Does moving to Taiwan make sense

[afterspivak]

Good post.

TAS is ferociously expensive. With that sort of money, one would think you could live pretty well in the US, even with its awful inflation.

Guy

[The]

@afterspivak

TAS is ferociously expensive

Yea make no sense to move across the world to put child into Western education when you have it at home for fraction at cost.

I would prefer my kids being in local countryside school

@justinram11

My wife is having a really hard time adjusting to life here (not close to her family, cold, expensive, driving culture) and the few months have been rough on everyone.

Give her a bit more time. Does she have a job? I find Taiwanese women on average prefer to work and they like to outsource kids to others.
We have daily kindergarten and on Saturday nanny helps us and sometimes (rarely) my parents.
Taiwanese are very attacted to their families, and local surroundings, so living abroad is tough for them by default. Unless they were unhappy in Taiwan in the first place. You as man have to make decision what is the best for your family. And stick to it.

In the end of day we are able to have life balance with 3 kids and save/pay off debt close to 100k twd monthly with very average office jobs without overhours. All this talk about about Europe being in stagnation, we have it very good here. No way we would be able to keep our life standards in Taiwan. Unless our equity /wealth goes up.
This is what basically Taiwan is about. Being paradise for rich people, for bosses and business community. All others are screwed

[Brianjones]

@The

Being paradise for rich people, for bosses and business community.

Well government workers have a good deal too, and there are a lot of them (and until recently they had an amazing deal). And you can easily get subsidised housing below certain income levels. Taiwanese people are fairly well off. Some older people had it tougher cos no laobao or welfare in the old days.
I don’t see many poor people around although as I said I do know some who don’t have a pension so still working selling street food. But they own their own house and their kids look after them aswell.

[TaipeiGuy2000]

@justinram11

My job is remote and would allow me to work anywhere

What if you lose your job? What then?

[The]

Yea, you actually have a point. A lot of Taiwanese are very well off. It’s a prejudice I have people work for peanuts cause they are poor, but there are people selling street food while owning apartments.

It’s cultural. Said this, is advantage cause you get get small things done fast and cheap. I paid last time 70 euros to take needle out of car tire, while waiting 2 hours. In Taiwan would take 15 min and 300 twd? West is overregualted in this way, but hey taxes and welfare have to come from somewhere.

[justinram11]

Very good point of concern, but overall fairly comfortable finding remote work, even from Taiwan (did it for 6 years)

[TaipeiGuy2000]

@justinram11

Very good point of concern, but overall fairly comfortable finding remote work, even from Taiwan (did it for 6 years)

Then go for it if you like. Living in Taiwan is great if you can comfortably hold a decent job.

[Bobc9]

Interesting, I assume you work in the IT industry? Do you mind sharing what qualifications you had when applying for the job and how you discovered the position?

[Poundsand]

@The

Yea make no sense to move across the world to put child into Western education when you have it at home for fraction at cost.

unless you’re in private school in the US too.

[Whatevah]

@Bobc9

Interesting, I assume you work in the IT industry? Do you mind sharing what qualifications you had when applying for the job and how you discovered the position?

Semiconductors-ish electronics-ish software development. PhD with about 3 years non-relevant experience. Found it on 104, the ad was in Chinese but I barely speak Chinese and everyone in the company is fluent in English. Did not have any recommendations but they did contact my previous employer to ask around about me.