Some of you have followed my posts, about leaving a job at one of Taiwan’s worst universities for a job at an Ivy League uni in the states. Well, I love my new job. I only teach one class a year (yes year, not semester), get paid over twice what I did in Taiwan (and I was making 85k/month), make my own hours, am mainly expected to write and publish, and my chair doesn’t give a crap about what I do. My Taiwanese job had me teaching 9 courses a SEMESTER, other profs would open the door to my classes to make sure I was actually doing my job, and I even had to have a formal hearing because someone complained.
So my job here in the states is amazing. My job in Taiwan was hell.
But I can’t quit sobbing about Taiwan. I even got a scooter here (500cc!) to help with the homesickness, and it does. But some days, most days actually, I just want to be back on the little quirky rock. I was there 6 years, and have been back in the states almost 2 months now. The WHOLE time I was preparing to leave Taiwan I was really depressed about it, since I didn’t think I would ever leave. Taiwan just seems so much more…fun, friendly, safe, interesting and just all around pleasant. Except the employment situation. Maybe I could get a job at Academia Sinica in the future, or NTU or something similar and might be better than other options there, but except for a few places like that it would be total career suicide to go back. Also would probably end up hating my job, leaving my field and just teaching buxiban in some rural town somewhere.
But I really, really miss it. Hopefully once I meet some people and the semester is in full swing things will be better, but I keep on telling myself ‘Taiwan isn’t going anywhere, you can always go back, and your CV will be a trillion times stronger by that time, already is actually.’
Anyone successfully reintegrate back to America/Canada? This place just seems so…plastic, lame and dull.
Btw, some of the Institutes at Academia Sinica have politics and issues that would make your eyes to pop out of your head. Lots of folks have made this work nonetheless but do not romanticize this place!
Most of my friends who have moved back to the states have had similar problems. Most of them have said they wanted to come back, but for their career, they knew deep down that it’s better to stay in the states.
Maybe try to make some Taiwanese friends to ease the pain? If there’s any Taiwanese people left out there…
You`ll get bored. I moved back in 2008 from Taiwan. I worked my ass off in Taiwan, worked for a electronics company, made a relatively good salary with stocks etc., but found a job back in North America that was in government, secure, management level, paid triple what I made before, etc.
After 8 years — I became bored as hell. People seem to waiting decades to retire and die with their pensions. I took a job that pays slightly less but it is in Europe and with 37 days of vacation (not bad for private sector). I feel retired now and I am in my early 40s. Taiwan-- great in your 20s but no place to grow old in unless you are a business person or a lawyer, doctor, etc. Thoroughly miss the buzz, food and cool expats though.
The most culture shock I ever felt? Working in North America after Asia, and I say that as a Caucasian reared in the Americas.
From what I’ve heard (from professors), it is true that young assistant professors are bullied into teaching more courses, but 9 doesn’t sound possible. 3 is considered exhausting and more is considered unreasonable. Even students don’t take as many credits.
the work culture sucks in taiwan. boo hoo? thats so bad you are earning twice the amount you earned here and have an easier job, i feel really sorry for you?
In Taiwan I was a fulltime lecturer. Profs at that uni teach 6 classes, lecturers 8-9. You know Taiwanese education, quantity over quality.
In America, I am a lowly postdoc. I completed my PhD (not at a Taiwanese university, I’m not stupid), this past June. My position is just for 2 years, so I will be on the job market again soon.
I’m in the same boat as Adoga. I’m a full-time lecturer at a Uni (also teaching 9 classes a week. A heavy load with lots of prep, but can’t beat the 4 months of vacation a year). But I don’t even have a PhD, just a Masters (also from an American university, also not stupid). If I go home, I’ll be lucky to get a job at a high school. Here I get to be a large fish in a small pond. Back in the states, I’m plankton in an ocean.
Why is that surprising?
The minimum hourly wages in the U.S. is 2 times that of Taiwan.
9 USD=270 TWD in the U.S.
V.S.
133TWD in Taiwan.
That’s also why so many non-elite Asians swarm to the West and feel content to get the minimum wages by simply working in some stores and restaurants.
They’re only making less than 30K a month in Taiwan, while it’s over 50K a month by doing the same work in the West.
To the OP: you are not “lowly postdoc”; you are a postdoc, with a research gig at an Ivy League university. This is an amazing opportunity and you should be doing whatever you can to extend your research network and push forward your research to get to the next step.
The fact that you are pining for the days that you were required to teach nine courses per semester for half of your current pay is (and I apologize for speaking frankly here) objectively ridiculous. If you care about the university work environment, you should be doing everything you can to:
a) never get such a terrible gig again; and
b) make sure newcomers are not subjected to such a horrible arrangement either.
Yip, there is nothing like buying a home worth nearly 1 million on the West coast, having a great job, etc. in realizing the bullshit of it all.
I much prefer renting now and living in Southern Europe. Fresh bread, cheap wine, artisanal/market culture, 2 months vacation, sexy locals (I swear that British Columbia has way too many left-leaning enviro chicks/social workers ), cheap real estate, and almost equivalent North America salary. I miss Asia`s food/fast pace, but find North America to be overpriced, too commercial and superficial.
I need a place that oozes history. I don`t think I will leave Europe.
@Adoga I felt similar to you upon returning because I really loved my life in Taiwan but absolutely hated working there.
Eating at Taiwanese restaurants helps. There are also a lot more bubble tea stands around than there used to be and I occasionally go to one to reminisce about Taiwan with the shop owner.
Keep traveling. I try to visit Europe every two years and Asia roughly every five, though I haven’t returned to Taiwan since I left.
Despite being an American though, integrating “back” into US culture has been difficult. My sojourn in Taiwan revealed that I was never really integrated in this culture to begin with; I was much more successful socially in the first 10 months I was in Taiwan than the over 10 years I’ve been back in the States.
i mean, it shouldn’t really take long to find out the work culture here sucks. figure something else out(like your own business), move elsewhere or suck it up and keep working for the slave drivers. those are pretty much your options.
i know the feeling though, i went back home for 3 or 4 years after my first time living in asia and i basically missed it constantly. i’m not planning to leave here, at least until i’m really sick of it.
