lot of energy making sure to say hi to most people and being open. The isolation can get to you, but I don't think you were here long enough to understand this isolation. You can get to know fellow Taiwanese, you have to make an effort such as saying hello, talking about various subjects, etc.-just like you would for anyone around the world. Some are inviting others are not like any place. With that said I've had numerous occasions where Taiwanese have invited me into their homes for dinner. (more so than in the US btw-can't comment on Russia never been there).
As for jogging, I run all the time outside, no face mask, maybe it's just me but I've never had any problems. Also, even with the crowdiness there's always some place to run.
Driving? I've never had any accidents and my fellow foreign friends who have lived here for years driving have had no accidents or nothing major. In fact the only time I heard someone get killed was this girl who was driving drunk on the scooter. Of course there are more....
About jobs shellgame, Look for jobs in Hsinchu/Taizhong...Stay away from Taipei-extremely competitive up here among english schools in getting students to sign up and stay on as well as many foreigners competing for same jobs. |
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craigzy
Joined: 20 Mar 2006
Posts: 87
Location: taichung
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| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 5:35 am Post subject: Re: response |
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| Jamer wrote: |
| About jobs shellgame, Look for jobs in Hsinchu/Taizhong...Stay away from Taipei-extremely competitive up here among english schools in getting students to sign up and stay on as well as many foreigners competing for same jobs. |
i dont know whats going on in hsinchu, but taichung is getting tight when it comes to good jobs. schools are realizing this and pay/benefits are dropping. |
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flapjack
Joined: 20 Oct 2006
Posts: 118
Location: "JENNY 2" shrimp boat
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| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 10:18 am Post subject: |
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In the beginning some schools make an effort to make you feel at home in their own way.You might not ever get invited to go places or do things with TWese because they are simply too busy living their own lives. I found the same true in western countires.
If you are looking for an interesting cultural experience I can say that Thailand and Indonesia are loads of fun. Although in most of Indonesia the community frowns on a free western lifestyle, except in bigger cities like jakarta, bandung and surabaya.
Taipei is overcast and rainy quite a bit, which tends to drag on you if you are a sun lover.
The deep south in Thailand is quite nice climate wise but is having problems with muslim uprisings. Surat thani is in the southern part of Thailand but they dont have those problems yet and the weather is do-able compared to BKK. If you want the bon vivant party life go to Pattaya, it never ends. |
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MomCat
Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 297
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| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 2:24 pm Post subject: |
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OP, The rest of the board must be tired of hearing me say this, but here it is again: If you like to teach adults and are qualified and sane come to Hsinchu. The air is cleaner here than in Taipei (cleaner, not clean). Many Taiwanese here speak enough English to communicate and there is an active expat community.
I'm not a particularly exciting person myself so can't directly speak to that issue, but I do know there's a group that goes paragliding on the weekends. I belong to a very small photography club and a not so small writers club. If neither of those sound interesting, there are probably people around who have some of the same interests you do.
I think Dr Z has already said it, life here is pretty much like life anywhere else.
There are cultural differences, of course, but isn't that part of the reason to come here?
Cat |
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