Living in Taiwan :: Thread

A

AaB13

COMMUNITY MEMBER

AaB13 Posted on 25 Oct 2013, 20:41

Yeah it would be just me and from some comparisons ive found Kaohsiung is 50% cheaper in pretty much everything which is quite pleasing

and I am interested in Kaohsiung, the air pollution wouldnt be enough to put me off really.

I do have another question: How are foreigners treated usually? Its not something which would put me off but would be nice to know. I also want to here about some of the bad things, the downsides of living in Taiwan. I know you posted that few places are so safe, friendly and relaxed, with a good standard of living, good health care and lots to do but i dont want to be a be someone who tries to ignore all the negatives and ends up leaving within a few weeks.

Thanks for the answers and help!

P

petrichor

COMMUNITY MEMBER

petrichor Posted on 26 Oct 2013, 20:43

Generally, white foreigners are treated very well. The amount of attention they attract is proportional to the number of foreigners present in an area. The more 'hick' a place is the more stares you get. In the richer areas of Taipei you're mostly ignored, though you do get the very occasional comedian who shouts 'hello!' You'll get more stares in Kaohsiung than Taipei. The attention bothers some people but not others. We all got used to our D-list celebrity status pretty quickly and now barely register it. Other foreigners get more hot and bothered.

Dangerous traffic is the biggest negative for me personally. We don't drive in Taipei because the public transportation is cheap and good quality, but also because traffic is, from a Western perspective, chaotic. You quickly learn to double check before crossing at the green man, look both ways on one-way streets, and hug the wall on roads with no pavements - another traffic disadvantage. You also have to learn to walk calmly and purposefully as you share a crossing with scooters, cars and buses.

A related disadvantage is noise. Traffic and construction noise, and your upstairs neighbours' ablutions when they go to bed at midnight (Taiwanese people tend to go to bed late and make up for it with an after-lunch nap at work, even office workers), can bother foreigners much more than Taiwanese.

If you must have your favourite Western foods you'll pay more for them here, and other Western-style foods such as milk and proper cheese.

Getting a credit card is supposed to be very difficult for foreigners, though I've never tried. The banks are worried you'll leave the country still owing debt, which has precedents from what I've heard.

The only other thing I can think of, and it's a rare thing but has affected us, is stray dogs. Neutering your pet isn't standard here, while abandoning your pet is quite common, which leads to stray and feral animals.

1

1986mlob

COMMUNITY MEMBER

1986mlob Posted on 26 Oct 2013, 20:45

I've been living in Taiwan for nearly 6 months. I've lived in S. Korea and Shanghai before here and preferred those places.

I have a bad job, as I accepted it in haste. I take home less than 40,000NT after tax and live in a dorm style apartment with an angry Taiwanese man on the same floor as a neighbour. He's made my life bleak at times.

I've also been paid late the last 2 months and I've some poorly behaved students. Their behavioral problems drove the last teacher out 9 months in to a year contract. I found the kids too Westernised, swearing in Chinese in class, complaining etc.

These students and parents have complained to my boss, so I'm being watched like a hawk at the moment. So when you look at my work and living situation it's time to leave.

I despise the staring. They mostly focus on our Long Nose as they tend to be self conscious of their flat, rounded, short noses. But sometimes you'll get treated really well, freebies in restaurants etc.

I've met a handful of lovely locals. Not as genuine as the ones I met in China, but there are also a lot more crooks in Shanghai.

It's hard to compare Taiwan and Shanghai to South Korea as it's so much more developed there. There are a lot more foreigners teaching, but S.Korea is more xenophobic than the other two so be prepared for extreme ignorance and some racism.

Hope this helps.

S

seasons

COMMUNITY MEMBER

seasons Posted on 20 Feb 2014, 20:46

Hi Guys,

Do you think it would be safe for a Muslim woman who wears a Hijab to work in these regions? What level of experience do they require for English teachers? I am also looking at KSA & UAE...any thoughts...

many thanks Seasons

P

petrichor

COMMUNITY MEMBER

petrichor Posted on 29 Mar 2014, 20:46

What do you mean by safe? Taiwan is very safe in terms of street crime. I feel much safer here walking the streets than I would in many places in the UK. I've seen women in hijabs, but very infrequently. I think probably because Taiwan isn't a high profile tourist destination in Muslim countries.

I'm not sure about job prospects. If you want to teach English you must come from a country that has English as its native language. Aside from that, many language schools are looking for a typically white foreigner, and black or Asian teachers sometimes report they felt they were turned away due to their racial origins. The 'white' look is what some ignorant parents want as a sign of authenticity or status in a school. Ironically, this sometimes leads to white Eastern Europeans being hired who have terrible English.

If you mean safe in terms of overt prejudice in the wider society, I doubt you would meet that with any frequency here. People would probably either be curious or indifferent, but polite.

S

seasons

COMMUNITY MEMBER

seasons Posted on 29 Mar 2014, 20:49

Thank you petrichor. You have answered my question; yes I was making reference to personal safety in relation to prejudice.....I understand what you are saying with regards to parent's preferences for 'White' teachers. That is quite common in some other countries too, including KSA & UAE. I was born in the UK and have a PGCE & CELTA...

Many thanks for taking the time to respond to my email

Living in Taiwan

Want to join this conversation?