I am coming to Taiwan in January. A few people have said that one should go to Taiwan without a job, and find one once you get there.
For those people, how did you get around before you got a job? I speak very little mandarin, and I don’t know anyone in Taiwan, so I am imagining that I would have a lot of troubles with accomodation (until I get a job), getting around the city, etc.
How did you survive? Any suggestions? A couple of people have suggested a hostel…any recommendations? Thank you.
You’ll be surprised at how common a basic grasp of English is here. Especially coming, as you are, from Northern China.
There are plenty of hostels listed in the Lonely Planet Guide and as it is the business of those bosses to deal with out-of-towners, they’ll be able to communicate with you to some degree.
Taipei has a subway system (MRT) and that, along with street signs have pinyinized Chinese names that you can read. Maps are available at 7-11. Good hotels have concierges that can help you as well.
I was underwhelmed when I got here and surprised at how easy it was. All I could say then was “ni hao” and I said it wrong.
The only really important thing is to arrive with enough money to get you through the initial time.
The rest will work out eventually. It takes awhile to get a feel for the city and the job scene but once you do, it’s cake.
Other parts of Taiwan are not as easy with zero Mandarin, though Taichung is ok. You’ll get by in any case.
I believe some places will give you a deal if you rent by the month.
In addition to Taipei’s rail system (MRT), Taiwan has a train system and a number of bus companies, if you should get an interview/job offer outside Taipei.
Here’s the Taiwan Railway Administration’s train schedule in English: 203.67.46.20/english/
When you have people listing hotels for you , that’s a good sign that it’s gonna be alright…
Don’t worry about the chinese part, the taiwanese love to practise their english anyway. as for coming here, you can find an apartment, and a job within a month. I feel like it’s like moving to another state , you should have at least two months rent and make sure you have your return ticket…Otherwise, stick with forumosa, the people here have hearts like I have never imagined or encounted in my 32 year…BIG… :bravo: :bravo: :bravo: :bravo: And welcome to Taiwan, you’ll love it…
I think the people in this thread have already given you some good advice. This is, in fact, one of the things that many of us really like about Taiwan – with the odd exception, most people (both Taiwanese and foreigners) here are very friendly and welcoming.
An additional tip that I might suggest would be to stay relaxed and take your time when you get here. Obviously your ability to take your time will be somewhat dictated by how much money you have budgeted for your “adjustment time”, but don’t feel that you need to stay at the very first hostel you hear about, or that you need to take the very first job offer that someone gives you. Of course you don’t want to be too picky/indecisive either – but I think that taking a little time to get your bearings before you settle down is worthwhile.
Hey, I wanna do what Curtass is doing. I travelled in Taiwan and now I wanna live there for a bit… but I’d have to work illegally if I wanted to be back home by Sept 2005, right?
[quote=“Curtass”]Thanks all for the helpful suggestions. And thanks xp for the links. I feel much more comfortable knowing that this’ll be a piece of cake.
One more question…Is mid-January a good time to land jobs? If not, I might hold off on coming until February.[/quote]
You’re welcome. I never could figure out when the best time is, because I’ve changed jobs at different times. For a while there, I sorta wound up bouncing around different towns in Taiwan like a pinball (not recommended at all ). Anyway, January seems OK to me, and at least one website says January is good:
(Note: I don’t know how much impact grad school has on things, but I think January is OK.)
Hope this helps.
As to mk12’s question, that’s a tough one, and I just don’t have enough knowledge to answer it. In fact, I hope somebody more knowlegeable than me answers both of your posts.
For teaching English, the advice I was repeatedly given was that about two weeks before Chinese New Year, schools go into hiring mode. They know that many of their teachers will be quitting after receiving their CNY hong bao’s (for those who do get them), and besides, that’s a semester break point so schools gear up for the next season of classes.
When is CNY this, er, next year, anyway?
I don’t understand why mk12 would have to teach illegally if he/she wanted to leave in September. Just the “one-year contract” issue? You might miss a bonus, but they can’t stop you from leaving even if your ARC runs until January.
Taiwanese don’t like to make any changes before the new year or during ghost month. You may want to reconsider your timing to arrive after CNY. That said, there usually seems to be lots of jobs anytime. Finding the right one is the key. Taipei will be a ghost town during CNY which I believe falls during the 2nd week in February.
[quote=“MaPoSquid”]When is CNY this, er, next year, anyway?
[/quote]
I think it’s around Feb 9th.
After just getting back from a 10-day vacation in Taiwan, I am about ready to move there too! Something about the place draws me in, I can’t figure it out. It would make my wife happy beyond belief. Maybe '06 will be the year to make the big move if all works out well.
). Anyway, January seems OK to me, and at least one website says January is good:
