Hi, all. Newcomer here. I’m 27 from the US (male), and up until now I’ve spent 4 years living in Japan. During that time, I’ve made 4 short trips to Taiwan and have fallen in love with the food, culture, and atmosphere. I’m curious about life in Taiwan and considering staying in Taipei short/mid-term, maybe for a year or two.
I like learning languages, and I’m pretty satisfied with my progress in Japanese. I am now curious to study Chinese, and achieving Chinese fluency would be my main goal while living in Taiwan. Problem is, I’m not really sure what else to do while staying in Taiwan that long. I’m considering taking a masters degree, but some research has lead me to believe there aren’t many grad degree programs in Taiwan worth pursuing, especially in my prospective field (international relations). I don’t want to live in Taiwan forever, so I want a degree that would be worth something back home if I decide to do grad school.
Alternatively, I might consider working, but it seems teaching English would be my only option. I have no desire to do this, and I have no experience or qualifications for teaching English either (I worked at a manufacturing company in Japan).
My main interest in Taiwan is just to learn the culture/language and experience life there. But I would like to find something “productive” to accomplish while there, other than just being a full-time language student. I also need some reason to get a long-term visa so I would be able to work at least part-time somewhere and support myself.
What do you guys think? How should I spend my time in Taiwan?