[quote=“Jon1985”]Original Title: Life Changing Move UK To Taipei,Help Required
Hello there,
First of all fantastic forum!
I would really appreciate some input and advice regarding my future plans.
Alittle about myself,I am 25 and Live in the UK,I am not a well travelled person,Having only been abroad one which was Ireland 2 years ago! But I have decided that I would really love to take the step of experiencing life alittle more.
I plan on moving to Taipei in 2012 and staying for a year but there are obvious thing’s which make me quite nervous in regard to speaking the langauge and fitting in as I will be travelling by myself (more than likely) I will be self sufficient and have no need to find work whilst I am here
Will it be essential to learn Mandarin or could I get by on English alone??
I was never very good at school at learning German so I believe I could really struggle learning something as complexed as Mandarin
Do you think that moving to Taipei having very little experience in foreign countries could be a step too far??
Any suggestions in respect of finding property? I have found some property online via livingtaipei.com Does anyone else have any similar sites to recommend?
Im sure I will have a hudread more questions as this thread progresses.
Any questions/Advice are highly appreciated
Kind regards
Jon[/quote]
Ok , let me reread your post again here ! Some years ago i ran into another Jon in Taipei at a cafe playing on one of those games they had built in to the tables at that time (pacman is still my fav). He was cussin up a storm using the few taiwanese choice words he learned. He was here a week, decided to live in Asia for a year with the inheritance he got when his Grandpa passed. He got to Taiwan after a week or two (i forgot) in Seoul. First day in Taiwan he went to a bar, ran into a PSJ (full fledged) there and…well thats another story. But anyhow, here he is after a week, cussing up a storm in a taiwanese cafe and having a roaring good time. Jon had no trouble getting himself into a couple of years of generally good fun in Taipei. Turned out his inheritance lasted him a few more years then he thouht it would. Never had to teach english. I gave him my 50cc to run around town in. NO license to drive, no plates, no trouble. Only real trouble he ever got into was when he looked up the wrong missey in a bar and her wannabe thugs beat him up outside the place. But even so, they felt sorry for him and drove him home, cept he was so drunk (now they know better,they should never beat up a drunk fellow) he didnt know the way home. So they decided they better keep him with them to make sure he was alright. So this gang of wannabe thugs took him all round the island (they were visting their wannabe gangster friends all around the island) and they had a ripping time. He never had to pay a dime. They dropped him off back at Sogo when they got back to Taipei a week later. And now he had a telephone number to call in case he needed some muscle !
Such are the adventures on the rock !! I am sure you will be just fine !
If you like asian girls, you will find plenty of them to like in Taipei/Taiwan. If you like asian food, ditto. If you like a smallish island with lots of mountains, places to go/see. Things to do, you will be in the right place. Life in Taiwan is hectic in one sense and easy going in another. You can be in blazin heat on a HOT summer day and go into a nice chilled cafe and be in a pleasant surrounding eating some good grub and eyeing the local talent just one sliding glass door away.
Plus surrounding areas/countries are also a hoot to visit.
You have a UK passport? Therefore no visa needed. Visa exempt entry for up to 90 days (renewable for another 90 easily the FIRST TIME without leaving the rock). Just make sure to NOT overstay by even one day or you lose this privilege for some time.
Only real danger is that one year may turn into many more ! And eventually the UK may be but a memory in the gleam of a young 25 year old man’s eye.
25 and male and western in Taipei? How can THAT be a problem !
By the way ,you can start your Taiwan adventure by flying EVA from the UK (one stop in Bangkok) or China Airlines non stop. I always feel like im in Taiwan already if i fly those airlines, the moment i step onboard.