Actually, I think my standard of life would be better in London than it would be in Taiwan. Sure, I wouldn’t be able to take taxis whenever I feel lazy and eat out every day in London like I could in Taipei. But, in terms of material comfort, everything else would be better in London. But I agree that, by Taiwan’s standards, you can be quite comfortable with an NT$75K salary.
This ex-girlfriend of mine is somewhat anti-China and didn’t like the fact that I have deep interests in Chinese philosophy and traditional culture, even though Taiwan isn’t China. To her, “China” is a menacing evil and she seemed to find it difficult to separate that image from Chinese culture. As you say, she saw my interests in Chinese culture and language as a slight against Japan.
It isn’t quite six-figures, but that would be achievable if I remained a contractor or if I worked up the ladder in the company that offered me a job. When I say a “nice part of London”, I don’t mean Mayfair or Clapham, I mean a decent flat in a nice place a bit further out like Forest Hill.
I guess everyone values different thing, and for me staying in Singapore and earning money is not making me any better than how I used to feel before coming here. I actually feel a lot worse, and so that’s why
@FatKaz: we are kinda having the same age, I might be 3-5 years younger, I am basically 30.
I guess as someone has pointed out: try to think about where you see yourself long-term and eventually retiring, and see if a 75/100.000 job would allow you to do that, if not, I guess that is the reply you were looking for (Since looking at retirement is something you are looking at right now, so you should consider that too).
Another possibility is, if it’s a company with branches around the world, find one on the Taiwanese side of the Earth and ask about being transferred there after a year or two.
I work semi-US hours in Taiwan: 8-midnight for meetings every night, e-mail and computer work during school hours. It’s quite great, actually. It’d be even easier for UK time.
True, I guess for the majority it is like this.
But in my case, I can repeat, I come from a background of ZERO money, literally, to have quite a bunch, and I never been so unhappy.
I literally had moments with no electricity and no hot water when I was a kid because my parents did not have enough to pay that.
So maybe that is why now I do not need a lot at all, anything is better than how I lived, and I am quite content with little.
