It was always that kind of place Tommy for most foreigners including westerners otherwise there would be significant immigrant communities here beyond the SEA spouses.
If it’s a good expat package, I’d do it. No work situation is forever, but the experience stays with you. I’d ask for a car, childcare, and school expenses.
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What’s SEA stand for?
Single Engine Alternator.
Southeast Asia
South East Asia.
Are you both going to be on an expat package for work? Because it’s not easy for some people to find jobs and Taiwan.
Daycare is a bit difficult as it is not really part of the culture. Kids usually stay with grandparents or family members. Not sure how you will manage that and if you don’t like one it might be difficult to find another one. You might want to consider a live-in domestic helper with are quite common in Taiwan. You can put them in the English school or Chinese School but again you don’t have a huge pool of English schools to select from.
Your kids will not remember much after they leave so would be nice if they were little bit older when you travel outside of the type country so that they can absorb some of the culture and language and retain those memories. So they will be fine in Taiwan and it is quite safe. They will probably even get extra special attention if they look like foreigners.
That young age this will not really have a big influence on your kids so it really depends upon what you want. Taiwan is very safe and they might pick up some language but again even home it’s sometimes hard to find a proper daycare right?!
Being an expat is a fantastic experience but I wouldn’t say it’s so fantastic in Taiwan. Especially in Taichung. It would be better in a huge expat community like Hong Kong or Singapore or Bangkok.
Good luck!
Live in domestic, as I said, is not easy to get. It is only for Taiwanese or top of the ladder executives. I do not mean teh wages, I mean allowed to hire. It is not like th e ol country where anyone can hire anybody as long as you pay, local or foreign.
Daycare is not that hard to find in Taipei, there are baomu or babysitters that take care of babies, but the problem is that OP will be in Taichung, dunno how the net of babysitters are there. They must have a special license from teh Government and be registered, otherwise it is too risky to leave your kids in the hands of unlicensed ones, enough problems as it is.
Local kindergarden would be an alternative. yes, they take them in that young.
The result of the latest evaluation for private daycares in Taichung by the city government, though it is in Chinese. Hope the link works. 托嬰中心 means daycare. There are many public daycares too, but I guess they are mostly for lower income local families, and hard to get in, as in Taipei.
104-105年度托嬰中心評鑑成績 (seems like a list of daycares passing the evaluation)
http://www.society.taichung.gov.tw/df_ufiles/n/104-105年度托嬰中心評鑑成績(1).pdf
105年臺中市托嬰中心評鑑單項績優名單 (list of daycares excellent in a specific field)
http://www.society.taichung.gov.tw/df_ufiles/n/105年臺中市托嬰中心評鑑單項績優名單.pdf
Social Affairs Bureau, Taichung City Goverment
http://www.society.taichung.gov.tw/index.asp
You can search licensed babysitters from the Taiwan government site (Social and Family Affairs Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare) , though in Chinese again. 社區保母 / 居家托育服務 seems to mean babysitters.
https://cwisweb.sfaa.gov.tw/
OP. Can you get a car with a driver? I’ve seen that done, but only with high up management.
“Why do Asia at all unless you really want to , or you HAVE to?”
Being that Asia is a pretty big, diverse continent. Maybe some feel Taiwan is not the first, second or even third place they’d want to live in as compared to Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, etc.
Or if push comes to shove, Taiwan taxis can have monthly pick up services arranged. They pick you up and take you home at certian times, very convenient and affordable and safe. They are very amenable to adapt to your needs.
Considering doing it for the life experience and opportunity for career advancement for both my wife and I.
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This is a great forum! Lots of good insight here. Thank you all for taking the time to reply.
I like the scheduling of taxi idea,…at least for the first little while until we get more familiar with everything.
Indeed. A bit of sacrifice looks good to the upper management. the experince is great for the kids, and if they get another language, that will be invaluable to their intellectual and emotional development.
However, please look into the details on who gets the work permit. The amendments to allow the spouse to work are still under discussion.